Chapter 82: The Collaboration between Jindar Empire and Hermit Union

The helicopter landed at Margate Castle, with Nader and Daniel being the first to disembark. They served as the vanguard; subsequent deliveries of supplies and personnel would follow suit.

As exceptional investors, both Nader and Daniel possessed outstanding foresight and gambler-like determination. Despite losing an eye due to the Hermit Union’s actions, Daniel harbored no resentment. Instead, he feared that letting such a minor incident strain his relationship with the Hermit Union could lead to undesirable consequences.

“Mr. Bezos.” With an eyepatch covering his missing eye, Daniel subtly glanced at a large crate carefully unloaded from the helicopter. “I hope our future collaboration will be fruitful.”

Prior to this moment, Nader Bezoss had limited interactions with Daniel. Their styles were quite different, with Daniel tending towards brashness and aggression, which didn’t foster a deep personal connection. However, circumstances have now changed. As the earliest wealthy investors to recognize the potential of the Hermit Union, they naturally became initial allies.

Nader promptly shook hands with Daniel in a friendly manner. “I didn’t expect us to be the first ones daring enough to take this gamble.”

“Indeed. With the unexpected failure of the Ark Project, I fear most people will no longer trust Mr. Lyndon. Margate Castle is about to become the true ‘Ark’,” Daniel’s tone carried a hint of relief.

Being the first to venture always reaped the richest rewards, and conveniently, he was that pioneer.

After brief conversation, both Nader and Daniel, accompanied by their respective bodyguards, swiftly got into their vehicles. Although the chilling spiritual tide had receded, lingering traces of coldness still permeated the air, making it somewhat uncomfortable.

Upon arriving at what was once the laboratory and now the SCP Research Society, they were utterly astounded. The massive octopus resembled a deep-sea monster, enveloping the entire research society building, creating an eerie atmosphere as if it were submerged in some mysterious realm.

This was Gerran and Sandra’s second time witnessing such a sight, yet they couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of the Hermit Union.

Since today was the agreed-upon date, unlike Gerran and Sandra’s surprise visit last time which caused commotion, this meeting proceeded much more amicably.

Bai Di promptly emerged to greet Nader and his companions, leading them inside the building.

As they walked cautiously, Nader occasionally glanced at the massive octopus tentacles occasionally twitching nearby. However, the other occupants of the building seemed accustomed to it; some employees even nonchalantly passed close to the tentacles without showing any concern.

“Please have a seat.” Bai Di guided part of the group to a dedicated meeting room and arranged for coffee to be served.

The individuals delivering the coffee were ordinary people originally recruited from Margate Castle, dressed in their former work attire. Despite performing tasks like serving tea or pouring coffee, these ordinary folks carried themselves with a peculiar sense of pride. It was reminiscent of pre-spiritual tide times when only top-tier talents could secure employment in prestigious companies, acknowledging their own excellence even as employees.

Now, these ordinary individuals felt similarly. They understood the world’s transformation and knew that in this chaotic era, they initially had no chance of boarding Otlan’s Ark, being deemed expendable. Yet, what did that matter?

Now at SCP, it’s ironically those politicians, tycoons…the ones who could afford Ark tickets, who find themselves terribly unfortunate.

For instance, these two wealthy individuals might not have even crossed paths before, but now they sit uneasily together in the meeting room, forced to display amicable smiles despite their usual privilege.

Ordinary people working at SCP have increasingly developed a subtle sense of superiority during this time.

After approximately fifteen minutes, more visitors arrived. However, upon seeing this group, Nader and Daniel were somewhat speechless. Dressed in military attire, with stern expressions and medals adorning their shoulders, it was clear who had shown up—the General of the Jindar Region, Croft.

“Good day, gentlemen.” Croft sported neatly trimmed gray hair, his deep-set eyes conveying a profound seriousness that reflected his displeasure.

Nader and Daniel felt momentarily awkward. Despite being wealthy, they still harbored fear compared to the national power of the Jindar Empire. Nevertheless, Croft’s presence here clearly indicated the intentions of Emperor Lyndon himself.

“The Ark indeed suffered severe damage, but didn’t you leave too hastily?!,” Croft glared at them with disdain, “Damn opportunists.”

Daniel’s single eye flashed with irritation, “General… I hope you understand that we are free individuals. Our actions and lives belong to us first, before considering others. When faced with danger, choosing a path for our own safety - is there truly any issue with that?”

“But you shouldn’t have abandoned the Jindar Empire; it’s your nation!”

“We haven’t betrayed or sold out our country, let me clarify this point. If all Jindarians were to perish, would there be any need for the Jindar Empire to exist? Our departure and survival are precisely aimed at preserving the future of the Jindar Empire.”

Croft had no intention of debating with Daniel, especially when confronted with such cunning arguments. Without hesitation, the elderly general drew his pistol and fired directly at Daniel.

The action was so swift that nobody could react in time. For a moment, Daniel’s mind went blank, only managing to think, “What the hell?!”

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Daniel realized he hadn’t died.

He was still alive.

However, his survival… Daniel’s lone eye flashed with remnants of fear and anger. Nearby, his bodyguard swiftly reached for his thermal weapon.

“You’re all here seeking collaboration with the Hermit Union. Any misconduct within the Hermit Union premises will not be tolerated.”

As Nade decisively chose to stay out of it and moved aside, while Daniel and Croft seethed with fury, a roughly twenty-centimeter tall doll fell to the ground, riddled with bullet holes.

“My Knight Mick, sniffle…” Vena rushed forward with an eerie sob, quickly embracing the motionless doll. Bai Di followed closely behind her; evidently, he had just spoken moments ago.

“We represent the Jindar Empire with utmost sincerity,” Croft preemptively asserted, as if stating the obvious. “We acknowledge the greatness of the Hermit Union, but only we can foster better collaboration with you.”

He aimed to sideline Nade and others from the discussion.

Regardless of how one viewed it, the Jindar Empire, being the dominant power within the Western Alliance, indeed possessed formidable strength. Compared to collaborating with individual wealthy patrons, the backing of a nation could offer greater assistance to the Hermit Union.

Vena, clutching her doll with one hand, cast a contemplative glance at Croft.

However, years of holding high positions had honed Croft’s composure. He paid no heed to Vena and focused intently on Bai Di instead.

The elderly man, hunched over with a cane in hand, appeared more approachable.

“Haha… speaking to me is futile; I cannot make that decision. Fortunately, Wenxuan has returned today, so I’ll take you all to meet him.”

Bai Di’s words left the three teams momentarily bewildered. They had records of all Hermit Union members present during the previous Wealthy Conference, but who was this newly mentioned Wenxuan? More importantly, based on the name, he seemed to be from Hanming Country.

Even Duan Wenxuan did not anticipate that the Hermit Union would independently develop SCPs and acquire a ‘Great Octopus’. The individuals imbued with second personalities were indeed evolving freely within their established character frameworks.

Duan Wenxuan had indeed arrived earlier that morning, bringing along Zu Shuwang and five other chemistry and biology experts from the apocalyptic world. Apart from Zu Shuwang, several were recently recruited from Luoluo City Base.

With Duan Wenxuan’s control over food resources in Luoluo City Base, those meeting his criteria felt a renewed sense of hope and eagerly applied for positions at the hotel.

Unfortunately, most of these experts were physically frail, resulting in many unfortunate deaths even before the apocalypse. Those who predominantly managed to endure were individuals with inherently harsh living conditions and strong adaptability. Consequently, very few truly met Duan Wenxuan’s requirements; from the entirety of Luoluo City, only this small group of biological and chemical experts could be recruited.

Following Duan Wenxuan’s instructions, Song Boxue retained those who met the criteria at the hotel and ensured they enjoyed a hearty meal.

Duan Wenxuan seized a momentary break to visit, swiftly bringing these newly recruited individuals into reality. Not only did he use the Twisted Eye to eliminate the radiation remnants from their bodies, but after having them take baths and change clothes, he immediately activated their second personalities for duty.

After all, with Nade and others’ arrival, the Hermit Union was a millennium-old organization dedicated to researching mysteries. How could it not have its own researchers within its ranks?

Duan Wenxuan conveniently brought these individuals back, informing Winter that they were people his teacher had instructed him to recruit.

In Winter’s memories, the Hermit Union’s license holders were not particularly familiar with the research institute either. Most of the time, the license holders functioned more like the Hermit Union’s security force.

The Hermit Union’s research institute, housing numerous peculiar items, had stringent management, making unauthorized access impossible under normal circumstances. Typically, only the King among the license holders held full authority.

Given Duan Wenxuan’s explanation, Winter didn’t question it much. With the SCP Research Institute now established outside, it indeed made sense for the Hermit Union to send over their researchers.

Thus, when Duan Wenxuan mentioned this, Winter didn’t give it much thought. With the SCP research institute already established outside, it indeed made sense for the Hermit Union to send researchers over.

This experimental base had begun its true reactivation, and just as Duan Wenxuan’s implanted memories indicated, Winter and his team started continuously transferring various peculiar items that emerged post-spiritual tide to the SCP Research Society.

It was a veritable treasure trove.

Upon returning, Duan Wenxuan’s first priority was to replenish the energy needed for the door symbols, particularly from the large octopus. With the gate symbols acting as a connection, both the large octopus and Little Peak Mountain’s white deer now displayed considerable affection towards Duan Wenxuan.

As the power of the door symbols strengthened, Duan Wenxuan gradually began planning the search for Yue Fei and the remaining owners of the other door symbols. During their brief encounter earlier, Yue Fei managed to escape, and truthfully, Duan Wenxuan was also startled by Yue Fei’s ‘stand’ ability.

The abilities of the door symbols were unpredictable and enigmatic, making Duan Wenxuan cautious about potential pitfalls.

However, at this point, Duan Wenxuan felt somewhat confident in himself. His strength was growing exponentially like a snowball, becoming increasingly formidable with time. He couldn’t imagine anyone surpassing him given his luck and rapid progress rate.

While Duan Wenxuan pondered, Bai Di had already brought Croft and the others to meet him.