Chapter 8: Every Gain Comes at a Price

On the first occasion, Ji Mingshu instinctively began to wonder what it would mean if this were true. Even if it was just a name, even if all other information and intelligence remained unclear. Yet, despite that, her heart trembled uncontrollably!

An organization from another world—especially one called the "Doomsday Civilization Mutual Aid Association"—represented limitless possibilities far beyond any previous understanding.

“Boss,” Ji Mingshu stammered for the first time in her life, her eyes wide with urgency, “are you absolutely certain?”

“I’ve already been to the association’s headquarters,” Shen Yu said, his expression unchanging. “And I’ve obtained some ‘small gifts.’ These gifts contain the essence of other worlds’ culture and technology—things that would be impossible to fabricate in our world.”

Strictly speaking, Shen Yu was not lying. He did indeed have the intention to establish this association. On one hand, whether it was him or his counterparts in other worlds, their strength and status in their respective worlds were quite ordinary. Although Shen Yu was considered wealthy, his assets were insignificant in the current global situation.

Yet suddenly, they had access to resources from other worlds! Without a sufficiently powerful background—one that appeared formidable to others—they might never be able to hold onto what they had obtained. Let alone save the world and acquire the Gray Mist.

What if there was no background? Then create one.

The information gaps, resources between worlds, the Gray Mist space that could be freely traversed, and most importantly, the Gray Mist itself—these were the sources of Shen Yu’s confidence.

As long as the design was meticulous and tangible evidence could be presented, today’s falsehood might very well become tomorrow’s truth.

At this moment, Ji Mingshu was completely convinced.

“Culture, history, technology—these can only arise from a true civilization. If these can be produced, then it cannot be faked.” She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to remain calm, quickly shifting into work mode as she fixed her burning gaze on Shen Yu. “Boss, I won’t ask about too much information, but three points are crucial—they concern my recommendations for the upcoming operations.”

“Go ahead,” Shen Yu nodded.

He revealed some information precisely to leverage Ji Mingshu’s intelligence—this was another test. If she could easily detect flaws, how could the world ever be convinced?

“First, why did this association only contact you? Or rather, what special status or uniqueness do you hold in their eyes?”

Ji Mingshu had clearly hit the crucial point.

Shen Yu’s being singled out, rather than someone else, was undoubtedly due to a particular uniqueness. The strength of this uniqueness and whether it was replaceable would determine the benefits Shen Yu could gain.

“Traveling between worlds isn’t simple,” Shen Yu explained as if prepared. “It depends on a certain irreplaceable qualification. I’m currently the only one in our civilization capable of true interdimensional travel. Within the association, I am known as the ‘World Representative.’ Of course, representatives from other worlds can also travel to ours.”

As he finished, Shen Yu saw Ji Mingshu tightly clench her fist. Apart from when he first helped her recover from hyperthymesia side effects, he had never seen her so unguarded.

But it was understandable.

This meant Shen Yu was irreplaceable.

He would be the sole connection between human civilization and the Multidimensional Doomsday Civilization Mutual Aid Association.

Within human civilization, few individuals or factions could afford to lose the potential that Shen Yu represented—especially under the current crisis.

This alone represented immeasurable benefits.

And it was indeed true: if anything happened to Shen Yu, this still-unestablished Multidimensional Doomsday Civilization Mutual Aid Association would vanish without a trace.

“The second point,” Ji Mingshu said, struggling to stay composed, “since the name includes ‘mutual aid,’ does that mean different civilizations operate on a transactional basis?”

“Exactly,” Shen Yu responded with a look of approval. “From what I know, one of the association’s principles is ‘all gains require a price.’”

That was the meaning of ‘mutual aid.’

On one hand, other worlds’ help to human civilization was inevitably limited.

On the other, those worlds also needed human civilization’s assistance.

To make this reasonable, the association had to be powerful yet bound by constraints.

This principle explained it well.

“All gains require a price? Makes sense.” Ji Mingshu had no doubts. “Even among doomsday civilizations, there’s no reason to help others without cause. While individuals may have emotional ties, between powers, only interests are eternal.”

“What’s the last thing you want to know?” Shen Yu asked.

“Boss, how many civilizations have you contacted? What’s their situation?” Ji Mingshu asked the most critical question.

This was the key factor determining how much the association could contribute and the benefits it could offer.

“There are ranks within the association. As a newly joined civilization with limited strength, I can only contact representatives of civilizations we can assist—and the number isn’t large. So far, I’ve reached out to just one: a civilization that has entered the interstellar age for over two hundred years. But there’s another with great potential that I’m trying to secure,” Shen Yu explained according to his prepared narrative.

Yes, he planned to temporarily conceal one world, only revealing the interstellar civilization where Shen Yu resided.

There was no need to hide for long.

He just wanted to add a touch of authenticity to his story.

Although he was certain many soul fragments had traveled to other worlds, he could not be sure when these incarnations would arrive in the Gray Mist space.

If no new incarnations appeared for a while, he would have to rely on the martial arts world to further prove the association’s existence.

Choosing to reveal the interstellar civilization first, rather than the martial arts civilization, was a deliberate decision.

Martial arts civilizations were harder to develop, and their urgent need for food could be temporarily met by Shen Yu himself.

Interstellar civilizations, on the other hand, should not lack food.

This final answer brought Ji Mingshu a tremendous surprise as well.