"Alright, I agree."
The Queen Bee nodded, accepting Savage's proposal.
Lars followed suit, saying, "I agree too."
The reason they both agreed so quickly was simple: both understood that setting up the laboratory within either of their factions' territories would lead to dissatisfaction. It was better to place it near the Justice League, ensuring safety while also preventing conflicts arising from unequal benefits.
Furthermore, although it was to be an overt laboratory, it wouldn't be entirely a facade. On the contrary, it would need to contain some genuine substance to earn the other's trust.
This way, both sides could still extract some benefits from it.
"Good, now let's move on to the next agenda item: increasing the number of members."
"Hmm?"
Savage explained, "In recent years, the Justice League's membership has expanded significantly. To better curb the Justice League, the Illuminati needs to absorb fresh blood."
The Queen Bee said, "But we haven't made any preparations in advance."
Lex Luthor replied, "No rush. This matter can be deferred to the next meeting. In the meantime, everyone can scout for individuals they deem suitable. Each person can nominate one candidate to join the Illuminati, and their admission will be decided by a collective vote."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Savage nodded and said, "Excellent. Is there anything else to discuss, everyone?"
At this moment, Wutong raised his hand. "Me! Me! Me! I still have something."
Seeing the hyperactive Wutong, Savage's brow furrowed, as if he was about to say something, but ultimately decided against it.
"Alright, go ahead."
Wutong stroked the kitten in his arms and said, "Recently, I've observed a powerful external energy gradually entering Earth. Tracing its origin, I found it comes from the dreamscape."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Bee frowned and said, "Wutong, you know we don't understand your magic. Explain it in simpler terms."
"Fine," Wutong waved his hand. "Such a dull woman."
"The dreamscape is an independent dimensional space. When humans fall asleep, their spirits occasionally enter it, which is dreaming. Within the dreamscape, an anomaly is sealed, named Nightmare. It gains strength by consuming human nightmares. It was previously trapped in the Hall of Magic, but recently it has found a way to return to Earth and should appear on Earth before long."
Savage asked, "What will happen if it returns to Earth?"
Before Wutong could speak, Bai Qi elaborated, "Those without magical protection will fall into a deep slumber, their minds pulled into the dreamscape, feeding Nightmare in an endless cycle of nightmares."
Indeed, Bai Qi had encountered this Nightmare Wutong spoke of in Sheng Zhu's memories. It was a formidable opponent.
Nightmare was an extraterrestrial being, but unlike ordinary aliens, it was primarily spiritual, lacking a concrete form. To deal with it, one had to enter the dreamscape, which was Nightmare's domain, putting one at a disadvantage from the start.
However, this creature was preventable. Nightmare's abilities were insidious. As long as one knew about them and took precautions, they could be resisted with magic, thus preventing their consciousness from being drawn into the dreamscape.
Savage pondered for a moment and looked at Bai Qi.
Before he could speak, Bai Qi knew what he was going to ask.
"I can do it. I can concoct the defensive magic to resist Nightmare's attacks, provided the materials are sufficient."
Lex Luthor stated, "Materials are not an issue. LexCorp will provide all the necessary components."
"Alright, then there's only one remaining problem to solve."
Lex Luthor continued, "Several of Lex Enterprises' satellites were systematically destroyed five days ago. This is a video recording transmitted by a satellite before it was destroyed. Please watch."
A video appeared before Bai Qi.
As it began to play, the screen showed a vast expanse of space. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed rapidly across the lens. Then, an explosion occurred just outside the frame. The bright light from the explosion illuminated the shadow, revealing a humanoid creature clad in gray metallic armor, its lizard-like face appearing terrifying.
The ugly face in the video instantly awakened dormant memories within Bai Qi.
If Bai Qi recalled correctly, the alien in the video should be a Chitauri.
In this altered world, elements from DC, Marvel, and various other universes were fused. The Chitauri invasion was a major event in Marvel, and also the debut of the Avengers.
The reason was that Thor's brother, Loki, borrowed a Chitauri force from Thanos to rule Earth, invading the planet as a vanguard. The ultimate outcome, of course, was their defeat by the combined efforts of the Avengers.
However, in this altered world, Bai Qi had no way of knowing if the outcome would mirror that of the original story.
Savage continued, "Dealing with Nightmare can be left to the superheroes. We can use this opportunity to advance our plan. Detailed proposals will be distributed to everyone present. However, we cannot afford to let our guard down against this alien force."
"Sheng Zhu, you and Wutong will prepare the magic to prevent Nightmare. Luthor, you and I will monitor the movements of this alien force. As for Lars and the Queen Bee, you two will prepare your respective forces. If this alien force invades Earth, we might need your assistance."
Having completed the arrangements, and seeing no one speak, Savage said again, "Alright, today's meeting is adjourned."
As the holographic projection disappeared, the Queen Bee, Lars, and Wutong logged off. Only Savage and Lex Luthor's holographic images remained lit.
After confirming everyone else had logged off, Savage spoke, "Sheng Zhu, we are preparing to create a backup of the core laboratory for Project Cadmus."
"Backup?"
Savage replied, "Washington is indeed the optimal location, but the two overt decoy targets cannot completely deceive the Justice League's eyes. Therefore, I plan to create a backup. All research findings will be synchronized to K'un-Lun's laboratory. If the Washington laboratory is attacked, K'un-Lun's backup laboratory can immediately take over and continue the experiments."
Bai Qi nodded in understanding.
Project Cadmus was a treasure trove, and it was evident that Lars and the Queen Bee were almost at each other's throats over it. Establishing a backup laboratory in K'un-Lun was an undoubtedly beneficial move for Bai Qi.
"I have a question," Bai Qi asked. "Why choose K'un-Lun? Aren't Libya and the Shadow Syndicate equally viable options?"
Savage shook his head. "No, the Queen Bee and Lars both wish to arm themselves using Cadmus. If either of them obtains Cadmus's results, it could very well trigger localized or even large-scale wars, leading to the Justice League's intervention and ultimately causing Project Cadmus to be completely aborted."