Chapter 1220 - 930: Reception

Three hours earlier, in Las Vegas, at the very center of the city, on the top floor of its largest and most dazzling casino hotel—the Empire Star. When the elevator doors opened, the young man with a cold, solemn expression hurried through the corridor and pushed the door open. Behind the door, at the highest point of the entire city, all was silent, with only the monotonous ticking of the life-support machines echoing in the air. Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the traffic-choked city was laid out in every detail, like blood coursing through veins, flowing just before one’s eyes. Yet behind the curtains, on the propped-up hospital bed amid countless cables, there was only a dying old man. The young man’s steps unconsciously slowed. He paused, straightened his collar, then walked forward and bowed his head: "Father, I’m back." The old man stared blankly out the window, then suddenly asked, "William, where is he now?" "Two hours ago, Luo Su and the others boarded the plane, flying straight to Las Vegas." William lowered his head and reported calmly, "According to your orders, the heads of the six families have been summoned and are ready." The old man nodded and glanced to his side. The attending doctor nodded in return, opened the case beside him, and raised the old man’s right hand. As the potion was injected, a faint, sickly flush surfaced on the old man’s face. He gasped violently, coughing and choking. "Father..." William stepped forward in agitation, but stopped again, lowering his head in grief and anger. "What are you panicking for? It’s just a bit of medicine." The old man let out a hoarse laugh, gazing at his face: "You’re already twenty-five this year, William. When you think about it, it really is fast. Being the only son of the family... not easy, is it?" William kept his head lowered and did not answer. "A heavy burden is hard-won. Bear it well." The old man waved his hand: "I have a gift for you." He motioned for his son to open the case at the foot of the bed. Inside the box, a feral gleam of iron shone. A scar-scored revolver, and six bullets. That weathered weapon had been meticulously maintained; even after so many years, it remained in optimal condition. Every component and every screw was flawless. Just like the mass-produced pieces sold in gun shops all over this city, it was no rare, famous piece. Yet everyone here should know whose gun it was. It had accompanied its master through seventy-nine years, as he rose from a nameless nobody to the unquestioned overlord of this city. After witnessing countless upheavals and deaths, its master no longer needed it to display his authority, but everyone feared it all the more. "Take it." The old man said, "It’s yours now." William froze where he stood, not daring to reach out. Only after a long hesitation did he finally take it from the box. But immediately, his wrist was seized in an iron grip, so strong it was as if his bones would be crushed, leaving him no room to break free. "In a while, during the meeting, you are to carry it." The old man lifted his clouded eyes, staring at his son just an arm’s length away. In those murky pupils, it was as if molten lava was flowing, ready to burn an enemy’s soul to ashes. He gave his order, word by word. "Remember, William, I will only say this once..." The old man murmured hoarsely: "If I have not given you permission, you are not allowed to speak. If anyone speaks before me, you are to use my gun and kill him. If anyone offends my guest, then you will take it and kill his wife, his parents, his brothers and his children, and not even a dog is to be left alive! Even if the one speaking is one of your uncles, it is the same. Do you understand?!" "Father... why?!" William shook his head in bewilderment, unable to comprehend: "Is it really, really necessary to go this far? He’s just one man. As long as you’re willing, we can make him pay any price! We can even ask the Astron—" "Idiot!" The old man roared, his hoarse voice like thunder, "In my city, you think it’s your place to decide?!" It was a rage savage enough to tear at his eardrums, pounding on his very soul, leaving William with no courage to argue or refute. He lowered his head in terror. "Good. Just like that, William." The old man coughed violently, yet his expression grew gratified: "Dismiss all the men you’ve arranged. Keep it this way—head down, eyes on your feet, don’t look into his eyes, and don’t hide the fact that you’re afraid... You’re a good boy, William, just too young. You have to listen to me." He slowly loosened his grip, no longer able to conceal his age and weakness, and sank back onto the bed. After a long time, William asked weakly, "So in Father’s eyes, we don’t have even the slightest chance of victory?" "Idiot, what use is’victory’ to us?" The old man was amused: "If you want victory, can you pay the price? You want to make an enemy of the world’s most insane idealist—a foe unafraid of physical annihilation, indifferent to how many lives are sacrificed, unconcerned with how horrific the consequences, and on top of that, one who possesses Power... Have you thought about what happens after?" In the long silence that followed, William fell mute. He had nothing more to say. "Don’t worry. Luo Su will know when to back down, William." The old man rasped in a hoarse murmur: "One day, you will get everything you deserve." Those turbid eyes quietly overlooked the city outside the window. Like a dying beast gazing upon its own realm. "Before that day comes, I won’t let anyone take it away." . . When he stepped down from the car, Huai Shi’s body suddenly tensed for a moment. He frowned. Because what lay before him was not the neon debauchery of Las Vegas, but a military base steeped in austere chill, layered with barbed wire and machine-gun emplacements. For an instant, Huai Shi even thought they were pulling some kind of’accidentally strayed into the White Tiger Festival Hall’ trick on him. But he immediately realized: with Luo Su, that old Turtle of ten thousand years, standing here, who else would dare to show off their Axe in front of this master? Besides, no matter how much others looked down on him, he was still an Astronomical Society Special Military Officer. Forget the White Tiger Festival Hall— even if he charged into the Central Decision Room of the Jurisdiction Bureau and did three hundred back-and-forth jumps on the spot, as long as he didn’t die on the spot, it would definitely trigger the most comprehensive, most solemn, utterly no-nonsense top-tier internal tribunal package. If there were even the slightest whiff of something fishy, there’d be eight hundred off-the-books Reviewers on suspended floors tearing everything apart with magnifying glasses. Who had time to worry about this? He smirked and shook his head, looking around. Then, in front of the opened gate, he saw several people so old it was almost shocking. Their white hair was sparse, their frames withered and thin; some leaned on canes, some were being supported by others, some sat in wheelchairs with oxygen masks over their faces. As if they had been waiting for a long time, yet without the slightest impatience. When Huai Shi and Luo Su stepped out of the vehicle, they moved forward of their own accord, accompanied by their children and medical staff. "A first meeting, Lord Luo Su." The old man in the wheelchair spoke with a hoarse voice: "On behalf of the Las Vegas Business Alliance, I extend our greetings to you." "How should I address you?" Luo Su lowered his head and asked. "Douglas." The old man suppressed a cough and said, "Just call me Douglas." "Very well, Douglas." Luo Su nodded, looking past the wheelchair before him and surveying the surroundings: "Does Las Vegas receive guests with military bases now?" "If you had come here as a guest, we would of course welcome you beyond measure. The whole of Las Vegas would be your friend; wherever you went, you would enjoy supreme and exalted treatment. If anyone dared offend you, then he would be the enemy of all of us. I can guarantee you that much." Douglas panted, then asked hoarsely, "But that is not why you are here, is it? I believe that being more open and candid is in both our best interests." Luo Su’s eyebrows rose slightly; he hadn’t expected them to be so straightforward. But soon enough, he was puzzled again. "If you intend to be hostile, relying on just this one base seems... insufficient, doesn’t it?" he said. "With your wealth, you should at least be able to hire four or five Fifth Stage professionals. If you grit your teeth, you might even be able to buy that Natural Enemy Tier to fight for you." "Haha, you jest. To someone like you, what are these people worth?" Douglas let out a self-mocking laugh. "Please rest assured, no matter what happens, today we will not show you the slightest disrespect or discourtesy." He patted the armrest of his wheelchair, signaling the Attendant behind him to turn him around and move forward: "Please, come with me." Before him, the gates of the military base opened layer by layer. Countless defensive measures withdrew from the center, leaving the passage wide open. Once inside, Huai Shi realized this was no ordinary base. On either side of the long runway, the open hangars were lined with rows of fighter jets undergoing maintenance. Across the blazing-hot training grounds of the troops, one could even see the distant missile launch pads... And they were still going deeper underground. They rode in a vehicle through dark tunnels, descending for who knew how long. At a depth shielded by fortifications sturdy enough to withstand a nuclear strike, a massive gate appeared. In front of the iron gate, Douglas wheezed weakly in his wheelchair and raised a hand. Moments later, a subordinate stepped forward, entered a password, verified iris and fingerprints, as well as Source Substance. With the Triple-fold keys withdrawn, the great door thundered open. Countless cold spotlights shone down from the ceiling, sending a torrent of dazzling golden radiance surging out like a flood, washing over them. Huai Shi’s eyes were stung by that blinding golden light; he couldn’t help but narrow them. He sucked in a sharp breath. The Golden Ocean. It was a bona fide ocean of Gold. Countless trapezoidal gold bars were piled into little mountains, rising in the underground vault and reflecting a Brilliant Light that made one’s Soul tremble. No cumbersome diamonds, no bonds as fraudulent as lies—gathered here at this moment was the currency humanity had used since ancient times to this very day. A terrifying hoard of wealth on par with national reserves!