"Oh... really?" Xiao Zheng remained noncommittal, picked up the cup, tasted it, then chuckled and put it down, saying, "How did you know I like to drink this—skim milk no-sugar mocha? I just made it myself."
"I guessed, do you believe it?" Catherine rolled her eyes at Xiao Zheng, holding her cappuccino, and said sowhat helplessly.
Xiao Zheng fell silent, his eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the girl in front of him. Catherine, seemingly undeterred, t his gaze with a smile, but she couldn’t completely hide the hint of unease in her eyes.
"Don’t worry, I won’t conclude you’re right based on this," Xiao Zheng shrugged and shifted his gaze away.
Upon hearing this, a flicker of sadness passed through Catherine’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
"You’ve co to seek out, you have questions, I presu?"
"Yes."
"Okay, what is it?"
Xiao Zheng remained silent, his expression gradually darkening. After a brief pause, he raised his head and asked, "How confident is Sky Net in winning this war?"
Catherine raised an eyebrow, but showed no sign of surprise. She smiled at Xiao Zheng and replied in a light-hearted tone, "Not at all, to be precise, relying solely on Sky Net as it is now, it’s very difficult."
Hearing this, Xiao Zheng fell silent again. Catherine’s eyes glistened as she looked at his face and gaze, hoping to catch a glimpse of hesitation.
Yet, to her disappointnt, even upon hearing such a pessimistic assessnt, Xiao Zheng’s expression remained calm, with his gaze unmoved.
She smiled wryly, knowing this was the case. Her superior had always been like this since a long ti ago; no matter what major event was placed before him, he invariably maintained this composed deanor.
"So you need to take action," Xiao Zheng pondered for a long ti, then raised his head and asked solemnly.
"Yes, if you don’t act, we’ll all be dood."
Catherine shrugged, making no attempt to hide her intentions. She understood that in front of soone like Xiao Zheng, any lie would be imdiately detected, so truthfulness was the wisest choice.
"You are really straightforward." Xiao Zheng chuckled at her honesty, raised his cup toward her, took a sip, and continued, "But with things being so tough now, why waste ti here? Honestly, pinning your hopes on an uncertain possibility is gambler-like behavior and could lead to your complete downfall."
Catherine nodded, placing her mug down, crossed her arms over her chest, lay back on the sofa, and gazed at Xiao Zheng with a gentle smile, "There’s no choice. Sky Net never gambles, but when the opponent in the ga is you, the gamble must proceed regardless of our wishes."
"Why?" Xiao Zheng frowned deeply.
"Because..." Catherine leaned closer, her gaze unwavering as she looked at Xiao Zheng, speaking each word slowly and clearly, "We can never give up on you."
"Even if I want to give up on you?"
Catherine smiled, but said nothing.
Xiao Zheng fell silent, and after a long ti, he sighed deeply, got up slowly, and headed outside.
This ti, he admitted he was sowhat shaken.
Regardless of whether what the woman said was true, he was sowhat... moved.
Catherine remained silent, watching Xiao Zheng’s departing figure until he completely disappeared from her sight. Only then did a trace of forlorn sadness slowly settle on her face.
She gazed at the bright moon and stars in the sky, lost in thought.
How could she not know the crisis Sky Net faced? How could she not want to rush back to join the battle?
But she couldn’t do that. Because currently, everyone within Sky Net who had contact with Xiao Zheng was drawn into the conflict by Beidao Guang and the Great Sound Buddha Sect. She was the only one who could influence Xiao Zheng, the last hope for Sky Net.
Because Xiao Zheng was still here, she couldn’t leave.
However...
Oh heavens, please bless my friends, may they be safe...
Zhonghai City, Sky Net Base.
Leng Ruobing looked up at the bright moon, the cold moonlight falling on her cold face, yet giving her a warmth she hadn’t felt for a long ti.
When the bright moon dips behind the mountains, only then do the stars shine.
She didn’t rember where she read such a sentence, but she recalled it was a warning to the world.
What is unseen doesn’t an it doesn’t exist, only that it’s overshadowed by brighter light, and when they reveal their true selves.
It will shock everyone.
Today’s war was over, and she finally had so leisure to clear her weary mind. She rubbed her tired forehead, sitting sprawled in the chair with an exhausted expression.
No matter what, today’s battle was endured, but what about tomorrow?
Tonight, have the beasts of the night truly fallen asleep with the coming darkness?
What about the Great Sound Monk who suddenly appeared on the battlefield? What will he do, what’s his stand?
As a decision-maker, Leng Ruobing faced not just an individual on the battlefield, but opposing decision-makers indirectly confronting her.
This was a chessboard disadvantageous yet with possibilities for a turnaround, where any move by any force could determine the outco, and her task was to position her pieces optimally to respond to potential threats.
But potential threats are inscrutable; no matter how clever one is, they’re impossible to see through.
Because they’re human hearts.
The human heart is unpredictable; she murmured this phrase, her expression gradually darkening.
If I were Bei Daohai, what would I do now...
"If I were Sky Net’s decision-maker, can you guess what I’d do?" Bei Daohai placed a piece coldly, then raised his head to look at Tian Yin, and asked icily.
"Perhaps Master Bei Dao can see through every plan on the other side, but you certainly can’t see through..."
Bang!
Tian Yin heavily placed the black piece at the decisive position, then looked up, with a countenance indifferent, "You certainly can’t see through this move!"
Bei Daohai stared at the piece that sealed his fate, his lips slowly curving into a cold smile, "Abbot, sotis I really wonder, are you really blind to everything, or have you seen through it all and are just pretending otherwise?"
Tian Yin’s expression remained unchanged, his hands joined in prayer, calmly replying, "I suppose it’s not significant to Master Bei Dao."
"Oh..." Bei Daohai chuckled and then placed a white piece in a place of no real consequence, as if in a futile struggle, "If I were standing against you now, I would surely admit defeat. But alas, facing is you, Abbot."
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