Alternate Dimension Game: Happiness is all that matters!
Chapter 121 - 112: Number 1 Leading the Team Personally!

Chapter 121: Chapter 112: Number 1 Leading the Team Personally!

Although the logic was a bit convoluted, Investigator No. 1 quickly grasped it.

He couldn’t help but sigh at the cunning of these political operators.

Trading information was always tricky; should the money or the goods go first? If the money was paid first, how could the truth of the information be guaranteed? Many supernatural informational tidbits were ambiguous, even to himself, with no way to offer a guarantee. Just a slight detail error could lead to vastly different outcomes.

If the goods went first, once the information was known, getting the bargaining chips back was a problem.

With the addition of Anthony Smith as a figurehead, the reliability of these pieces of information was greatly enhanced.

"We can even have Anthony Smith hold a dialogue with the Mysterious Bureau using Chen Xinyi’s abilities. That way, we can at least ensure our cooperation with the Mysterious Bureau,"

Investigator No. 1 nodded. International politics were truly troublesome, he thought with a bitter smile, "At a time like this, they still want to scrape up some advantages."

However, specialization had its own realm of expertise, and between nations, interests were paramount.

Great Xia Country had its peaks and valleys in the past. A country cannot be personified.

If you think too highly of others, that’s naivety, and you might end up suffering losses yourself.

Investigator No. 11 added, "Furthermore, we also believe that we should be more actively and proactively involved in the ’Blood Demon’ event. Even if it costs us something... it will be worth it."

"How so?"

Investigator No. 11 cleared his throat, "The risk in this matter is great, but it may well be an opportunity."

"Because the ’Blood Demon’ event must be dealt with. If not, it will pose a threat to us. Rather than dawdle here, it’s better to extinguish it while it’s still nascent."

"Secondly, there’s a certain probability that the ’Game’ will help us, though the form of help is quite peculiar; it still counts as aid."

"While investigating the ’Blood Demon,’ we can also investigate the ’Game.’"

"After all, the ’Game’ comes and goes without a trace; it’s extremely difficult for us to find it under normal circumstances... This time, there is a high likelihood it will appear."

"Taking an active role in the ’Blood Demon’ event offers the best opportunity for a close investigation of the ’Game,’ while also allowing us to exclude other organizations and keep this secret to ourselves."

Keeping secrets was crucial!

And who wouldn’t want to monopolize a neutrally aligned, and even slightly ’friendly,’ Demon God?

That’s a Demon God whose tier is comparable to ’God,’ not a Subordinate Demon God!

Just a little bit of help could propel all of humankind significantly forward!

Investigator No. 1 found this thought somewhat enticing.

If some of the organizations abroad knew of the existence of the ’Game’... well, even the most conservative would have no doubt that the stinking mess overseas would do everything in their power to follow it devotedly.

They were not as cautious and well-established as the Black-clothed Guard.

For example, a Supernatural Organization known as "Asakusa Temple" possessed three Strange Objects: the Heavenly Cluster Cloud Sword, the Yata Mirror, and another artifact, which were actually obtained a thousand years ago by aligning with an ’Evil God Level’ strange entity.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this Evil God was destroyed by its kind in the Etheric Abyss before it could harm this world, leaving behind these three Strange Objects.

Similar organizations, which developed their foundations due to bizarre adventures, were quite numerous... of course, their willpower was usually not very impressive.

"Additionally, taking active and initiative involvement in the ’Blood Demon’ event is also our stake in the game."

"We can send our people, and other organizations can provide Strange Objects."

"Will they agree?"

"They will agree! They will need to bleed to deal with this matter. Now that things are getting more urgent, it’s time for them to give up their illusions. In the past few hours, we’ve received over a dozen calls from abroad. After seeing the coffin, those rascals will eventually give up hope."

"We don’t even rule out the possibility that if we fail completely, the ’Game’ might directly restart the world line, giving us a chance to start over. Of course, we shouldn’t get too hopeful; there is only one life to live, and every Investigator’s life is precious."

"These are the reasons I believe we should actively take initiative."

The middle-aged man’s reasoning was indeed quite substantive.

After discussing for about ten minutes, everyone analyzed the Strange Objects they had on hand and who would be the most suitable candidates for exploration.

The risks of investigating two Demon Gods at once were self-evident.

Even if the ’Game’ was likely an ally, the thoughts of a Demon God were not easily fathomed by humans.

Investigator No. 1 was silent for a long while before suddenly saying, "Since there are no suitable candidates... I will lead the team myself. We don’t need many people, just 5 Investigators with complementary abilities will do. I can’t let the young ones go to their deaths on such a high-risk mission."

"To go to their deaths," this phrase was the latest internet slang that Investigator No. 1 had learned, and it gave him quite the sense of pride.

It was no small feat for someone of his age to keep up with the trends of the times!

"This doesn’t seem appropriate," someone objected, "You are Investigator No. 1; there’s a lot of work you need to do."

Investigator No. 1 shook his head, "The world has been at peace for so long that everyone seems to have forgotten that the position of No. 1 is awarded through genuine merit, not by ballot. I’m rusting away doing administrative work all day."

"Let’s leave it at that."

"The operations of the Black-clothed Guard follow their own rules; even if half our members die, the organization will still run smoothly. So there’s no need for excessive worry. There have been many difficult times in history; the current situation is still a far cry from those!"

"Moreover, my personal involvement is a bargaining chip in the international arena, isn’t it?"

...

...

The global cooperative meeting was convened once again within a short thirty minutes.

This time, due to the frequent outbreaks of the red fog incident, the number of missing persons in many regions had already reached four digits, finally bringing enough pressure to the regional leaders.

It was time to talk it over calmly in the video conference.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as I mentioned in the last meeting, to resolve this incident, something must be sacrificed. People, items, intelligence – if nothing else, money will suffice, and if there is no money, one can sell their very foundations."

"We, the Black-clothed Guard, offer personnel and intelligence."

...

...

The tense and gloomy international conference churned on, ultimately lasting four hours.

Well, this could be considered quite a smooth operation. In the past, wasn’t there bickering for two or three months, where all the delegates would be worn out before finally making mutual concessions?

The next morning at six, Comrade No. 1 woke up on time from his sleep, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and washed his face.

This routine had been maintained for decades, no matter what happened; only with the spirits rejuvenated and after ample rest could he take care of business.

"It feels like returning to my younger days, seeking some challenges occasionally."

No. 1 looked at his reflection in the mirror, his heart beating a bit faster than usual – a physiological response to a slightly tense mental state.

He had aged more than he had a decade ago, with wrinkles on his face deep enough to possibly trap a mosquito.

At this thought, No. 1 couldn’t help but laugh silently.

One cannot avoid growing old.

But recalling today’s task, he felt an eagerness to try, as if he had returned to his youth.

After finishing breakfast, he returned to his office and brewed a cup of tea.

Already, a large group of people was waiting outside his office, some of them foreigners.

A blond middle-aged woman bowed slightly, "Good morning, Mr. No. 1."

"May I ask if you truly intend to lead the team to the area where ’it’ originates?"

A man’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow.

The readiness of No. 1 of the Black-clothed Guard to personally lead the team was undoubtedly a strong boost of confidence internationally. Many small organizations did not hesitate to bring out their best-kept treasures for this operation.

A person has only one life and cannot afford to joke with it.

The elder smiled, "Of course, that is the promise we have given."

"Do you think I am unable to fulfill my role?"

"Not at all, of course not!" the middle-aged woman hurriedly shook her head.

No. 1 then said, "Did you bring what was promised at last night’s meeting?"

"We have brought the Strange Objects you requested. The people are also here. Please proceed to the central meeting hall to inspect them."

"That would be most ideal." No. 1 replied with a mild smile.

Then, a crowd moved to the central hall, where even more people awaited.

The batch of Strange Objects was abundant, with almost every organization taking on some responsibility.

There were communication types, space types – quite a financial sacrifice had been made.

Besides various other small trinkets, the three main Strange Objects for restraining the Blood Demon were essential.

The first was a "replica of the Turin Shroud." The original Turin Shroud encompassed unimaginable horror and was not suitable for direct use.

Thus, some foreign scientists took a small corner of the "Turin Shroud," and through technical means, created this replica that roughly restored one-fifth of the original’s power.

It might not completely suppress a Demon God, but it could at least trap one for a time.

The second object was a "Dimension Fragment," a mysterious piece originating from a 15th-century witch named Diorena.

Once activated, it could absorb matter of any size into Dimension Space.

No one knew where the absorbed objects ended up – perhaps disappeared, or perhaps fell into the depths of the Etheric Abyss.

In any case, the "Dimension Fragment" could indiscriminately pull things into it.

The third Strange Object was called "a fragment of Jesus’s Umbilical Cord," purported to be one of the relics left by the Son of God, Jesus, a medium for summoning an avatar of the God.

Of course, summoning God was a last resort because once God appeared, it would indiscriminately destroy everything nearby.

All investigators would have no chance of survival.