"What do you mean?"
Manison looked directly into Kasuyi's eyes, his tone unfriendly.
Kasuyi sighed, not avoiding Old Manison's gaze, and said softly, "It means exactly what it says. I think Black Star is right. As the president, you are the association's role model and should indeed abandon the Convict technology. Although this is a historical issue from before the association was established, we are now advocating class unity, and live human modification is really going too far. Everyone will feel uncomfortable."
Manison narrowed his eyes.
This seems like a premeditated action. If Black Star and Kasuyi have secretly colluded, this deliberate attack today demonstrates the growing influence of the other faction while simultaneously undermining his prestige, thus further stripping him of his power.
Of course, there is another possibility: perhaps Kasuyi was not targeting him personally, but simply had a problem with the Convict techniques. Manison had known this old friend for many years and knew that he didn't like to offend people, so there might be another reason why he confronted him directly.
Moreover, Old Ke is not so easily bought off. Manison couldn't believe that Black Star had forged a deep friendship with Kasuyi in just a few months; he preferred to believe the latter possibility.
'It's also possible that Black Star has some leverage over him... Hmm, I'll ask him after the meeting.'
Manison quickly adjusted his mindset, looked away, surveyed the entire room, and said expressionlessly:
"How I handle my spoils is my prerogative. Continuing to discuss this will be pointless. Let's stop wasting time and get to the point."
The Convict were his trump card; everyone present understood that forcing him to resign would not make him compromise, and most of them were just stirring up trouble, no one really thought it would work.
However, this move undoubtedly played right into Black Star's scheme. Black Star was convinced that Black Star would never give up the Convict technology and forced him to make such a statement. In this way, Black Star could at least exacerbate the dissatisfaction of most members with Black Star and indirectly reduce Black Star's prestige as the chairman. There was nothing Black Star could do about it, since the Convict technology itself was already controversial.
Black Star's Space-Time Amber is merely a way to put someone in jail, and it's surprisingly safe. In contrast, the Convict Technology involves conducting human experiments on prisoners, which is far more heinous.
If the argument continued, Manison would have nothing to say and it would only become more disadvantageous, so he took a tough stance and ended the topic.
His uncompromising attitude, though not unexpected, still made many people somewhat unhappy, a feeling of shared sorrow for the fate of others.
Seeing this, Han Xiao did not continue the topic.
They've already made their stance clear, and there's no way to get anything out of it. Continuing further would just disrupt the normal meeting. Besides, the objective has already been achieved. In addition to damaging Old Manison's prestige, it's also digging a pit for them. Old Manison doesn't know the details of the Sanctuary; we've exploited an information gap.
Han Xiao turned to look at Kasuyi, revealing a knowing smile.
Kasuyi shook his head helplessly.
His betrayal of Manison at this time was not simply to side with Black Star, but rather a far-reaching decision. After learning a series of intelligence about the Sanctuary Revival, his mindset changed, and his view of the Association also changed.
Upon closer reflection, it becomes clear. Jess said that the Sanctuary Revival can only revive the dead, and existence is unique. So, are the Beyond Grade A individuals transformed into Convict considered dead or alive?
If he's probably alive, then as long as he hasn't been freed, is it possible that Beyond Grade A prisoner who was transformed into Convict will never be resurrected by the Sanctuary?!
Let's consider an even more terrifying scenario... Could someone use the Sanctuary Revival power to set a trap, capture newly resurrected Beyond Grade A, and turn them into Convict?!
Kasuyi shuddered.
In the past, he could barely tolerate this technology, but the concept of the Sanctuary Revival overturned his mindset—if there were no expectations, he would have no fear, but now that he knew his life could be extended Infinite within an iteration, he found it difficult to tolerate the continued existence of this threat.
This is only from their own perspective. From a broader and long-term perspective, the Convict technology is not conducive to the association's control and maintenance of the Sanctuary Revival capabilities, nor is it conducive to the unity of its members. Neither Book Kasuyi nor anyone else needs to think to guess several possible dire scenarios in the future. It now seems that Manison's approach is definitely not going to work.
It is foreseeable that once Black Star develops the ability to Sanctuary Revival, the Mechanic Emperor, which possesses the technology of Convict, will inevitably become the target of everyone's attacks. Who would want to resurrect a Beyond Grade A who possesses the technology of Convict? Moreover, at that time, even death may become a luxury. If most Beyond Grade A were to go to extremes, they might work together to send him into the Space-Time Amber to prevent Manison from being resurrected by the Three Universal Civilizations and having his Convict technology extracted.
Kasuyi and Manison had some connection, and he didn't want to see Manison end up like that; one could say he was acting in Manison's best interest. However, he knew the bigger picture; before Black Star's research yielded results, the Sanctuary's information couldn't be revealed to unreliable individuals, so he could only offer simple advice.
Whether Manison listens or not is his business; Kasuyi feels he has already been loyal enough.
Without Han Xiao's meddling, the meeting proceeded normally, but everyone present was distracted, their eyes constantly shifting between Han Xiao and Kasuyi, each with their own thoughts, secretly wondering what kind of spell Black Star had cast on Kasuyi.
Sorokin discreetly observed the two men, feeling deeply apprehensive.
' Kasuyi has also been won over, and Black Star's power within the association is growing...'
He always remembered the threat of Black Star discovering his identity, and the thought of killing him to silence him was constantly on his mind. However, he was always hesitant to act on it, and Sorokin was also reluctant to give up his current identity.
In Sorokin's calculations, the best-case scenario would naturally be to use other Beyond Grade A beings to kill Black Star while he himself remained uninvolved. However, Black Star's social circle was constantly expanding, and he was making more and more friends, which meant that the number of people Sorokin could use was decreasing.
There are only so many Peak Beyond Grade A beings in the universe. The more friends Black Star has, the less potential ally he has.
"Am I really going to be completely under his control like this? If only we could find a way to change things..."
A shadow crossed Sorokin's eyes.
Several hours passed, the meeting concluded smoothly, and everyone left with their own thoughts.
Kasuyi disconnected the projection link, and then his communicator rang. He glanced at it and, sure enough, it was a call from Manison.
He sighed, answered the call, and calmly said:
What do you want?
"Kasuyi, what's going on between you and Black Star? Is there something he can do about you?" Manison cut to the chase, asking about what had happened at the meeting.
"Nothing."
Manison frowned and said, "You disappeared for several months. You actually went out with Black Star, right? What happened between you two?"
"What does this have to do with you?" Kasuyi replied indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Manison's expression changed.
This is an admission, and the tone clearly indicates an unwillingness to reveal any information about Black Star.
It seems I was wrong. Kasuyi is indeed backing up Black Star. Their relationship has really progressed rapidly in the past few months. He's even willing to offend Black Star for his sake.
Manison sensed Kasuyi's coldness and distance, and felt a pang of unease.
This feeling was like having a companion stolen by a rival, a heartbreaking sense of betrayal and alienation. He felt as if his social circle was being invaded by Black Star, and everything that belonged to him was gradually slipping away.
At this moment, Kasuyi said casually, "Is there anything else you want to say? If not, just hang up. I'm very busy."
Even in private conversations, he was unwilling to disclose any secrets and just wanted to get rid of Manison as soon as possible.
"... I see."
After a few seconds of silence, suppressing his disappointment, Manison disconnected the call.
Kasuyi put down the communicator, his expression complex and somewhat wistful.
During the Intelligence Plague, Manison's attempt to gain an advantage backfired, leaving him in trouble. This led him to make a poor decision and change his team members, ultimately allowing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fall into Black Star's hands.
In Kasuyi's view, Manison had picked up a sesame seed but lost a watermelon. If Manison hadn't acted rashly and if the subsequent series of events hadn't occurred, Kasuyi felt he would still have teamed up with Manison. In that case, Manison would also have a share of the intelligence he had now, instead of being kept in the dark.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life.
"It's all fate. If I had teamed up with you back then, you would be the one with the intelligence advantage now..."
Kasuyi shook his head, feeling sorry for Manison.
The undercurrents within the Beyond Grade A Association did not affect the players' activities, and several days later, the finals of the fourth professional league finally began.
The forum's viewership broke historical records. If Jiangcheng carried the hopes of all Huaxia players, then Thunder Python carried the expectations of all foreign clubs. Only they could stop Huaxia from establishing a three-peat dynasty.
Under the spotlight, the two sides fought fiercely in the first game. Although Jiangcheng performed steadily, they fell into Thunder Python's secret tactic that had been kept hidden until now, which caused them to suffer in the team competition. In the end, they lost the first game by a narrow margin, giving Thunder Python a 1-0 lead. This immediately made the Huaxia players' blood pressure rise.
However, in the second and third games, the Jiangcheng Team withstood the pressure and, led by Frenzied Saber, played steadily. Although they didn't have many exaggerated and flashy moves, they relied on the endurance advantage of the Mechanic Class to turn the game into a drawn-out match, grinding out a point difference and winning two games in a row to take the match point.
In the fourth game, Thunder Python tried his best to win, playing very cautiously. However, he made a mistake and was beaten by Jiangcheng with a combination of offense and defense, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
In the end, Jiangcheng came back from a 1-0 deficit to win the championship. Since entering the quarterfinals, Jiangcheng's record has been 3-1, which is very stable. They have shown the full potential of the Mechanic Class. They are very strong in all aspects and have almost no weaknesses.
Under the tense, excited, or ecstatic gazes of countless spectators, the last member of the Thunder Python Team fell on the ring.
The sound of him falling to the ground was like a drumbeat, resonating in the hearts of all the spectators. It was as if a signal had been given, announcing the birth of Huaxia's three-peat dynasty!
Within seconds of everything settling down, the forum was overwhelmed and turned into a sea of revelry!