Chapter 486: Chapter 323: Prelude to the Storm
Alexander stood in front of the case, looking at the life organs inside and said, "I didn’t personally handle the aftermath of that matter. Anyway, the message I received was that the operation department took Qian Dai Temple to the operating table, removed all non-essential organs and tissues, leaving only the basic life system and the nerves necessary for sensing pain."
"Then, they put what could barely be called ’Qian Dai Temple’ into a life support chamber, sealed it for over a decade, continually maintaining her life vitality, intermittently stimulating it with electrical currents."
"I find it hard to comment on how it feels in this state, but according to the monitoring instruments, her nerves respond with signal feedback each time she receives external stimuli—this means her consciousness exists and is intact."
Looking at the pair of eyeballs suspended in the nutrient solution, connected densely through nerves to the brain and staring motionlessly at him, Dongdong couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.
For over ten years, day after day, night after night, soaked in this life support device, the body was gone, yet the consciousness persisted, unable to live, unable to die, surviving just like this in perpetual darkness.
It could hardly be called living, just as Alexander said, it was only ’alive.’
Alexander looked at the frowning Dongdong, a meaningful smile on his face: "At that time, in order to restore Su Mo’s reputation, you insisted on seeking revenge on Lucifer, offending Hegemony Company to death. Did you ever think how close you were to ending up like this?"
Dongdong remained silent for a while, his brows suddenly smoothed, and he chuckled briefly: "Did you think my life was any better than this before the boss pulled me out of the quagmire at the edge?"
Alexander was stunned there, not expecting such an answer. After regaining his composure, he let out a hearty laugh: "You are truly an interesting person; I am becoming more and more intrigued by you."
Dongdong said indifferently: "Uncle, do me a favor, please, will you?"
Alexander: "Go ahead."
Dongdong: "Destroy the things in this tank and let her die completely."
Alexander’s gaze became profound: "So it was Chiyoda Shinnai who sent you, after all, it’s been over a decade, and the only person who still cares about Qian Dai Temple is her."
"Young man, you are still too naive, standing up for others without knowing you are being used as a pawn."
"We’ve told Chiyoda Shinnai long ago, if she could make a name for herself in the Mercenary Realm and come to work well for Iron Blood, we would naturally reconcile with her."
"But her potential is limited. Being a lukewarm seven-star is her limit, she can’t climb any higher, and her only chance to change her fate was when she hunted the Silent Death God, which she missed."
"Now she can’t meet the conditions herself and shamelessly comes to you for help, don’t you find it laughable?"
Dongdong calmly said: "There’s nothing laughable; I only know that I owe her one, just tell me if this can be done."
Alexander: "Of course, it can be done, but everything in the world has a price. To free Qian Dai Temple, what are you willing to pay me?"
Dongdong snorted coldly and said directly: "You know, I am an uneducated street punk; I can’t handle this kind of negotiating back and forth, and I have nothing to offer you."
"If it’s money, I have some, but someone of your status surely wouldn’t care for what little I have."
"If it’s power, I never considered myself a commoner, but surely there are experts stronger than me in this building who you can command with a snap of your fingers, you don’t need me."
"If it’s allegiance, I will only stay on the Edge; I will only be the boss’s person, and it’s impossible to expect me to join Iron Blood, don’t even think about it."
"So, I really have nothing to give you. If I have to say something, I’ll remember this favor, and if one day you fall on hard times and can’t afford a meal, I’ll share a bit of mine with you, something like that."
After hearing this, Alexander burst into hearty laughter, shook his head teasingly: "You have a very clear self-awareness, you indeed don’t know how to negotiate with people."
After speaking, he approached the control panel, entered a code, and a metal column popped up in front of the life support chamber, upon which a red button could be seen.
Alexander: "This red button is the high-voltage current control switch. Once pressed, the fragile life organs in the chamber will be destroyed, and Qian Dai Temple will be released."
Dongdong: "You agreed?"
Alexander said nonchalantly: "After more than a decade, if Qian Dai Temple has anything left to repay, it’s almost enough."
"As you said, the rest is selling you a favor. For the Second-in-Command of the Edge to run personally for such a small matter, this bit of face should indeed be given."
Dongdong said nothing more, walked over, and pressed the red button.
A violent blue light flashed in the life support chamber, then it quickly fell into silence.
The organs in the chamber showed no apparent change, but their vitality was entirely destroyed by the powerful electric shock just now.
The existence of Qian Dai Temple was completely dead.
Although Dongdong was young, she had grown and killed many people by now, but at this moment, an inexplicable sense of loss welled up within her.
She did not know Qian Dai Temple, had no connection to this person.
She came here at Chiyoda Shinnai’s request, not to do something wrong.
Yet, when the surge of electricity instantly took Qian Dai Temple’s life, and upon recalling the reason she was trapped here, Dongdong still felt a heavy sensation in her heart.
