Chapter 1426 Cooperation

The thunder disappeared without a trace.

It seemed like even the rain was far away.

There was such silence in the narrow space inside the window, for this short moment.

But in those cloudy eyes, there was clearly confusion and helplessness.

"I know you will have doubts. You are the most suspicious of all the people I mentioned, and you question everything all the time - but what can I lie to you about?"

He flicked his fingers and pressed the button: "Can you help me refill a tank of oxygen?"

"Who knows."

Ai Qing held her umbrella and said decisively, "Maybe, what you said is partly true. But there must be some rules that you didn't tell me.

Don't ask me for evidence. I still simply doubt you and cannot give you trust. "

She said: "You must be hiding something from me."

"You want to up the ante?"

The scapegoat blinked and sighed helplessly: "What do you want to know? Specific rules? Those are irrelevant things. I can tell you now: you are not allowed to interfere with the operation of London, and you are not allowed to use the authority of the Authority. External forces must not cause irreversible damage, and must not harm the lives of innocent people..."

Ai Qing lowered her eyes and listened, for a long time, and nodded in understanding.

"Sounds decent."

"Actually, it's the same," the scapegoat replied, "I'm a fish, but you'd better not be greedy."

"No, don't worry, I don't like to take advantage too much, and I don't question the rules you said."

Ai Qing seemed to be smiling and said slowly: "What I question is the plan itself, the regeneration plan in your mouth -"

The raised finger twitched for a moment.

"No need to rush to defend."

Ai Qing tapped her umbrella with her fingers and said slowly: "Don't worry, I have never placed any hope on the conscience of the Pioneer Association, nor have I doubted the purpose of the regeneration plan.

Rather, I just have doubts about the process that you said is natural..."

She said, “If you look at it purely in terms of hunting, this is an out-and-out hunting game. It is true that the relationship between the participants is naturally hostile, and the opinions and camps represented by each other are destined to be life-and-death.

But the problem is, is this just from a tool perspective?

From a decision-maker's perspective, it makes absolutely no sense. "

She stared at the face of the scapegoat, watching any subtle changes in his expression, and said slowly: "What era has it been? Do the bureaus still want to learn from Rome a thousand years ago, relying on a group of gladiators to fight to the death? Come to compete for sovereignty?

Why not flip a coin? "

she asked. "At least it's easier this way."

"This is a necessary part of the calculation."

The scapegoat flicked his fingers and spoke faster: "I have said it before, what you represent is not yourself, your struggle will be invested in the thoughts in the Sea of ​​Silver..."

"so what?"

Ai Qing interrupted him again and asked coldly: "Can the calculation in the Silver Sea also control the decisions of the participants?

You're trying to cover up, scapegoat. "

At some point, a certain brilliance appeared in her eyes that could not be ignored.

The soul is moving and thinking.

Following the few clues in the darkness, she was exploring forward, through lies and fog.

"If you ignore the chaos calculation of the Silver Sea, then what is happening now is a complete proxy war.

The reason why the Regeneration Plan does this is simply to intensify the contradictions in the name of the pilot meeting, and then partially resolve them in the process...

In other words, as long as the contradictions caused by opposing positions can be resolved, let alone fighting, there will be no problem even if everyone engages in guessing.

So, it’s not about winning or losing.

Rather, it is about asking the institution represented by the other party to give up its own ideas and positions, right?

Therefore, it can be inferred that the necessary condition for the completion of the regeneration plan is to achieve unity. "

She pinched her chin and said to herself: "If we take this as a basis, maybe there are deeper rules and secrets, maybe... but that is not the focus now."

After a slight pause, she raised her voice and asked coldly: "For the participants, physical annihilation is probably only the last resort, right?"

"..."

The scapegoat's fingers stayed in the air, seemingly silent.

But Ai Qing didn't need his affirmation or response.

Thinking still continues.

Follow these established prerequisites and move forward.

Yes.

If one were to hunt without leaving any room, it would be nothing more than a game of raising gu in which the weak and the strong prey on the weak.

Killing can only destroy the body.

But the thought remains.

Ideas cannot be killed. Even if all opponents are eradicated, it is impossible for the institutions and positions they represent to give up their own ideas.

"That's what you're hiding, scapegoat."

Ai Qing raised her eyes again and said clearly: "You hide the possibility of negotiation and communication. You want me to misunderstand the rules and purposes, make enemies everywhere, attract firepower, cause damage... and finally become a public enemy."

She asked directly: "You have no intention of forming an alliance, right?"

"I admit, I had my reservations, but no one plays all their cards at the outset."

The scapegoat pressed his fingers slowly and seriously, "For me, alliance is a necessary prerequisite. I have no choice. My own weakness is doomed. I cannot rely on myself to win."

"But you can choose other collaborators, right?"

Ai Qing was unmoved: "The promises and guarantees made in words are too weak. Scape, you have given nothing and have no sincerity that can convince others.

One thing I can determine is that even if we form an alliance, to you, my existence is just an 'abandoned son'.

You deliberately used the tanker truck to expose my presence, use me to attract firepower, and allow all parties to test me, making me feel like I am the enemy of the entire world.

In the end, it won my trust by explaining the mystery and misled my understanding of the rules. Even if I form an alliance with you, what awaits me in the end is probably just a bait to attract firepower, right? "

"That's just speculation on your part."

The scapegoat retorted: "It's too one-sided. I have given enough sincerity. If you still..."

Card rub.

A soft sound.

Making his words stop abruptly.

"There is no need to promise other conditions, scapegoat. If you want to deny this speculation, it is actually very simple."

Ai Qing raised the screen of her phone, pointed it at his eyes, and said to him, "Just let me send this out."

At that moment, the scapegoat's eyes shrank subconsciously.

On the screen was a photo of Ai Qing and herself.

The upload has been completed on the public platform, and all that is left is to click the final send button.

But at that moment, the other hand under the thin quilt clenched its fist silently.

Completely cut off all signals in the entire hospital!

And at that moment, he saw Ai Qing's smile.

Such a mockery.

Her suspicions were confirmed.

"What's wrong? Are you so cautious about even posting a photo to celebrate?" Ai Qing looked down contemptuously: "It seems that the so-called sincerity is nothing more than this.

Or……"

She paused and asked curiously: "Are you also a filler hiding in the dark?"

The scapegoat said nothing, as if he had given up his defense.

And Ai Qing already has the answer.

"My guess was indeed correct - it wasn't just me who started late, there was another 'unlucky guy', but you entered the game a little earlier than me.

No need to rush to quibble..."

A USB flash drive appeared on Ai Qing's fingertips: "You see, the only advantage of working in an overhead organization is that you are well-informed. The period of time I spent hiding in the corner was enough for me to collect all the information I have investigated over the past few days. Sort out the things you arrived.

Including, in recent times, all the abnormal personnel changes in London - more than hundreds of people, including myself, have been dismissed from their posts without warning or reason.

It was as if they were suddenly kicked out by their respective factions... At first I thought it was a purge initiated in the decision-making room, but now it seems that this is also a necessary prerequisite for the regeneration plan to limit the scale of the conflict, right? "

The USB flash drive rotated nimbly in her hand, like a magnet, attracting the attention of the scapegoat: "I think this must include you."

She compared the information in her memory and greeted softly: "Correct, Mr. Clemens, Executive Director of the Special Items Management Division of the Border Customs Inspection Service?"

"..."

Under the oxygen mask, there was a murky sigh, as if he had given up on something, and he flicked his fingers: "You are indeed a born investigator, Ai Qing. You can investigate to this extent just by relying on your own abilities. Those puppets from the Pioneer Association must love you to death."

Ai Qing said indifferently: "I don't think so."

"It's a pity that sometimes being too smart is not good." Clemens, the scapegoat, closed his eyes. "Smart people tend to be smart."

At that moment, in the narrow ward, a faint gray-black outline passed in front of Ai Qing.

Lightning flashed across the clouds, briefly illuminating the strange thing entrenched in the ward.

Thousands of strands float like willows, traveling through the air.

The huge monster that looked like a beast or an octopus opened its orange eyes. Extending from the shriveled body of the scapegoat, sealing off the inside and outside.

Then, the earth rumbled.

In the hospital shrouded in mist and drizzle, nothing seemed to happen, but through that layer of illusion, one could see dazzling rays of light falling from the sky.

Like a long nail, it blocks all fluctuations in source matter.

The weight of terror dropped.

The power from the Great Mystery runs here, constructing an invisible cage and pinning all those who resist to the chair. The air seemed to have solidified, turned into steel, and even breathing was not allowed.

In the messy hall of the hospital, sitting on the chair between the moaning guards, Huaishi paused slightly while flipping through the magazine, feeling the heavy pressure exerted on herself.

There is also a deep barrier emerging between himself and Ai Qing.

His brows furrowed slightly.

"This is really..."

He sighed softly and closed the magazine: "It's a bit difficult."

boom!

The whole hospital was suddenly shocked.

The terrifying shock spread.

From the feet of Huaishi.

.

"It's useless. Do you think I won't be careful about the tools you bring?"

Clemens scoffed: "As a patient, you always have to have some defense, right?"

In the cage outlined by the faint light, Ai Qing raised her eyes and looked around leisurely: "It seems that it should be the authority given by the border customs, right?

Mobilize the power of the Great Mystery at any time to block and isolate dangerous items and stowaways.

It seems to be called the threshold of Tianyuan? "

"I underestimated you, Ai Qing."

The scapegoat stared at the opponent in front of him: "You are not a pawn that can be used, but a threat that cannot be ignored. I have begun to regret my plan...

So, as the investigator of the pilot meeting and the representative of the border customs, can you please withdraw here? "

"The Great Mystery?"

After confirming the power to restrain herself, Ai Qing nodded clearly, "It seems that it saves a lot of trouble."

In front of Clemens, Ai Qing stretched out her hand and reached into her arms. What she pulled out was not a weapon, but a pen that looked simple and plain.

Deftly, turning between her five fingers, the glorious brass reflected the lightning outside the window, illuminating her eyes.

"Finally, let me give you a reminder, scapegoat."

She said: "Don't underestimate the 'tool' you call it."

"——Don't underestimate me either."

Snapped!

A crisp cracking sound sounded just before her raised fingertips.

At that moment, the suppression and blockade originating from the Great Mystery were defeated!

The threshold of the abyss disappeared without a trace!

Behind the oxygen mask, Clemens' expression twitched, not with fear or confusion, but with incredible sluggishness - the collapse of his blockade, not the collapse of some greater force...

But it was canceled by some higher authority!

"Well, let's take another guess."

Ai Qing said: "How could I enter the bureau's system again after being dismissed from my post and get all the personnel changes in London in the past few months?"

The sunken lips pressed tightly under the oxygen mask.

Gritting his teeth.

Like an angry beast.

"Thanks to your explanation, I realized how much trouble my immediate boss had put me through."

Recalling the meaningful conversation in the smoking room yesterday afternoon, she could no longer restrain her sigh: "That old woman is really... unlikable."

At this moment, on the simple pen in Ai Qing's hand, the symbol of the overhead mechanism glowed silently.

This is the certification from the governing bureau, which represents the certification of the top person in charge of the fictitious organization, and the authority granted by Ms. X personally!

Just before the brief conversation ended, the old woman who had been overlooking everything reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

Then, in front of her, he opened her carton, casually took away her pen, and put his own one in.

In this way, the authority to read all the confidential information of the Astronomical Society was thrown into her hands in an understatement.

Granted my own expectations and trust.

At this moment, in the management sequence of the Great Mystery, Ai Qing's authority is equal to that of Ms. X herself. Even if she does not have the right to operate the Great Mystery, at the same time, the Great Mystery Zarathustra cannot restrict her personal freedom.

Because she herself is the monitor of the Great Mystery.

Border customs restrictions had no effect on her, and she had become the spokesperson for an overhead agency long before she knew her responsibilities.

"It's a good trap, but it's in the wrong place."

She said: "Then, do you still have to fight stubbornly?"

"..."

In the long silence, there was only the labored breathing of the scapegoat on the hospital bed. After a long time, the monster that enveloped the entire room disappeared silently.

There were only intermittent sounds.

Those words came from Clemens himself, sharp and hoarse: "I didn't expect that I would be defeated by something like this."

"No, you have to thank it, because with it, you have a chance to fail." Ai Qing reminded kindly: "Otherwise, do you think it will be 'me' who comes to visit you today?"

At that moment, Clemens's fingers twitched.

From the smile on the corner of the woman's mouth in front of him, he smelled an aura of danger that could not be ignored.

It was like looking at the archives of her past - the cities that were bombarded by cluster missiles, the dazzling colors when the flames rose, the burning buildings, and the coke and dust in the ruins.

If there is no possibility of controlling the situation, then why not burn all uncontrollable anomalies?

"madman!"

He made a sound through his teeth.

"Thank you for the compliment."

Ai Qing smiled, looking down at the hospital bed for the last time: "Now, you have a choice, scapegoat, do you want me to unplug you, or do you choose to cooperate obediently?"

Clemens was indifferent: "Cooperation is equal."

"Just look equal."

Ai Qing told him: "Actually, there are some particularly unequal ones."

Clemens's eyes changed, but in the end, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Are you relieved?"

"You'll make me feel at ease, right?"

Ai Qing raised her wrist and glanced at the time: "But there isn't much time left for you."

Clemens was silent for a moment and then said, "Okay, I can..."

"Five." Ai Qing counted down.

"I will relinquish my position." Clemens spoke faster.

"Four."

Ai Qing is still counting down.

Clemens was stiff for a moment, "If you still don't believe it, I can only..."

"three."

The countdown continues.

"Justice!" the scapegoat raised his voice, "With the command bureau as witness, the central decision-making room can do justice for us, I..."

"one."

After skipping the meaningless waiting, Ai Qing coldly stretched out her hand and held the extracorporeal circulation tube: "What a pity. Farewell, Mr. Scapescaper."

"etc!"

Clemens's eyes widened with bloodshot pupils, and he almost shouted: "I surrender!"

He said: "I surrender!!!"

At that moment, a crisp notification sounded from Ai Qing's cell phone.

Notice from the pilot meeting.

[The elimination of candidates in the sequence is over, and investigator Ai Qing has obtained the official qualification. 】

[Transfer of Tianyuan Threshold permissions completed, remaining times (2/3)]

"Tsk."

Ai Qing curled her lips, not sure whether it was regret or displeasure.

Unexpectedly, there is such a convenient way to exit.

She released the palm that was holding the pipe, took out a tissue and wiped her fingers carefully: "To be honest, it's really embarrassing to bully a patient like this."

Seeing Ai Qing finally let go, Clemens's tight body finally relaxed, and he lay on the bed panting hard, as if he had escaped from a disaster.

Now that he heard this, he couldn't help but feel malicious: "Do you still know how to be ashamed?!"

"Don't worry, I'm disabled."

Ai Qing comforted her considerately: "If we kill each other, it can only be regarded as dog-eat-dog, and we cannot escape the moral high ground. Just treat it as normal 'workplace bullying'. You are already an adult, don't be as naive as a child."

To me, it would be an unforgettable shame to be defeated by a cripple less than half your age. "

Clemens said nothing and closed his eyes indifferently.

Ai Qing turned and left.

However, after pushing the door open, he suddenly turned back and asked curiously: "By the way, you won't retaliate against me with hatred in the future, right, 'Senior'?"

Clemens sneered and wanted to say something, but heard her voice.

"Actually, revenge doesn't matter, but please remember-"

In the dim light outside the door, Ai Qing's eyes were buried in the shadows, looking at him and leaving her last farewell: "I'm going to die."

The door is closed.

Her footsteps faded away.

The scapegoat on the hospital bed gasped, and after a long time, he finally closed his eyes.

Weakly, he let go of the pistol under the thin blanket.

In the silence, only the sound of beeping was left.

When Ai Qing returned to the hall holding an umbrella, she saw Huai Shi sitting in the ruins.

"nailed it?"

Huai Shi raised her head and was slightly surprised: "So fast?"

"Yeah." Ai Qing nodded: "But there was an accident, you..."

"I've already made a reservation here, for a late-night snack!"

Huai Shi scrolled through her cell phone with a lively eyebrow: "I read reviews that in addition to noodles, they also have seasonal lobsters, which are as long as arms... Do you like grilled cheese or minced garlic?"

"..."

In the weird and short silence, Ai Qing looked at this guy's indifferent expression and couldn't help but sigh silently.

"Just right."

She finally made up her mind:

"I have something else to tell you."