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ArabicArknights: I'm Pretty Strong With Minecraft — Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Wait, Put the Knife Away First
“We’re here. Get out.”
Ch’en’s voice carried a sharp edge of impatience as she killed the engine, motioning for the passengers to exit the vehicle.
The group stepped out onto the pavement, craning their necks at the grand, modern architecture looming above them. The cold glass facade of the Lungmen Guard Department headquarters reflected the dazzling, endless neon lights of the city, projecting an aura of absolute authority.
With a soft, electronic beep, the heavy security doors slid open.
Ch’en led the three of them through the pristine corridors and into a remarkably spacious office. The interior was heavily accented with traditional Oriental decor, smelling faintly of expensive incense and polished mahogany. A tall figure stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows at the sprawling nightscape of Lungmen.
“Chief Wei,” Ch’en reported, her posture rigid and respectful. “The three consultants from Rhodes Island have arrived.”
“You have worked hard.” The figure turned away from the glass, revealing the Chief Executive of Lungmen, Wei Yenwu. He offered a slight, measured nod, his sharp gaze sweeping over the new arrivals with calculating precision.
Before anyone else could speak, a perfectly calm voice drifted over from the plush sofa area to the side. “Amiya.”
Amiya jumped, her rabbit ears twitching as she spun toward the sound. “Dr. Kaltsit?! You… you’re already here?”
Ivan blinked, his fingers pausing over the glowing screen of his Rhodes Island terminal. He stared at the feline doctor in sheer bewilderment. ‘Wait a minute… weren’t you just back at the landship?’
“Everyone, please take a seat,” Wei Yenwu gestured smoothly toward the seating arrangement, his attention shifting entirely to Kaltsit. “Let us continue, Dr. Kaltsit.”
Kaltsit did not shift her posture. She sat with perfect, clinical stillness as she resumed speaking. “Regarding the situation following the fall of Chernobog, I believe you are more aware of the implications than anyone, Chief Wei. The current model of simple quarantine and isolation policies for the Infected can no longer effectively counter the escalating threat posed by the Reunion Movement.”
She let the words hang in the air for a fraction of a second before delivering the killing blow. “If Lungmen stubbornly continues to rely solely on these outdated strategies, then when Reunion’s main force inevitably lays siege to this city, Lungmen will pay a catastrophic price.”
Wei Yenwu took a slow, deliberate draw from his pipe. Exhaling a thin plume of smoke, he asked unhurriedly, “Oh? And what evidence do you have that the Reunion Movement has set its sights on Lungmen?”
“To expand their influence and wage their war, they require two vital resources: ample logistical supplies, and fresh combat personnel to continuously replenish their vanguard. In their case, that means the Infected.” Kaltsit’s voice was steady, carrying the weight of absolute certainty. “Both of these resources can be harvested simultaneously, and in massive quantities, within the mobile city-state of Lungmen. Therefore, at this stage of their campaign, your city is undoubtedly their most ideal and enticing target.”
Wei Yenwu fell silent. The smoke curled around his face, obscuring his expression for a long moment. Finally, he spoke, his tone carefully neutral. “We cannot deny that logic.”
“Rhodes Island has accumulated highly valuable practical experience and actionable intelligence through multiple direct, large-scale confrontations with the Reunion Movement,” Kaltsit continued, pressing the advantage. “It is precisely for this reason that we have come to offer our tactical suggestions and propose a formal cooperation agreement.”
“Suggestions? Cooperation?” Wei Yenwu tapped his index finger lightly against the polished surface of his desk. “To seek an alliance, your pharmaceutical company should first demonstrate sufficient sincerity. Providing us with tangible, actionable intelligence upfront would be the proper way to begin, would it not?”
“I apologize, but no.” Kaltsit’s tone remained entirely unruffled, rejecting the demand without a second thought. “The core intelligence and combat data obtained in Chernobog were paid for in blood, built upon Rhodes Island’s unique operational systems and immense sacrifices. The true value and practical application of this information can currently only be fully understood and executed by us.”
She leaned forward slightly, her piercing green eyes locking onto the Chief Executive. “To be entirely blunt, Chief Wei, facing the Reunion Movement, Lungmen does not have many better options.”
“With all due respect, Doctor, between the Lungmen Guard Department and our own internal defensive infrastructure, we do not appear to be in desperate need of outside salvation.” Wei Yenwu raised a hand, his deep gaze fixed on Kaltsit. “When I choose an ally, there is only one metric I value: they must possess the sheer strength to stand alongside Lungmen, or at the very least, compensate for our tactical shortcomings.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the collective gaze of the room shifted.
Amiya, Kaltsit, Ch’en, and Wei Yenwu all turned in unison to look at Ivan.
The young man was currently slouched in his chair, completely engrossed in furiously tapping away at his terminal, utterly oblivious to the heavy political tension suffocating the room.
Sensing the sudden, dead silence and the weight of multiple stares burning into his skull, Ivan finally looked up. He blinked innocently. “Huh? What’s up? Did I miss something?”
Kaltsit’s lips thinned into a flat line. She leaned over, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “Chief Wei needs to confirm whether Rhodes Island possesses the ‘strength’ he just mentioned.”
“Oh! A show of strength! You should have just said so!” Ivan’s face lit up with sudden realization.
Without a shred of hesitation, he reached into thin air.
With a terrifying, metallic screech, he manifested his weapon. The Blade of Slaughter materialized in his grip, wreathed in a sickening, ghostly purple enchantment glint. The sheer violent aura radiating from the weapon caused the ambient temperature in the office to plummet instantly. He gripped the hilt, perfectly ready to draw it from its sheath.
“I’m great at this! Do you want me to split this building in half, or just take down that giant neon sign outside? I guarantee the cut will be as smooth as a mirror!”
Kaltsit’s eyelids twitched violently. Moving with terrifying speed, she clamped her hand down on Ivan’s wrist like a vice. She practically ground her teeth together as she hissed into his ear. “…He needs to hear about your strength, not witness property damage! Your achievements in Chernobog! An oral report! Oral!”
“Achievements?” Ivan blinked, the terrifying purple glow fading as he casually dismissed the blade back into his inventory. He scratched the back of his head and began counting on his fingers with a look of deep concentration.
“Well, let’s see… does physically embedding Talulah, sword and all, into a reinforced concrete wall count? Or single-handedly repelling every single Reunion cadre that tried to rush us? Oh, right, I also kind of stopped a Catastrophe from wiping out Chernobog’s Core City. That was a big one.”
A deathly silence descended upon the office.
Wei Yenwu’s hand, which had been halfway to his mouth with his pipe, froze entirely in mid-air. For the first time, a look of genuine, stiff shock cracked his refined facade.
‘Are you even listening to the words coming out of your own mouth?!’
“Wait! You just said… you saw Talulah?!”
Ch’en, who had been standing silently like a statue behind Wei Yenwu, suddenly broke rank. She stepped forward, her composure shattering as her crimson eyes locked onto Ivan with desperate intensity.
“Yeah. Well, to be perfectly accurate, it was Talulah possessed by the ‘Black Snake’,” Ivan nodded, casually dropping the bombshell.
The moment the words “Black Snake” left his mouth, Kaltsit’s pupils contracted into thin slits. Her breath hitched slightly, and her mind immediately began racing through the implications.
Ch’en’s agitation spiked into outright panic. “Wait! What Black Snake?! Explain yourself! Tell me exactly what happened, right now!”
“Ch’en!” Wei Yenwu barked, his voice cracking like a whip. “Control yourself. They are our guests.”
The Chief Executive took a slow, deep breath, forcing his expression back into a mask of calm authority. When he looked back at Kaltsit and Ivan, the dismissive arrogance in his eyes was completely gone, replaced by a heavy, calculating scrutiny.
“Very well… I agree to sign a formal cooperation agreement with Rhodes Island.” Wei Yenwu set his pipe down on the desk. “However, whether your organization can obtain the operational permits and logistical support you desire within Lungmen’s borders depends entirely on whether you can meet two conditions.”
He held up two fingers. “First, Rhodes Island must formally commit to assisting the L.G.D. in thoroughly eradicating the Reunion Movement’s threat to this city.”
He paused, his eyes narrowing. “The second condition. After you complete the primary mission…”
Whoosh—!
The temperature in the room instantly dropped to freezing. A chilling, ghostly purple light flooded the office once more.
Ivan had, at some point during the speech, casually drawn the Blade of Slaughter halfway out of its sheath. The suffocating, murderous aura bleeding off the enchanted weapon made the air feel thick and heavy.
Ivan rested his hand on the hilt, offering Wei Yenwu a bright, perfectly innocent smile. “Don’t mind me. You were saying? I’m listening.”
Wei Yenwu stared at the glowing purple nightmare blade.
He stared at Ivan’s smiling face.
The Chief Executive remained completely silent for two agonizing seconds. Then, very slowly, very smoothly, he lowered his second finger.
“Actually, given the… overwhelming ‘sincerity’ your side has just demonstrated, there is currently only the first condition.” Wei Yenwu cleared his throat softly. “Please, Sir Ivan. Put the blade away first.”
Ultimately, the negotiations concluded on a highly favorable note. Lungmen formally promised to grant Rhodes Island one reasonable, unconditional request after the crisis was resolved.
In exchange, Rhodes Island would deploy its operators to assist the Lungmen Guard Department in fortifying the city’s defenses and executing sweeping cleanup operations against Reunion forces in the outer ring sectors.