As the group reached a corner in the passage, Marshal Maurice stopped.

Before them stood an exquisitely decorated crimson door, flanked by two fully armed security personnel.

Unlike the security personnel Gu Changqing had seen before, these two security personnel were dressed in light gold robes and carried not energy guns, but short, light gold staffs.

Morris then took out a pure white card from his pocket; the card was plain except for a white background.

After handing the card to the guard by the door, Marshal Maurice said to Gu Changqing, who was standing beside him:

"This is an elevator that leads directly to the palace. Even I need to verify my identity with this card to use this elevator. It's mainly to prevent strange creatures from leaving the research institute in this way."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guard handed the white card back to Marshal Maurice.

They then bowed respectfully to the crowd, and the two guards simultaneously raised their pale gold short staffs.

They kept muttering something to themselves, and the short staff they raised emitted a faint ripple and light along with their low chants.

The crimson door trembled slightly due to the vibrations emitted by the short staff.

As the two finished chanting, the red gate slowly moved towards the inside of the wall, and soon a room that could accommodate a hundred people appeared in front of everyone.

Marshal Morris put the white card back into his pocket and entered the room first. After Gu Changqing and the members of the Strange Squad entered, he introduced the room to Gu Changqing.

"Sir, this room contains the elevator that leads directly from the research institute to the palace. In special circumstances, it can also be used as a safe house..."

While listening to Marshal Morris's introduction, Gu Changqing observed the environment inside the room.

The room floor was covered with a bright red carpet, made of the finest fabric.

In the center of the room were several large, dark brown sofas, and next to them was something resembling a refrigerator, presumably for storing food.

Above, there are murals carved with various creatures, and a huge chandelier hangs from the ceiling, emitting the soft yellow light inside the room.

Several dark brown sofas were arranged in a circle around a giant black iron conference table. In addition to the most basic food and water, some documents were scattered on the table.

After a brief observation, Gu Changqing discovered that the documents only recorded a few useless strange objects that had just been acquired by the Empire. Marshal Morris probably also thought these strange objects were useless, so he did not stop him from looking at them.

Picking up a document, Gu Changqing began to read the information about the strange creatures recorded on it.

Name: "Inferior Black Fountain Pen", developed by Professor Aifan, and now the Imperial Research Institute can mass-produce this strange object.

Function: Can kill or injure low-level monsters and infected.

Advantages: The materials required are readily available, the production is simple, the design is small and lightweight, and it is easy to carry. It is now one of the equipment items for members of expedition teams.

Disadvantages: The weapon is too short and lacks offensive capabilities. It becomes useless against large monsters and infected, or if the owner is not good at fighting.

(Note: Each time a monster or infected creature is killed, it will absorb unknown energy from its body. Once the limit is reached, the monster will change from a beneficial monster to a harmful monster. Users need to empty the energy in its body periodically.)

Whenever it absorbs unknown energy, the pen turns from black to red, and its power increases.

Below the description are several pictures: an ordinary black fountain pen, a fountain pen with red stripes after absorbing energy, and finally a deep red fountain pen.

...

The other types of strange objects are still under research and have not yet begun mass production and use; they are only briefly introduced before the discussion ends.

After reading this information, Gu Changqing put down the documents in his hand, sat on the dark brown sofa, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

Marshal Maurice didn't understand Gu Changqing's intentions either, assuming he was simply uninterested in these things. So he stopped talking, sat quietly on the sofa opposite him, and watched him out of the corner of his eye.

Meanwhile, the members of the eerie squad stood quietly on either side of the door, their postures ramrod straight. As subordinates, they were entitled to sit on the sofa, and even entering the room required Marshal Morris's permission.

This luxuriously decorated, secure elevator, comparable to a safe house, was also their first time riding in.

The two guards outside the door, seeing that everyone had entered the room, began chanting a different verse than before.

As the short staff held high in his hand emitted a ripple, the crimson door closed again.

The room shook slightly as the door closed, but it quickly calmed down.

A slight centrifugal force appeared inside the room, indicating that the room was moving upwards at a very rapid speed.

At this moment, Gu Changqing was on his way to the palace.

Inside an empty hall in the royal palace, the emperor of the empire sat alone on the golden throne above the hall.

If you look closely at the throne, you will find that it is also a strange object, and not just any ordinary strange object, but at least a high-level strange object.

The emperor, dressed in a golden imperial robe, was holding an object resembling a monitor screen, his exquisite eyes fixed intently on it.

On the screen, Marshal Maurice and his entourage were on their way to the palace. From the emperor's perspective, he was staring at the spot where Gu Changqing was sitting on the screen.

Gu Changqing had already noticed someone watching him through original means as soon as he entered the research institute.

Someone with his level of cultivation can be sensed by anyone who is deliberately watching him.

As for why we agreed to meet with the emperor?

Gu Changqing's plan inevitably involved the emperor; once the plan was completed, the emperor would disappear along with his vast empire.

As for whether the plan will succeed?

Gu Changqing would offer a condition that an emperor could not refuse, and under such conditions, an emperor who could complete his reign would absolutely not refuse.

The emperor sat on his throne, holding a screen monitoring the research institute in one hand and gently tapping the golden armrest of the throne with the other.

Knock knock knock

Knock knock knock

The sound of knocking echoed in the empty hall.

The emperor raised his head and spoke as if addressing thin air:

"Do you think I should really meet with him, or rather, with Him?"

A questioning voice rang out in the hall, and suddenly a voice appeared out of nowhere in the previously empty hall, answering the emperor's question.

"You are the emperor, the empire exists because of you, and I will help you ward off all accidents and misfortunes."

A confident and composed voice rang out from the empty hall, which was devoid of anyone except the emperor.

...

...