Chapter 1437: 1435: Secret Talks (End of This Volume)

Chapter 1437: Chapter 1435: Secret Talks (End of This Volume)

Black Tower Lower Zone, Central Square.

A man and a robot appeared here.

It was Han Dong and Little Yellow. They had not used the Meat Mountain to migrate back to the Demon World.

Han Dong leveraged his identity as a “Formal Employee” to directly access the Black Tower through a Door of Fate hidden within the Hyperion Corporation.

“Phew… What a close call.

Clearly, my experience was still lacking. I didn’t anticipate that the rapid tilt of the War Balance would lead to such a poor outcome.

If we could further restrict the King Level and completely block their access to external information, such a result might have been avoided.

Still, the overall performance in the London Game wasn’t bad… At least, I did pretty well.”

Han Dong tightly gripped the “Movable Deed—Scarlet Manor.”

When the group boarded the train heading to the Hyperion Corporation, the deed was handed to him by his biological mother.

Since the Scarlet Manor had previously fused with the supplementary deeds of London City, as long as the manor was within London’s territory, his mother could oversee it.

When the blacksmith’s hammer struck London into the mining shaft, his mother decisively reclaimed the “Movable Deed” to minimize losses.

Though London was utterly destroyed during the war, Han Dong’s manor remained unscathed, where Swollen Doctor was busy with reconstruction in the lab.

For now, there was a pressing matter that needed immediate attention—regarding Little Yellow taking charge of “The Matrix.”

“Little Yellow, you’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

“Oh~ Only twice, and that was just tagging along with Handsome Jack’s team to trade technology.

But since I opted for Pandora’s built-in ‘Iridium Mining System,’ it doesn’t have much connection to the Black Tower. I’m not particularly familiar with this place.”

“Hmm.”

Han Dong now understood one key principle.

Worlds directly affiliated with the Black Tower, as long as their scale reached a [Large World] or above, could establish a ‘two-way channel’ with the Black Tower.

Participants of Fate wouldn’t only travel to their world to complete tasks,

but entities from the local world could also travel in reverse to the Black Tower, exploring different domains and acquiring a comprehensive “Fate System.”

Furthermore, the Black Tower Lower Zone served as a trade platform for inter-world transactions.

However, for the [S-01] world where Han Dong originated, the Black Tower operated under a unique management model.

Humans were indeed granted a “Fate System,” but they couldn’t directly enter the Black Tower… They typically initiated fate events through Fate Space or via rudimentary transit hubs.

Only individuals who contributed within these events and were acknowledged by the Black Tower could gain access to it.

For instance, Han Dong was permitted entry after defeating “Uncontrolled” entities in a fate event, earning himself the status of a trainee employee.

Regarding the Black Tower’s rationale for opening a Fate-exclusive door strictly for humans in [S-01] and implementing selective criteria, Han Dong had some speculative thoughts, though the precise reason remained out of reach.

At present.

Escorting Little Yellow, Han Dong planned to visit the Middle Zone to find a chance to meet a mysterious high-ranking official.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

As applause echoed, a familiar and unsettling aura emanated from behind them.

This aura immediately frightened Little Yellow, causing it to spin in circles on the spot before ultimately hiding behind Han Dong.

“Impressive! Your performance on Pandora was truly spectacular… I never expected such an overwhelming win. As expected of [S-01], demons indeed are terrifying.

By the way, how’s my cannon treating you?”

The visitor was none other than the former Pandora World Node Holder—[Handsome Jack].

“It works very well. Thanks, Mr. Jack, for transferring the company ownership to me.”

As soon as Han Dong finished speaking, Handsome Jack had already placed one of his arms around Han Dong’s shoulder.

“Of course, I had to ensure your survival probability increased… You’re a unique talent fused with Hyperion’s core technology; how could I let you die?

When you’re free, come with me. I’ve negotiated several supply routes for ‘Yttrium gold,’ but the other party needs to see high-quality finished products before further discussions.

Once we establish a long-term cooperative relationship, we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty as you suggested.”

“Mr. Jack, I’ll need you to wait a moment. I have a very important matter to handle at the Middle Zone right now… Once I’ve dealt with it, I’ll contact you.”

“No problem, contact me anytime.”

Handsome Jack, indifferent to the urgency of the Yttrium gold matter, left the Central Square after exchanging contact information.

“Talents like Handsome Jack must have established their own proprietary trade systems within the Black Tower.

Though my Yttrium gold may be valuable, compared to his [trade network], it’s perhaps merely complementing his assets, and it might even entail certain risks.

I’ll secure certain leverage before discussing Iridium mining collaborations.”

“Boss, you must be careful. [Handsome Jack] is extremely dangerous… Those who did business with him either disappeared or ended up as integral members within Hyperion Corporation’s cabinet.”

“Hmm.”

This matter was temporarily shelved.

Han Dong headed to the Middle Zone’s [Other Shore Hotel].

Unexpectedly, the Black Tower high-ranking official Han Dong intended to meet—a man code-named [M]—had already been waiting here for quite some time… He had anticipated Han Dong’s return to seek him out.

“Impressive performance. Your decisions to maximize local resources were highly precise.”

“You’ve been monitoring this as well, senior?”

“Of course. This was a major incident jointly overseen by multiple departments at the top… I was keen to observe how [S-01]’s Demon Group would respond under absolute disadvantage.

Indeed.

The base strength of [Demons] has grown considerably, and [S-01]’s unique elite cultivation system operates like a special progressive refinement, where the quality of successive generations incrementally improves.

Even humans living within such a world framework exhibit extraordinary talents.

This war has provided the Black Tower with an excellent ‘textbook’…

By the way! I’ve already processed the authorization issue for “The Matrix.”

During the event, the node ownership was transferred into a non-Mother unit entity, rendering the agreement signed by the Mother no longer valid.

Have the robot proceed to any Black Tower Office to complete the related procedures.”

“Thank you, Senior M!”

While deeply appreciative, Han Dong felt an inexplicable sensation… The senior official seemed to be overly accommodating to him, even going above and beyond.

“It’s a minor matter~ After all, I subjectively prefer myriad worlds to maintain their individuality rather than being overly interfered with by Black Tower’s authority.

Besides, preserving these worlds could also yield benefits for you.

This robot’s fortuitous opportunity directly stems from its association with you… I’ve preemptively confirmed that you’ll receive a 30% stake in ‘The Matrix.'”

Regarding the stake issue, Little Yellow expressed no objections; it was even willing to offer 70%.

In its eyes, Han Dong was the [Boss]!

However, “The Matrix” required Little Yellow’s direct management, with most of its sovereignty in its hands… Han Dong merely needed a ‘connection.’

As such, among peers at the same tier in the Fate System, no one could match Han Dong—a man holding a [Medium World Node], as well as shares in three [Large Worlds].

“Senior… Why are you favoring me so much?” Han Dong pondered for a long time before finally asking the question.

At this moment, Senior M was standing by the window, overlooking the neon-lit nightscape of the Middle Zone.

With Han Dong’s inquiry, a layer of white liquid seeped out from M’s body, instantly enveloping the room and even engulfing the robot Little Yellow, completely sealing off the environment.

What followed would involve highly personal matters.

M calmly provided an answer:

“Because, I’ve chosen you as the ‘Successor Candidate.'”

“What!?”