Despite Di Feiwen's sincerity, Li Yao did not intend to agree immediately. Instead, he shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that you have misunderstood me. I am not a dominator at the edge of the cosmos, and I am not interested in the messy titles such as' dominator ',' dominator of three Sectors', 'Black Wind King', or the management of an enormous fleet or a country at all."
"Very understandable."
Di Feiwen nodded and said, "The so-called power and position are in many cases just a shortcut to the ultimate strength. If an expert boasts unparalleled strength in the first place, it is true that they do not need to restrain themselves with power, position, and reputation.
"At the center of the cosmos, there are a lot of experts who like absolute freedom and focus on breaking into the higher levels of the evolution of mankind and exploring the places that no one has ever set foot on. Naturally, they are not interested in the mundane affairs of the mortal world.
"However, the Black Wind Fleet has its own comprehensive operation system. I can still serve the fleet for decades. You do not need to manage it in person. I only need to rally the people and boost their morale with your strength and prestige. It's like how your wife was elected as the Speaker of the Xing Yao Federation despite not being an admin-type Cultivator."
"Speaking of which …"
Li Yao said coldly, "I am proud of my identity as a citizen of the Xing Yao Federation, and I will not give up my identity. It remains to be seen whether or not the Federation recognizes dual nationality. It will not agree to let me be the 'Black Wind King' easily, either."
"Why not?"
Di Feiwen asked back. "Right now, the Federation is also in a hurry to settle the complicated problems left by the remnants of the Black Wind Fleet peacefully. They also want our enormous fleet as well as more intelligence and files about the Imperium of True Human Beings. They even hope to reach out to the Imperium of True Human Beings directly through the Black Wind Fleet. As long as you agree to be our new leader, everything will be possible.
"I know that the Xing Yao Federation has its own unbreakable principles, but the minor request that we propose does not violate any of your laws or morals, does it? Nobody will be hurt in the deal. Instead, thousands of innocent lives will be saved. Why would the parliament of the Federation not agree to it? "
"You are quite eloquent. I'm beginning to understand why you are the No. 2 person in the murky Black Wind Fleet despite your lack of combat ability."
Li Yao was still unmoved. "It's a pity that you are not submitting to me sincerely. You are merely trying to secure your own interests and maintain a certain degree of independence with my fame and prestige. That's all. You might even end up as a cancer inside the federation."
"Of course," Di Feiwen said unhurriedly.
Di Feiwen said unhurriedly, "Please think from our perspective, President Li. Although the Black Wind Fleet suffered a brutal failure, at least one third of the fleet is still undamaged, and we still have the ability to fight. The pride of the superpower at the center of the cosmos cannot be obliterated immediately. Under such circumstances, is it possible for us to lay down our weapons and surrender unconditionally?
"In both the Xing Yao Federation and the Imperium of True Human Beings, the 'Dark Forest' theory was quite popular for a while. Although the theory is not necessarily universal, some of its details are worth studying, such as the theory of 'chain of suspicion'.
"Aren't the Xing Yao Federation and the remaining soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet mired in a vicious circle of suspicion right now? Even if the remaining soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet want to surrender, they will be worried about their fate after they surrender, whether or not they will suffer inhuman torture, whether or not their families and descendants on the migration starships will be involved, and whether or not they will be mining on the desolate planets at the edge of the cosmos forever, only to end up as dry bones in the depths of the mines, never having a chance to return to their hometown at the center of the cosmos and wave their flag in the wind again.
"By the same logic, even if I do not propose any conditions today and surrender unconditionally, will the Federation not suspect us?
"No. You will also be worried that the disobedient Immortal Cultivators have other plans and that they will rebel again. You will try your best to be wary of us and weaken us. The friction between the two parties will be accelerated in mutual distrust. We will be caught in a vicious cycle, and in the end, the fake will become real, resulting in a real rebellion.
"For me, surrender is not a problem. The problem is the relationship and trust between the two parties after the surrender. Appointing you as the new 'Black Wind King' is the best way that I can think of to break the 'chain of suspicion' between us."
"You don't need to worry about that."
Li Yao said resolutely, "The Federation is a man of his word. We have even integrated the Blood Demon Sector, which has a blood feud with us for hundreds of years. Right now, the Blood Demon Sector is an important part of the Xing Yao Federation. Many demons have become representatives and leaders of the critical parts of the Federation. It must be noted that the Blood Demon Sector almost breached the capital of the Federation when the hatred between the two parties was at its deepest!
"The one third of the Black Wind Fleet under your command has never even stepped into the territory of the Federation. There is no blood feud between us. What are you worried about?"
"No. It's different," Di Feiwen said, shaking his head.
Di Feiwen shook his head. "From the perspective of the entire world of human beings, the Blood Demon Sector is one of the last few worlds of demons. They are at an absolute strategic disadvantage in the first place. Digesting and absorbing them will not cause too many problems.
"But the Black Wind Fleet is different. We have the enormous Imperium of True Human Beings behind us. If we do not handle the delicate relationship among the Imperium, the Black Wind Fleet, and the Federation well, should the Federation have a conflict with the Imperium one day, the Black Wind Fleet will certainly be the first to suffer no matter which side wins.
"Most importantly of all, the so-called integration of the Blood Demon Sector and the Tian Yuan Realm has a very important premise. Everybody knows that Jin Xinyue, the leader of the Blood Demon Sector, is your true disciple. That is the foundation of the trust between the two parties. Doesn't it prove the importance of inviting you to be the 'Black Wind King' from another perspective? Because what we need is nothing more than the 'foundation of trust'. "
Li Yao could not refute Di Feiwen's reasoning, but he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Half a year ago, when he was engaged in a life-and-death battle with Heiye Ming on the bridge of Black Swirl in the space battle against the Black Wind Fleet, he did not expect that the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet would cry and beg him to replace Heiye Ming one day.
"Are you not worried that I will regard the Black Wind Fleet as cannon fodder after I become the 'Black Wind King'?"
Li Yao asked in disbelief.
"Speaking of which …"
Di Feiwen said, "Even if you do not become the 'Black Wind King', as long as we choose to surrender, will the Federation not regard the Black Wind Fleet as cannon fodder?"
Li Yao was rendered speechless for a long time.
"We believe in the strategic vision of the Xing Yao Federation. You should be able to tell that it is impossible for the Xing Yao Federation and the Imperium of True Human Beings today to live in peace for a long time."
Di Feiwen smiled and went on. "In the past, the Imperium was not aware of the existence of the Federation. The two parties could live in peace under the cover of the boundless sea of stars. But regrettably, in the past ten years, some intelligence about the edge of the cosmos has been sent back to the homeland of the Imperium.
"The intelligence was not necessarily sent directly to the court and the emperor in the capital. Also, the Imperium, which is busy launching a strategic counterattack against the Holy League, will not have the time to extend its hands to the edge of the cosmos even if it has collected the intelligence.
"But how long can such a fragile 'peace' last? Twenty years? Ten years? Or even shorter?
"If the Xing Yao Federation wants to defend its tiny territory and rules, it cannot wait for the arrival of the great army of the Imperium. It can only choose to launch an attack actively. It is not necessarily a military attack but more likely to infiltrate into the Imperium and change the Imperium from the political and institutional level, transforming the Imperium today into something else. Am I right, President Li?"
Li Yao was greatly alarmed. He did not expect that the ordinary-looking deputy commander of the Black Wind Fleet would have such a keen strategic vision.
It was true that, even after the space battle was won neatly, the conclusion of the many strategists of the Federation was that the Xing Yao Federation did not boast the ability to wage a 'total war' against the Imperium of True Human Beings.
A space battle could be won with favorable timing, geography, and manpower, but if it was a war that lasted hundreds of years, it would be a head-on clash of the comprehensive national strength of the two parties without any fancy tricks. Even ten Li Yao and ten Ding Ling Dong would not be enough to change the outcome of such a war.
Therefore, if the Federation intended to march to the center of the cosmos, it was unlikely that they would march unstoppably in the next few hundred years. It was more likely that they would send part of the elites to infiltrate the Imperium and figure out a way to disintegrate the Imperium from the inside by grasping the contradiction between the so-called 'hominoids' and 'true human beings'. At the very least, they would be modifying the Imperium to some extent!
Li Yao had proposed such an idea when he proposed the 'Black Hole Plan' more than a hundred years ago. It was only after the calculations and deductions of countless strategists that the plan was developed to what it was today.
But out of his expectation, Di Feiwen had pointed out the core of the plan and hit the nail on the head. Li Yao could not help but feel that great minds think alike. He thought even more highly of the 'merchant general'.
"If the Federation, or President Li, is truly determined to divide, modify, or even overthrow the Imperium from the inside, the Black Wind Fleet will undoubtedly be your most important help."
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