Chapter 369

Chapter 369: Returning to Old Business

The council members recalled their brief time spent with the blonde man before them.

His first appearance had disrupted their plans to counter the beast tide with his immense combat power, followed by showcasing a remarkable talent for internal conflict, skillfully playing them against each other with the information gap.

Now, in this third domain, he was able to speak confidently.

Is this the benefit of possessing superpowers?

They had held control over Hope City for decades, yet their dispatched explorers were too weak and easily interfered with by the outside world, resulting in no progress. Meanwhile, this man had obtained information that had eluded them for years through his own efforts.

Yet, if time could rewind, they still would not choose to send out their truly elite teams. Hope City was like a blind person trapped by the beast tide; without their canes, they would completely lose the ability to connect with the outside world.

They couldn’t take that risk.

The council members fell into silence. They recognized their own extravagance and decadent lifestyles but had some unique insights on important matters.

After weighing the pros and cons, Yang Suyan, a council member well-connected with the research institutes from the longevity faction, was the first to express his opinion:

"Your information is indeed very valuable and could shake some of the current findings of the research institutes and alter future research directions.

"How about becoming the director of the research institute? Of course, you might not yet understand what this position entails."

Arthur shook his head:

"You should trust my reading speed and understanding. I already know what the role of the institute director represents. The current director and Deputy Director work quite harmoniously. I can hold the position without needing to displace him."

His tone then became somewhat elusive:

"I have more to do than just this; I won’t be held back by a single post.

"I hope you realize that the last city of humanity is in your hands, full of holes, and no matter how you meddle, this Paster will still need me to take charge."

At first, Arthur seemed to caution the council members against playing tricks, but then it hinted at a tone of wishing they could do better.

The council members exchanged glances, observing this man, nearly thirty years old, pointing fingers at them. They found this feeling strange, as if they had returned to a classroom where a usually kind teacher was holding their arm, wanting to have a heart-to-heart talk.

Even the oldest council members present could not judge Arthur’s true age.

His words were half true and half false. He looked young but spoke of many things only those from the Old Era would truly know. Coupled with the regenerative ability he displayed in battle, they truly couldn’t gauge Arthur’s real age.

Everyone engaged in a discussion, and several questions were swiftly resolved with Arthur’s participation.

This decisive nature stood in stark contrast to the council’s previous wrangling, feeling refreshing yet somewhat uncomfortable.

Ultimately, this special meeting concluded, and council member Arthur gained a new title:

Special Consultant for the Research Institute.

—

Gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window, Lin Qingliu, maintaining Arthur’s appearance, felt a sense of unreality.

He found himself in a luxurious room at the top of the spire.

Even though he repeatedly expressed that he didn’t need anything extravagant, it seemed he was drawn into this luxurious lifestyle, and this room belonging exclusively to council members had ultimately been assigned to Lin Qingliu.

Looking at the almost unobstructed view of the inner city outside, Lin Qingliu fell silent.

It seemed that wearing another skin for too long made him feel like he was truly getting absorbed into the role.

“How many consultant identities have I taken on by now?”

He silently muttered to himself, recalling that he seemed to be part of a psychological team for General Wencheng.

But thinking about it made Lin Qingliu involuntarily smile:

"What does Lin Qingliu’s business have to do with Arthur?"

On the other hand, it seemed that Wencheng was indeed not simple.

During his last visit, Lin Qingliu noticed that Wencheng appeared quite troubled, and he wanted to help him.

However, in the registered Ability Description, there was a line that read:

"…Using this ability for a long time on the same target will allow me to read some random memories."

It was precisely because of this description that Wencheng refused his consultation with the excuse of having many secrets in his head.

At that time, Lin Qingliu thought this guy was a bit cocky, but now that he thought about it, Wencheng, as one of the original rebels, managed to survive to this day as a general, which was already quite strange.

Moreover, Wencheng looked to be only in his forties or fifties, seemingly only half the age of those in the longevity faction.

But they should clearly belong to the same generation… Oh, now Arthur could also be considered part of the same generation.

However, Wencheng’s status not being that of a councilor already determined that his abilities were limited, temporarily posing no threat to his plans.

So, the urgent matter was indeed still…

Lin Qingliu sighed, walked to his desk, sat down, and opened the terminal in front of him, ready to return to his old business.

This old business wasn’t being a psychologist in this life but was his previous profession as a writer—

Creating PowerPoint presentations.

This task was quite abstract. To quickly get the current direction of the research institutes back on track, after gaining the consultant title in the recent meeting, the council members had jointly approved a proposal for a special briefing meeting at the institutes.

All important researchers related to extraordinary beasts would attend this meeting.

As the main speaker, Lin Qingliu realized he couldn’t simply rely on his words to refute everyone.

After much thought, he reluctantly admitted a truth:

Wherever there is existence, there must be a reason for it.

PowerPoint presentations, despised by working people, indeed had their advantages when it came to explaining matters in meetings.

Though the world may have changed considerably, it seemed that the people in this world still had an affinity for similar forms of expression. Ultimately, Lin Qingliu opened the office software of this life and began to revisit the work from his previous life.

Looking at the completely empty template before him, Lin Qingliu prayed to all the gods, yet the response he received was only from his former self as a corporate worker.

—

In the military Command Center, office.

Wencheng woke up from his armchair and took off the eye mask he had worn while napping.

His nightmares had been getting worse.

He seemed to dream once again of the scenes within the spire, but each time he reported his work at the spire, every detail was crystal clear, yet those particular moments did not flash before him.

It felt as if he were experiencing someone else’s memories.

But why would another person’s memories appear in his mind?

The more Wencheng sought answers, the stranger it felt, as if his life were merely a well-rehearsed play.