Thirty minutes later, seventy-one security guards squeezed through a gap in the crowd. .Zhou Li protected Tao Te from the terrifying crowd.
At this moment, the venue was filled with a feverish atmosphere like boiling lava. Everyone was like a thirsty zombie after being infected by the T virus. Their eyes were red and they wanted to rush past the guards.
Dozens of reporters employed by various associations, state intelligence agents, and ghost reporters are rushing forward desperately with their recording pens in hand.
Even if the venue opened the expensive ability-suppressing force field to the maximum at all costs, it could not calm the mental chaos that escaped from the horror of the ability users.
"Just when dozens of ability users of the ability control system stand together, the friction between each other's abilities will create static electricity, sparks, and flying frost Not to mention the boiling audience at this moment?
"Mr. Taote, I am employed by Rose Passion, when will you"
A man with disheveled hair finally squeezed past the guard holding a blast shield, but was kicked away by another woman.
The woman with disheveled hair looked up and said, regardless of her blurry makeup, "Mr. Taote, if you have time, are you willing to do an exclusive interview for 'Ghost'? We will"
The person who answered her was Zhou Li's palm that pushed towards her. Regardless of the beautiful woman's screams of pain, Zhou Li with a stern look pressed her face and pushed her back into the crowd.
"Wow, wow, it's so lively" Fu Xiu floated back and forth in the sky, pushed back and forth by the rising and falling spiritual ripples.
"Shut up.""
Zhou Li felt sweat on his forehead, kicked the man who was blocking his way, and finally squeezed into the elevator.
Several security guards blocked the entrance to the elevator, allowing Tao Te, who was leisurely walking in, to press the elevator door unhurriedly.
At the end of the day, he still had time to take off his cigar and show an arrogant smile to the raised camera behind the slowly closing elevator door.
The flash flashed away, the elevator door closed, and Zhou Li finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"How does it feel?"
Taote was puffing away in the closed space, his eyes as frivolous and smug as an old gangster, with no hint of what he had just done.
Zhou Li took a deep look at him and then at the box in his hand. After being silent for a long time, he decided not to speak, so as not to increase the arrogance of this old bastard.
Taote stopped talking, just smoking a cigar, and his fingers seemed to be tapping the iron box in his hand regularly.
¡ª¡ªHalo. Bronze Thorns.
This is the first product that has appeared in the history of alchemy recently. Following the ¡®runes¡¯ and ¡®alchemy circuits¡¯, it once again launches an impact on the ¡®fate mark¡¯.
While everyone was still obsessed with the formation of the 'complex alchemical circuit' and analyzing the structure of the 'affiliated fate pattern', Taote was already able to compare the results of the 'affiliated fate pattern'.
It brings an additional ability to the user without any side effects.
This alone is enough for him to be ranked at the same height in the history of alchemy and the history of ability users as "Archimedes", "Da Vinci" and other legendary masters.
I am afraid that before everyone came, they never thought that they would be lucky enough to witness its debut.
Taut named this work of his: Bronze Thorns because once it is activated, it can spread a force field named "thorns" around the user. People who step into it will feel like they are in a bush of thorns, and they will be unable to move even an inch. .
In addition to the characteristics of ¡®hysteresis¡¯ and ¡®protection¡¯, the force field also achieves a jaw-dropping ¡®rebound¡¯. Depending on the distance between the user and the enemy, at the same level, it can rebound at least 20% of the power, and even with full support, it can even reach 80%.
What is the concept of eighty percent? People with abilities who are good at defense can even stand still and watch their enemies vomit blood and fall to the ground due to their own strength.
The most important thing is that its occupation of the ¡®soul circuit¡¯ is extremely small.
People with abilities are human beings after all, and humans have limits, even if they have the same abilities. As a symbol of the third ability user, the soul circuit represents the maturity of ability.
To a certain extent, if the ability user itself is 'hardware', then the 'soul circuit' represents the 'memory' and 'chip' on which the 'ability' program can run.
Among third-stage ability users, those who have not yet awakened the 'soul circuit' can only activate the circuit of the 'alchemy weapon'. Only a small number of outstanding third-stage individuals can bear the huge pressure brought by the 'affiliated life mark'. Some of the apocalypse weapons have even more perverted requirements, and some can even completely burn out a person's soul circuit once used And the legendary "Dora Cannon", the most powerful alchemical weapon in the past century, even requires dozens ofOnly a person with abilities can fully activate it.
The capacity required to activate Halo is much smaller than them, even less than 10%.
?????How can such a product not make all those with abilities present flock to it?
What¡¯s more, halo products are not limited to ¡®Bronze Thorns¡¯! Just the alchemy circuit structure announced by Taote on the spot allows people to speculate on at least thirty or more enhanced variants. The practicality and future of the product 'Halo' is enough to shine in this era at the moment of its birth. .
"It's a pity that its inventor doesn't seem to have any intention.
At the height of the limelight, Taut rejected the orders placed by everyone on the spot for the master workshop, and stated on the spot that within the next two years, the master workshop would be reorganized and upgraded, and all business would not be accepted from the outside for the time being. .
This behavior is as bad as giving a bunch of mad dogs the smell of meat and then hanging the meat out of their reach. Let alone a dog, whoever you put it on will go crazy.
Thinking about how angry everyone at the scene looked, Zhou Li felt tremendous pressure.
Taut is seeking death.
It¡¯s definitely seeking death¡ª¡ª
"You may have to worry about it for a while in the future."
Outside the venue, Uncle Yun, who had been waiting for a long time, said to Zhou Li: "The security level will be raised by two levels. Some extremists may carry out assassinations or kidnappings I just applied for a transfer order. From today on, you are The person in charge of Taote¡¯s domestic security, do you have any questions?¡±
"It doesn't matter, just do whatever you want."
Zhou Li was not in the mood to sound official and just nodded: "If you are sending subordinates, arrange for two people who will not find faults to come over."
"Okay, I'll send Xie Ku and Zhang Fang over. They are more stable. They were brought out by Jiang Shan and Dong Liu. You can rest assured."
Zhou Li nodded: "That's fine."
The last time he cooperated with the two of them on the high seas, Xie Ku¡¯s ¡®barrier¡¯ and Zhang Fang¡¯s ¡®distortion field¡¯ were both very suitable for guarding, and it was a pleasure to work with them before.
¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s arranged.¡±
Uncle Yun made up his mind on this, nodded and said: "I will ask them to report to you in the evening, so you don't need to worry about other things. You go first, I'm afraid Taote is impatient to wait."
Zhou Li turned to look at the open door of the car, smiled softly, waved and turned to leave.
Uncle Yun put his hands into his trouser pockets, watched the black car leave, and lit a cigarette for himself.
Having not smoked for many years, he suddenly felt the urge to cough. He stared blankly at the flickering fire at his fingertips, and after a long time, he extinguished it.
A dull thunder sounded from the end of the sky. Uncle Yun looked up at the gloomy sky and sighed softly.
¡°It¡¯s going to rain again.¡±¡ª¡ª
On the other side, Taote had left the square under the guard of Zhou Li and others.
After getting on the road, the dark car quickly entered the traffic flow and disappeared.
In the car, Taote turned on the radio, and for some reason a woman's old song was playing. It sounded hoarse, like it was floating in smoke.
Zhou Li looked up at the increasingly gloomy sky outside the window, and then noticed someone tapping his shoulder.
Next to him, old man Toote held an unlit cigarette in his hand and shook his hand.
Zhou Li looked at him speechlessly for a long time. After a long time, he finally lowered his head as if giving in. He took out the lighter that the old man gave him from his pocket and lit it for him.
Taote smiled, showing a "Young man, you are very sensible" expression, lit the cigarette, and let out a sigh of relief.
"So happy?" Zhou Li asked as he put away the lighter.
"Isn't it worth being happy?" Taote smiled and flicked the cigarette ashes in his hand: "Do I still need to be sad?"
Zhou Li was stunned for a moment, "Is there anything worth feeling sad about?"
"Maybe there will be many."
Taote was smoking a cigarette and suddenly laughed in a low voice. His old eyes narrowed: "I am very happy, but this is more than just the progress of alchemy. Zhou Li, you have to understand this."
"There are other?"
"Aura is not only an alchemical product, but also a killing tool. I regret discovering its existence six years ago. It can be mass-produced, just like mass-produced ability users. It was born to kill."
Taote turned to look at Zhou Li with a serious expression: "Because human beings now have nothing else to do since the death of gods except killing their own kind."Zhou Li looked at him silently, always feeling that he had something to say to him, but he didn't say it. He looked into Taote's eyes, but just by looking, he felt that he would never understand.
I just felt that under this old gangster¡¯s smile, he might be feeling regret and sadness in his heart.
¡°Just like Oppenheimer regretted participating in the Manhattan Project"Ha, why am I telling you this?"
Taote laughed again and put out the cigarette he was about to smoke: "You are still a young boy. There are so many things worth experiencing for you. Why should you be like some old guys? Beauty, power, wealth, philosophy, Art think of something else and forget what I said."
With that said, he stopped talking about this topic, but once again took out a cigarette from the iron box and motioned for Zhou Li to light it.
Zhou Li silently took out the lighter again.
"Zhou Li, have you considered changing your job?"
He came over, lit the cigarette, and asked suddenly.
Zhou Li hadn't reacted yet, "Work? What work?"
"How stupid of me, I thought you would at least think about it before working for the relevant departments."
Taote's eyes once again showed arrogance and pity that deserved beating, but his words guided the conversation in another direction: "These are troubled times. If I hadn't owed the Lu family a favor, I wouldn't have jumped into this muddy water." Come here."
"Muddy Waters?" Zhou Li frowned slightly: "You mean the relevant departments?"
¡°More than that, it¡¯s bigger, bigger than you think.¡±
Taote shook his head: "Ever since that bastard Odin escaped from prison, the balance has been broken. The balance with the human world has been almost unsustainable. But that guy Planchenko is as stubborn as a stone and will not die even if he Be willing to let go. That's what happened."
¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what I heard.¡±
"Actually, it's easy to explain. There are always some people with abilities who are unwilling to hide behind the scenes and want to come to the front and fight for their own rights But many people are not willing to do this. Hawks and doves Pai, do you understand this?"
"I understand a little bit."
"In the past, Odin of the hawk faction went too far and opened the Gate of Chaos, but was"
After saying this, Taote paused, gave Zhou Li a complicated look, and then continued: "In the end, he was tricked by someone and became a public enemy of the world. In the end, his wife and children were separated, and he was sealed in the volcano prison. Herethey couldn't kill him, so they wanted to imprison him.
"It's a pity that dragons will not be kept in cages, they are too naive.
Now that he has come out, the fragile balance that he has been trying to maintain since World War II has finally been broken. "
"What does this have to do with me?"
"This is just the background. What you need to know is how bad the situation is now." Taote sucked on his cigarette and exhaled a stream of smoke:
"Relevant departments have always been on the side of the Foundation. Of course, the Foundation must win over them to continue to be on this side. Odin will not let them be won over by the Foundation, especially in the war decades ago. The department also made great efforts This is a chess piece with important status and threat, and no one wants it to appear on the other side's chessboard.
Both sides are putting pressure on China, but Qian Lizhen did a great job: at this juncture, she suddenly decided to step down, which muddied the water even more.
Now your government is unwilling to let the relevant departments get out of control and get involved again.
What an amazing woman. The situation is getting more and more chaotic, but she is always under control She is waiting for all the forces lurking in the muddy waters to surface, waiting for that opportunity, and then using all her influence, The final word. As expected of her, after decades of stability, everyone has forgotten how strong she used to be. "
Beside him, Zhou Li fell into shocked silence.
It was not until now that he understood that the old man who seemed to have a kind and gentle smile was so decisive, unlike the old man who was indifferent to the world.
When she realized that the situation was starting to get out of control, she immediately broke off the situation, jumped out of the storm and the chessboard, and broke the fragile balance again. When everyone realized that the balance was slowly tilting towards her, it was already too late.
The difference of one piece is enough to decide the outcome on this chessboard. If Zhou Li guesses correctly, Qian Lizhen will single-handedly guide the change and reorganization of the relevant departments. And use this as an excuse to wash away the foundation's influence and get out of the government's control.
If successfulIf so, then the new relevant departments will be able to stay out of the storm and remain safe and sound in this upcoming turmoil. You can even take the initiative and gain an advantage in the broken balance.
Some people thought that by supporting Chen Nanchao in power, the relevant departments would be able to return to the control of the state. However, they did not expect that when they first expressed this intention, they were already doomed to fail.
The person who took over as director was never Chen Nanchao. Yu Chengfeng's departure may have been inspired by Qian Lizhen. Wu Jiangshan gave up the competition, and An Wuji fell into disrepute Even the most popular Uncle Yun has always stayed out of the storm. , traveling around the country with a kid like Luo Bai, and now, he simply decided to retire with the director.
After several visits to the relevant departments, the only person who can take over the scepter from Qian Lizhen and ensure the continuation of her plan and lead the relevant departments to move forward is the strongest one who has been forgotten by everyone - Lu Huaxu!
And the only weakness of this planis none other than Lu Huaxu.
Because everyone knows that Lu Huaxu will not live long.
So, here comes Taote.
After thinking about this, Zhou Li only felt a shock. After all, Jiang is old and hot, and even when she was young, this woman named Qian Lizhen was not a character who would be underestimated.
"Have you figured it out? The current relevant departments are like a maelstrom. Qian Lizhen's plan is at the most fragile and dangerous juncture. The entire relevant departments are wavering in the wind and rain from all directions.
It¡¯s like a wall that could collapse at any time. "
Taote looked at Zhou Li who was stunned, reached out and patted his shoulder: "How do you feel under the dangerous wall?"
Only now did Zhou Li realize that he had been in the game all along, entering it unknowingly, and was placed on the fringes of various forces, becoming the most inconspicuous chess piece. I'm afraid that before long, he will replace other chess pieces and become the core of another dispute.
In the past, there was an undercurrent, but we just passed by. But the haze beneath the dangerous wall always covers the sky.
No one knows whether this wall can withstand this storm.
Zhou Li suddenly had an illusion: the world seemed to be made of paper and was about to shatter in the uneasy turmoil.
"Understood?"
Taote laughed strangely in a low voice: "Almost everyone who wants to help has jumped out now. The foundation, the government, the two-headed eagle, and Odin The ghost may have also obtained the approval of their president. Instruction, want to do something.
"Furthermore, the decline of inhibition has not only further thrown the balance between human society and the world of capable people, Qian Lizhen has also relied on this thing to involve the capable organizations of various countries Now everyone is staring at This is a mess, but only the relevant departments can gain the greatest benefits.¡±
"If it succeeds, the relevant departments will not have to rely on the recognition of the foundation. Even if they get rid of the embarrassing status of affiliated institutions, they will be able to have the legitimacy and necessity of their own existence.
Even I was shocked, that woman¡¯s ambition was so big"
Zhou Li was silent. When Taote talked about restraint, he subconsciously recalled the core hanging on his chest and the information stored in it.
If you use this, you might be able to do something in this mess?
At least, it is no longer as passive as usual. But for the time being, he was unable to intervene in this game between various forces, so he looked at Taote beside him: Does he have such a deep meaning in arranging himself next to him?
Seeing Zhou Li's expression, Taote just shook his head: "Rather than ambition, reason is more important. I hope you can learn to look at the problem more comprehensively. Before that, just stay with me. Although it is dangerous here, But you can see it.¡±
He put out the unfinished cigarette and leaned back on the chair: "After I leave, you can resign."
"If you have nowhere to go, come find me." Taote laughed: "Sweden is a small country, but the scenery is beautiful. I am recruiting apprentices recently. Are you interested in the last disciple?"
Zhou Li was silent for a while and shook his head: "How can I go there with my family?"
"Then what's the problem? It's just a few visas and passports."
Zhou Li looked into his eyes, and after a long time, shook his head slightly.
"Tsk, you ignorant brat."
Taote didn¡¯t seem unhappy, he just said a few venomous words as usual, and then returned the topic to what exactly he was going to eat tonight.
It¡¯s just a flash in the eyesA hint of sadness.
¡ª¡ªIn the sky, thunder roared and lightning flashed.
Dusk arrives quietly, and the world becomes groggy.
Just at the other end of Zhonghai, there was no light on in the quiet office. In the dimness, two women, an old man and a young man, were sitting at opposite ends of the desk.
The woman who had no intention of concealing her age wore some old-fashioned tortoise shell glasses. The glasses seemed to be old, and there were strings tied between the two temples to prevent them from falling off.
She lowered her head and carefully flipped through the thick pile of information in front of her. Her expression was focused and graceful, which diluted the chill and awe filled with aggression in the air.
Just opposite the desk, a quiet woman was waiting silently, but she was full of unspeakable aggression.
A certain kind of will that is impossible to see directly and compare to has been gathered and formed in her body, as if it has been embodied, and such arrogance and indifference are eroding this closed space all the time.
Right in the middle of the desk, a thin line of frost slowly expanded, and the invisible aura friction between the two people was like a boundary monument, demarcating each other's territory and boundaries in this office.
On this side of the boundary, the old man is the manager of all people with abilities in China. Thirty years ago, he was remembered by the world as "the strongest in the Far East", although he has no great achievements.
¡ª¡ªQian Lizhen.
On the other side of the boundary, there is a young girl, ranked No. 2 in world ability user criminals, only below the 'Emperor', the 'World Snake Jormungandr', the 'Witch', and the omitted one. A long list of sensational titles.
It is Zhou Li.
The silence continued as time passed, until it was broken by the sound of the last page of information falling on the desk.
The complex trade-off was completed in the old man's mind at this moment.
So, the dust settled -
"Sorry, Ms. Zhou, I cannot accept such conditions."
Behind the long table, the old man shook his head slowly.
Thunder flashed across the sky, causing the girl opposite to slowly raise her head. A trace of regret appeared on her face, which was used to arrogance and indifference.
As if sensing the quietly intensifying hostility on the boundary, the pure white Ouroboros woke up from her wrist and opened its blood-red eyes.