An hour later.
Coalition of Underworlds, Rome Branch.
The diplomat was a black male wearing a pair of frameless glasses, and after asking the question “are you sure?” several times, then seeing the documents presented to him, he had collapsed onto his chair as if all of the bones had suddenly been pulled out of his body.
“Are you sure they’ve developed a new energy resource? Are you sure this isn’t all just for show? Many doubts have been raised over their new energy resource plan in the past! Are you sure this is a decision made by the Cathayan Underworld? Are you sure this is their messenger bird?”
After receiving affirmative answers to all of his questions, the diplomat dug his fingers into his own scalp as he stared at the documents in front of him with bloodshot eyes.
What was he supposed to do here?
Cases with no precedents should be approved, following which relevant laws were established, but who would dare to approve something like this?!
No one wanted to see another world war! Peaceful development was key for the entire world, and all of these patents were approved, it would be a miracle if no world war erupted!
“Fuck!!” Several minutes later, he slammed a fist viciously down onto the table. “What the hell am I supposed to do?! Everyone, please contact the Cathayan Underworld right away and require them to provide the actual products that they’re registering patents for. If they don’t have actual products, then their patent applications will be seen as spurious! All patent applications must be supported by actual products that have been verified! In the meantime, I’ll report this news to the headquarters of the Coalition of Underworlds right away!”
The five board members departed, leaving the diplomat to pace back and forth in the room in an agitated manner with his hands clasped behind his back. At the same time, he was constantly taking glances at the door, and a minute later, he rushed over to the door in silence before gently closing it, as if to cut off the rest of the world.
In the instant the door was closed, the room fell extremely silent, and there wasn’t even the sound of breathing to be heard.
The window was open, and birds were chirping outside, but the sound was unable to enter the room at all.
The room had exceptional decor of a very pronounced Europa style, and there was an expensive carpet on the ground. The fire in the fireplace gently flickered slightly, immediately following which a figure slowly appeared within the mirror off to the side.
The reflection in the mirror didn’t belong to the diplomat!
“Lord Rumyantsev!” The diplomat immediately rushed toward the mirror as if he had seen his savior, then asked, “What do we do?”
The brows of Rumyantsev’s reflection were tightly furrowed, and he didn’t say anything for a long time.
After a moment of contemplation, he decided, “Don’t notify the Coalition of Underworlds for now. At the very least, we don’t need to issue a formal report. Also, tell the GIPO that the Cathayan Underworld must provide actual products for all of the patents that they’ve applied for. You’ve done very well to place emphasis on this point. If they can’t provide any actual products and none of their top dogs come here to apply pressure, then postpone the approval of their patents by citing insufficient evidence provided!”
The diplomat shuddered slightly upon hearing this. “But Lord Rumyantsev, we’d be publicly opposing the Cathayan Underworld by doing this!”
Rumyantsev completely ignored the diplomat as he continued, “Also, find a way to notify the Prometheus plan’s laboratory of this situation.”
“But…”
“After you do that, I’ll pay off your 1.2 million gambling debt, and neither of us will owe the other anything, nor will I ever come to find you again.”
After that, Rumyantsev’s reflection vanished from the mirror. At the same time, Rumyantsev slowly opened his eyes on the top floor of a luxurious estate several thousand kilometers away in the Russian Underworld.
It was not easy serving as an official for the Coalition of Underworlds.
Not only did he have to consider the matter of right and wrong, he also had to keep an eye on the state of the entire world. If he said anything wrong, then he could be replaced in a matter of months. He had to know what the four pillars were thinking, and he also had to take benefits from the weaker nations. Furthermore, there were countless people eyeing his role, so he was constantly under immense pressure.
Paying off a gambling debt of 1.2 million was nothing more than a joke for him, and it was certainly well worth the price if this piece of astonishing news could be delivered to the Prometheus plan’s laboratory.
Has the Cathayan Underworld really completed its new energy resource?
He sat in silence on the spacious and comfortable wooden sofa with his head resting on one of his hands.
The Cuban cigar in his other hand remained unlit, and the premium coffee in the fine chinaware cup in front of him had gone cold long ago. His servant had changed the coffee three or four times already, but he didn’t appear to have noticed at all.
The entire room was eerily quiet, and only the sound of crackling sparks in the fireplace could be heard.
“It’s already been eight years since the Great Revelation Debate…” He finally heaved a faint sigh before picking up the cup of coffee, which had already been refilled many times already, then took a sip.
The coffee was slightly bitter, but he felt it to be completely tasteless.
If they really had succeeded, then what was going to become of the Russian Underworld?
They shared a border with the Cathayan Underworld, were they really going to continue to stand with the three pillars?
During these past eight years, the three pillars had published many reports, but the actual progress they had made on their new energy resource had been kept a secret as well.
It was time to make a choice.
Did they continue to stand with the west, or return to the east?
………………………………………………..
“What did you say?” At the same time, Archimedes and Aristotle stood up in unison in the city of Athens in the Argosian Underworld, seemingly astonished by what they had just heard.
“Are you sure you didn’t mishear? Do you know what that entails? I’ll give you some time to have a good think, then tell me what you want to say.”
Inside the spacious stone hall, an underworld emissary was knelt on the red carpet with his forehead pressed against the ground, and he said in a trembling voice, “I was telling the truth, Your Excellency! This is news straight from the GIPO, stating that the Cathayan Underworld has submitted over 4,000 patent applications! Without our help, there’s no way the GIPO would dare to turn down the Cathayan Underworld’s applications!”
“Those shameless bastards!” The netherfire in Aristotle’s eyes had turned completely red. “How can they not be ashamed of doing something like this?! None of those patents are theirs! They’re all patents taken directly from the mortal realm!”
Archimedes looked up at the ceiling with a dazed expression as he murmured, “However, those patents don’t exist in the underworld, so according to international underworld laws, no one can refute the Cathayan Underworld’s applications.”
“What about those scientists?!”
“Do you still not see what’s going on here? The fact that they’ve submitted all of these patent applications means that they’ve already taken care of the scientists somehow. At the very least, this project would’ve had to have been sufficiently profitable for the scientists to shut them up.”
“Does that mean they really have developed a new energy resource, one that’s already been verified by all of the scientists? Otherwise, there’s no way they’d be able to convince all of the scientists with nothing more than false stories!”
“I don’t know…” Archimedes massaged his own glabella, and even he was feeling extremely concerned. “All I know is that we must react to this right away. Otherwise, the consequences will be catastrophic!”
If this news were fake, then the Cathayan Underworld would’ve claimed all the patents with a piece of fake news, in which case that would be a complete gamble from them.
If their research and development failed, then they would have to handle the consequences. This was a global technological war instigated by them, and if they discovered that they couldn’t claim the tallest peak, then they would take the second-best option, controlling all patents related to the new energy resource, forcing other nations to have to negotiate with them even if they were to develop the new energy resource before the Cathayan Underworld did.
“There’s no need to worry about that.” Right at this moment, a voice suddenly rang out from outside, and as soon as they heard this voice, both Archimedes and Aristotle reflexively sprang to their feet before extending respectful bows.
All of the Yin soldiers standing at the entrance instantly parted, and Hypnos emerged like Moses parting the waves. He wore an extremely grim expression as he waved a dismissive hand, and all of the guards and servants instantly departed in silence. Thus, the only people left in the hall were Aristotle, Archimedes, and Hypnos.
None of them said anything, and the only sound that could be heard was from the crackling sparks on the torches lit around the room.
Hypnos made his way over to a brazier before staring absentmindedly into the flames. Archimedes and Aristotle exchanged a glance, following which the former asked, “Why are you here?”
“How could I not come here after what happened?” Hypnos sighed as he raised his head. “The international trade conference is about to arrive, and regardless of what happens, we’ll receive an explanation for all of this during the conference. Once the light of truth washes over the situation, all will be made clear.”
He abruptly turned around, and his voice suddenly sprang up an octave as he continued, “Quite frankly, I’m very disappointed in the two of you.”
Archimedes and Aristotle hung their heads as they gritted their teeth and knelt down onto the floor.
Hypnos gently stroked the edge of the brazier as he continued, “It’s already been over eight years since the Great Revelation Debate, what stage have you reached? We haven’t even managed to find the proton Yin rune yet! You’ve predicted that it’s in one of the three bottom layers, but how many Yin runes are in those three layers? There are millions!! You see these torches? They are about to be snuffed out like our Prometheus plan unless we can add fuel to the fire! If we’re unable to do that, then our defeat is going to be imminent! It’s already been eight years, yet you’ve projected that there will still be at least three years until you complete the new energy resource!”
He quickly strode over to the two scholars, and incredibly dense Yin energy was wafting all around him as he leaned down and asked, “The Cathayan Underworld has already made a move, yet you’re still trying to guess whether they’re bluffing, right? You’re thinking that if they fail, they’ll use these patents as leverage to force negotiations, right? Let me tell you this: if that was the case, then I would be ecstatic! Even if they have some leverage in the form of the patents, as long as we hold the new energy resource, the initiative will always be with us! We’ll have plenty of time to torture them, and the entire world must bow down to us, do you understand?”
A sense of bitterness welled up in Archimedes’s heart.
He had done his best, but the Cathayan Underworld had made its lead count. Furthermore, these patent applications weren’t sufficient proof that the Cathayan Underworld had actually developed the new energy resource, and in his opinion, Hypnos was being overly sensitive here.
However, before they had a chance to say anything, Hypnos asked, “Do you think my concerns are unnecessary? What if I tell you that the Russian Underworld is also aware of this, but their ruler death god didn’t contact me? What do you think now?”
The two scholars’ expressions changed slightly upon hearing this, but neither of them said anything.
“They’re hesitating,” Hypnos sighed as he stood up straight again. “Get up.”
There was nothing left to be said, and he was actually feeling quite calm and peaceful now.
They had already done everything in their power. For the new energy resource, the two sides had competed for over a decade, ever since the conference held in Nara.
They had already done the very best that they could, and now, all that was left to do was to wait for the outcome. Thus, he wasn’t distraught or anguished. Furthermore, there was no way to say whether the Cathayan Underworld had actually developed the new energy resource or not.
All he wanted to do was vent some of his anger. Their new energy resource was still nowhere to be seen, yet the Cathayan Underworld were telling the entire world through their actions that they had gotten there first. Furthermore, the silence of the Russian Underworld indicated that they were beginning to panic and considering whether to switch sides.
It was only a single piece of news, yet it had stirred up all of the most powerful nations of the entire world. However, the integrity of politicians was never to be trusted, so no one knew whether the Cathayan Underworld was bluffing or not.
Amid the silence, Archimedes cleared his throat before asking, “So what would you like us to do now?”
Hypnos had already completely calmed down at this point, and he replied, “Make one final charge at the new energy resource and strive to produce something prior to the international trade conference. The international trade conference will be held in the Cathayan Underworld in half a year, and we’ll be able to see the Cathayan Underworld then. If they really have developed the new energy resource, then there’s no way we won’t be able to tell. On top of that, they must release the new energy resource. They’ve already stalled through the conference in Nara and the Great Revelation Debate, buying them a whole decade of time, but enough is enough, and this is the limit. When the time comes, all sides will be laying down their cards once and for all!”
