Chapter 157 - 144: Meeting One’s Match

Guan City’s former information center had now become Kunpeng’s headquarters. In the top-floor conference room, Bai Qiang sat at one side of the long table.

"Captain Shen, you know the value of this intelligence better than I do. My request is also very simple. Just tell me who the current protagonist of Ancient Abyss is, and we can immediately start negotiating the specific price for this intelligence," Bai Qiang said.

Shen Qing’s brows were tightly knitted. Of course, he knew the value of the intelligence, nor did he doubt its authenticity. After all, Bai Qiang was backed by Blossoming Prosperity, the strongest Player in Ancient Abyss. But it was precisely because of Bai Qiang and Blossoming Prosperity’s Special relationship, and the fact that Blossoming Prosperity had killed the previous protagonist, Nan Jiamu, that Shen Qing could not reveal the Identity of the new protagonist to Bai Qiang.

"The protagonist’s Identity involves major strategic deployments and security considerations. Currently..."

The conference room door was pushed open, cutting Shen Qing off.

"No need for considerations. I am the new protagonist of Ancient Abyss!"

The newcomer was tall, wearing a sharply tailored light blue shirt and white suit trousers. Her sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, revealing her wrists and a mechanical watch devoid of any embellishments. Her hair was casually tied back, with a few loose strands framing her cheekbones. She shared a distinct resemblance to Guan Heting, but her lines were sharper, and her gaze was deeper. As she swept her eyes across the room, she carried an air of purely rational scrutiny. The moment she walked in, the atmosphere in the entire conference room seemed to grow heavier.

Bai Qiang was somewhat surprised, but she also felt it made perfect sense. She immediately stood up and smiled. "Long time no see, Ms. Guan."

Guan Lan returned a polite smile. "Long time no see, Doctor Bai. If it weren’t for you helping me overcome my emotional hurdles back then, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today. I never had the chance to properly thank you."

A rather distant memory floated into Bai Qiang’s mind. It was her first time accompanying her mentor to the Guan family to treat Guan Heting. She had coincidentally run into Guan Lan, who was sitting alone in the courtyard, staring blankly at the child in the cradle. On the table lay an offer letter from a top foreign university.

They had actually only chatted casually for a few minutes, and Bai Qiang didn’t even remember what she had said. However, she remembered the news articles she had skimmed through recently. She knew that Guan Lan already had her own personal laboratory at that top foreign university and was a face from the East that frequently appeared in various academic journals.

Guan Lan’s posture was straight yet relaxed. She fluidly pulled out a chair and sat down. "Commander Shen, please give us some private space."

Shen Qing nodded. The higher-ups’ official appointment for Guan Lan had already been issued. From now on, Guan Lan would take over the position of Kunpeng’s Commander-in-Chief. Furthermore, all the experimental projects left behind by Nan Jiamu would also be handed over to her for continued research and development. Although Guan Lan was not the true protagonist of Ancient Abyss, she was the protagonist’s sole guardian and fully possessed the capability to bear this responsibility. Her personal abilities and academic level even surpassed Nan Jiamu’s.

Guan Lan’s negotiation style was highly efficient. Without any pleasantries or buildup, she got straight to the point. "No matter how much you ask for the intelligence in your hands, Kunpeng will buy it. You don’t need to worry about the price. But negotiating the price isn’t your main purpose for coming here today. Let’s save time and be completely open and honest."

Bai Qiang sat back down and adjusted her breathing. The oppressive presence Guan Lan exerted on her was incredibly strong, forcing her to focus all her attention on dealing with the woman.

"Ms. Guan, you probably never read novels, do you? Do you know what kind of situation we’re facing?"

Guan Lan saw through Bai Qiang’s attempt to change the subject in search of some buffer space and buildup, but she didn’t call her out on it.

"Those things are indeed meaningless to me, but I am not some stubborn old fossil. Analyzing the existing situation from a rational perspective, no matter how outrageous the conclusion, it is still a fact. If I stubbornly refuse to accept this fact and instead obsess over whether it’s true or false, or why it happened, that holds no value or meaning for me.

"So I only took three minutes to accept the fact that I am a character in a novel, and I shifted my focus to the crucial matter of our subsequent survival. It’s true that I don’t read novels, but over the past few days, I’ve dedicated my energy to conducting in-depth research. While I might not compare to veteran scholars in this field, I do possess a grasp of the basic logical framework."

Bai Qiang nodded slowly. "But how are you going to prove your protagonist Identity to me?"

Guan Lan smiled. The next moment, Bai Qiang’s system received a private message.

[Guan Lan]: I know Blossoming Prosperity’s true Identity.

Bai Qiang’s eyes widened slightly. This private message proved that Guan Lan was indeed a Player. As for the contents of the message, Bai Qiang didn’t find it surprising at all. Guan Lan was a smart person. By carefully analyzing the interpersonal relationships surrounding Nan Jiamu, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to eventually lock onto Yin Zhen.

What shook Bai Qiang internally was that Guan Lan used her real name, which served as an Explanation that she had absolute confidence in herself; she didn’t need a nickname to conceal her Identity. This kind of boldness inherently carried the aura a protagonist should possess.

Guan Lan continued, "The entanglement between He Ting and Jiamu is a thing of the past. My personal feelings and the lingering effects of that matter do not take the highest priority in the face of the grand scheme of Ancient Abyss’s overall survival. Blossoming Prosperity’s abilities, especially the initiative she displayed in Chi Hai and her overall contribution to Ancient Abyss, hold extremely high value. Ancient Abyss needs this value.

"Doctor Bai, I just got off the plane less than two hours ago, and I still have many things to do. The second round of the game officially begins on the 15th. Time is tight, so let’s not beat around the bush anymore. When Kunpeng releases this intelligence, we will officially and specifically note that it originated from ’Blossoming Prosperity.’ We will also express our high recognition and gratitude for her outstanding contributions to the survival of all Players in Ancient Abyss.

"Kunpeng will endorse her past actions and ensure her safety in Ancient Abyss. I personally guarantee that as long as I am in Kunpeng, no one will investigate her true Identity or interfere with her freedom. Of course, if she is willing to join Kunpeng, any conditions can be negotiated.

"If she is unwilling to join, Kunpeng will adopt a model of employment and compensation to seek her cooperation when necessary. Kunpeng will treat her with the utmost sincerity. This is the absolute ’bottom line’ that Kunpeng can offer. If you are satisfied with it, we can make the trade right now."

Bai Qiang’s breath hitched for a moment. This woman’s mind worked fast and precisely. With a single strike, she had cut right to the deepest worry in Bai Qiang’s heart, as well as her true purpose for coming here.

An official endorsement!

This was an Amulet that no amount of money could buy! It could maximally eliminate the hostility and suspicion of the Player community toward Yin Zhen, securing the greatest possible safety and freedom for her in Ancient Abyss.

Bai Qiang felt that she understood Yin Zhen fairly well. With Yin Zhen’s experiences and abilities, even the slightest misstep could turn her into Ancient Abyss’s greatest threat. Yin Zhen was not the type of person who would desperately cling to Ancient Abyss and make compromises just for a little sense of belonging. The system also provided paths for Players to defect from Ancient Abyss. Therefore, if they wanted Yin Zhen to stay in Ancient Abyss permanently, they had to ensure she possessed enough security and freedom within it.

Toward Yin Zhen, one could only respond with sincerity. There could be absolutely no exploitation or coercion.

Bai Qiang was doing all this partly for Yin Zhen, but more so to ensure that Ancient Abyss could have a stable environment, which was equally very important to her. A complex smile appeared on Bai Qiang’s face, containing a hint of appreciation for having finally met her match.

"Ms. Guan, I accept your sincerity. The compensation I require on my end is ten million. As for Blossoming Prosperity, in addition to her ten million, she also needs these."

Bai Qiang took out a five-page-long list from her pocket. Yin Zhen had suddenly sent this to her before she came. Bai Qiang couldn’t really understand the bizarre items on it; they all seemed to be computer parts or biological materials or something along those lines.

Guan Lan took the list and skimmed through it, greatly shocked. "Is she researching and developing bionic intelligence? Chi Hai’s technology?"

Bai Qiang shrugged. "I’m just a psychologist. I don’t understand these things."

Guan Lan suddenly became somewhat excited. Her research direction over the years had been bionic technology, including brain-computer interface development regarding consciousness digitization. It was just a pity that Nan Jiamu hadn’t brought back the most crucial parts from Chi Hai, which was what Guan Lan felt was the most regrettable.

Now, upon seeing this list of materials, Guan Lan immediately realized that Blossoming Prosperity had likely mastered the core of Red Corpse Technology. Guan Lan told herself not to rush. Some of Chi Hai’s materials didn’t exist in Ancient Abyss, and the underlying logic of their programming was also different. These all required a process of conversion and verification.

"There are quite a few classified materials on this list. I will need a day to apply and coordinate, but rest assured, I will definitely help her get everything. Please relay this to her, Doctor Bai. If she has any similar needs in the future, she can bring them up directly, and I will do my best to satisfy them. I hope to be able to cooperate with her openly and honestly."

"Alright, I’ll pass on the message."

Guan Lan stood up and extended her hand to Bai Qiang. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Bai Qiang also stood up and lightly shook Guan Lan’s hand.

After the transaction was concluded, Guan Lan personally escorted Bai Qiang to the elevator.

Returning to the office area, Guan Lan saw Trouble accompanying Guan Xing. Special Assistant Wang came over and asked, "Commander-in-Chief, when Commander Nan was still around, she placed everyone from the Guan family under house arrest, and the Guanshan Group was entirely taken over by the authorities. Now that you’re back, your family..."

"Keep them locked up," Guan Lan interrupted Wang. "And those from the Sheng Family, keep a close watch on all of them too. Their era has passed. I don’t want people and matters of the past to influence the current situation anymore."

"Understood!"

"Tell the intelligence team to come up for a meeting."

"Yes, ma’am."