novelraw Chapter 237: The Price of Intelligence
Chapter 237: The Price of Intelligence
As Lin Jie prepared to inquire further about the specific details of this mysterious oasis, the High Priest shook his head.
His cloudy eyes once again regained the shrewdness unique to an organizational leader.
"Young man, knowledge has never been free."
His tone carried a hint of transactional meaning.
"Especially knowledge leading to a place forgotten by the gods."
"Your theory is brilliant, and it provides our Royal Court with a brand new perspective for researching the spiritual balance of this land. As a reward for this academic exchange, I can tell you for free that the Siwa Oasis is indeed your only hope at present."
"However,"
His tone shifted abruptly, the mysticism belonging to a priest vanishing, revealing the haggling attitude of a merchant.
"The map to get there, and the guide who can lead you safely across Set's Sand Sea, fall into the category of intelligence."
"And intelligence requires a price to be exchanged."This transformation made the atmosphere in the room become delicate once more.
Ethan immediately frowned, his eyes showing disdain and disgust for this kind of "price gouging on the spot" behavior.
Julian shook his head with a bitter smile. This was the true face of this old fox who had lived for who knows how many years.
The so-called "fragile alliance" was, in essence, a transaction with clearly marked prices.
"What do you want?"
Lin Jie's reaction was the calmest. When dealing with such old foxes, emotional expression is useless. Getting straight to the point is the most efficient way to communicate.
A satisfied smile appeared on the High Priest's face. He quite appreciated Lin Jie's "cooperative" attitude.
"What I want is very simple."
He extended a finger.
"And very fair."
"You, I.A.R.C., intervened in our Royal Court's war with the Descendants of Apophis because you were pursuing your own target. I am grateful that you accepted our commission, but you ultimately caused the destruction of the [Scales of the Dead], which was made from Osiris's core and had protected this land for millennia."
"For our Royal Court, this result is an immeasurable, catastrophic loss."
"Therefore,"
His sharp gaze locked onto Lin Jie.
"As compensation, I demand that your I.A.R.C. also produce a containment object of the same level from your organization's collection in exchange."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the reception hall instantly turned grave.
Julian's face became extremely ugly. He exclaimed in a startled voice, "That's impossible! High Priest, your demand is too excessive! Kingdom-class, even Calamity-class containment objects are the Association's highest secrets and strategic-level assets. The authority to mobilize them isn't even within the purview of the Executive Council alone;
it must be reported to the Geneva Headquarters for a vote by the Supreme Committee!"
"Even if everything goes smoothly, that process would take at least half a year!"
"Half a year?"
The High Priest sneered.
"Six months from now, I'm afraid the vultures of the Nile will have already picked your companion's bones clean."
He clearly had a deep understanding of I.A.R.C.'s cumbersome bureaucratic system.
"And,"
He added, a sly glint appearing in his eyes.
"What I'm asking for isn't one of those active UMA cores you are still researching, which possess immense strategic value."
"I only want a 'dead object' that has lost its research value to you, but holds special historical significance for our Brotherhood."
As he spoke, the High Priest took out an ancient piece of papyrus from his robes and slowly unfurled it.
The paper depicted a peculiarly shaped golden mask.
It was a mask belonging to a pharaoh from the ancient Egyptian Eighteenth Dynasty. On the forehead of the mask, instead of the traditional protective emblem of a falcon and serpent, was carved a scarab with its wings spread.
"The Golden Mask of the Scarab Pharaoh, Akhenaten."
Julian recognized its origin as soon as he saw the mask, and his face grew even more troubled.
"Legend has it that this pharaoh once attempted a religious reformation in Egypt, abolishing all traditional deities to worship only the sole sun god Aten. He himself was said to be a powerful hunter who had achieved a deep symbiosis with the UMA 'Golden Scarab'."
"But this containment object was stolen from the ruins of Amarna by a British expedition team over a century ago, and was finally personally sealed within the Zero Vault of the London Headquarters by I.A.R.C.'s own 'Clock Hand,' the Duke of Wellington!"
"The Zero Vault?!"
Although Lin Jie and Ethan didn't possess Julian's profound knowledge, they also knew of this place's existence from the Association's internal materials.
That was the highest-security, most mysterious location within the I.A.R.C. London Branch, and arguably in all of Europe!
It was said that what was sealed there were Forbidden Objects that even the Association itself found troublesome, or even feared!
Getting the Association to retrieve a treasure that had been collected for a century from such a place in exchange for a piece of intelligence sounded completely impossible.
"It seems we have nothing to talk about."
Ethan's voice turned icy, a flash of killing intent in his eyes.
In his view, this High Priest wasn't trying to make a deal;
he was toying with them.
However, just as this fragile alliance was about to shatter over an impossible condition, Ethan suddenly made a move that caught everyone off guard.
He retracted the sharp aura emanating from his body.
Then, Ethan walked over to the ether communication array.
"Julian,"
He said without turning his head.
"Give me Sir Henderson's private encrypted frequency."
Julian was slightly taken aback and asked somewhat puzzled, "What are you going to do? Even if you contact Sir Henderson, he couldn't possibly..."
"He indeed cannot."
Ethan interrupted him.
"But I'm not applying to him. I am engaging in a transaction with him in the name of my family."
Saying this, he skillfully put on the headset. After Julian recited the extremely complex encryption sequence, he connected to that Executive Director's private line.
A hoarse, authoritative voice soon came from the other end of the line.
"... Redgrave? I'm surprised you would contact me on this frequency. I've heard about the situation in Egypt. Regrettable, but the Association's rules..."
"Sir, forgive my rudeness."
Ethan directly cut off the other party's bureaucratic opening remarks.
"I don't have time to listen to you recite the Association's old, worn-out rules."
"Sir, I am now speaking to you as the heir of the Redgrave family, not as an I.A.R.C. Investigator, for a purely commercial discussion." Ethan's voice carried the forceful aura of a business negotiation.
The other end of the phone fell into brief silence.
Sir Henderson hadn't expected this young man, whom he had always regarded as impulsive, to address him in this manner.
"... What do you want to discuss?" Sir Henderson's voice became somewhat intrigued.
"Simple." Ethan was concise. "The High Priest of the Horus Court wants the Golden Scarab Pharaoh's mask. I know that thing is sealed in the Zero Vault, and I also know that according to Association regulations, the procedure to mobilize something from there would make a Grade Four Investigator wait until he dies of old age."
"However," his tone shifted, "rules are rigid, but interests are flexible."
"According to the Association's internal assessment report, aside from possessing historical research value, that mask has no practical spiritual function. For us, it's just a dead object that has been sleeping in the vault for over a hundred years."
"And I now need to use this dead object to exchange for a piece of active intelligence that can save my companion's life. From any angle, this transaction is nothing but beneficial for the Association's operations in Egypt."
"... Redgrave, your logic is clear." Sir Henderson's voice betrayed no emotion. "But rules are rules. I cannot set a precedent of breaking the Association's century-old ironclad regulations for a piece of possibly useful intelligence."
"I know you cannot." Ethan's voice remained calm. "So, I will help you set it."
He paused, then threw out his ultimate bargaining chip, one that no politician could refuse.
"I need the Association to lend it to me, with the credibility of my Redgrave family as collateral, and deliver that mask to Cairo within twenty-four hours."
"I guarantee that after this mission concludes, regardless of success or failure, I will personally persuade the Horus Court to return the mask intact."
"And as compensation for the political risk you, Sir Henderson, personally bear for making this exception."
Ethan's voice dropped low, carrying a fatal allure.
"I've heard you've always wanted to gain greater influence in the shipping business of the Suez Canal, to counterbalance the Brotherhood of Light's growing maritime power in North America?"
"Next week at Lloyd's of London, there will be a closed-door hearing regarding Suez Canal shipping security."
"At that time, the Redgrave family, as the largest shareholder, will propose to invite a respected security advisor from the neutral country of Switzerland to join the board of directors."
"I believe with your wisdom and skill, you certainly know how to utilize that seat to do things beneficial for the entire Association."
This was no longer a simple political donation.
This was a naked and precisely targeted exchange of power, striking directly at the other party's core interests.
Ethan was using his family's immense influence in the Surface World to pave the way for his actions in the inner world.
The other end of the phone fell into a long silence once more.
This time, Lin Jie could even hear the somewhat hurried breathing of that elderly Executive Director.
"... Ethan, you've grown up. You're much stronger than your father."
"Within twenty-four hours, the item will be in your hands."
After hanging up the communication, Ethan turned around calmly to face the High Priest, whose eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
"Now,"
He said in a tone of equal transaction.
"We can discuss the price of that map and guide."
With his actions, Ethan demonstrated to everyone what it meant to be the team's most solid backbone.
After this transaction involving money and power temporarily concluded, another urgent telegram from London was also delivered into Lin Jie's hands.
The telegram was from Arthur Conan.
The content was brief, but it revealed the anxiety of this genius craftsman caused by technical difficulties.
"Prototype design for armament to counter [Nine-Bend Yellow River] has hit a bottleneck!"
"Main material, Stasis Ore, has extremely unstable energy output, cannot be constrained by conventional spiritual circuits! Multiple experiments have resulted in core meltdown due to energy overload!"
"I need new core materials, Lin, keep an eye out for me!"
Looking at this "call for help" letter full of technical problems, a wry smile appeared on Lin Jie's face.
"Our journey for recuperation has gained another scientific research task," he said to Julian beside him.
When all transactions were concluded and all conditions agreed upon, a small team with clear objectives—"Recuperation and Scientific Research"—officially assembled in the courtyard of the Cairo Second Branch.
Lin Jie, Julian, Ethan.
And a special patient who insisted on joining them, despite everyone's opposition.
Veteran William, leaning on a cane, walked out of the medical room step by step.
His face was pale, his breathing irregular, but the fighting spirit had reignited in his gray eyes.
"Julian, I know you mean well for me."
He shook his head at the French scholar, whose face was full of worry.
"But I can't bear to lie in a sickbed like a useless person. I must see with my own eyes, hear with my own ears, and feel with my own body."