I created the Bureau of Anomaly Control

After a brief conversation about the pills and the Federation and Ma En confirmed their intention to trade, Ma En followed the other negotiation members, including Tang Xueluan, into the back door and teleported back into the prison corridor.

Shen Zongdao, who had watched him enter the passage, stood up after he disappeared for a while:

"He's inside."

The other negotiation members and Tang Xueluan, who heard this, all stood up as well, and then walked towards the "back door" with teleportation function in unison. However, when they opened the door, the scene behind was not the secret room that Zhao Guanwu and Ma En had just entered, but an observation room filled with giant screens and projection equipment, which was playing the scene of Ma En walking into the courtyard.

Shen Zongdao was the first negotiation member to enter this room. His original purpose was to cause trouble for Tang Xueluan and Ma En, but just now, Xiaoyao gave Ma En the pills, which made him a little afraid to make trouble for Ma En.

From the looks of it, either Xiaoyao really wanted to deal with Ma En, or Ma En really had some real skills, so now Shen Zongdao could only stand by and watch Ma En, so as not to cause himself any trouble.

In the semi-holographic overlooking image, Ma En looked a little hesitant and didn't go inside immediately.

Kania whispered to the old man beside her:

"It matches the model we built for him. Ma En is indeed cooperating with us because of some urgent need for anti-spirit metal. Deep down, he still feels guilty towards Shenxiao. We still can't let him delve too deeply into the matters of Shenxiao."

Zhao Guanwu nodded:

"Yes, you're right. We do need to be more wary of Shenxiao's pawns."

Tang Xueluan stood by and listened to them, not knowing how to react. Seeing this scene, Shen Zongdao immediately opened his mouth to everyone under the drive of his professional instinct:

"Do you think this guy can really convince Shenxiao?"

He also looked at Tang Xueluan as he spoke.

Seeing that no one else reacted, Tang Xueluan didn't back down in her words either:

"I believe in Ma En's ability."

Although Shen Zongdao asked the question with a sense of doubt, he didn't refute or ridicule Tang Xueluan, the new member of the opposing faction, at this time. After all, the answer was right in front of their eyes.

He looked nervously at Ma En walking towards the main entrance in the holographic image.

He walked to the main entrance, and then the Federation staff controlled the door to open to both sides.

Ma En raised his leg and walked into the living room, and sat down opposite Shenxiao with particular caution. Moreover, this time, he didn't wait for Shenxiao to greet him, but directly said to her straightforwardly:

"I am here to negotiate at the request of the Federation. They want you to accept surveillance."

Shenxiao looked at him with less warmth in her eyes than last time:

"Can't you refuse them?"

Although she understood Ma En's cooperation with the Federation last time, she didn't seem to expect Ma En to continue to deepen his cooperation with them.

Ma En lowered his head slightly:

"No, they gave me very good conditions, so I came here, because..."

He seemed unable to say it, and struggled in place for several seconds.

But in the end, he forcibly spat out the words from his mouth.

"Because I need the Federation's help, I know this is wrong, but I don't know what is right, so I came here to hear your opinion..."

Shenxiao's expression became a little less happy:

"You encountered trouble, so you need the Federation's help, and decided to exchange my sacrifice for help, but obviously you feel guilty about this, so you came here to get my consent, you want to hear me say that I am willing to sacrifice my interests to help you.

"This is a very selfish approach."

Ma En said in a low voice:

"I'm sorry, but I have no choice."

Shenxiao sighed:

"Last time you came, you also said that you had joined the Federation. At that time, I said I could understand you. In fact, I can still understand what you are doing now. When we face difficulties, we will naturally choose to bend down. There is no way to avoid it.

"Reality is cruel, and the Federation is the victor, but the problem is that now you are standing on the opposite side of me.

"I won't blame you for this, but even if my heart is still full of sympathy and gratitude for you, and I remember the years when you fought with me as a member of the Salvation Alliance, but when you stand opposite me...

"I will treat you as an enemy with these feelings, and even kill you if necessary and given the opportunity.

"This doesn't mean I don't sympathize with you. I still hope we can all get the results we deserve, but just like when you encounter difficulties and need the Federation to lend a helping hand, you can only compromise with them, because reality gives you no choice.

"This cruel reality also leaves me with no choice—I can't help you.

"I'm sorry, in fact, the best situation is that I am the one who can protect you standing behind you, but the Federation imprisoned me, and reality makes us only stand on opposite sides, and if I have to choose between the difficulties you face and the whole world...

"I won't hesitate at all.

"I'm sorry, please go back."

Ma En fell into silence.

Shenxiao paused and then said:

"I won't forget what you have done. In the earliest days, we helped each other, and at that time, you certainly didn't think that you would stand opposite me in the future, but the ending in reality is often countless times more cruel than you think.

"But since you have now joined the Federation, then seize the opportunity at hand.

"I wish you a bright future."

After saying this, she showed a gesture of seeing him off.

Ma En didn't say any of the prepared remarks at all. Facing her condemnation, he could only stand up ashamed, and then turned around as if he didn't dare to face Shenxiao, and left the room in a hurry.

The stone in Shen Zongdao's heart finally fell to the ground.

"Not beyond my expectations." Shen Zongdao smiled, and then looked at Tang Xueluan, who had just said that she had confidence in Ma En. What made him feel good was that her expression was quite heavy now.

The other high-level members didn't show any surprise at this. In fact, they didn't think it was possible for Shenxiao to be persuaded by Ma En, as long as Tang Xueluan found this result a little difficult to accept.

Shen Zongdao walked a few steps towards Tang Xueluan's direction with a smile on his face, and even felt a lot lighter all over his body.

Ma En, who failed to complete the mission, was no longer his trouble. At this time, Ma En even seemed a little funny in his eyes.

Ma En's failure to persuade Shenxiao was not a problem. What really made him look down on Ma En was that he lacked self-awareness. Since he didn't have the ability to stand up straight in front of Shenxiao, he shouldn't have accepted such a mission.

In the end, Ma En's result was no longer being recognized by Shenxiao.

How pathetic.

Shen Zongdao then said:

"It seems that Ma En really needs anti-spirit metal as urgently as we thought, so I have a small suggestion, unless there are any special circumstances, don't really hand over the anti-spirit metal to this guy.

"Because after he gets it, he may be a threat to us instead, but as long as we don't hand over the anti-spirit metal to him, but keep dangling him with verbal promises, we can easily manipulate this Ma En.

"Of course, now we no longer have a reason to give him anti-spirit metal."

Faced with Shen Zongdao's slightly sarcastic words, Tang Xueluan didn't express anything, but she had to admit that Shen Zongdao's triumphant words and deeds at this time made her feel even more unacceptable to Ma En's failure.

Although she didn't think that Ma En would definitely be able to persuade Shenxiao, she didn't expect him to fail so simply.

At least he had to lose decently.

At this time, Tang Xueluan even began to reflect on whether she had misjudged Ma En at that time. She couldn't imagine that the Ma En in her eyes at that time was the same person who was facing Shenxiao now, even if the person opposite him was Shenxiao, he should be so embarrassed.

Didn't Ma En know that he couldn't succeed? Why didn't he ever mention it, or...

Has his thirst for anti-spirit metal really made him choose any path?

Seeing that Tang Xueluan's emotions were a little unstable, Shen Zongdao immediately continued to stimulate her with a sarcastic tone:

"Since you have failed, why not just withdraw from the negotiations? Ma En's appearance makes me a little worried. Look, he doesn't have the courage and awareness to stand on our side and oppose Shenxiao. I even suspect that he will betray us because of the guilt he is now feeling..."

But just as he was splashing dirty water on the Rongbang faction members...

Taoist Xiaoyao suddenly said with emotion:

"I don't think this is a sign of cowardice. On the contrary, I think Ma En is a young man who values ​​friendship and righteousness. Although he has wavered and struggled in the face of personal gain, he still hasn't lost his bottom line when facing true righteousness."

The Shadow also opened his mouth and said after hearing this:

"Little Shen, I know you want to drive them away, but now is not a good time."

He was referring to the fact that Ma En had not yet handed over the pills to them. The others present also thought of this—but they had not yet thought that Ma En was deliberately not rushing to trade these pills with them for this reason.

Just then, Xiaoyao looked at the Shadow again and asked:

"Shadow, do you remember the promise you made to find me a few more disciples to make up for my death?"

The Shadow noticed something was wrong:

"What?"

Xiaoyao turned around and looked at him with a smile and said:

"Now there is no need to find 'a few'. I see that this Ma En is exceptionally talented and has a good character. Why not let him become my disciple directly? Of course, I know he will definitely be a little afraid of me, so...

"If you can let Ma En become my disciple, I will give you ten longevity pills. These pills can increase your lifespan by a thousand years, drive away diseases and avoid disasters, and as you think, even ordinary people can swallow them like eating and drinking.

"And according to you, this thing will not bring abnormal changes to the user. Although those who take these pills have a thousand years of life, they are still ordinary people with a thousand years of life, neither immortals nor gods nor ghosts...

"Nor demons."