Chapter 152: High-Dimensional Discussion (Part II)

A Bentley slowly pulled up in front of a private lounge in the capital. The door opened, and a pair of long, slender legs stepped out first. Gu Luoyan wore an orange-red trench coat, her long hair cascading freely, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

Carrying a dainty Chanel handbag, she pushed open the door of the lounge. Amidst the pleasant chime of a bell, a young man sitting at the bar turned around. He waved, the jade thumb ring on his hand catching the light with a verdant flash.

"Luoyan, long time no see. The usual?" Watching Gu Luoyan set her bag aside and gracefully seat herself in her pencil skirt, the young man offered a smiling suggestion. "The bartender has concocted something new called 'Oblivion.' Care to try a glass?"

"Bian Cheng, do you take me for some teenage girl who would fall for such a boring gimmick?" Gu Luoyan sneered. She took a pack of slender cigarettes from her purse, pulled one out, and lit it.

"The reason I asked you here isn't to reminisce. There isn't much history between us to speak of." Gu Luoyan's red lips looked exceptionally bewitching in the dim, shifting lights. "Let's not waste each other's emotions."

"Is that so?" Bian Cheng twirled the jade thumb ring on his thumb. "I thought you might still harbor some lingering affection for that night between us."

"Hah," Gu Luoyan scoffed coldly. She tossed her hair and replied dismissively, "You must be daydreaming. Do you really think I'd look back on something like that with fondness? Cut the crap, I brought you here because there's a matter to discuss."

"I've received word—the most up-to-date intelligence. Xiao Kaitian is about to be inducted into the Martial Arts Association." She held the slim cigarette between her fingers, her expression unreadable. "I imagine this isn't good news for your family."

"After all, the Bian family does have a blood feud with him."

"Hahahaha, it's my younger brother who has a feud with him, leave the Bian family out of this." The corners of Bian Cheng's mouth curved upward as he swirled the drink in his glass. "You want to use me to deal with Xiao Kaitian."

"That's right." Gu Luoyan tossed her long hair. She was undeniably striking, always adept at displaying her most captivating angles. "Well? Won't you help me?"

Bian Cheng sipped his drink and steered the conversation elsewhere. "I'm just curious. Is your painstaking effort to deal with Xiao Kaitian born from love turning to hatred, or is it a case of wanting to destroy what you cannot have? For a distinguished young lady of the Gu family to lose her heart to a fool—nobody would believe that if word got out."

"Shut your mouth!" Hatred flashed in Gu Luoyan's eyes. "Shut your mouth!"

"Are you simply unable to face such a version of yourself, or are you perhaps jealous of your own sister? Hahahaha," Bian Cheng laughed aloud, throwing his head back. "Gu Luoyan, your heart must be truly twisted. You're a psycho."

"Slap!" With a flick of her hand, Gu Luoyan flung the contents of her glass across Bian Cheng's face. Yet he showed not a shred of anger, merely extending his tongue to lick the liquor from his skin. "Just like your flavor—exquisite."

Gradually, Gu Luoyan regained her composure. "You don't need to guess my feelings toward Xiao Kaitian. In any case, in my heart, Xiao Kaitian is a hundred times more important than you. There is no room for you in my mind."

"Don't be like that," Bian Cheng sneered. "Actually, don't you think the two of us are a perfect match? My brother is going to marry your sister in the future; we might as well double down on the family ties."

Gu Luoyan did not reply. She tossed a handkerchief across the counter. Watching Bian Cheng wipe his face, she saw the red alcohol stain the cloth a deep crimson. "Let's get back to the point. Do you know what martial realm Xiao Kaitian has attained?"

Meeting Bian Cheng's suddenly intrigued gaze, she smiled triumphantly. "The assessment result places him at the Early Grandmaster stage."

"Impossible!" Bian Cheng rejected the notion without a second thought. "While I trust your intelligence network in the martial arts world, you must be mistaken this time."

"There's no mistake." Gu Luoyan sipped her drink. As the liquor, infused with faint undertones of fruit, slid down her throat, she felt almost reborn. "Well? You fool, he's even stronger than you now. Aren't you jealous? Don't you want to wipe him out?"

"If you kill him, perhaps I'll deign to look back at you."

Bian Cheng fell silent. He stared fixedly at Gu Luoyan, his expression growing steadily darker. "Are you serious? I still don't understand why you're fighting your sister for a man, or... do you actually like him?"

"Gu Zixi likes Xiao Kaitian, and you like him too. I honestly can't figure you out."

"Zixi? She's nothing more than a tool at best. Everything she has rightfully belongs to me," Gu Luoyan said through clenched teeth, her hatred palpable. "Perhaps you're right; I am a psycho after all."

"Not many people in the martial arts world know about this yet. How about it? Let's form an alliance." Gu Luoyan extended her hand, her eyes gleaming with a dark, enigmatic light.

"For the sake of the short-lived romance we once shared, I can help you." Bian Cheng reached out and grasped her hand. "However, this requires careful deliberation. Xiao Kaitian is a Grandmaster, not some run-of-the-mill martial artist."

"Hah, don't think I don't know. You've got someone hidden away in the Du family of Haidu. Are you keeping him from making a move?" Gu Luoyan's red lips parted slightly, breathing the alcohol-scented fragrance onto Bian Cheng's face.

"The time isn't right yet. A sharp blade must be unsheathed at the critical moment. I'll stir things up in the martial arts world first. In this world, no one is immune to money and beauty—martial artists are no exception."

"Since Xiao Kaitian has entered the martial arts world, we will kill him using the rules of the martial arts world, fair and square."

With a chuckle, Bian Cheng pulled Gu Luoyan into an embrace. She offered no resistance, tilting her head slightly. "Then cheers to our pleasant cooperation."

"Cheers!"

Xiao Kaitian remained completely unaware of Gu Luoyan's sentiments and plots against him. His entire focus was currently devoted to the upcoming seminar. He was deeply fascinated by how the people of this world would perceive higher-dimensional concepts.

The preparations for this conference surpassed any that had come before, primarily due to the sheer volume of participants. As Gu Lei and the others had originally discussed, the event was to be split into two formats: on-site attendance and online discussion. However, putting this into practice proved immensely difficult.

Nearly all invitees expressed a desire to attend in person. While online live streaming offered greater interactive freedom—allowing casual comments and bullet screens—it simply lacked the palpable atmosphere of a physical venue.

In response, Gu Lei and her team deliberated and revised their plan overnight. They broke the seminar down into multiple sessions spanning several consecutive days. Each day would feature only a morning session, leaving the afternoons for rest or open discussion. Attendees were divided into batches to ensure the requirements of everyone wishing to participate could be met to the fullest extent possible.

This required the company to shoulder additional accommodation expenses, but Xiao Kaitian raised no objections. To him at this stage, such sums were merely a drop in the ocean.

The invitees warmly welcomed this arrangement. Although their appearance fees remained unchanged and their stay in the city would be prolonged, these individuals were essentially "sci-fi enthusiasts" who lived and breathed the subject. To now have the opportunity to take the stage and voice their opinions was a once-in-a-lifetime chance; consequently, they were more than eager for the event to last as long as possible.

This placed enormous pressure on First Seaview. Ultimately, Xiao Kaitian simply booked out all the lower public levels of the building, which barely managed to accommodate the crowd.

Everyone chatted excitedly, already exchanging perspectives while awaiting admission. Those whose sessions fell on another day gathered in groups around tables, eyes glued to the live broadcast screens.

Time ticked away second by second, and as the clock finally struck nine, the attendees for today's seminar stood up one by one, their eyes ablaze with enthusiasm.