The Legendary Mechanic, page 944
“The Destiny’s Child is in your hands now? Is it reliable?” Louis asked.
“It’s indeed in my hands, and there’s no problem with the intelligence.”
Han Xiao nodded and hid the existence of the Holy Accord.
Hearing this, the Pope of the Arcane Church said with a deep voice, “Words have no evidence. We can only confirm its authenticity after checking it. Furthermore, this kind of intelligence channel should be controlled by us.”
Han Xiao shook his head, and his tone became solemn.
“At this point, you guys still have doubts about me? Who provided the secret information about the World Tree? It was me, right? I showed my sincerity, but what did you guys do? In order to confirm that the information is true, you guys went to explore the World Tree Civilization through the wormhole, and in the end, you were exposed… Of course, from your standpoint, this is understandable. I understand you guys, but it’s also a fact that you were discovered by the enemy. No matter how correct your motives are, there’s no way to change the predetermined bad outcome… Because I knew that you guys might mess up, I didn’t tell you about the World Tree beforehand.”
The three of them were stunned.
Marbruce coughed and took the initiative to explain.
“It’s not that we doubt you, but we can’t just trust the authenticity of the information. If we don’t confirm it beforehand, it will be too late when a problem arises…”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve said this, but what happened in the end? You’re still following the confidential information I provided. The so-called confirmation is just unnecessary in my eyes. It will only increase the risk of exposure.”
The three of them opened their mouths, not knowing what to say.
“Black Star, don’t get too emotional,” Louis said. “We have always been cautious and did not meet any life forms of the World Tree Civilization. With just the senses of a Primal Esper Ability Entity, I don’t think we can be completely sure that they have already detected our presence…”
“You still want a hundred percent confirmation?” Han Xiao’s eyes widened. “Then why don’t you just show yourself and ask the World Tree Civilization? That will definitely be a hundred percent.”
Louis’ mouth twitched, and he stopped talking
Marbruce said helplessly, “But the intelligence…”
Han Xiao cut Marbruce off.
“I know you’re worried, and I don’t expect you to completely trust me. However, you stole the intel from the network, so you should have confirmed the World Tree’s attitude toward the outside world. Since everyone is prey, we’re on the same side. Do you still need to worry about me having any bad intentions and remain specially guarded against me?
“The threat is imminent. Now is not the time for internal speculation. We all have to believe that what we’re doing is for the same goal. We will not deliberately cause trouble. If I cannot confirm the authenticity of this information, would I dare say it? If you insist on checking and this information channel is exposed, what should we do?”
The three of them frowned.
That was true. They were comrades who were united against the enemy. They should at least trust each other.
However, since Black Star had made such a statement, could it be that he did not want them to confirm it on purpose so as to hide the fishy side of this intelligence? They had no choice but to think in this direction.
Seeing their reactions, Han Xiao knew what they were thinking and shook his head in disappointment.
“At the end of the day, the countless years of peace have made you arrogant, thinking that you can deal with any situation… Maybe my intelligence gave you too many misconceptions, making you feel that you have an advantage and can control the situation. It’s a huge mistake! I hope you guys can recognize the reality. The World Tree is stronger than all of you combined. As long as it finds us to start a war, the situation will instantly go out of control. We can be wiped out at any time and become the next Karma Republic!”
“… What do you suggest?” Marbruce asked.
“I’ll be straightforward. I will never give you this information channel. Even if you don’t believe me now, you should consider dealing with this situation. The World Tree Civilization has advanced unknown detection methods and has discovered the traces of outsiders. They have entered a state of alert, but they have yet to succeed in tracking us down… Therefore, I suggest that we stop the regular exploration and reduce the chances of further contact. We will standby for the time being and give the secondary dimension expedition team more time to find the World Tree’s main body.”
“But if we don’t explore, how will the intelligence come?” “With all due respect, most of the intelligence that you guys have obtained so far is meaningless. Since there are no results, you might as well stop and use the channels of Destiny’s Child.”
“It means that we don’t have to do anything but listen to you obediently, and take whatever you say… Do you think that’s possible?” The head of the church, who was standing at the side, spoke with a dissatisfied tone. He paused for a moment before adding on.
“You can either give us Destiny’s Child or let us send some researchers to study it together to prove that the intelligence is reliable.”
Han Xiao smiled.
“Are you forcing me now? Yes, I can make concessions for the sake of righteousness. We can study Destiny’s Child together and dispel your suspicions. If I don’t do this, it will appear to be my fault. Because I have the channels, I have to make concessions and give in to benefits. If I don’t let you guys have a share, you won’t accept my opinion.”
“You misunderstood. We…” Marbruce felt that the atmosphere was a little off and wanted to explain.
Han Xiao interrupted him once more, his smile turning cold. “You three dogsh*ts, I’ve already tolerated you all for a long time! You guys don’t seem to have figured out who here needs whom. Do you really think I have no other choice? I’m willing to protect the Galactic Society; that’s why I’m helping you, since both of you are closely related. However, the universe is so big. Do you think I really need to stay here? If you anger me, I can just leave with the Beyond Grade A Association and the organizations under me. It’s fine if I move to the unexplored universe or the secondary dimensions, leaving you guys to deal with the World Tree Civilization alone. Do you want to try?”
The three of them were shocked.
They almost forgot that the Beyond Grade A Association had a way out. With their abilities, they would be able to live very well even if they escaped into the unexplored universe. To the three Universal Civilizations, this was definitely the worst outcome.
As long as the Beyond Grade As made up their minds, they could completely abandon the galactic society that they had lived in for a long time. To be honest, even if all the living beings here died, it would have nothing to do with most Beyond Grade As. There was no reason for them to stay and fight.
If news of the World Tree spread, there would definitely be people who would choose to escape. If even Black Star, who had the Sanctum Revival, was not willing to stay, then the other Beyond Grade As would definitely choose to escape.
With such influence, Black Star was not a partner with no way out. He was an equal who held the bargaining power, a force that they had to fight for.
Marbruce could no longer sit still. “Don’t be angry. That’s not what we meant.”
“Black Star… Your Excellency, our doubts are just a matter of fact. We don’t have any thoughts about benefits,” Louis quickly comforted.
Even the Pope had no choice but to lower his head in frustration. “…I didn’t choose my words correctly and caused a misunderstanding. Please don’t take it to heart.”
We’re the leaders of the three Universal Civilizations. When have we ever been so humble?
Seeing this, Han Xiao stopped being angry and regained his poker face as he slowly stated, “I will continue to share the intelligence, but whether you believe it or not is your problem. I can’t be bothered. Also, I will be going to the World Tree Civilization’s territory in a while to increase the surveillance of Destiny’s Child. Remember to prepare the World Tree passageway or the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device… If we don’t even have this bit of trust, I think there’s really no need for us to cooperate.”
“Alright, we will deal with it,” Marbruce answered. Now was not the time to continue bargaining
Han Xiao nodded and suddenly added, “One more thing. Hurry up and fulfill your promise, admit the independence of the association. Don’t think of delaying it. Don’t think that you can get away with it when the war breaks out. As I said, I’ll just leave.”
With that, the communication was cut off. and the remote projection disappeared.
There were only three people left in the room. They looked at each other with complicated expressions.
“I didn’t expect to be scolded by him in person. Did we push him too hard?” Louis smiled bitterly. “Don’t look down on him. How could someone as ambitious as Black Star lose his cool so easily? He’s just using this as an excuse.” The Pope shook his head, paused, and said helplessly, “However, he did hit the nail on the head.”
“Black Star is really…” Marbruce hesitated for a moment before sighing. “His wings are completely spread open.”
When Han Xiao returned to his office, he snorted and threw the communicator aside.
“These three are definitely born in the year of the dog. If I didn’t give them two slaps, how would they understand who their daddy is?”
Chapter 1318: Establishment and Setting Off |
As the saying went, if the sky collapsed, there would be a tall man to hold it up. Currently, only the three Universal Civilizations and Han Xiao were stopping the World Tree Civilization from pressuring the Galactic Society.
Under the surface of peace, undercurrents were brewing. Half a month quickly passed, and it was time for the Galaxy Central Civilization Court Assembly.
The Galaxy Central Civilization Court was hosted by the three Universal Civilizations, and the participants included the Super Star Cluster, Star Cluster, and Star System Civilizations.
Unlike the regional Civilization Conference of the various Star Fields, the Galaxy Central Civilization Court was the most authoritative Civilization Conference, the core of the entire galactic society. It was solemn and respectful, also known as the ‘Central Council’.
Every year, there would be a fixed meeting period that lasted several months. During this period, there would be frequent meetings to review the issues submitted by the various civilizations, to coordinate the development of all the galactic civilizations, to mediate disputes, to discuss the management of the galactic society, and so on, including many topics such as civilian life, economy, military, and disaster relief.
However, the galactic residents did not pay much attention to this matter because they had meetings every year. Most of the time, they only talked about some old topics. Most of the galactic residents only looked at the brief news coverage after the meeting.
The venue of the Galaxy Central Civilization Court was shaped like a flower petal. In the center was the chairman’s board, and around it were the representatives of the three Universal Civilizations. There were rows of fan-shaped seats that were arranged according to the level of the civilization. The Super Star Cluster Civilizations sat in the inner circle, and the Star System Civilizations sat in the outermost circle. The invited news reporters had a dedicated broadcast area.
At this moment, the venue was filled with diplomatic envoys from various civilizations. This conference had been going on for quite some time.
The president had just finished a round of voting and rejected a proposal to increase the security budget of the region. He then flipped to the next topic and looked at the representatives of the three Universal Civilizations. He cleared his throat before speaking
“Then the next topic is a joint proposal by the Federation of Light, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Arcane Church. This proposal believes that the Beyond Grade A Development Association plays an indispensable role in maintaining the galactic society and has extraordinary influence. At the same time, it is dedicated to maintaining the peace and stability of the Galactic Society and has made an indelible contribution. This proposal is to revise the universal laws of the universe such as the Peace Treaty and make an exception to accept the Beyond Grade A Development Association, allowing it to enjoy an independent official position. Its rights and benefits are equivalent to the treatment of the advanced civilizations. May the proposer of the proposal come on stage to explain.”
The president finished reading the topic according to the script. The venue, which was originally filled with small discussions, suddenly became silent.
Other than a portion of the subsidiary civilizations that were in close contact with the three Universal Civilizations, the other representatives were all stunned.
The three Universal Civilizations had made peace with the Beyond Grade A Association not too long ago, and now they were eager to help?
Not to mention the inside story, there had never been such a precedent in history for a civil organization to have the same official position as a civilization. The three Universal Civilizations’ proposal had opened a new path, and the rebound from the outside world could be imagined.
What made the three Universal Civilizations willing to pay such a price to obtain political benefits for the association?
Most of the civilizations’ representatives were dumbfounded. They thought that this was just a routine meeting, but they did not expect the three Universal Civilizations to suddenly throw out such a bombshell.
The news reporters immediately perked up.
This was juicy news!
Under the attention of everyone, the dynasty’s diplomatic representative stood up and walked up the stage. He looked around the venue and slowly explained the reason for the proposal, emphasizing the unique position of the Beyond Grade A Association in the current galactic structure. His speech was full of praise, as though he wanted to praise the association to the skies.
After listening for a while, the expressions of the various civilization representatives turned strange.
Why does it sound so familiar? Did you guys just slack off and simply just change the negativity of the trade sanction declaration into positivity?
After the representatives of the three Universal Civilizations finished their respective statements, the president announced the start of the debate and consultation. A large number of civilization representatives immediately requested to speak. Although the Galaxy Central Civilization Court was presided over by the three Universal Civilizations, if they wanted to add a new clause in the Universal Civilization Law, they still had to put it to a vote.
However, as the final winner of the exploration era, the three Universal Civilizations naturally would not be so stupid as to hand over too much power. They all gave themselves the privilege of having one veto and one decision vote.
The veto vote would negate the voting result of an issue, returning it to the proposal stage, to repeat another round of presentations, debates, amendments, and voting, and so on until they were satisfied with the result. If the decision vote power was used, the voting stage was skipped directly, but the priority was lower compared to the veto vote, which meant that only the three major civilizations could exempt each other’s decision vote power.
However, the number of times the three Universal Civilizations had used their privileges could be counted on one’s fingers. As long as it did not involve their own benefits, they would not interfere. Most of the time, they only acted as the judges and rarely took part in the battle.
The representatives of the three Universal Civilizations easily dealt with the questions of the participants, and they answered the sharp questions with one sentence.
Among them, the Super Star Cluster Civilizations were the calmest. They had long received this news, and while watching coldly, they were secretly trying to figure out what was going on between Black Star and the three Universal Civilizations.
Amid the excitement of the crowd, it was soon time for the voting. The civilizations’ representatives who did not know about this earlier all had different opinions, and no one wanted to be the first to take on this issue.
The result of the vote was shown on the virtual screen. There were a lot of objections, and they did not meet the criteria to pass the draft.
The president took a look and said, “We don’t have enough votes, so we shall reject this…”
Before he could finish, the Federation of Light representative knocked on the table and said, “My side will use our right to veto.”
The president nodded, not surprised at all. “Then, let’s enter the proposal stage again. Please…”
However, before he could finish, the Crimson Dynasty representative slowly said, “My side will exercise the decision vote.”
The moment he said that, the Federation of Light and Arcane Church expressed their agreement.
Seeing this, the representatives of the various civilizations did not find it out of their expectations, but they were still surprised.
They had expected that the three Universal Civilizations would use their privileges, but no one expected them to use two privileges.
The three Universal Civilizations had basically never used two privileges at the same time. After a single veto, they would usually let everyone re-evaluate their decision and do things like lobbying during this period to fight for votes. This would more or less make the other civilizations feel they had a sense of participation. However, after vetoing the proposal, a decision was immediately made. The representative’s attitude was very firm, implying that this proposal had to be approved. It was unquestionable and very overbearing, as though they did not mind performing a one-man show.
“Are the three Universal Civilizations so determined to stand up for the Beyond Grade A Association? What exactly is going on?”
