Deceitful Game

Chapter 157 Foundations and Pillars

"Tsk..."

Mingpo clicked her tongue and reluctantly ended the game.

Reaching up to remove his helmet, Mingpo tentatively asked, "Can I borrow this thing to play with?"

Shen Yiqi nodded: "It will be fine once you officially join and become a [Foundation Member]."

"cornerstone?"

Mingpo asked with interest, "Am I not officially a member yet?"

He opened the car door and found himself in a huge garage.

The garage was dark, with no lights. In the distance, a golden elevator stood out starkly—the only source of light in the space.

"...This decorating style is quite dreamy."

Mingpo complained, "I even feel like I'm still in the game and haven't come out yet."

He followed Shen Yiqi and Zhuang Yan forward, their footsteps echoing in the cold space. The hollow sound of their footsteps and their voices as they spoke to Mingpo reverberated.

"You've only just signed the contract; you're only a 'diamond' now."

Shen Yiqi began, "And once you officially join us, you can become a 'Foundation Stone'—remember to abide by those eight commandments." "And what about you?"

Mingpo countered, "Are you also a 'cornerstone' of the organization?"

"Yes, that's me."

Shen Yiqi nodded and admitted, "I actually only joined our organization not long ago... about a month ago."

Before he knew it, Mingpo had led him to talk about the "organization".

"And if we go any higher..."

Zhuang Yan said, "It is the 'pillar'."

"How can one become a pillar of society?"

Mingpo didn't mince words and asked, "Are there any even more advanced ones?"

Academician Zhuang did not feel that Mingpo was overly ambitious; on the contrary, he thought he was quite enterprising.

He nodded chuckled and said, "Yes...and then there's the 'Dome.' The Dome Council—those are high-level bodies that can decide on trillions of dollars in investments. They are truly powerful figures who can determine the direction of the world based on their personal will."

Even if it's... [official].

The old man chuckled meaningfully at this point, adding, "We dare not interfere too much with matters at the 'Dome' level."

"...You mean, the government?"

"Oh, of course not. The state is the state, and the 'official' is the 'official'... The state may not necessarily not support us. It's just that on the surface, the higher-ups tend to maintain stability."

"Hmph, just a bunch of self-proclaimed orthodox conservatives who obstruct technological progress at all costs. Just like those environmentalists in Europe and America, they know nothing but holding people back and destroying other people's dreams... You'll understand later."

Academician Zhuang's words clearly revealed his displeasure.

This was the first time Mingpo had seen the old man show an expression of anger or disgust since they met.

Mingpo immediately understood that the "official" that Zhuang Yan mentioned was "Divine Comedy".

He composed himself slightly and then gave Mingpo a kind smile again: "As for the pillars... when you are able to set your own rules, you can be considered a pillar of the organization."

"You sound like a riddle teller."

"Really? Hahahaha..."

Academician Zhuang laughed heartily and patted Mingpo's shoulder forcefully: "It's alright, you'll understand when the time comes!"

Actually, Mingpo already understands now.

The so-called "becoming a full member" refers to passing the preliminary rounds and becoming a fraudster.

"Being able to make your own rules" means... becoming a charlatan of Zhou Zhiqing's caliber, obtaining your own palace, and gaining the authority to design your own games.

...So, Shen Yiqi isn't Zhou Zhiqingqian yet?

Academician Zhuang's level is at least that of Zhou Zhiqing lead.

The dome... is it the silver of the moon, or the gold of the year?

It should be Moon Silver.

"What rank is my father?"

Mingpo suddenly asked, "What kind of research does he do?"

"His research..."

Upon hearing this, Academician Zhuang's smile faded slightly: "I cannot tell you without his permission. Because his rank is higher than ours, which means his confidentiality clearance is also higher than ours."

"As for his rank—without a doubt, he is the [Dome]. And I can tell you, he even has a chance to compete for the next generation's 'Key Holder'."

"Is the key holder...the leader of the organization?"

"That's right."

Zhuang Yan patted Ming Po on the shoulder again, encouraging him, "You can't let your father down. You're definitely a promising young man!" "...How did you figure that out, sir?"

Mingpo asked somewhat helplessly, "Was it from our previous chat?"

He thought it was some kind of "qualification" he had displayed that had caught their attention... Little did he know, it turned out he was actually a relative. What's this called?

Second generation of the organization?

Who would have thought that Dad would be climbing to the top so quietly!

This was completely unexpected by Mingpo—he had originally thought that even if that guy was in the organization, he would at most be a high-ranking member…

Mingpo originally regarded the Chinese Chamber of Commerce as a villainous organization that had to be eliminated... but now he realizes that it is his own business?

Unexpectedly, Zhuang Yan nodded and gave a serious answer: "It's arrogance."

"……arrogant?"

"That's right. It's an absolute belief in one's own 'arrogance,' an 'obsession' that will never be changed by others, and a 'bottom line' that can never be crossed. In Buddhist terms, it's 'attachment to self'... That's what 'aptitude' is."

The old man said with utmost seriousness, "You must remember this sentence, you must remember this point—you absolutely cannot forget it! Telling you this now is already somewhat against the rules. But I truly admire your talent... You and Xiao Shen both possess extraordinary abilities, and I simply cannot bear to see your edges smoothed out..."

"We must change this era."

Shen Yiqi then said softly, "For this, we may have to fight against the entire world."

With that, they finally entered the elevator.

After entering the elevator, neither of them spoke.

Just remain silent.

The elevator is going up.

The ascent took an unusually long time... but it was as if a segment of Mingpo's consciousness had been deleted.

It's like drinking too much alcohol or falling while skiing and losing all memory.

When he woke up again, the elevator had already reached its destination.

That was a lounge.

People come and go outside, but this place is separated by a glass door.

There was only one seat, with a computer monitor in front of it (without a keyboard or mouse), a steaming cup of hot tea, and a massage chair. "Rest here for a bit; someone will be here shortly."

After nodding to Mingpo, the two left in a hurry.

Mingpo sat in the chair, somewhat bored, but did not start the machine.

Suddenly, a line of text popped up on the computer monitor in front of me.

"Drink the tea and start the massage chair."

...No way?

Mingpo suddenly understood something.

All you need to do is have a charlatan who doesn't know you return to a certain point in time, press a button, and utter this sentence... and they can "kill" you.

This is a time traveler from a period earlier than himself.

He might be from January 2nd, or even from an hour later.

He and Mingpo, two months later, returned to the same time, pressed the button he had prepared long ago, and sent the message. He didn't know Mingpo at all, and might not even know there was anyone in the room. For him, this was simply a necessary "job."

So... this is how they circumvent cause and effect?

Mingpo smiled somewhat helplessly.

It's really simple. Much simpler than Mingbo had imagined.

Mingpo drank the tea and started the massage chair.

This high-end massage chair has a special heating function.

Mingpo felt as if she were lying in a hot spring, her consciousness gradually melting away.