165: Negotiation Game

Shen Xiaochuan stood in the blue light, watching for a while. Seeing the Believers busy and everything normal, he turned and walked toward the end of the fissure.

He reached the mouth of the cave and glanced back. The blue light was still flickering, casting a greenish hue on the rock walls. The Black Bear Spirit crouched in the shadows, head lowered, ears twitching occasionally. Shen Xiaochuan said nothing and continued forward.

His feet crunched on the gravel. The mountain wind blew past, pressing his work uniform against his back. He touched the copper gear pendant at his cuff; it was still warm. This thing hadn't cooled down since the day he had his Awakening, as if the faith points in his body were flowing into it.

After walking half a mile, he sat down on a flat stone and pulled a piece of Thunder Crystal from his breast pocket. The crystal wasn't large—about the size of a fist—with fine lines on its surface, and he could feel it vibrating in his hand. He held it up to the light; it was quite clean, free of Impurities. The first three batches transported out had been inspected and met the mall's exchange standards. It was enough to trade for some basic supplies.

Just as he finished giving the command, the System prompt sounded in his ear: [Believers have received instructions]. He opened his eyes; it was nearly dark, and the distant ridge was dyed gold by the setting sun. The camp was just ahead by the edge of the woods, several tents already pitched, the campfire just lit, smoke drifting into the sky.

He stood up and walked over. A Believer in a gray robe came to meet him, cradling an iron-cased device. The screen had a crack, but the light was still on.

"My Lord, this is a Divine Domain Communicator picked up from the combat zone. Once repaired, it can connect to the public channel."

Shen Xiaochuan took the device, his finger sliding across the screen. As his incense value fluctuated slightly, he injected a bit of energy into the interface. The screen flickered a few times, and an image appeared—it was the negotiation venue. People sat on both sides of a long table, with the flags of Huaxia and NATO hanging in the background. The sound was intermittent, but keywords were audible.

"...Regarding the proposal for sharing the 'pillars of divine authority,' our side states once again: technical sovereignty is non-negotiable." A man in a suit spoke; it was the US representative, Saul. As the camera panned over his hand, Shen Xiaochuan noticed his right ring finger was tapping the tabletop with a steady rhythm, like he was tapping out Morse code.

"But we are willing to provide channels for talent exchange," Saul said. "Particularly for young Awakened individuals like Mr. Shen Xiaochuan, the United States can offer preferential citizenship, resource support, and technical assistance. We hope he will consider traveling to the US to participate in project development."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone on the Huaxia side stood up abruptly. The screen froze, making the face unclear, but Shen Xiaochuan knew it was the Deputy Envoy, Yue Zhengzhong. The old man had a stiff temper and hated this kind of headhunting talk the most.

He gave a cold laugh, opened an encrypted channel, and typed a line: "Don't respond, stall the agenda, I have my own arrangements." After sending it, he closed the connection and set the device aside.

The campfire crackled. He sat cross-legged, staring at the flames. faith points were increasing by +1 per second, currently totaling over thirty-seven thousand. If he suddenly needed to upgrade defenses, this amount wouldn't last long. The Thunder Crystal mine had only just begun excavation, and production wasn't high enough yet to exchange for many high-tier scrolls.

He raised his hand and looked at his fingertips. When he had pressed against the fissure in the cave earlier, a current had surged up, and they were still a bit numb. But that didn't matter. What mattered was this move by the US; on the surface, they were talking cooperation, but in reality, they wanted to lure him away. Once he left his home soil, the Divine Kingdom system would break, and all his previous efforts would be in vain. Not to mention those eyeing his Golden Finger, who were just waiting for him to make a mistake.

"Want to use me as a Breakthrough point?" he said softly. "You'll have to ask my faith points first."

The firelight reflected on his face, and a glint of gold flashed in his eyes. He closed his eyes and began calculating how many points he could accumulate in the next seven days. At the current pace, he could gain over eighty thousand a day, and with the Thunder Crystal output, he could reach over five hundred thousand by the end of the month. By then, even if the other side turned hostile, he would have the means to fight.

Just as he was thinking, his wrist vibrated. It was a private message.

He opened his eyes and pulled it up; it was from White Snow Princess. Her voice sounded a bit urgent: "Shen Xiaochuan, Saul repeatedly mentioned internal US conflicts during the negotiations, claiming the military and Congress are at odds. His behavior is suspicious; you need to be especially careful."

After listening, his expression darkened, and he only replied after five seconds: "Understood, I'm aware of the situation."

The System interface surfaced: [No abnormal exchange behavior] [No monitoring-type items detected being leaked]. The possibility of an internal leak was ruled out.

An assistant asked, "My Lord, regarding Saul, is there anything else we should do?"

Shen Xiaochuan's gaze turned cold. "Continue observing, and don't act rashly. Additionally, send three Wandering Awakened to the NATO perimeter to investigate personnel movements and base changes on Saul's side. No contact allowed, just report the situation."

After issuing the orders, he took a deep breath. He knew this wasn't just a scramble for resources, but a contest of positions, and he had to win.

[Orders have been conveyed]

Having finished these tasks, he grabbed a piece of gravel and threw it into the campfire. Sparks exploded and jumped upward.

Everything that needed to be done was done. The mineral vein was guarded, the alerts would be set by tonight, and the Terrain Camouflage Scrolls were already purchased and ready for use at any time. He hadn't shown his face in the diplomacy, but he was informed, and the rhythm was in his hands. The intelligence network had been cast; he just had to wait for results.

He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. The camp was quiet, the others were resting, and only the sound of footsteps came from the sentry posts. He walked to the tent and lifted the flap to enter.

Inside was a cot and a small table with a water flask, paper, and pen. He sat down, pulled the Thunder Crystal from his pocket, and placed it on the table. Blue light flickered against the wall.

Footsteps sounded outside again; it was the Believer who had delivered the communicator.

"My Lord, the Black Bear Spirit sent word. The third batch of Thunder Crystals is loaded and ready for transport."

"Understood," he said. "Have the transport team take the east side path to avoid open ground. Send two people ahead to scout; if anything is wrong, stop immediately."

The Believer was a bit worried: "My Lord, won't the east side path be dangerous?"

Shen Xiaochuan's tone was firm: "Do as I say. There are risks on that road, but it's the safest choice right now. Just be careful."

The person left. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest, his mind still working. Saul's words couldn't be fully trusted, nor fully dismissed. The key would be the subsequent actions. If NATO were truly in-fighting, he would receive more such news; if it were fake, the pressure would mount in the coming days.

He gently touched the copper gear pendant, the warmth feeling like the power of faith. He tucked the pendant back into his sleeve, knowing clearly that while this negotiation looked ordinary, undercurrents were surging. On the surface, they fought for resources, but in reality, they were testing bottom lines. The US wanted to see if Huaxia could protect a core Awakened like him. And he, Shen Xiaochuan, was the key to this contest.

Before long, the System prompt sounded: [Level 3 Alert Mechanism deployment complete] [Perimeter sentry posts established] [Lightning Warning Array initialized] [Terrain Camouflage Scrolls activated and on standby]

He opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

The mineral vein was safe.

He rose and went to the table, taking a sip from the water flask. The water was a bit cold, and his stomach felt warmer after swallowing. The wind outside grew stronger, making the tent flap loudly. He went to the door and glanced out; the night was very dark, with few stars.

Returning to the table, he put the Thunder Crystal into his backpack and blew out the oil lamp.

In the darkness, there was still a bit of warmth at his fingertips. He knew it was the faith points flowing. +1 per second, non-stop, continuous, steady as a heartbeat.

He lay on the bed without taking off his shoes, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

This sleep wouldn't be long. But he had to rest. What came next was only just beginning.

Outside the tent, the campfire slowly died out. The last wisp of smoke rose and dispersed into the night.