Jade City, Room 3101.

Zhou Yi observed the two people in front of him.

Song Xian had a dignified appearance, looking about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. He was a young man with medium-length hair parted in the middle. He wore a black coat with shiny ornaments on the sleeves and a fitted white shirt underneath, showcasing his model-like broad shoulders.

"I actually have always had a question."

Zhou Yi asked Song Xian, "In the winter, aren't enhancers afraid of the cold?"

Song Xian was taken aback: "Of course not. Enhancers just have enhanced organs; they are still flesh and blood. Flesh and blood are afraid of both cold and heat."

"Then aren't you cold wearing so little?"

"I am."

The other party revealed a hearty smile, moving his shoulders: "But dressing like this is stylish. In winter, when everyone wears thick clothing, I dress lightly, so I get more attention wherever I go. I'm a businessman; this helps me."

Zhou Yi said, "What's your main job?"

Song Xian introduced himself: "Mr. Zhou, I am a buyer, a type of merchant. Have you ever heard of a buyer?"

Zhou Yi shook his head.

The other party didn't seem surprised: "Buyers are usually small traders. Someone like you, a significant figure, deals with major forces and wouldn't come into contact with small roles like us. We buy and sell things everywhere, earning a bit here and there to support our families."

Zhou Yi said with interest: "Tell me more about your profession."

"Of course, no problem."

Song Xian immediately said: "Some people always want to buy something not commonly seen on the market, and others want to sell goods that are hard to unload. That's where buyers come in."

Zhou Yi said, "Like custom agents?"

"That's about right." The other party nodded: "Our work is divided into two types: mountain fetching and water delivering."

"Mountain fetching means going to find goods, typically in more dangerous areas, dealing with high-risk clients like seafolk groups, pillage groups, assassins, slave merchants, rebels, drug dealers, cults... If it weren't for those places, there wouldn't be profit for us."

"Delivering water means selling the goods to those who need them. This tests our connections and channels more."

Song Xian explained in detail: "For safety, buyers like us usually have a neutral identity to ensure both buyers and sellers are assured. For example, Bounty Knight, Alchemist, or Heavenly Country Citizen. I was lucky to obtain the identity of Star Core Elector, which helps a lot in this business."

"The advantage of being a buyer is more freedom, with considerable profit per transaction. The downside is that it heavily relies on connections and luck."

Star Core had long informed Red Kestrel of Song Xian's detailed situation.

Song Xian participated in Star Core's assessment, managing to complete the consciousness upload of a Gray Whale, helping the Star Core Matrix obtain Gray Whale data for the first time.

His capabilities were beyond doubt.

Zhou Yi asked: "Do you know a Star Core Elector named Ji Zhang?"

"I do."

Song Xian nodded: "He's also a buyer like me, but his business is bigger, dealing in weapons and equipment. He has high transaction volumes and considerable fame."

"But he's no longer an Elector…"

Oh?

Zhou Yi was a bit surprised: "He's dead?"

"No, his Elector status was revoked this year, and he fled to the Forbidden Continent. The exact reason is unclear; he might have crossed Star Core's red line and seems to be avoiding trouble."

Song Xian said.

Zhou Yi immediately inquired with the Old King.

"Ji Zhang once offended you, so he can no longer stay within the Star Core system. This is also to make our cooperation more stable."

It was because of him.

Zhou Yi found it both amusing and unexpected.

He had almost forgotten about Ji Zhang until hearing Song Xian's situation today. It suddenly came to mind.

One could see that the Old King gave him a lot of face and respect.

...

Only then did Zhou Yi turn his attention to the other person beside them.

He was the main character among the two.

Compared to the handsome and carefree Song Xian, Zhang Zhi was rather unremarkable, wearing an old brown leather jacket. His eyes were deep-set, lips tightly closed, and he had a cropped hairstyle, giving an impression of being aloof and reserved.

"Mr. Zhang."

Zhou Yi said softly: "I have long admired your name."

The other party's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion.

"Deathmatch Arena, Olympic Sports Center." Zhou Yi mentioned briefly: "I've talked with it and know about you."

Zhang Zhi was stunned, then nodded, still silent.

"The Olympic Sports Center absorbed most of Wu Gang's consciousness fragments. You could say it's now Wu Gang's successor. In United City, the Olympic Sports Center no longer holds deadly fights but has started its real job. Ordinary people can go in there to participate in running, high jump, long jump, swimming, shooting, wrestling, playing ball..."

Zhou Yi said with a smile: "Even if they don't win championships, they suffer no losses and can still enjoy the process. The exercise alone provides strong feedback from the Olympic Sports Center."

"You can visit when you have time."

Zhang Zhi responded with a "hmm."

Zhou Yi said: "If Wu Gang saw you now leading mutants to establish the Freedom Army, he should be very pleased."

"..."

The other person remained mostly unresponsive.

Zhou Yi didn't mind: "I invited you here to see what the rumored figures are really like. You can return to the hospital to rest and recover soon."

Song Xian looked at Zhang Zhi, seemingly waiting for his decision.

Zhang Zhi then looked at Zhou Yi: "Mr. Zhou is very different from the rumors outside."

"How do they describe me? That I'm a mechanical destroyer, an incomprehensible madman?"

Zhou Yi joked.

Zhang Zhi said: "In many circles, they believe you to be an absolutely rational ruler, efficiency-first, not wasting time on unprofitable matters."

"Developing the Electric Cat System and Floating Heart, breaking the monopoly of the Light Imprint Technique, thus shaking the technological supremacy of Mechanical City."

"Vigorously promoting civil commodities, gaining the admiration and trust of ordinary people in various towns to continuously draw fresh blood from everywhere, infiltrating trade to make towns dependent on the company system."

"Supporting the Mechanical Knight Order, destroying Mechanical City, to incite internal conflicts within Mechanical City, using force to suppress the Legal Front, forcing them to surrender and change the way you need."

"..."

Zhou Yi listened, muttering to himself.

He thought: "I'm not Zhuge Liang, planning everything meticulously."

You've only seen the company's glory, not its embarrassments and setbacks. Not to mention, this past month Zhou had been running off to the Moon, fearing the White King would cause the disappearance of Transformers, drawing the attention of the Heavenly People.

Zhou Yi looked at the other party: "Then what do you think is different between me in reality and the rumors?"

"I'm not sure about other things."

Zhang Zhi spoke slowly: "But you think people are very important."

"Of course."

Zhou Yi said: "People are the most important."

Zhang Zhi further asked: "Even if these people have no talent, are old, weak, sick, or disabled, are they still important?"

"Important."

Zhou Yi said: "In fact, I don't believe there is anyone without any talent. People can learn and improve. Our company's job is to provide such an environment."

"The simplest example, the Heavenly People can create mutants, turning ordinary people into enhancers, which is the strength that a superior environment grants."

The other party countered: "But mutants also have to pay a price."

"Development and change come with risks and costs."

Zhou Yi said softly: "We can't be certain if a change will bring better or worse outcomes, but without change, we can't escape the status quo."

Zhang Zhi frowned, seeming to catch on: "The Wasteland Development Company also has significant pressure?"

"Of course."

"But as far as I know, the Heavenly Kingdom has been friendly and accommodating to your company, the Legal Front has surrendered, Star Core is your key partner, the Forbidden Continent has your spokesperson, and the Old King is on good terms with you... Various Governors and Sea lords want to join the Development Alliance. You have at least seven Light Core Bodies in place, with wealth rivaling nations, high public support, and strong technology, finance, military, and industries."

"In this world, who can still threaten you?"

Zhou Yi smiled but remained silent. Instead, he asked back: "Who are the enemies of the Freedom Army? The Heavenly Kingdom?"

"No."

Zhang Zhi also opened up: "The Heavenly Kingdom's attitude towards us has long changed. Initially, they did indeed suppress and exterminate the Freedom Army. But as our scale grew, their approach changed."

"It's costly to detain and manage mutants, but releasing or killing them doesn't comply with existing laws and carries risks. So they deliberately slacken their detention, giving mutants chances to escape, and then symbolically drive or pursue us, actually just pushing us out of their territory."

"The mutants that the Freedom Army can gather and recruit are mostly E-level. This category has been repeatedly proven in experiments to be hard to upgrade further. In other words, there are no Talented among the mutants."

Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow: "You've reached an agreement with the Heavenly Kingdom?"

"You could say it's a tacit understanding."

Zhang Zhi said frankly: "The Freedom Army takes away the mutants that the Heavenly Kingdom doesn't need—who are also the majority—and gathers them for management. As long as they don't cause trouble within the Heavenly Kingdom, they don't care what we do outside."

"Sometimes, the Freedom Army takes on some tasks from the Heavenly Kingdom as well, since they still pay generously."

"The Heavenly Kingdom is not the enemy of the Freedom Army. We collaborate and compromise within the workable space. The key enemy of the Freedom Army is those behind the Heavenly Kingdom who continue to create mutants... the Heavenly People Executors."

Zhang Zhi said directly: "They are the real enemies of the Freedom Army."

"The ultimate goal of the Freedom Army is to defeat the Heavenly People Executors. Only then can we mutants gain independence and freedom."

Zhou Yi was a bit surprised: "Do you think you have a chance of winning?"

Zhang Zhi said lightly: "My close friend once said, taking the initiative may fail, but the only way for a small ant to defeat a giant elephant is to launch an attack."

"He once led by example, was targeted by Executors, leading to his death, but left a spark. Many of the current Freedom Army core members stayed from that time."

"We have already broken through the blockade of the Heavenly Kingdom. Next up is the Heavenly People Executors."

Zhou Yi listened and smiled: "Speaking of which, our company doesn't get along well with the Executors either. How about cooperating?"

Zhang Zhi was stunned: "You also want to target the Executors? Which one?"

"Not just one."

Zhou Yi clenched his fist: "All seven Executors, I want them all."

Zhang Zhi and Song Xian were dumbfounded.

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