Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 785 The Beginning
Xia Xiu turned his eyes away from the screen, a thoughtful look on his face.

He stood up, walked slowly to the clothes rack, picked up the windbreaker hanging on it, shook off the invisible dust, and put it on neatly.

Then he put the top hat on his head, and his golden hair fell slightly under the brim.

He flipped his palm, and his slender fingers grasped the silver cane, and tapped the ground casually, making a crisp sound.

"Adam, help me arrange a meeting with the second Federal Reserve Director, John K. Hanks."

The virtual interface emerged in the air.

[Sending reservation request...]
[The other party has accepted——]
A prompt in blue font flashed quickly, and the mechanical voice of [Adam] echoed calmly in my ears.

[It's all arranged!]
Xia Xiu nodded, seeming satisfied with the efficiency.

He turned around, and the ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly. A bright [∞] symbol slowly emerged from the void. The symbol rotated and emitted a dazzling light, and the surrounding space rippled like the surface of water.

As the ripples gradually spread, his figure began to become blurred, and finally disappeared without a trace in a wave.

In the empty office, the last glimmer of light before the corner of the windbreaker disappeared was like a shadow passing by in the wind.

*
*
33 Liberty Street, Manhattan Financial District, New York City.

The tall building housing the Second Federal Savings Bank stands tall, reflecting dazzling light in the sun.

In front of this building that symbolizes financial authority, the security system suddenly sounded a rapid alarm, and the warning signal of the [redstone lamp] lit up instantly, dyeing the surrounding air red.

Federal police and members of the superpowers patrolling nearby quickly went on alert, pulling out their kinetic guns and aiming at possible targets.

However, before they could act, the Hermes think tank calmly and quickly broadcast:
[Legal space travel behavior——]

[Confirmed identity: The fourth sword bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven - Hugh Abraham. ]

Hearing this name, everyone's nerves suddenly relaxed.

They looked at each other, then quickly put away their weapons, lowered their heads, straightened their clothes, and assumed a respectful attitude.

When the bright [∞] symbol appeared in the open space outside the bank's main entrance, the people around stopped to watch, and saw a tall figure gradually emerging from the ripples.

A blond young man holding a silver cane stepped casually but steadily out of the center of the ripples. When his golden eyes swept over the pedestrians around him, everyone lowered their heads involuntarily with awe in their eyes.

Xia Xiu did not show much emotion towards the reactions of the people around him. He just nodded slightly and then walked into the bank.

After walking a few steps, a lady in an exquisite business suit came towards me. She was the secretary of John K. Hanks, the second Federal Reserve President.

She had a professional smile on her face, and it was obvious that she was used to dealing with this heavyweight.

"Your Majesty, welcome."

The female secretary bowed slightly, then raised her head and said:
"The president is waiting for you, please follow me."

Xia Xiu nodded in greeting and followed her calmly.

The two walked through the bright lobby. The number on the elevator gradually rose and finally stopped at the top floor.

The secretary skillfully pushed open Hanks' office door, and a warm greeting immediately came out.

"My friend, Abraham! How good it is to see you!"

John K. Hanks was striding forward and extending his hand to shake hands with Xia Xiu.

"Mr. Hanks."

Xia Xiu smiled slightly and politely shook Hanks' hand back.

"Thank you for your hospitality. You still look energetic."

"How dare I not be spirited!"

Hanks smiled and waved his hand.

"With your presence in the Second Federal Savings District, my work schedule has been much faster."

The two men let go of each other's hands, and John K. Hanks immediately made an invitation gesture: "Come on, take a seat, and let's have a good chat. Your arrival has allowed me to end today's meeting early - talking to you makes me feel more relaxed and excited than those boring financial statements."

Xia Xiu smiled noncommittally, said nothing more, and sat down in the seat arranged by the other party.

His windbreaker lifted slightly with the movement, and then fell neatly on the back of the chair. He gently leaned the silver cane in his hand against the side of the chair, folded his hands, and looked at Hanks' face.

Hanks' secretary left at the right time, and they were the only two left in the room.

The quiet atmosphere is set off by the hustle and bustle of the city outside the window, creating a subtle contrast.

After sitting down, Hanks adjusted his posture slightly, obviously prepared for today's meeting.

The smile on his face deepened a little, and he said casually:
"Abraham, I saw the content of your Administration Secretariat's press conference this morning. I have to say that this document on the three academies is really brilliant and impressive. It proposes and attempts to resolve the two core contradictions of Terra. This concept is really grand."

He paused, then asked casually:
"But... I wonder if you could reveal some details about the expansion plan of the three institutes? For example, do you intend to occupy a place in the economic landscape of the modern world?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Xiu raised the corner of his mouth slightly, as if smiling.

He raised his head slightly, his eyes showing a calm sharpness, yet so gentle that it was hard to fathom:
"Expansion...Mr. Hanks, that's a bit alarmist.

The three academies were established for the purpose of educating and cultivating talents. We are concerned about the progress and development of human civilization rather than seizing any economic territory.

You don't really think that our 'courtyard' will pose a threat to the abnormal capital in this land?"

When Hanks heard this, the smile on his face deepened slightly, but there was a hint of temptation in his eyes:
"How could that be? Your Excellency is worrying too much.

I just think that an institution like the Third Hospital, with such a grand vision, will surely touch upon many practical interests in the process of its actual implementation.

As a friend, I naturally hope to provide you with some assistance as much as I can as you advance your plan."

The two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere seemed to relax a little.

However, after testing the waters, Xia Xiu's smile became more relaxed. He tapped the table in front of him lightly, and his tone was blunt and unquestionable:
"Now that we've come to this, let's speak frankly.

I am here today to discuss several cooperation projects with you.

At the same time, I need you to introduce me to some abnormal capital in Terra - especially those giants that you must have connections with."

Xia Xiu did not rush to answer. He just smiled slightly, flipped his right hand, and took out a beautifully bound document from the abnormal space of [Private Customization]. He placed it casually on the table, and with a light push of his fingertips, the document slid across the table and stopped in front of Hanks.

"Please look," Xia Xiu's tone was calm, but unyielding.

Hanks hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out and picked up the document.

His eyes lingered on the cover of the document for a moment.
——"Follow-up investigation report on the Balrog experimental data provided by MC&D Company in Naga Ring and Marshall's anomalous items review plan."

The title alone made his brows furrow slightly.

He opened the document and quickly browsed the contents. As his eyes moved, the smile on his face finally disappeared completely, replaced by a solemnity that was difficult to conceal.

Hanks slowly put down the document, raised his head and looked directly at the blond young man in front of him.

He lowered his voice a bit, with a tentative caution: "What are you doing...?"

Xia Xiu still maintained that faint smile, his eyes revealing an unsettling certainty.

He placed his folded hands on the table, and spoke in a relaxed tone as if he was discussing a very ordinary matter:

"Don't get excited. I and Heavenly Kingdom don't want to compete with the entire abnormal capital circle right now.

It’s just that what you did... was indeed a little out of line.

Certain behaviors that touch our bottom line are absolutely intolerable.”

silence.

There was an invisible sense of oppression in the air. Second Bank President John K. Hanks lowered his eyes slightly and tapped the table with his fingers, as if he was weighing something.

His silence was like an invisible wall, isolating the atmosphere in the office into two opposing areas.

Xia Xiu did not urge him, but just waited quietly, staring at the other party with his golden pupils, with an unquestionable pressure.

In the end, it was Xia Xiu's words that broke the silence.

His voice gradually became heavier, and every word seemed to hammer into Hanks' heart.

"The fate of the Kailasel family is a warning to us," his tone was as sharp as a knife, "Don't play tricks on us."

Hanks paused and looked up at Xia Xiu, his expression complicated and difficult to read.

After a moment, he sighed softly, put down the coffee cup in his hand, spread his hands helplessly and smiled:
"Well, then, dear Lord Abraham, what do you want me to do?"

"Cooperation."

Xia Xiu said bluntly.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, his hands casually opened, with a nonchalant smile, but his decisiveness could not be ignored.

"At the same time, I also hope that your friends will understand that cooperation is the only right choice."

Hanks did not respond, but continued to remain silent, but this time there was a hint of deep thought in his eyes.

He was thinking about Xia Xiu's words, and Xia Xiu obviously also felt the other party's hesitation.

He smiled slightly, his voice slightly softened, but still got to the point:
"Now is the biggest change in Terra in a thousand years. With a powerful enemy at hand, I don't want to use the limited power of mankind on internal strife... I think no one wants that now.

No one wants the virtual economy to actually devour and destroy the real economy, and no one wants Terra's human regime to be replaced by the Golden Court's belief system. "

"So, for this red line incident involving the weaponization of anomalies, it will end with the destruction of the Naga Ring and the Kailasel family. From now on, you must carry out your reckless actions within the scope we limit."

“We need unity now — even if it’s short-lived and hypocritical.”

Having said that, Xia Xiu slowly raised his right hand and pointed at himself.

"Heaven, as a visible hand—"

Then he raised his left hand and pointed at Hanks.

"And you, as the invisible hand—"

Snapped--

The two hands slowly merged in the air, as if building some invisible connection.

"——When facing a powerful enemy, I hope we can cooperate deeply and defeat the enemy together."

Hanks's eyes stayed on Xia Xiu's combined hands. This simple action and the spirit contained in it touched a chord deep in his heart, but this shock was quickly overwhelmed by various considerations related to his own interests.

He was silent for a moment, his expression complicated, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he nodded slowly and asked in a low but clear voice:

"What is the duration of the cooperation?"

Xia Xiu sat up straight, put his hands on his knees naturally, looked firm, and answered in an unquestionable tone:
"——Until the Ivy War ended, the Royal Court was destroyed, and humanity achieved an overwhelming, unquestionable, and irrefutable victory."

Hanks's eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to find a hint of relaxation from Xia Xiu's expression, but in the end he found nothing.

After a moment's silence, Hanks spoke again, his tone slightly tentative:

"So, in what capacity are you cooperating with those abnormal capitals? Are you the sword bearer of the Heavenly Kingdom's individual power unit, or..."

He didn't finish his words, but the subtext was clear.

If there is only one person holding a sword, although it has deterrent effect, it may be far from enough in the deep cooperation involving abnormal capital.

Xia Xiu interrupted him without hesitation, his tone was crisp and direct:
"I will cooperate with you as the Heavenly Kingdom's reserve decision maker."

He paused for a moment, his eyes revealing immense confidence.

"For this cooperation, I will exercise my decision-making power as a reserve."

His tone was strong and powerful, without any hesitation or uneasiness, as if this was a right that he took for granted.

Hanks frowned slightly when he heard this, as if he was thinking about the meaning behind this sentence.

After a moment, he lowered his head and took a sip of coffee. When he looked up again, there was a hint of awe and caution in his eyes.

"The power of the reserve decision-makers..."

He repeated it in a low voice, then let out a long sigh and gave a meaningful smile.

"It seems that we really need to be extra careful in this cooperation."

Xia Xiu stared at Hanks, a faint smile on his face, but his tone was still calm and firm:
"It seems that you agree to introduce them."

Hanks' eyes flickered slightly, as if he was weighing some gains and losses in his heart. He sighed slightly, and his tone was slightly cautious but still maintained the smoothness of a businessman: "

I can introduce you to representatives from Abnormal Capital, but on two conditions—the location is determined by them, and you are the only one who can attend.”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became quiet, as if even the air became solemn because of these words.

Although Hanks' tone sounded calm, it revealed a hidden danger, reminding Xia Xiu of the complexity of this cooperation and the undercurrents behind it.

However, the expression on Xia Xiu's face did not change at all.

He just nodded, speaking calmly:

"of course."

……

……