After saying that, Shinichiro Nakamura took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door of a conference room.

The room was dimly lit, with only a lone lamp hanging at the end of the long table, outlining a figure sitting quietly.

Shinichiro Nakamura unconsciously slowed his pace, even his breathing became cautious. He walked across the long conference table to the figure, and respectfully bowed his head at a ninety-degree angle.

"Greetings, Lord."

The figure slowly raised his head, revealing a face of inhuman beauty under the lamplight. His platinum-gold hair flowed like moonlight, and his skin was an almost transparent, cold white. But what was most unsettling were his compound eyes, as clear as amethyst, with countless tiny facets reflecting a cold light, devoid of any human emotion.

It was Zhou Huai's SSS-level clone, Insect Emperor Caesar.

The moment Shinichiro Nakamura entered, Zhou Huai had already shifted his consciousness to him. He controlled Caesar, whose inhuman compound eyes stared indifferently at Shinichiro Nakamura, his voice devoid of emotion, ethereal and cold.

"How's everything going?"

Shinichiro Nakamura dared not raise his head and reported with even greater respect: "My lord, as you instructed, we have mobilized professionals from several surrounding cities, and they are currently carrying out the restoration work on Tokyo City at the highest efficiency."

"Hmm." Caesar made a nasal sound that was hard to decipher, which could be considered an acknowledgment.

Zhou Huai continued to issue new instructions through Caesar: "Send men to raid all the residences of the Kujo family, and plunder all useful resources, leaving nothing behind."

“Yes!” Shinichiro Nakamura replied without hesitation; this was something he was already very familiar with.

"Furthermore," Zhou Huai changed the subject, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I have already discussed the follow-up negotiations with the Great Xia Kingdom with Marshal Zhao of Great Xia."

Shinichiro Nakamura's heart tightened, and he pricked up his ears.

"Offer 70 percent of the resources in the Sakura Kingdom's treasury in exchange for an opportunity for the Sakura Kingdom to become independent and autonomous."

"As for the Great Xia, apart from establishing a necessary regulatory department, we will not interfere in any of the internal affairs of the Sakura Kingdom."

"At that time, you will be responsible for representing Japan in negotiations and going through the formalities, understand?"

Seventy percent?!

When Shinichiro Nakamura heard the number, his heart clenched, and he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his flesh.

That's the wealth Japan has accumulated over hundreds of years! It's the lifeblood of the entire country! Are we just going to hand it over like that?

A flicker of struggle and resentment crossed his face, but when he looked up and met Caesar's emotionless purple compound eyes, all his emotions were instantly swallowed up by boundless fear.

Do I have the right to say "no" before this Lord?

Let alone 70%, even if the other party wants 100%, I have no choice but to comply.

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate understands!" Shinichiro Nakamura lowered his head even further.

“Very good.” Zhou Huai seemed quite satisfied with his reaction.

"If there's nothing else, you may leave."

"yes!"

Shinichiro Nakamura felt as if he had been granted a pardon and was about to bow and accept his orders before leaving.

“Oh, right,” Zhou Huai’s voice rang out again, calling out to him.

“From now on, Natsume Rinko will be the goddess of the Divine Dynasty, and she will be my representative in the Sakura Kingdom. Nurture her well, for her words are my words.”

Shinichiro Nakamura was shocked. He immediately turned around and solemnly replied, "Yes! Your subordinate obeys!"

Once Shinichiro Nakamura's footsteps had completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, the meeting room fell silent once more.

Zhou Huai's consciousness remained within Caesar's body. He slowly raised his right hand, which was clad in a black armored glove, and gently waved it towards the empty conference room.

Buzz—!

A pitch-black spatial rift silently opened, and countless black specks of light, like an ant swarm bursting its banks, surged forth from the crack. They were ferocious beetles the size of fingernails, silently burrowing into the cracks in the floors and walls, spreading rapidly along the city's veins toward the location of the newly mobilized professionals.

Caesar's reason for reappearing in the land of cherry blossoms was quite simple.

First, we need to clean up the mess left by Japan.

After all, he had worked so hard, even sacrificing all his clones, to kill the SSS-rank Kujo Naruya. He had put in so much effort, he couldn't just leave without getting any reward.

While claiming to be giving Sakura a chance for independence and autonomy, in reality, the country will be firmly controlled by Zhou Huai from now on.

His goal was to transform the entire Sakura Country into the first overseas colony of his Caesar Empire, a massive base that would continuously provide him with resources and manpower!

The second objective is to complete the system's final challenge.

Successfully parasitized 10,000 professionals using alien parasites.

In order to deal with the SS-rank powerhouse of the Kujo family, he had already quietly completed nearly half of the progress.

However, after the city-wide sacrificial ritual at Kujo Naruya's place, most of the parasitized professionals ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ died, causing the mission's progress to be significantly delayed.

Zhou Huai then had no choice but to ask Nakamura Shinichiro to transfer more professionals from cities in Japan to the capital.

On the one hand, it was to repair the city and appease the people; on the other hand, it was naturally to help him reach the final target number.

Fortunately, after these days of accumulation, the number of parasites in Caesar's 【Zerg Space】 has become astonishing.

For Caesar now, completing this task is a piece of cake.

Countless parasites, through various clandestine channels, silently invade the bodies of unsuspecting professionals. They lie dormant and take root within their hosts, not in a hurry to erupt, but quietly awaiting the final command from their master.

Time passed by, second by second.

As the sun set, its golden rays bathed the ravaged city.

Finally, the long-awaited system notification sounded in Zhou Huai's mind.

【Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the challenge!】

【Mission Objective: Successfully parasitize 10,000 professionals using the alien parasite.】

【Task Progress: 10000/10000!】

Zhou Huai smiled; it was finally finished.

Immediately afterwards, that most pleasant notification tone arrived as scheduled—

【Mission reward has been issued!】

【Congratulations, host! You have obtained: 1 chance to draw a professional ball!】