Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

“I didn’t do anything.” Marna turned his head away, deliberately denying it. “To put it somewhat dramatically, all the money came to me on its own. You can think about it yourself. Right now, in all of Kazimierz, there are definitely people who don’t know who the Grand Knight Commander is, but there are absolutely no people who don’t know the Pegasus Knight or the Ever Knight.”

"Anyway, I've handed the things over to you. I'm not going to worry about the rest."

“Marna,” Roy suddenly spoke, interrupting Marna, “Thank you.” He said solemnly.

Marna paused slightly, then nodded very gently.

Roy knew, of course, that Marna was faking it. This man was the kind of person who couldn't bring himself to complain about his hardships in front of Roy. So Roy was even more grateful to him. If it weren't for him guarding this small piece of land in Casimir, perhaps by the time Roy returned from his trip to Letania, his meager fortune would have been inexplicably confiscated.

“I’ll treat you to dinner another day. But I have something more important to ask you today,” Roy said.

Marna gave Roy a deep look, then sighed with mixed feelings: "I respect Margaret's own wishes."

Roy: “?”

No, Uncle, what are you thinking? We're the golden duo who've been through thick and thin together, fought side-by-side, and even overturned the Ursus Empire together. How can you not know me?

The way you put it, shouldn't the next sentence be one of respect, blessings, and wishing you peace?

And Margaret was there! Even if you were going to say that, wouldn't you have told me privately?

Roy glanced at Margaret, who had already turned her head away, pretending not to hear anything, and continued her monologue with the silent Skadi. But her flushed and burning ears were enough to prove to Roy that she had heard very clearly.

Roy gave Marna a speechless look and said, "We'll talk about that later. I have another official matter to ask you!"

Roy deliberately emphasized the word "official business," and with Marna's intelligence, she immediately understood and said:

"Are you referring to the demolition case for Plot Zero?"

“That’s right.” Roy nodded. “It’s good that you’re paying attention to this. Is there any way to help?”

Surprisingly, Marner shook his head: "No. The Business Federation handled this matter very cleverly. Their investigation of Plot Zero was approved by the Oversight Council and stamped by the National Assembly, making it completely legal and compliant. You are also aware of the situation at Plot Zero; infected individuals and illegal groups are, in most cases, synonymous. And conducting background checks on every unregistered resident there is simply impractical. In general, it's almost impossible to disprove the legitimacy of the investigation report through normal channels."

This is a very real problem. In any country, there is often a saying that "bad people come from poor and remote areas." It's not that people change the environment, but rather that the environment shapes people. The vast majority of infected people who live in the slums of Block Zero and lead a precarious life are not of high moral character, and it cannot be said that they are absolutely innocent.

Even the Red Pine Knights, which Roy knew but didn't know if had been established yet, were infected people making a living in Block Zero before they were inspired by the Blood Knights. The chivalrous spirit they upheld might not necessarily be in accordance with the current laws of Kazimierz.

As for whether the current laws in Qazimir are in accordance with reason and morality, that's hard to judge.

Roy understood the difficulties Marner mentioned and agreed with Marner's conclusions, but he also sensed a different meaning in Marner's words.

The investigation into Plot Zero was flawless, and the National Assembly wouldn't overturn its own conclusions and contradict itself. However, the fact that the investigation was sound doesn't mean the plan itself is without problems.

"Could we make a difference by focusing on the plan to dismantle and demolish Block Zero?"

Roy asked, half-asleep, half-questioning. Marna's lips curled into a slight smile, and she nodded with a knowing look.

He's a seasoned worker and knows very well what the conditions were for the cooperation between the Business Federation and the Supervisory Board.

The Business Federation pursues profit, higher returns, while the Oversight Council pursues stability, ensuring the social order remains unchanged and its power is secure. The fundamental purpose of the Demolition and Demolition Act is to satisfy these two points—demolition and demolition are massive projects that can support a large number of businesses, and the sheer scale of these projects means only the large corporations within the Business Federation can handle them. Meanwhile, the infected individuals and unidentified persons within Block Zero are destabilizing factors in society; eliminating them aligns with the Oversight Council's goal of maintaining social stability.

There are two ways to make a difference in this regard.

“There are two options, one is to compete on the best, and the other is to compete on the worst.” Marna held up two fingers. “The option to compete on the best is to take the briefcase I just gave you. It contains enough wealth to build an entire mobile city. You can use it as capital to register a company and participate in the demolition of Plot Zero. Compete with the Business Federation to preserve Plot Zero and redevelop it. As for the residents living there, you can select some of them and hire them as employees.”

"This plan is good for everyone. But those who are good for everyone are usually saints. Besides burning your money and damaging your reputation for not being involved in business, it won't bring you any benefits in the short or even long term. In my opinion, only a fool would choose it."

Marna glanced at Roy and continued,

"The second option is to compete in who's worse. Right now in Kazimir, your prestige is unmatched; even the Business Federation and the Supervisory Council have to show you respect. With your wealth and power, you could simply give a speech or something else to incite your supporters to publicly oppose this demolition plan. At that point, given public sentiment, they would undoubtedly have to reconsider everything until they come up with a 'better' solution."

"The downsides of this plan are also obvious. You've now made an enemy of them. Even if they can't do anything to you with your strength, just like with Block Zero, they have plenty of ways to annoy you elsewhere. It's a temporary fix, not a permanent solution. However, its advantage is that it doesn't cost much money or take much time. You can preserve your wealth to the greatest extent possible, and this event will also become your political capital. Not many people dare to offend a man who can command half of Kazimierz with a single call to arms."

"Which one do you choose?"

Roy thought for a moment and replied, "I'll choose both, but I'll also choose neither."

Roy beckoned to Marna, gesturing for him to come closer: "Marna, let me tell you a secret. You know about Originium Cloud, right?"

Marner frowned slightly and nodded: "I know, a newly emerging giant in the business association, started with hand sanitizer, and has monopolized the daily necessities market in a short period of time, acquiring many competing companies, and now it is extending its reach into the tourism and automotive industries... What's wrong?"

Roy patted his chest proudly and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to tell you that this company belongs to my family!"

Late that night, Xuan Tie's long-dormant anonymous mobile phone received a text message.

The sender, Roy, left only a brief message:

"Boss, let's buy plot zero!"

P.S.: He kept the counselor in meetings, meetings, meetings. The lecture was from 7 to 8 pm, and after it ended, he insisted on keeping everyone behind for a meeting that dragged on until 10:30 pm! By the time I got back to the dorm, it was almost closing time. Seriously, what a madman!

Tonight's Immortal Arts Cup can only be watched in silence. Han Ge's performance was truly entertaining; even though we didn't see Shuiyue, he was still incredibly strong!

Volume 1: Chapter 242 Give Me Some Time

The Flame Demon Project.

When Dorothy first heard the word from Himer, she had no idea how serious the problem was.

According to the information she accessed in the Rhine Labs database using her privileged access, this project was just an ordinary defense weapons research program. There were six or seven similar projects running concurrently in the Rhine Labs database. And these kinds of research projects generally have a common name—they're all for the Ministry of Defense.

Columbia was founded too recently. Although its origins lie in defeating Victoria, the strongest empire on the Terran continent, it didn't face the majority of Victoria's power, but merely a border duke. Meanwhile, Victoria was also involved in the Gallo-Laetan War. That war, which escalated into the Battle of the Four Emperors, completely destroyed the Gallo Empire and solidified Victoria's hegemonic position.

Therefore, even the most proud Colombian historians have to admit that Colombia's independence was extremely fortunate and a matter of great chance.

If it weren't for the large-scale aid that Gaul provided to Colombia in order to contain Victoria's power,

If it weren't for that Grand Duke of the Border's unwavering refusal to allow other dukes to get involved in Colombia's pie...

If it weren't for the fact that the Victorians never intended to fight a colony to the death.

If it weren't for the current president, the former general would have suddenly parachuted in and taken over command.

Colombia would not have the independent status it has today.

Therefore, the Colombian military, represented by the Ministry of Defense, is cowardly; they suffer from a "fear of insufficient firepower," and their obsession with using advanced technology in an arms race is fanatical. This fanaticism manifests itself in the various bizarre and outlandish weapons development programs spearheaded by the Ministry of Defense in Trimont.

The scientific community has differing opinions on this, but most scientific companies, including Rheinland Life Sciences, collaborate with the military simply to take advantage of the military's lavish funding. Their research plans are not necessarily unfeasible, but... they just require a certain amount of coincidence, just like Wang Duoyu's Lu Youqi project, which requires a certain right time, place, and people.

Such plans are collectively referred to as dealing with the military.

However, Hamer firmly denied the information Dorothy had found and explained to Dorothy everything she had seen in detail.

Overdose of medication, sometimes double or even triple. Utter disregard for the patient Ifrit's mental state and personal wishes, and a condescending, so-called "rationality" that treats others as expendable resources and sacrifices.

Dorothy was greatly provoked and, unusually, felt "anger".

"Hermer, do you know what my life used to be like?"

Dorothy Road,

“My mother was a scavenger; in today’s terms, she was one of the first pioneers. Scavenging and pioneering are essentially the same in Colombia, but for some reason, just a small change makes those arduous days seem sacred and noble.”

“No pioneer came here voluntarily. The yellow sand and natural disasters, the unknown wilderness and the overly quiet nights were not so pleasant. I often couldn’t sleep because of the strong winds blowing across the plains at night.”

"It was around that time that my mother would tell me stories and let me read books. All of this is inseparable from my achievements today."

Dorothy paused, looked at Himer, and her expression became serious.

"I'm telling you this not to prove I have any talent, or to spout some motivational platitudes about how hard work changes destiny. I just want to show that no one should be treated like expendable material, because the future is always in the hands of the present!"

"If, on that night twenty years ago, my mother hadn't chosen to tell me stories of scientists, but instead had taken me out to stargaze in the wilderness, I might have become an astrologer. If she had picked up a shovel and taken me hunting those wild-toothed beasts that always lingered near the camp, I might have become a zoologist or a soldier. If she had done nothing, but simply held me and let me fall asleep again in her arms, then I would be..."

Dorothy's face flushed slightly, as if she had thought of something.

"So by now I might already be married to the person I love, a mother, sleeping with him and our child like that?"

She pursed her lips, forcing herself not to think about those risqué thoughts, and continued...

"Director Palvis actually said that Ifrit should dedicate himself to scientific progress, so why can't he be the one to do so?"

“I will help you,” she said earnestly, pressing her hand on Himer’s shoulder.

Dorothy's decision isn't hard to understand; she's not the type to overthink things or consider the consequences. She also doesn't care much about the position she just received after joining Rhine Labs. In her view, what Rhine Labs can offer her isn't much different from what Mr. Roy can offer. While it's undeniable that Rhine Labs' research conditions and academic atmosphere are far superior to those of private research labs, if she feels uncomfortable here, she won't regret leaving.

Most importantly, Parvis's actions are fundamentally in conflict with Dorothy's ideals.

In the Green Dream, Dorothy also conducted human experiments on the settlers, just as Hammer and Grey had discovered. Before the experiments, she informed the settlers involved about the dangers, the process, the requirements, and the rewards.

Whether they can understand it or not is another matter, but at least, this information and the fact that it is voluntary are guaranteed.

Palvis was different. Ifrit had no idea what state she was in from beginning to end, and even Himer, the researcher, was kept in the dark until she noticed something was wrong.

He even admitted at the end that their initial goal was experimentation, not treatment, and that Ifrit's only fate was death, which would pave the way for Palvis's scientific research.

This is extremely frightening.

While it is undeniable that any illegal human experimentation should be completely eradicated, there is a huge difference between being fully aware of the experiment and being unaware of it, and between voluntarily joining or having one's fate predetermined without one's knowledge.

"What's your plan?"

Dorothy asked.

Himer pursed his lips slightly and nodded: "Yes."

"The next injection will be twice the prescribed dose; Ifrit definitely won't be able to withstand it. I want to use this opportunity to drug Ifrit into a state of suspended animation and send her out of Rhine Lab!"

Dorothy immediately shook her head after hearing this: "No. That will cause trouble. You've already been exposed to Palvis. If Ifrit encounters problems during the experiment, you'll be the first one suspected!"

"I'm not afraid!" Hermer said stubbornly.

Dorothy still shook her head: "This isn't a question of whether you're afraid or not. If you're suspected, even if Ifrit is sent out of the Rhine, where can she go?"

"Give me some time. I'll think of another way."

She turned her head and looked at the phone on the table.