Chapter 466 Peace Talks

Tidal Star Sea.

Sea God Fortress · Illuminati Council Hall.

Edrig, Archbishop Deshir, Lily, Byrut, and others sat around a circular conference table.

At the center of the conference table was a detailed star map of the Tidal Star Sea.

“The Onks Republic has been plundered, successfully acquiring a large amount of supplies.”

“The Momeang Kingdom has secretly compromised, willing to offer protection money.”

Many generals present excitedly reported to Edrig and the others.

“Well done.”

Edridge was very satisfied.

However, at this moment, a virtual prompt projection box suddenly popped up.

“Prompt: Received a remote communication request from Star Destroyer · Saint Crown.”

Everyone was slightly startled and quieted down, looking at Edrig.

Edrig raised his hand and waved, accepting the remote communication.

The virtual images of Archbishop McKenwa and General Solenk immediately appeared, both speaking with unnatural expressions.

“Lord Edrig.”

“What is it?”

Edrig looked at their expressions, his heart sinking slightly, and asked calmly.

Archbishop McKenwa’s old face twitched, and he spoke with guilt.

“I’m sorry, Lord Edrig! We were incompetent; the Sky Light Shield transfer fortress was sunk by the Thirteenth Corps of the Federation, and all the supplies on it were destroyed. Moreover, the support troops from Rainy City broke through the blockade and transported the supplies to the Tidal Star Sea.”

“What happened? Did we lose?”

“How is that possible?”

“Exactly, it’s too absurd.”

Many generals present discussed in shock.

“Hmph, a bunch of useless people.”

Byrut sneered mockingly.

At this moment, Archbishop Deshir helplessly said to McKenwa and Sorenk.

“We warned you early on; the Thirteenth Corps is not like other corps, it’s not made of mud, you must be careful, extremely careful! You just wouldn’t listen, and now look, the great situation has been completely messed up.”

General Solenk gritted his teeth and said.

“We messed this up, and we are willing to bear any punishment.”

“Alright, there’s no use talking about that now. Your punishment will be temporarily put aside. After the Tidal Star Sea matter is over, you can go and beg for forgiveness from God Emperor Van Lo.”

Edrig’s eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice.

“Yes.”

McKenwa and Sorenk replied with dimmed expressions.

“Everyone, the Federation’s support has arrived. Do you have any good ideas?”

Edrig turned to look at everyone present.

As a result, when everyone heard Edrig’s words, they all fell silent. No one wanted to be the first to speak out.

The scene immediately became silent.

At this moment, Archbishop Deshir, seeing that no one was speaking, sighed slightly and said.

“Lord Edrig, I think it’s time to consider activating the backup plan.”

Edrig’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of light when he heard Deshir’s words, and then he said with a smile.

“Deshir, let me consider this matter. You go ahead and make contact first.”

“Good!”

Deshir nodded, then cut off the projection.

“Meeting adjourned!”

Edrig stood up and said to everyone.

Sea God Fortress.

Inside a long corridor.

An old woman with a face full of wrinkles, a hunched body, and pale eyes, walked in with two figures wearing grey trench coats and hoods.

Soon, she led the two to the door of an inconspicuous room.

The old woman opened the door and led the two inside.

The interior space of the room was not large, and the furniture was very simple, but it had a good texture.

At this time, a figure stood in the room with his back to them.

The old woman bowed respectfully and said.

“Miss, the people have been brought.”

“Old Woman Bi Han, you may go down first!”

City Lord Alicia turned around and said to the old woman.

“Yes!”

Old Woman Bi Han respectfully withdrew, closing the door again.

“Alright, you don’t need to hide anymore. There are no outsiders here.”

Alicia looked at the two and said coldly.

The two reached out and took off their hoods, revealing their appearances. These two were none other than Archbishop Deshir and Lily.

“City Lord Alicia, long time no see.”

Archbishop Deshir said with a smile.

“No need for those hypocritical pleasantries. What do you want from me?”

Alicia did not give Deshir and Lily a good face.

“Lord Alicia, actually, we came today with friendly goodwill.”

“Friendly goodwill? Don’t you think that’s ridiculous? Stop beating around the bush, just say what you want.”

“Lord Alicia, you misunderstood. We are here to negotiate peace.”

“Negotiate peace? You would be so kind? What are your conditions? Let’s hear them.”

“Indeed, nothing can be hidden from Lord Alicia. As long as Lord Alicia, you are willing to pay us 100 trillion federal currency in supplies, our Apocalypse Divine Kingdom will immediately withdraw our troops.”

Archbishop Deshir directly stated his demand.

In fact, the reason Deshir would negotiate with Alicia was because the Federation’s support had successfully broken through, making it not so easy for them to take down the Tidal Star Sea.

Of course, the most important reason was that Rainy City was easy to handle, but the Federation was not so easy to handle.

Therefore, instead of continuing to fight to the death, it was more cost-effective to extort a large sum.

These women from Rainy City might not be good at fighting, but they were first-rate at making money. They could certainly come up with 100 trillion.

Alicia was also somewhat moved after hearing Deshir’s words. 100 trillion for peace was actually not unacceptable to them, after all, the sunk warships and mechs alone cost more than that.

However, Alicia did not agree, but said coldly,

“If you had approached me to negotiate this amount before the war started, I might have agreed without hesitation. But now that you’ve killed so many of my people, do you think I’ll still pay?”

Deshir naturally knew that City Lord Alicia was still brooding over General Annabeth’s death, so he said with a smile.

“Lord Alicia, I deeply regret the death of General Annabeth. However, I hope you can put aside personal emotions and consider the bigger picture. You have no chance of winning this war. The only reason you haven’t been completely defeated is because our Apocalypse Divine Kingdom showed mercy. Once a full-scale war truly begins, your losses will be far greater than just that little bit.”

Although Archbishop Deshir spoke very tactfully, the threat in his words was self-evident.

Alicia’s expression grew gloomier upon hearing this. Although she had now received supplies, the situation was still very grim.

Deshir stood there quietly, waiting, with no intention of rushing. Peace talks were not so easily achieved. And even if Alicia was willing to negotiate peace, she wouldn’t so readily pay them 100 trillion; she would definitely bargain.

Soon after, Alicia said with a slight change in expression.

“Deshir, I am very interested in your peace proposal. After all, I don’t want my soldiers to die in vain either, but the price you’ve set is too high.”

“Lord Alicia, this price is very low; there is no room for negotiation.”

Deshir replied with a smile.

Alicia’s brows furrowed when she saw Deshir’s firm attitude.

Knock knock ~

At this moment, the door was suddenly knocked.

“Come in.”

Alicia called out casually.

Old Woman Bi Han walked in and respectfully said to Alicia.

“Apologies! Lord Alicia, there is an urgent matter to report.”

“What is it?”

Alicia looked up at Old Woman Bi Han and asked faintly.

“The Thirteenth Corps has arrived and is about to reach Sea God Fortress!”

Old Woman Bi Han reported respectfully.

Archbishop Deshir’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing Old Woman Bi Han’s words. He hadn’t expected the Thirteenth Corps to arrive at this critical juncture.

Alicia then instructed Old Woman Bi Han.

“Have Commander Qianluo welcome them with the highest protocol and lead them to me.”

“Yes!”

Old Woman Bi Han respectfully withdrew.

Alicia turned to Archbishop Deshir and said with a smile.

“Apologies, I have important matters to attend to. As for the peace talks, we can discuss them later. In the meantime, Archbishop Deshir, as envoys, you are free to move about in non-restricted areas.”

“Good!”

Deshir replied with a smile.

— —

Inside the Ray Pole Command Room.

Su Ming, Feilong, and Jon stood in front of the control panel, gazing at the star map projected by the optical imaging device.

“That’s strange, aren’t we at the designated coordinates? Why is it empty ahead? Where are the people from Rainy City?”

Jon asked with some confusion.

Su Ming also felt a bit curious about this unusual scene.

Feilong said calmly.

“They are right in front of us, they’re just cloaked.”

“I see, so how do we get in?”

Jon then asked.

At this moment, a communication request popped up. Feilong raised his hand and waved, accepting it.

A soft, sweet female voice sounded in the communication channel.

“Hello, I am Lieutenant Colonel Lin Yutong.”

“I am General Feilong!”

Feilong replied in a deep voice.

“General Feilong, welcome to Sea God Fortress. We will now guide you into Sea God Fortress via virtual guidance.”

“Good!”

Feilong replied in a deep voice.

The next second, the virtual operation screen displayed the guiding route and flight parameters.

The three Thunder Pole ships advanced according to the guided route. After they flew for a distance, the scene ahead suddenly changed, as if they had suddenly entered another world.

The three ships appeared out of thin air in the dock inside Sea God Fortress.

Click!

At this moment, mechanical fixing devices extended from all sides, clamping onto the Ray Pole and other ships.

The entire dock was super large, with ships docked inside and patrolling mechs everywhere, making for a very shocking sight.

“Wow, not bad!”

Su Ming looked at the internal dock and replied with some surprise.

“Su Ming, let me tell you, although these women’s combat power is very weak, their equipment and weapons are not bad at all. They are all made and bought with real money and silver, and their performance is excellent! If we had their equipment, we would have taken off long ago.”

Feilong said to Su Ming with great emotion.

“Hehe!”

Su Ming chuckled helplessly upon hearing this.

At this moment, the wall of the dock split open, and a mechanical passage extended to connect with the Ray Pole’s No. 1 exit.

Feilong took a deep breath, and said to Su Ming and Jon with a serious expression.

“Alright, no more talk about this, let’s go.”

“Good!”

Su Ming and Jon nodded in response.

A moment later.

Su Ming and the other two walked to the Thunder Pole’s exit passage and immediately saw three fair-skinned, delicate-looking female officers in captain’s uniforms standing there with trays, waiting for a long time.

Each tray held a luxurious military cape.

Su Ming and the other two then stopped.

The three female officers stepped forward, picked up the military capes, and draped them over Su Ming and the others.

Click!

The gate of the exit opened.

Su Ming and the other two walked straight into the connecting passage.

When they reached the end of the connecting passage and arrived at the waiting hall, they were immediately shocked by the scene before them.

The waiting hall floor was covered with expensive red carpet. Commander Qianluo of the Eighth Corps, leading Alura, Fini, Butzli, General Geleili, Timmy, and hundreds of other officers, stood in two rows to welcome Su Ming and his group.

In addition, hundreds of reporters had gathered at the scene.

Click!

Countless flashes lit up, almost blinding Su Ming and the other two.

Su Ming looked at the grand display, feeling a bit bewildered. He recalled when he and Sinrad escorted supplies back, the Federation welcomed them with the highest protocol, but it couldn’t compare to this current display.

Aside from their lack of combat prowess, these people from Rainy City were truly impressive in other aspects.

At this moment, Commander Qianluo stepped forward and enthusiastically shook hands with Feilong, Su Ming, and Jon.

“We’ve finally waited for you. You must have had a tough journey!”

“You’re too kind.”

Su Ming and the other two replied politely.

“With your Thirteenth Corps’ support this time, everything will be stable. Those guys from the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom won’t be able to act so arrogantly anymore.”

Siro said with a joyful expression.

“That’s right, General Su Ming, you are truly amazing, we are completely convinced!”

“Yes, with your Thirteenth Corps here, you can definitely defeat the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom.”

General Geleili and others continuously flattered and praised them.

Su Ming and the other two felt a bit unnatural upon hearing Siro and the others’ words, feeling as if something was off.

Although their Thirteenth Corps was strong, it was impossible to defeat the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom!

Was this praise a bit too much?

However, with so many reporters taking photos, Su Ming and the other two couldn’t say much and could only awkwardly smile.

“Hehe!”

At this moment, many reporters, hearing Siro and the others’ words, were as excited as if they had stumbled upon a huge scoop. They eagerly uploaded photos and videos, vying for today’s headlines.

In fact, the reason Siro and her group invited so many reporters was to spread the news of the Thirteenth Corps’ support to every corner of the Tidal Star Sea.

On one hand, it was to deter the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom, and on the other hand, it was to appease the Neutral Countries.

At this moment, on the observation deck in the distance, Archbishop Deshir and Lily, wearing hoods, looked at Feilong and the others, who were surrounded like stars by the moon.

At this moment, Lily’s expression turned to surprise when she saw Su Ming beside Feilong.

“Lord Deshir, that Su Ming is here.”

Deshir’s brows also furrowed tightly, and he said somewhat troublesomely.

“This is troublesome now. The Federation sent him over, so they’re probably getting serious.”

“What do we do now? City Lord Alicia clearly has a choice, and she might not be willing to negotiate peace with us. And even if she does, she probably won’t pay that much money.”

Lily frowned and said.

“Let’s just wait and see. Although the Thirteenth Corps has arrived, we still have the overall advantage. It won’t be that easy for them to defeat us. Compared to that, peace talks only mean losing some resources. I think City Lord Alicia should know how to choose.”

Deshir said calmly.

Lily fell silent after hearing this.

At this moment, Siro and the others, after exchanging pleasantries with Su Ming and his two companions, said with a smile, “Please follow me, gentlemen. Lord Alicia is already waiting for you.”

“Alright!”

Su Ming and his two companions nodded.

Siro and the others led Su Ming and his two companions away.

Soon, they arrived at the parking lot, where rows of brand-new black hovercars were neatly arranged, with a stretched one in the middle.

Su Ming and his two companions got into the stretched hovercar.

Soon, the motorcade drove out of the parking lot and entered a tunnel.

As the vehicles exited the tunnel, their vision suddenly widened, and a huge circular city came into view.

The entire city was surrounded by greenery, with tall trees everywhere. The buildings nestled within were incredibly beautiful, exuding a sense of aesthetic artistry.

And in the central area of the city, a pristine white castle stood, dazzling brightly.

At this moment, the vehicles entered the main road and drove towards the castle. Along both sides of the road, many youthful and beautiful women excitedly waved at the motorcade.

Su Ming looked at the bustling streetscape before him and lowered his voice to Feilong, “Feilong, do you feel like something isn’t quite right?”

“You feel it too?”

Feilong replied with a deep frown.

“Mm.”

Su Ming nodded.

At this moment, Jon also echoed with great confusion, “I feel weird too. They’re praising us too much, aren’t they? Aren’t we here to assist their right flank? It’s like we’re the main force or something?”

“Actually, what they’re doing, to put it nicely, is promoting our prestige and using our reputation to deter the enemy. To put it less nicely, they’re using us as a pawn.”

Su Ming replied with a sigh.

“Yes, you’re right. So what do we do now?”

Jon replied in strong agreement.

“What else can we do? We can only discuss it when we meet City Lord Alicia.”

Feilong replied in a deep voice.

“Mm.”

Su Ming and Jon nodded. For now, this was the only option.

Feilong leaned back in his seat, constantly recalling what Siro and the others had said earlier, his expression shifting. Then, he raised his wristband, composed a message, and sent it out.

Soon after, the motorcade arrived at the main gate of the central Sea God Fortress.

One by one, female officers stepped forward and respectfully opened the car doors.

Su Ming and his two companions stepped out of the car.

At this moment, Siro walked over and said to Su Ming and his two companions, “Please follow me.”

“Much obliged.”

Su Ming and his two companions followed Siro into the castle.

The ceremonial soldiers standing at the castle gate saluted in unison, shouting, “Welcome, General!”

Su Ming watched this scene, pondering silently.

The high Specification accorded to them by Rainy City indicated their significant importance, but it also indirectly suggested that Rainy City’s situation was likely very grim.

Soon, Su Ming and his two companions, led by Siro and others, entered the main hall of Sea God Fortress.

The entire hall was extremely luxurious, with a dome soaring a hundred meters high, embedded with countless dazzling gems, emitting a mysterious and brilliant light.

The walls on both sides were carved with exquisite bas-reliefs, and the floor was paved with tiles of sky-blue gems.

At the very front of the hall, a throne was situated. A woman, dressed in a luxurious blue lace gown, with exquisite and beautiful features, skin as delicate as mutton fat jade, a high nose bridge, rosy lips, and a tear-shaped gem necklace adorning her slender neck, sat on it with one hand propping her chin. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, exuding nobility and majesty.

This woman was none other than City Lord Alicia.

At this moment, Alicia’s languid gaze swept over the three, and when her eyes landed on Su Ming, a hint of surprise appeared in her bright eyes.

She remembered feeling that Su Ming was somewhat extraordinary the first time she met him, and that he might achieve something in the future.

However, she didn’t expect that in such a short time, Su Ming had already been promoted to General and had completely risen to prominence.

Alicia suddenly felt a bit regretful that she hadn’t tried to draw Su Ming to Rainy City back then.

At this moment, Su Ming and his two companions stepped forward and respectfully greeted, “Lord Alicia.”

“Generals, you’ve worked hard. Thanks to you, the reinforcements were able to reach Tidal Star Sea this time, solving our urgent problem.”

Alicia said with a smile.

“This is our duty. We came here on the Council’s orders to assist and support you.”

Feilong said in a deep voice.

“Good, with the help of your Thirteenth Corps, we will surely achieve victory.”

Alicia said with a smile.

“That’s great!”

“There’s definitely no problem this time. We can finally counterattack.”

“This time, we’ll definitely make those guys from Apocalypse Divine Kingdom pay.”

Siro and the others also beamed with joy upon hearing this.

However, just as everyone was extremely excited and thrilled, Feilong cleared his throat and said, “Lord Alicia, there’s one more thing I need to inform you of.”

“Speak!”

“Although we are here to provide support on the Council’s orders, due to the Council’s tight budget, this military expenditure will need to be covered by you.”

“How much military expenditure do you need?”

Alicia looked at Feilong with a smile.

Feilong then held up two fingers.

“2 trillion. That’s not a problem.”

Alicia readily agreed.

After hearing Alicia’s words, Feilong shook his head and replied in a deep voice, “Not 2 trillion, but 20 trillion!”

Su Ming was also stunned by Feilong’s words. He turned to look at Feilong in surprise. He hadn’t expected Feilong to suddenly pull such a stunt, and to ask for so much money.

Alicia’s smile gradually faded when she heard Feilong’s words.

Siro and the others exploded in shock, exclaiming, “Are you kidding? 20 trillion federal currency?”

“Is this a robbery?”

“If we had 20 trillion federal currency, would we still need your help? We could handle it ourselves.”

“Exactly, that’s not how you extort money!”

“Everyone, please quiet down. I haven’t finished yet.”

Feilong calmly said to everyone present.

“Speak!”

Fini asked with a dark expression.

“I’m not talking about 20 trillion federal currency, but 20 trillion in resources!”

Feilong laid out his cards directly.

As soon as these words were spoken, Fini and the others looked as if they had been slapped hard.

They angrily accused, “What are you talking about? We might not even be able to produce 20 trillion federal currency, and you want resources?”

“Exactly, this isn’t how you scam people, is it? How expensive are resources now!”

“Exactly, where are we supposed to get that for you!”

“Why don’t you just go rob someone!”

Su Ming himself was a bit numb. 20 trillion in resources and 20 trillion federal currency were not the same concept.

The price of resources was constantly skyrocketing, but the Federation was suppressing it hard.

Even so, the price of resources could easily double or triple.

At this moment, Butzli stepped forward and sarcastically accused, “Feilong, do you Thirteenth Corps have any shame? When you supported Sky Dome City, we didn’t hear anything about needing to pay. Why do you need so many resources from us? Is our Rainy City not part of the Federation?”

“Exactly, this is too much.”

Fini and the others all questioned him.

Feilong glanced at the crowd and replied with a serious expression, “Everyone, we are all part of the Federation, and our Thirteenth Corps has no intention of discriminating against anyone. However, everyone should also be very clear that the Federation’s finances are currently in trouble and cannot allocate military funds. Therefore, Rainy City is responsible, and there is no intention of making things difficult for you. As long as you provide these 20 trillion in resources, I, on behalf of the Thirteenth Corps, guarantee that we will absolutely assist you in winning the right flank battle.”

Upon hearing this, Fini and the others all turned to look at City Lord Alicia.

City Lord Alicia’s eyes flickered, and with a brilliant smile, she rose from the throne and slowly walked to Feilong and his two companions, saying, “General Feilong, I understand everything you said. This military expenditure certainly needs to be paid, but it cannot be whatever amount you say. Therefore, the matter of this military expenditure still needs to be discussed. I see that you must be tired from your journey, so please go and rest first.”

“Alright, then we’ll take our leave.”

Feilong didn’t expect Alicia to agree immediately, so he led Su Ming and his companion away.

After Su Ming and his two companions had left, Fini and the others all gathered around City Lord Alicia, each saying furiously, “City Lord, this Thirteenth Corps is going too far!”

“This is clearly taking advantage of our misfortune!”

“They actually dared to ask us for so many resources.”

“You absolutely must not agree to them.”

“Enough, stop talking.”

Alicia said coldly.

Seeing that City Lord Alicia was a little angry, Fini and the others all shut their mouths.

“I have my own judgment on this matter. You may all leave.”

Alicia said to Fini and the others.

“Yes!”

Fini and the others bowed their heads and retreated.

Soon, only Alicia remained in the hall. She took a deep breath, her expression constantly shifting. She hadn’t expected Feilong to be so audacious with his demands.

For a moment, Alicia was also in a dilemma.

Outside Sea God Fortress.

Su Ming and his two companions walked out of the main gate.

“Old Fei, what kind of act is this? You didn’t even tell me in advance. You just came up and asked Rainy City for money, and not just money, but so much of it?”

Su Ming said with a rather dramatic expression.

He had been a little worried that City Lord Alicia would turn hostile just now.

“Oh, I had no choice, didn’t I? You know about the Federation’s budget deficit, right?”

Feilong asked helplessly.

“I know, right?”

“Currently, within the Federation, only Rainy City has money. Not only are their financial reports healthy, but they also have no deficits at all. If I don’t ask her, who should I ask?”

“But you can’t ask for that much, can you?”

“It’s not much. Don’t underestimate these women; they’re truly amazing at business, so they’re super rich!”

“If that’s the case, why doesn’t the Council just negotiate directly with them and ask them for money? Why make it seem like we’re taking advantage of their situation?”

Su Ming asked with some confusion.

“Oh, you don’t know this. When the Council President was around, everyone was essentially sharing from the same pot. Rainy City, out of respect for Lord Council President, would reluctantly contribute. But now that the Council President isn’t managing things, everyone is doing their own thing! Would Rainy City easily hand over the money they worked so hard to earn? If you were her, would you be willing to contribute?”

Feilong replied with a sigh.

“Certainly not.”

Su Ming replied, putting himself in her shoes.

“That’s right, then.”

Feilong replied with great helplessness.

“But I still have a question. Since Rainy City is so good at business and so skilled in logistics, why don’t they just let them be fully responsible for production and such in the rear, and still have to fight on the front lines?”

Su Ming asked thoughtfully.

“Rainy City used to handle logistics and had very few troops. But they only had money and no military power, which was no different from fish on a chopping board. To change this situation, they spent a lot of money on areas they weren’t good at, forming their own army.”

“I see. So, what do we do now?”

“What else can we do? Wait for the second negotiation, I guess? Alicia isn’t that easy to convince.”

“What’s our bottom line then?”

“20 trillion. Of course, if we can get more, that would be even better.”

Feilong hesitated before replying.

Su Ming’s mouth twitched when he heard Feilong’s words, and he said, “Just pretend I didn’t ask.”

— —

Thunder Pole corridor.

Feilong walked to the door of his room, reached out, opened the door, and stepped inside, then closed the door.

He took a deep breath, raised his wristband, and dialed a communication request.

Soon, the communication connected, and Lord Long Bai’s masked holographic projection appeared.

“Lord Long Bai.”

Feilong respectfully saluted.

“How did things go?”

Lord Long Bai asked indifferently.

“I’ve already asked City Lord Alicia for 200 billion in resources as military expenditure, as you instructed, but I feel like something isn’t quite right.”

“What’s not right?”

“City Lord Alicia’s reaction wasn’t very strong when I asked for so many resources. And Rainy City has been using us for propaganda, constantly building momentum for us.”

Feilong explained the specific situation to Lord Long Bai.

Lord Long Bai’s purple eyes flickered after hearing Feilong’s words, and then he spoke, “City Lord Alicia, that old fox, is not so easy to read. They have always paid their taxes in full each year. Now you are asking her for so many resources. Although she doesn’t say it, she must be very resistant in her heart and unwilling to hand them over. However, the Federation’s finances are currently in severe deficit, and they urgently need to obtain these resources from her. Conventional requests certainly won’t work, so we can only use the excuse of war to get them from her.”

“Understood.”

“This matter is very important. You must follow up in real-time and conclude the discussion with City Lord Alicia as soon as possible.”

“Yes!”

Feilong replied respectfully.