"Long Aoshuang discussed it with us in private."
"We all think that although you seemed calm when you returned, you're in a hurry beneath the surface. You're rushing to select candidates, rushing to find a way for Blue Star to grow stronger faster. You even split off part of your own power to create Rule Seeds."
"That isn't how you used to do things. You've always pushed Blue Star forward, but you usually preferred to let us explore and grow on our own. This time, it's as if you want to raise Blue Star's overall strength by several levels in the shortest time possible."
She paused. Her steady eyes met Shen Yi's through her glasses as she finally asked the question that had weighed on her for so long.
"Is it because there are enemies out there that powerful? Stronger and more dangerous than the Black Fog we faced, or the alien Mutated Beast fleets that descended on us..."
"So dangerous that even you feel pressed for time and believe Blue Star has to grow faster?"
The elevator shuddered faintly as it reached its destination. Its doors slid open onto a quiet corridor leading to Lin Zhiwei's private quarters.
Shen Yi did not step out at once.
He stood in the elevator in silence for a moment. Soft light spilled in from the corridor, illuminating one half of him while the other remained in shadow.
Then he slowly nodded.
It was a small movement, but its certainty carried weight.
"Yes," he said simply.
That single word made Lin Zhiwei's heart sink.
She had suspected as much, but hearing Shen Yi confirm it was another matter entirely.
What kind of enemy could make even Shen Yi feel pressed for time—and in danger?
The Black Fog had been capable of destroying civilization.