Strength Is King

Section 18: Strength Is King

After this encounter, Wang Wen felt more than ever that his body was in terrible shape.

He'd actually been cornered by a bunch of street thugs to this extent. It was like being forced to use brute force to clear a Tower stage that was supposed to be about skill.

Experienced Tower Climbers knew that climbing the Tower was a marathon. Aside from the strength required on certain milestone floors, stamina was the most important factor.

How well you conserved your stamina on the lower floors determined how high you could hope to climb.

Forget using brute force on a skill-based floor—even on milestone floors, you should use skill whenever possible. Brute force was always the last resort.

And yet here he was, struggling against nothing more than a few street thugs.

"My body's in terrible shape. I only used a little force, and I ended up like this."

Wang Wen thought strengthening his physique was an urgent priority.

Exercise was a lifelong endeavor. For now, he needed a faster solution.

Certain items in the World Tower would be perfect.

He didn't have to enter the Tower himself. Someone else could go in for him.

Seeing the old man staring at him with a strange expression, cup of water in hand, Wang Wen smiled. "Of course, whatever plan we choose, everything I just mentioned is a long-term goal. You can't build a skyscraper in a day. No plan can be accomplished overnight."

The old man set down his cup with a clunk and said irritably, "If I didn't remember that this was your allotted time to talk, I'd have thrown you out the door just now! Can you at least make your wild claims sound believable?"

"Fine, let's get serious. I need a permanent five-person team to enter the Tower for me. There are two options: first, the people are mine, and the proceeds from entering the Tower go to you. Second, the people are yours, and the proceeds go to me."

"I want both the people and the proceeds. What gives you the right to negotiate with me?"

"Because I'm giving you a second piece of intel."

"You have more intel like this?"

"At least one more."

"You've come to negotiate this with me without a single card to play. Don't you think that's ridiculous? I could get all your intel and make you disappear at the same time."

"Does the First Consortium want intel or actual profits?"

"Intel naturally leads to profits."

"If you only know what item is on a floor, but not how to obtain it, how many people do you think could find it?"

"You'll tell me."

"If you knew you'd die, why would you tell me?"

"Then go ahead and die. I don't care. We lose nothing. There's plenty of intel in the world; we don't need yours."

The old man took a leisurely sip of tea, ignoring Wang Wen's glare.

He thought for a while.

Wang Wen smiled.

He nodded. "I've learned something. You're right. Any negotiation should be based on a relatively equal footing."

"I never said anything like that." The old man looked rather pleased to have made the usually haughty Wang Wen back down. "I was just passing the time by putting a certain arrogant young man in his place."

"I'll come prepared next time we discuss this." Wang Wen got up and headed for the door.

"Wang Wen." The old man looked down at his cup and said meaningfully, "Whatever you decide to do, remember: you don't owe anyone anything, and no one owes you anything. Don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. I know you have secrets. Not forcing them out of you is the last kindness this old man can offer. Don't test me again. I am, and always will be, Gu Jianbing, Department Head of the First Consortium's Intelligence Department."

The old man spoke calmly, but his presence surged like a vast army and crashing waves, ringing out like clashing swords.

Wang Wen stopped.

After a moment of silence, he left him with a few words, then continued out the door.

"If you really come across that kind of mechanism in the second piece of intel, don't rush at the final step of the normal solution. First, try pressing the third stone panel from the left. If it gives way, there'll be a pill-shaped item inside. Have them bring it out, then bring it to me. I'll soak it in water and drink it. It'll be good for my health."

The old man's eyes widened. He sprang to his feet.

But Wang Wen had already vanished from sight.

The old man pressed a hand against his cup, struggling to control his trembling.

It wasn't fear. It was rage.

His voice seemed to come from the depths of his soul. "You're asking for death!"

In this world, Tower Climbers who cleared different numbers of floors had clearly defined standing.

Those who cleared a hundred floors were generally known only within their own "unit," such as an academy, a group, or a residential district.

By two hundred floors, they were famous throughout their region, because they were required to register with the Regional Security Department. Concealing their information meant being placed on the list of untrustworthy persons, with the consequences falling on them. The harshest penalties were imprisonment and confiscation of all their property.

Of course, registering was all they had to do. They weren't required to do anything else. In fact, they were entitled to various subsidies and tax breaks.

And the higher a Tower Climber went—

Three hundred floors: famous throughout the eastern or western regions.

Four hundred floors: famous throughout the world.

Five hundred floors: elite climbers trained with every resource by major groups.

Six hundred floors: top teams of the age.

Seven hundred floors: history-makers.

Eight hundred floors: unknown.

Nine hundred floors: heh.

It was an unwritten rule that people liked to call anyone above the five-hundredth floor a "super-high-floor climber."

As you could see, nearly everyone who cleared the super-high floors was an insider trained by a group or organization.

The odds of finding unaffiliated "independent climbers" in the outside world were practically zero.

Ordinary people's resources couldn't begin to compare with those of major groups.

Even with a head full of intel and memories and thousands upon thousands of Tower-climbing runs, Wang Wen would find it extremely difficult to assemble a capable team without the support of a consortium.

For starters, he had no money.

No money meant no training grounds, no equipment, no food, and no medicine.

Naturally, that meant no people either.

He didn't dare reveal himself any further in the short term. He'd already drawn a lot of attention, especially from Gu Jianbing, Department Head of the Intelligence Department. He really didn't want to make the old man an enemy.

If he went to war with the Intelligence Department,

then many of the things he'd done would become meaningless.

Wang Wen returned to the Academy.

His brow remained furrowed.

Things seemed to have reached a dead end.

Other than entering the Tower himself, there didn't seem to be a better solution.

He ran into the Department Chair.

The Department Chair gave him a strange look. "Perfect timing. Someone from the Regional Security Department came to ask some questions. They're in the Dean's Office. Go see them."

People from the Regional Security Department?

Wang Wen frowned and nodded, then went to the Dean's Office.

Three uniformed guards were inside, talking with the Dean.

When Wang Wen arrived, he knocked on the door. The Dean stood up and said to the guards, "The person involved is here. You can ask him directly. Let me make this clear in advance: such a serious incident occurring near the Academy gives me grounds to appeal against your dereliction of duty."

The guard in the middle looked displeased. He turned to Wang Wen and asked, "You're Wang Wen, right? Where were you around two in the afternoon four days ago?"

Wang Wen glanced at the Dean's expression and replied, "I don't know. Not long ago, I was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant at the Academy entrance and spent days in the hospital with serious injuries. I only just got out. I can't remember which day was which."

The guard questioning him looked as if his nose had been crooked by what he heard.

Their department was responsible for public safety in the area. If a knife-wielding assailant had really attacked an Academy student right outside the Academy, they couldn't escape a charge of dereliction of duty.

A female guard taking notes on a laptop scolded him in annoyance. "Wang Wen, I'm warning you to cooperate. You're currently suspected of intentional murder. We can take you back to the Guard Department for questioning at any time!"