Light Fortress
Chapter 341 - 33 Trust Transactions

Chapter 341: Chapter 33 Trust Transactions

"Ling Qisan..."

"I am the ’Key’."

The voice emerged strangely, out of nowhere, rising simultaneously with the punctual chiming of a clock.

Lin Lin’s spirit, which had just relaxed, instantly tensed up again.

Not until he was certain...that the voice was not a figment of his imagination, but came through some sort of "channel" directly into his mind.

Was this...a Spiritual Link?

"The Key..."

He recalled the brief encounter in the conference room before, where that not-so-tall young man made his entrance under the gaze of numerous eyes.

"I would like to talk to you..."

That thread of mental oscillation continued warmly, as if it were inquiring his willingness.

Lin Lin sent back a thought of assent.

The next moment.

His consciousness was enveloped by a flood, familiar as the feeling of "entering" the conference room, only this time more rapid, yet gentler.

The conference room had been closed.

Ever since the last summoning, members of the Ancient Literature Society had been unable to enter the Spiritual Link; it was a protective measure that appeared after the ’Key’ did, with everyone waiting for the day when the meeting room would reopen.

He had assumed it would be a large-scale meeting.

But Lin Lin never imagined that in the conference room, there would be only two people.

Himself.

And the ’Key’.

...

...

Lin Lin sat on one side of the long table, scrutinizing the environment of the conference room... Well, the lighting was still dim, but the atmosphere was much better than before, free from the eerie feeling that each meeting used to bring.

After looking around, he gazed toward the end of the long table.

In this room, the two of them were not far apart.

But it felt as if they were separated by a thousand mountains and rivers... The young man sitting at the end of the table was shrouded in mist, like a mountain, like an abyss.

"The ’Key’ holds the channels for Spiritual Link with everyone in this room... to be able to contact me directly..."

Up to that moment, Lin Lin was still pondering the voice that had arisen in his mind,

This was quite astonishing.

"Just as you thought..."

The young man sitting opposite him, as if possessing a Mind Reading Technique, explained with a smile, "I can contact every ’free spirit’ in the conference room and have the authority to convene a meeting at any time. However, the voice just now could only be achieved within the range the Deep Sea can cover."

Having his thoughts exposed, Lin Lin unconsciously paused.

In the conference room, the figure known as 073, the "tall man," assumed a somewhat awkward posture.

This was a very frightening ability...

"You can think of it as... within the Deep Sea Network, I enjoy a unique set of privileges."

Gu Shen said with a smile, "After all, the existence of this conference room is an extraordinary product hidden right under the ’Deep Sea’s’ nose. It makes sense... doesn’t it?"

"..."

The tall man narrowed his eyes but did not respond.

"One thing you can be assured of is that everyone wears a mask... I can neither remove it nor probe beneath it," Gu Shen spoke gently, "Respecting secrets, keeping secrets, is the foundation of trust for our conversation here."

Hearing this, Lin Lin relaxed slightly in his seat.

For the Ancient Literature Society, the ’Key’ was a rumored object sought for twenty years but never found. Before its actual emergence, no one believed that it truly existed...

After the ’Key’ appeared, everyone’s mood became very complex.

They harbored expectations,

Yet could not help feeling disappointed.

The rumored "Key," meant to save the hope of the shattered Ancient Literature Society, appeared to be just a young boy... Could such a person be trusted?

"I hope... that one day, everyone sitting in this meeting room can remove their masks and see each other face to face," Gu Shen said with a smile. "I’d rather see your faces than cold code names."

Such a beautiful wish.

Only... things that sound beautiful often aren’t as people imagine.

"The meeting room could collapse at any time. Each of us is a separate spark of life. In such a situation, preserving oneself is the clearest course of action," Lin Lin said calmly. "No one wants to leave a record in the deep sea... Even if you are the ’Key,’ I still advise you to maintain the highest level of vigilance. Our enemy is the entire Federation Government."

"Very good advice, which I will keep in mind..." Gu Shen said. "But I’ve got some good news for you: the meeting room that could collapse at any moment is now stable again."

Lin Lin always had a tight string in his heart.

For many years, every meeting called was tense.

No one knew what would happen tomorrow... In this vast deep water area, every system self-check, upgrade, and search was a silent battle for life and death.

Walking into this meeting required great courage.

And those who joined wore masks not out of suspicion... but for their own safety.

Even after each meeting, when the data was destroyed, no one could guarantee that the mainframe, uniting the Extraordinary Computational Power of the Five Continents and constantly surpassing itself, wouldn’t piece together the shattered truth one day.

"Including the records from previous meetings, I’ve also cleaned up the data remnants... I’ve destroyed them at the very bottom of the ’source code,’ so no one will be able to trace our ’past’ here," Gu Shen said.

This was actually a very reassuring statement.

Upon hearing this, Lin Lin began to feel at ease looking at the boy.

He didn’t make small talk or exchange pleasantries, but asked directly, "You sought me out alone... You didn’t just want to say these things, did you?"

Gu Shen just gave a wry smile.

Such a North Continent style, simple and direct.

So he wouldn’t beat around the bush either.

"I need your help with a favor." Gu Shen took out that list and slowly said, "There are some materials here that only North Continent can get... Do you have a way?"

Lin Lin didn’t reach for it but narrowed his eyes, staring at Gu Shen.

"You know... that I’m from North Continent?"

"I have a contact in the real world, the one who holds the ’Red Gate,’" Gu Shen had anticipated Ling Qisan’s reaction and said warmly: "You are the second visitor after the meeting room was repaired; you weren’t just randomly chosen as a lucky audience member."

That’s carefully selected free labor, isn’t it?

Lin Lin took the list.

He glanced at it and said in a deep voice, "I can get these materials... "

He agreed readily.

But immediately after, Lin Lin stated his condition, "However, I want to see you, to see for myself what the rumored ’Key’ is really like."

The biggest problem in this meeting room was trust.

As the "Key," an entity that had never participated in a meeting yet was considered the "leader"... The only person Gu Shen could contact now was Lu Nanzhi.

The Ancient Literature Society members, scattered across the Five Continents after surviving brutal purges, had paper-thin trust for "strangers."

And Gu Shen.

Was the biggest stranger of them all.

"A very reasonable request... In fact, I don’t want to hide my identity in the real world, because I’m just a minor character," Gu Shen sighed lightly, choosing to be completely candid.

He smiled and continued, "But both you and I understand that now... is not yet the time. Perhaps you understand this even better than I do, since your position is more sensitive. Being in North Continent, powerful and influential, I think I could even address you as Mr. Lin now... Mr. Lin, even if I were to reveal myself, you wouldn’t do the same, nor would you believe that the person who appeared is the true ’Key.’ In such a situation, our trust would only worsen, wouldn’t it?"

Lin Lin also smiled: "Interesting... What do you want to do?"

"The masks between us must be approached slowly, removed gradually. This will take time and more interactions."

The whole scattered Ancient Literature Society was like this.

Individual strands of wildfire, to gather, had to unite.

Gu Shen earnestly said: "After completing this transaction safely and smoothly, perhaps you’ll be able to guess who my contact is... This transaction is not about anything else, just about trust."

Lin Lin narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment, and then slowly looked up.

"All right, I agree to you. What are the details of this exchange?"