“My name is Francis Morey, a Brigadier General of the Internal Guard. My reputation isn't widespread, but I believe everyone Present here knows me.” He looked at the people in the room and paused.
Vice President Maria Murson and Prime Minister Jinwei Taro exchanged glances, both signaling for the other to speak first, but neither was willing, leading to an awkward stalemate.
Seeing this, the oldest person Present, Marshal Ronald Elwin, the Chief of Military Operations, who had just celebrated his eightieth birthday last month and was the Commonwealth’s top uniformed officer, sighed deeply and said, “Frank… you’ve gone a bit too far this time.”
“I am truly sorry, Chairman, I have caused a great deal of trouble.” Facing this veteran of the Independence Era, Brigadier General Morey showed considerable respect and apology, but his attitude did not soften in the slightest: “However, you know me; since I’ve started something, I will see it through to the end.”
Marshal Elwin nodded blankly: “So, what do you want?”
“…I need you, Chairman, to provide a Fletcher-class Destroyer, to arrive here within half an hour and dock with the Azure Princess. On board must be General Schwartz, Chief of Staff, who is being unjustly detained, as well as several high-ranking generals who are also unjustly held, along with their families. I have already sent the list to your work emails. Additionally, I want 1 billion gold dragons.” He paused, then repeated: “Gold dragons! No paper money or other promissory notes or drafts. I am a soldier, I don’t understand such fancy things.”
“Indeed, I don’t understand these fancy things either; shiny gold coins are much more pleasant to look at.” Marshal Elwin paused, his gaze sweeping across the combat robots in the corner of the screen, his brows furrowing even deeper.
He pressed his temples and looked at Prime Minister Jinwei, who immediately showed a pained expression: “Frank, you must understand that the place where General Schwartz is detained involves the Ministry of Justice and the Procuratorate, and communication takes time. As for 1 billion gold dragons… uh, the Central Reserve does have such reserves, but gathering them also takes time. As for the ship, that would require coordination with the Defense Committee. Uh, is Nishita Chairman doing well?”
Morey smiled ambiguously, adjusting the camera to show everyone Keith Nishita quietly sitting in his seat.
Nishita Chairman’s expression was very calm, his posture upright, and his eyes even held a hint of pride and defiance. He certainly had more composure than the pale, terrified President Nockham.
The Marshal’s gaze quickly swept over the President and the Chairman, but for most of the time, he remained focused on the combat robots at the edge of the screen.
“Oh, by the way, this is Mr. Sharur Gand, Assistant to the National Security Affairs.” Brigadier General Morey on the other side of the screen aimed the camera at the elegant middle-aged man not far from him.
“Since just now, he has been trying to persuade me to negotiate. What a dedicated gentleman! What he said was exactly the same as Prime Minister Jinwei! Is Mr. Gand really in security affairs? Not from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?”
Perhaps because Brigadier General Morey’s attitude was friendlier now, Mr. Gand forced a smile and said, “Well, you flatter me. I did indeed work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Morey smiled and nodded, ignoring the other party, and said with a smile: “From now on, every half an hour, we will execute a batch of hostages. The first time will be one, the second time two, the third time four, the fourth time…”
The fourth time would be eight? That’s not so bad then. Even if this drags on for four or five hours, not many people would die. The big shots on the other side of the screen probably breathed a sigh of relief. You see, there are over twenty thousand people on the Azure Princess, and even with this killing method, it could last for quite some time. As long as no big shots or important foreign guests are killed, it would still be acceptable afterward.
But at this moment, Brigadier General Morey revealed a grim smile: “Unfortunately, it’s not eight, but sixteen. I am a boring person; I like mathematics, but I don’t like addition and multiplication. I prefer squaring.”
Then why was the second time two? Did one squared become two? Even a physical education teacher wouldn’t teach math like that, would they?
Besides Brigadier General Morey, many people Present probably wanted to make such a remark, but no one dared to say it aloud.
Everyone’s hearts instantly rose, but before they could fall, Morey once again pulled out his pistol and directly pulled the trigger on Mr. Gand, the Assistant to the National Security Affairs, who was beside him.
Mr. Gand’s forehead was pierced, and he lost his life in an instant. His unfocused eyes also solidified with confusion and horror, almost exactly like Brigadier General Robnan, who had died earlier.
He probably also found it difficult to understand why the other party was not playing by the rules, which is why he died with such unseeing eyes. Of course, it was fortunate that he at least did not suffer any pain before his death.
Another scream erupted in the bridge, but it quickly subsided under Morey’s men and the suppression of the armed robots, gradually turning into hushed sobs hidden among the crowd.
Brigadier General Morey turned around and saluted everyone: “Sorry, I have no personal grudges with any of you, and I will not abuse anyone. As long as you don’t do anything irrational, whether you want to cry or scream, it’s fine. This is our innate nature bestowed upon us by the universe spirit, the master of all things; there’s no need to suppress it!”
Although he said that, who would dare to truly unleash their nature at this moment?
On the other side of the screen, Vice President Murson almost wanted to scream too, but managed to cover her mouth at the last second. Prime Minister Jinwei, on the other hand, was pale, looking at Mr. Gand, who had died with unseeing eyes, feeling both joy and pity, a mix of emotions in his heart.
Marshal Elwin, who had seen many deaths, would not lose his composure, but the expression on his face was as heavy as if it were suppressing dark clouds.
Morey said: “Oh, I forgot to tell you, the time starts counting from now, not half an hour later. This is Francis Morey, and this is a message from the Azure Princess. You can continue to consider. I am very grateful to Mr. Gand, who once worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he is truly skilled at negotiation and has won you another half an hour. If everyone in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could show such ability, many tragedies would not have happened, would they?”
“Don’t do anything foolish! Everything on the Azure Princess is under my control. Furthermore, those on the Feixue 48 Destroyer opposite are all my comrades. Once any of your ships enter the warning line, they will immediately open fire on the Azure Princess with full power! So, let me remind you one last time, don’t do anything foolish! I trust your rationality!”
The Brigadier General saluted everyone, then cut off the connection without further ado.
His gaze passed through the bridge, and he immediately saw the two destroyers that had already turned into a pile of space junk, feeling a slight pang in his heart. However, as the Feixue 48 slowly came into his view, Brigadier General Morey’s small hint of reluctance vanished.
“These are… necessary sacrifices!” he told himself. He also told this to his other comrades, which, of course, included Major Da Shi and Captain Du Wen, who were commanding on the Feixue 48.
At that moment, he felt that his gaze seemed to penetrate the steel fortress of the ship and the confines of space, having a momentary eye contact with his two good friends on the Feixue.
“We are traitors now, but we will certainly be heroes in the future!” he told himself again.
Brigadier General Morey then looked at the cruisers further away, painted in flashy red and blue. They were now intimidated and had stopped outside the main gun range of the Feixue 48.
They must be student exercises, right? Morey quickly identified the two ships and promptly ignored them. In comparison, the over 300 security personnel locked in the security room on the ship, and… that person, were more likely to pose a threat.
“Is he really dead?” Brigadier General Morey still lacked a sense of reality. He himself was a Four-Ring spiritual energy user, barely stepping into the threshold of high-ring, and he knew too well how strong the vitality of high-ring saints was.
“Anyway, you are the victor! You successfully challenged someone above your level. Don’t you feel that you have grown a lot?” In his mind, there was vaguely a voice nagging.
“In any case, you can’t turn back now, can you?”
“Yes! There’s no turning back! If we succeed, there will still be a future! My future! The General’s future! The Commonwealth’s future!”
Morey clenched his fists, feeling as if he were a martyr carrying a heavy burden.
In the conference room on Earth, the bigwigs who controlled the Country fell into a stifling silence. If there wasn’t at least one pillar of support Present, such silence would probably have lasted for a long time.
“A self-righteous madman! Either possessed by something dirty, or inherently dirty!”
Marshal Erwin cursed inwardly, tapping his hand lightly on the table. After bringing everyone back to their senses, he said to the Vice President, “Madam Vice President, since Mr. President is unable to perform his duties now, this place will be under your command.”
“How can I take charge? I have no experience with this kind of thing!”
Although Madam Murson had been dreaming of the President meeting an unfortunate end one day so she could directly ascend without enduring the chaos of an election, the problem was that she had risen from Senator to her current position due to her amiable appearance, pleasant speech, and good relationship with the media. She had never served as a local administrator or a ministerial official, and thus lacked the necessary decision-making ability.
“Your Excellency, Marshal, you are the expert. Here, everyone needs your Wisdom and courage!” Madam Murson said to the Marshal.
She indeed lacked the talent and ability for on-the-spot decision-making, but she still possessed the basic politician’s skill of shifting blame.
The Marshal smiled as he looked at the Vice President, who was half his age and could be considered a beautiful mature woman. He began to curse inwardly.
“What kind of expert am I? I’ve commanded ships and fought battles, but I’ve never dealt with something like this! If you’re still unwilling to take responsibility at a time like this, your vision is truly limited.”
However, it was understandable that this woman dared not make a decision. The President and a large number of high-ranking officials, plus a group of important foreign guests, were actually held hostage above the Capital Star. It was truly an unprecedented event!
Who would have thought that the person in charge of the entire event’s security would defect? Really, what was Wang Jingyang doing? Didn’t he know his subordinate had mental issues? Didn’t you swear that your ability was the best at sensing and judging hostility?
Although Marshal Erwin wasn't well-versed in mysticism, he had truly witnessed the supreme power of Wang Jingyang and his fellow disciples. It was precisely for this reason that he had defied all objections to appoint him as the Commander of the Blue Guards and entrust him with the security of the final phase of the Navy Day celebration. Yet, he never expected such an outcome.
“Even a high-level spiritual energy user doesn’t mean omnipotence! What Marshal Li taught me back then, how did I forget it all in my old age?” He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then thought of another possibility: “This… he didn’t defect too, did he?”
As soon as Marshal Erwin thought this, he immediately shook his head inwardly. Although he began to doubt the abilities of Wang Jingyang and his fellow disciples, he absolutely trusted their character.
The Marshal looked at the Vice President and the Prime Minister, who were staring at him expectantly, like naughty children begging their father to bail them out. In terms of age, he could definitely be their father. However, he also knew that if his decision made any mistake and caused any tragedy, these two would definitely be the ones to push him out to take the blame afterwards.
“Forget it, I’m this old, nothing matters anymore.”
“…Tsk, Paris, that old fellow is really lucky. He actually went to the New World to enjoy himself, so he doesn’t have to worry about this mess here.”
With that thought, Marshal Erwin made up his mind and began to issue orders: “One billion gold dragons, the ship, and General Schwartz’s side, I hope everyone will prepare. At least make a show of it, so Morey believes we are indeed preparing!”
The Vice President looked at the Prime Minister, who gritted his teeth and nodded with difficulty: “Understood.”
“Alas, these are all important national precious metals and foreign exchange reserves!”
“Also, give me Morey’s entire itinerary for the past six months! Where he’s been, who he’s met, what inexplicable things he’s come into contact with—I want to know it all! I want to know within twenty minutes!” The Marshal stared at the heads of the intelligence departments Present, his gaze like a sharp blade, almost flaying them alive.
Erwin snorted and pulled open a light screen, which was actually a hand-drawn picture, precisely of the combat robots on the Azure Princess.
“This, this is…”
“When I was young, I graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts, studying sketching and engineering aesthetics…” The Marshal wanted to proudly show off, but then realized it wasn’t the time, so he coughed and pointed at the picture: “These are Morey’s robots! To my knowledge, they are not any type of active military combat robot in our country, or even in major military nations. I need to know their model and origin! Investigate immediately!”
“This, is it still twenty minutes?” The head of Country Statistics asked, steeling himself. They were civilian officials, probably thinking this would make it easier to speak. Otherwise, what could they do? Didn’t they see that the head of the National Unification Committee, a Major General, was already trembling and dared not speak?
“Fifteen minutes! One second late, and I’ll tie all of you to an antimatter bomb and throw you into a white dwarf star!”
Everyone’s scalps tingled without even imagining the scene. Besides nodding repeatedly and hastily excusing themselves to get to work with their subordinates, there was nothing else they could say. However, in the crowd, some talent suddenly whispered, “Antimatter bomb… isn’t it still in testing?”
“Isn’t that even better?” Marshal Erwin said.
The heads of Country Statistics and National Unification Committee stumbled, and their movements to leave were much more hurried.
The Marshal pressed his temples, just about to give other instructions, when a Presidential Palace staff member rushed into the conference room, brushing past the high-ranking intelligence officials and nearly colliding with them.
“What now?” Madam Vice President demanded in a low voice, finally showing a bit of a strong woman’s domineering aura.
“Madam Vice President, Your Excellencies… Outside, outside, the people from all the major media outlets have gathered! They are demanding that we reveal the truth of the incident! This…”
“When did it leak?” Prime Minister Jinwei roared, furious. “What are the propaganda department people doing? Where are the Presidential Palace News Division people? They should all be tied to torpedoes and launched into a black hole!”
“There were many reporters on the Azure Princess. Just now, he spoke with us, and it was all broadcast through the equipment carried by the reporters…”
The rulers of the Commonwealth Present were all startled, almost jumping up in panic, quickly pondering whether they had lost their composure earlier. This was far more important than the lives of the twenty thousand people on the ship, plus the President and a host of foreign guests.
Of course, they weren't fools after all. They confirmed that the footage the media received should only include Brigadier General Morey’s side and could not have captured their own side, which allowed them to regain a little composure.
The Marshal pressed his temples even harder: “How much I miss Marshal Li’s era! Back then, there was still news censorship. Although other countries always accused us of not being free, at least… it wouldn’t be as troublesome as it is now!”
This statement was truly too politically incorrect. Everyone Present forced a smile, unsure how to respond. Of course, whether someone took the opportunity to make a note in their little book was truly unclear.
“Have the Dragon’s Breath Gauss Cannons on the Blazing Sun Fortress and Eagle Fort Fortress prepare… At the same time, dispatch two battlecruisers and Dreadnoughts equipped with high-power light spear main cannons to approach.” Marshal Erwin began to give orders.
“…Long-range shelling indeed has the potential to deliver a fatal blow to the Rebellion of Feixue 48, but from such a distance, we can hardly guarantee a hit. Additionally, it’s difficult to ensure that the nearby Azure Princess won’t be affected.” A general, perhaps guessing Marshal Erwin’s intention, couldn’t help but remind him.
“I know, but execute the order.” The Marshal, still pressing his temples, asked, “Where is our closest warship to the Azure Princess?”
“This…”
“Speak!”
“It, it’s the two Inspector-class ships that just finished their drills! But, everyone on board are students!”
The Marshal was stunned upon hearing this, then fell into deep thought.