The car drove through the town along the road in St. Louis. Judging from the few pedestrians on the street, there are not many residents in St. Louis. According to Isabel, there are probably only less than two thousand residents. As a result, the road appears empty, and most people who can live in this city are with heads and faces. They were absorbed by the Dark Brotherhood, and most of them were the outermost members.

But their family members are already eligible to live in this elegant city, and under the protection of the Dark Brotherhood, their lives will be greatly guaranteed. Of course, it is impossible for these members to have no contribution. They must donate their property to the Brotherhood, and there is a clear hierarchy within the Brotherhood.

The more property the members donate, the more their ranks will be. More levels represent the power circle closer to the upper level of the pyramid. Therefore, those who are not lacking in ambition will continue to plunder as much wealth as possible from the outside world, and then use it to donate in exchange for a higher level.

Sitting in the car listening to Isabel explain all this, it is not difficult to see how much wealth the Brotherhood has concentrated, and it is no wonder that they will become the invisible kings of this continent.

Paul's feelings are deeper than zero, and every person in power does not want to have another invisible boss above his head. Especially this boss has the ability to exempt you from power at any time, which makes people uncomfortable like an invisible dagger lying on the neck at any time. Paul didn't express anything on the surface, but some profound light flashed in his eyes.

If it was before, Zero and Paul would never want to hear these secrets. But now is the time when the Dark Brotherhood is unprecedentedly vulnerable. The day of the cataclysm caused most of the important members to die in the disaster, and then in the next ten years, the Brotherhood gradually gathered an invisible force. Then, by supporting Sauron, in exchange for more benefits, so as to help this ancient organization recover as soon as possible.

It can be said that these practices of the Brotherhood were based on environmental considerations at the time and did nothing wrong. But in order to develop quickly, they have to absorb fresh blood from outside. For example, Isabel, and there is Solomon who gave birth to the heart of retreat. It's just that they are also outsiders, and Isabel's family is obviously still in the bottom of the Dark Brotherhood, so it is at the bottom.

Although the fresh blood from outside has accelerated the development of the Brotherhood, it has also made it difficult for the Brotherhood’s ancient traditions and purposes to be implemented as unimpeded as in the old times. While outsiders bring wealth, they also bring different ideas, and this creates divergence in the high-level power circle.

The biggest difference lies in the performance of Sauron. Judging from the situation in recent years, Sauron has deviated from the original intention of the Brotherhood and shows signs of getting rid of the Brotherhood's control. Sauron's situation has caused a high-ranking member like Solomon to doubt and retreat. The influence of the second-ranked member of the seven-member committee is enormous. Once Solomon quits the Brotherhood, it also means that the seven-member committee will be reshuffled, thus causing all kinds of unobvious contradictions to emerge. Out of the water.

Brothers would have the idea of ​​absorbing Zero. First of all, they valued Zero's strength, enough to contain Sauron or even replace him. More importantly, it is used to fill the vacancy after Solomon's withdrawal, but as to where the zero will be ranked after joining, it is still unknown.

But based on zero strength, even if he can't replace Solomon as the number two person, he must be a candidate in the top three. So while Mendriza and Joseph supported Paul, Isabel also stood on the side of the zero camp desperately, so as to hug this big tree tightly, hoping to get rid of the embarrassing situation of not being present.

The reasons for all of this are so complicated, how can one or two sentences be made clear. But Isabel casually said a few secret important news within the Brotherhood, but he has already given enough information to Zero and Paul. For both of them, it was another plan.

First of all, Zero had no plans to join the Brotherhood at all. Anyone who was the first member of the seven-member committee, Gao Li, could transfer the entire organization to another force under Zero's banner, which was naturally different. But this is simply impossible, and even if Zero replaces Solomon as the number two person, Zero is unwilling to be controlled by others. What's more, you must donate to join the Brotherhood, so that the property can be shared under the name of the organization.

Zero self-question is not generous enough to give everything away, so on the most fundamental issue, he can't reach a consensus with the Brotherhood.

Next is Paul, who doesn't want to follow Sauron's path. With the support of the Brotherhood, he became a puppet king. Therefore, he will be in harmony with Zero, hoping to cooperate with the Brotherhood on a relatively equal standpoint.

After Solomon withdrew, Mendriza and Joseph changed to support Paul, and the momentum was violent. Once the two of them join forces, they are indeed qualified to be on an equal footing with the Brotherhood. As for Isabel, it is another idea. If Zero is willing to join, then she can naturally be promoted through his big tree; if Zero is unwilling, then there is bound to be a contradiction between them and Gao Li, then Isabel will She intends to try to use Zero's power to force Gao Li to step down. As long as she can force Gao Li to step down, with zero support, she can sit on the throne of the first person.

At that time, she will be able to cooperate with Zero as an ally, and Zero must be willing to see this.

So in the three thoughts, the car drove through the city of St. Louis and finally reached the east of the city. Here, a high concrete wall that stretches for nearly a kilometer separates the city. The towers and barbed wire on the high walls are completely different from the elegant style of Saint-Louis, but a completely iron-blooded military style. Fully armed soldiers in the sentry tower, the distribution of dozens of firepower points covering the area within 100 meters in front of the high wall.

There are no buildings in this area, and a clear vacuum belt is formed between the high walls and the streets of St. Louis. Obviously, this is not a place for people to approach casually. When a door painted in dark red was retracted and opened from both sides, it appeared to Ling's eyes as a square, and behind the square was a medieval-style castle.

The castle is square in shape, with a tower at each corner and soldiers on duty. The four towers ensure that the castle has no blind spots for observation, and the two rows of shooting holes evenly distributed on each wall can quickly counterattack when the enemy comes.

The style of the castle is slender, towering, and spire, typical of the Gothic style. The main building of the city is connected to the top of the mountain, and the outer wall is decorated with complicated sculptures and patterns. The two auxiliary buildings next to them are only half the height of the main building, showing the difference between the primary and secondary buildings. The main entrance of the castle has a fence and a suspension bridge. When the car drove onto the square, the suspension bridge was hanging down.

When the suspension bridge was lowered, a group of people came out from the castle.

When the zero class got out of the car, Isabel took them forward and whispered: "The man in the middle is Gori Irwin."

Looking up, Gaoli, the first of the seven committee members, walked in the middle. He is tall and well-proportioned, full of energy, with a smile on his face. She combed her long golden hair neatly behind her head, and then weaved it into a braid and hung it down to her waist. He was wearing black pasted trousers, a large robe covering the floor, and the robe was decorated with gorgeous patterns. A dark red belt tightened the robe, and the belt was obviously raised, emphasizing the image of Gao Li.

He opened his hands and laughed loudly: "Welcome to you, your honorable Highness the Pope, and the brave leader of the Poseidon regiment. Welcome to the city of St. Louis, and I sincerely welcome you on behalf of the Brotherhood."

I have to say that Gao Li is full of looks, his voice is loud, and his tone fully demonstrates his enthusiasm as a master. It's hard to make people hate him based on the first impression alone. Ling Kan he strode forward, deliberately one step behind, let Paul go ahead. Paul felt in his heart and strode forward.

Gao Li looked in his eyes, secretly paying attention. On the surface, it was still full of enthusiasm. After hugging each other affectionately with Paul, he shook hands firmly with Zi, and then said: "The two are coming from afar, the journey is hard. Please come in, I have prepared a room for the two of you to rest. After the two of you had a rest, I arranged a welcome reception in the evening, and I would like to ask both of you to appreciate it."

Regarding his arrangement, the two people have no objection. Then Gaoli introduced other people to Zero and Paul, two of whom were members of the seven-person committee.

Semir is like a shrewd businessman. He wears a felt hat and a double-breasted cloak. He has a pocket watch hanging from his chest. The striped trousers on his lower body are tucked into high-pointed boots. His eyes are constantly looking up and down. Zero two people.

Another notable committee member is a short man, dressed in dark, close-fitting clothing. Although standing there, it gives people the feeling of flashing at any time. His name is Xifeng, which should be a pseudonym. The name is one of the seven committee members, but in fact it is Gao Li's minions and confidantes. Xifeng holds an assassination group in his hands, and he is a Tier 8 capable person and the only capable person among the seven members.

The simple information of these people, Isabel gave a rough idea to the two people as early as the way there. It's just that when you compare the information with the real person, their image is firmly imprinted in Zero's mind, and you can't forget it even if you want to.

The absent committee members are naturally Mendrissa, Joseph, and the number two Solomon, and it is not surprising that the committee members who have retired are not present at all.

After exchanging greetings with the two committee members, Gao Li asked Zero Sum Paul and other entourages to rest in the arranged room. In the evening, a welcome reception was held in the castle hall. There are not many people participating in the reception, but with Isabel’s introduction, it is not difficult to find that everyone who can stand here has a certain status in the fraternity, or the contribution is only lower than a few committee members.

These people speak elegantly, but they are always testing the tone of Zero and Paul during the conversation. Long before the two arrived, they privately decided that they would be tight-lipped about their own wishes before putting the matter on the negotiating table. Therefore, those who wanted to inquire about the news beforehand in order to wait and see all failed.

At the reception, Gaoli watched the two people silently from beginning to end, while his eyes fell on Isabel next to him from time to time. At this moment someone said: "It seems that our Isabel committee is very warm to the two distinguished guests."

There is no need to look back, Gao Li also knows that this is Semir's voice. He took a sip of the red wine and said, "Whether His Royal Highness Paul or Mr. Zero are excellent men, Isabel should be moved by them?"

"Isabel's heart is moved, but it shouldn't be a matter of men and women. That woman's ambition is not small." Semir pointed out.

"Somer, I have to remind you that it is a felony for the members of the Brotherhood to be suspicious of each other, especially our members. If even we can't trust each other, then the Brotherhood will have time to separate and separate." Leng Lengduo With these words, Gao Li turned and left.

Semir smiled and shook the glass in his hand and said: "Don't say that you are so noble, you don't also think of a dominant family..."

Suddenly, the west wind's face flashed in the reflection of the wine glass. Semir's heart shuddered, and he swallowed his unfinished words back into his stomach again.

The reception ended at midnight, and both Zero and Paul received several invitations for private receptions. The two of them gave these things to Isabel very tacitly, and she picked out which ones were worthy of socializing, and which ones needed to be out there to behave. After arriving in St. Louis, Isabel seems to have become the personal secretary of the two, but this female committee member has no complaints about this change. On the contrary, I am still very engaged in this job.

On the second day, a formal meeting was finally held in the conference hall of the castle. It is said that it is a meeting, but the nature is similar to that of negotiation. Zero and Paul have reached an agreement in this regard. In order to highlight the importance of Paul, Zero gave the right to speak to the young pope throughout the meeting. At the same time, he also conveyed a clearer meaning to the Brotherhood, that is, the Poseidon group under the Zero and the sea is on Paul's side.

Coupled with Mendriza and Joseph, Paul's weight seems to be very important. As for Isabel did not pick out his position, but supported Paul in many ways, it is not difficult for people to see the meaning of this female committee member.

In contrast, Gaoli's side seems weak. In the absence of Solomon, Semir's attitude was ambiguous, and only one Westerly supported Gaoli unconditionally. But the two committee members did not get much benefit at this negotiating table.

Paul exerted his staggering eloquence at this time. His Royal Highness started from the benefits of overthrowing Sauron, and then talked about the subsequent distribution of benefits and changes in the structure, without forgetting to occasionally hint Sauron's hostility to the Brotherhood. He pointed out that if the Brotherhood is unwilling to cooperate with them, then Sauron may be a candidate for short-term cooperation. His Highness the Pope had a clear goal, intimidated and profitable to induce several things, and he heard Gao Li's heart again and again with wry smiles.

Although he had imagined today’s situation, he never thought that the upright zero meeting would stand on Paul’s side without hesitation, so that he had planned to win over the zero to contain Paul’s abacus, resulting in the fall of today’s meeting. At the absolute disadvantage. Zero made a concession step on the bright side, but in fact took a sharp move, which forced Gao Li to have no power to parry, which shows the skill of the method.

But Gorri is not a provocative master, although he is forced to work together by Paul and Zero's alliance in general. But how to cooperate, in which way to cooperate, but there is much to be done. In these places where you can advance and retreat, every inch of land must be contended. After Paul was unwilling to be reconciled, he always fought for his own interests and Zero, so the big conference room became a war between Paul and Gori.

Zero couldn't help but rejoice that Paul came with him. In this regard, Paul is clearly a better candidate for negotiation than he is.

The meeting ended at noon, but the two sides have not reached a consensus in many aspects, let alone signed a specific agreement. According to Isabel’s idea, the two people estimated that they would have to stay in Saint-Louis for a few days. In the past few days, they didn't have time. In addition to meeting with Gao Li, they had to visit the senior members of the fraternity in order to win their support.

On the third morning of their arrival in St. Louis, a fleet suddenly arrived on the island of Turin. Turin Island is one of the large islands in the Pearl Corridor Island Group, and it is also the location where the Papal Hall is located on the only military base on this island group. Before dawn, Major General Simon, the person in charge of the military base, woke the adjutant up and hurried to the dock to greet him.

Because this fleet is under the banner of Sauron himself, although he was surprised how Sauron would suddenly visit Turin at this time, Simon did not dare to neglect. Shortly after he arrived at the dock, the fleet began to enter the port. What puzzled Simon was that only one ship entered the port. As for the other warships still staying on the distant coast, they seemed to be preparing for a long voyage.

Without giving Simon any time to ponder, the ship berthed, and Sauron walked onto the dock under the guard of a group of Silver Hand. Simon and the adjutant rushed to meet him, unable to speak. Sauron immediately asked Simon to talk to him in the office, saying that there was something important to discuss~lightnovelpub.net~ This surprised Simon and did not dare to refuse, so he immediately led him. Sauron came to his private office in the base.

As soon as the door closed, Simon saw Sauron standing in front of a map. On the map is the island group of the Pearl Corridor, Sauron said lightly: "Recently, I received some information. I heard that some ugly rats are hiding under an island in the Pearl Corridor. They are right under your nose, Simon! "

Simon snorted in his heart, and still said: "Master Sauron, this is impossible. All the islands in the Pearl Corridor are under our control, and no one can get in under our noses."

Sauron had no words, and suddenly changed the subject: "Simon, have you heard of the Dark Brotherhood?"

Simon's body shook slightly and immediately replied, "I haven't heard of it, my lord."

"Really?" Sauron smiled, turned around and said: "Under normal circumstances, no one can hide in the pearl corridor under our noses. There is only one situation that can do this, that It is the manager on the Pearl Corridor. My dear Major General Simon personally covers these rats. Am I right? Simon!"

For a moment, Simon's mind went blank.