110: Chapter 110 The Chess Game in the Mist and the Moment of Tempering

The morning fog in San Francisco was thick, wrapping around the high-rises like cold, grey silk. Alex didn't go to the gym; instead, he went jogging alone along the edge of the hotel's rooftop helipad. It was deserted, save for the whistling wind and the blurred outline of the city beneath his feet. He held up his phone and snapped a picture of the golden edges of sunlight piercing through the fog, captioning it: "The Golden Gate breathes behind the fog. #SanFranciscoMorningNotes". Posted. This was the daily routine he had to maintain as the "Alex Su" brand—a bit of poetry, a bit of mystery, staying connected.

Breakfast was only halfway through when Marcus hurried in, his expression unusually grave, holding an unmarked black encrypted tablet. "Boss, Organization D. Emergency protocol. Their people are downstairs, demanding a meeting within twenty minutes. It's not a request; it's a notification." He pushed the tablet over; on it was only a line of time counting down and an encrypted room number.

Alex set down his coffee cup, his eyes calming. Organization D, that phantom that provided key technical support during his most difficult period of opposing Northrop, but at an unknown cost. They had been dormant, and now they had finally surfaced, choosing to do so in the middle of a tour, in San Francisco—a city where technology and fog intertwined—and in a manner that carried an unquestionable sense of oppression.

"Where is Lauren?"

"She has been notified and will arrive at our suite in five minutes. Hank and Rex are checking for any possible arrangements by the other party."

"Reply to them, change the location to the executive conference room in the hotel that we control. The time remains the same. Tell them this is the basis of cooperation—mutual respect." Alex's tone was flat but brooked no change. He could not meet in a location chosen by the other party after being ambushed.

Twenty minutes later, in the most private executive conference room on the hotel's top floor. Alex brought only Lauren and Marcus, while Hank and Rex guarded the door and monitored all access points. The other side only sent two people.

The leader was a man who looked to be in his thirties, with the temperament of a university associate professor rather than an agent, calling himself "Lin." He wore a well-fitted grey suit and a gentle smile, but his eyes were like searchlights capable of piercing through the fog. The other was an expressionless Asian woman with short hair, standing quietly half a step behind Lin like a living recorder.

"Alex, long time no see. Sorry to disturb you in this manner, but it was unavoidable." Lin's voice was also gentle, getting straight to the point, "The trouble with Northrop has come to an end, and the valuation of your 'Voice of Truth' platform is not what it used to be. It is time to liquidate the resources we invested early on and transform them into a more stable cooperative relationship."

Lauren immediately took over, unfolding a summary of a legal document prepared long ago: "Mr. Lin, regarding the early support, we acknowledge a certain moral and technical debt. We can accept a cash buyback at a fair price, or grant a limited-term, specific-domain technical consultancy contract."

Lin smiled and shook his head, gently pushing over a thin folder. "We don't want cash, nor do we want a consultant title. We want 5% of Echo Vision's Class B shares, dividend rights only, no voting rights. At the same time, the data firewall upgrades and anti-DDoS systems for the 'Voice of Truth' platform must be maintained by us for the next five years, with priority renewal rights. In exchange," he paused, "we provide a 'gift': Although Northrop has settled, its affiliated fund recently acquired a small company that holds multiple streaming patents through three layers of shell companies. This company is in close contact with a competitor of Universal Music. The patent content involves... 'selective noise reduction and sound quality degradation' technology for real-time audio streaming, which is highly targeted."

The air in the conference room froze instantly. This wasn't a business negotiation; this was revealing cards. Organization D showed two capabilities: 1. A clear valuation and demand for Alex's core assets (platform, new company); 2. Continuous intelligence gathering and early warning capabilities, pointing directly to possible new threats. They used the "gift" to prove they still had value, and used the equity to demand a future tie-in.

Alex leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the smooth tabletop. He didn't look at the patent intelligence, but stared straight into Lin's eyes. "5% of Class B shares, that can be discussed. But there are a few conditions: One, the equity cannot be transferred to any entity outside of a list we both agree upon; two, the scope, permissions, and all code for the technical support must pass a third-party security audit designated by us; three, the 'gift' is very good, but I need it to be continuous and bidirectional. If I have 'specific information' that needs verification in the future, you must provide an assessment within your capabilities."

Lin's smile deepened: "Very reasonable. The audit is fine, the list needs to be negotiated. Information assessment... depends on the situation, but we can establish a communication channel that is smoother than before." He put away the folder, "Let our legal teams and Ms. Lauren coordinate the details. Glad we didn't waste each other's time."

The meeting ended within twenty-five minutes, chillingly crisp. After the other party left, Lauren immediately began to analyze the authenticity and legal risks of that patent intelligence. Marcus began investigating the background of that patent company.

Alex walked to the window; the San Francisco fog seemed to have dissipated a bit, revealing the city's grim skyline. Organization D had changed from shadows behind the scenes to "special partners" on the front stage who held a small amount of shares and possessed technical interfaces. This relationship was clearer, yet more dangerous, like walking with the fog. But he had no better choice—having accepted help when he was weak in the early days, he had to pay the price. Fortunately, the terms were under control.

"They seem to be investing in an 'infrastructure'." Lauren walked to his side and said in a low voice, "The platform, the tech company... what they want is your position and influence in the information world, not to control what songs you sing."

"That is why they are even more worth being wary of." Alex said, "However, at least now we know the price."

The San Francisco concert that night, Alex injected a kind of indescribable tension into the performance. When singing 《Radioactive》, his stage explosive power was even greater than the first show in Los Angeles. A move where he jumped directly from a four-meter-high platform (under wire protection) was clean and neat, triggering screams from the whole audience. Only he himself knew that the moment he leaped, the newly "perceived" dormant giant strength within his body was faintly agitated, as if longing for a real release.

The backstage after the performance was a mess of chaos and celebration. Alex avoided the crowd and walked into the shower room of the exclusive lounge. The warm water washed over his exhausted muscles and excited nerves. In the mist of steam, he closed his eyes and finally turned his attention to the transformation that had been brewing for a long time.

Deep in his consciousness, the system interface shimmered.

【Current available popularity: 28,240,030 points】

【Target: 'Physical Function Overload (Temporary)' - Redemption conditions met】

"Redeem."

There was no earth-shattering sound, but in Alex's perceived universe, it was as if an invisible, heavy gate had been blown wide open! A surging torrent, hot as lava, cold as deep space, condensed as a star core, rushed out from the depths of every minute particle of his body!

It was not muscle expansion, nor was it bulging veins. It was the unlocking of an "authority," the shattering of a "boundary." He could clearly "see" the values of his strength, speed, and reaction speed in his normal state—which were already more than three times the peak of human beings—and at this moment, a higher temporary scale marked "300%" was clearly branded on his central nervous system.

He clenched his fist gently; the grip strength that was enough to bend steel pipes in his normal state now felt like he was just gently closing his five fingers. He could "hear" the low roar of his blood rushing like mercury under pressure, and could "feel" the subtle resonance produced by his bone density under the infiltration of energy. The acuity of his vision, hearing, and touch did not change, but his information processing speed seemed to be connected to a supercomputer, and the world seemed to have become "slower" in his perception.

He turned off the faucet, dried his body, and walked to the mirror. The person in the mirror was still that same face, but his eyes were as deep as if they contained an entire ocean before a storm. He did a few simple fighting preparation moves, so fast that they left intermittent afterimages in the mirror, and the air was torn, making a short, explosive sound. When he stopped, his breathing was steady, and his heartbeat had even slowed down slightly, as if the explosion just now was just an illusion.

This was 【Physical Function Overload (Temporary)】. It was not a permanent transformation, but a three-minute violence experience card that allowed him to temporarily detach from the "human" category. The cooling period was as long as 24 hours, which was the necessary price for the body to reshape its balance. However, the 【Rapid Healing (Advanced)】 and 【Physique Stage 3】 fused with it could ensure that he suffered less backlash during overload and recovered faster after it ended.

He put on his clothes and walked out of the shower room. Outside, the team was still celebrating the success of the San Francisco stop. Marcus was excitedly reporting the box office and word-of-mouth data, and Taylor was laughing on the phone describing the New York media's crazy coverage of the tour.

Alex took a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and drank slowly. His fingertips applied a slight force, and the metal bottle cap let out an unbearable groan and quietly deformed. He let go of his hand, held the deformed bottle cap in his palm, and when he opened his hand again, it had returned to its original state—the rough traces of being forcibly "repaired" by force.

He threw the bottle cap into the trash can and walked toward the cheering crowd. Inside his body, the power that was enough to briefly transform into a prehistoric beast lay dormant again, as calm as the deep sea.

The worldly chessboard had an extra piece in Organization D that needed to be treated with caution.

And the extraordinary tempering had already been completed.

The fog in San Francisco had completely dissipated, and the night sky was clear. Alex knew that for the road ahead, whether it was the tour journey under the spotlight or the game in the shadows, he had different confidence.

Tonight, what he drank was ice water.

And the power was already boiling in his blood.