Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

"Page 2 of the contract contains detailed data on the superpower lock, which is one of the top secrets. Given the special nature of the contract, you are allowed to review it. However, if the contract cannot be signed, according to the law... anyone who knows about it shall be beheaded or permanently imprisoned."

After speaking, Zhang Zhiwei stroked his beard, his eyes narrowed, and with an air of wanting to stir up trouble, he issued a notification to Matsubara Masahiro and Yano Rin.

"Gentlemen, please choose one."

"?!"

The expressions of the dozen or so visitors from Japan changed drastically; some panicked instantly and cried out in threat:

"No! You can't do that, it violates international security law!"

"We have the right to inform the world about your actions, and we have been recording this meeting in real time!"

Zhang Zhiwei disagreed and slowly said:

"Foreign laws want to extend their reach into our territory? That's just laughable."

"Before the meeting started, all electromagnetic signals in the entire conference room were blocked. Now, little friend, who do you want to inform?"

"What...you...you cheated!!"

The Japanese envoy's legs went weak, and he staggered backward, his eyes filled with panic.

Not only him, but also the representatives of the eleven countries and hundreds of visitors present felt their pupils contract sharply, their mood plummet, and a chilling coldness lingered in the depths of their hearts.

They now face only two choices: either endure the humiliation and sign a harsh contract;

They could either join forces with the two Level 4 Awakened Ones from the East and fight their way out.

However, the probability of achieving the latter is almost zero.

With the three presidents of the Security Council and Chen Qingxuan, who ranks first in the world, present, along with 24 representatives, none dared to take the initiative to fight. Given the insurmountable gap in strength, numbers were meaningless.

As for the former, if they sign, they will likely be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

The 22 foreign representatives were restless and anxious, like ants on a hot pan, with nowhere to turn.

Matsubara Managa's face was gloomy, and he dared not look at the audience.

The chilling gazes that converged there seemed to want to tear him to pieces.

"Wow..."

Matsubara Managa's eyes flashed with a sinister light. The strange energy within his body gathered wildly, flowing through his vital organs, poised to erupt. He gritted his teeth, preparing for a fight to the death.

"Yu, Zhang! Are you really going to push us to this point?"

Seeing the vast difference in strength between the two sides, Yano Rin felt utterly hopeless. He hesitated and said:

"Is there no room for maneuver?"

Zhang Zhiwei remained silent, and Yu Huai retorted in response to his words.

"How can someone in charge of the Eastern Hemisphere command respect if they aren't a bit domineering and arrogant?"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Jin, sitting on the left side of the seat, took action, silently chanting an ancient incantation.

A massive wave of pain instantly flooded Matsubara Managa and Yano Rin's minds. Their consciousness suddenly shattered, their faces turned deathly pale with pain, and they let out a howl like a vengeful ghost.

"what!!"

"what!!"

"Pfft——!"

A golden light flashed past, and Zhang Zhiwei, who had made the appointment earlier, made a decisive move. His speed was so fast that the 22 foreign representatives could not even notice it.

Two soft sounds of blood splattering were heard the instant Matsubara Managa and Yano Rin revealed their fatal flaws.

Zhang Zhiwei, who had gathered his Qi into a blade, attacked from the side. He was indifferent and casually swept his hand across the blade. Two heads with ferocious and astonished faces flew high into the air and died on the spot.

"Ah! Matsunaga-senpai! Rin-senpai!"

The nearest Japanese envoy was so terrified that he screamed in terror.

"Humph!"

Gao Mei, a Tang Clan elder in the audience and one of the vice presidents of the Security Council, suddenly made her move.

With a flick of her finger, sixteen colorless, odorless, and traceless pills attacked the Eastern envoys' camp.

"Pop..."

"Pop..."

The wriggling particles, seemingly alive, pierced the vital points of one messenger after another, and the crowd fell one after another like straws sliced ​​by a sickle.

Several of the Awakened Ones, standing at the peak of Level 3, possessed incredibly sharp and terrifying senses. They unleashed their absolute speed to evade a fatal blow.

"?"

Seeing that they still wanted to resist, Lu Jin raised his hand and unleashed a killing move.

True Qi spread throughout the entire area with the speed of a streak of light, suddenly locking onto several spaces and freezing the moving afterimages in an instant, stiffening their limbs and rendering them unable to move.

"boom!"

As Lu Jin's eyes narrowed slightly, the ice sculpture shattered from the inside out, and the three awakened beings were left without a complete corpse.

As the cries of more than ten Japanese envoys rose and fell, the pupils of Matsubara Managa and Yano Rin, who had been beheaded, dimmed and they completely lost consciousness. The thick smell of blood permeated the entire conference room. The 22 representatives who witnessed all this felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, and their minds went blank.

Chapter 371 Negotiations in Progress: A Combination of Kindness and Coercion

Colin, Douglas, Novtori, Choi Hyun-bin, and others were immediately horrified.

Matsubara Managa and Yano Rin, who were on the same level of strength as them, were like fish on a chopping board, to be slaughtered at will.

The former possesses the ability to solidify and seal space and its internal matter, making it nearly unsolvable. With this skill, it established a formidable reputation in the East and quelled numerous disturbances.

The latter, skilled in manipulating shadows and agile, should have easily dodged, but unexpectedly, he was beheaded before he even had a chance to struggle.

The executions of No. 13 Lu Jin and No. 21 Zhang Zhiwei took less than 2 seconds each, as if their strengths were completely different.

Colin, Douglas, and Novtori, who were ranked higher, were in a terrible mood. If it were them, they would most likely have died from this attack, without even having a chance to fight back.

In particular, the speed that Zhang Zhiwei displayed was increasingly abnormal; it was something that a superhuman ranked in the early twenties could not possibly possess.

At this speed alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to rank it among the top 10 globally. However, the information from overseas is incomplete, and the data revealed on the dark web is only a fragmented part, resulting in a severe information gap.

Choi Hyun-bin, ranked 48th globally, had his back soaked with cold sweat and his teeth chattering.

Just moments ago, he was thinking of standing together with the two representatives from Japan to protest and hope that China would try to retain him or make a compromise. But after hesitating for a moment, he was already separated from them by death.

Choi Hyun-bin had no doubt that if he were to leave, Choi Hyun-bin would probably be one of those who had already lost their heads.

Having survived the ordeal, he couldn't help but feel grateful that he had been cautious enough.

At this moment, the twenty-two foreign representatives had different expressions. Some were timid, some were wary, and some slowly closed their eyes, silently resigning themselves to their fate.

No one stood up to say a word of complaint about the dozen or so Japanese visitors who had died.

Colin, number 16, felt an immense pressure. He had no choice but to steel himself, meet the gazes of the people ahead of him, and ask reluctantly:

"Yu, are you planning to start a new war by doing this?"

"Matsuhara and Yano are highly respected Awakened in Japan. If you kill them, how will you explain it to Japan?"

"Those who steal top secrets from the Security Council can be killed without any special reason."

"Putting aside the fact that they want to give us an explanation, are you... planning to distort the truth, provoke conflict between China and Japan, and then reap the benefits?"

Yu Huai glanced sideways at Colin, Douglas, Novtori, and the others, pressing them to ask if they were willing to continue signing the contract.

"..."

Colin clenched his fists, anger rising within him, almost causing him to flip the table. The veiled threats in those words made him feel like he had a thorn in his side; he had never felt so humiliated.

Douglas, who was usually witty and arrogant in public, has changed his tune and is now as silent as a cicada in fear. He doesn't want to say a word, as he knows better than to say anything that might cause him to make a mistake. He is better off keeping quiet and protecting his life.

Unlike the negotiation experts dispatched by other countries, Douglas himself was a British duke or nobleman, and selfishness, greed, and cowardice flowed in his blood.

He cared more about his own life than about the ethereal secret realm; he even harbored the idea of ​​surrendering firmly, believing that sacrificing Britain's interests did not equate to sacrificing his own.

As an awakened individual who has the potential to advance to level 5 in the future, as long as he lives to that day, he can bring his family to an unprecedented period of prosperity and glory. Perhaps even the royal family will have to fawn over them.

Douglas acted decisively, playing the role of peacemaker. He patted his old friend Colin on the shoulder to soothe his agitated emotions. Then, he exchanged glances with Hudson and Ryan, the two representatives traveling with him, indicating that he was willing to make some compromises. Leaving China alive was the most important thing.

Novtori, ranked 19th globally, remained calm and composed. His mind was racing, and he showed no sign of panic.

Having dealt with some of the nine old acquaintances of China for many years, he knew that they would not easily go to extremes. Judging from today's scene, they would most likely use a combination of kindness and severity.

In just a few seconds, he abandoned the idea of ​​fighting to the death and decided to try to gain as much advantage as possible while at a disadvantage, so he took the initiative to back down, saying:

"While the secret realm is important, the problem is that what's inside also carries immense risks. Not every country has the capability to explore it. If one inadvertently stumbles into the territory of some highly intelligent life form, a devastating war can break out."

"Whoever has the technological advantage will secure an overwhelming victory. The fortune or misfortune brought by the secret realm is entirely in a Schrödinger's cat state; only God knows what will happen..."

"Yu, am I right about this?"

"Ah."

Yu Huai answered softly, agreeing with Novtori's statement.

Twenty years ago, during that exploration of the secret realm in China, they were extremely lucky and did not encounter any highly intelligent life forms. All that was left behind were broken ruins and a pile of mech remains.

If it were an intact mech, and the dominant creature of the secret realm were still alive, the consequences would be unimaginable. A great war would be inevitable. Based on the survival rules between civilizations, the higher-level side would often spare no effort to destroy the lower-level side, showing no mercy whatsoever.

"Regarding the last clause of the contract, the right to know, explore, and develop ancient ruins, extraterrestrial life, and the folded space of reality—I can promise you these rights."

Novtori said this without any emotional fluctuation, and then he demanded:

"Instead, we need more of your assistance, but it won't involve your mech manufacturing technology."

"Go on."

Yu Huai smiled faintly and said he would consider it carefully.

Novtori secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the other party didn't reject him outright, there was still hope. He slowly explained his needs:

"1. Ability Detector: We need this monitoring tool that works in conjunction with the Ability Lock. Without it, we can't find those powerful threats, and the Ability Lock's role is barely worthwhile."

"2. The technology and resources obtained by both parties in the secret realm should be shared for mutual benefit and win-win results."

"3. When a subversive crisis occurs in our country, namely the emergence of a Level 5 rebel, we will need your help to quell the unrest. In return, you will receive the natural resources you desire, which will be provided by us without the need for mining. In addition, the corpses of Level 5 awakened individuals can be studied together."

"4. The above requirements are valid for three years. If both parties are satisfied with the cooperation after the expiration, a new renewal can be proposed."

"These are my heartfelt words, and we are willing to make some adjustments through negotiation. I humbly request your country's consent."

Novtori made every effort to supplement the contract.

If the other party still refuses to budge under these circumstances, then there's nothing he can do; all he can do is die.

Representatives from other countries were immediately impressed by Novtori's demands, seeing them as a good decision that at least balanced the exchange value between the two sides.

"How about the jade?"

Novtori asked in a low voice.

"The conditions aren't too harsh, but there are a few things that need to be modified. Let's discuss them."

Yu Huai did not explicitly object to the four proposals; he planned to first discuss his opinions with the five representatives from his side.

"Okay... I hope we can both have a pleasant outcome."

Novtori smiled, his tense nerves slowly relaxing. At this point, he was basically at ease, and there was no problem for him to walk out alive today.

"Yu, we can also supplement similar agreements!"

Douglas, from the British camp, was eager to seize this opportunity and took the initiative to extend a friendly gesture.

"You? Just think it through."

Yu Huai smiled nonchalantly, too lazy to argue with him, and was willing to give him a way out.

"After all... there's plenty of time, no rush."

The tense atmosphere quickly eased, and the delegations from the eleven countries continued their internal discussions and voting, soon reaching a consensus.

On the Chinese side, Yu Huai, along with Lu Jin, the Old Celestial Master, and the two highest-ranking officials from the Nine Departments, revised some of the four requirements.

"Three years is too short. Secondly, we can designate three access rights to the discovered secret realms without time limits, just in case."

This is the old Celestial Master's idea.

"Yes, the location of the secret realm is constantly changing, so it's hard to guarantee when it will appear."