Arknights, I'm going to beat Kal'tsit, really?

Page 44

For ordinary company business, there would be no need for the Lungmen Governor to personally intervene. But Rhine Lab is currently riding high—Oripathy inhibitors are a valuable commodity. While Lungmen's policy towards the Infected isn't as strict as Ursus's, it's hardly lenient either: Infected individuals are only allowed to live in the outer ring and are prohibited from entering the inner ring; to enter, they must apply through special channels and be subject to supervision.

However, Longmen dumped a lot of hard labor on the residents of the outer ring, using the blood and sweat of these poor people to build the dazzling night scene of the inner ring.

Look—Kane cast his gaze downwards from the viaduct. An endless expanse of tin-roofed shacks lay haphazardly stacked, most consisting of only a thin layer of sheet metal, offering neither soundproofing nor warmth, and many were even rusted. But even so, within the outer ring road, this was considered a "home."

Countless such dilapidated dwellings crammed together formed the entire outer ring. If it were merely the harsh living conditions, it wouldn't be unbearable; but in Longmen's outer ring, filth and corruption were the norm—gangs were rampant. Unless you accidentally offended them, while you wouldn't necessarily die that night like in Syracuse, shops were smashed, stalls were looted, and the only pillar of your livelihood collapsed. Many unfortunate souls thus jumped from the high-rises of Longmen.

As the viaduct passed through the massive firewall, skyscrapers rose up, neon lights flashed, and billboards were filled with luxury brands, models, and celebrities smiling radiantly. Kane even saw advertisements for his own businesses—custom-made Texas suits and Syracuse wines.

Rhine Lab's team, led by the Guard Bureau convoy, entered the inner ring. Kane ordered the team to disperse: the wounded were to be taken to the hospital immediately, and those still able to move were to quickly procure necessary supplies.

Meanwhile, Kane and Mon3tr were heading to the Governor's Mansion to discuss the division of profits for Rhine Life's subsidiary with Wei Yanwu.

“Mon3tr, we’ll most likely run into Kal’tsit next. I don’t object to you catching up with her later—but I hope you remember who’s in charge now.”

"I know……"

Kane knew Rhodes Island would also cooperate with Lungmen. Whether it was Lungmen's economic power or the aid it could provide, the Reunion Movement's riots were bound to spread, and Lungmen, being the closest city to Chernobog, would inevitably become the next target. Rhodes Island's mission was to cure Oripathy and save the Infected. If the Reunion Movement became an internationally notorious terrorist organization, Rhodes Island, also an organization of Infected individuals, would face immense difficulties in the future. To prevent the emergence of another Reunion Movement, the nations of Terra would inevitably take even harsher measures against the Infected.

Should we spend huge sums of money to implement a conciliatory policy, treating the infected kindly to reassure them? Or should we simply kill them all, sending them to the Originium Factory to be exploited to death, thus preventing any possibility of riots? The answer is probably self-evident.

As it turned out, Kane's guess was absolutely correct.

When Officer Chen led him into the Governor's Palace reception room, a green-clad lady was already waiting there.

The Governor of Lungmen played his hand brilliantly—by bringing together two companies with highly overlapping businesses, he anticipated that competition would inevitably arise; and he only needed to sit back and stir things up a little to get both sides to reveal their cards and even lower their own prices.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention. In that instant, Kal'tsit saw Mon3tr for the "first time"—her gaze was immediately fixed on her. Although she had been separated from Mon3tr for some time, compared to the long time they had spent together, this brief separation was insignificant. Kal'tsit recognized her instantly.

"Mon3tr?"

"Hmm... Kal'tsit, it's been a long time."

Mon3tr also missed Kal'tsit very much. Her face, which had long since turned human, showed an expression of "longing." However, she had not forgotten who her current master was. So, before Kane spoke, she merely looked at Kal'tsit and gave a perfunctory greeting, without any intention of approaching her.

Upon hearing Mon3tr's response, Kal'tsit's usual poker face crumbled. She hurriedly got up, wanting to get closer for a better look.

But Kane wouldn't give her the chance—he quickly moved closer to Mon3tr, wrapping his arm around her back and placing it on her other shoulder. The distance between them closed instantly, leaving no gap for Kal'tsit to slip in.

This composition... looks just like some twisted romance comics produced in the East.

"It seems that you all have some past?"

The other person, who had been observing silently in the room, finally spoke. His voice was deep and charismatic, carrying the arrogance and ease characteristic of someone in a superior position. Anyone experienced in dealing with people would immediately recognize him as no ordinary individual.

"It's perfectly normal for companies in the same field to have business competition. Governor Wei, I've long admired your name."

Kane greeted the host, and the dragon man behind the desk nodded in response.

Orange horns, red hair, and a blue face—the Governor of Lungmen is a male dragon with a highly atavistic ancestry. Dragons are already among the elite races of Terra, and a highly atavistic ancestry signifies pure bloodline, meaning he must wield the immense power of the gods. It's hard to imagine just how powerful this governor's background is in Yan Kingdom.

"You are……"

"Rhine Lab's Head of Defense Department—Kain Mordred. Nice to meet you, Dr. Kal'tsit."

Kal'tsit was unfamiliar with the person who had appeared beside Mon3tr, but her first impression of Kane was one of "wariness," a fear that seemed almost instinctive. She naturally noticed Kane's affront to Mon3tr, but she noticed even more Mon3tr's submissiveness and gentleness. Clearly, this head of the defense department held control over Mon3tr.

Although it's unknown what happened to Mon3tr to become what it is today, Kal'tsit has never forgotten that day—Theresia was assassinated, and Mon3tr was subsequently taken by the Sarkaz mercenary "Cain." Afterwards, Ascalon frantically investigated Theresia's affairs, executing the Babel Tower traitor, the assassination remnants, and even the craftsman who forged weapons for the assassins, one by one. However, the key figure in the incident, "Cain," seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Although he was ultimately proven to be unrelated to Theresa's death, their final confrontation clearly indicated an adversarial relationship. And Theresa's enemy was Ascalon's enemy.

However, no matter how hard they searched, they found no trace of "Cain" in Kazdel. Rhodes Island's top-secret files speculated that "Cain" was an imposter, and that his true identity was someone else entirely.

Now, Kal'tsit stands before the answer.

Whether Mon3tr was sold to Rhine Labs or "Cain" was originally affiliated with them, and considering their actions of obtaining the Doctor's blood—in any case, Kal'tsit will never ignore this organization in the future.

Although they wanted to confront Kane immediately, given that they were on Lungmen territory and Wei Yanwu was no saint either, they tacitly sat down and put the matter aside for the time being.

"Well then, you two must both be clear about the topic tonight. I have reviewed your company's contract, but I still have some concerns about certain terms."

Wei Yanwu began to take the lead, feigning concern to influence the intentions of both companies. Kelsey, however, maintained her usual poker face, indicating that there was still room for negotiation.

Meanwhile, Kane leaned back on the sofa, practically crossing his legs, his expression arrogant, completely disregarding Wei Yanwu's imposing presence. Chen Huijie, standing behind Wei Yanwu, showed her displeasure, but he raised a hand to stop her, seemingly unconcerned about Kane's offense.

"Rhodes Island wants to establish a deep partnership with Lungmen, which even includes some military operation authorizations—forgive my bluntness, Ms. Kal'tsit, but a pharmaceutical company doesn't seem to need such authorizations."

"Rhodes Island would not have made this request if there were no threat from the Reunion Movement. But with a common threat at hand, Governor Wei must have heard about the recent events."

Wei Yanwu was naturally aware of this. Chernobog was not far from Lungmen, and the two cities were respectively among the most remote cities of Ursus and Yan Kingdom, making them quite similar in some ways. He had put a lot of effort into studying this neighbor.

With his mature military skills and strategic thinking, he understood that the flames of the Reunion Movement would not end in Chernobog; and that the matter was far more complex than just the infected rebelling against the Ursus government.

But he was not afraid of the Integration Movement. This organization, though seemingly powerful, was insignificant compared to the resources he held.

Subsequently, Kal'tsit and Wei Yanwu engaged in several rounds of verbal exchanges. Wei Yanwu repeatedly displayed "blind confidence," asserting that the Lungmen armed forces were sufficient to eliminate the threat; Chen, behind him, genuinely believed this as well. Kal'tsit, on the other hand, dropped several bombshells: the Reunion Movement was not a rabble, its leader was the tyrant Talulah, and its cadres included renowned veterans like "Patriot."

Wei Yanwu then "suddenly realized" and made a new demand: after Rhodes Island takes over Lungmen, it must obey the Guard Bureau's arrangements to cooperate in defending against the enemy. For the sake of Rhodes Island's future, Kal'tsit had to swallow this loss, but in exchange, she gained the right for operators to move freely within Lungmen—at least she wouldn't have to worry about being arbitrarily intercepted because of her infected status.

With this, Lungmen and Rhodes Island reached an agreement.

It was Rhine Lab's turn to make an offer. If their offer wasn't as strong as Rhodes Island's, Wei Yanwu would definitely not give them a friendly look.

"Now, it's your turn. I believe that after our conversation, you understand that Lungmen is preparing for possible unrest."

The implication was: if you're not going to contribute, then please leave. After all, what Lungmen needs most is an Oripathy inhibitor, which Rhodes Island can provide; and Rhine Lab's other products don't significantly impact Lungmen's main business, so Wei Yanwu can put it aside for now.

"Sigh... this is a tough job. It should have been Justin's responsibility, but I ended up doing it."

Kane complained to Mon3tr, seemingly realizing he was truly inept at business negotiations. He even had the leisure to ruffle the cat's hair in front of him—Mon3tr had been watching Kal'tsit the entire time, appearing quite worried about her current situation.

"Governor Wei, I've heard that before you became the Governor of Longmen, you were also a wandering knight-errant."

"In my youth, I was impetuous and full of youthful passion, but looking back now, it only makes me laugh. But what does that have to do with what we're talking about today?"

Wei Yanwu took a drag of his cigarette, remaining calm and unresponsive to Kane's attempts to get close to him; on the contrary, Officer Chen behind him practically wore her shock on her face—this two-faced uncle had such a past!? Why had she never heard of it before?

“Of course it’s related. As a martial artist, you should know that we are not good at negotiation, but our words are like punches—we remain silent until we strike, and when we do, we amaze everyone. I have three pieces of information. If Governor Wei is still not interested after hearing them, Rhine Life should withdraw on its own.”

"But it doesn't matter."

Wei Yanwu stared intently at Kane. Since he wanted to decide the outcome in three moves, he'd see what Kane was really capable of. If it was just bluffing… Wei Yanwu wasn't one to be trifled with.

"One of them concerns the integration movement. Legend has it that Lungmen was once under the control of Duke Ursuscosie, and Governor Wei led his people to take it back. But in the process, you were not unscathed either—one of your sister's children was lost."

"Hmph, old news. It's pointless for your company to try to find out about the past—it's all in the past, and I've long since let it go."

Wei Yanwu has already labeled Kane a "clown." His statements are a mix of truth and falsehood, which only demonstrates the poor quality of his intelligence sources. How could he possibly be threatened with flawed information? It only adds to the absurdity. Didn't you see that even Officer Chen behind him couldn't bear to look?

"However, this is false information. The truth is, your missing niece was taken away by Duke Koschche—her name is Talulah Atrias, and she is half Victorian royal blood and half Yan noble blood. Incredible, she is the perfect heir. Just think—she is not far from Lungmen now. Could it be that her next step is to go home to visit her family?"

Boom—A burst of crimson malevolent energy erupted from Wei Yanwu's desk, a manifestation of his fury as he struck his pipe. Clearly, Kane's secret was entirely true, and it had struck a nerve with this old dragon.

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Officer Chen immediately drew her sword, her mind in turmoil—she wanted to hear Kane continue, as it concerned her half-sister; but as a superintendent of the Royal Guard, she could not allow anyone to threaten the governor of Lungmen.

“Phew… I lost my composure. This is indeed true. But so what—Talulah has now become a tyrant of the Reunion Movement. I don’t know what that duke instilled in her. But I do know that if she becomes an enemy of Lungmen, I will show no mercy.”

"Wei Yanwu!"

Upon hearing these heartless words, Chen Huijie intervened for the first time. Her dissatisfaction and anger were clearly stemming from Talulah, but Wei Yanwu countered with an even stronger stance:

"Inspector Chen! Remember your position—you are first and foremost the Inspector of Lungmen, and the safety of Lungmen is of utmost importance!"

Seeing the fierce glint in Wei Yanwu's eyes, Chen Huijie's arrogance subsided slightly. Yes... her sister was now a complete demon. Perhaps... she was no longer the person who had always protected her in her memories.

Chapter 103 Kane: I Know Everything

"Governor Wei's awareness of putting righteousness before family is truly admirable. With someone like you leading Longmen, in time, this city-state will surely become famous throughout the entire Terra."

Kane clapped lightly, his tone carrying just the right amount of admiration, as if he genuinely admired Wei Yanwu's decision. But Wei Yanwu's expression didn't soften; he understood the barb in the words—the other party was clearly mocking his failed attempt to remain neutral. Now, not only had he been dragged into this mess, but Kal'tsit also knew the inside story, giving Rhodes Island much more room to maneuver in the future.

“Mr. Kane, I have confirmed the first piece of information. You know my stance; even if it were my niece, I would not show favoritism. If your company can promise to bring her back alive… perhaps I am indeed willing to pay a price that satisfies you all. However, the tyrant’s fearsome reputation is not something he earned out of thin air.”

Wei Yanwu had already suspected something. Talulah might be being manipulated and directed by Koschei, or she might be harboring resentment towards him for years of neglect. He only hoped that if she truly wanted revenge, taking his life would be enough, and that Lungmen wouldn't become a second Chernobog—that was the worst outcome he could imagine.

"Don't rush, Governor Wei. There's an old saying in Yan: 'Haste makes waste.' You'll be more interested in the next two pieces of news."

The meeting was kept highly confidential, with no waiters present. Kane casually tapped Mon3tr on the head, signaling her to pour some tea. Mon3tr learned quickly; while working for Muirsey, she had already learned to brew tea and make coffee from the sophisticated water sprite. However, compared to these "adult" drinks, she actually preferred the carbonated soda sold in supermarkets; Kane's refrigerator had a special shelf for her beverages.

Having received Kane's instruction, Wei Yanwu tacitly agreed and did not stop him. The Governor of Lungmen wouldn't be so stingy as to not even part with a little tea; Mon3tr deftly got up to fetch water and brew a cup. After brewing a cup for Kane, Kal'tsit, sitting opposite Kane, still had nothing to drink.

Mon3tr glanced at Kane, only to see the other man shake his head slightly, as if it were merely a subtle gesture of sipping tea. Mon3tr had no choice but to retreat behind Kane, leaving Kal'tsit facing an empty table, silently processing the information she had just received.

Kal'tsit had absolutely no interest in Kane's childish comparisons. Tea was nothing more than water and polyphenols, merely quenching thirst. Even the finest tea leaves couldn't compare to the health supplements from the medical department, and her body didn't need it to boost her energy. As for Mon3tr's service? She never considered herself an exploiter; on the contrary, she pitied the plight of the lower classes in Terra, and she certainly didn't crave Mon3tr's flattery—in short, Kal'tsit felt no envy whatsoever.

"The second piece of news is also related to your niece. It's a long story, so I'll keep it short. After she was adopted by the Duke of Kosiché, she was not mistreated. Instead, she was groomed to be the first in line to the throne—the Duke intends for her to take over the Duchy of Kosiché in the future."

"Hmph, once she truly becomes the Duke of Ursus, it will be difficult for her to return to Lungmen, and she will be destined to be my enemy for life... What a clever scheme."

Wei Yanwu did not question it. As Kosiché's old rival, he knew the other's temperament well, and this was indeed something that man would do, arranged by Jiu.

"But Talulah was no blank slate; she already had her own ideas. She had no liking for Ursus's exploitation and plunder. In order to resist Koschei, she even deliberately contracted Oripathy to stand against Ursus. In the end, she even assassinated the Duke himself, allowing the vast duchy to be quickly divided up by various forces in Ursus."

"..."

Ursus couldn't hide such a major event as Kosich's assassination. Lungmen had already obtained intelligence, and Wei Yanwu had secretly sent people to infiltrate Ursus, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to bring Talulah back. But Kosich's scheme was far-reaching; even the Ursus military couldn't find her, let alone Lungmen's spies. With all the clues matching up, Wei Yanwu had to admit that he really wanted to hear Kane continue.

"From a duke's daughter to a wanted criminal, poverty and illness did not break Talulah. On the contrary, she saw a different kind of light in the people of Ursus. She was more willing to be close to the infected and the common people than to the nobles. So she founded the Reunion Movement, uniting the infected in the snowfields, helping each other, gathering strength, and intending to overthrow the harsh policies of Ursus and fight for the human rights that the infected deserve."

Hearing this, Wei Yanwu's expression was complex. He felt a familiarity with Talulah's ideals and passion, yet he also foresaw her fate—perhaps her speeches on the snowy plains could ignite hope among the Infected, but as a politician, Wei Yanwu knew it was nothing but a dream. Ursus had endured countless wars, repeatedly teetering on the brink of collapse, as if a mere kick could send the nation crashing down; yet Ursus had always existed in the north of Terra, never truly dead. Leaving aside its deep-rooted foundations, the mere aftershocks of its collapse would be enough to annihilate everything around it. Ursus's national policy would never tolerate the rise of an Infected organization.

Wait a minute... If Ursus had acted earlier, how could Reunion have taken Chernobog?

The experienced Wei Yanwu quickly spotted the logical flaw and realized that there was still crucial information that had not been revealed.

“Indeed, Talulah was very successful at one point. The Reunion Movement continued to grow, even absorbing the infected guerrillas from the north and gaining the support of the Ursus Shield, Bodrakastie. But all of this was being manipulated behind the scenes by someone—Governor Wei, as Koschei's old adversary, have you noticed... His subtle differences?”

Kane's words were full of hints, constantly pointing to a certain answer. Wei Yanwu, with his rich experience and former position at the pinnacle of the Great Yan, naturally knew of those beings—the "Beasts" and the "Beast Lords." Koschei was a similar being, or rather, "Koschei" was merely one of His many identities, and Talulah had become His newly chosen pawn.

"Before Kosicheal died, he cast a curse on Talulah—like a debate, an argument. As long as she remained true to herself, the curse was meaningless. But once she wavered, strayed..."

Kane calmly picked up two teacups from the coffee table, one empty and one full. He raised the full cup and slowly poured the tea into it, the tea flowing like a stream into the empty cup.

"I've heard that Kung Fu tea is very popular in Yan Kingdom, and the tea masters' techniques are so varied, like martial arts performances—unfortunately, my skills are just a mere imitation."

Just as he was about to put the teacup back, a furry animal paw reached out and pressed down on the side of the cup. Wei Yanwu had already left his desk and approached. He took the tea set, skillfully brewed another cup, and pushed it towards Kane.

"please."

To have the Governor of Lungmen personally brew tea is an honor enjoyed by only a handful of people in the entire Lungmen... no, even in the entire Yan Kingdom. Kane, however, merely accepted it indifferently, secretly worried that the other party might accidentally drop a feather.

Next time, let Mon3tr do it again. At least it's pleasing to watch a pretty girl making tea, and it tastes better too.

He took a sip, then immediately dismissed the thought—Wei Yanwu's authentic Yan-style cooking was indeed far superior to the half-baked skills Mon3tr had learned from Muirsey.

"In the resource-scarce snowfields, the people were a mixed bag. With a little instigation from Kosicheal's henchmen, the Reunion Movement, which was just beginning to improve, was plunged into internal strife. Talulah was deeply affected by the death of a close friend in this incident, but she still persevered. However, people's hearts are unpredictable, and the betrayal of the Ursus civilians by the Infected forces completely ignited her anger—and thus, the tyrant of the Reunion Movement was born."

Wei Yanwu pieced together the whole picture and sighed deeply. The situation was far more complicated than he had anticipated. He had initially thought it was just a common infected riot, but then Talulah's name appeared on his desk, leading him to suspect it was Koschei's revenge. Now it seemed it was Koschei himself—returning with a new identity and a new guise. The one stirring up trouble in Chernobog was no longer his niece, but an ambitious Duke of Ursus. He had to proceed with extreme caution; the slightest misstep could lead to a full-scale war between Ursus and Yan... or rather, this was His very purpose.

Wei Yanwu, who was familiar with the situation in Ursus, understood that this war machine was once again on the verge of breaking down and urgently needed to be torn apart by external forces.

"Mr. Kane, is there... a solution to this matter?"

Wei Yanwu picked up his own cup of tea and swapped it with the empty one in front of Kane. The question was obvious: Could Talulah ever come back?

“There is a way…and the key is in Rhodes Island’s hands.”

As Kane spoke, he pushed a cup of untouched tea toward Kal'tsit, as a small act of charity for his "unlucky sister."

"Oh? Dr. Kal'tsit, is that true? If Rhodes Island is willing to help me with this, we can renegotiate the previous terms of cooperation."

"No need. Rhodes Island is already satisfied with the existing content. As for Governor Wei's additional requests... we will actively cooperate with the Lungmen Guard Bureau in the fight against the Reunion Movement."

Kal'tsit, of course, knew where the solution lay. Dealing with something as extraordinary as "soul swapping" required extraordinary measures. On Rhodes Island, only Amiya's inherited abilities allowed her to access the soul realm. But Amiya's importance was undeniable, and Kal'tsit would never allow her to be put in danger. The experience of the Chernobog battle was enough for her.

The tense atmosphere from before had long since dissipated. Wei Yanwu, no longer serious, chatted enthusiastically with Kane about the customs and culture of Lungmen, even promising to treat him with the highest courtesy. As for the Rhine Lab branch? If Kane was interested, there was a nice building next to the Governor's Mansion that he could easily take over.

Chen Huijie had always been dismissive of Wei Yanwu's political performances. But at this moment, she only regretted her poor communication skills, unsure how to broach the subject—otherwise, she would have loved to glean more information from Kane.

"By the way, Governor Wei—I previously said I had three pieces of news, and I always keep my word. I'll tell you the third one as well."

Wei Yanwu readily agreed. Kane's intelligence was invaluable, and he would be even more eager to learn how to solve the Talulah problem.

"You must already know that Rhine Life Sciences recently made a breakthrough in the treatment of Oripathy. In the process, we have also gained a deeper understanding and identification of Oripathy. If I'm not mistaken—Inspector Chen, you are an infected person, aren't you?"

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere turned icy. The warmth that had just been present at the U705.COM launch instantly froze, and the sharp edge reappeared, stinging the nerves of everyone in the room.

Kane remained composed, ignoring Wei Yanwu's sharp gaze. Mon3tr glanced at Kal'tsit behind him, completely unconcerned about his and Kane's safety. Kal'tsit scrutinized Chen Huijie, her face still bearing her usual poker expression, but Mon3tr knew that her thought at that moment was: "So that's how it is."

No wonder the cooperation agreement between Lungmen and Rhodes Island included a secret medical project; it was prepared for this person.