Chapter 3071: Visit from the Yierlan Representative

After finishing the briefing on the next two major events for the Tower of Time, Xia Duo finally let Dien, Sami, and the others return; he would still hold a meeting with the various departments of the Tower of Time in a few days, so this was just to give them a heads-up in advance.

……

Evereska, Northland Alliance Headquarters.

Not long after Xia Duo's avatar appeared at the Psionic Network Research Center, he received an advance tip-off from Dumu of the Alliance intelligence department—

The Yierlan representative Aostumans had come looking for him!

Suddenly receiving such news, Xia Duo could not help but frown slightly. It was not that he feared Aostumans, but rather that he really did not want to engage in a war of words with the other party. He had the heart to refuse, yet he also understood that one could dodge the first day but not the fifteenth.

In fact, it was already the fifteenth; the other party had already sought him out many times while he was traveling to the Kingdom of Radiance.

Subsequently, he paused his conversation with Helisita, "Let's stop here for today. We will talk again once the various countries have sent over all the scrapped Gateway Magic Tools. I will have Charles urge them."

"Then please hurry. The inventory of Gateway Magic Tools here at Headquarters is already bottoming out."

"Don't worry about that. I have already replenished the stock; issue them for their use first, and if it's not enough, tell me. In any case, the normal operation of the Public Computing Power Pool must not be affected. Also, for the scrapped Magic Artifacts they have already sent over, you all should study them further. Once I have finished dealing with some matters here, I will go and analyze them with you."

Here, the personnel appointments of the Research Center were mostly decided by the person in charge, Xia Shao, and at most, the operation of the Computing Power Pool and the personnel of the Mans Network Research Center were decided by him.

Inside the office, Xia Shao looked through the documents and scrolls that had piled up during the days he was away, while pondering the true purpose of the Yierlan Elf coming to see him.

After looking through a small pile of documents, Xia Shao's level of control over this Research Center had risen to another level.

Even in the process of preparing the Computing Power Pool, he had already completed several interest exchanges. The distribution of benefits was the process of interest exchange; he gained greater autonomy for the Research Center, and the Alliance and various countries gained considerable income.

Of course, the internal and external aspects here did not actually have much significance; after all, they were both at the Alliance Headquarters, and most of it was in the area along the river on the northeast side of Dawn Plaza in the middle district of Evereska.

After making up his mind, Xia Shao no longer thought about the intentions of the Yierlan Elf. Either way, it was just meeting moves with moves, and he was already confident. Instead, the documents piled up at the Mans Network Research Center required more energy.

There was actually no strict boundary internally; Xia Shao simply did not want the Yierlan Elf to disturb the normal work of the Mans Network Research Center.

Besides his identity as the person in charge of the Mans Network Research Center, Xia Shao was also a formal Consultant of the Alliance Advisory Committee, so his office was located outside the Mans Network Research Center.

The current Mans Network Research Center was actually already a bit too independent. Although it had to turn over a portion of its earnings, it was also intercepting a considerable portion while meeting its own operational and development needs.

In fact, at the beginning of preparing the Computing Power Pool, he had thought about one day either passively or actively using the Computing Power Pool as a political weapon to conduct interest exchanges with various countries in other aspects.

Even if someone really wanted to betray him, the Elves probably could not afford that price.

For Xia Shao, making concessions was not impossible; the key was to see what price Charles could offer. If the price was high enough, it was actually equivalent to Charles making concessions in other areas, so his response of giving concessions or preferential treatment in terms of the Computing Power Pool was also a very normal interest exchange.

It certainly wasn't just opposing his cooperation with Ailan; after all, that was already an established fact and was conducted entirely within the Alliance charter. To oppose this matter would instead be contrary to the charter.

If there were conditions in the future, he must move the Research Center away from the Alliance Headquarters. It wouldn't be to leave the Alliance, but rather to hope for greater autonomy.

……

What the various countries could give, he could basically give; what the various countries could not give, he might also be able to give.

Of course, if he were to be the Alliance leader, he wouldn't care where the Mans Network Research Center was placed, but he would firmly grasp the authority of both personnel and finance, ensuring that this subordinate institution would not lose control.

Even if Charles dared to ignore the protection of the Lady of Mysteries, the hurdle of raw materials would not be easy to solve. Ultimately, it still couldn't bypass him, and it was impossible for him to sell the materials to Charles.

But Xia Shao still held many interests in his hands, enough to make many exchanges; it just depended on what the Yierlan Elf could actually bring this time.

Therefore, Xia Shao speculated that the Yierlan Elf coming this time was highly likely to still want to use the Ailan matter to obtain certain concessions or preferential treatment from him in the distribution of Computing Power Pool earnings.

After saying this, Xia Duo returned to his office at the Alliance Headquarters. On the way, he also conveniently sent a message to Charles. Besides instructing the other party to urge the various countries to send back the scrapped Gateway Magic Tools, he also had the other party go outside to intercept the Yierlan Elf and lead the other party to his office.

There were progress reports on the Mans Network research, applications for experimental materials, daily management logs, and statistics on the Computing Power Pool's revenue.

Thinking carefully, what Charles could be coveting about him now was nothing more than the Mythallar and the distribution rights of the Computing Power Pool's earnings. But the former did not necessarily require finding him; finding others in Netheril could also obtain the manufacturing method for a Mythallar. The key was that Charles might not dare to manufacture it privately, let alone that the key materials for a Mythallar were still held in his hands!

……

At present, the Public Computing Power Pool had not been in official operation for long. Once more time passed and the distribution of interests in all aspects was further stabilized, it would be difficult for various countries to try to stuff people in.

……

Other councilors who had already obtained Mythallar authorization were also unlikely to let materials go to Charles when they hadn't even built their own yet. Even if they had built their own, wasn't it better to export Arcane Crystals for long-term harvesting? Was it worth selling the hen that lays the eggs?

If it were in the past, perhaps some would be unable to resist the temptation from the Elves and privately sell the Arcane String materials used to build a Mythallar. But with the New Covenant already signed, and even the temptation of the outer realms, the overall interests of the councilors were unprecedentedly consistent.

Not knowing how much time had passed, just when Xia Shao had almost forgotten that the Yierlan Elf was coming, a magic alarm prompt came from the office door, and the spell indicated that the triggerer was Aostu.

In fact, judging from the fact that Charles spent a huge price to introduce the Elemental Tower from Calimshan in the south, they could more or less be considered to have given up on obtaining a Mythallar.

Xia Shao opened the door. Outside the door was indeed Aostu, and the Yierlan Elf was standing quietly behind Aostu, completely lacking the arrogant and wild appearance mentioned in the initial report from the transmission.

Or rather, they were not considering obtaining a Mythallar in the short term. Instead, the demand for Energy Gems had become very urgent against the backdrop of various countries increasing their research into War Spells, which was why they turned to the Elemental Tower plan.

If this Research Center was not under control, he would rather have it fall apart.

If he felt it was impossible to control, then he would certainly launch a purge in advance. Just like the assistant Aostu, who was an ordinary Elf without any background, he had recruited many of them.