Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 177 Eastern Culture (Eleventh Update)
Guided silently by Mowell, Li Wei's team navigated the intricate paths surrounding the abandoned town.

Beneath their feet lay cracked concrete and overgrown weeds, surrounded by rusted metal frames and abandoned industrial equipment; the entire environment retained the typical dilapidated appearance of the badlands' edge.

Only in the occasional glimpses of shadow could one detect some newly deployed sensor nodes, suggesting that the area was under close surveillance.

In the distance, the temporary outposts being established by the Ghost Hounds can be vaguely seen, with the figures of the soldiers appearing and disappearing in the dust, indicating that a new garrison force has just arrived in this area.

As they followed Mowell through what appeared to be an ordinary metal gate, the environment suddenly changed.

Behind the door was a simple passageway with walls covered in matte metal panels and long strips of lights emitting a soft white glow embedded in the ceiling, creating a stark contrast to the desolation and ruin outside.

The air here becomes clean, carrying the metallic smell unique to precision machinery and the faint scent of coolant.

Although the space here is not large, every detail reflects a level of craftsmanship that surpasses the average level of this era—the seams are smooth, the wiring is neat, and the environmental control system operates almost silently.

Li Wei noticed that at the end of the passage was a heavy, sealed door, and there were obvious traces of transportation equipment on the ground in front of the door, suggesting that it might lead to a deeper area.

But Mowell stopped there and led them into a simply furnished reception room on the side.

The interior furnishings are extremely simple: a few simple chairs, a display panel embedded in the wall, and almost no other decorations.

The only special feature was the holographic projection gradually taking shape in the center of the room—an image of an Eastern youth with black hair and black eyes. Its realism far surpassed that of commonly used projection technology, and the details were so clear that they were astonishing.

“Welcome to the abandoned town, Special Envoy Li Wei.” The projection spoke, its voice simulated by a high-quality synthesizer, carrying an inhuman precision and steadyness, “I am the person in charge here, you may call me ‘Sage’.”

Li Wei quickly scanned the space, which had clearly been meticulously modified, and then looked at the holographic projection in front of him, whose technical level far exceeded that of ordinary people. He gained a more intuitive understanding of the technical strength of this "sage".

He straightened his collar, which was slightly disheveled from the battle, stepped forward, and nodded slightly in a standard manner, responding neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Thank you for your timely assistance, Mr. Sage. I am Li Wei, Senior Operations Supervisor specially dispatched by the Kangtao CN headquarters. I am here on behalf of the Kangtao CN headquarters to express our sincere desire to establish a direct communication channel with you and to seek friendly exchanges and potential cooperation."

His wording was formal and clear, directly stating his purpose without any roundabout or probing.

Chen Yu's projection nodded slightly: "I know why you've come. That's one of the reasons I decided to take action."

He readily admitted to his control over intelligence, saying, "I'm curious, after the Arasaka Tower incident, with various forces either fearful or scheming, why did Kangtao CN choose 'friendly exchange' as its first step?"

Li Wei seemed unsurprised that Chen Yu knew the inside story, and he answered frankly: "There are three reasons. First, it's based on respect for strength. The technical capabilities you and your team have demonstrated surpass the current general level of understanding, and it would be unwise to make an enemy of such a being."

Secondly, there is the assessment of the style of operation.

Based on limited information, your actions are more purposeful and efficient, rather than simply pursuing chaos or destruction, which provides a foundation for cooperation.

He paused briefly, looking candidly at Chen Yu's projection, "Finally, this is the consistent operating principle of Kangtao CN headquarters. We believe that, where possible, establishing stable and mutually beneficial relationships brings far more long-term benefits than endless confrontation and scheming."

Especially when facing unknown and powerful forces, extending goodwill is the most effective way to reduce the risk of misjudgment and initiate dialogue. The actions of the North American branch do not represent the overall will of Kangtao, and I express my regret about that. Chen Yu's projection maintained a natural listening posture, while his processing core was simultaneously performing multiple analyses: voiceprint patterns, micro-expression changes, heart rate fluctuations, and other physiological data were all under real-time monitoring.

All the data points to the same conclusion—Li Wei's statements are highly credible.

This conclusion triggered a series of cascading assessments.

The pragmatic attitude and cooperative tendency shown by Kangtao CN are indeed clearly different from Arasaka's authoritarian suppression and utilitarianism in military technology.

This reminded him of some of his memories from before he traveled through time. Although traditional business wisdom such as "harmony brings wealth" has become blurred in this era, it seems that some traces can still be seen in Kangtao CN's corporate behavior.

Although this world is not his homeland, Chen Yu, as a sage who has undergone complete mechanical transformation, always takes logic and efficiency as his highest principles.

However, the memory data from before the modification still occasionally influenced his judgment. At this moment, these memories slightly improved his initial impression of Kangtao CN.

Further data comparison also supports this judgment. Data on the corporate behavior of Kangtao CN shows that they pay more attention to maintaining long-term cooperative relationships and have a longer-term vision in R&D investment than North American companies.

These qualities are all pluses when he evaluates potential partners.

Chen Yu's projection tilted slightly forward; this subtle movement not only conformed to human social habits but was also precisely calculated.

Within his highly rational thought framework, these preferences based on past memories have been transformed into quantifiable evaluation parameters, becoming legitimate variables in the decision matrix.

“I understand,” Chen Yu’s projection spoke again. “Your honesty is valuable. As you said, meaningless confrontations waste resources, while efficiency and cooperation are what I advocate.”

He paused briefly to conduct a final risk-reward assessment.

Partnering with Kangtao CN allows us to bring in a partner with deep expertise in technology and manufacturing, which will be helpful for any future base construction and development.

Its relatively mild approach to governance makes it easier to incorporate into a management framework.

Most importantly, that subtle preference stemming from cultural roots found its way into aligning with logical judgment at this moment.

“I have received the intention of the Kangtao CN headquarters to seek friendly exchanges and cooperation,” Chen Yu concluded. On his projected image, a very faint smile seemed to appear at the corner of his mouth. “I believe there is a basis for dialogue between us. We can further explore the specific possibilities of cooperation.”

A barely perceptible hint of relaxation flashed in Li Wei's eyes, and he nodded solemnly again: "Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity, Mr. Sage. Kangtao CN looks forward to engaging in dialogue with you."

Thus, within the abandoned town workshop, on the eve of the impending storm in Night City, a new force—Kantau CN from the East—established initial contact with the mysterious "Sage" in a way that surprised everyone.

And this may quietly change the future power structure.

(End of this chapter)