Like soft cotton, the dual whips circled his body, tracing a smooth, perfect arc. Gu Xiechen was practicing Tai Chi on the beach, but not the kind for combat; it was the gentle form practiced by the elderly in parks for health.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and numerous vessels were constantly landing and taking off on the flight deck. It was unclear what the fleet from the Hawaiian base was so busy with.

Siren leaned languidly against a reef, watching the sea surface shimmer with reflected moonlight, his energy depleted. Occasionally, he would turn to look at Gu Xiechen, who was moving sluggishly through his kicks and punches, his expression utterly bizarre—as if watching a carnivorous Tyrannosaurus Rex reciting sutras while eating greens.

After repeating the clumsy, dragging Tai Chi routine over fifty times, Siren’s body suddenly tensed. He hissed softly, "They've moved. Except for the one from Kunlun, the woman surnamed Mei is still in place; everyone else has moved... Hmm, their dormitories have direct elevators leading underground, where there are established tunnels."

Inside a dormitory building on Easter Island, Jin Bolai, having just forcefully vented on a blonde woman, satisfiedly adjusted his clothes in the large wardrobe mirror. He meticulously straightened his tie to the most perfect position, then smiled and placed his hand on the reflective surface.

A pale green light screen, thirty centimeters wide and long, materialized from the mirror. A green scanning ripple moved from top to bottom across Jin Bolai’s palm. With a slight crackle, two faint red beams shot out from the screen, entering Jin Bolai’s pupils precisely. Before him appeared a three-dimensional virtual keyboard, visible only to him. The densely packed keys displayed various plants and animals unique to Earth.

With practiced ease, he pressed seven keys marked with animals and thirteen keys marked with plants, murmuring lowly, "Long live the Consortium! Long live President Jin Keli!" A thin line of light flickered across the screen, and the floor beneath Jin Bolai silently sank away. Once he had descended into the ground, a section of flooring identical to the one before slid out from the side, leaving not even a seam behind.

Underneath was a narrow elevator barely large enough for three people. It descended rapidly to a depth of three hundred shui [units/meters]. The elevator doors slid open silently, revealing a deep tunnel ahead.

Jin Bolai, Count Chakum, Colonel Burton, and Colonel Hans emerged from four adjacent elevators.

Count Chakum nodded courteously to Jin Bolai. "Did you not notify the old woman?"

Jin Bolai shrugged. "Judging by their performance this time, they are no longer our allies, so there’s no need to inform her. This secret passage will be permanently sealed off to them from now on."

The four men ceased their chatter and proceeded hundreds of meters along the tunnel until they reached a heavily reinforced metal doorway.

Several powerful scanning ripples shot out from sensors overhead. The high-temperature beams made Jin Bolai and the others wince; a faint smell of scorching wafted from their hair. The metal door displayed X-ray silhouettes of the four men, with extremely thin light waves rapidly circling their bodies, occasionally causing small red dots to flash on their forms. Following the indications of these red dots, Jin Bolai and the others placed their rings, communicators, belts, wallets, and other items into a basket placed outside the door.

"Mr. Jin Bolai, welcome."

A dull electronic voice suddenly sounded, and the metal door slid silently to the side. The four, having undergone thorough scanning, breathed a sigh of relief. They instinctively stretched their bodies, which felt extremely uncomfortable from the intense heat scan, and walked through the entrance with furrowed brows. Colonel Hans muttered under his breath, "The Romans supposedly have more advanced scanners that could spare us this torment."

Colonel Burton scoffed, saying darkly, "Do you know the quoted price for the Romans' latest scanners? It’s enough to bankrupt your Alpine Defense Corporation!"

Colonel Hans shot back with a cold laugh, "Is the financial situation at your Layton Company any better? Who was it last year that compensated the Federal Witches' Research Institute one hundred and thirty billion?" Count Chakum and Jin Bolai coughed simultaneously, immediately silencing the bickering pair. Inside the door was a short corridor, less than ten meters long. Entering this passage led to a small conference room, simply furnished yet quite comfortable. The four took seats on sofas arranged at the cardinal directions—Southeast, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest. A light screen immediately descended from the ceiling.

Poison Wolf, Rang Jia'an, and the CEOs of the four major defense corporations appeared on the screen. Rang Jia'an spoke first, nodding slightly. "Well done this time. Assembling a nuclear warhead and finding a suitable launch vehicle within twelve hours shows that Jin Keli, your subordinates are efficient."

Jin Keli, puffing on an ivory pipe, smiled reservedly. "It was a minor matter, Your Excellency flatters me." Poison Wolf spoke blandly, "The pretext for war you manufactured is excellent. But I must warn you: it was your luck that you failed to kill Gu Xiechen this time." Poison Wolf lifted the teacup beside him, taking a sip, and continued slowly, "The Asian Dao Alliance values him highly. Do not act recklessly just because of the people backing you."

Rang Jia'an’s eyes flickered, revealing a chilling, deep violet gleam. He said softly, "He is unharmed, is he not, Marshal?"

Poison Wolf merely sipped his tea, remaining silent.

An eerie silence descended upon the conference room until Jin Keli interjected, breaking the tension.

"However, we now have the perfect excuse for war. The doves in the Federal Congress will never again dominate public opinion. If we fully engage the Romans in war this time, everyone can get what they desire!"

Rang Jia'an, Poison Wolf, and the others all revealed smiles. Once a full-scale war against the Romans began, all the Federation's manpower and resources would be mobilized, and the potential profits would be immense. As the initiators and controllers of the war, the benefits the people present stood to gain were unimaginable.

Rang Jia'an smiled calmly. "Marshal, what you said must be remembered. The bigger picture is paramount; do not make things difficult for that Gu Xiechen. In a few days, concede more market share to him, and do not dispatch your strongest subordinates to fight him to the death. Remember, the greater good comes first!" Hesitation and displeasure crossed the faces of Jin Keli and the others. Conceding too much market share would weaken their own power, which they naturally resented. But since Rang Jia'an had spoken, they could say nothing.

Poison Wolf and Rang Jia'an exchanged a look, both instantly wearing expressions of absolute control and understanding.