Chapter 149 A Deal

It's very late at night.

Based on the information provided by Sikong Tan and the supplement provided by Jian Yinglai, with systematic assistance, the tasks were arranged one by one, and soon all the marked locations were completely covered.

Whether it was Sikong Tan, Jian Yinglai, Shao Qingbai and the others, they all left QuanO Academy to carry out their respective missions.

At the same time, Ding Ruize, who had already rescued Shao Qingbai, entered the imperial capital and then passed through layers of inspection to enter the O Courtyard for protection.

Wen Tiange, who was imprisoned in a closed room in the military academy, was also released. After a short rest and a general understanding of the situation, he also joined the mission.

In the meantime, there were also various discussions with others about Ling Chen - Lin Guantang.

First, the transfer of the highest authority was incredible. Not everyone believed the news of Huo Shizhen's death, but now it was clear that even the system authority had been transferred automatically. It seemed to indicate that he was really dead, and the system would automatically be transferred to the first heir like the inheritance.

Secondly, the tasks assigned to Lin Guantang were so quick and efficient. The information was shared one second and the tasks were assigned the next second. It was much more efficient than Huo Shizhen's time.

It's also too flexible - Huo Shizhen's task is to make all the arrangements and not allow any changes, but the assignment of tasks tonight is subject to adjustment at any time. It's impossible to think that you can finish a task after completing it, or that you don't have to listen to other arrangements after listening to the task assignment.

Fortunately, they were already accustomed to this kind of mission in the early morning. Although it was more urgent tonight, everyone understood the seriousness of the matter. Even though they were still shocked psychologically, they were already familiar with the arrangements in terms of actions.

In addition to the military academy students, the empire also inquired about the transfer of the highest authority of the system - neither Huo Shizhen's sudden death nor the automatic default transfer to "Lingchen" was expected.

But you can't go and question a dead person, nor can you forcibly take back the system permissions of "Lingchen", unless you really want the imperial capital to fall.

A big net has been laid out, and it seems that the largest dark organization in the empire will be wiped out. At this time, no one dares to take the responsibility of arresting the person with the highest authority, and no one dares to take on such a big mess. Just the information and mission routes that can be made public are enough to make people's scalps numb.

So I just sent a simple greeting, and as expected, Lingchen replied that the situation was critical to our survival, and he would take the initiative to give an explanation after everything was settled.

Then I gave some encouragement and just waited and watched.

In fact, there is no need to worry about how to deal with the mess after forcibly reclaiming system permissions - Lin Guantang really thinks so.

Because he was also impressed by the intelligence of the highest authority system. Almost at the moment when Sikong Tan gave the information, the system had already divided the best route of action according to the divisions and characteristics of the military academy students.

It doesn't even require any human assistance. He just needs to make a confirmation gesture or a slight adjustment.

It's just obvious that even if it's just a matter of confirmation, not everyone has the courage to take on the task, and Lin Guantang was happy that no one interfered.

The level of evolution of the system gave Lin Guantang new inspiration on how to resolve issues related to Huo Shizhen.

But again, these are the internal conflicts of the empire, or rather the imperial capital. Only after the crisis brought about by the Fugan District and the Garden of Eden is completely resolved, can we be in a mood to discuss the ownership of the system.

On the other hand, it was not just Lin Guantang who arranged tasks to eliminate the hidden dangers in a race against time. On the other hand, the Garden of Eden also realized that something was wrong and quickly took countermeasures.

The old man died, but not all of them died. Those noble families who united to rebel against the imperial capital might have a chance to escape punishment with their wealth and power. However, if they, the members of the Garden of Eden organization, were caught and imprisoned in the imperial capital, the only outcome would be endless imprisonment.

Could they expect these noble families to help them escape punishment? They themselves could hardly protect themselves.

But where can I run to?

They dared to occupy the imperial capital because Huo Shizhen was dead and the X system had completely invaded the imperial capital system. But in an instant, the imperial capital system counterattacked, Hermes rebelled, and Jian Yinglai rebelled. No matter how hard they hid in the imperial capital, they were just fleeing back and forth in a transparent box.

It would be very difficult to escape without external help.

While the members of the Garden of Eden were racking their brains to find a way to escape, Lin Guantang was leisurely waiting for the dust to settle.

——It’s not that I have nothing to do.

Several groups of people have appeared outside the O Hospital, eager to try to sneak in - either to capture Lin Guantang, or to rescue core members such as Sheng Fenghua, but the results are not good.

The lights are bright, illuminating every corner that leads in and out of QuanO Academy.

There is a layer of O Academy's own electric fence for defense, a layer of military academy students for guarding, and a layer of police station personnel for support. Even a dog will be caught if it approaches, let alone a living person.

People outside couldn't get in, and the people in the hospital started to save themselves after calming down.

They protested righteously against Lin Guantang's rude act of detaining them without reason, and said that everything Lin Guantang had just said was a slander against the old man, and that he was the thief who stole the country.

Lin Guantang felt that they had a point and decided to give them freedom.

——It not only refers to those who were pushed out to protest, but also refers to all the nobles who were locked up in the meeting hall.

After the mission at the military academy was almost complete, someone contacted him through the terminal to try to negotiate, and the nobles in the conference hall strongly protested and demanded to leave—

Lin Guantang returned to the conference room. The person following him was holding a row of test tubes filled with transparent reagents that floated like willow catkins, or something like diluted brain matter.

"Just now, someone came to me to ask for freedom, and someone else came to me to make a deal."

Lin Guantang looked around and said:

"In the first case, one of you came to me, and in the second case, someone outside made a suggestion."

"I asked you all to stay here because, firstly, I don't want innocent people to be persecuted, and secondly, I don't want the suspects to escape and endanger the world. But people outside say that everything they do is just to help people break free from their burdensome bodies and gain spiritual freedom."

"So, if I allow you to achieve spiritual freedom, I can directly help you achieve your ultimate goal. At the same time, once you reach the other side of spiritual freedom, you will no longer be able to harm the real empire. It's simply the best of both worlds."

"So, anyone who wants to leave O Hospital tonight and gain eternal freedom just needs to drink the reagent."

After finishing his words, Lin Guantang stood aside and said no more words, only asking everyone to make their own choices.

Soon, someone stood up and complained:

"You want to kill us?!"

"What a sinister intention! There must be poison in this."

…

Lin Guantang listened to their extremely resistant voices, but hummed twice and laughed:

"How could it be poison? At least those who have chosen to side with Jing Maoxun wouldn't fail to recognize what it is, right? It's the most crucial part of helping ordinary people achieve spiritual freedom. To you, shouldn't it be a miracle cure? Why are you all so evasive?"

this……

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment for a moment. The truly innocent people who were unaware of the situation certainly didn't dare to drink something that looked so bad, and the nobles who knew about it didn't dare to open their mouths.

Finally, Lin Guantang had no choice but to look at Sheng Fenghua and suggested:

"In fact, the person I'm trading with only cares about you, Miss Sheng. How about Miss Sheng set an example and drink the potion?"

Sheng Fenghua looked at him for a moment, then sneered without even looking at the test tube:

"This is definitely not the deal he wants to make with you."

Alas, it seems that no matter whether it is positive or negative, good or bad, people in the same camp have a tacit understanding.

Lin Guantang did not deny this and said with admiration:

"Miss Sheng is truly astute. This little trick can't fool you at all."

Sheng Fenghua continued to sneer - he only regretted not getting rid of him when they first met.

But when they first met, Lin Guantang was still a young white flower with little knowledge. Who could have thought that he would so quickly become an existence above everyone else?

While she was silent, others couldn't help but speak:

"So no one wants to use this deal at all. You were the one who killed someone first!"

"Are you playing a trick on me?"

Everyone reacted at this time and became very angry and embarrassed.

"I'm just curious. Since you all are on the same side as Jing Maoxun, you probably agree with his concept of spiritual freedom. If that's the case, why do you still care so much about your vulgar body?"

Lin Guantang did not think there was anything wrong with his temptation:

"If you truly agree with this philosophy, shouldn't you be rushing to obtain ultimate liberation? Instead, you're avoiding it. This only proves one thing—"

He looked at the guests sitting in the first row—not just the board of directors of O College, but also the people who had given Eden countless support. Without the secret support of these prominent nobles, Eden would never have been able to develop into the empire's top shadowy organization.

However, Lin Guantang did not intend to settle all their crimes tonight. He just wanted to tear off the lies of the Garden of Eden in front of other nobles:

"In fact, you don't dare to die, and you know in your heart that once you die, you are dead. The freedom of the soul and the other side of eternal life are all false bubbles."

It's nothing but a lie to deceive the world and steal reputation.

No matter how high-sounding the words are, when it comes to the moment of life and death, what you choose is still to survive, rather than escape to the so-called fantasy world to gain eternal freedom.

Perhaps only a few decades ago, there was only one person who could give up his earthly body without any hesitation.

But he didn't even leave his name in this world, and no one knew that there was once a genius who transcended his time and bloomed like a firework in the world.

***

In silence, Lin Guantang displayed the actual details of the transaction on the large screen in the conference room.

The other party's request was simple: to let Lin Guantang release the people, cease fire, and open the door.

Release those who are stranded in O Courtyard and those who are captured, stop all subsequent actions, and open all passages out of the imperial capital to allow all their people to evacuate.

If this is not done, tens of thousands of people will die.

Along with the transaction content, the system background interface of the True Dimension World Language simulated world was also displayed.

If Lin Guantang does not agree to the other party's request, Eden will directly cut off the world system, making it impossible for all those who are immersed in the real-dimensional world and the simulated world to wake up again.

Just a few minutes after the transaction content was displayed, continuous gasps were heard from the audience, accompanied by various whispers, and people continued to raise questions - questioning what the so-called simulated world and real-dimensional world were.

Not all those who came to attend the banquet were from Eden. Many were simply bewitched and attracted by their ideas, or they came and regarded it as an ordinary performance.

Who could have imagined that so many things would happen, each one more shocking than the last.

If the so-called body and soul mentioned above were still a bit illusory, then the question about the real-dimensional world and the simulated world now really concerns them themselves - but many people have truly experienced these two worlds.

And now, this transaction letter clearly shows that the so-called real-dimensional world and simulated world are not games that help people temporarily escape from the troubles of reality, but tools that can hold the life of every experiencer in their hands and play with them at will.

"Since you all want to know the true content of the deal, I will show it to you. This letter is of great importance, and it is not a decision I can make."

After giving everyone enough time to digest the letter, Lin Guantang slowly spoke:

"There's no need for me to explain how many people have experienced these two worlds. Everyone knows it."

Not to mention that almost everyone in Fugan District has logged into the real-dimensional world. Even in the simulated world, at this moment, there are at least tens of thousands of people online simultaneously, immersing themselves in the joy of the virtual world, but they don't know that their lives are no longer in their own hands.

So, should we use the lives of tens of thousands of civilians to exchange for the lives of just a few dozen or a hundred nobles?

Lin Guantang said:

"So, why don't you all make a decision for me? Should we agree to his deal?"

Agreeing to this deal would mean letting go of the dangerous organization that holds the lifeblood of the empire. If we compromise this time, there will be another time, allowing them to threaten the empire anytime they want.

If we don't agree to this deal, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people will die immediately.

This is definitely not a decision that Lin Guantang can make, but could it be... that is the decision they can make.

For a moment, the conference hall fell into a long silence again. Lin Guantang did not rush and waited patiently.

Sheng Fenghua was in a complicated mood.

The person who came up with this option was quite clever. No matter what Lin Guantang chose, he would be a sinner.

But when he chose to make the deal public, it would no longer be of any benefit to them.

Alternatively, if they agreed to the deal, hundreds of thousands of participants would survive and they could successfully leave the imperial capital. However, with the wrath of so many prominent nobles following them, the hunt that Eden would face would be unimaginable, and all the relationships that had been built up over decades would be severed.

What good is the life of ordinary people when they are hated and hunted by the nobles of the whole country? They can be used to threaten an empire or a specific person, but they cannot threaten countless scattered nobles.

And if Lin Guantang did not agree to the deal, hundreds of thousands of people would die innocently, and everyone would be responsible for countless lives, then they would be even less likely to survive. For example, Sheng Fenghua and her parents might not even be able to leave this O Hospital.

It's a dilemma and it's hard to get off the tiger's back.

Perhaps the deal should be stopped now, but the anger has been aroused, and it is impossible to stop the anger even if the deal is stopped.

So, is it true that in the end, the only way out is for both sides to suffer losses?

After an unknown amount of time, someone stood up and said in a low voice:

"My life is not worth the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Kobayashi, please agree to this deal, but not for me... but for these innocent people."

Someone whispered back:

"But if we agree, that means we're letting these people go. They control the real-dimensional world, and they control our lives."

"That doesn't matter. From today on, I will no longer have anything to do with the Sheng family or the so-called Garden of Eden."

Someone else stood up, even left their seat, and walked step by step to Lin Guantang.

First he said to Lin Guantang apologetically:

"Xiao Lin, I apologize for doubting your intentions just now. I also know that if I agree to this deal, all your plans will be ruined. I am willing to take responsibility for you and help you make amends."

He looked towards the audience again and said in a resounding voice:

"Everyone here, I, Pu Tianrui, swear an oath here in front of you all. I will use everything in my Pu family to kill them all during my lifetime."

His wife came up and added:

"Please rest assured, we have nothing to do with Eden Garden. We will not leave tonight until you feel you can. Also, if you truly risk being punished by the Empire for agreeing to the deal, we are willing to sign a letter of understanding for you."

Another person stood up from his seat and walked over, taking the same oath:

"We are the same. We will not leave tonight. As long as we live, we will be forever hostile to the Garden of Eden and will completely destroy them. From tonight on, it will be the mission of our entire family to kill every member of the Garden of Eden or capture every one of them and send them to the execution ground."

That already carried a completely solemn and murderous atmosphere.

When they said this, their eyes were looking straight at the front where the Jing and Sheng families were.

Countless fierce and resentful gazes were also looking in their direction.

More and more people stood up, walked to Lin Guantang's side, and made similar oaths.

They all agreed to let Lin Guantang choose to make this deal, not for themselves, but to prevent so many innocent people from losing their lives.

The answer seems to be quite obvious, and the result does not seem to have any suspense.

Lin Guantang agreed to the deal, letting these nobles leave the academy, and letting those who were related to Jing Maoxun and belonged to the Garden of Eden evacuate the imperial capital.

Nobles with a clear conscience or any sense of conscience will not leave, and all those who leave will become the target of public criticism.

Even if they see the situation clearly and choose to stay, if they are like Hesheng, and along with the Jian, You and other families, and are found to have close ties with the Jing family and the Garden of Eden, or dare to support the transaction again, they will not be able to escape the fate of being jointly sanctioned by all the famous families.

After tonight, Eden will no longer have any place in the empire.