Chapter 113
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 113: Self-Cultivation
"As for the investigation of ‘The Believers,’ we can still deliver it to him. We all know that revenge is the most powerful fuel in the world, capable of pushing a wise being to overdraw everything.
"I believe this child won’t let us down, after all, that’s how I came this far."
The round table fell silent, and after a long time, a voice filled with emotion broke the quiet:
"Today’s Young Man really has ruthless hands; I guess I’ve truly aged."
Nia completely ignored the slight sarcasm in the elder’s words, delivering a direct retort:
"If you’re old, then you should step aside instead of hogging the nutrient solution while doing nothing."
Suddenly, the atmosphere around the round table, which had been calm for a while, dropped to freezing point.
"…I just haven’t found a suitable heir yet."
"That’s nonsense; I see your butt is glued to the chair."
The elder’s breathing techniques were quite effective, as he quickly calmed down and began to mediate the situation himself.
In terms of status, he and Nia were the highest-ranking council members in Hope City, but as for seniority, he was still from the first generation of Simons, while she was already the third Nia…
Regardless, she should not talk to him like that.
"Nia, your tone is a bit…"
"Zhong Ding, don’t muddy the waters; I don’t want to argue with you today."
"…"
After delivering her harsh remarks, the female council member actually took off her hoods, revealing her face to everyone.
It was a young and beautiful woman’s face, with long red hair cascading down from her head with a slight curve. Her expression was proud as she looked down upon everyone around her.
"Now that you’ve seen my appearance, come and kill me if you can, just like you did before. I’ll be here whenever you want."
No one responded.
She stood up from her chair and glanced around, declaring:
"The most disgusting thing about you is that you treat all humans as tools and consumables, yet you refuse to admit it verbally.
"You want to be a whore and still have a good reputation; when has it been so easy?
"Even so, are all your actions really for humanity? It’s merely for your own selfish desires; for that little bit of power and false immortality, you’ve sold yourselves to this chair—disgusting!"
In the darkness, council member Zhong Ding suddenly felt someone kick his foot, and whispers came from next to him:
"Calm her down; she’s about to lose it."
"Who can withstand this? I’m just in charge of energy, and I don’t want to get involved in your matters."
The middle-aged man, skilled at muddling through, didn’t want to anger either side and pulled his position as an excuse to deflect.
"Don’t go too far. Didn’t your mentor teach you how to get along with your fellow council elders?"
Suddenly, an angry shout echoed in the darkness.
"And if they did teach me? And if they didn’t? You all want to be whores, so I’ll take on the villain’s role. I will take over Lucas’s son, and I will handle all related matters. Remember to transfer the relevant permissions and information to me.
"Since you’ve chosen to be whores, at least don’t wait for others to push you to open your legs."
After leaving a meaningful and sarcastic remark, the red-haired woman turned and disappeared through her own door in the darkness.
The light representing her around the round table immediately extinguished.
The remaining council members exchanged glances; although Nia’s words were harsh, they were indeed a solid solution.
Seeing her take on the most challenging part of the task alone, the other council members quickly discussed and approved part of the cleanup plan for the mycelium riot, and the unconventional meeting soon came to an end.
Zhong Ding and a few council members promptly stood up, bowed politely, and entered their own doors.
The three or four council members left at the round table remained silent.
As they watched everyone else leave, they pressed the buttons on the arms of their chairs.
As if pulled by invisible threads, their bodies slowly ascended in the dark room and ultimately vanished into a Hidden Door in the ceiling.
—
"Knock, knock, knock."
There was a knock at the door.
Luke opened his eyes from his sleep; it was the third day since Lucas’s passing.
In Hope City, where funerals were absent, anyone’s departure felt unsurprising.
These past few days, Luke had been busy handling his father’s affairs, and his schedule had become very irregular.
Through the gap in the curtains, he roughly judged that it was now afternoon.
"I’m coming, I’m coming."
The disheveled little chubby man rolled off the bed, casually patted his wrinkled clothes, and walked toward the front door.
"Oops."
He let out a soft exclamation, looking down to find that his hand had accidentally hit the communicator.
Luke casually stuffed it into his pocket and opened the door.
Perhaps they were sympathizers sent from somewhere?
He thought to himself, and then saw two men in casual clothes standing at his doorstep.
Though labeled casual, their fabric and style were exactly the same, clearly a special uniform.
The two strong men, wearing sunglasses, had one hand in their pockets, staring at Luke, who was about their height, making him feel a bit intimidated.
"You are?"
"Mr. Luke, right?"
"That’s me."
"Your father has an old friend who wants to see you."
"Now?"
"Now."
Luke really wanted to ask if he could refuse, but the two men in front of him clearly didn’t seem easy to deal with.
Of course, if they truly had malicious intent, he wouldn’t mind showing them the strength of his abilities.
But still, should he refuse?
After pondering for a moment, Luke asked:
"Can I wash my face first?"
He reached up to rub away some sleep from his eye and said apologetically,
"I haven’t been resting well lately; I’m not looking my best."
The two men exchanged glances and replied,
"Okay, a minute."
"Alright."
Luke turned and dashed into the restroom. Five seconds later, the sound of running water began to echo.
Inside the restroom, Luke maintained a difficult pose, running water while reaching to lift the toilet tank lid, gently placing the communicator inside.
The rushing water covered the sound of the communicator hitting the bottom of the tank.
After another round of washing sound, Luke satisfiedly walked out of the restroom.
The two men flanked him, guarding him as they moved forward, while Luke was not unprepared; underneath his coat, he wore a shield created by his abilities, enough to withstand close-range gunfire.
The three of them got into a car parked downstairs, which drove continuously toward the center of the inner city.
The center is a broad concept, but in the circular layout of Hope City, it provides a clear direction.
As the car passed the factory’s main office building, Luke felt relaxed and at ease.
As they drove by the General Staff Headquarters, Luke’s expression turned serious.
As they passed the headquarters of the research institutes, Luke was drenched in sweat.
No, where on earth are we going?
