Ark Chess Player.

Lin Lu was caught off guard and shot down, but fortunately there was a wall behind him, so he leaned against it.

"+520"

The data-driven spiritual realm displays the amount of healing done, and even the healing itself is shaped like a love heart.

"Is this the new way to 'wall slam' in the modern age...? I have to admit, I'm a little tempted."

Lin Lu rubbed his left chest, which was throbbing with pain. His heart was pounding; he was terrified.

If Kal'tsit used an etched bullet, then no matter how tough Lin Lu is, his heart would need time to heal after being blown apart. During that time, Kal'tsit could easily dismember him and hide each body part in the ancient ruins of Terra. She could then wait for someone to collect all seven parts, allowing them to assemble the body and summon Lin Lu to make a wish.

"Don't call me that, we're not that close yet."

"We've been married for so long..."

"boom!"

Kal'tsit fired another shot with her backhand.

Lin Lu was slammed against the wall again by the impact. He stared at the numbers appearing above his head, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

"+520"

Is this what tsundere means?

"Okay, no more joking."

Lin Lu dusted himself off and sat down casually in the chair in front of Kal'tsit, letting out a long sigh, making no attempt to hide his exhaustion and weakness. He was injured, badly injured, and even Gavial's brutal treatment couldn't fully heal him.

To reach Amiya as quickly as possible, Lin Lu, despite his severe injuries, channeled Originium energy into his hooded coat. The Borderless Army's self-developed system converted the Originium energy into power, increasing the armor's movement speed. When he arrived, he was covered in blood, but thankfully Amiya was unharmed.

"Tell me what's going on."

Lin Lu asked with a faint smile.

Kal'tsit stared at him, her gaze filled with intense emotion.

"Don't put Amiya in such danger again. Listen carefully, you've crossed the line this time."

Kal'tsit thought that Lin Lu would help Amiya after resolving the attack on the Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Building, but she did not expect him to retaliate against the Silverwing Security contractor who attacked them in such an extreme way, directly solving the problem at its root.

This left Kal'tsit, who had hoped to keep a low profile, helplessly facepalming. Such actions clearly fueled greater hostility towards Rhodes Island, this mysterious medical institution. However... Rhodes Island seemed to have done nothing wrong, yet it was being deliberately targeted.

If Lin Lu understood what Kal'tsit was worried about, he would directly refute her:

On which occasion or in which incident was Rhode Island the first to provoke or threaten other companies or organizations?

If you want to bully Rhodes Island just because it seems easy to bully, then don't blame Rhodes Island for exercising its right to protect its own security and development interests and for exercising legitimate self-defense.

Lin Lu would never allow others to bully Rhodes Island, even at the cost of the life of the current Emperor of Ursus.

“Amiya can’t always hide under our protection. This is a process of growth for her,” Lin Lu said earnestly. He was unafraid of Kal’tsit’s gaze and did not think he had done anything wrong. “I believe in Amiya’s will. She truly wants to become an excellent leader, and I am willing to pave a path for her.”

“I know Amiya is a very strong child, I know that better than you do. But an overly strong exterior will eventually be crushed into dust by too much pressure.” Kal'tsit’s tone was firm and unquestionable, as if she were scolding a father who had enrolled his child in three or four extracurricular classes. “Don’t let this happen. If there is a next time, I hope you can play a little role.”

"Yes, I can protect her next time, but I can't protect her for a lifetime."

Lin Lu gave a self-deprecating smile, his gaze unconsciously shifting to the ceiling.

Kal'tsit frowned deeply. She stepped forward and, with lightning speed, pressed her hand against Lin Lu's forehead, while her other hand gripped his wrist to feel his pulse. Kal'tsit closed her eyes, carefully sensing Lin Lu's physical condition.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You're still alive and well, aren't you?"

Kal'tsit slapped Lin Lu on the forehead. This time, unlike her gentleness with Amiya, the slap was loud and clear.

Lin Lu covered the reddened area, but despite being hit, he wasn't angry at all.

There was a faint urge in my heart for Kal'tsit to hit me again.

No wonder I enjoy teasing her so much.

"You still say you're not an old married couple."

Lin Lu muttered something under his breath as a conditioned reflex.

Lin Lu, who thought he would be beaten again, closed his eyes. However, to his surprise, Kal'tsit just touched his hair and sighed.

The long sigh was somewhat puzzling. Lin Lu opened his eyes and was slightly taken aback.

Kal'tsit's grey-green eyes shimmered like lake water; she pursed her lips slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with struggle.

Looking into those eyes, Lin Lu suddenly realized something, lowered his head, and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, if you don't like me joking like this, I won't say it again."

"Ah."

Kal'tsit slowly withdrew her hand and sat down in the chair, adopting a posture that was not quite upright but suited to her figure.

Lin Lu knew very well that the chair's design was quite uncomfortable for Kal'tsit, but it fit his body perfectly. He just didn't expect Kal'tsit to make changes to adapt to the chair, unwilling to solve the problem at its root.

Just like Lin Lu, he probably did something in the past that Kal'tsit couldn't tolerate, but Kal'tsit couldn't bear to erase him from this world. Just like just now, as soon as Lin Lu showed that he was about to die, Kal'tsit anxiously observed whether his vital signs were declining.

Unfortunately, Lin Lu wasn't lying; he knew his own body best. Even if Ibitas meant no harm, it would gradually erode his mental world. Perhaps one day he would still be able to move, but he would no longer be the same person he once was.

Perhaps, it will turn into some kind of monster.

Otherwise, Lin Lu wouldn't be in such a hurry to assist Amiya, hoping she can grow up quickly.

Lin Lu frankly apologized, "It was my fault for terminating the cooperation without consulting you regarding the Dragon Gate matter."

"This is a joint judgment between you and Amiya, and in terms of the outcome, you did nothing wrong."

Kal'tsit picked up the documents on the desk. Reflecting on today's events, she realized that aside from Lin Lu's neglect of Amiya, he had done everything he could. The compensation supplies for Lungmen would be delivered within three days, and Kal'tsit had received what she needed. She wouldn't need to work for Lungmen anymore; it was essentially a one-time payment.

In a sense, Lin Lu's extortion... no, it was him using legitimate means to obtain Rhodes Island's rightful interests. Ultimately, it's because Lungmen, as an ally, is completely unqualified and shows absolutely no respect for Rhodes Island's wishes.

The only problem now is that the cooperation between Rhodes Island and Lungmen has been interrupted, and Rhodes Island urgently needs to find a new partner. Kal'tsit is having a headache over this; there aren't many mobile cities with the financial resources to acquire this batch of drug resources.

Lin Lu could tell what Kal'tsit was troubled about. He picked up Kal'tsit's water glass and took a sip under her murderous glare. He moistened his dry lips, completely unconcerned about something as trivial as an indirect kiss. Even if they weren't a real old married couple, and neither of them were two or three hundred-year-old innocent children, what was there to care about?

"Karlan Trade"

Lin Lu said softly, a knowing smile on his face.

Take one step, but think ten steps ahead.

Even if Lin Lu acts impulsively, he will still look at the development of things from an absolutely rational perspective, find the most favorable conditions for himself, and then put all the factors together to lead to a good ending.

Kal'tsit's expression changed slightly; her gaze remained fixed on the mobile city, ignoring other possibilities.

"I've memorized the background information on all of Rhodes Island's operators. To be honest, if I were to look at it from the perspective of other factions, it would be a real shame for us to be a pharmaceutical company. For example, our operators not only include people with Victorian royal family backgrounds, but also the former Kazdel pardoner, the Kerran Saintess from the Kerran region, the genius caster of the King's Staff, and so on... Even if we don't mention them, we also have the strongest bounty hunter, the former Ursus general, the daughter of an Eastern religious priest, and so on."

Lin Lu's mind flashed with the faces of the operators one by one. He couldn't help but sigh, what is true diversity? What is globalization? What is the unity of the people of Terra?

"Karlan Trade, also known as the Shelag Independent Political and Military Group."

"The Sherag Tribe Council is a state-run foreign trade organization. Its leader is Ensiodis Shivaish, the current head of the Shivaish family, one of the three tribes' councils. It mainly engages in Sherag's non-traditional trade, namely the export of goods and raw materials and the import of modern industrial products. It is also involved in industries such as military industry and military training, and has some overlap with companies such as Raytheon Industries and Penguin Logistics."

"To put it bluntly, they're... suckers who feel guilty if they don't take advantage of them!"

Lin Lu clenched his fist and raised it high, his eyes gleaming.

Lin has few interests, but plundering the wealth of the rich is one of them.

Kal'tsit quickly retrieved information about the Kal'ran trade through the Rhodes Island PRTS system. She whispered, "Are they really ideal trading partners? The Kel'rag region is almost unaffected by natural disasters. It's a closed religious country, with Mount Kal'ran as its holy site. Its rugged terrain protects it from natural disasters, thus shielding it from the suffering of Oripathy. Most of our medicines are for Oripathy, and they only entrust us with the treatment of a small number of their patients."

"No, our goal is trade with Karan, not just the Shelag region."

Seeing that Kal'tsit still had some doubts, Lin Lu smiled and explained, "Kalan Trade is an external window, connecting Colombia, Letania, and Rembiton. If it succeeds, then Kalan Trade will become a platform, connecting companies in various sectors, receiving goods from all over the world, and then transporting them through the city-state's logistics..."

"That's settled then."

Chapter 353 Adult's Time (4K)

Kal'tsit was stunned.

She slightly opened her mouth, considering the feasibility of implementing the plan proposed by Lawyer Lin.

Rhodes Island would absolutely not be able to do that, because Rhodes Island is very clear about its own positioning.

Rhodes Island claims to be a pharmaceutical company, but it is actually an organization that includes infected members and possesses a complete and independent armed force as well as Oripathy research and quarantine methods. It is an internationally recognized expert on Oripathy infected individuals.

Meanwhile, Rhodes Island's operating model, to some extent, continues the approach taken during the Tower of Babel era. Back then, the Tower of Babel's main source of income relied on the Army Without Borders' missions deployed around the world. This explains why Rhodes Island operators are capable of handling various assignments, including repelling rioters, escorting top-secret documents, securing vital Originium facilities, and eliminating mobile armed nomad camps.

The fact that Rhodes Island is a medical institution is the reason it can remain armed while traversing Terra. Without this, Rhodes Island would be paralyzed. Various nations are eyeing Rhodes Island covetously; no one wants an uncontrollable private military group roaming their territory.

"If it's Khartoum trade..."

An idea popped into Kal'tsit's mind.

works.

The context of the Khalkha trade was Shelag, which meant they were able to open a Silk Road through official channels.

If this deal goes through, Karlan Trade will become a world-class platform, embarking on a new journey and becoming a renowned company on par with Raytheon Industries. This will also benefit Rhodes Island; at least Rhodes Island can disseminate its successfully developed drugs through legitimate channels and obtain research funding, thus promoting medical progress. It won't have to be subservient to others to secure cooperation anymore. The reason Lungmen dares to manipulate Rhodes Island like this is precisely because they know Rhodes Island has no other choice.

"So? Is the problem solved now?"

Lin Lu looked at Kal'tsit with a smile, wanting to hear if this proud old man would praise him.

Kal'tsit could tell what Lin Lu was expecting, but she was the type who was proud but not spoiled, so she naturally wouldn't cater to his needs.

"This is just a pure idea, and it doesn't change anything for our current situation. We'll talk about it when things develop as you expect and Rhodes Island's crisis is over..." Kal'tsit said calmly, her tone quite even and devoid of any persuasiveness, just like "next time, for sure."

Lin Lu didn't complain. He just leaned on the table, resting his chin on his hands, and observed Kal'tsit without any attempt to hide it.

Kal'tsit ignored his gaze. Based on Lin Lu's suggestion, she started a new project, retrieved and recorded information from the Karan Trade archives, and formulated a cooperation plan. Not only that, when proposing cooperation, she also had to perfectly convey the attitude of "I really want to cooperate with you, but I can't be too obvious, so I have to be a little reserved to avoid you misunderstanding that we are sycophants."

Discussing projects is like falling in love; whoever falls in love first loses.

Love is war, and so is business warfare.

Time passes quietly.

Lin Lu remained seated without moving, not even blinking. His cobalt blue eyes were filled with data about Kal'tsit. Both the surface-level information and the intelligence constantly being gathered by the data-driven spirit domain gave him a deeper understanding of Kal'tsit.

Kal'tsit endured Lin Lu's enthusiastic gaze throughout, silently completing the necessary documents, affixing the Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals' official seal to the cover of the cooperation invitation letter, and repeatedly checking for any omissions. Of course, she only offered a brief suggestion regarding Lin Lu; specific ideas would need to be discussed in person with the other party's representative.

Kal'tsit believed that the other party would definitely be interested in this.

After all, the idea Lin Lu proposed... made people want to increase his workload. It would be a disservice to themselves, as high-ranking officials of Rhodes Island, not to exploit such a good corporate slave.

"Finally, it's done..."

Kal'tsit rubbed her temples; she hadn't rested for two days. Furthermore, the cooperation with Kal'tsit was of paramount importance, and she had devoted considerable effort to ensuring everything went smoothly, which made it impossible for her to hide her exhaustion.

"How long are you planning to keep an eye on me? If you have nothing to do and don't want to rest, then I'll assign you some work to do." Kal'tsit showed a hint of impatience and glared at Lin Lu with displeasure.

I want to see you for the rest of my life.

Lin Lu laughed, the more he observed Kal'tsit, the more interested he became in her domineering and unreasonable attitude.

Wanting to personally transform a proud and arrogant person into someone who is only proud and not arrogant is probably a kind of desire to conquer.

"...Don't make such pointless jokes."

Kal'tsit's tone suddenly turned somber, but her shoulders trembled involuntarily, revealing her true thoughts.

Sure enough, she was suppressing herself.

Lin Lu came to this conclusion in his mind, but he was completely unfamiliar with his past self and had no memory of it whatsoever. The only thing he could say was that when he returned to his room on the Rhodes Island ship and looked at the nameplates covering the walls, he felt a sense of homesickness. However, even so, he didn't know where he came from, so how could he feel homesick?

"The children have gone to bed."

"Why are you saying that again?"

Kal'tsit rolled her eyes at Lin Lu, clenched her fist slightly and then relaxed it, feeling the blood flow to relieve her fatigue. But her hands were soon enveloped by even warmer, hotter hands, filled with warmth.

Kal'tsit was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Lin Lu, who had appeared beside her at some point.

"Now that the child has gone to sleep, it's time for the adults."

Lin Lu stared intently at Kal'tsit, his gaze deep and solemn, as if he were treasuring the most precious treasure in the world.

"Let me go! What do you want to do?!"

Kal'tsit rarely showed a flustered expression. She reached her other hand to the side of the table and stopped in front of the summoner. With just a press of the button, the members of the SWEEP guard team, which she herself had proposed to form, would arrive within a minute.

The personnel currently on duty on the ship are Platinum, Lion Scorpion, and Askaren. No matter who it is... they can't beat Lin Lu!

The only one present who could rival Lin Lu was Kal'tsit's Originium summon, Mon3tr.

Lin Lu was well aware that Kal'tsit had the authority to mobilize the SWEEP squad, but no matter who came, he was not going to let Kal'tsit off the hook today. Having observed her intently for so long, he naturally knew what Kal'tsit needed most at this moment.

"I want you."

Lin Lu's hands were frighteningly warm; Kal'tsit felt as if she were being melted by his body heat, and for some reason, she couldn't press the button on the communicator with her other hand. She knew she couldn't continue like this, but his voice filled her mind. This person would never have said such things so bluntly before; it was all a lie.