https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-775-Gathering-Strength-and-Suppressing-the-Battle/13041135/
Chapter 774: The Storm Passes, and Rain Arrives Again
Chapter 774: The Storm Passes, and Rain Arrives Again
The airship's passenger deck, located in the middle layer, was where Xu Chan and the others rested in soft chairs after indulging in the nutritious meals served on board.
Hu Captain felt his stomach about to burst from the overwhelming sense of fullness, accompanied by a warm current coursing through his body, causing his face to turn bright red. "The food fighters eat is just different. We've had a taste of it today," he said.
Captain Hai commented, "It's just too nutritious. Eating too much might be more than we can handle."
"This is delicious! I can't stop eating," Hu Captain patted his stomach. "Being able to have a meal like this makes this life worthwhile."
At this moment, Captain Lv interjected, "It's delicious, but it's also a matter of life and death."
The atmosphere among those who had been chatting and laughing suddenly turned solemn. They had already heard while on the airship that this operation was a setup by higher-ups to lure out and eliminate the general from the Conquest Nation.
Captain Hai, known for his deep thoughts, remained silent on the matter. Captain Lv, on the other hand, felt a constant thorn in his heart, while the usually hot-tempered Captain Hu didn't seem to mind. "Didn't we come back alive?" he said. "Even though some people above used us as bait, the Handling Bureau and the Defense Department didn't abandon us."
Captain Lv clarified, "I'm not concerned about myself, but about Captain Xu." He looked at Xu Chan, sitting there, and said indignantly, "How has Captain Xu, who has made countless contributions to the nation, been treated like this?"
Xu Chan shook his head. "Some things are inevitable on the battlefield. Since the establishment of our nation, we've been fighting the Former Imperial Court on and off. Countless people have died in these battles. Aren't their lives just as precious? If we continue fighting, more people will perish, possibly including our descendants or colleagues we know. If we can end this quickly and reduce the casualties, the higher-ups will surely make that decision."
"My life is no more valuable than those who have already sacrificed or those who might sacrifice in the future. It's not like I'm any more noble than them. If it can happen to them, it can happen to me. I was prepared for this when I put on this uniform."
The group fell silent, understanding yet feeling uneasy. These conflicting emotions didn't contradict each other.
Captain Lv raised his head and said, "Captain Xu, you might be right, but I'm just a common man. All I know is that we should thank Mr. Chen, the manager, for our survival. I don't know anyone else."
The others wholeheartedly agreed with this statement.
"Yes, you're right!"
"We only acknowledge Mr. Chen!"
"Mr. Chen has been a lifesaver for us. We all owe him one."
After all, Chen Chuan had genuinely come to support them, and he did so without prior knowledge of the situation. This was something they could genuinely feel, and their gratitude towards him was sincere.
Xu Chan didn't join in the discussion. Instead, he took out a business card holder from his pocket, opened it, and looked at the photo of a woman holding a pair of twins. Seeing their smiles, he couldn't help but smile too.
Meanwhile, the news of the Great Prosperity's retrieval of the relic had reached the Union delegation. Subsequently, the Defense Department's victory over the Former Imperial Court's forces in a single battle was also reported.
The delegation immediately convened to discuss the matter. One of the Union representatives, with a serious expression, said, "The Jinbei Province army engaging in battle at the Fusion Land and the rare defeat of the Former Imperial Court's forces indicate that something out of the ordinary has occurred. It's likely that the Former Imperial Court's fighter suffered an accident, probably during the relic retrieval process, resulting in severe injury or death, which triggered the Jinbei Province's all-out offensive."
Another representative raised a sharp question, "I want to know if this incident was a coincidence or if the Jinbei Province Central City had prior intentions? Has the intelligence department gathered any information?"
The intelligence officer responded, "After consolidating all the information from our informants and other sources, we can confirm that the Jinbei Province Defense Department had not made any prior combat preparations. There were no signs of any material mobilization, and all orders were issued hastily, originating from the Defense Department's command center last night. This suggests that the incident was sudden."
He continued, "Representatives, this was likely an accident. Of course, we can't rule out the Great Prosperity's strategic planning, but it might involve higher-level national interests. With our limited intelligence resources, it's unlikely that we can promptly produce a reliable report."
A representative who rarely participated in affairs suddenly spoke up, "What about the active consciousness entities in the Fusion Land branch? Haven't they taken any action?"
The operations officer, standing nearby, replied, "There has been no communication or messages received from that area due to the restrictions of the agreement. The company's active consciousness entities are unable to intervene."
One of the representatives calmly concluded, "In the matter of relic retrieval, we are already out of the running."
The other representatives acknowledged this outcome. In a fight involving fighters, as long as they were in good physical condition, everyone else within their limits would be nothing more than cannon fodder.
There was no need to worry about the dispatched squads anymore. Since the Great Prosperity had achieved victory, they wouldn't let even one person return. They would have done the same in that situation.
Delegate Oberth spoke up, "Let's tally the losses from this operation. Ladies and gentlemen, we need to submit a report to the Union headquarters. Should we continue to stay in Jinbei Province's Fusion Land or abandon all plans and withdraw from here?"
Oberth continued, "I'd like to remind all delegates that your opinions may significantly impact our future actions, so please consider your suggestions carefully."
After some discussion, most delegates concluded that they should not abandon Jinbei Province but instead support the Municipal Parliament as much as possible.
The Union had officially risen after the Great Alliance split, formed by the world's giant corporations and multinational companies. Every centralized government in the world was on their watchlist, and they would do everything to restrict and weaken them from various angles while promoting their proxies.
Moreover, Great Prosperity was a world power with a massive scale. If such a government were to reclaim and centralize its authority, it was not something the Union wanted to see.
Additionally, Jinbei Province's location was of utmost importance. If the Great Prosperity government fully regained control here, they could influence the northern Hedong Province and the southern Huainan Province. Both were significant central cities in Great Prosperity, and if they were connected, it would radiate throughout the outer regions, negatively impacting the Union's global strategy.
Melvithers from the Deep Sea Spiral spoke up, "Without the Old Imperial Court in Fusion Land to balance the Jinbei Province Government Hall, their primary focus will shift internally. It's foreseeable that they will oppress and control various branches, which is against our interests. We must support the Municipal Parliament to maintain the most basic balance."
Mr. Chi from the Original Human Company said, "Before submitting the decision report, we should contact the Municipal Parliament as soon as possible. They understand the Great Prosperity situation better than us and should be able to make reasonable responses and arrangements. Additionally, I propose transferring some technology to the Municipal Parliament to strengthen their capabilities."
Mr. Chi continued, "Before submitting the report, I hope there will be no further obstacles to the Original Human Company's presence in Zhongxincheng. I believe this is the quickest way to stabilize the situation here."
The delegates looked at each other, and one spoke up, "I agree."
"Agreed."
"I agree too!"
After each delegate expressed their opinion, Delegate Oberth sent the meeting minutes and the final report to the Union headquarters.
The Union acted swiftly, and within half an hour after the meeting, they dispatched representatives to contact the Municipal Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Parliament felt a deep sense of crisis when they learned that the Defense Department had won the war in Fusion Land, despite the Old Imperial Court's defeat.
With the Old Imperial Court's influence in Fusion Land broken, the external threat to Jinbei Province was virtually eliminated. The focus would now shift internally, and the Municipal Parliament would undoubtedly be the primary target.
The Union representatives' swift arrival was like an injection of excitement for the nearly panicked and chaotic Municipal Parliament.
The Union's promise to provide technology and cultivate a better Active Consciousness Entity in Zhongxincheng to address the power imbalance after the fall of the Old Imperial Court was a welcome surprise.
Although the Active Consciousness Entity was nominally under the Municipal Parliament's control, the Union still owned it. However, the Municipal Parliament was not concerned about this at the moment.
With the higher-level powers maintained, the situation could return to the familiar realm of regular interest struggles.
After some internal discussions, many parliamentarians felt they couldn't afford to wait passively. They needed to take the initiative, at least to create chaos and buy some time. Someone suggested starting with the Handling Bureau.
"One of the three investigation directors at the Handling Bureau is dead, one is still in Fusion Land, and Wu Quan's audit will end soon. Currently, only Han Fu is alive. We can help clear his name and restore his position quickly, giving him control over the Handling Bureau."
However, another parliamentarian was skeptical, "This is a challenging task. Initially, Director Chen publicly dealt with Han Fu in front of everyone, and Han Fu later confessed. Now, everyone knows that Han Fu colluded with external enemies and murdered his colleagues. His subordinates have either been punished or imprisoned. Even if he is released, it's highly unlikely anyone will listen to him."
The parliamentarian turned to the security advisor beside him, "Can Director Chen return alive?"
The advisor replied, "It's hard to say. Usually, fighters' battles are not something ordinary people can get involved in, and they might be affected. But since the Defense Department won, there's a chance he could come back alive."
The parliamentarian spoke coldly, "Then let's delay his return to Zhongxincheng as much as possible. Also, send out Wang Weiguang; he's also an execution captain at the Handling Bureau. Let's have him handle this matter. We gave him the pure substance, and now we need him to step up."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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