I'm the Mysterious Leader of the Salvation Organization

Chapter 273

Chapter 273

Demon Hunt Agency.

Alan, as the captain of a team, naturally had his own office.

This office used to belong to the man named Lin Bian.

At this moment, Alan was standing in front of a black table, a faint smile on his face, pouring coffee for a very familiar man.

After finishing pouring the coffee, he started playing with the milk and sugar, and at the same time, he spoke up:

"I thought you would like to drink sweeter coffee... Turns out I was wrong, but adding a little more milk is a good choice."

After Alan finished preparing the coffee, he turned around and walked towards the person who had arrived.

And that person, to everyone's surprise, was none other than Bai Yan, who had the mannerisms of Profligate.

He calmly sat on the sofa and took the coffee, a smile appearing on his face.

Alan had a positive attitude towards Profligate and always saw this powerful member of the Babel Tower as a trustworthy elder.

However, well, how should I put it.

When Alan spent time with him, in those little moments, he would always think of that man.

Hmm...

However, Mr. Profligate and Bai Yan did have some similarities, though they weren't many.

Wait a moment.

What on earth was he thinking about... all these messy things...

He gently shook his head, sat back down, and decided to inquire about the matter.

"So, why have you come to find me?"

After taking a sip of coffee, Bai Yan calmly said,

"I came here today to talk about something important, the Crown Ceremony... Your Crown Ceremony is a unique ceremony that no one else can participate in. It must be completed by you personally."

Alan paused for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. He murmured quietly to himself.

"It turns out to be the Crown Ceremony... I wasn't really surprised that it was happening, since they all reached the Crown level before me... But why do I have to do it myself?"

"Then I began to explain in great detail."

Alan's Crown Ceremony, also known as the "Hidden Truth Ruse," was explained by Bai Yan with a nod. He began to describe all the different requirements for Alan's special ceremony.

Alan listened very carefully, and after hearing everything, he fell into deep thought.

The Savior, a great and all-knowing being, magically discovers the perfect ceremony for each person. If other extraordinary individuals were to find out about this, it would completely astound them and shatter their beliefs.

If everyone could understand what their ideal Crown Ceremony is...

In the world of Noah, the number of individuals at the Crown level might need to increase several times.

After a while, Alan spoke up and asked for more details to confirm.

"If I spread the scam you mentioned to a million people through the internet, would that be possible?"

"Of course," Bai Yan nodded.

If it's not possible, then it would be extremely difficult to complete... if so, it wouldn't be considered the most suitable Crown Ceremony for "Mysterious Magic".

Bai Yan paused for a moment and continued, "However, in schemes like those found in programs that predict the weather and say it won't rain tomorrow, it just wouldn't work."

"You need to make people feel... very surprised when the solution is revealed," he said in a serious tone, emphasizing each word almost deliberately.

In many Crown Ceremonies, Bai Yan discovered that the emotional energy is the most important part of the promotion ceremony.

"Well... in that case, I think I have an idea."

After asking all the details, a small smile of confidence appeared on Alan's face.

He had always been very good at tricking people.

However, Alan wasn't someone who enjoyed deceiving others. He simply used it as a means to an end, so he rarely ever lied to the people who mattered to him.

Profligate Bai Yan gazed at his childhood friend, whom he had played with his whole life. He pondered for a moment before asking a sudden question.

"I actually want to know something."

"What?"

Bai Yan felt a little awkward inside, but on the outside, he curiously asked with a serious expression, "I've always been curious, why are you so obsessed with finding this person called Bai Yan?"

"Am I obsessed with searching for Bai Yan?" Alan remained silent for a moment, then replied, "To be honest, I had never really thought about this question before."

"But you're right, I seem to be too... obsessed with his whereabouts."

Yes, Bai Yan was starting to feel that something was not quite right.

He and Alan were indeed good friends.

But in reality, they were just good friends, not family or lovers... No matter how close their friendship was, it would be difficult for Alan to be so determined to find him.

"If I were to truly answer with all my heart, I think the reasons behind it might be quite complicated."

Alan spoke slowly, "Once upon a time, there was a crisis that we both faced together. The enemy we encountered was something we couldn't possibly defeat at that time."

"But he used all of us as his bargaining chips and engaged in a tremendously frightful gamble with that enemy, winning everything...He took away my eyes and they became his chips."

Alan lowered his head, his voice sounding somewhat heavy.

"Even if he won in the end, my body was restored by magic... But every time I think back to that day, my eyes still feel a slight pain."

"Perhaps... I will never be able to forget that 'Bai Yan,' and I can't forget how he became more 'ordinary' later on... I'm not sure which version of him is the real him."

Alan looked up and continued, "But I know that our connection goes beyond just being friends, it's something more. We are destined to be partners."

After listening, Bai Yan remained silent for a while, then he smiled.

"Perhaps, it's not fate that decides our connections, but our connections that decide our destiny, isn't it?"

After finishing speaking, he calmly left the office, taking along the cup of coffee with a lot of milk.

Alan sat alone in the office, remembering the past and pondering over the events of that day thirteen years ago.

At that time, Bai Yan was not actually a child kidnapped by the "Tower's Arrogance", to begin with.

He came to them voluntarily!

--

The Kingdom of Dark Light.

Annottales.

The third city district.

After losing his personal maid, Bai Yan, who now identified himself as "Viscount Edmond", didn't hire another personal servant. Instead, he took matters into his own hands and lived a very unaristocratic life.

To be honest, it wasn't as enjoyable as before... but luckily, he wasn't someone who couldn't survive without a servant.

Luckily, because of the power of his mind, this act, which went against his noble status, was not revealed.

Otherwise, Viscount Edmond's identity would immediately be called into question.

Whether it is secular nobility or religious nobility, not having a personal servant would be as strange as a regular person not wearing underwear!

"In just a few more days, it will be time for the First Doomsday Crisis to arrive."

Bai Yan, holding his phone calmly, stood in a spacious and tidy bedroom, playing the game "Babel Tower".

He arranged daily training courses for all the Core Operators, one by one.

And there were also daily missions to complete.

These undoubtedly troublesome things had never stopped tormenting one's character.

Even the most rebellious Scarlet Moon, under the daily domination and the pain brought by simulated death, would instinctively become more prone to obeying orders.

This is the essence of intelligent beings... In theory, all intelligent beings can be tamed.

However, the Core Operators were undoubtedly the best among all people.

What truly made them devote their loyalty was not just simple things... but certain beliefs and entrusted matters that were worth it.

Upon seeing the new weekly mission, Bai Yan let out a sigh.

He couldn't remember exactly how many weekly missions he had completed.

For the overpowered Babel Tower members, their difficulty level was basically nonexistent, but the rewards were far from matching up to emergency missions, side missions, let alone event missions.

Bai Yan's fingers glided softly on the screen of his mobile phone.

"Practical mission."

As soon as Bai Yan clicked on the mission description, he narrowed his eyes.

"This week's mission, the place where the mission is carried out is not in Tatsumi City..."

In fact, ever since Bai Yan achieved the "Tatsumi City in hand," the daily and weekly missions of "Babel Tower" would hardly appear in Tatsumi City anymore.

After all, there weren't enough "enemies" in number.

This week's regular mission takes place in "Annottales."

"And, it seems to be in the third district, near the Tulip Manor. Surprisingly, it's not far from my own house... Interesting."

Bai Yan waited for a little while.

He waited until the Scarlet Moon, who was getting beaten up by her own self in the Training Simulation, came out. Then, he arranged her into a new weekly mission.

Bai Yan casually checked the Scarlet Moon's mood and loyalty, and they were at 3 and 4 respectively, both decreasing again.

"Hmm, she has a lot of strength inside her."

Until now, Bai Yan had only allowed the Scarlet Moon to soak in the Recovery Spring twice.

Because her mood never dropped to 1, the lowest it ever went was 2.

It means that even if she's used continuously, the Queen of the Scarlet Moon won't break down... Bai Yan's face showed a satisfied smile. She truly is the powerful early-game goddess, the Queen of the Scarlet Moon.

In fact, Mu Ling and Ganis perform even better in this aspect.

Mu Ling is completely supported by her beliefs and has also become somewhat accustomed to the various pain she experiences in training simulations and missions, so she doesn't feel too down in spirits.

As for Ganis... the pressure he feels in his heart every day is even greater than the threat of death in training simulations.

Or rather, those battles that don't involve killing their own kind are considered a form of relief.

Even the pretend deaths would make Ganis feel a little bit better.

Bai Yan muttered to himself, "And then, the one who performed the worst is definitely you, just like in the first playthrough..."

Actually, among the Core Operators in the Babel Tower right now, the one who can't endure hardship, is afraid of pain and death, is someone unexpected... the "Fusion Slime".

Every time it comes out of the Training Simulation, its mood would definitely drop significantly.

Even a few times, it would directly drop all the way down to 1 in one breath.

For some time now, Bai Yan has been tossing the "Fusion Slime" into the Recovery Spring over a dozen times, spending quite a lot of points.

"Ah, I hope you can become strong."

"Noah World is still waiting for you to save it... my points..."

Bai Yan shook his head, and carefully chose the Core Operator for the weekly mission, the one meant for real battles.

They were the "Queen of the Scarlet Moon" and the "Nightsaber," respectively.

Next, the game began.

The background on the game screen was a foggy afternoon. They appeared on the streets of Annottales, where there were many passersby.

Suddenly, two tiny pixelated figures emerged from a swirling black vortex.

But because of the Cognition Filter, the people around didn't show any signs of surprise.

Although they were just pixelated artwork, the combination of colors and distinct shapes still allowed Bai Yan to immediately recognize the identities of the two Core Operators from his phone screen.

In the next moment, a monster appeared and joined the scene.

First, there was a gigantic creature with the body of a human and the head of a bull. Its massive form filled the entire screen.

Next, came a group of creatures that were much larger than the pixelated figures. They resembled lizards, with white skin and red irises.

They were spawns, the offspring of chaos, known as the Pupils of Chaos.

A powerful monster, known as the "Splitter," appeared.

Summoning them was a person from the Order of the Troublemakers.

Because right on the furthest edge of the phone screen, there stood a humanoid creature with the title "Priest of the Troublemakers" on its head, dressed in vibrant red attire, truly eye-catching.

Bai Yan, just like before, activated Nightsaber's self-control and then guided her to engage in battle against the Queen of the Scarlet Moon.

His gaming skills have now surpassed the limits of what humans can possess.

Under the control of Bai Yan's guidance, the Queen of the Scarlet Moon was able to unleash her full potential with complete mastery and flawless performance!

Battle begins!

The furious giant monster destroys buildings, causing people on the street to quickly run away in all directions.

Nightsaber charged forward straight after activating Deep Blue World.

But when her attack struck the Spawn called "Splitter," it split into two, then those two split into three.

With each hit, more of them appeared, making it impossible to directly kill them.

Bai Yan wasn't surprised at all. Hmm, it seemed to be some kind of magical creature, he thought.

"All we need to do is figure out the 'mechanism'," he said with determination.

Clippity-clop...

The subtitles appeared again.

"They, somehow cannot be completely killed, instead they split and come back to life after being slain."

The speaker, of course, was Nightsaber.

"Oh, I see now! Let me give this a try instead."

Bai Yan, calm and composed, controlled the "Queen of the Scarlet Moon."

After evading all possible attacks, she unleashed the "Scourge of War."

Scarlet Moon took out the red flames she had used in her previous battle with the Demon of Justice and wrapped them around her body.

With each strike, the warm flames burning with intensity seared the souls and killed all the Spawn called "Splitters" blocking the way.

Bai Yan's guess was indeed correct.

Even if these things can physically resurrect and split, the soul cannot be fully protected.

This red flame is also a Civilization-level Relic, having a unique destructive power that can directly harm souls.

Its name is "Badfire".

The "Fantasy" Civilization-level Relic can only unleash half of its original power, but the power of a Civilization-level Relic is still considerable.

The "Splitter" Spawn cannot be directly killed by ordinary means.

As long as their souls exist, they can continuously resurrect and split apart.

For those who cannot attack souls, facing them would make them feel incredibly powerless, to the point where they can only run away.

The Scarlet Moon possesses a mystical power called the "Scourge of War," and this is where its great might lies.

Adaptability.

After obtaining the power of the Scourge of War, she could almost adapt to any enemy and unique battle.

Although the Bull-headed Giant looks formidable, its actual threat is even less than that of the "Splitter".

In the scene where passersby scatter in astonishment, Nightsaber has leaped high into the air. With the Heart of Death in her hand, she swings and unleashes a black storm, sweeping through the enormous Bull-headed monster.

Blood splatters... The enormous monster crashes down with a loud thud.

The difficulty of the weekly mission isn't considered challenging.

After they dealt with all the monsters, the enemies were worn out and the priest of troublemakers fell to the ground.

But Bai Yan didn't command the Queen of the Scarlet Moon to kill him because a "capturable" option appeared.

Since that's the case, it was only natural to capture it.

"The completed task is still very easy... The weekly mission, although the rewards are a bit less, but it's great because it's steady and easy... Unfortunately, I still hope for a higher difficulty and more rewards..."

Bai Yan fell into deep thought, and all he could do was wait for the World Tree to fully grow.

When that time comes, the daily missions and weekly missions will refresh and become more challenging, offering richer rewards.

It seemed to match the current needs of the Babel Tower.

Just when Bai Yan thought the task would end easily, he suddenly spotted an unexpected character in the scene, causing him to feel intrigued.

"It's actually him."

--

"Once upon a time..."

The Scarlet Moon took a deep breath and regained her composure.

Before her eyes stood an opponent like no other, someone far more powerful - her very own self.

Her very own self in her "Blood Demon King" form.

However, "she" didn't possess all sorts of blessings like the Scarlet Moon, and her power was not yet reaching the level of the Apocalypse. She was only slightly stronger than the real Scarlet Moon.

Although much stronger than the Scarlet Moon, she still had her limits of power.

The Scarlet Moon discovered that defeating her stronger self was indeed a very challenging task.

She had been killed many times... Even though she was gradually getting used to the pain, she still felt humiliated.

Because the way the Scarlet Moon killed people was really unpleasant!

The real Scarlet Moon was repeatedly grabbed by the fake Scarlet Moon, who showed no emotions. She was continuously beaten, pressed to the ground and rubbed against it, and her abdomen was crushed underfoot...

She saw her as insignificant as an ant.

Just like how she usually had her dominant way of killing, but now, she was personally experiencing it all.

The Scarlet Moon felt angry and wanted to shout at the other person, but she knew that the other person was just a projection, even her own projection. So she had to hold back her anger.

So she became even angrier!

When she really couldn't hold on any longer, her anger would surge towards the Savior and the Babel Tower. But she also knew that cursing and fighting with the Savior were meaningless and impossible...

The scariest thing is, this situation will keep going on for a very long time, a very long time, maybe even forever.

The Scarlet Moon felt her scalp go numb with fear.

She used to think that there was nothing in the world that could make her feel afraid.

Now the Scarlet Moon knows that she was wrong.

The Savior was incredibly wicked, and she felt completely powerless to resist!

"It really makes me uncomfortable, this feeling is too overwhelming, even if I defeat the enemy in front of me, there will still be new enemies next time..."

"Just like a toy being pulled by the neck."

The Scarlet Moon raises her hand once again and challenges the "other self" in front of her once more.

"Come on, at least this one time, let me be able to go out successfully."

In the realm of Training Simulation, a considerable amount of time passed, perhaps for over ten days.

She finally returned to the real world.

The Scarlet Moon lay silently on the large bed in the room, not moving at all.

She appeared even more lazy than usual.

However, this time she was truly exhausted.

Lan Lan, the otter who had no idea what was going on, lazily crawled over. He nibbled on the salmon in his paws and curiously looked at his owner. Then, he climbed up from his belly towards the top.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak,"

The displeased Scarlet Moon reached out and grabbed it with her hand, then casually threw it away.

"Oh!" Lan Lan, the otter, flew out of the window with the salmon in his arms like a shooting star.

The Scarlet Moon murmured to herself, "That loyal dog, she has the closest relationship with the Savior. Maybe I should just go over now and snatch her head off."

The words were spoken this way, but she didn't move at all.

First, she had already tried before and couldn't do it.

Furthermore, after spending this period of time together, the Scarlet Moon had started to accept Mu Ling to some extent. And she belonged to the kind of person who protects those close to her.

"That's it, let's go and kill the 'Profligate'... But I can't find where he is..."

Forget it.

Let's rest like this.

The Scarlet Moon made up her mind firmly.

Hmm, for the next three days and nights, no matter what happens, she decided that she wouldn't move.

Even if a meteorite fell on her head, she wouldn't budge!

The Scarlet Moon closed her eyes.

And then...

[Queen of the Scarlet Moon, you have been chosen.]

At that moment, a strong feeling of anger burst out from the Scarlet Moon.

Anyone who dared to come near her was in danger of losing their life!

However, no matter how intense her anger was, it ultimately had no effect.

A dark mist came rushing up, and the scenery before her quickly changed.

When she regained consciousness, the Scarlet Moon found herself standing on an unfamiliar street.

"Where... is this place?"

She frowned.

"It seems to be 'the Eruo League'... it is the capital and holy city of the Eruo League, called Annottales."

The person who answered her was Mu Ling.

The Scarlet Moon took a deep breath and, without hesitation, wanted to strike back with her hand, aiming to send this loyal guard of the Babel Tower flying!

However, her body couldn't move.

Once again, it was like this...

Seeing the person in front of her struggling, Mu Ling calmly said, "It seems like your performance hasn't been good enough to earn the recognition of the respected Savior... Therefore, you cannot obtain freedom within this mission."

"Your words only make me angrier," the Scarlet Moon said calmly.

"I know," Mu Ling replied with a faint, almost invisible smile on her face.

The Scarlet Moon paused for a moment, then realized that this little girl was actually purposely trying to "tease" her!

Drat!

The Scarlet Moon said coldly, "I will eventually kill you, you female dog, and turn you into a pot of dog meat stew. I wonder if your owner loves to eat it or not."

Mu Ling was not angry at all. She had been enduring the brutal training simulation and naturally understood that it was normal for her to feel angry about what happened to the Scarlet Moon.

"Instead of cursing me, let's face the battle directly,"

Monsters appeared.

They suddenly appeared on this street, shocking the peaceful pedestrians, who scattered and fled in astonishment!

"Monsters! Monsters!"

"Where are all the Divine Blade knights? Come quickly and save us!"

"Oh, great Dark Light... Why would such a thing appear in Annottales?"

In the midst of the chaotic crowd, only Mu Ling and Scarlet Moon stood apart, completely different from the others.

They gazed at the slowly rising, massive bull-headed monster, even larger than many houses, without any fear.

The appearance of the bull-headed monster in the city was very sudden. It was over ten meters tall and had a strange metallic-colored skin, like black iron. Moreover, it had only one eye.

Underneath the bull-headed monster, there were white-blooded lizards, one after another. They were the Pupil of Chaos' spawns called "Splitters."

For countless years in Annottales, there has always been the protection of Dark Light, and they rarely faced direct monster attacks.

But recently, things have started to change.

"We shall go forth," said Mu Ling, pulling out her blade with a determined look in her eyes.

A few minutes later.

The battle came to an end.

Scarlet Moon and Mu Ling stood among a group of lifeless bodies, awaiting the arrival of the dark mist.

The priest had knelt down on the ground, panting heavily.

It was clear that he had lost the ability to fight back.

"Once again, we have completed the Savior's mission... not knowing when it will finally come to an end..."

The Scarlet Moon said in a calm voice, "Those who don't wish to join the Babel Tower, the actions of the Savior... Well, I've already told you before... It's pointless to speak with a loyal dog like you."

Mu Ling wasn't even angry at all. She simply gazed calmly at her, unaffected by her intense rage.

The Scarlet Moon stayed silent for a while, feeling like she should give it a try... to just directly curse the Savior.

In that case, would she be angry?

"The Savior is simply an evil god."

The Scarlet Moon nodded slowly and said gently, "He calls himself the Savior, like countless other evil gods... But in truth, no one knows his true purpose, do they?"

The correct "password" made Mu Ling furrow her brow, but she remained silent.

After seeing the positive results, the beautiful face of the vampire king finally showed a smile.

The frustration that she had been accumulating for a while finally eased up a little.

The Scarlet Moon was about to continue speaking when suddenly she got an idea and felt alarmed!

Mu Ling also felt a very strong and very obvious sense of pressure.

This feeling!

She immediately turned around and discovered that, at some point unknown to her, a silent man had already appeared in front of them.

The man had a strong and noble face. He had long brown hair and golden eyes. He wore an old yet powerful-looking black armor with patterns resembling clouds.

He walked confidently towards them, resembling a majestic lion strolling through a peaceful garden.

"Are you... people from the Babel Tower?"

The man calmly asked a question, radiating a strong sense of authority, but without any intention of harm.

The Troublemakers' priest was stunned, trembling violently all over, and filled with extreme fear upon seeing this man.

In the end, he even started laughing uncontrollably, almost losing his mind. It seemed like he believed he had a chance to escape even under the control of Babel Tower. However, upon encountering this man, all that remained in his heart was fear.

"The captain of the Knights of the Divine Blade, Chris!"

Scarlet Moon recognized the person in front of her, and her emotions instantly became somewhat excited. It was clear that she found the person before her extremely challenging, to the point where the word "challenging" couldn't even fully describe it.

Maybe not as formidable as the Demon of Justice in its prime, but the person before them was also a "monster"!

"Chris?"

Mu Ling also stood still, realizing that if there was one person who was most famous and legendary in the Eruo League, it was the Incarnation of Dark Light.

So, Chris, the "divinely created creature" from the Knights of the Divine Blade, becomes a formidable contender for the second position of legends.

Even though Mu Ling, who was far away in Tatsumi City of the Air Alliance, had heard many great stories about this person.

He saved the world!

"Hmm, it seems like you know me... I want to know some things about the Babel Tower, can you tell me?"

Chris's tone was calm and unaffected, without any trace of force, but it carried an undeniable sense of certainty.

If an ordinary person were to face him, they would surely find him open to answering any questions, revealing everything, and completely surrendering as they kneel down on the ground.

The presence of this man was filled with an incredibly strong aura!

It was truly unbelievably strong and unbreakable, as solid as the earth itself, immeasurable in its depth, and absolutely unshakable.

"No, it's not allowed."

Mu Ling took a deep breath and gently shook her head, firmly refusing the man's request before her eyes.

She was already extremely nervous.

The man had so many honors and medals on him, I simply couldn't compete with him.

Although Mu Ling was aware of the protection of the dark mist, her intuition was not so "rational". It constantly put pressure on her, hoping that she could escape.

"I have done a lot of investigations about you... The Babel Tower doesn't seem like an evil organization, but the presence 'above' tells me that the Babel Tower and the legendary 'Tower' are two sides of the same coin."

Chris's voice was calm, without a hint of anger or any other negative emotions.

"I just wanted to know the truth."

The presence 'above'?

Mu Ling and the Scarlet Moon furrowed their brows. The man's mention of "above," could it be... Could it really be true?

The Scarlet Moon suddenly smiled and said, "It seems like his faith isn't as strong as yours, to doubt his own deity like that."

Mu Ling stayed silent.

Chris continued to ask, "So, what exactly is the Savior you believe in?"

Still receiving no response, Chris let out a sigh.

"I know, there is a strange black mist that appears suddenly... How about staying a little longer to share important information?"

"If you have a clear conscience, I will never harm you."

In the next moment, he reached out his hand, trying to keep the two of them.

Mu Ling was shocked to see that the space around them started folding, forming countless layers of "transparent images" that surrounded the two of them.

The power of space!

Both Mu Ling and the Scarlet Moon, at that moment, were completely powerless against this force.

At this moment, the black mist finally started rising, completely surrounding the two people.

Chris furrowed his brows slightly, and a single word escaped his lips, "Close."

In the instant he spoke, it felt like the entire world was affected. The space surrounding the black mist became extremely distorted.

The space merged together.

According to what usually happens, those two people would have been trapped by his power, as if they were rolled up like a picture.

After the black mist disappeared, there was nothing left in the spot where it had just been.

They left.

"Is it still not possible?"

Chris sighed. He had heard about the power of the Savior before, but he couldn't resist trying it out just now.

"A very enormous presence, so big that the world might not be able to handle it, is about to arrive... I really hope that my feeling is wrong."

"But, more and more situations are showing... that I am indeed right."

The next moment.

Chris also vanished from the spot, as if he had never appeared in the first place.

A few hundred meters away, a group of people passing by were "shocked silly," and among them was a gentleman named Viscount Edmond, dressed in a black suit.

He shook his head and turned away, leaving the "scene of the incident."

Hmm, based on the information from the first playthrough, the leader of the Knights of the Divine Blade, Chris...

Bai Yan let out a gentle sigh.

"That person, he probably can't be considered an enemy... at least not for now."

"Next, let's start a new Babel Tower meeting."