The Eastern Alliance

"After the meeting, I'll look into it. By next Monday's meeting, I should have more information."

Capitalist's intelligence seemed somewhat outdated, though it was also possible that everything that had happened in Greenland City had been completely sealed off.

As Arthur had said, Greenland City had activated the Iron Curtain System. It was a physical lockdown system: every entrance and exit was sealed by iron gates more than ten meters thick.

The airspace above the entire city was closed off. No one could enter or leave Greenland City without anyone noticing.

Hongguo City had a similar system. Every city had comparable defensive measures.

"If possible, I'd like you to help me find a vulnerability in Greenland City's Iron Curtain System. As far as I know, all defensive systems of this sort leave a back door."

Arthur made the request before Lin Qi could.

Only Capitalist nodded.

Everyone else turned their attention to Guangleng.

Given Guangleng's control over the internet, he should have had a much easier time finding a vulnerability than Capitalist.

"I can't use the internet too conspicuously. That would pose a fundamental risk to the Highest Level." Guangleng explained, and the others seemed to mull it over.

Guangleng continued, "Wizard, what trouble have you run into?"

Following Guangleng's lead, Lin Qi asked in a disguised, mature woman's voice, "Assassin's League. I want to know more about them."

"You ran into Assassin's League too? Wizard, you're in Greenland City as well? That's great... No, that's terrible. With your abilities, Wizard, maybe you could take me with you when you leave."

Arthur was pleasantly surprised. Based on his past experience, he knew that Wizard had an almost freakish ability to gather information.

If it was Wizard, perhaps he really could break through the Iron Curtain System's blockade.

"I'm afraid I'm not in Greenland City. I've just run into trouble with someone from Assassin's League."

Lin Qi shook his head. Hongguo City and Greenland City were very close to each other.

But with the Iron Curtain System activated, getting in from outside was far more difficult than getting out.

"I see. I don't know much about Assassin's League—probably not as much as Capitalist does. You'll have to owe her for this favor."

Arthur's hopes were dashed, but he wasn't disappointed. Before joining the Mercenary Group, he had been an independent mercenary, so he was used to getting into dangerous situations.

Lin Qi looked toward Capitalist. She made no demands and generously shared what she knew about Assassin's League.

"Assassin's League is a T1-level mercenary group, an intercontinental mercenary group. Rumor has it that they have very few members, though no fewer than we do. They almost always carry out missions alone."

"According to the Asian Political Zone Large Enterprise Alliance, Assassin's League may possess T0-level power—in other words, the strength to stand up to a large corporation head-on."

That powerful?

The information was straightforward, but it wasn't what Lin Qi wanted to know.

Lin Qi asked, "I heard that members of Assassin's League refuse cybernetic augmentation. And they seem... especially generous to new recruits?"

Capitalist paused, then raised her head and stared intently in Lin Qi's direction.

"Did Assassin's League try to recruit you? That's highly classified information, an S-level secret of the Asian Political Zone Large Enterprise Alliance."

Capitalist made little effort to conceal her "prestigious" identity.

She had access to almost any information that could be obtained through official channels.

Most of her work in the Mercenary Group was logistical.

The Highest Level had only two true field operatives: Master Ma and Arthur. Lin Qi could only be considered half an operative.

"You could put it that way." Lin Qi couldn't reveal anything about Lin Xin, so he gave a vague answer.

"Looks like they didn't."

Capitalist shook her head quite emphatically, making Lin Qi's performance seem a little clumsy.

Lin Qi didn't care.

"I can share this information, but you'll owe me a favor."

Lin Qi nodded. Trading a favor for an S-level secret from the Large Enterprise Alliance was a good deal. Besides, given Capitalist's status, she might never have a chance to call in that favor.

"Assassin's League originated in the Eastern Alliance of the Asian Political Zone. It doesn't recruit new members; its members are trained through a master-and-disciple system."

"Assassin's League has three Extraordinary Professions—or, you could say, three factions: Blood Clothes, Life Snatcher, and Death Warrior. They sound mysterious, but at their core, they follow a path similar to that of Martial Artists. The only difference is that they're extremely opposed to cybernetic augmentation. Actually, the entire Eastern Alliance is strongly opposed to it."

"As for the generosity you mentioned, that should be the Blood Clothes faction."

"Wizard, I advise you to stay as far away from Blood Clothes as possible. I suspect that Blood Clothes is actually being cultivated in secret by the Eastern Alliance."

"Getting mixed up with the Eastern Alliance is much more trouble than the Witch Hunt."

Not just Lin Qi—even Master Ma and Arthur were stunned.

So Assassin's League had this kind of background?

No wonder they acted so brazenly.

"Wait. If Assassin's League really has that kind of relationship with the Eastern Alliance, how could they cause an incident like this in Greenland City? It doesn't serve the Eastern Alliance's interests. Why would they let the Asian Political Zone fall into chaos?"

Arthur immediately pressed her for an answer.

Capitalist didn't have one.

That was all the information she had.

Besides, Arthur's claim that a Fourth Rank Extraordinary from Assassin's League had carried out the assassination was only one side of the story. The culprit might not have been Assassin's League at all.

Lin Qi could only nod.

As for keeping his distance?

Lin Xin was his younger sister. If anything happened to her, Lin Qi could never stand by and do nothing.

The Eastern Alliance was a powerful force beyond Lin Qi's understanding.

In a world where large corporations controlled cybercities through mergers and acquisitions, and cities stood independent of one another, the Eastern Alliance was a peculiar entity—seemingly scattered, yet united in spirit.

It was home to no fewer than twenty large corporations, yet they stood together and advanced or retreated as one.

Outsiders always treated the Eastern Alliance as a single entity.

Most of the time, whether the entire political zone fell into chaos depended on the Eastern Alliance's will.

"My little sister is getting less and less lovable." Lin Qi was troubled, but he had already prepared himself for this.

He had an entire Doomsday World at his back. No matter how powerful Assassin's League or the Eastern Alliance was, neither could hurt his family.

As for Lin Xin, Lin Qi planned to have their father keep a close eye on her.

At least until he was strong enough, Lin Qi absolutely wouldn't let Lin Xin go out on missions for Assassin's League.

"Wizard, is there anything else you'd like to ask about?" Guangleng asked.

During ordinary meetings, Guangleng mostly acted as a mediator and made the final decisions.

Lin Qi shook his head. "I've got what I needed."

Guangleng looked at Arthur. "In that case, we'll end the meeting here for now. Arthur, I suggest you change your hideout as soon as possible. Your troubles have caught up with you again."