Ark Chess Player.

The timing is right, and the events are right, but the combination of timing and events is not necessarily right.

Lin Lu compiled Faust's testimony into a document in his mind and stored it in his memory.

"Elmoni..."

Lin Lu silently repeated the name.

An indescribable, peculiar emotion welled up within him, as if an electric current had coursed through his body, even numbing his fingertips. Even with the loss of his memory, this body remembered the other person's presence quite clearly.

It was as if Elmoni had never left, and had always been by his side.

Lin Lu remembered this name because the King Killer had mentioned her more than once.

For the regicide, Lin Lu and Elmoni were her everything, her world, and her entire being.

"Elmonie must be a beautiful woman who is intelligent, kind, considerate, and exceptionally independent."

Lin Lu tried to conjure up a vague figure from Faust's words: she had shoulder-length hair like maple leaves, a face like a snow maiden, and Sarkaz horns like the silver moon. Even a black robe couldn't conceal her graceful figure, her perfect golden ratio... gentle and dignified, the tenderness in her bright eyes seemed to ripple like water, captivating all who beheld her.

"Doctor, wake up, drool...drool!"

A discordant sound interrupted Lin Lu's reverie. A small, fair hand suddenly appeared in front of Lin Lu, its slender fingers clutching a white silk handkerchief, seemingly intending to wipe Lin Lu's mouth.

Anemone peeked out, her exquisitely beautiful face less than thirty centimeters from Lin Lu. Her jewel-like eyes reflected Lin Lu's slightly dazed expression, her long, slender eyelashes fluttering like tiny fans, bright and radiant. She wore a long, black and white maid's dress that reached her feet, a white lace headband in her hair, and a bright red ribbon tied to her silver horns.

"Elmoni?"

Chapter 306 Mr. Lin, Forever a God! (4K)

"Elmoni?"

Lin Lu gazed at Yin Lianhua's face, the longing he held in his mouth unconsciously slipping out.

Anemone's outstretched hand suddenly froze. She tilted her head back slightly, her bright eyes filled with panic, and she seemed somewhat at a loss.

"Anemone, confess the truth—"

Lin Lu instinctively reached out to press down on her shoulder, but his outstretched fingers sliced ​​through the air, disrupting the outline of the anemone and creating ethereal, glassy light and shadow. He then remembered that the anemone was originally an AI maid residing within the Ark Driver. Her appearance before him was merely a manifestation of her being connected to his digitized spiritual realm; she wasn't a real person.

"Doctor, what are you trying to say..."

Yinlianhua dared not meet Lin Lu's gaze directly, turning her head slightly away. The usually lively and energetic girl was now shy and demure, just like a girl... even though she was originally a girl.

Lin Lu took a deep breath, his gaze intense. Ignoring the mentally confused Faust present, he asked Anemone:

"Anemone, confess! Was your Live3D costume modeled after Elmon?! No wonder this model is so beautiful and lifelike, comparable to the movement of celestial bodies. I'm so glad I'm still alive because I've seen something so beautiful in my life. Ahh... Twenty minutes isn't enough for my heart rate to return to normal. Anemone, show me a dance from Gokuraku Jodo."

"Doctor, it's time for you to take your medicine."

Anemone smiled slightly, clenching her fists, unsure whether she should be angry.

Although Lin Lu's praise made her blush, Yinlianhua truly hadn't expected this blockheaded professor to utter such eloquent words. However, she couldn't help feeling like she'd been misunderstood. Forget about models, that's just how she looks! It's called natural beauty, okay?!

"...Never mind, it's better if you can't remember. It's better than letting you cry like an idiot again."

Silver Lotus muttered to herself, her gaze towards Lin Lu filled with even more resentment.

"What did you say?"

"nothing!"

Anemone deliberately drew out her words, as if she had reverted to her cheerful and optimistic artificial intelligence, like a resilient and optimistic five-year-old onion. She looked down at the white silk item clutched in her hand, thought for a moment, and then put it away, deciding not to give it to Lin Lu.

Lin Lu noticed her action and asked curiously, "What's that?"

Just now, Anemone was trying to wipe his mouth.

"Ibitas's panties."

Upon hearing this, Anemone opened her white lace-trimmed children's panties with both hands, revealing her full figure to Lin Lu.

Anemone thought for a moment and added, "This is cleaned up, so even if you wanted to taste the original flavor, you wouldn't have the chance! Hehehe, I just want you to see it but not be able to eat it!"

"Really... Anemone, come here for a second, I promise I won't kill you."

Lin Lu rolled up his sleeves. He hadn't forgotten how, back on the Rhodes Island ship, he'd mysteriously retrieved Ibitas's white underwear from the depths of his dream. He was in his office at the time, with Kal'tsit and Amiya lying on the sofa, and he nearly suffered a social death on the spot. The underwear, still faintly smelling, ended up on Specter's bed, and Lin Lu still didn't have the courage to go find Specter.

"Hehehe! Go ahead and hit me, you idiot."

Anemone stuck out her tongue, glanced at Faust who was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and the smile on her face vanished instantly. She sighed softly, her slender figure dissipating with faint particles, her consciousness returning to the deep spiritual realm.

Lin Lu stared at the light particles drifting in the air, his hand frozen in mid-air as he was about to strike, and it took him a long time to withdraw it.

Are you awake, or are you still dreaming?

Lin Lu recalled the first words Kal'tsit said to him when they reunited today.

Now, savoring those words more closely, one can almost sense a different meaning; it seems as if Kal'tsit is... wary of him.

—Be wary of his past self.

Lin Lu sighed softly. He didn't know if there was truly a connection between Anemone and Elmoni, but he gleaned a clue from Anemone's reaction. The panic and helplessness she showed in that instant proved that she didn't want to talk about it... at least not now.

Since that's the case, Lin Lu won't force her; he'll wait for Yin Lianhua to bring it up herself.

At that time, Lin Lu might find himself in a dilemma again.

The past of Elmoni.

Anemones as they are now.

And I.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Faust".

Lin Lu raised his hood to cover his face.

At this moment, he was not Lin Lu, who was casually chatting with Faust, but rather extending a formal invitation to Faust as the Doctor of Rhodes Island.

"Are you willing to leave Reunion and join Rhodes Island?"

Lin Lu looked at Faust, who was clutching his head in astonishment, and couldn't help but smile. "Our Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals is committed to creating a society where infected people and ordinary people can coexist peacefully... Never mind, I don't want to talk to you about unrealistic, grandiose ideals. Let's get practical. I admire your character and strength, and I also know that your Oripathy infection in your lungs is already terminal. With the current medical conditions of the Reunion Movement, even if you can live a peaceful life and absolutely restrain yourself from using Originium Arts... you won't live for more than two years."

"—!!"

Faust's hands trembled, and his dazed mind felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it, a chill running from head to toe. The flow of his blood seemed to slow down, and his heart let out a feeble wail.

It's like a terminally ill patient whose life is being counted down by a solemn announcement from a doctor.

Faust was well aware of his physical condition, and he knew that recently when he cast spells, his infected organs would throb with excruciating pain. It felt like a burning brand was firmly imprinted inside his body, and his nasal passages were filled with the smell of burning. But he hadn't expected it to be this severe. How old was he? Still a boy, he hadn't seen any scenery outside of Ursus, and his only memory was of endless snowfields.

"so what."

Faust's hoarse voice sounded like a baby crying. He suppressed the buzzing in his head and stared straight at Lin Lu.

"I am an infected person. I was destined not to live long, it's just that I had less time... that's all."

"What if I told you Rhodes Island could add ten years to your life?"

"--What?!"

Faust's pupils contracted, wondering if he had misheard.

Lin Lu straightened his back, put his legs back down, and adopted a proper sitting posture. He said solemnly, "Rhodes Island has never regarded Oripathy as an incurable disease. As doctors, we consider it to be a disease for which there is currently no effective treatment. Although we cannot yet develop a solution that can cure the disease, at least in terms of controlling and delaying Oripathy, Rhodes Island's medical technology is the best in the world!"

"Even Rhine Lab, in the field of Oripathy treatment, if they hadn't treated the people of the Colombian Federation as guinea pigs for experiments, luring those ignorant masses to quarantine zones under the guise of providing free Oripathy vaccines to observe the side effects and aftereffects of injecting experimental drugs... they wouldn't even have the chance to carry our shoes now, let alone be compared to us."

"Faust, if you're willing to join Rhodes Island, we're also willing to accept your Phantom Crossbowman squad. I can promise that each of you will receive the highest priority medical care, and your treatment will absolutely not be delayed. You'll receive your salary on the 15th of each month, with room and board provided. Expenses incurred while on duty can be reimbursed, and you'll have twelve days off per year. There will also be compensation for any failure in combat."

Tell me, what are your intentions?

Lin Lu quietly watched Faust's wavering eyes, placed his arms on the table, and crossed his hands to hide his wicked smile.

Commander Ikari's classic pose.jpg

Lin Lu was attracted to Faust's physique... no, he was attracted to Faust's potential and his exceptionally high attribute stats. Furthermore, Faust's Originium Arts, combined with his Phantom Crossbowman skills, could form a dedicated special operations squad.

If he could recruit them, Lin Lu was willing to turn this team into his own direct squad, and he would personally be responsible for training and developing them. Just like Kal'tsit's SWEEP Guard Team that she formed on Rhodes Island, he needed his own armed squad.

Lin Lu will never forget it.

When he opened his eyes, completely naked, from the liquid tank in Rhodes Island's central control room—the elite Rhodes Island operators looked at him as if he were a monster.

Having said all that, Lin Lu had fully explained the working conditions at Rhodes Island Corporation; the rest was up to Faust's personal will. He was like a corporate headhunter, specializing in poaching promising young people from rival companies, luring them over with high salaries, and once they were there… then what happened next was no longer their choice.

"Take your time to think it over; we have plenty of time."

Lin Lu did not urge Faust to reply immediately; he leaned back in his chair.

If Faust agrees, Lin Lu can take Faust away from the Guard Bureau on the spot, and no one can stop him.

However... Lin Lu was unsure whether Faust would agree.

If Faust were alone, he might have accepted it readily. But an indelible figure lingered in his heart, which would be a major factor influencing his decision.

Faust pondered for a long time, then looked up and asked, "Where is Ino?"

really……

Lin Lu sighed inwardly.

"Sorry, our company does not accept people with malicious intentions."

Even though his efforts to persuade Faust might be in vain, Lin Lu immediately rejected any lingering hope in Faust's mind.

Without any hesitation, Lin Lu said in a deep voice, "No matter how outstanding Mephisto's personal abilities are, as long as his mind is not used for the right thing, we will never accept him. His talent is a disaster for everyone, and his fate was already sealed."

Upon hearing this, Faust's furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and he no longer hesitated.

“...I will not abandon Ino.” He replied calmly.

"Even at the cost of one's life?" Lin Lu said calmly.

"I will not abandon Ino."

Faust repeated himself verbatim, then closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head.

He gave up resisting, and no matter what Lin Lu planned to do next, he would not betray Mephisto.

"is it?"

Lin Lu placed his hands on the table and slowly stood up.

It's like a mountain rising high, its silent oppressive force shaking the earth.

Lin Lu stared at Faust, and after a long silence, he slowly said, "Next time we meet, I will not show any mercy."

Faust's name was marked with a red mark on the list in his heart. Whatever happened from now on, it would be Faust's own choice, and he would have no regrets.

Lin Lu gave him a chance, but he wasn't willing to cherish it; it can only be said that they weren't meant to be.

Rhodes Island would not force any operator to do anything against their will, so Lin Lu had no intention of knocking Faust unconscious and taking him away. The Army Without Borders also didn't need someone like Faust, whose heart was filled with attachments; free mercenaries couldn't be confined to the worlds of others.

Goodnight, Sasha.

"Lawyer Lin said softly, then turned and left the interrogation room."

At the door of the interrogation room, Alexander Swell, impeccably dressed and with a calm expression, respectfully greeted Lawyer Lin.

This once-pretending-to-be-mediocre playboy to avoid certain death has now shed his old habits, standing ramrod straight with eyes as sharp and focused as a hawk's. The uniform buttons he used to undone to project an air of nonchalance are now all carefully fastened, and even his short hair is meticulously styled with hair gel. The air of a spoiled brat has vanished; this is his true self.

When Swell led Lawyer Lin to the interrogation department to interrogate the prisoners who attacked the witness hall, the officers in the interrogation department didn't even recognize that their superior was the senior inspector they had secretly mocked. They thought that the higher-ups of the Guard Bureau had received word and were coming to severely punish them.

Swell no longer needs to hide himself.

Swell's greatest enemies, his grandfather Alexander Sodan and his half-brother Alexander Anlondor, are both dead. Now, he is the only direct descendant of the Alexander family, and no one in the collateral branches can compare to him. Even though the family has fallen on hard times, and almost all the achievements of his elders have flowed into Lin Lu's hands, he will not harbor any ill will towards Lin Lu.

Swell had foresight, unlike his grandfather and brother who were ignorant and short-sighted. They were single-mindedly focused on preserving the Eagle Pulse Group, even resorting to desperate measures like drinking poison to quench their thirst, attempting to cooperate with the Colombian Federation. They viewed Lungmen as a steak on a table, a gleaming knife cutting into the bones of the Lungmen, hypocritically sharing food like wolves in formal attire, raising their glasses to drink Lungmen's blood.

Swell couldn't help but lament that his grandfather, Alexander Sodan, had wasted all those years learning about the Great Yan culture. He didn't even understand the principle that "when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact."

Were those Colombian federal citizens really that kind?

After Wei Yanwu stepped down, the fragmented Longmen was not in Suo Dan's hands, and only the people of Longmen suffered.

Now that most of the shares of Eagle Pulse Group are in Lin Lu's hands, it may not be a bad thing for Eagle Pulse.

Mr. Lin was concerned about the world and worried about the country and its people.

Swell felt enlightened after talking with him.

—A great undertaking.

Unbeknownst to him, Swell's path had become wider and wider.