Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 1224: Chapter 934: The Price

For a moment, Liz’s gaze grew even colder.

As the administrator granted full authority, if Huai Shi circumvented her and directly reached an agreement with Iz, regardless of the outcome, her position would likely be very awkward.

The simplest thing would be that a label of ’incompetence’ would be hard to shake off.

Even though Iz Hector is her uncle and likely won’t embarrass her, who knows what her uncle might do when he has a moment of insanity?

It’s important to note that Mamakiria is rather indulgent towards her High Priest.

The esteemed goddess, known as the Mother of Indulgence, loves to raise the child she favors into greatness, earning the title of nurturing fanatic. Those she values are invariably extraordinary people and rare scoundrels, or else there wouldn’t be such an oddity like Iz.

What’s worse, what if, by chance, if Mamakiria thinks Huai Shi has potential, what happens if she wants to cultivate him?

Once this adoptive mother of the American Genealogy starts favoring outsiders, all the children would suffer quite a blow.

Liz frowned, asking sternly: ”Are you threatening me, Huai Shi?”

”You know, I’ve always respected you... Alright, I’m sorry, I understand your displeasure with me. In fact, I really want to apologize to you; stepping aside wouldn’t be a problem for me.

But unfortunately, this isn’t just my own issue.”

Huai Shi raised his hands in surrender, thought for a moment, and seriously proposed: ”Here’s what I suggest, I decided to increase the loan amount from the Bank of America for the second phase construction in Tanbo, and when bidding, I’ll prioritize your Crown Group, how does that sound? I’ve wanted to build a luxury hotel in the city center for quite a while.”

”Is that your offer?”

Liz couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Perhaps for ordinary people, this might indeed be grand in etiquette, but for the American Genealogy, it’s really nothing to mention!

”Not for the American Genealogy, just for you.”

Huai Shi solemnly answered, ”No matter what you think, I believe that before officially starting, I must apologize to you—take it as it is, hmm, let’s settle our old accounts between us separately, treat it as interest, how about it?”

Liz was taken aback.

”Wow, your name in my city? Sounds really nice!”

Outside the negotiation table, Feather Snake’s secretive projection chuckled softly, expressing to Luo Su beside her: ”This kind of lavish apology style, who did he learn this from?”

”I definitely didn’t teach that.”

White Bear, holding a beer, shrugged innocently: ”I guess it’s the nature of a scumbag, learned naturally.”

”But the handling was indeed beautiful, wasn’t it?”

Feather Snake marveled, ”After stating the position, finding the opponent’s weak point, applying pressure, while simultaneously showing a compensating posture first to prevent the opponent from taking advantage of the situation... If I were an ordinary girl, never mind anything else, even if he cheated behind my back, I’d forgive him, haha.”

”Don’t see everyone as a schemer, okay?” Luo Su sighed: ”I think he probably just sincerely wants to apologize.”

”That’s exactly what’s most tricky, Luo Su.”

Feather Snake shook her head, lamenting: ”If it’s merely sinister ploys or negotiation strategies, anyone with a firm stance wouldn’t be easily moved.

Yet it’s this unreserved kindness and sincerity that makes people afraid... like those who are good to everyone, gentle to everyone, obviously not intentionally giving, but it leads people to mistakenly feel special.”

Such pure goodwill, with such sincerity, combined with such a terrifying contagiousness, is practically dangerous to the extreme in some sense.

For those well-versed in worldly affairs, cold attitudes and vicious plots are not uncommon. In this cruel world, that becomes the norm.

Therefore, people have become accustomed to haggling over every detail, accustomed to plotting against each other.

That kind of goodwill is like venom, unwittingly making people abandon their guard, easily unlocking sealed doors, falling into passivity.

Even if it can’t fundamentally solve the problem.

Yet, many matters, once the negotiation starts, there must be room to talk...

Letting Liz preside over negotiations is ironically the least favorable for her!

The more familiar one is with Huai Shi, the more one should understand his nature. Anyone new to dealing with him probably wouldn’t buy his act.

”This guy is also quite wicked-minded, isn’t he?” Luo Su glanced over with an oblique look.

”Mutual, isn’t it?”

Feather Snake nonchalantly shook her head: ”I just handed a piece of work from the American Genealogy to a subordinate, while you bet the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy’s debut on the student. When it comes to boldness, I’m not as bold as you—”

”Why would a wealthy tycoon compare boldness with a penniless wanderer?”

Luo Su chuckled softly, looking at the negotiation table: ”Since the wager is already set, now, let’s wait on the children. Whether it succeeds or fails, there’s still potential for the future, right?”

”The future indeed.”

Feather Snake sighed lightly, no longer speaking.

And at the negotiation table, Huai Shi asked once more: ”Now it seems, we could perhaps begin negotiating the next stage?”

”What? Are we opening prices, promising conditions now?”

Liz seemed well aware of the process taught by Luo Su, unmoved, ”What offer do you have that could sway the American Genealogy, Huai Shi, don’t overestimate yourself.”

”Rest assured, I always know my own weight.”

Huai Shi smiled, suddenly asking: ”I’ve heard that the Ivy League, over the years, has been working on something called the ’Sun Calendar Stone’?”

As soon as the words fell, the entire vault fell silent.

Not only Huai Shi, but even Douglas noticed the chill emanating from Liz, and that elusive... intent to kill!

The wheelchair-bound old man suddenly changed color.

The heart twitched.

The gaze directed at Huai Shi was filled with shock and anger.

Even though he didn’t know what the ”Sun Calendar Stone” was, it was clearly involved in key projects of the American Genealogy, meant to be the most secret of secrets!

Evidently, what Huai Shi mentioned was beyond the scope of things that fence-sitters like them could hear.

Discussing this in front of them was akin to placing a knife against their throats, and regardless of the consequences, they would most likely pay a heavy price.

Do people from the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy not have even a bit of martial ethics!

He spoke with a trembling voice: ”Your Highness, I request to retreat...”

”That’s unnecessary, Mr. Douglas.”

Liz glanced at him, saying with an expressionless face: ”Just cooperate with the Ivy League later for a memory screening. I only hope you realize how precious my mercy is.”

Indeed, as Huai Shi said, the [Sun Calendar Stone] was a colossal project secretly and gradually carried out by the Ivy League over the years, fundamentally intertwined with major secrets and the vast exploration of future strategic plans by the American Genealogy.

Such an immense project is impossible to keep entirely airtight, but rumors of it are confined to the top of the Five Constants and the high ranks of the Astronomical Society, among a few others.

It’s like the Dragon Vein in Dongxia, the location of the Holy Coffin in the Russian Federation, Rome’s Wolf Blood Land, and the Tomb Secret Ceremony of Egypt’s Pharaohs... Even hearing the name without proper qualification could lead to lifelong imprisonment, or even physical destruction.

The guy opposite, who was grinning, was completely aware of this.

He simply found this old man displeasing and wanted to mess with them a bit.

But Liz didn’t plan to let him have his way.

”Huai Shi, I admire the Ivory Tower’s intelligence channels, but this isn’t a subject for idle discussion.” Liz warned sharply: ”You must understand what you’re saying.”

”Then let’s talk about something we can discuss.”

Huai Shi rested his chin on his hand, cheerfully changing the topic: ”For instance, the... Eternal Life Machine you took from the Town of Dusk?”

He had personally participated in the wrapping-up process of the Town of Dusk.

Regarding the Ivy League’s maneuvers and what they took, how could he not know? It’s just that after destroying the Eternal Frozen Heart, he was too lazy to pursue minor details further.

Moreover, he’s not concerned about the Ivy League misusing such technology.

The American Genealogy has an unknown number of Hells they own behind them, consuming Mutant Species with little psychological pressure.

Only a fool would use living humans for experimentation.

And because of this, after communicating with Grandmaster Mikhail, he concluded—the Ivy League most likely wants to crack these technologies for application on the Sun Calendar Stone.

Yet, regarding the true nature of the Sun Calendar Stone, even the Grandmaster was baffled, only guessing based on long-standing clues that it was likely the American Genealogy’s ultimate strategic Hell weapon.

Combining it with an energy device like the Eternal Life Machine would surely have considerable benefits, wouldn’t it?

”Rest assured, I’m not interested in that kind of thing and don’t plan to pursue America for it—don’t be fooled by appearances; there are people in the Existence Institute who owe me favors.”

Huai Shi tapped the table and continued: ”But you must be troubled, right? Having no progress in reverse engineering.

Although casting techniques and alchemy are highly similar, peripheral equipment tied to the Eternal Frozen Heart like the Eternal Life Machine is not easily resolved.”

His expression was particularly gleeful as he smiled.

As the current circumstances’ sole caster, Huai Shi knew all too well!

The ’Eternal Life Machine’ indeed doesn’t bring true immortality, but merely transforms its users into perpetual misery, unable to escape the mire.

Its essence lies in the technology of turning solidified souls into source substance batteries, a method for producing renewable, pollution-free energy... involving the technology of more than one King of Casting.

Not to mention, severed from the Sun Caster’s collaboration, restoring all this would be exceedingly challenging.

”How much have you mastered thus far?” Huai Shi speculated: ”Ten percent? Twenty percent? No, with the Ivy League’s technical prowess, you should manage around seventy percent?”

He paused and solemnly said: ”Please convey to the researchers that reaching the limit of what alchemy can simulate and comprehend so rapidly is impressive for the Ivy League.

Unfortunately, from here on out, it’s not a domain of alchemy...”

This was the great crystallization belonging to the Forgers!

Reproducing it won’t be done easily.

Liz coldly retorted, ”We can solve it.”

”Indeed, you surely can, there’s nothing difficult in the world, only fear of cost-benefit. But would you invest such vast resources to gamble on an outcome?

Actually, with one Grandmaster specializing in this field, there’s no problem at all, but which Grandmaster would be willing to change their research direction for this, spending over forty years to re-investigate?”

Especially as two Grandmasters were just lost recently.

Manpower is scarce.

No matter how well-established the American Genealogy is, it cannot squander and consume Grandmasters over such matters like tools akin to the Sublimators.

”Thus, at this moment, a passerby who coincidentally happens to be the world’s sole caster, offers a suggestion.”

Huai Shi smiled, revealing eight teeth, so standard and radiant: ”Would you like some help?”

In an instant, Douglas’ expression dramatically changed, and he opened his mouth to speak.

However, the unseen pressure descended upon the air, pressing against his weakening consciousness, making it difficult for him to utter a sound.

Only in his heart was there a chill.