Arknights:The Madman Doctor Strikes Again!

As the pounding bass of D.D.D.'s DJ set shook the halls of Rhodes Island, everyone was swept up in celebration.

Even Kal'tsit, who normally shunned such festivities, stopped by for a short while. Though she quickly returned to her office, a rare flicker of joy surfaced on her usually stoic face.

At her request, the party was set to end before midnight. But Jay made a promise once the conflict with Reunion was resolved, they'd throw an even bigger celebration.

That promise alone gave the operators a burst of renewed motivation.

After a night of partying, the whole of Rhodes Island regrouped and began preparing in earnest for the upcoming campaign against Reunion.

According to the intelligence provided earlier by W, now that Reunion had taken control of Chernobog, their next logical target would be the closest mobile city, Lungmen.

If Rhodes Island could secure a cooperation agreement with Lungmen, not only would they gain a powerful ally, but they would also benefit tremendously from Lungmen's economic system and infrastructure.

But first, the negotiation had to succeed.

Two days later, the team stood before an ornate, gold-trimmed door deep within Lungmen's administrative district.

This was the place where Rhodes Island would meet with Lungmen's leader, Wei Yenwu.

"Doctor, leave the negotiations to Amiya and me. Just accompany us, and most importantly, do not say anything unnecessary."

"Got it. I understand."

Before they entered, Kal'tsit leaned in and whispered the warning to Jay.

Given that Jay had lost his memory, it was unlikely he'd be able to contribute anything meaningful to the talks. More importantly, after some of his recent... erratic behavior, Kal'tsit was genuinely worried he might say something absurd that would instantly tank the entire negotiation.

Still, bringing him along was necessary to demonstrate the full sincerity of Rhodes Island's leadership.

Once they were ready, Kal'tsit, Amiya, and Jay pushed open the door and stepped into a lavishly decorated chamber.

Seated at the head of the room was Wei Yenwu, Lungmen's leader. Standing just behind him, stern and silent, was Chief Superintendent Ch'en of the Lungmen Guard Department.

"Tch."

Ch'en's eyes narrowed as soon as the Rhodes Island group entered, watching them with obvious caution.

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense.

The negotiation began.

"Let me be blunt," Wei Yenwu said after a round of preliminary discussion, tossing Rhodes Island's proposal across the table.

"You're nothing more than a pharmaceutical company with some private armed forces. What gives you the qualifications to sign a military cooperation agreement with Lungmen? Do you seriously believe you have the strength to fend off Reunion, who outnumber you several times over?"

Lungmen's goal was clear use Rhodes Island's combat capabilities to eliminate Reunion while minimizing casualties among Lungmen's own forces. But if Rhodes Island couldn't deliver on that, then this partnership would be meaningless.

"Mr. Wei, please don't underestimate us," Amiya said firmly, staring him down without fear. "We've already had direct combat with Reunion in Chernobog. My companions and I have seen their terrifying leader with our own eyes someone who's no different from a walking catastrophe."

Wei Yenwu raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the mention of Reunion's mysterious leader.

"You've been through that much at such a young age... impressive," he murmured.

Ch'en, however, remained cold. In her eyes, Lungmen didn't need to rely on some unknown outsider organization. She believed she could lead the Lungmen Guard herself and crush any threat Reunion posed.

Kal'tsit, clearly pleased with Amiya's growth, added calmly, "It's not about numbers. It's about precision. Our Doctor, for example, managed to lead a successful counterattack in Chernobog and even forced Reunion's leader into retreat."

"What?"

"This Doctor... was capable of that?"

Wei Yenwu and Ch'en were both visibly taken aback.

Meanwhile, Jay sat quietly off to the side, fighting back a smirk.

Wow, Kal'tsit really knows how to hype someone up...

Sure, he did stop Talulah back in Chernobog but only by pulling the most ridiculous move imaginable: confessing his love to her mid-battle. It wasn't exactly the kind of thing that sounded strategic on paper.

But if you ignored the details and focused just on the outcome, yeah... it did sound pretty epic.

Now, as Wei Yenwu and Ch'en stared at him with genuine curiosity and admiration, Jay couldn't help but feel a little amused by the whole situation.

"This Doctor," Wei said, crossing his arms and leaning forward slightly, "you've barely said a word since you entered. Don't you have anything you'd like to share with us?"

Ch'en leaned in too, curiosity plain on her face.

"How exactly did you defeat the leader of Reunion? What makes you and Rhodes Island so... special?"

Jay remained silent, smiling.

Then, the system's voice echoed in his mind.

[Please choose from the following options:]

[Rational Option]"..."Stay silent and follow Kal'tsit's advice. Project the aura of a mysterious and powerful figure.

Reward: +10 Intelligence, +30 Sanity

[Unhinged Option]Gift Ch'en a limited-edition Lungmen Chanel bikini set and a high-pressure slime shotgun in front of everyone.

Reward: Dimensional Storage RoomUpon gifting, the host will receive a matching bikini and shotgun.

Special Reward: Next summer event, Ch'en joins Rhodes Island as a limited-edition sniper operator.

Note: Items gifted through this option will be instantly provided by the system. No prep required. Easy and convenient!

Note 2: The high-pressure slime shotgun is a fusion of cutting-edge tech and Originium Arts. Just add water and it's good to go.Deals heavy AoE damage and slows all targets in its blast radius.Perfect for beach vacations and... cleaning up evidence.

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