MCL CH69

Chapter 069: “Lin Xi, I really miss…”

A-Country International Special Abilities Association Building.

As the office door closed, all the noise was shut out. The assistant looked at the weary expression on Primo’s face with concern and asked, “Director, would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, thank you.” Primo silently rubbed his temple with one hand while fiddling with his phone with the other. Without looking up, he asked, “Has Joseph entered the rift yet?”

“Yes, according to the news sent back from the front, he has already gone in.” The assistant handed over the freshly brewed coffee, glanced at the director, and hesitated to speak.

“I know what you want to say,” Primo said. “When I made the decision, I did have my doubts about its correctness. But now, I can be certain that I made a wise choice.”

His gaze landed on his phone screen, and the curve of his lips clearly indicated he had seen some good news. “Prepare to welcome a distinguished guest.”

“A distinguished guest?” The assistant looked back at the office door in confusion but saw no movement. Just as he was wondering, he vaguely sensed a distinct fluctuation of special abilities.

When he looked up again, he saw the faint outline of a door appear in the middle of the previously empty floor. His pupils instantly widened.

This was the office of the President of the International Special Abilities Association!

To avoid unnecessary chaos, the use of a space-ability user’s power not only required an application but also had clear restrictions on its usage area. For someone to place a portal directly here, it was clear that Primo, the director, had personally approved it using his private authority.

Who could it be, to receive such special treatment?

In a moment, Primo had already stood up from his chair and strode forward to greet them.

A tall figure walked out from the faintly visible doorframe. As the surrounding light gradually faded, Yan Xingzhou, dressed in a black suit, looked at the man before him and extended his hand composedly. “Director Primo.”

“I’m very happy you could come. When I just received the news, I even thought I was hallucinating.” Primo showed a kind smile rarely seen in public. After a humble handshake, he politely made an inviting gesture for him to sit. “Currently, all countries are more or less facing some tricky problems. I really didn’t expect President Yan to come to A-Country at such a critical time.”

Yan Xingzhou withdrew his hand after the handshake and, without being overly polite, walked to the sofa and sat down directly. “The matters within Hua Country’s borders will naturally be handled by the United Administration. I am just an ordinary businessman now. Those things are not my concern. The reason I have disturbed you so rashly at this time is something the Director should be very clear about. Thank you.”

He took the hot water handed over by the assistant, looked up, and glanced at Primo with a placid expression, getting straight to the point. “I heard you let Joseph into that S-class rift?”

As expected.

Primo’s brow arched slightly, not at all surprised by this outcome.

Although it was indeed annoying that a directive just issued internally by the Ability Administration Bureau had been leaked so quickly, if the recipient was Yan Xingzhou, it seemed not so unacceptable. If letting Joseph go to the rescue was initially a helpless move, then now, being able to get this top-tier X-code ability user from Hua Country to voluntarily enter the game was an unexpected gain.

It was common knowledge that Samuel had an extremely good relationship with those two X-code ability users from Hua Country. Now, learning of his predicament and choosing to rush over at the first opportunity could be considered seeing true friendship in times of trouble.

Primo lowered his eyes, his hands clasped together on his crossed legs. “I know your worries, but if you were also at the scene then, I believe President Yan would have made the same choice. After all, that is an S-class rift. Joseph and Samuel do have an adversarial relationship, but besides him, there was no better candidate. Therefore, I could only add some restrictions to him within my power, to try and make him complete this mission properly and not act too recklessly.”

“Add restrictions within your power, try to complete the mission properly, and not act too recklessly?” Savoring the words with pointed meaning, Yan Xingzhou let out a scoff. “Director Primo, you are indeed becoming more and more like a qualified leader.”

The sarcasm in his words was excessively thick, making the assistant next to him break out in a cold sweat.

Primo, however, was not annoyed, merely smiling silently. “If Lin Xi were still here, he would probably mock me in the same way.”

Yan Xingzhou looked up, clearly displeased at the sudden mention of this name. “When I asked you to investigate the cause of death back then, you used the excuse of insufficient evidence and the inappropriateness of rashly interfering in the internal affairs of the Hua Country United Administration to refuse. To suddenly bring him up now is probably not very appropriate, is it? Or has Gu Beiqiu’s debriefing at the General Bureau this time finally made you realize that you should be doing something in this position, and finally remembered this person who should have been forgotten?”

“Whether you believe it or not, I have never forgotten him. And, I miss him very much. After all, when Executor Lin was around, with his cooperation, my time in this position was truly much better.” Primo did not avoid his gaze and said calmly, “As for Samuel’s side, although I indeed have no way to completely restrain Joseph, isn’t President Yan’s appearance the best backup plan? I have just notified the A0988 jurisdiction to prepare a portal exit. As long as you are willing, you can set off at any time.”

Yan Xingzhou sat in the distance and did not move. “The terms of the deal.”

He slowly leaned back and said in an unhurried, slow voice, “Although rescuing Samuel is my personal choice, I am, after all, from Hua Country. To assist an X-code ability user from A-Country, shouldn’t there be some equivalent bargaining chips exchanged in the name of public duty?”

Primo was not surprised at all. “What do you want?”

“A favor.”
Yan Xingzhou replied, “I just need you to remember that you owe us a favor.”

“A favor. That sounds like the hardest kind of debt to repay.”
Primo chuckled in amusement. “You truly are a qualified businessman now, President Yan.”

Yan Xingzhou smiled silently, noncommittally, before slowly standing up. “In that case, I’ll take it that you’ve agreed.”

He looked up at the assistant standing beside him. “Please lead the way.”

The assistant finally came to his senses, glanced questioningly at Primo, and then made an inviting gesture. “Please follow me. I will arrange for someone to send you to the front line right away.”

Primo sat in the distance, sipping his coffee. He watched as the office door closed again and sighed silently in the empty room. “Lin Xi, I really do miss you. Besides you, I’m afraid no one else can truly catch the eye of this man, Yan Xingzhou.”

He glanced back at the constant stream of message notifications popping up on his computer screen and sighed again.

He rubbed his temples wearily and finally got up to face the mountain of official business.

At the same time.

Someone stepping on a field of charred corpses in the inner world sneezed deeply.

“What’s going on? Is there a situation on Yan Xingzhou’s side?” Lin Xi frowned, a hint of confusion showing even in his vertical pupils, which had turned completely crimson.

The black thorn patterns, like living creatures, spread up from his neck. The branches and leaves grew and proliferated with the increasing contamination value, swaying with an unspeakably eerie quality.

[Yan Xingzhou, Yan Xingzhou, even a sneeze is about Yan Xingzhou. Can’t you be a little more focused when you do things?]

“Aren’t I being very focused on controlling the contamination value? How can this not be an S-class rift? To avoid being detected as abnormal from the outside, I have to control the contamination value so it doesn’t exceed A-class. What a huge hassle.” Lin Xi slowly raised his hand. The crystal cores scattered around, as if summoned, floated up from the wreckage on the ground and gathered in his palm, only to be instantly devoured by a rising flame.

In that instant, all the black thorns seemed to sway even more wildly.

The curve of Lin Xi’s lips gradually stretched to its limit.

Not far from him, the contaminants that should have been stirring restlessly cowered in awe. As his gaze swept over them, they unconsciously recoiled even further.

Lin Xi asked, “Are you about full?”
[A little full, but not completely.]

Lin Xi: “If you’re full, then I’ll make it quick.”
[…Did you even hear what I said?!]

“I heard you.” As he spoke, sheets of flames instantly scorched the contaminants scattering in all directions. Lin Xi stood amidst a sea of fire. In the flickering light, a hint of pleasure appeared in his slightly narrowed eyes. “But I also said, I still need to leave some crystal cores for the cleanup crew to report back. It’s impossible to let you eat everything. Being a third full is about right. Let’s make it quick and go check on Yan Xingzhou’s situation. After all, the pit that guy Samuel dug, I feel it won’t be that easy to handle. If I don’t see it for myself, I really can’t be at ease.”

[Tsk. Go ahead and look. Anyway, when the day comes that you can’t control your contamination value, you won’t be able to look even if you want to.]

Lin Xi let out a light laugh.

Under the calm facade, the scattered sea of fire suddenly began to boil violently.

The heart-wrenching shrieks of the contaminants were instantly swallowed up. Layers of charred corpses piled up on the ground. Gradually, all that was left was the tall figure standing in the sea of corpses.

Lin Xi silently buried his face in his hands, feeling the contamination value that could erupt at any moment finally being suppressed bit by bit. The curve of his lips remained.

He could indeed feel that the process of suppression was becoming more and more difficult.

However, since that step was bound to happen sooner or later, then—he’ll deal with it when the time comes.

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