Arknights, I'm going to beat Kal'tsit, really?

Page 24

【…】

Christensen found it difficult to speak. In fact, she was equally excited about the future, but she hoped that Kane would be more by her side during the process—rather than assembling a team so quickly.

She understood that Kane's considerations were correct; the earlier they accumulated power, the more secure their future would be... but she still longed for the time when they were the only two of them, planning together closely and seamlessly.

Am I just imagining things? Kane is only focused on climbing to the top of his dream, while I'm still playing around?

Christensen felt her cheeks burning. She had imagined this scenario: on a future holiday, she and Kane would sit at their desk, constantly brainstorming, debating, and planning, ultimately creating a beautiful blueprint that embodied their hard work. As for how to turn that blueprint into reality… Christensen was already prepared. She would plead with her guardian to try and utilize the remaining connections and assets of the Wright family for one last gamble.

But now it seems that Kane's approach was clearly more prudent.

The thought of Kane being surrounded by many "colleagues" in the future—those highly respected and innocent students—and the possibility that her special friendship with Kane might no longer be unique, inevitably stirred a sense of loneliness within her.

"No, no, Christensen, believe in yourself. Even if there are many people in the future, you will definitely become the best and most indispensable one among them!"

Yes! That's it.

Christensen quickly shifted her mindset. Even if Kane had friends all over the world in the future, she wanted to be the most dazzling and irreplaceable one among them—and all of this would begin with outshining her "partner" in this upcoming meeting.

She opened her terminal and began to carefully sketch out the prototype of her future company, while meticulously crafting a personal resume. She boldly wrote down the name "Kristen Wright"—just as she aspired to etch this name into the history of Colombia.

Meanwhile, Celia was making similar preparations—organizing her career plan and resume. Starting a business is no child's play. As students of Trimont Polytechnic University, they already surpassed 90% of their competitors in the Columbia job market in terms of academic qualifications; but that was far from enough—the higher the degree, the more clearly one could recognize the insurmountable gap between true geniuses and ordinary people.

Seria is proud and will never accept mediocrity or cowardice.

The weekend arrived as expected.

Kane made a reservation at a fine restaurant in Tremont. This restaurant was not open to the public and only served guests with a certain status. As a student, Kane would normally have had no chance of having any dealings with this place; but as the new head of the Texas family, obtaining a reservation was a piece of cake.

"Mr. Kane, welcome to our restaurant. We are honored to have you here."

A professional Filin waiter respectfully led Kane to his reserved private room—or rather, a large, single-level space with a stunning view. From here, one could take in the vibrant nightscape of Tremont. In addition to the dining area, there were entertainment and service areas, usually a venue for salon gatherings of the upper class, but tonight Kane had booked it, with the sole requirement of absolute silence.

"Miss, this is the area Mr. Kane reserved. Enjoy your meal."

Shortly after, the waiter led Christensen to this place and then left. Christensen quickly looked around to make sure her attire matched the environment.

“I recognize this place… Kane, how did you get the appointment?” Christensen’s tone was filled with surprise, as if she were meeting Kane for the first time. Although she didn’t choose friends based on social class, she knew Kane came from an ordinary background and had always deliberately avoided discussing such topics in their conversations, so as not to… put pressure on Kane. Now it seemed that this friend had many aspects she didn’t know.

"You'll find out soon enough," Kane said with a smile, keeping everyone in suspense.

After Christensen took her seat, she noticed that no other guests' cutlery was set out on the other tables—meaning that the entire floor was being served only to their table that night. While it could be done for a fee, Kane's methods still surprised her.

Looks like my preparations were worthwhile… Kristen glanced at Kane with a hint of reproach. This guy hadn't revealed anything! If she hadn't been prepared and had come dressed casually, even if she hadn't been impolite, what if the other woman had a stronger presence? Wouldn't she have been at a disadvantage from the start?

"Miss, this is..."

Soon, Saria arrived as well.

She entered the hall, glanced around briefly, and her gaze quickly settled on the only two guests in the room—Kian sat at one end of the long table, and a Pero woman sat at the head of the table to his left.

Saria walked forward calmly and naturally sat down in the first seat to Kane's right, facing Kristen directly—she could clearly see the smile on Kristen's face, while Kristen could look directly at her with an expressionless face.

"Very good, now that everyone is here."

Kane snapped his fingers. The waiter, who had been waiting by the door, immediately understood and turned to inform the head chef: the dishes could be served.

Following Colombian customs inherited from Victoria and Gaul, conversation is not appropriate at a formal dining table. However, during this quiet meal, both guests were subtly observing each other.

Christen's table manners were elegant and skillful; every subtle movement revealed her distinguished background—she had clearly received professional training and had ample opportunities for practical experience. Saria's manners, on the other hand, were merely at the level of "having learned" rather than being as proficient as Christen's, but such minor details didn't prove anything.

After all, just look at Kane in the main seat—he almost completely disregarded all formalities, enjoying the food with gusto, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe him as "eating meat and drinking wine with gusto."

Aside from etiquette, the two naturally paid attention to each other's race and appearance. Kristen was secretly surprised that Saria was a Vaiva. It should be known that the Vaiva race is naturally powerful, and some individuals even possess unique Originium Arts derivative abilities. Among the many races of Terra, the Vaiva are undoubtedly one of the most powerful races, second only to the "Citizens of the Gods."

All Vayvans possess an innate pride; one can never become their true friend without earning their respect. However, observing the interaction between Saria and Kane reveals a mutually acknowledging and equal friendship.

As for Saria, she could tell that Kristen was either very wealthy or of high status. The venue for tonight's meeting was extremely high-class... which didn't match her understanding of Kane's ordinary family background.

After the meal was finished and the waiter cleared away the cutlery, Kane finally took the lead in the conversation.

Chapter 65 Saria and Christensen

"Ahem, as I said before, this meeting is for the sake of our potential future cooperation." Kane coughed lightly and began to introduce the two sides.

"This is Christen Wright, a high-energy physics major at Trimont University of Technology, and she's my classmate. This is Saria, an Originium Arts Applied Science major, uh... also a classmate of mine."

After the introductions, Kane himself felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it... Logically speaking, since he and the other two were on good terms with him, their friendship should have been established quickly, with him acting as a bridge.

“Hello, Miss Saria. Nice to meet you, just call me Christen.” Christen broke the awkward silence first. She knew very well that malicious sabotage was the lowest form of tactic; only by using absolute strength to make the other party back down was the style of a true warrior. Therefore, she appeared very relaxed, confident that she was second to none.

"Hello, Christensen. Just call me Saria." Saria remained as calm and taciturn as ever, as if nothing could shake her composure.

"Well, I mentioned this to both of you before I came here—I hope to join forces with you to start a technology company. Because you are both geniuses I see as one in a million; and I am grateful for your recognition of my abilities. But since you two didn't know each other before, I arranged this meeting to ensure smooth cooperation in the future. At the very least, it will allow you to get to know each other and become friends."

Kane felt a sense of pressure as he spoke. He hadn't expected matchmaking to be such a challenging task. He felt a beads of sweat forming on his forehead; could it be that he was unexpectedly bad at this kind of thing?

“I agree with your thinking, Kane.” Christensen took a printed document from her handbag.

"Now that we're starting a company, it's time to hold ourselves to the standards of a working professional. To that end, I've prepared my resume and related materials."

To Kane's slight surprise, unlike most students' cobbled-together resumes that barely fill a single page, Christensen presented a stack of documents? So valuable?!

“It seems Christensen and I are thinking the same thing.” Saria calmly took a document out of her bag.

“I’ve also prepared similar materials. Let’s exchange them; I believe this will help us understand each other better.”

Seeing this, Christensen's previously composed expression finally showed a barely perceptible fluctuation.

She never revealed her strategy to Kane, so it wasn't Kane who leaked it—meaning that Saria was indeed on the same page as her, and both of them had chosen this "head-on" approach.

Watching them exchange and receive each other's information, Kane couldn't help but marvel at this "designed" fate. It was truly incredible; even with his intervention, could Saria and Kristen still become such close friends? They had never met, yet their ways of thinking were so similar; it seemed the future wouldn't be too difficult.

Kane poured himself a glass of red wine. This bottle belonged to the Saluzzo family, a Lapland estate—unfortunately, the young lady had absolutely no interest in alcohol and was completely unaware of the unique characteristics of her family's wines. Kane pretended to sip it, but he honestly thought… it wasn't as good as soda. After all, human instinct is to crave sugar, not alcohol.

The place, which Kane had specifically requested be cleared out and away from the street, was unusually quiet. It was as if the only sounds in the world were the faint sounds of him raising and setting down his wine glass, and the rustling of the two of them turning the pages of a book.

Before long, both sides had finished reviewing each other's information.

The first thought that crossed their minds was surprisingly consistent: "...It's fake, right?"

Christensen's life trajectory is dazzling: from a young age, she was exposed to top-notch educational resources; from the moment she grasped the concept of "knowledge," she continuously participated in various competitions, large and small, accumulating trophies and honors that could almost fill an entire wall. She even completed a technological innovation in high school, holding a patent in her name. But what is most astonishing is her university plan—she intends to earn multiple doctoral degrees within three years, driving technological progress in multiple fields and bringing about change to the currently stagnant scientific community.

While Seria didn't have Kristen's privileged starting point, her relentless self-reliance is equally remarkable. From childhood, she has never paid for her own tuition—scholarships and government grants covered all her expenses. More importantly, in some aspects, she has already surpassed Kristen: as Professor Bennister's assistant, she has begun publishing papers independently and leading research projects. As for her future career plans, they are in no way inferior to Kristen's.

Both of them subconsciously felt that the other's resume was somewhat exaggerated, otherwise they would not have been completely unaware of such a person.

So, they all turned their gazes to Kane, asking with their eyes: Is this information in your hand reliable?

"Look at the way you're looking," Kane chuckled.

"As your mutual friend, I know you both well. They are genuine—that's why I said you would definitely become good friends. After all, only a genius can truly understand the thoughts of another genius, isn't it?"

“No… I’m just marveling at how I could have never noticed such a talented person.” Christensen quickly expressed her apology, not as a social formality, but from the bottom of her heart—as the child of the Wrights, she held knowledge and talent in the highest esteem, and Seria clearly deserved that respect.

“Saria, I apologize for my previous doubts.”

"I feel the same way. I'm sorry to have doubts about you." Saria shook her head, indicating that she had also been impolite.

"But I've never heard of you before, despite your numerous accolades." She was genuinely puzzled. Even though their professions differed, geniuses always shine, and there was no reason why there wouldn't be any word about it.

“That’s because of her surname, Saria,” Kane replied casually.

"Her last name is Wright. You may not follow gossip much, but I think you've probably heard some of what she's said."

“Light…Light…” Saria hesitated for a moment.

"All I know is that there was a sadly missing scientist couple whose last name was Wright. Other than that, I really don't know much."

Kane's "unreserved" revelation almost instantly triggered Christensen's most sensitive alarm. If it weren't for her absolute trust in Kane, she would have almost gotten up and left.

However, seeing Seria's strained recollection, even with a slight "headache," and hearing her words "a regrettable scientist," Christensen suddenly felt a sense of relief and relaxed completely.

Kane winked at her, as if to say: See, it's all right.

Chapter 66 A Dance of Three (4k)

"How could they be so despicable... It's unbelievable."

“Yes…those people who used to be on good terms with us and cooperate with us seem to have all changed their personalities overnight.” Christen’s voice was calm, but carried a hint of imperceptible fatigue.

"I couldn't understand it back then, but now it seems that it was probably just because the Wright family could no longer offer them any more satisfactory terms."

"This is the reality in Colombia. Most people in it have already become complicit."

Rather than attributing this to Columbia's unique characteristics, it's more accurate to describe it as a rule of reality—the world is largely constructed from a combination of black, white, and gray. Kane had long recognized this fact, but Terra took it to an even greater extreme; making the white whiter and the black blacker.

The surname "Wright" began to appear, and Christensen confessed everything to Seria—including the changes that had happened to her and the way she was exploited by public opinion after her parents' death.

Celia felt a deep sense of indignation. Colombia had many scientists, including many truly admirable figures, and the Wrights were among them. Their ultimate goal was to conquer the skies and build manned aircraft capable of long-duration flight.

This touches upon a fundamental bottleneck in Terra's tech tree—Terra's industries and energy are extremely dependent on Originium. They can build massive mobile cities and forge weapons that can cut through iron like mud, but they struggle to create even the most basic manned aircraft.

Because the engines are powered by Originium, the Originium particles in the air and the Cataclysmic Clouds high in the sky will inevitably cause violent explosions. This means that Terra's current aircraft are limited to drones or individual jetpacks, with short range and extremely limited payload.

Strictly speaking, there are only two examples of manned aircraft that appeared on Terra later: the "Bad Guy," which was repaired inside the Rhodes Island, and the airships created by the Sarkaz by combining sorcery with Victorian industrial technology.

This shows that the Wrights' vision was not the delusional dream of madmen, but a truly great undertaking that could benefit generations to come.

However, this great scientist not only failed to receive the honor he deserved, but instead was burdened with a stigma.

Celia was furious at the reality in Colombia, yet felt utterly powerless—it was a coordinated attack on the Wright family launched by multiple families, organizations, and even cross-sectoral forces. They were interconnected and mutually protective, a force capable of fabricating stories and distorting the truth.

“That’s why we have to change all of this.” Kane’s voice was calm and firm.

“We all abhor despicable tactics. Therefore, only when we become industry giants in the future will we be qualified to set new rules.”

“Yes. Saria longs to be cured of Oripathy, and I want to carry on my parents’ unfinished dream, and even go further than them—to finally wash away the stain on their reputation.” Kristen looked at Kane.

"And Kane, what about you?"

“Me?” Kane smiled.

“I once told Saria that I wanted to unravel the mysteries of Originium so that Terra would no longer slaughter each other for a piece of bread or a bottle of clean water. And now, my understanding is even deeper—I also want to make those villains, along with their foolish deeds, disappear completely from this land.”

Kane's idea wasn't false; he genuinely wanted to make the world a better place—but if Terra didn't know what was good for her, then he had a final solution. Internalizing the universe allowed him to construct a future that satisfied everyone on an informational level.

One seeks to cure an incurable disease, another to break free from the earth's shackles, and yet another to rewrite the rules of the world.

It sounds like pure fantasy.

But daydreaming is a privilege reserved for the young. Perhaps only one out of a hundred dreams will come true, but that one may very well be spectacular and earth-shattering.

Fortunately, the place where the three of them were located had been booked by Kane; otherwise, such "arrogance" would have attracted much ridicule.

"Christine, I am honored to be your friend."

"Me too, Saria. If I had met you and Kane sooner, perhaps I wouldn't be in such a sorry state..."

"If you encounter any trouble at school, don't hesitate to come to me. I will definitely help you."

Seria openly expressed her support. She was never afraid of gossip, and as for those who dared to provoke her—although she did not condone violence, sometimes it was indeed the most direct and effective method.

“It’s not that serious… Although they’re hostile towards me, they only dare to talk about me behind my back. When they’re actually in front of me, I’m not afraid. At least, Kane and I have always gotten along very well,” Christen said softly. In fact, she somewhat enjoyed this feeling of being the only ones who knew each other inside and out.

"Kane, you weren't deliberately keeping your distance from Kristen to protect yourself, were you?" Saria showed a hint of dissatisfaction with Kane for the first time. This guy's worldliness and shrewdness shouldn't be used on his friends.

“Well, I also have something to say about that,” Kane chimed in, looking at Kristen.

"Haven't you always been curious why I'm able to spend money in a place like this?"

He then proceeded to recount in detail how he became the "Head of the Texas Family"—of course, in an embellished version.

He explained that his "father" was also connected to the Texas family, but as a distant relative who didn't even inherit the surname. After the Texas family's sudden downfall, he decided to take a gamble. His two months in Syracuse unexpectedly succeeded, transforming him from an ordinary student into the young master of a mob family's demise.

As for why he concealed the truth about his "marriage" with Cellinina... since Cellinina had already severed ties with the past, he shouldn't drag her into it anymore. Moreover, he didn't want Kristen and Seria to change their way of interacting with him because he suddenly had a "married" status.

“So, just as Saria said—I used to have neither the energy nor the power to deal with the foolish behavior of those rich kids. But things are different now.” Kane looked at Kristen, his eyes serious.

"If there are still people who are blind to the truth, I'm happy to oblige. If you encounter any trouble in the future, feel free to rely on us."

Saria nodded in agreement.

Seeing the two people's unreserved support, Christensen felt her heart surge with emotion and could hardly contain herself.

"Thank you... thank you all. You are my best friends."

Tears fell silently—even though she had vowed never to cry again since the day she was betrayed.

"Wow, go ahead and wipe yourself clean," Kane said with a smile, handing over a tissue in a relaxed tone.

"Making a lady cry is not something to be praised."

Saria smiled slightly, watching them quietly. A warm atmosphere flowed silently between the three of them, as if a brand new alliance had been quietly formed.

After the meeting concluded and they exchanged contact information, the three left the restaurant. Kane was quite satisfied with the service—perhaps he could invite Muirsay to come here again sometime in the future.

As for Muirsey… I still can’t figure out what she really wants from me. Her goal is probably to find her own kind, but she’s never mentioned it to me.