Collapse Iron Live Broadcast Connects All Worlds, Scares Away Wuzhan at the Beginning

"Wait, what does it mean to be bought out in the future?" Caesar was stunned for a moment, and he suddenly thought of the early history of the American continent, which was not glorious.

"...Probably what you think it means." Chu Zihang said expressionlessly.

"Is Topal planning to use the company to transport the people of Beloberg to some remote planet as slaves? Give them 50 cigarettes upon landing?"

"Your idea is too extreme. It wouldn't be that cruel." Chu Zihang thought of what happened to them at the big mine on March 7th. "Maybe they're planning to use credit points to buy out all the mineral deposits on a planet. Then everyone on that planet will be a miner."

"That's not bad. The weak give up their future in exchange for survival, and the strong use their capital to assist the Star God in 'preservation'. To some extent, it can be considered a win-win situation, right?" Caesar nodded.

"No, the Interstellar Peace Corporation simply used the contract to kidnap the Beloberg civilization's right to choose, forcing its people to jump from the cage of wind and snow into the cage of corporate capital."

Chu Zihang shrugged. "The former certainly offers a harsh environment, but at least you have the right to choose. The latter will probably be more comfortable... but as part of the company's assets, there will definitely be a day when your value is squeezed out and you're abandoned."

"From your tone, it seems that you know a lot about capitalists?" Caesar smiled.

"Human nature has remained unchanged for thousands of years. I don't need to understand capitalists." Chu Zihang put on a more relaxed expression. "I just need to understand your history."

-

"Inside the mine, Xing saw Toppa's pet, Zhangzhang, the little platinum piggy bank."

"Hearing the word 'pet,' Xier's eyes widened. 'What? That thing... isn't a creature from the Rift? And it can actually be kept as a pet?!'"

"It's not uncommon for March 7th to happen. Seeing that Zhang Zhang was about to leave, we decided to follow this little guy first. Maybe we can find some clues about Topa."

"Along the way, Zhang Zhang seemed to be deliberately leading everyone through the company's sparsely guarded paths, and successfully arrived at the center of the large mining area. There stood a burly mecha, arranging people to perform measurements."

"When Xing came to his senses, he found that Zhang Zhang had disappeared."

"Never mind it, let's deal with this big guy first." Xier walked straight up and greeted the mech with a warm greeting from the lower level. Her arrogant tone surprised him, and she shook the cannon on her arm.

"Haven't you seen the power of the company's weapons yet?"

"I want to see your director!" Xing said, hands on her hips.

"You actually know Director Topa? It seems you're definitely someone special... No, I don't care who you are. Strategic Investment Department employees have no obligation to explain project details to unrelated parties."

"If a debtor fails to repay within the execution period, the company has the right to skip the negotiation phase and directly take over their assets. We're just following the rules. What's wrong with you?"

-

The burial of Fulilian.

"Aren't these guys in the company too arrogant?" Hugh Turk clenched his fists angrily. "The company sets its own rules and then forces others to follow them. How can that be justified? And they act like it's all natural?!"

"Along the way, Xing has fought Doommon, beat up Cocolia, and even defeated Illusion... Who are these mechas of the company trying to scare?"

"...I don't understand. We're all company employees, but the disparity between the leadership and the employees is so huge!"

Scott was also aggressive and barking, a world of difference compared to Director Topa. They both had the company's backing, and Topa clearly had more power, yet his approach was quite pleasant.

"It should be respect, right?" Fulilian said calmly. "In the eyes of the company, Yalilo-VI is just a remote, barren, and harsh planet. The people living on this planet are also very backward... It's inevitable that some people look down on the natives here, thinking that they can be suppressed and intimidated simply by force."

"Topa's attitude is completely different—I feel like she understands the mentality of the natives of these backward planets very well. Not only can she put herself in their shoes, but she can also accurately grasp the perspective of a company executive. She gives them dignity while also putting them under pressure...tsk tsk."

"Does Lady Fulilian mean that she likes it very much?"

"If Topa were our partner, I'd certainly love him, but if he were an adversary... these kinds of guys are the most troublesome! Countless times more troublesome than monsters! They don't fight with you physically, they only use 'language'. Whenever I've encountered someone like this before, I've always just handed them over to Sinmel to deal with."

"Dealing with Topa, I'd probably still be counting money for her even after being sold to the company..."

"Lady Flillian, Miss Topper would never do such a thing!"

-

"That sounds plausible, but weren't all these miscellaneous rules made by you yourselves? This world has finally come alive, and we can't afford to mess with it like this!" March Seventh retorted.

"Well, this is... this is the leadership's decision! We're just responsible for execution. It's no use telling us this." Seeing no way to convince him, the big guy immediately brought up the leadership to take the blame.

"Xi'er had long lost her patience with him. Seeing that he was still so stubborn, she quickly unsheathed her sickle."

"I didn't expect this to turn so violent. I should have applied for overtime earlier... Well, it's nothing. You didn't hear anything! Since you insist on fighting, then be prepared to withstand my laser artillery!"

Chapter 223 Future Market (VI)

"The team leader's mecha spread its arms, revealing a dense honeycomb of launch holes, and instantly unleashed countless micro-missiles forward. However, when the smoke and dust cleared, Xing, holding a flame spear, emerged from the explosion unscathed."

This scene terrified the team leader, who took several steps back in disbelief. "Uh... who are you guys?! You can't even suppress the company's mecha..."

"Sanyueqi said proudly, "Doomsday Beast, Star Core, Illusion, what powerful enemy have we not faced? With just these two skills, you think you can stop us?"

"The team leader knew he was facing a tough challenge and was unsure what to do when Topa suddenly sent him a message, saying that if their assessment disrupted the lives of local residents, they would be penalized by a 60% deduction from their year-end bonus."

“60%?! It’s all over!”

The team leader's voice was trembling as he quickly called out to the team members in the large mining area: "Everyone, listen to my orders—evacuate the large mining area immediately! Evacuate! Leave no trace of the project team's presence!"

"After that, the group ran away."

"The issue with the large mining area has been resolved. Just when Seele was confused, Bronya sent a message to the two of them, hoping they would come to Krippenburg. Now the situation has changed again, and she needs their advice."

"..."

"At the same time, in Rivet Town, Jeppard is leading a group of Silvermane Guards and mechas to block Topal and Swarlow's advance."

"By order of the Great Guardian—please stop here, Miss Toppa."

"Topa sighed regretfully. She hadn't wanted to escalate the situation to a violent one, but if she really did resort to violence..."

She smiled confidently, and a purple screen appeared on her right hand. With a few taps of her fingertips, the mechas surrounding Jeppard turned their spearheads around and surrounded him instead.

“…No wonder people always say that those who owe debts are the bosses these days.”

-

overlord.

(Using the source code, he instantly gained control of all the mechas present?)

(These mechas could easily destroy a small town on this continent. Their combat power is probably even greater than that of the Soul Devourer... As expected, the power of technology is truly terrifying. It's a shame this continent has absolutely no in-depth research into technology.)

Ainz watched Toppa's nonchalant movements. Taking control of the mecha was as easy as drinking water.

The thought that the Interstellar Peace Company's marketing department might one day come to this continent and bring hordes of these monsters with them filled Ainz's heart with fear.

"Demiurge, do you understand what Topa just did?"

Ainz asked the demon standing respectfully beside him. Although he didn't expect Demiurge to give him a perfect answer, he still wanted to hear his opinion.

"Hmm... Lord Ainz, in my humble opinion, she must have activated that item called 'Source Code' and cast some kind of magic similar to 'Mind Control', right?"

"Magic..."

Although he hadn't expected it, Ainz still felt a little disappointed after hearing Demiurge's answer.

As if sensing his master's dissatisfaction with the answer, Demiurge showed a rare look of panic on his face and immediately knelt on one knee. "Ainz-sama, please forgive my stupidity..."

"No...you don't have to apologize, Demiurge."

The guardians in the great tomb are powerful, and many of them master high-level magic, but expecting them to understand "technology" is still a bit too much.

Even he himself—who wielded powerful super-level magic, some of which could even instantly plunder the life of living creatures within range—was still helpless against technology. After all, he was facing lifeless, painless machines, which were far more formidable than the undead monsters he summoned.

If I could buy a few from the Interstellar Peace Company, I could probably conquer the entire continent without leaving my home, right?

"Demiurge."

Ainz changed the question, "If the Interstellar Peace Company ever expands into this world and is willing to trade with the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick... what items do you think we should sell?"

"Oh, as expected of Master Ainz, you've even considered this."

Demiurge was filled with genuine admiration. After a brief hesitation, he gave an answer that satisfied him greatly: "Ainz-sama, we can sell them the scroll containing low-level healing magic."

"A low-level scroll? Would anyone in the company be interested in something like that?"

"Of course!" Demiurge said cheerfully. "I've noticed that not everyone can embark on the Path of Fertility. We can pretend that anyone who purchases the scroll can embark on the Path of Fertility and become a Fate Walker with healing powers."

"The most important thing is that each scroll is made of wild beast skins, which is very beautiful. Even if you don't learn the magic on it, it's still a good collection." When talking about his cruel hobby, Demiurge's tone seemed very excited.

"...Beast? Isn't it just the skin of a human being?"

"That's right! Lord Ainz."

"Uh……"

…If we sell this to a company, are we sure it won't be destroyed by its Star Destroyers, along with the people and planet?!

-

"Xinghe Sanyueqi arrived at Krippenburg and met Bronya, who was exhausted and weak from not resting for too long."

"Bronya urgently invited them both here because Toppa sent her a contract and a personal letter. The contract is closely related to the future of the entire Beloberg people, and the contents of the personal letter tell her story."

"She was born on an inconspicuous planet at the edge of the galaxy. With very few resources, she had to rely on selling a large labor force and engaging in chemical industry and heavy industry."

"Over time, the natural environment of her home planet deteriorated, the streets filled with sewage and smog, and the people could only linger in despair, waiting for despair to approach."

"But soon the company arrived on her home planet, bringing with them a brand new environmental transformation plan. However, in exchange, the company required every resident on the planet to sign a contract and become an employee of the Interstellar Peace Corporation."

"After the contract was signed, the company's transformation was immediate, transforming the entire planet within five years. By then, Topal had reached the age required to join the company's Strategic Investment Department. Witnessing the transformation of her hometown, she resolved to bring the same change to the backward, impoverished worlds of the galaxy."

"Ms. Bronya, 'freedom' is a very precious treasure for people; but when making real choices, there are always things that are given higher value than it - such as 'survival'."

Chapter 224 Future Market (VII)

"How many generations will it take for you to return to the embrace of the starry sky, relying solely on the hands of the Belobergs? Who can guarantee that every future guardian will be as prudent and open-minded as you? Who can assert that a disaster similar to the star core will not happen again?"

"I've secured the best deal for you. If you sign this contract, all of Beloberg's debts will be wiped out. Furthermore, the company will establish a dedicated team to support the reconstruction of Yarilo-VI."

"Topa understands the difficulty of Bronya's choice, but she still hopes she will make the decision that best protects the interests of her people."

-

Rune Continent.

In a laboratory somewhere in Piltover.

Victor tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the pattern of the contract reflected in his eyes.

"Jace." His voice was low and steady. "The general content of this contract... is very valuable for reference. Technical assistance, environmental transformation, and reintegration of Zaun people into Piltover. If... we can convince the Council to implement a similar plan for Zaun—"

Jace turned his eyes away from the sky, frowned slightly, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the densely packed proofreading paper on the table.

"Zauan is not Beloberg, Viktor." Jayce sighed softly. "The geography, the people, even... the leaders—they are completely different."

A rare glimmer of light flashed in Victor's tired eyes. He stood up with difficulty and walked towards Jace. The "thump thump" sound of his cane hitting the floor tiles was particularly clear in the laboratory.

"The environment can be transformed. What the people of Zaun need is opportunity. As for leaders..."

"—You mean Hilko?" Jayce waved his hand. Although he didn't want to dampen his friend's enthusiasm, the facts were irrefutable. "A drug lord who uses a glimmer of light to control the lower classes? Or those chem-barons who collectively want to blow up Piltover?"

Victor was silent for a moment, the light from the lab casting two hard shadows on his sunken cheeks.

"I am also a child of Zaun, Jace." His voice was very soft, so soft that it seemed like a low sigh. "I know better than anyone that the people there are not born crazy, but are driven crazy."

Faced with his old friend's persistence, Jayce was also very helpless: "Listen, Viktor, I understand your point of view. But Zaun's problems cannot be solved by a single contract—they resist order, resist progress... I'm afraid they will resist everything except the word 'independence'."

"Furthermore, to sign a contract, both parties must at least be rational. But when it comes to the Zaun issue, whether it's the parliament or Hilco... what they lack most is rationality."

-

"Topa's tone in the letter seemed quite sincere... Xing, what do you think?"

"She really understands the art of communication." Xing nodded.

"Bronya understands the difficulty of this choice. The fate of this planet, the civilization it carries, everything that has happened in the past and in the future... now hangs on her fingertips."

"This cannot—and should not—be her decision alone."

"So she would like to ask you two to go to upper and lower districts to listen to the people's voices and collect public opinion. She wants to know what choice the people will make at this moment."

"After accepting this mission, Xinghe Sanyue first went to the upper district and found Pella in the square. After explaining the whole story, Pella quickly calmed down from her panic."

"After a brief reflection, she indicated that she might agree to the company's proposal."

"As for the reason, as an intelligence officer of the Silver Mane Guard, she has observed the rate at which the cold wave recedes. Barring any unexpected events, it will take at least three or four generations for the snowstorm to subside on this planet."

"I care more about the present and the people around me than a future I won't be able to witness," Pera said sincerely. "If the company's plan can really produce immediate results, I think paying this price is worth it."

“Building a foundation for future generations with your own hands—it sounds great, right? But how much fun is there in it for the people who actually participate in this project?”

"After recording Pella's opinion, Xing and the others found Sylva again. After informing her of the crisis Beloberg was currently facing, her reaction and decision were exactly the same as Pella's."

"...This is quite surprising to Sanyuechi."