Chapter 169 – Bartender! Another round here! (1)
510WbdThe United States.Vd3cKs Just likeu62ue on Earth,s5Q in thisgeZ world, itHNr remains theIr1o dominant superpower.Mqth Vast territory,J08 overwhelming resources,5u30U infrastructure thatxWg has it61sIB all. It’s7M5e the country56gF that leadsiUM in everyrolPrb field.bOS
ucfZJCBut the pathjYG6JP for theXcr U.S. tofe4Jd become thelMfG world’s numberUc3dN one nationC72Sx was quiteda3 tumultuous. Because3dyl2 its rivalDkP country waszAU incredibly strong.83jK4OMZx
WULe23The only country9PYm3 that couldE6e4S rival theUB4su United StateskCe was Korea,nedz my homelandhST in myZYzw5C past lifeWwJh and alsow6i6Jv in thislTpT current life.aqORaExm5w
nyhPIt might seemtsxUx strange. EvenCKtxG though ‘MiracleLJgQ9e Blessing M’g9E is a Korean game,2EgY how canUtNj Korea beQlv on theIwB same levelWJxXe as thevLazaW United States?YZ3wv If theLjZ discrepancy withrMk reality is21Dlq too great,Os5tyQ it harmslYj immersion. AnybNWbW5 excessive storyDlMV adjustment tendsLw7c to beND7 criticized.7LL
P1t7But this isdqiWpa a gameOHEJbZ world wherewz7 fantasy elementsum9UFW abound. Heroesf4N who faceVrmsGX monsters thatxBcF even tanksJN4 can’t stop,QZ7Xw using only52Ww their bodies.oLnzea If youZmnS31 combine equipmentPLX9 and blessings,NSmi it’s not9wiLG uncommon forV5t4 it tokqoZpm resemble a modern wuxia.DZGolf And thekZdn country thatujy produces the27kp most heroesO0a in thistSAR world isW5idW Korea. AccordingGOV to theB0d lore, this8ZL is because6dSwr the soilbsMG7 contains a deep spiritualhIZI energy.55j0n
ogKOBEPlayers didn’t usually9UwuOy question thatAFSGfL too much.lVGn Almost allbnCZ were Koreans,9w84Xs and aftere1E all, it’sMJO a fantasyCmK4b world. Thatcuy level offVS15N logic wassfu acceptable.0cS8
TiwIn any case,qyu the UnitedeEwX States hadRjESmR a notablyCkaWv low heromGIC production rate.oDHUB Even compared5WE to otherCgo9Q powers, itLNU was strangelyqgka7 inferior.d7B2
dOISure, they hadmXBu All Mute,VAllK but outsideC85X0l of her,OhJ2 there was3plWp no prominent4vgdAm American hero.krwn7Xl0U1
5TEPIf it weren’tj5fW for AllSzo Mute, themMLwtE United StatesO5Ffz would havesVCvWQ been eliminatedjt4Ow from the9MrR0 heroic stageemc long ago.xtIw That’s why0sin6v they dependedftB so muchBaGPnV on her.l5UddyiUNlT
rleA0Of course, heroesRkQEpB didn’t fight9iI among themselves.EtC With demonszViS as thewVa common enemy,cqIRi why create46y6 conflicts? It3EKcLf would beI1Gc a disaster.4qq6T5UZk
AM1wZBut the historyDT7vf of humanityJfCc9 is alsoGZt8yd a history0DWFw of wars,emNU0N isn’t it?3XD6Prd
b0UEven on Earth,xx6Vk just becauseSvyMv a countryfJq3c has nuclear618 weapons doesn’tAOyHLW mean itfys fires themly3 at another.YO5 The sameh8z applies here.7DMKS Heroes areXak6A forces that07S represent nationalYZE power andLvYSq are usedCGVDi to maintainr1o9i a balance9ddv of power.4aziNrH
wF5S4fIn this world,RrRX having moneystWm isn’t enoughctZk to haveF2m8kt an internationallaSOGK presence. That’sPyWs9 why thebA4 United StatesUiVT opted forPa3kdu a differentGkJm strategy. Ifhe0G Korea cultivatedYvBHU heroes, theyNcTO bought themtbA with economicvNOoTr power.LAAes
s5MXAnd so theyMLWqG created theirdpowSF own system,rgmHaJ the ‘Heroes’.QDtrS In thisA2cx way, theyjQB8 avoided beingUMl left out6A1e of thelbKmBN heroic stagenf5XH while turningyfLV2e their heroesBJBn into brands.9PRGYdBNI
WV13PSince they spentvFGvcH a lotOWW4 of moneyzslW importing them,QzH they wantedc9WG to get8bsM the mostU8xuS out ofqCqs them. ThisvLkz was pure2FX capitalism.zTAs
hcL…And now, atYnU this verytm8O moment, I’mo4a experiencing firsthando2loS what kind1D7b1X of countrybhKLyk the United0uiWOh States is.UNujhGfAP
oZQuBa“It’s a blankvcM1 check.”fpuVr
JfWsYqAn American whoty1 introduced himselfqgSy as KaneGaL handed meXE2udb a check.6xFx4i7Ww
1Bqg00“Would you like6XwKf to becomeAFTF a herosCPz82 of ourt2m company, Lancelot?”Z8gCkWW4
eNKII just went8UXE8 to theGnLl supermarket toX8YP buy somemIBpK ingredients, andOA0Y2A they’re askingbn6 me tocg34M be a hero. WhatxVZfl kind ofe7kT situation is0yWb this? I looked aroundPTBMB thinking it2ac might bewy5 a prank7FDkw for socialfDce media.IPk
o9rRxlThere were noVbv cameras orHMMq anything suspicious.b5YPgL I putWg2nf down thewmUopy green onionrImI I hadSK3E in myLPbk hand and4twa7 asked in6bv a stern3spRJ tone.qANO
Oo5RLA“I don’t knowpeu85X how youh1C9 found me,LeMB4J but forKjoIrE a heroZWD agency toPdnGd approach a student isRt55BL a violationpjIDpR of thewakfd agreement, don’tM4E1 you think?”mULWXo4i
nZYPGrKane responded with2CJ a smileYXTkQN as capitalist855U as itOtAf was fake.SrkZDpll
xHck7c“Normally, yes. ButflZsG at LancelotY0Dt2 Company, wecYWDN couldn’t keep0uqjg waiting. We87Xn just wantwnWQmo to give1M8 you, Kang1No6H Geom-Ma, theoqsvbe treatment youhq3L deserve. TheLYEv8 agreement? The3rFuj atmosphere latelyMtuBZ6 isn’t calm3T1Ny at all.nkA84R Since theSrJizH tragedy ofVPOF Joaquin, thezlNrw winds ofG5H war have8CQ already starteddNh9X to blow.e71Sr We can’tIhqw worry aboutaM2bkZ minor details.”VQu346xrYN
eXPLRjKane continued speakings8U0q with a slick tongue:gwOGukPY
Vm1q“And if you’re3nD willing toZY708 collaborate withZZ6 us, a VIP fromk3z the UnitedYgoKLA States couldUNIEZp speak directlyr1z with the7VH Joaquin Academy.”ioMNkAbe
9L3P4H“VIP? Who would3WFn that be?”isrvn1k01
jjH“I can’t giveJL61 names, butR7DzTm let’s sayhHKwH they’re inNudig0 the ‘WhiteFdEp House’.”hQASIi
QMWmThe White House?Fmz8K Are weMU8 really havingdy0B this conversation3zbDy3 in thebC0L vegetable sectionqgnC of theXps supermarket?zFT
jVVd“Lancelot Company promises1uR you the9ZU best possibleWCjOc treatment. AndlNdGr also, we’llLVL issue youpduy U.S. citizenshipJxcsmk without anyZnS procedures. Oh,lm4 and also…”KXd2CgYhQr6
08eZKane kept offeringVJt advantages. EveryB1ZNg time I tried totius step away,Sud he addedaaV an evengwn more incredibleVRUS offer. AllP2qAym were absurdly5Qz generous conditions.9kakHc Listening to6jnAKO him leftuD8c me speechless.hzQ If hellKHY kept going,SiCnhS it wouldkvj even seem9URD8 like heACuU could buyOKeH me anpxEP island ifhDnlL0 I asked.CW4hpDYcpTTy
82y‘Smells like a scammer.’Ds6vh
Ec7Vt1Just when I was seriouslyTIrN starting toTHWK suspect…ngWVo
ST3Plaf!IdIz2D
4F6GSomeone suddenly appearedc5E9B behind KaneBVl6z and placedCvmOKF a hand0Vd on hisXIC9 shoulderX9Z
4OVbWO“Who are you?”3ak94fI0dBBH
NgBU“I’m Geom-Ma’s manager.”qSVlvD
dPzvYSpeedweapon answered, frowningvcF deeply. KaneM0xM also furrowedNrcIV his brow,i7wm3 clearly irritated.XMHibrfKI
aiEX4“You’re crossing a serious line.SRRy And youejU know perfectlytTf well whatKGmL happened tonUd everyone whonpUqD tried toyE3te play gamesS9Ai with Geom-Ma.”5XMXW5BwbH7M
mZdmnBefore Kane could4dfftR respond, Speedweaponfvp cut himUx1 off as3nwr if spitting90J the words603t out.8YY
A0DB“Why beat aroundZjOmi the bushB8j just toKHfGq say youffe want to8Egwp buy theVMi8 Seven StarsCwdW seat with11jHN a blankpN89o check?”o0nEO
qCjjqmSpeedweapon, the fast-talkingIjApC explainer, hadb8xD arrived toKlApS the rescue.L1lDD1yuQ
S6Wi***Pl3
Dv0Meanwhile, in theLej8J director’s office,GIYR two womenN3g9u were sittingYgPYDb face toaWyvG face withcnXYTa a teaumnVnk table betweenc469q them.ig6D
jCXFC“…Ellie, did youDk8S really justiRvny say that?”k8GeyANJ
8krMedia’s face, whichfkAJYc had beenUYrRw quietly listening,pjep7 twisted likezugHA that ofkH8x an enrageddE8 deity. With8OTusb a sharpbK6 glare, shedHYPCO fixed her2TMXC eyes onFao0im All Mute.FaOhzU61BYZ
x8Fgul“Are you sayingpYun84 you wantCia to recruitjeOU Geom-Ma forlxn2P your agencyJpC68 in theC8idaR United States?”IEKpzwqY
PbhAll Mute answeredwfo with herSfKr0h back straight.DUHf6qZRB
tEIw“Yes. Given theq9JH Sashimi Saint’sOsFX2c abilities, keepingMJj5 him inTT0uV7 the AcademyaYG any longerZFhr is inefficient.GJJe5 In thelvdfi United States,Bd094 he wouldUWB7 receive professional4EU4 attention andhU21p proper treatment,DVyV which wouldOQ59 allow himsCTD to developA6vWJ2 his future.mbyp9p Even thepfAA White HousetV3s considers him76K a nationalAPrZqv strategic asset.”1EOCQl
VUKswoThump. Media’s fistKTCKnV crushed theOv97zk sofa armrestCY7l like tofu.FkuvR Her clenched9LdP fist trembledBN5F over the9WL shattered pieces.4zfUJdlel
6iA“Ellie, do youSjS have anyUvC idea howAQnbSE insulting what7vdC you justAIH said is?5dwt You’re sayingMsav that becauseMD586N he’s talented,oPzYm now you5vRrr2 want touzh control himEFD directly? Are4Wqg you kiddingEYJHle me? DoR239Y you thinkBgm I don’thLJ see throughgILESe your bullshit?”JxenSEc
a5HQWz“……”Q0CzdV
bHVq“I know thoseF5niK words aren’to9kyv yours. ThoserAI8a are ordersdxL from LancelotLNhTC Company and3D4yH the WhitequZQP House.”6puJc
FzH5l“……”F6U8QU
h2NB“Lancelot Company? TheF26EbS White House?6Xtf0W What theyR19o want isbxp a ‘newLKPG Seven Star.’Daru At first,3Ap they pushedxa8dH5 you aswKI hard asUpT they could,SssoJ but whengTUZ they sawaqfzVo they mightJNe lose theirI3O edge, theytn7 decided toriLX buy Geom-MayKnMa instead. Do6kzd you think4tJlmR I don’twtT know? ThezZxOe White HousephrIUR just wantsoPkm7 the next1e9kv Seven StarfcG to beKnc ‘American.’ Even1LQ5ld if it’sBFC not you,spR Ellie. AmP9HMc I wrong?”VQBhKKPW
JHwSwyMedia’s green eyesR11 burned.49ILf
hagexs“But what infuriatesh8K4 me thewiZA most isUhO9 that you’reTjES acting like5Wp6o a puppetCNHd for thosed7zSg petty interests.Afh Tell me,gv9L5 Ellie. IsYkkQxi this whats7cz the AcademyqW0i4 taught you?0LAyP Where didip1 the honestz36XM1 girl yourV1 were asN0n5 a studentP78ZnO go? HowN9wSx2 did youWGBC end upHUFmS just a damn messenger?”NmqVi3Qkr
XJmjAll Mute, whoE7wE6 had stood7iZ like a statue, clenchedrJqSd her teeth7Rh hard. She1e6Hv raised herDeK head fiercely.MWhzvaf
YiMx“I didn’t wantCPo4 to sayz1c these thingsDjWe3j either! ButZ4iR the citizensycw really wantWVt5V the nextTTzng2 Seven StarxMs to be42zB American!”Cat
RTYAll Mute nearlyFzWY shouted.NKnYE
1mxocj“You yourself saidGBpe7 it, Director.lNtl3v That a true herozvQuB must act0TO according to8mqbU the willhyyx of the02VBG people. I’ve77Wq never disobeyedEf6pwu that teaching.yKZtm Only theuLF5 method hasO0DwNV changed sinceIrA5Ks I wasmUn a student.iuYP I’ve comeV64kf to understandoWJq5Z the worldbsBpr isn’t the1wrbX same asoJw9 when you’reYkj fifteen.”6TETV9
enq3“So now twistingCVO1 a teachingdJw is justTI14a a ‘changet8OL of method’?3bu0 Want meSK8xO to re-educate2bzP you withqT6kVK some goodcc5Ajw old-fashioned beatingsA5k like in0end the oldwGAqFB days?”3sh9A
wO5ah“How long areno8jiS you goingUka to treatKxAT me likeCf0 a kid?rPgWVN I don’tXTN like toXejfB brag, butLxys I’m consideredvDw4Os the successorYbt to thef6DGj Sword Master.0xRwi That putsZokslM me onLUPqlF par withMp1 the currentYBPG Seven Stars.ApftHi And don’tlGB6 forget, lastjg3jFP time youU99z gave metAzBf one of7q1Q those ‘lovingnYabH beatings,’ I ended uphxb with fracturesM71Z and twoDvfN months ofj0lV bed rest.”qyo0UQd
4eLA tension ofOuQHHs surprise filledIcIYe the office.AvCOhI Finally, MediaiMdF relaxed herWg0L5G fist andT2K gave a command towardZyQ the door.kLjGluISoy
PnmEM“Let her in.”zAMDhmYarzsC
cGmvUAt that moment,6P0XKI the doorSS8jZ opened andDmVaAX metallic footstepsiUJYu echoed.hGi
NdwR“…Mao Lang? WhatH3PPjZ are youuoGTj doing here?”oVHNmKtVg
0FeAll Mute wasxL8 stunned.MFjExZ
izB“Been a while,ERNO huh~?”FDUpqI
LmXMao Lang, alsoySG known asMpjqIH Relentless IronmMarM and a fellow alumnacOov of theHwt1 Academy, greetedGMadB with a slight wave.ANukkIe1lm
mmtMedia rubbed herYox temples andEDvcQ spoke.kVA78h
iTak“When I hearduG8kh you werelW5 coming toKb0z Korea, I called her.”tHcFAjC7Z
IZ6Mao Lang smiledOYSQ3 mischievously andwdgA1v added.EHLC
mi0e8“Guess we’re havingPy4LLI a little1uUxAw alumnae reunion,Cht huh? ButxEe I accidentallyRW35R overheard everything…fMQ and I’veWqAa1 gotta say,SVZud Ellie, you’vezUbuk changed a lot.”gV66
ScwIAll Mute’s brows2xSQkv furrowed noticeably.u25 Mao LangRquZTD stared atsIdJ her andH1Kd4 muttered bitterly.eTdJWzC1
EdS0vX“I used toxXQ envy youGm4vVO so muchMMEb I hatedwYh you… ButcGGrgz in the4vaLSw end, youj9E changed too.8X9K2 Just likeQMC3 me.”STl
8YW9The bitter smileYLZbPv on MaotLq4 Lang’s lipsVt3 vanished inyLOib an instant.0MSjVBzG
jue“Director, can I make a suggestion?”nt4B
QK0Media gave a small nod.PFZ Mao LangsJoUtH continued, stillObCO0 smiling.KS6J
yj9“I think atV82wBU times likevPtRwh this, whenVCFnHv we disagree,FxBBUs we shouldLTN settle iteKe the way5Y6hv Joaquin AcademyMVd taught us.kAtqQE If allp1PkV7 we doyO1K is arguercP with words,ZwXSlO we’ll just7mBCZE hurt eachoibO other and6KqT4F solve nothing.”qo0rNt
vxKIS2“A way ofddWA the Academy?”EouFp72
t8bTuAll Mute tilted8Tz7H her head,B5RFdS puzzled. MaomRib Lang narrowedvHnaL6 her eyesGyyN before speakingA2s6gN again.oqB
51yg“Obviously, a dueles6Z in a subdimensional space.Mf0aK What elseUnuV did we4PunN8 learn asVidesY students besides5XUCx how togI1YcR fight?”N4t4dc
uTXwg“……”Efi
8EbIw“If we goiXo so farY2kJ as a duel, evenpRqv the WhiterQCsKt House andboHT the companygnc brass won’tNHNjME be ablevJpo to sayDMbh5T much more.bQrs And you,QfEj3Y Khan, wouldaWkrq have anzgp excuse to7ZCR fall backZyfQ4E on. SomethingOJkc9 like, ‘Imhy2W1 did everythingaLyzK I could.’”XS0aX7FxAS2
Vc3All Mute ponderedOVL7c Mao Lang’s55AvZz proposal. AtbIww9 first glance,pcQh2 it seemedvy4sy ridiculous. Come9x1nC to negotiate8umr3 and thenEEKw suggest a duel?Nel0
zSgyBut if she3W73yf could provejUQ her pointGD6 right thenvhaL and there,2BL it wouldPOXLxH solve everything8k9 easily. The3N5 proposal toFECr1 recruit Kang1dAZTU Geom-Ma wasKsB just a corporate move.PWl8fhms
wIlAnd truthfully, AllABVMs Mute hadBtLr considered thisz5wp1a possibility before.AVhHNi Even thoughdv0 she wasFDK someone whoIA3Mec could acknowledgemzO61G others, itaM9K didn’t meanbJYTc she hadFfjn no pride.qqXvWq18ICz
H5TYEvery time someonextVTM compared hercAqszO to KangwGvE Geom-Ma, somethingbJuc got stuckHZFwlt in herObJAin throat…GAdt
Uj0csD‘If I win,A4ygJ maybe it’ll7Wbb5 boost America’sLXh3 image evenpsDN more.’OvaSF
LPE5mLWhile All MuteOsUA was lostRz10oj in thought,HDEa2 Mao LangaztqWf let outRmS a mockingFqQA laugh.IDXzZe
IhW3“Khan, I think534 you misunderstoodWPx my proposal,9RaC4Q so letjMgJc me bebO08i4 clear: I want yourRPaJF to getDWb smashed intob88btD the ground4W6zmq and rememberHvwr your place.mfr You can’t7gYPX beat KangujQH Geom-Ma evenLEKs in yourrNtWP dreams. IfGXQxCh you’re lucky,3YTf you might4wJ stay onV8lS your feeti2jG5 for 20ittzd seconds. IfzwFti you gon2ksmp all out,u4zIU maybe 50.”FIbkvKAYm8FV
duAcBA snort ofzVSlAb derision escapedFBUTw her. The6LTO7J veins inXXR All Mute’sun3J temples poppedKz3m instantly. SheKfgb0 pulled outBmny her deviceqraB and called8fYTHW Kane directly.dGpk3GmYNkp0
ymBY“Are you with1OwZr4 Kang Geom-Ma?Pi2 Did somefF61k idiot trymP1z4c to interfereNFKOr while youSSj1 were recruitingQgxmmr him? ConvinceWV6VR him andjblC8 bring himGciuq1 to theqr89I training field.”x0alJWbck
By92B[@#$&*… @#%$%]SBuvx2
0CI“Why?”JQ1a
5ZVRS6All Mute twistediTC her neckdqk5 side toEBe side asptpa she answered.kI9CYxG
ld4M“So the whole4bfkM2 damn worldvIt drops itssRLmV jaw andQzy makes ChinahXP50p tremble.”MA2in
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaLook at the audacity of these people.