Cataclysm King Chapter 442

Chapter 442: Did Xie Guozhong assassinate the Pope?

Even normal business negotiations are indispensable without back-and-forth verbal exchanges.

What's more, this kind of negotiation involves life and death.

Both parties will inevitably strive to achieve the results they want as much as possible.

In the conference room of the New World Base, the negotiations were very intense.

"The situation in the Old Continent is very bad now. According to the latest information seven days ago, the Holy See of the Southern Continent has issued a development order, allowing nobles from the three kingdoms to come to the Old Continent to develop territories and conquer new territories to establish a nation. In other words, now the Old Continent has The mainland has been recognized as their territory by the people of the Southern Continent. Now the three kingdoms must use their full strength to send not only hunters and mercenaries to the Old Continent, but also a large number of elite troops from our alliance. The pressure to be right is a hundred times greater than before.”

"Moreover, in the Eastern Barren War, only the Iris Legion of the Red Dragon Kingdom was the main attacking force before. But it is different now. The Holy See has ordered that all three royal families must participate. The situation in the Eastern Barren will be very bad in the future."

"So we hope to reach a deeper strategic alliance with you and jointly develop and research mechanical technology. Mr. Song, I hope you can seriously consider my proposal."

This was a meeting attended only by the top leaders of the Alliance Army and the New World.

There were only eight people at the round table.

Three people came to the Alliance side, Katarina, who looked dashing in a white commander's uniform, Carmon, the old head of the Lionheart family, "Silver Eyed Lion", and General Rogers, the current deputy commander of the Allied forces.

On the New World side, there is Song Can, the fat man in a tuxedo, Mr. Jiu who is always meticulous in black suits, Douglas, the president of the Machinists Union, and finally Dong Qi.

The seven people are the core management of both parties in the negotiation.

And besides this, there is another idler.

It's Ji Xun.

In this kind of negotiation between two major forces, it stands to reason that Ji Xun is a complete outsider, and he didn't say a word during the entire negotiation process.

Just sit in the corner and listen silently.

But unfortunately, his existence is crucial.

He is more like a notary, a witness.

The two parties in the negotiation had disagreements on some fierce issues, and they were about to argue, but when both parties opened their mouths and glanced at Ji Xun, they would subtly soften.

Especially some proposals that require a foundation of trust can be successfully achieved as long as Ji Xun doesn't say anything.

He seems to be more effective than any contract, representing the bridge of communication and the basis of trust between the two parties.

There is so much to cover.

This conversation lasted for several hours.

Catalina was very strong at the negotiating table.

Now the aura of a superior person in her body is becoming more and more condensed.

Even though she deliberately restrained herself because of Ji Xun's presence, the invisible and domineering pressure exclusive to the emperor still made the entire conference room faintly breathless.

Everyone can see that this is a qualified commander and an excellent negotiator.

But as a negotiating opponent, I feel a little stressed.

Song Can's chubby face was already covered with fine sweat.

He was really suppressed throughout the entire negotiation process.

He didn't dare to think how strong this Silver Mist Rose would be without Ji Xun.

After all, what the other party said is right. The two sides are interdependent and have a close relationship.

In a sense, those requirements for cooperation are also necessary means during wartime.

But now the core mechanical technology research and development of the Song family has been assigned to the independent organization "New World Machinery City".

Mechanics don't want to be bound by the old rights system.

And powerful mechanical technology must represent powerful combat capabilities. If it is not controlled by power, this will be a conflict.

So other terms of cooperation are easy to talk about.

Negotiations have been deadlocked on this issue.

Ji Xun was listening silently.

Both parties are friends, and he knows that if he opens his mouth, either party will back down and reach cooperation.

But in this way, some original causal lines are interfered with.

Ji Xun's current ability to be the world can already extrapolate things far, far into the future.

Of course he could see that both sides' proposals had their pros and cons.

In the short term, Catalina's proposal is reasonable and feasible.

If the military controls scientific and technological research and development and all resources, it will inevitably be able to dispatch it more efficiently and have a positive impact on war; but in this way, all research and development and resources will be directed towards the military industry, which will have a huge constraint on the development of science and technology, and will also have a huge impact on the development of science and technology. There are many hidden dangers of power corruption.

Just like the once powerful Talon Dynasty, the Augustus Dynasty obviously had powerful weapons like the Titan Armor, but because power was concentrated in those in power, and because of some personal reasons of the Mad King, it was ultimately unable to produce enough. Also brought to the mausoleum.

So in the long run, the independent new world is indeed better.

Only such a technology tree can grow without limit, and a new technological civilization will inevitably be born in the future.

Ji Xun just listened silently.

I am just a witness and will not intervene in any negotiation content.

The relationship between the two parties is based on equality, justice, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation.

So it was a stalemate.

From noon to evening.

Although the negotiations were not completely concluded in the end, 90% of the cooperation proposals were approved, which can be regarded as achieving the goal.

Let's talk about the rest later.

After getting off the negotiating table, Catalina was not so strong. With Ji Xun present, she showed the elegant and ladylike side that a noble lady should have.

Song Can also showed his kindness as a landlord and took the top leaders of the Alliance Army to visit the machinery workshop and held a grand reception dinner.

eight pm.

The dinner is over.

Wartime dinners were not so fancy, and most mechanics didn't like this kind of entertainment.

It was said to be a dinner party, but more like a work arrangement meeting.

After talking about business, everyone left early.

Everyone had almost left, but Ji Xun and Dong Qi stayed at the main table in the banquet hall.

Little Ivan has a good appetite and is eating and drinking.

Not far away, Catalina also finished talking to several senior officials of the Song family and came over with a goblet.

She sat directly next to Ji Xun, with a slightly joking expression on her face, and asked, "Long time no see, how are you doing?"

The tone was like a greeting from a friend, but it was obviously a little weird.

As he said this, the young lady from the Lionheart family glanced at Dong Qi.

"Miss Carter, long time no see."

Ji Xun chuckled lightly, hearing something behind her words.

In total, the last time the two met was more than a month ago, which couldn't be considered too long.

However, before Catalina came through the teleportation array, Song Can contacted her as soon as possible. After that, she had been discussing business matters, and the two of them really had no chance to talk alone.

The two of them are already very familiar with each other, and there is no way they will get acquainted with each other no matter how they meet.

But not counting little Ivan who was eating and drinking, there were three people at the table, and the atmosphere was a little strange.

Of course Dong Qi on the side knew the relationship between Ji Xun and Catalina.

However, as a gangster, she didn't mind at all that Ji Xun had several female companions.

Even if there are ten or eight, or a bunch of lovers, this seems to her to be normal.

The only thing that bothered me was that the young lady from the Lionheart family in front of me was a little too radiant.

Her birth, identity, appearance, temperament, and figure are all impeccable.

After all, there is some comparison.

Catalina cleverly turned her gaze to Ivan and gently stroked the little Loli's head: "Little Ivan, long time no see."

Ivan followed Ji Xun all the way to eat and drink, and of course he was very familiar with Catalina.

After hearing this, she quickly responded obediently and politely: "Hello, Sister Carter~"

But when I was talking, my mouth was full of food, and I almost choked when I swallowed it hard.

Catalina smiled and patted her on the back, and the girl continued to eat happily.

When friends meet, they have a lot to say.

But the atmosphere on the table was slightly awkward.

No one knew how to speak.

Catalina's crystal eyes glanced at the faces of Ji Xun and Dong Qi, and she seemed to find them quite interesting. She arched her eyebrows and said, "There is a lot of action over there in the Southern Continent. I want to give you some information. Let's talk somewhere else?"

Of course Ji Xun didn't think it mattered: "Okay."

This cocktail party is really not suitable for chatting.

It seemed that there was no one in the banquet hall, but as soon as Catalina came to the table, people would look over at her with gossiping eyes from time to time.

A commander-in-chief of the Alliance Army, a most dazzling mechanic, and Ji Xun.

Even if the identities of the three people are not related, sitting together will give people a sense of topic.

What's more, the people in the banquet hall are senior officials from both parties, and they all know the relationship between the three of them.

This made the fire of gossip burn brightly in everyone's hearts.

For example, the fat man Song Can in the distance seemed to be chatting about business, but his small eyes, which did not take things too seriously, glanced in their direction from time to time.

He was sweating profusely at the negotiation table, and now eating melon made him feel happy.

Everyone else thought the atmosphere at this table would be awkward.

However, as the victims, Ji Xun and the three others were very calm.

Catalina did have something serious to say, and it would not be appropriate to take Ji Xun away alone.

She cleverly cast her eyes on Dong Qi, who was silent, and asked: "Miss Qiqi, if you don't mind, can I come and sit at your place?"

This "you" is very subtle.

This statement puts himself in the position of a third person with a slightly more intimate relationship, and also subtly resolves some embarrassment.

Of course Dong Qi didn't mind. He just thought the other party was quite polite and responded: "Of course. But there are a lot of machines in my apartment and it's very messy. If Miss Carter doesn't mind, I welcome it."

It turns out that fate is also very magical.

The three of them had once had such an experience of being present together, and it was also the first time Dong Qi got to know this young lady from the Lionheart family.

It's in Honglou.

Back then, Catalina disguised herself as a man and came to Honglou to find trouble. Then she had a bet with Qin Ru and ended up stripping off all her clothes.

The first impression was not initially a pleasant one.

But now it seems that they are also allies.

Dong Qi's character is very straightforward. If you like something, you just like it. If you don't like it, you won't pretend to like it.

To be honest, aside from other things, she actually had a good impression of Catalina.

The Alliance Army survived in such a harsh environment in the Old World, and this commander-in-chief was indispensable.

Full of valor.

It's admirable for a woman of her own age to be able to do this.

After hearing this, Catalina glanced at Ji Xun again and smiled softly: "Sorry for bothering you." Not long after, the three of them returned to Dong Qi's apartment.

After entering the workshop, Catalina was really surprised by Dong Qi's studio.

She had only heard that Dong Qi was the most powerful combat mechanic before, but when she saw the machinery and equipment in the studio, she realized that it was far from that simple.

Every detail in the studio is enough to show a machinist's love for his dream.

Dong Qi is simple by nature, and he can tell his character after just a few words.

Catalina also had a more intuitive impression of Ji Xun, a close friend whom she had heard about for a long time, which was very good.

After entering the apartment.

There was no awkwardness expected.

Catalina was immediately attracted by those machines.

Without others around her, she had completely lost her aura as the Commander-in-Chief. She was like a friendly aristocratic lady who sincerely admired those magical machines.

"Wow, Miss Qiqi, your workshop can be completely controlled by the [Octopus Robotic Arm]? It's too exaggerated. How can such a high-precision operation be achieved?"

"Is that the [Rhodes Seven-Type Boiler]? I have long heard that it was designed and improved by Miss Qiqi."

"Hey, what is the purpose of this magic device? Oh my god, it is actually a city-breaking hammer? It looks more like a magic sword."

"Is this your improved version of [Hunter Armor] Qiqi? Oh. This is the most beautiful armor I have ever seen. I heard from Ji Xun that the drawings of the Hunter God Armor should go to Oran with you. The royal family took a risk and snatched it out. It was a thrilling experience when I think about it.”

Those marvels are not just about the subtle etiquette of getting along.

More importantly, Catalina truly admired her from the bottom of her heart.

The machines in Dong Qi's apartment are all laboratory grade, several versions ahead of conventional military versions.

There are also some exclusive designs and finished and semi-finished products that are reproductions of ancient drawings.

It can be said that these machines almost represent the pinnacle of the world's technological fields.

Moreover, Dong Qi has an artist-like aesthetic towards machinery. Even the most violent weapons in her works have a very violent aesthetic.

Here, Catalina saw the future of Allied mechanical equipment.

I also saw the unlimited future of mechanical civilization.

When it comes to machinery, Dong Qi has a lot to say.

Catalina asked for advice seriously, and she explained it seriously.

As they chatted, the two of them soon lost their previous sense of having nothing to say.

Occasionally, Dong Qi would take the initiative to introduce some of his proud works.

And Catalina will cheer and exclaim from the bottom of her heart.

Ji Xun was watching from the side, keenly aware of this change and happy to see it.

Katarina, the Allied commander, was really concerned about machinery and asked questions carefully.

But if I really wanted to fully explain the machinery in this room, I would probably not be able to finish it for days and nights.

After Dong Qi took Catalina for a general look around, the three of them planned to sit and chat.

Most of Dong Qi's apartment has been converted into a workshop, and useless places like the living room have long been abandoned.

The entire apartment has a battlefield style, there is not even a complete wall, even the bed and bathroom are visible at a glance.

Except for two simple iron chairs in the reference room, there is only a soft lazy sofa in the corner.

The three of them came over, and Dong Qi said to Catalina: "Miss Carter, I told you before that my place is very simple."

Catalina looked unconcerned and said with a smile: "Miss Qiqi, don't think of me as the Princess and the Pea from an aristocratic family. I really don't mind."

Of course Ji Xun knew that, and he also felt that this useless politeness between the three of them was meaningless. He seemed to say hello: "You guys, sit down. What would you like to drink?"

Catalina thought for a moment and raised her eyebrows: "Wine?"

Ji Xun nodded: "Okay."

This was his own home, so Dong Qi sat down casually, took the cup handed over by Ji Xun, and placed it on the simple coffee table.

Catalina was still wearing the commander's military uniform. This type of clothing had many internal fixations and was not suitable for sitting on a low sofa. She took off her coat without looking outside.

Ji Xun also took it and hung it on his clothes.

Catalina looked very casual without her military uniform. Like a friend, there is no invisible pressure from a superior person at all.

"Cheers~"

"cheers."

After pouring the wine, Ji Xun and the other two started drinking.

There were only three people in the room, so there was no need to worry about chatting.

After chatting for a while, Catalina got down to business.

Catalina: "Didn't I say in the afternoon that the three major empires in the Southern Continent are now sending a large number of troops to the Old Continent, and the war in the Eastern Wasteland will become very fierce in the future. This The most important reason is that the senior leaders of the Holy See have divined some future situations, so they changed the strategic plan. "

"Divination?"

Ji Xun had actually been curious before, why people in the Southern Continent suddenly thought of a large-scale invasion of the Old Continent.

I originally thought it was some exaggeration of negotiations, but after hearing it, it seemed that the matter was more serious.

Catalina nodded and said: "There is news from the Dragon Rebel Army. It is said that the prophets of the Holy See have learned that there will be several powerful kings and fortune-tellers in the future of the Old Continent, so they want to eliminate these hidden dangers in advance."

When she said this, her eyes were faintly distant.

"The luck of kingship."

Ji Xun pondered something in his mind.

Of course he knew what it meant.

A person with royal power means a powerful political power.

People in the Southern Continent are absolutely not willing to see this scene, so it is normal to eliminate hidden dangers in advance.

And, there might be one right in front of you.

Catalina has condensed her heroic destiny. She is now the commander-in-chief of the Alliance Army. Once the country is founded in the future, she will most likely be the leader.

There is also Chujiu, the blood descendant of Augustus.

After coming out of another dimension, Ji Xun found that her luck with the kingship was getting stronger and stronger. Furthermore, the descendants of Talon's old ministers in the Rebel Dragon Army seem to be interested in supporting them, and the future is hard to say;

Even King Arthur of Oran, who is still trapped in the Eastern Wasteland, cannot be underestimated.

Ji Xun felt that if he were a senior member of the Holy See, once he knew this information, he would choose to nip it in the bud.

However, after learning the news, there were some new changes in the situation in his deduction.

"Oh, right!"

Thinking of something, Catalina added: "This news spread only two days after the teleportation array was established."

"oh?"

When Ji Xun heard this, he immediately added a "cause" to the idea he had just deduced in his mind.

The establishment of the teleportation array linking the Eastern Wasteland and the Old Continent can almost be said to have changed the fate of the Alliance Army.

With this "huge variable", Ji Xun's previous deduction of the situation was almost completely overturned.

Similarly, those people in the Southern Continent had not carried out such a large-scale invasion before, maybe they just didn't take it seriously.

Now that the teleportation array is connected, Donghuang's luck has skyrocketed instantly, and the luck of some people will also skyrocket.

Only then did the Holy See predict the results of "several powerful kings and fortune-tellers".

As for divination

Ji Xun wasn't too worried either.

He learned from Griffith that the price of divination was very high.

Divination based on existing clues will cost the least.

To put it another way, those who have the luck of kingship are actually "sons of luck".

In history, this has always been enough to change the situation of civilization.

Divining the situation of the entire plane, I'm afraid even the gods may not have enough life.

There are only vague clues about the diviners of the Holy See.

It's almost impossible to be precise.

As long as those god-level ones don't end up, the problem isn't too big at the moment.

Moreover, Ji Xun now knew that there seemed to be some taboos in the Old Continent, and the Dragon God of the Southern Continent did not seem to come so easily.

While talking about this issue, Ji Xun and Catalina also deduced the future situation.

Dong Qi listened.

Chatting seemed like a continuation of the negotiation.

As a representative of the mechanics, she listened to these conversations.

Sometimes he would interrupt and express some of his own opinions from the perspective of the impact of machinery on war.

In this way, many things that were not explained clearly during the afternoon negotiations were now made clear.

Unknowingly, after drinking a glass of wine, there were several empty bottles on the table.

However, there is currently very little information about the Southern Continent's invasion of the Old Continent, and Ji Xun cannot say much about the future.

Thinking of something, Catalina added: "That's right. There are two more important pieces of information about the Southern Continent."

Ji Xun looked at her serious expression and cast a curious look.

Catalina said: "The first one is that it is said that the Pope of the Holy See, Pope Paulalante A. Russell, was assassinated during an outing. Although he was not dead, he was also injured."

Ji Xun listened to the wine glass in his hand and asked in surprise: "The Pope was assassinated?"

You know, Pope Russell is just like Griffith, a top powerhouse who stands at the pinnacle of transcendence.

Will such a being be assassinated?

Could it be done by the Dragon Rebel Army?

No, Griffith is still hiding from the limelight in the Old Continent, so there is no way he could be hers.

But apart from the Dragon Rebel Army, who else in the Southern Continent dares to assassinate the Pope and has such strength?

Catalina knew what he was curious about and said bluntly: "It is said that the assassin is holding a big sword that also has divine power. It is rumored that it is most likely the [Olympus Holy Sword], one of the four sacred weapons of royal power."

When Ji Xun heard this, his eyes suddenly twitched.

He finally understood why Katarina looked so strange.

Because she knew that [The Holy Sword of Olympus] was brought out from the tomb of Augustus by Ji Xun's friends.

Later, the sword recognized Xie Guozhong.

When Ji Xun heard the news, he had countless unbelievable thoughts: "Has Lao Xie assassinated the Pope?"

Why?

Also, when did Lao Xie become so powerful?

Although he has a [jar] fused into his body, he can't hurt Pope Russell after not seeing him for a long time, right?

I don't know why, but this idea suddenly occurred to me.

Ji Xun suddenly thought of a picture.

In the extradimensional space of "Thousands of Army Siege", he saw Old Man Xu leading a man to assassinate the Mad King while carrying the Holy Sword of Royal Power.

By coincidence, Xie Guozhong and Old Man Xu were also old acquaintances.

It was like countless pieces were being spliced ​​together in his mind. Ji Xun's eyes were stunned and he thought to himself, "This can't be true, can it?"

(End of chapter)

Chapter end