Xicheng Hotel.
Morning.
Gu Ning silently bypassed the security guards at the stairwell and arrived at the door of the presidential suite on the top floor.
"What are you doing here?"
At the door, two burly bodyguards wearing earpieces blocked his way.
"Step aside. I'm here to see Mr. Bratton on urgent business," Gu Ning said in a deep voice.
"Mr. Bratton is meeting with important guests. Leave now!"
"Wait a second—how did you get up here without being announced?"
The two bodyguards spoke almost in unison—one trying to eject him, the other questioning him.
These two weren't Awakened; they were failed trial-takers. The success rate of Awakening through trials was actually very low. The trials in the Spirit Realm were extremely difficult, and the environment was complex and unpredictable. The chance of failure was high.
Each failure made the next trial harder, as punishment from the will of the Spirit Realm. Someone who failed three times might as well give up on Awakening altogether.
Still, failing didn't mean starving to death—they had at least 20 points in combined attributes, making their physique three times that of an ordinary person. They could always find another path. Becoming a bodyguard was a common choice.
Gu Ning shifted his body, slipping between the two with lightning speed.
Both bodyguards turned to chase him. One, quicker to react, threw a punch at Gu Ning's back.
With a thud, the punch landed squarely between his shoulder blades.
Gu Ning's body didn't even sway. Instead, he used the force of the punch to burst through the suite door!
Inside the suite, several pairs of eyes shot toward him.
Gu Ning instantly spotted Bratton seated at the head of the table—a bald, chubby old man, exactly like he appeared in the news.
Behind Bratton, a tall Black man strode over and barked in English, "Who are you? Get out!" As he spoke, he reached out to grab Gu Ning.
This man was clearly a veteran Awakened—far stronger than Gu Ning. His grab was precise, with subtle angles that left no room to dodge. No one without at least Level 4 combat specialization could pull that off.
Gu Ning immediately opened his personal attribute panel and set two lines to exhibition mode, shouting, "Mr. Bratton! I've come to request to join the Equilibrium Order—I'm valuable enough!"
The Equilibrium Order was the core organization of the Byrons Consortium. In other words, the entire Byrons Consortium existed to serve it as an external body.
When displayed, the attribute panel automatically appeared in a language the viewer could understand—Chinese for Chinese speakers, English for English speakers—no language barrier.
"Alchemist?"
"Enhanced elite… tank?"
One English term and one Chinese phrase came from Bratton and the man seated across from him.
"Wait, Benny," Bratton said pleasantly.
The Awakened named Benny had already grabbed Gu Ning's collar and was about to throw him out. But at Bratton's words, he set him down.
"Young man, Gu Ning, right?" Bratton smiled and spoke in Chinese. "You want to join the Equilibrium Order? Personally, I'd welcome you. But can you tell me why? A rare primary Awakened like you could easily join any major power."
"Thank you."
Gu Ning straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and sat at the end of the table. "Your secretary is probably looking into my background right now. She'll soon tell you why I want to join. Her report should be more credible than anything I can say."
Bratton's secretary hesitated, then nodded—she was searching Gu Ning's name on her handheld device, though she hadn't expected him to notice.
Soon, her expression shifted slightly. She handed the device to Bratton and whispered in his ear.
"Gu Ning. Contracted clinical subject of the Supergen Corporation. Disappeared about twenty days ago… suspected of stealing a high-value psychic artifact. A case has been filed with the Huaxia Security Bureau."
Bratton nodded slightly. "I see why you want to join us now… but I must decline."
"Sorry to trouble you." Gu Ning turned and left without hesitation.
Bratton, who had been about to explain his refusal further, was caught off guard by how decisive he was.
From Gu Ning's perspective, the reason for leaving was simple.
He had found out that the Byrons Consortium was involved in the psychic potion industry and purchased large quantities of psychic herbs, putting them in direct competition with Supergen. That made them a likely refuge.
But major powers had tangled interests—both rivalry and cooperation. A refusal wasn't surprising.
The Equilibrium Order wasn't his only option. Having shown himself openly this time, he couldn't afford to waste time—he needed to find another prospect quickly.
Gu Ning had no intention of falling into Supergen's hands. If no faction would take him in, he'd rather flee the city and become a drifter in the wild.
"Wait!"
A woman's voice called out—it was the lady seated opposite Bratton. She had healthy tan skin, wore tea-tinted glasses, a black leather jacket, slim-fit jeans, and a crisp white shirt. She gave off a bold, heroic air.
She stepped forward and blocked his path.
She moved even faster than Gu Ning! Clearly, she was Awakened too.
"What, don't recognize me? Last night you used my car window as a mirror," she said with a smile.
Gu Ning had noticed her upon entering but hadn't had the chance or reason to greet her. He forced a smile. "Hello… sorry, I'm in a hurry."
"Looking for your next option? Consider us."
She handed him a business card.
Glancing at it, Gu Ning read: Datang, Shence, Li Ling.
"Datang Group? Shence Corps?" he said in surprise. He'd heard of Datang Group, a well-known name in psychic potions. The Shence Corps, as its core force, wasn't as famous—barely mentioned, really—not a top-tier power.
"Our Shence Corps hasn't made it to the Super League yet, so the public doesn't know us well," Li Ling said with a small cough. "But I assure you, our strength is solid."
"I need an organization willing to stand up to Supergen," Gu Ning said firmly.
"You mean Supergen's core group—the Supernova Alliance."
Li Ling smiled, a hint of pride in her voice. "They're old and powerful in the Spirit Realm, sure. But in the real world? That's a different story. Want to know why?"
Gu Ning shook his head honestly.
Li Ling didn't keep him guessing. She pulled out a dark green ID booklet.
One glance, and Gu Ning's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was a military officer's ID.
So they were backed by the military. No wonder they were confident.
"I've seen Supergen's accusations against you. Frankly, it's a civil dispute—not something that should be criminal," Li Ling said, tucking away the ID. The second button of her shirt strained slightly, revealing a glimpse of pale skin against her tan.
"So, you believe I'm innocent?" Gu Ning asked.
"I'm willing to believe you for another reason," she said, eyeing his ill-fitting, worn clothes with appreciation. "That outfit—you picked it from a trash bin, right? I remember you came back from the Spirit Realm last night with nothing. As an Awakened, you didn't steal or rob to get by. A man with those principles is worth trusting."
Actually, I got this from a community clothing donation center… Gu Ning thought, but didn't correct her. There wasn't much difference—people donated clothes they couldn't wear, and some really did dump them straight into the trash for convenience.
"So? Join Shence Corps. With your foundation, a bit of training and you could be the tactical core tank of a large team. Your future would be bright."
Bratton looked uneasy. He rubbed his face, forced a warm smile, and stepped up. "Young man, your original goal was to join the Equilibrium Order, wasn't it? On second thought, I believe we can consider it—as long as you agree to a few conditions."
Gu Ning glanced at him.
This old fox… saying 'I must decline' just to play hard to get. Probably figured if I begged a bit more, he could pretend to reluctantly accept, conditions and all.
"Please allow me to decline," Gu Ning said firmly, shaking his head.