"What do you plan to exchange?" Wang Yiyang remained unmoved. He worked to stabilize his expression, making himself match the identity of a corporate board director.
Though he wanted to ask a barrage of questions, composure, careful consideration, restraint, and depth were the qualities befitting a board director and head of security.
"K-crystal drug. The one you've always wanted. How about it?" Kesatire answered softly.
"..." Wang Yiyang's heart skipped. He understood the implication now.
According to the information in his mind, Kesatire was nothing like his mild, indifferent surface appearance.
He'd been warned multiple times by the board of directors for human drug testing experiments.
But what was remarkable was that each time, he managed to turn danger into safety and easily escape accountability in the Federation's official channels.
Even if exposed, he would simply adopt a new shell identity and begin another round of experiments.
So now, when the other party wanted elite squads to escort something, his true purpose was questionable.
K-crystal drug was the corporation's research division's latest achievement, purportedly capable of comprehensively enhancing all aspects of human physiology while extending lifespan.
It hadn't been completed because it was still undergoing further development.
He never expected Kesatire to have already completed it. He just hadn't announced it yet.
It seemed Kesatire saw through Wang Yiyang's thoughts. He smiled. "I'm about to announce K-crystal drug to the board of directors. So I'm asking you, if I really use K-crystal drug as leverage and put it on the board's table, who will become the next chairman?"
After a moment of silence, Wang Yiyang nodded.
"Alright. I can dispatch an elite squad for you, but what I want isn't just K-crystal drug. I need your support with my problems."
"Haha, for your affairs, the best I can do is offer some help from the sidelines," Kesatire said, shaking his head with a smile.
He wasn't eager to wade into murky waters. The security division's problems were far more serious than his own. If it were just standing with the wrong faction or conflicting with the incoming chairman, that would still be manageable.
But Wang Yiyang's troubles were far more complicated than that.
"That won't work. My most elite forces must be deployed on the most critical matter," Wang Yiyang said in a low tone, beginning to negotiate terms.
Though rejected, Kesatire already knew that from here on it was merely a matter of degree. Wang Yiyang had essentially already agreed.
Moments later.
Wang Yiyang opened the car door and walked back into the restaurant calmly.
Kesatire's subordinates were still stationed around the area, but at some point a few scattered groups of onlookers had appeared behind them.
These groups appeared to be just watching, but hidden targeting sights were already fixed on every vital point of Kesatire's subordinates.
With just one word from Wang Yiyang, this place would instantly become a battleground between two forces.
The blonde man with the slicked-back hair bowed slightly once more to Wang Yiyang, then waved his hand.
The bald bodyguards quickly retreated, boarding cars that pulled around to pick them up.
Soon, with Kesatire's vehicle leading the way, an entire convoy rapidly disappeared down the street.
Wang Yiyang watched the convoy disappear, exhaling in relief while simultaneously feeling a wave of profound doubt.
Doubt about this hidden identity and its problems.
"Never mind. Since he came seeking cooperation, I'll deal with that later. First I need to resolve grandfather's case."
With that incident, he'd lost any appetite to continue eating and drinking.
When the casual chat had happened earlier, Kesatire's car had silently turned a corner. So after getting out of the car, Wang Yiyang walked a short distance before returning to the restaurant.
"Director." A young woman with red hair approached from the side, her expression urgent, speaking softly.
Wang Yiyang raised his hand slightly, preventing her from continuing.
"There was suddenly a traffic jam outside. I saw it. It was Kesatire's doing. It's not your people's fault," he said gently.
The red-haired woman quickly bowed her head.
"Thank you for your understanding!"
"Have everyone withdraw and spread out. Also, send a more ordinary car over. Have Jane Safitte come to my place afterward."
"Yes."
After giving the orders and watching the red-haired woman quickly leave, Wang Yiyang slowly made his way back to the private room.
The series of events that just occurred had happened very suddenly.
But because of the subsequent handling and cover-up by his subordinates, few people in the restaurant had actually seen him get in the car or speak with Kesatire.
The other party had made such an ostentatious show, seemingly unconcerned about being seen. This troubled Wang Yiyang.
He returned to the private room very soon.
Wang Yiyang acted as though nothing happened, not bringing up the earlier matter. Seeing him not mention it, none of the others were tactless enough to ask directly.
Everyone continued eating, drinking, and chatting.
But the sudden incident just now left everyone with lingering questions.
Shortly after, the private room door opened again. An Yuxi, who had gone to the restroom earlier, returned and closed the door behind her, returning to her seat as if nothing had happened.
After more eating and drinking, Wang Yiyang finally stood up, raised a glass to everyone, and said some farewell words.
The meal finally concluded.
The gathering had consumed about two hours, and it was almost time to return to work.
Wang Yiyang exchanged phone numbers with everyone, standing at the restaurant entrance, arranging taxis to send each person off.
Since everyone was heading back to the company, they squeezed together and took three cabs.
But what somewhat surprised Wang Yiyang was that An Yuxi seemed quite drunk, swaying unsteadily against the restaurant counter, barely able to stand.
Xie Xiaodan and Xia Ying had originally planned to help her back, but she refused them on the grounds that work was about to start late, pushing them away.
Two other male colleagues, feeling their relationship with her was close enough, volunteered to stay and accompany her. She politely declined them as well and sent them away.
This girl said she'd return on her own, but leaning against the counter, she suddenly found she couldn't get up.
Her face flushed, swaying on the sofa to the right of the counter, looking quite unable to hold her liquor.
"Are you alright?"
Though Wang Yiyang had things to do and was eager to return, the other party was still a colleague, and she'd gotten drunk at his dinner. He couldn't just ignore her.
"It's nothing. Just had too much to drink. My head is spinning," An Yuxi said softly, holding her head. "Brother Yang, you go on ahead. I'm fine."
The more she said this, the more Wang Yiyang found he couldn't just leave.
"How about this: rest for a bit. I'll send you back to the company afterward," Wang Yiyang said, checking his watch.
An Yuxi's heart leaped with joy. She'd achieved her goal.
She'd snuck out earlier to use the restroom specifically to ask the restaurant staff about that blonde man's dramatic appearance.
Though she hadn't seen Wang Yiyang's exact level, she figured it couldn't be low.
So she'd thought of creating an opportunity for private contact with Wang Yiyang.
After all, in a gathering like earlier, even if she interacted with him, there wouldn't be much progress.
But if she'd gotten drunk from this gathering and felt unwell, then out of responsibility as the host, Wang Yiyang would naturally create this private contact situation.
An Yuxi calculated in her mind.
She wasn't necessarily attracted to Wang Yiyang. She simply wanted to try making contact to see if she could access another circle, gain more options.
If she could reach his circle through Wang Yiyang, that would be even better.
During dinner, she'd already imperceptibly grown much closer with Xia Ying. Combined with this Wang Yiyang connection, the goal of this dinner had essentially been achieved.
Wang Yiyang had no idea how many schemes this girl was cooking up.
He sat to the side, waiting for more than half an hour. Once An Yuxi seemed a bit better, he called her a cab and sent her off.
During that time, the two chatted casually, and their relationship became somewhat more familiar. They'd progressed beyond being complete strangers at work.
Truth be told, if Wang Yiyang weren't occupied with other matters, he wouldn't have minded getting to know this pretty colleague better.
But circumstances were special. He couldn't afford to be distracted now.
After sending An Yuxi off, Wang Yiyang gave a subtle nod to someone nearby.
Very quickly, out of the shadows came instruction, and within half a minute, an elongated luxury black bulletproof car with a lustrous finish pulled up slowly before him.
The muscular driver quickly exited, handed Wang Yiyang the keys, then rapidly departed.
Wang Yiyang had long wanted to try driving himself. Now that the opportunity presented itself, he didn't hesitate.
In the past, he'd had no money for a car. Now that he had the means, he definitely wanted to try.
After driving for a while to scratch the itch, Wang Yiyang quickly got out and exchanged the car for an ordinary cab, heading toward his rental apartment.
Jane Safitte was already waiting there with the latest interrogation results.
...
...
Before grandfather's incident, Wang Yiyang's life was very simple.
Work every day, movies during lunch breaks or virtual reality games, more work in the afternoon.
Dinner usually consisted of cheap meals at small restaurants with colleagues or fried rice and noodles at his rental apartment.
Evenings were spent reading novels, playing computer games, wandering around casually, or buying snacks.
If there were good TV shows, anime, or anything like that, he'd stay up to binge-watch. Variety shows were absolutely off limits.
Sometimes, feeling a sudden impulse that he was wasting time, Wang Yiyang would search for professional advancement materials and study for a day or two.
Then old habits would resurface.
Of course, this was all before the incident.
Without parental oversight or family responsibilities, with only a few friends, Wang Yiyang's life seemed drab and monotonous, but he himself found joy in it.
But now...
Sitting in the cab heading back to his rental apartment.
Wang Yiyang thought about many things along the way. That system-like entity and the hidden identity it gave him had brought unprecedented massive impact.
Money, power, status and position.
In an instant, everything he'd previously pursued, dreamed of, and hoped to have was his.
Yet he still had a hollow, floating feeling in his chest.
Because he knew that though his identity had indeed changed, in essence he was still an ordinary office worker. If he truly had to manage the vast Myst security division, he lacked the ability.
With the chip's help, he could get real-time translations of Areshaian within Myst, could understand and speak a few simple Areshaian phrases. This was already his limit.
And once something major happened in the security division, likely all he could do was panic and not know what to do.
He got out of the cab.
Wang Yiyang stood before the dilapidated small building of his rental apartment, looking up at the window of his rented unit.
"Regardless, I'll first use this identity to completely resolve grandfather's case!"
His heart was set. He stopped overthinking, walked into the building's stairwell.