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Chapter 303: Physical Commitment

"What is this...?" Walter picked it up and saw a tiny metal ball floating inside the syringe, about a tenth the size of a grain of rice. "Could it be... an oath-keeping poison?"

"Poisons can be metabolized, but micro-robots cannot," Lin Qing confirmed his suspicion. "Once inside your body, it will monitor your various health metrics and warn of any health risks. Of course... it can also become a lethal assassin if you break today’s agreement. What we’re discussing is immense; mere promises and contracts can’t truly bind it. I think Mr. Walter should understand this. You still have time to refuse."

She wasn’t joking.

Future Warriors need such tools to ensure captives or important targets comply obediently.

Though this might somewhat harm trust between people, it’s better than betrayal after the fact.

Besides, the means of control by the Dimensional Limit Mechanism are far more formidable than this little thing.

Walter indeed didn’t show shock or disappointment; he was still thinking... weighing the pros and cons of the two choices. After a moment, he decisively picked up the syringe, "How do I use it?"

Lin Qing replied, "It doesn’t need to hit a vein, just find a spot with plenty of muscle. Once inside your body, it will activate and automatically find the appropriate monitoring position, and current medical technology can’t possibly remove it."

He nodded, aimed the syringe at the edge of his shoulder, and pulled the trigger.

In this way, the cooperative relationship became an established fact, no longer needing any other paperwork, contracts, or seals for confirmation.

"I wish us a successful collaboration." Lin Qing smiled and extended her hand.

When Walter shook her hand, he understood the meaning of her words in the car earlier.

After sending off Lin Qing, he gathered the accompanying family members into the conference room.

"The Mechanism’s representative has left," he announced.

The crowd immediately began discussing.

"So urgent? Not even staying for the banquet?"

"We haven’t even properly greeted this representative, why didn’t you keep her..."

"Young people these days really don’t observe courtesies."

"Indeed, she seemed to ignore us."

Walter waited quietly until their chatter subsided, then he spoke, "Starting tomorrow, the company’s structure will be streamlined. The administrative, human resources, and sales departments will be eliminated, and the company’s main direction will undergo significant changes. Weekly meetings will be suspended, and all internal matters, big or small, will require my review before execution."

These words caused an uproar among the crowd!

Walter Company is indeed a family business, but it’s far from a small operation. After generations of management, it has become a significant entity involved in weapon manufacturing, sales, logistics, and other fields, with many family members participating. They’ve always pushed the company towards a more robust, legitimate direction, even old Walter didn’t oppose this.

After all, the more it resembled a legitimate company, the easier it was to get investments and orders.

Their ultimate goal was to list the company, completely shedding the family business label.

On the surface, this was best for the company’s future; in reality, they could also gain more profits and influence.

Walter’s decision was akin to turning back the clock on history, wasn’t it?

"What do you mean by this!? The company has finally developed to this stage, why make such drastic changes suddenly?"

"Yeah! Our profits have been rising; there’s no need for structural adjustments, right?"

Panic and dissatisfaction spread through the crowd.

Everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs, and the courtesies they just mentioned were nowhere to be found.

Walter even sensed a tinge of hostility.

This wasn’t surprising... He looked at each person, savoring the emotions they exuded. If Walter Company is a big tree, then these people are the birds perching on its branches, regardless of whether they come from the main or branch families, they have already made the branches beneath their feet their territory.

Now that he’s taking back those territories, the birds will, of course, be angry... even rebellious.

"Father, did the Dimensional Limit Mechanism’s representative ask you to do this?" Longlan Weiss couldn’t help but ask on behalf of everyone.

Walter nodded slightly.

This confirmation immediately sparked even more dissatisfaction.

"Ridiculous, by what right!?"

"If we can’t strike a deal, then we won’t do business with them at all! The company will still be fine without them!"

"I’m not discussing this with you—I’m notifying you. No matter how dissatisfied or incomprehensible this decision may seem, it will be implemented," Walter said in a firm voice. "Those who do not wish to comply can leave. I will provide full compensation. Only those who are willing to accept can continue working in the company, although... their specific roles and tasks will certainly change."

"I gathered them together to make it easier for you to fire them."

"The upcoming collaboration must be based on unified will."

Miss Lin’s voice echoed in his mind.

Judging by their reactions, this filtering step was indeed quite necessary.

"You... you’re insane."

"The company will definitely crash and burn like this!"

"Uncle, I really cannot support your decision..."

People left one by one, but that didn’t mean they would willingly accept this outcome. Resistance, both public and covert, would inevitably occur... Fortunately, Walter was used to speaking with bullets, and now with the Mechanism providing protection, he didn’t need to worry about the extent of their troublemaking.

After all, the company was still solely under his control for the time being.

Only five people were left, one of them being his youngest son, Longlan Weiss. If a company suddenly lost a large number of executives and key personnel, its operations would certainly grind to a halt, and it might even completely collapse.

However, Walter knew that his company would not only avoid decay but grow at an unimaginable pace, eventually becoming a giant entity vastly different from its current state.

As foretold by the Mechanism... he would become part of history.

...

...

While surfing the web in the store, Chen Xuan suddenly noticed the scenery outside had changed... Rows of closed brick houses stood five meters away, with a sewage-laden street right in front of the entrance, and the air itself was filled with an unpleasant odor.

Was a customer arriving?

As soon as this thought came up, he saw a familiar figure appear at the shop door: Witch Marlena.

She was still dressed in a black robe, wearing a silver crown, but there was a hint of weathered weariness on her face, no longer as youthful and bright as when they first met.

A sudden bad premonition arose within Chen Xuan.

Upon seeing him, she rushed into the shop, slightly panting, "Thank goodness... I finally found you."

"What’s the matter?" He poured the witch a glass of water.

Marina didn’t take it but instead asked in surprise, "Divine Envoy... Did you really sense nothing?"

Sense? Chen Xuan frowned, instinctively thinking of something, "Did you come looking for me because of Joan?"

"Yes." Marina breathed a sigh of relief, the surprise in her voice replaced by a hint of sorrow. "Lady Joan... has passed away."

Chen Xuan was stunned.

He returned to the bar, opened the butler software, and found that indeed, there was one less name on the guest list.

Like Gildre... Joan’s name had disappeared.

So that’s how it is... Chen Xuan sighed deeply. It wasn’t that she was blaming him for being oblivious; she was worried Joan had been abandoned by the gods. As a nominal Divine Envoy, if he didn’t respond to the departure of a devout believer, people would naturally question Joan rather than him.

Since the wording was ’departure’ instead of ’death in battle,’ it indicated that the time point was probably much further from the last meeting, which could be confirmed from the look on Marlena’s face.

"No wonder her prayers became almost inaudible." He shook his head. "When did it happen?"

"Last night at nine o’clock."

This meant that next, the French royal family and the Witch Gathering would hold her funeral.

Marlena came to find him to attend the funeral.

But Chen Xuan couldn’t understand why Joan, despite having a VIP room directly connected to the store, didn’t reach out to him in her final moments?