On my second playthrough, they were full of malice towards me.

That's why he longed to keep climbing; he wanted to one day stand at the very top of Kyle Tower!

In the past, William would have seen no hope. Being the head of the company's administration department was his ceiling; there was no further path for advancement for someone like him who didn't have the support of a conglomerate.

But it's different now.

The crisis facing Kyle Technology is a disaster for the company, but for William, it's an opportunity. This is why he's working so hard; if he can seize this opportunity and turn the company around, he can succeed.

Thinking of this, the administrative manager opened the virtual computer on his desk and carefully browsed through the photos of all the members of the "Shanghai Advisory Group" one by one.

Chapter 183 Arrival

[Dear "Pioneer" passengers, we have entered the airspace of the "City of Dreams". Our landing airport is "Kyle Plaza - C3". We have approximately 15 minutes remaining until landing. The local time is 4:07 PM. The outdoor temperature is...]

Liao Ji listened to the flight attendant's announcement and looked out the window. Yilin was already there, looking down at the mechanized city that was completely different from both the Holy Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdom.

Looking at those towering buildings rising from the ground, with sky tracks shuttling between them and trains speeding along them, it really does look like a steel jungle.

Liao Ji had woken up an hour earlier. Unlike traveling by plane on Earth, although it was also more than twenty hours, the experience on the aircraft here was no different from staying in a hotel for one night. In fact, after Luo Xiaoji shared the V10 super membership, it was even better than a five-star hotel.

Of course, very few people are like him and Yilin, who are in a relaxed mood; probably only Luo Xiaoji is like them.

Most of the scholars and doctors actually on the aircraft did not feel relaxed about their imminent arrival at the City of Dreams.

On the contrary, when Liao Ji looked around, he saw that many of the people he was observing were in a state of high alert, and several of them even had dark circles under their eyes, probably because they hadn't slept at all during the more than twenty hours on the aircraft.

If Liao Ji had to describe it, it would be like the tension he felt when he was a child participating in the national math Olympiad team and going to an international competition. He was about to enter the exam room, but he was also afraid that his performance would be too bad and bring shame to the country.

Fifteen minutes passed in a flash. Soon after, the aircraft weaved between buildings and finally hovered above a spacious square that had been cleared and designated as a zone. Liao Ji looked down from the aircraft and could see the "wing" logo in the center of the square. Having crammed a lot of relevant information during the flight, Liao Ji knew that whenever this wing logo appeared, it meant that it belonged to Kel Technology.

The steel disc began to descend slowly. After a final burst of thick white mist, a voice announcement confirmed that the descent was complete and the aircraft's hatch had opened.

Under the guidance of Caroline, the advisory group of scholars and professors disembarked one by one. They did not need to worry about their luggage and other belongings, as staff would help them unload them later.

As soon as he stepped off the aircraft, Luo Xiaoji looked around. When he saw Liao Ji and Yilin, who were just as energetic as him and clearly had a good, comfortable nap on the aircraft, he was once again certain that Liao Ji had also gotten in through connections, just like him.

After all, those who actually have some knowledge are all very nervous right now, wishing they could seize every moment to continue their research on the spaceship and discuss what breakthroughs in ancient studies Kyle Technology would come up with later.

Only a "loafer" like them can lie down so comfortably without any worries on their mind. Naturally, they can sleep soundly and have good energy!

Upon thinking of this, Luo Xiaoji immediately ran over to Liao Ji. He wasn't the type to like being alone. Although Liao Ji said he was going to catch up with old friends later, at least they could keep each other company during the event!

"Brother Liao! Haven't seen you all night. I'm relieved to see you look so well. How's my V10 working? Is it still working well?"

"He does have some skill."

Liao Ji affirmed and highly praised Luo Xiaoji.

"Haha, as long as it's comfortable to use, that's good. If you like it, Brother Liao, I'll give you one another day."

Luo Xiaoji waved his hand boldly, and he quickly sensed that as soon as he said this, before Liao Ji could do anything, the female assistant next to Liao Ji immediately cast an even more intense gaze at him.

This made Luo Xiaoji secretly curse himself a few times. Although 800,000 Ash Coins was indeed a gift for him, in the eyes of ordinary people, it was nothing short of showing off his wealth. And what Luo Xiaoji hated most was showing off his wealth! Especially in front of his friend's girlfriend, what kind of situation was this?

Liao Ji also noticed Yilin's "fiery" gaze and could completely understand the girl's meaning of "Why don't we just rob this guy right now?" So he nudged the girl with his elbow to make Yilin act normal.

"Ahem, well... Brother Liao, it seems that Kyle Technology really values ​​us. Wow! Look at the security!" Luo Xiaoji coughed twice and quickly changed the subject. When he looked around the square again, he immediately showed a surprised expression.

Liao Ji had actually noticed this long ago. Fifteen people formed a small team, with one team on each side, protecting them firmly in the center. They were all fully armed guards with guns. From the circuit patterns showing on their foreheads, it was clear that their bodies had been cybernetically enhanced. They could probably even scan and detect a mosquito flying in.

"As expected of Kyle Technology, their security is really impressive. But what's with this group of reporters? Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss for us?"

Following Luo Xiaoji's complaints, Liao Ji's gaze also turned to another group of people present.

Unlike the well-trained security forces from before, this large, restless group of people seemed to immediately erupt in excitement upon seeing the advisory group disembark from the aircraft.

Among them, the people carrying various shooting and recording equipment turned on their lights and pointed their lenses at the group of over fifty ancient scholars from Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the male and female reporters, wearing badges with names like "XX Newspaper" and "XXX Radio Station" around their necks, frantically tried to swarm towards them.

However, due to the obstruction of security personnel, they could only stay five or six meters away from them at most. One by one, they scrambled to hold out their microphones towards them, shouting out various words they wanted to be interviewed.

"There are rumors that this year's scholars from Shanghai are the most outstanding in recent years. What are your thoughts on this?"

What are your thoughts on the fact that Shanghai has failed to publish a single new research finding for seven consecutive years?

"Regarding the turmoil in the Dragon Kingdom, is it really related to what City Lord Lena said in the Upper House back then: 'It doesn't matter, I will take action'?"

"There's a rumor circulating that Kyle Technology is secretly conducting some kind of illegal experiment. Could this become your excuse to deny this academic exchange later?"

"What are your thoughts on the recent dramatic stock market collapse of Kyle Technology? Is this some kind of revenge by City Lord Reina?"

"Does the over 500-year-old City Lord Lena have a boyfriend?!"

Chapter 184 Let's Get Rich Together

The Kel Plaza is directly connected to the company building. After disembarking from the aircraft, the Shanghai advisory group, under strict security measures, did not have a reporter interview session and was quickly escorted into the Kel Technology building by security personnel.

But Luo Xiaoji, who was next to Liao Ji, couldn't help but look back every few steps at the crowd of reporters who were blocked outside the building. His expression was not one of regret or pity, but rather one of anger.

Luo Xiaoji wasn't particularly interested in or concerned about the other questions, but only one...

"Damn it! Brother Liao, you shouldn't have stopped me just now. These reporters are really going to any lengths for clicks! Asking if Lady Lena has a boyfriend? Bah! How could Lady Lena belong to just one person? If she really does belong, then she belongs to all the people of Shanghai!"

Listening to the rich kid's swearing, Irene, who was traveling with him, chuckled. The girl asked curiously, "What if that day really comes? What if someone steals your heartthrob away?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! We, the people of Shanghai, will never agree to this! If he wants to seize the city lord, he'll have to step on the corpses of all of us in Shanghai first! As long as there's not a single person left in Shanghai whose blood hasn't been drained, he won't be able to get even half a step closer to our Lady Lena! Am I right, Brother Liao? You must think so too, right?"

Liao Ji was quite surprised to see the young man looking at him seeking validation. He hadn't expected Lena to be so popular among the people of Shanghai, that even a rich second-generation seemed to have been brainwashed. Looking at Luo Xiaoji's expression now, he seemed to have transcended the mundane and become like a white moonlight.

"Indeed, my feelings for our city lord are as steadfast as my faith in the goddess."

"Oh, Brother Liao, you actually believe in the Holy Church?" Luo Xiaoji was immediately surprised.

Liao Ji nodded: "I am a loyal follower of Sthiuthia."

Upon hearing this, the young man immediately became respectful. Then, remembering that Liao Ji had just used the steadfastness of faith to describe unwavering loyalty to the city lord, he felt ashamed and gave a thumbs up.

"Brother Liao, you have a much higher level of understanding of the City Lord. I am far from being good enough and must learn from you!"

"No, no, no, you don't need to learn this."

Seeing the young man's bewildered expression after Liao Ji spoke, Irene, who was watching the spectacle from the side, couldn't resist adding insult to injury to Luo Xiaoji, saying, "The main thing is that you can't learn this even if you want to."

"That's true, I think I'll pass on the idea of ​​religion."

Luo Xiaoji nodded in understanding, and then he began to sigh to Liao Ji that this academic exchange was indeed just a way to go to jail, and he didn't expect Kyle Technology to be so ruthless, starting to disgust them as soon as they got off the aircraft.

After all, from the young man's perspective, either you really tighten security and don't let the press corps in, or since you've let them in, let the press corps interview them so he can give those unscrupulous reporters a good scolding.

Now it's all a mess, wasn't it just to annoy them a little?

Liao Ji shook his head at this.

"I think you've misunderstood Kyle Technology. I guess they're in a bind. They want to spread the word about our arrival through reporters, but they're also afraid that some of the reporters might be criminals who could cause us harm, so they've chosen a compromise."

"Surely not? What are they going to do going through all this trouble for?"

After listening, Yilin still didn't understand, but Luo Xiaoji next to her seemed to be enlightened. He suddenly opened his eyes wide, his face full of excitement, as if he understood something.

"Wait! I get it! They're using us to create hype! Kyle Technology's stock has plummeted, and the market desperately needs good news from them. Kyle Technology wants to use us, this academic exchange, to promote their new weapons technology! That way, when people see that Kyle Technology has the high-end technology that even we in Shanghai can't crack, their stock price, which plummeted because of China, will rebound!"

"No wonder, no wonder! I knew my sister loved me so much, how could she be so heartless as to send me here to jail? Now I understand, that's what she meant, she was hinting at something to me."

"If I take advantage of the current low stock price of KEL Technology and buy up a lot of their shares at a low price, and then wait for the conference to officially start and for the new technology to be reported and publicized, KEL Technology's stock price will soar, and I'll make a fortune!"

Luo Xiaoji became more and more excited as he talked. This rich second-generation guy was actually a really nice person. After coming up with this way to get rich, he didn't forget to remind Liao Ji next to him to get rich together.

"Brother Liao, buy low and sell high – this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make money! If you have any spare cash, you should take advantage of our insider information and quickly buy some shares of Keltech!"

Luo Xiaoji is right, but there's a prerequisite: the technology must not only be groundbreaking but also create a monopoly. Otherwise, if it's showcased at an exchange meeting and the Shanghai advisory group manages to figure it out in just a few days, it would be a laughing stock.

Judging from the young man's eagerness to buy up enemy stocks, he clearly has great "confidence" in the strength of his own camp.

Liao Ji didn't say much more, and could only smile to indicate that he hadn't considered it for the time being. At the same time, he suddenly understood why so many rich kids were idle and did nothing but eat, drink, gamble, and whore.

It's not that their families don't care, but taking Luo Xiaoji as an example, if they were to let him "do a proper job," their family fortune might only be lost even faster.

After discovering this business opportunity, Luo Xiaoji no longer had time to chat with Liao Ji.

The young man focused all his attention on his phone, frantically contacting his friends to raise money and make a big score, hoping to recoup all his previous losses in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, after entering the company building, their advisory group was led to their private VIP lobby.

In the center of the hall stood a burly man. Despite wearing an oversized suit, his broad back muscles and shoulders were still clearly visible. In the Alliance of Machines, such people are usually seen as symbols of highly cybernetic bodies.

The burly man seemed to have been waiting there for a long time. Upon seeing them appear, he immediately strode forward to greet Caroline, who was the leader of the group.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Caroline. I am the person in charge of this academic exchange, the head of the administrative department of Kyle Technology. You can call me William.”

"Nice to meet you, Steward William."

After the two leaders shook hands briefly, William looked at the scholars from Shanghai behind them.

"I see that everyone doesn't seem to be in very good spirits, which I understand, after all, you've been on the sea for over twenty hours. How about we cancel this afternoon's itinerary? I'll arrange accommodations for everyone, so you can get a good night's rest and start again tomorrow when you're refreshed?"

Caroline didn't answer William's suggestion directly, but instead turned to look at the scholars and professors behind her.

Soon, a scholar with slightly graying temples, probably over sixty years old, wearing thick glasses, and a slightly hunched back, stepped forward.

Chapter 185 Branding Technology

"Manager William, there's no need to cancel the trip. Just take us to the exhibition hall first. Don't worry, as long as Kyle Technology can showcase outstanding scientific research results, it will be the best boost for us."

This elderly scholar with graying temples was clearly highly respected and influential within the entire Shanghai advisory group. After he finished speaking, many scholars behind him echoed his sentiments.

Caroline, the team leader, didn't say anything about this. She was only responsible for ensuring the smooth progress of the academic exchange. As for the rest, these were scholars who were valuable talents in Shanghai and had a great deal of freedom to choose.

"Is that so? I've long heard that scholars in Shanghai are incredibly eager for knowledge and are role models for the entire academic community. Now it seems they truly deserve that title. I understand. Now, please let Tia from our research department take you to the 'Research Corridor.'"

William nodded, and after he finished speaking, a beautiful blonde female researcher stood up behind him and bowed slightly to the Shanghai advisory group.

The following activities had nothing to do with William. The head of the administration department seemed to have other things to do, and after giving a few more instructions, he hurriedly left.

After being led by the female researcher named "Tia", the group soon arrived at a long, technologically advanced corridor from the VIP lobby.

"In the 'R&D Corridor,' you can see the results of each phase of our research department. These exhibits are not models, but full-scale replicas. I will now explain each one to you to help you better understand KEL Technology and lay the foundation for our future academic exchanges."

Lay the foundation