Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high! Chapter 833: 599 Development and Old Friends2

Strongly asserting contact can easily provoke resentnt from other cities. Instead, establishing a foundation of trust through peaceful comrcial interaction is a better starting point. This was their initial plan.

Whether their approach was on the right track or not, at least they were truly striving to carry out their directive.

As for the final outco, it would depend on further developnts.

"As for the team of information experts you requested, my lord, we are actively working on its formation. As the Minister of Information, Minister Eric has dedicated a great deal of effort to the matter."

The most important step in intercity communication, of course, is the ability for real-ti interaction.

In fact, the capability to help restore information technology is one of Blackwater City's unique strengths.

Using technological superiority to aid in gaining an advantageous position in city relations was also part of their various plans.

"That's good." Bai E nodded.

Fortunately, the city had soone like Kiro Lan—an absolutely reliable subordinate. Even during Bai E's absence, everything in the city was progressing smoothly.

"Additionally..." Kiro Lan's eyes shone with a peculiar glimr as she spoke, "There's a woman who's returned from the Root Server base. She's been waiting in the city for your return. Would you like to et her?"

Though she was seeking permission, Kiro Lan's tone carried a faint trace of reluctance.

As a fellow woman, she was all too aware of the fiery anticipation in the words of the returning woman when she spoke of Bai E.

This made her... slightly uncomfortable.

"A woman?" Bai E was montarily stunned, mories drifting to the distant past.

A woman returning from the Root Server base—other than Minister Eric's assistant, there shouldn't be anyone else.

Miss Aryan... that seems to be her na.

The last ti they t was back when Bai E subdued the "Virtual World."

It was also from that mont that Bai E gained the most significant advantage in this world—

An almost inexhaustible supply of Spiritual Energy drawn from the Virtual World!

"Where is she?" Bai E asked.

Back then, Bai E's actions—whether or not this reserved woman had realized anything—remained unclear.

However, up until Bai E rose to beco the city's leader, no inquiries or scrutiny related to the "Virtual World" had ever been directed their way by city officials. This suggested that, even if the woman had noticed sothing, she had chosen not to report even the slightest detail to the city's authorities.

In any case, Bai E felt it necessary to express gratitude in person.

"She's in the VIP guest reception room."

Her residence in the Central City District had been ruthlessly destroyed on the night of the Bloody Night in Blackwater City.

And since she herself wasn't in the city at the ti, no one reported it.

Upon her return, she had been staying exclusively in a guest room.

For soone of her stature, as long as she was willing to formally apply to the city for housing, her request would certainly be granted.

But the fact that she had made no such move implied... she had never intended to stay in the city for long.

Her return this ti was likely driven by so unfulfilled wish, nothing more.

With a soft sigh, Kiro Lan led the way, taking Bai E to the city's VIP guest residence.

A woman dressed in a comfortable white coat was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through the tablet in her hands.

The reflection on the screen cast a subtle scholarly glow on her youthful face.

Bai E deliberately made a slight noise as they approached, instantly pulling the woman out of her concentration on the contents before her.

The black-frad-glasses-wearing woman turned her head, and the mont her gaze landed on Bai E, her expression froze, followed by a wave of pure delight washing over her face.

"Bai E!" she exclaid, her voice brimming with joy. Then, as if realizing sothing, she quickly reined in her excitent, slightly lowered her head, and softly corrected herself: "No, I should address you as Lord City Master now."

"It's fine. You can call whatever you like. Such titles are trivial and shouldn't matter." Bai E casually settled into the single-person sofa beside her, smiling warmly as he asked, "Why did you return from the base?"

"There was an important discovery—so physical data that couldn't be explained clearly online, so I requested to return with the team." Aryan spoke in the sa light-hearted tone as always, sharing her thoughts. "I've handed all the technical docuntation over to Helen. For further details, my lord, you may consult her. It concerns body modification technology from the Golden Age—yes, the very sa bioengineered subjects that once obstructed us."

As she spoke, Aryan's eyes stayed fixed on Bai E's face.

This was her only legitimate opportunity to gaze openly at him.

The explanations she gave about transferring files and finalizing details were all excuses. The truth was she simply wanted to see Bai E one more ti.

The initial stirrings of her heart had grown only more poignant with ti, though she had since found great fulfillnt and purpose diving deeply into the vast technology within the servers.

Still, her lingering feelings refused to fade completely.

"It's good that you ca back. But why stay in a place like this all this ti?" Bai E glanced around.

The VIP guest quarters were, of course, luxurious and well-maintained, but they lacked any real sense of ho and clearly weren't suited for long-term living.

"I wasn't planning to stay long..." Aryan tucked a strand of ssy hair behind her ear, smiling softly. "There are still so things I haven't finished handing over, but I'll be leaving in a few days."

How many "a few days" would last, however, depended on how long Bai E stayed.

'Just one glance. One glance is enough.'

Then, she would return to her work with ease.

Aryan silently reminded herself of this.

The forr special operations squad mber had since risen to beco the ruler of Blackwater City.

The gap between them, of course, left no room for the possibility of any further developnt.

She was fully aware of this reality. Therefore, she only wished to safeguard Bai E's "assets" for the rest of her life in quiet servitude.

As for the server intrusion records she had erased to protect Bai E back then... those would remain buried deep within her to eternity.

However, she hadn't expected Bai E to gaze deeply into her eyes and lightly broach the subject of those past events...

"At the ti, you must have realized sothing, didn't you?"

Aryan was not a fool.

Bai E did not believe she'd let her rationality completely fall apart due to a fleeting youthful infatuation, even in her younger days.

The woman who was now under Bai E's scrutiny froze, her face gradually showing signs of flustered panic.

Her delicate thoughts seed to have all been laid bare. Overwheld with both agitation and embarrassnt, her eyebrows lowered, and her long lashes trembled slightly. "You... you knew everything?"

Bai E smiled faintly. "I just thought it was fitting for soone as intelligent as Miss Aryan to figure things out."

Crimson spread across Aryan's skin, starting at her neck and climbing to the tips of her ears. Her voice trembled slightly as she replied, "Actually... actually, I pieced things together only after you left. But even then... even then, you didn't leave behind anything incriminating at all. I... I was just guessing."

"Your guess was correct. Back then, I went specifically for the so-called 'Virtual World.'" Bai E admitted openly, expressing sincere gratitude: "Which is why I must thank you for your protection at the ti. Thank you, Miss Aryan."

"There's... there's no need to thank ."

"Alright, let's not dwell on this anymore. If we keep talking, you're going to overheat entirely..." Seeing Aryan's flushed face, Bai E smiled helplessly.

The teasing comnt left Aryan stunned for a mont before she quickly lifted her head to look at him. "Wait... Lord Bai E, you can joke too?"

"..." Bai E's lips pressed into a thin line, remaining silent.

For a long ti, his self-imposed isolation had caused him to nearly forget the kind of person he once was.

Surely, it wasn't the cold, chanical persona he had shown to others over the years?

Indeed... what type of person had he been before?

He could scarcely rember anymore...

As the ti spent wandering through this world grew longer, mories of his previous life were becoming increasingly blurred.