Bai Yuetong sensed the difficulty of Lu Luo's choice, and Lu Luo also fell into a slight silence.

My choice? Should I follow behind Shi Tingyu, or choose another family?

If the Luo Family stands behind Shi Tingyu, the balance among the 12 families of the Inner Ring would be restored. This seems like the most rational choice, but it is actually the worst choice. Why does the current Alliance appear so weak, so utterly vulnerable? It's because although they are named an Alliance, in reality, they are all engaged in internal strife and undercutting each other. In such a situation, the Alliance cannot contend with the Church. Never mind the Church; the Alliance cannot even subdue the Fourth Ring. Why can't they? Is it because the Alliance lacks Seventh Tier adepts? No, the Alliance truly doesn't lack Seventh Tier adepts. If all 12 families united, sent out Seventh Tier experts, and aided them with a large number of Sixth Tier forces, they could definitely take back the Fourth Ring without much difficulty. The whole process wouldn't involve too many twists and turns. The Alliance has a total of 14 Seventh Tier experts. Even with Ji Shaoran dead, there are still 13. Thirteen Seventh Tier experts working together could definitely smash the Nightmare Demon's head to pieces. But the harsh reality is that apart from the Ji Family, there's also the Judgment Chief, Qi Lin. The remaining 11 family factions of the Alliance, the 13 Seventh Tier adepts—not one of them took action against the Fourth Ring again. The once united Inner Ring Alliance has fractured into three forces: the Li Family's Sea Star Civil Life, the Lin Family's Hongtu Armaments, and the Shi Family's Lan Tian Biology. Economic entanglements, political undercutting, the uncertainty of controlling the Outer Ring, the fear of being backstabbed—and so on. All these reasons prevent the Inner Ring forces from uniting. They cannot trust each other. No matter how good the other party seems or how sweet their words, it's all meaningless. The Alliance families only trust themselves. Even for firm allies like the Shi Family and Luo Family, there will always be various mutual suspicions. That's why the Shi Family sent an insider to investigate the Luo Family. It is precisely because of this distrust that the power of the Alliance is greatly diminished. The flaws of the Alliance system are blatantly exposed before these people. They are no longer grasshoppers on the same string; they want to become the new string and kick the other grasshoppers off. So, a tripartite balance of power seems like the right choice. But in reality, for the Inner Ring itself, it is also the worst choice. If the tripartite balance continues for a while, the Alliance will inevitably collapse, without exception. Luo Xuemin must have foreseen this, which is why he let me, an outsider, make the judgment. Because even Luo Xuemin himself could not be sure which path was the right one at this time.

"Dumb Hair."

"Hmm? What's up?"

"Nothing much. Just having a bit of a hard time choosing, haha."

Dumb Hair frowned slightly as she tugged at Lu Luo's arm.

"Lu Luo!"

"What's the matter?"

"The Shi Family gave my dad a mechanical arm."

"And then?"

Lu Luo knew Bai Yuetong was a very rational person. If it wasn't for something important to say, she definitely wouldn't disturb his thoughts at this time.

"That mechanical arm has a problem!"

Like Luo Xuemin, Bai Yuetong couldn't make the most rational judgment. But she would still make her own choice based on her feelings. The Shi Family giving her father a problematic mechanical arm was, in itself, a plot against him. Even though their two families were currently allies, she still had to speak up. This was her personal conviction.

A problematic mechanical arm?

"Yes, a mechanical arm with an energy core. While this energy core does have an Enhancement effect, its primary purpose is more likely detonation."

I understand.

Lu Luo nodded slightly. He was not Luo Xuemin, so there were many things he didn't know. However, from his personal perspective, the matter no longer required a choice.

Because Luo Xuemin had asked him to handle this, it meant Luo Xuemin had essentially already made his own choice.

Lu Luo didn't choose to stand with Shi Tingyu but instead slowly walked over to the other side of the living room and took the last vacant spot at the round table.

"Alright, let's talk about distributing the Ji Family's assets."

Li Luoya and Lin Zhiqi looked at Lu Luo with surprise and excitement on their faces.

Lu Luo wasn't standing behind Shi Tingyu. Could this mean the Luo Family and the Shi Family had completely parted ways? If the Shi Family lost the support of the Luo Family, they would be a commander without an army! They would then have a chance to take control of the Alliance once more! They just didn't know if Lu Luo's intentions aligned with Luo Xuemin's.

Compared to them, Shi Tingyu just calmly watched Lu Luo, seemingly not particularly surprised by his choice.

"You're as unconventional as I imagined, Mr. Lu Luo."

"I just don't like standing behind others. You can barely get any soup that way, let alone eat the meat! What's the point of being out here if it's not for the meat?"

Lu Luo spoke very crudely, but Shi Tingyu understood.

"Heh, you're right. If you're out here not for the meat, then it truly is pointless. But Mr. Lu Luo, didn't Uncle Luo Xuemin tell you that our two families are allies?"

"Ah, really? I had no idea!"

Zhang Yifan, beside him, tugged Lu Luo back, confused as to why Lu Luo was acting this way.

"Lu Luo, we're allies with the Shi Family!"

"Is that so? I really didn't know. Why don't you tell Uncle Luo Xuemin about it when you go back today?"

Actually, the moment Lu Luo heard Dumb Hair say the Shi Family had given Luo Xuemin a problematic mechanical arm, he had already made this choice. Perhaps many people would choose to compromise, but for Lu Luo, such self-damaging compromise was unacceptable.

The Shi Family had already started to harm Luo Xuemin. And what was Luo Xuemin's status? He's the Family Head of the Luo Family! Our own Family Head has been harmed by an ally—what kind of alliance is that?! Not to mention, last night the Shi Family sent over that plump maid to seduce me. Are they looking down on me, Lu Luo?

"We were interrupted earlier. Alright, now let's talk about how to distribute the Ji Family's properties."

"It seems Mr. Lu Luo is serious now!"

"Of course, I am serious."

At this, Shi Tingyu clapped her hands, and her assistant brought out 11 sets of materials. These materials were all prepared in advance. The assistant distributed all 11 sets of documents. When one reached Lu Luo, he didn't hesitate to pick it up and start flipping through. He flipped through the pages quickly, going through the thick stack of documents in just a few dozen seconds.

This made many people think Lu Luo was just there to cause trouble, believing he simply didn't understand what distributing assets meant.

However, Shi Tingyu had been observing Lu Luo all along. After he quickly finished flipping through the pages, she suddenly asked, "Mr. Lu Luo, do your detection abilities also enhance memory?"

"Yes, my Sequence is more advanced—at least more advanced than yours—so it has some extra effects on memory!"

Their conversation wasn't quiet, so the others could hear it. Many subconsciously stopped what they were doing. Detection Sequences are indeed very rare yet extremely useful.

Lu Luo has an even more advanced detection Sequence than Shi Tingyu? Could it be a Grade A Sequence?

Everyone's gaze towards Lu Luo changed. If there was no reason to try and recruit him before, now there was.

A person with a Grade A detection Sequence... Such a talent would be useful to any family, regardless of which one!

"Mr. Lu Luo, you are indeed impressive!"

"It's alright. I prefer not to reveal too much."

Shi Tingyu smiled, her interest in Lu Luo intensifying. But then she glanced over at Bai Yuetong.

Bai Yuetong, as if sensing something, glared at Shi Tingyu.

"What are you looking at?"

Although Shi Tingyu held an impressive status, it was impossible for her to seriously contend with Bai Yuetong. The status of the Judgment Chief was too transcendent within the Inner Ring.

"I merely thought Miss Bai Yuetong was naturally beautiful, so I took a few extra glances."

"Hmph! Do I need your compliments on my good looks? You're not a man, so what good is your flattery to me!"

Shi Tingyu's face stiffened. This Dumb Hair, Bai Yuetong, really was as difficult to get along with as the rumors claimed.

It's truly beyond understanding how such a woman could have ended up with someone like Lu Luo.

"Mr. Lu Luo, you've finished reading, correct? So, what are your thoughts on the Ji Family's assets?"

In fact, everyone else had already reviewed the Ji Family's asset report beforehand, so this was merely a review for them. Only Lu Luo was unaware of the details. Shi Tingyu didn't ask Li Luoya, nor did she turn to Lin Zhiqi. Instead, she questioned Lu Luo, the man from the Fourth Ring. This caused some dissatisfaction among the crowd but also piqued their curiosity. They, too, were waiting for Lu Luo's answer.

Lu Luo took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and processed the information from the dossier through his Mental Palace. Turning to face everyone, he placed his hand on the table. Then, he began to subtly release his aura.

Well, to be precise, this wasn't just an aura, but the Force of the Lords, or perhaps, the Sequence Force!

In their eyes, Lu Luo began to appear distorted, creating an image that was unbearable to look at directly. Many subconsciously bowed their heads, no longer looking at Lu Luo. However, the individuals present were of special status and possessed considerable abilities. Although influenced by Lu Luo, some still stared at him intently, trying to overcome the uncomfortable sensation.

As Lu Luo's fingers touched the table, countless black eyes appeared in the air around them. These eyes opened slightly, as if to absorb everything in their surroundings. The leaders—Shi Tingyu, Li Luoya, and Lin Zhiqi—each saw eyes appearing above the others' heads.

An illusion?

Eyes?

What is that?

Although surprised, none of them spoke out at that moment—perhaps due to their own private concerns.

The strongest among them, Shi Tingyu, looked at Lu Luo thoughtfully. She didn't know if all this was Lu Luo's doing, but clearly, the situation was abnormal.

Lu Luo paused for a few seconds, silently counting down in his mind:

3, 2, 1.

This silent count was to ensure everyone fell under the influence of the Observer's Sequence Force. This was the ultimate effect, a combination of the Nightmare Demon's power, the Force of the Lords, and the Observer's Sequence Force. It was sufficient to subtly affect others' minds, preventing them from realizing it at first.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Lu Luo tapped slowly on the tabletop, their spirits quivering with each knock. After knocking on the table 11 times, Lu Luo finally began to speak.

"I've just briefly reviewed the materials Miss Shi Tingyu provided, and I now have some understanding of the Ji Family's industries. The Ji Family, as one of the 13 Alliance families, has lost its greatest pillar of support: the Seventh Tier expert, Ji Shaoran. This is all common knowledge, so I won't repeat it. The main issue now is how to distribute the Ji Family's assets. In truth, this is an unsolvable problem because no matter how they're divided, none of you will be satisfied. Am I right?"

Lu Luo might be considered a minor figure, but the eyes hovering above their heads exerted immense pressure. The representatives of the three major families felt somewhat dazed. Especially Li Luoya; being the weakest, she was the most intensely affected by the Observer.

Almost there!

With the Observer's cue, Lu Luo continued, "It seems no one objects to what I've said. The Ji Family's main industries are metallurgy and mining. They originally had an excellent Outer Ring mining exploration team, all of whom were stranded in the Fourth Ring and lost contact. Without the support of ores, the Ji Family's metallurgy industry in the Inner Ring couldn't operate sustainably. This is why the Ji Family was the first to respond when the proposal to reclaim the Fourth Ring was made. The schism between the Inner Ring and the Fourth Ring has indeed had a massive impact on the Ji Family.

"Alright, I've finished discussing the Ji Family's situation. Now, let's talk about *our* situation!"

The abrupt shift in Lu Luo's topic left the others somewhat bewildered. Only then did they feel as if they were waking from a dream.

"Our situation? Aren't we supposed to be distributing the Ji Family's wealth?"

"Don't rush," Lu Luo said. "Let's clarify our own situation first. Then, the Ji Family's assets can be distributed effectively!"

Lu Luo's voice was soft, yet it held a mysteriously compelling charm. Although they didn't particularly like Lu Luo, they found themselves oddly eager to hear him continue.

"Go on," Shi Tingyu said.

Lin Zhiqi and Li Luoya also nodded.

Lu Luo didn't speak immediately but looked towards Zhang Yifan beside him.

This sense of Lu Luo commanding the overall situation left Zhang Yifan somewhat surprised and bewildered. Of course, there was also a hint of envy, an emotion he completely concealed.

"Why are you looking at me? Just do what the Family Head entrusted to you."

"Of course. I'm a son-in-law of the Luo Family. The resources I acquire are all mine! No problem there."

Lu Luo took out a deck of playing cards, skillfully drew a selection of them, and placed them before everyone.

The 13 families of the Alliance were represented by 13 cards.

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