Lu Luo's commands were not to be defied in the Circle Company.

Kevin Jones was quickly brought to Lin Wen. Due to a prolonged lack of food and continuous fighting without sleep, Jones looked rather haggard.

He had already looked very haggard when he was with Lin Wen earlier.

But it was precisely because they were always together that Lin Wen hadn't noticed his haggard appearance.

Now that the two had been apart for a while and met again, the surprise and sense of haggardness were particularly evident.

Seeing him like this, Lin Wen immediately shouted in dissatisfaction,

"Have you mistreated him?"

Jones hurriedly shook his head.

"No, Lin, they've been very polite to me. It's just because I haven't had anything to eat or sleep that I've ended up like this."

"Er!"

Hearing Jones's explanation, Lin Wen realized she had wrongly accused Lu Luo and the others.

But for a pampered young lady like her, apologizing was simply out of the question.

"As long as you're okay, that's good, that's good."

At this moment, Kevin Jones finally turned to look at Lu Luo and the others, his gaze resting on Qi Xinzhu for a moment.

Although he had already pledged himself to Lin Wen, a man is still a man.

Jones was still shocked by Qi Xinzhu's somewhat striking temperament and appearance.

If they were in the Imperial, a woman like her...

Feeling that his gaze had lingered for quite some time, Jones sheepishly lowered his head.

In the end, he shifted his gaze to the leader, Lu Luo.

"You must be the boss here, right? I'm really grateful you saved us.

If there's anything I can do for you, please just say so, but I hope you won't hurt Lin Wen. She doesn't understand anything."

Lu Luo was slightly surprised. Under these circumstances, Kevin Jones was indeed lucid and calm.

And he had shown the kind of responsibility that a man should have.

This was quite impressive, very impressive indeed.

Communicating with someone smart could yield more complete information, and there would be more room for maneuver.

Such as counter-infiltration.

"Jones, what are you talking about? Mr. Lu Luo is a good person; he won't trouble us," Lin Wen said, still as naive as ever. Jones looked at her with a tinge of sadness.

It was an error to take Lin Wen out with him; it was his choice, and he had to bear the responsibility for the problems she caused.

So, Kevin Jones had no complaints to make.

"Really? Then I should indeed express my gratitude to Mr. Lu Luo."

"No need for thanks, get some rest. After you've had some rest, we can talk more," Lu Luo said before leading his people out.

After everyone had left, the tension in Kevin Jones's back gradually relaxed.

Once relaxed, he felt like an overstretched rubber band that could no longer return to its original state.

"Jones, what's wrong?" asked Lin Wen.

"No, nothing. I'm fine."

Jones couldn't share many things with Lin Wen, like how treacherous and unpredictable people could be.

In such a strange environment, they had no choices to speak of.

He was well aware that the warm hospitality from Lu Luo certainly came at a cost.

All he could do now was to cooperate well with Lu Luo and his group during their upcoming interactions, without any ulterior motives.

Only then might there be a chance to survive.

"Lin, let's rest," he said.

"Jones, I was thinking…" Lin Wen's plump cheeks flushed, her freckles distinct and visible.

But looking at her like that, Kevin Jones felt as though he was about to die.

...

"What's wrong? We haven't... in so long."

There's an old saying in the Imperial: "Only an exhausted ox, never a worn-out field."

Jones hadn't understood it before, but now he understood all too well.

With a sense of despair, Jones turned off the light and pulled up the covers...

「...」

"Brother Luo, can you share your thoughts?"

Zhou Kai, as the chief operating officer of the entire company, was eager to know Lu Luo's thoughts.

Because what Lu Luo was thinking could very well determine the development direction of the Circle Company for a long time to come.

Lu Luo was daydreaming at that moment and only realized Zhou Kai was questioning him after a delay.

"Ah? What did Brother Kane say?"

"Share your thoughts with me."

"Brother Kane, do you know that in addition to the Wasteland Alliance, there's another human settlement in this world?"

"I didn't know before, but now, well, I probably do.

But can you really confirm that all this isn't just someone else putting on a show for you?"

As a native of the Alliance, Zhou Kai still found it hard to believe that, apart from the Wasteland Alliance, there was another human stronghold.

He had been educated since he was young that the Alliance was humanity's last hope.

This idea now suddenly seemed shaky, and Zhou Kai had some trouble accepting it.

"There's a new world out there, a world called the Imperial, and that's why I want to go and see it for myself," Lu Luo said, sharing his thoughts.

In today's Fourth Ring, he had indeed become like a feudal lord.

But that did not mean the Fourth Ring was absolutely safe.

The conflict between the Inner Ring and the Fourth Ring was irreconcilable.

Two Exotic Species Monarchs, or even more, might very well wage a great war against the Inner Ring.

This war, no matter who the victor would be, was not what Lu Luo wanted to see.

He considered himself human, and from that perspective,

he didn't hope for the Nightmare Demons and other Exotic Species to become the rulers of the Wasteland Alliance.

But if the Inner Ring won, the Church would definitely not let him off.

Either way, Lu Luo would find himself in a very difficult dilemma.

As for himself, although he was rapidly improving, after he entered the Fifth Tier, whenever he tried to make a breakthrough upwards, Lu Luo always felt as though he lacked something.

He had asked Qiao Xing about it, and Qiao Xing said he lacked a complete state of mind, which required tempering.

Lu Luo didn't know what a complete state of mind was.

But he indeed felt an urge to go out and explore.

The Imperial was undoubtedly the best choice for him.

Zhou Kai looked at Lu Luo's calm expression and nodded heavily.

"Alright! Although I don't quite understand why you want to do this, since you've said it, of course, I will support you with all my strength."

He really didn't understand why Lu Luo wanted to propose an external exploration plan at this time.

They were pursuing the company's growth, and the company had already entered a period of rapid expansion.

At this stage, they just needed to develop steadily to become incredibly powerful.

This kind of strength could even rival, or surpass, the once three major companies and become the most powerful company in the entire Wasteland Alliance.

But these were not what Lu Luo wanted.

Perhaps he had similar thoughts before, to develop the company to its limits.

But after going to the Inner Ring, Lu Luo had completely abandoned such thoughts.

He would still develop the company, but what he cared about most had shifted to his personal development.

The limit of individual strength was too high, too preposterous.

The benefits gained from fully developing one's personal strength far exceeded those of developing collective interests, in his case.

Developing his personal power was what Lu Luo needed to do most now.

Tempering the state of mind and such, Lu Luo didn't understand.

The current environment of the Alliance wasn't suitable for his long-term tempering either.

In case fighting truly broke out by accident, it was even problematic whether he, as a member of the Fourth Ring, should participate.

So Lu Luo wanted to find a suitable new environment while developing his company.

An environment temporarily free from crisis.

A peaceful and crisis-free setting was more conducive to consolidating his strength.

In the past year and more, Lu Luo had grown too quickly.

According to Bai Qingshuang, Lu Luo's rate of growth had already surpassed that of all the sages of the Wasteland Alliance.

Even the top geniuses of the Imperial couldn't hold a candle to him.

But because of this pace of progress, Lu Luo had missed many opportunities for consolidation.

Lu Luo had already touched the threshold of the Sixth Tier and could even make a direct breakthrough.

He always had a feeling that if he broke through now, his Seventh Tier would be very painful.

Why he felt this, Lu Luo himself could not clearly say.

The Observer had not given clear information either, but Lu Luo still chose to trust his intuition.

I should wait a little longer. Yes, a little longer won't hurt.

"It's good that Brother Kane understands."

「...」

The next day, Kevin Jones got up from his bed with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

He glanced at Lin Wen, who was still sleeping soundly on the bed, and once again felt uncertain about his own decisions and his future.

Without washing up, he dressed and went straight to the door.

CREAK!

The mechanical door opened, surprising Kevin a little.

Originally, he thought he would be under house arrest, but it seemed that Lu Luo really had some magnanimity.

There were guards at the door of their room, who immediately asked upon seeing Kevin Jones come out,

"Is there something you need, Mr. Kevin? If so, you can tell me directly."

The guard was very polite, but Kevin wouldn't let his guard down just because of the guard's politeness.

As a Third Tier Transcendent, Kevin was keenly aware of this company's incredible power.

Transcendents were numerous, and the leader, Lu Luo, along with the few people around him, was unfathomable.

He had no reason to feel arrogant here.

"I would like to see Mr. Lu Luo, if possible."

"Of course, the boss said before that if Mr. Kevin wishes to see him, just give the word at any time."

Kevin nodded gratefully. After the guard exchanged a few words with his companion, he led Kevin deeper into the base.

The deeper they went, the more unnerving it became.

Kevin saw many things that he felt he shouldn't have seen.

Like the strange creature before his eyes!

HISS!

A body oozing with a reddish oily substance, a sharp mouthpiece, huge pincers, and a poisonous sting at the end of its tail.

A Red Shell! A Third Tier Red Shell.

The summon of Lu Luo, the guard in the depths of the base.

The gaze of the Red Shell made Kevin's scalp tingle, and his wariness of the strange creature caused him to subconsciously grab the guard beside him.

"Wait, why is there a strange creature here?"

"Strange creature? Are you talking about an Exotic Species? Lord Red Shell is the boss's pet, the protector of the depths of the base.

Rest assured, it looks fierce, but it's actually harmless."

Harmless?

Kevin couldn't associate the term "harmless" with strange creatures no matter what.

But the creatures here are called Exotic Species?

They seemed even more malevolent than the aberrations found in the Imperial.

Can such evil beings truly be bred by humans?

And what kind of person would breed these evil beings?

With doubts in mind, Kevin was led by the guard to the depths of the base, where Lu Luo and the others were practicing.

At this moment, they were practicing very diligently, seemingly making preparations.

Lu Luo opened his eyes and stood up.

"This Kevin is quite clear-headed. Come, let's go out and meet him."

「...」

This time he didn't bring Qi Xinzhu and the others but came to face Kevin Jones with Bai Lin.

"Mr. Kevin, we meet again."

"Mr. Lu Luo, hello."

Kevin had just greeted him when his gaze shifted with some surprise to the woman behind Lu Luo. How does this Lu Luo have so many women? And they're all beautiful!

Kevin felt some envy, but Bai Lin did not have the approachable aura that Qi Xinzhu always had.

Bai Lin looked at Kevin with contempt and disdain.

Kevin wasn't angry because he was already accustomed to such gazes.

"What brings you to see me today, Mr. Kevin?

You're not with Miss Lin Wen; why didn't you both come together?"

Kevin lowered his head, seemingly gathering his thoughts.

Lu Luo exuded an immense pressure. Standing before him, Kevin found himself forgetting the words he had prepared.

"Mr. Lu Luo, please don't mock us. Our conversation is inherently unequal.

You can control everything about us, but we do not possess value that corresponds to your status and identity.

Therefore, I hope to clarify our situation with Mr. Lu Luo."

Lu Luo nodded; he was quite pleased with Kevin's performance.

Since everything had been laid bare, he saw no reason to hide anything anymore.

"Mr. Kevin is indeed a rare clear-headed person in this world! This is very different from Miss Lin Wen."

"I've been through many such unequal conversations before.

I know that when one lacks sufficient strength, discussing conditions and treatment is foolish.

Lin Wen is a noblewoman. There are many things she has not experienced, nor does she understand.

She may not understand, but I must.

So, Mr. Lu Luo, please speak frankly. You keeping us here, is it because you need us to do something for you?"

"Indeed, there are some things I need your help with.

For instance, describe your homeland, the Imperial, and the high wall you saw.

And, how you got here from the other side of the high wall.

It's not that I underestimate you, Mr. Kevin, but the Exotic Species in the depths of the Fifth Ring are incredibly powerful.

Some of them, even I have to retreat three steps from.

How did a group with your level of strength manage to traverse such dangers to reach here?"

This question is fundamental, and Lu Luo had also considered directly exploring the depths of the Fifth Ring.

But the problem of the Exotic Species was still too preposterous.

If they encountered a Seventh Tier Exotic Species, even with Lu Luo's current strength, he could defeat the opponent.

But their team would still suffer a great number of casualties.

This was not the result Lu Luo wanted to see.

Therefore, the channels provided by Kevin and Lin Wen appeared particularly important.

If there was a relatively safe route or a relatively safe method to transport people over.

That would definitely be the springboard for Circle Company's soar into success.

The trade between the Inner Ring and Fourth Ring had already made Circle Company enormously wealthy.

But that was not enough; the structure of the Wasteland Alliance had been set for 400 years.

With trade of this magnitude, Lu Luo could not disrupt the structure in a short amount of time.

However, if he could establish a much larger trade route, such as a trade route with the Imperial, that would be a different story.

The pricing between the Empire and the Alliance absolutely could not be the same.

If it really worked out, it would no longer be a matter of a middleman making a profit from the price difference.

That would be the real opportunity to take off!

"We come from... the New Empire."

Kevin wanted to see shock and curiosity in Lu Luo's eyes, but unfortunately, he failed.

Lu Luo revealed a smile, with no signs of surprise, simply signaling Kevin to continue speaking.

"Mr. Lu Luo, do you know about the New Empire?"

"I have a rough idea. Are you expecting to see a look of surprise on my face? That's easy."

Lu Luo feigned an expression of astonishment, which left Kevin somewhat speechless.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lu Luo, I didn't mean to mock you, I just..."

"Please, continue. Tell me about the New Empire, tell me what your home is like."

Kevin looked at Lu Luo and briefly reminisced.

Then he slowly began to describe his perception of the Empire's current state.

"The current Empire is filled with oppression; it is no longer the paradise it once was for us.

Class is everywhere, and the gap between nobles and commoners is growing wider and wider.

Because the rulers are Asians, we as Caucasians must survive in the gaps.

Without enough resources and benefits, we simply cannot compete with them...

They are naturally more attuned to Spiritual Energy than we are, meaning that at the same age, Asians can often absorb more of it and thus reach stronger realms than we can.

In such circumstances, we can only try harder, much harder, to narrow the gap between us.

Fortunately, my efforts won over Lin Wen's recognition, and I fell in love with Miss Lin Wen...

But Mr. Lu Luo, you should know, I am just a servant, a bodyguard.

Our difference in status doomed us from developing like a normal couple."

"So you eloped with Miss Lin Wen? And ran all the way to this remote place?

Mr. Kevin, you are quite talented!"

Lu Luo's expression was somewhat exaggerated, and Kevin bowed his head slightly, embarrassed.

"We are truly in love."

"Hmm, I know. All those who are truly in love are worthy of praise and admiration.

But I am still curious, you mentioned seeing a tall wall, right?

Where is this wall you saw? No guards?

After climbing over the wall, how did you manage to get here?"

Kevin hesitated slightly; he knew Lu Luo was eager to learn the secret.

But he was also thinking, if he revealed the secret now, would a major figure like Lu Luo kill them to silence them?

"Mr. Lu Luo..."

"You seem very nervous? Relax. I won't say much else, but killing to silence someone is not something I would resort to.

So please, continue."

Kevin did not realize that his every move was being monitored by Observer.

After swallowing hard again, he finally nodded.

"The tall wall we saw was already abandoned, no guards, no one.

It was covered in vines, and Lin Wen and I climbed over the tall wall using these vines."

"What about after the wall? It must have been dangerous, right?"

"After the wall, we found an abandoned laboratory.

In the lab there was a long underground passage.

That passage led directly to the highland area!

That's where we were discovered by you guys."

Upon hearing this, Lu Luo narrowed his eyes.

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