Gui Suishou's words cast the meeting into an even greater silence. Many experts who had been fighting in the frontline since the age of the 'Old Federation' were all thinking in silence. Even Bai Kaixin lost his voice and stared ahead in a daze, as if he were recalling the days when he, Lei Dalu, and the other members of the 'Great Horn Exo Society' were bold enough to chase the most ferocious enemy to the end of the universe for a bag of food.
However, things were different now!
As a Cultivator, Bai Kaixin could sacrifice his own life without any hesitation, but what about other people's lives? What about the lives of billions of people in the Federation?
"I agree with Master Gui. Also, don't forget that Li Yao is still trapped on the other side of the sea of stars."
Next to Gui Suishou, the Fire Ant, who also belonged to the demon race and was Li Yao's best friend, said, "A few years ago, Li Yao went to the Imperium on his own exactly to sow the seeds of the Cultivators at the center of the cosmos. At that time, almost nobody had high hopes for him. Everybody thought that it was impossible to spread the ideas of the Cultivators in the Imperium. It would already be a great accomplishment if he could collect some intelligence about the center of the cosmos for the Federation.
"But after only a few years, Li Yao has created one miracle after another. He has established a small world for the Cultivators in the harsh environment at the center of the cosmos. Even a lot of people in the heart of the Imperium of True Human Beings have become believers of the ideas of the Cultivators!
"Such a good situation is not easy to come by, and the fire of the Cultivators may die out at any moment. If we do not follow him closely and try our best to make the fire burn brighter and brighter, how will we be worthy of Li Yao's efforts? When will we be able to spread the ideas of the Cultivators to every corner of the cosmos?
"Besides, Li Yao's whereabouts are unknown right now. He must be waiting for us, the compatriots of the Federation to rescue him! If we turn a blind eye to him when he needs us the most and watch him … perish behind Constellation, how are we going to explain this to the millions of citizens of the Federation when this matter spreads out?
"To this day, Li Yao's power has far exceeded his personal scope. He has long become the symbol of the Federation and the idol of countless ordinary people. This matter can't be kept a secret. It will be leaked out sooner or later. Do we have to stir up public opinion before we act in a hurry?"
A single stone stirred up a thousand ripples. When the topic of "Li Yao" was brought up, the emotions of the experts present became much more intense.
Naturally, there were a lot of people who insisted on rescuing Li Yao, but more of them were concerned that Li Yao had always been elusive. God only knew which corner he was hiding in and what earth-shattering things he was going to do, just like how he snuck into the Flying Star Sector, the Blood Demon Sector, and the Ancient Sages Sector in the past.
It was needless to say that he had even abandoned his fleshly body, leaving nothing but an unsubstantial ghost drifting in the sea of stars. Even the deities of the Overarching Golden Immortals couldn't find him. The federal army couldn't do anything about him at all!
Despite their lack of options, the rescue operation had to be launched when the arrow was nocked on the bow. Otherwise, the morale of the soldiers, the people, and their beliefs would all be severely hit. It was not like Li Yao was the only one who was leading the charge in the Federation while the rest of the people were cheering in the rear. Then, what kind of 'sabers of the civilization of mankind' would they be?
For a moment, everybody was exasperated, and their voices grew louder and louder. Nobody could convince anyone else. Ding Ling Dong could only announce that the meeting was adjourned so that everybody could take a rest and consider the details again.
"Everybody's opinions are very valuable. This is too important a matter to be decided in a few words. Why don't we take a short break and discuss the latest information about the Imperium after the director releases the latest intelligence report about the Imperium?"
Ding Ling Dong paused for a moment. Her eyes slightly red, she took a deep breath and said, "However, there is one point. Should we finish the battle as soon as possible, or should we prepare for a few years and accumulate more strength? Should we send out an expedition army that is few but well-trained, or should we send out all the soldiers of the Federation? Those are all normal strategic discussions. You are free to speak your mind without any concerns.
"However, I hope that your starting point is either the national interests or our beliefs and spirit. Don't go. Don't go. Don't consider Li Yao's personal safety.
"The blood of the strong flows for the weak. That has been the belief of the Federation for hundreds of years. An expert such as Li Yao was already prepared to sacrifice himself before he set off to explore the center of the cosmos. He would never want us to sacrifice the lives of the people he should protect just to save him.
"Besides — besides, I believe that he will be fine. Just like so many times in the past, this time, he will certainly create a new … miracle."
Ding Ling Dong could not go on.
Her face was pale. Looking at the experts thoughtfully, she was the first to leave the meeting room.
…
When Jin Xinyue and Guo Chunfeng chased after her, they discovered that Ding Ling Dong did not return to the temporary office of the Speaker next to the captain's room on Kunlun but returned to her own room.
The two of them looked at each other. Jin Xinyue knocked on the door and considered how to address her. She called out tentatively, "Masteress?"
When they pushed the door open and walked in, they discovered that Ding Ling Dong was sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze. Her face was even paler than a moment ago, and her eyes were red and hot. Her hands, which had not moved at all when they had torn apart the demon beasts' throats, were shivering.
"It has occurred to me that the Speaker, the leader of the Patriots Front, and His Majesty are truly not for ordinary people."
Seeing the concern on their faces, Ding Ling Dong smiled in self-mockery and mumbled, "I should've been the one who cared about Li Yao the most in the entire Federation, and I should've called on everybody to search for and rescue Li Yao without caring about anything. At the very least, according to my personality, I should've dropped everything and marched to the center of the cosmos to find Li Yao without caring about anything, or I should've fought to death with him.
"But I … can't.
"Not only can I not abandon all the responsibilities on my shoulders and go to the center of the cosmos on my own to kill to my heart's content, but I cannot even reveal my real feelings at all, in case I interfere with everybody's judgment and make thousands of innocent people die in vain.
"It's really uncomfortable. The damn feeling is even more painful than the most serious wounds that I've ever suffered in the past!"
"Masteress …"
Jin Xinyue, who had a glib tongue, did not know how to comfort Ding Ling Dong. She simply said drily, "Like you said yourself, my master has always turned misfortunes into blessings. He'll certainly be fine!"
"I hope so."
Ding Ling Dong clenched her shivering fists. She was still wearing the Red Lotus Ring that Li Yao had given her more than a hundred years ago. Pausing for a moment, she shook her head and smiled. "It seems that I am truly not a competent Speaker. A competent Speaker should not have such messy feelings at all. She should not be so sentimental and hesitant. She should not let anybody see through her thoughts.
"Tell me, Jin Xinyue, was my concern for Li Yao obvious just now? Did everybody see my confusion and panic?
"Hehe. Perhaps you are right. You are more suitable to be the Speaker of the Federation than I am. It's better for me to be a simple soldier in the vanguard just like Li Yao."
"It's not like that, Masteress."
Jin Xinyue said solemnly, "In the past, I always believed that I was far more suitable to be the Speaker of the Federation than you were. However, after the Battle of Defense of the Federation, I discovered that many things are better done openly. Since the Battle of Defense of the Federation, you have been doing a very good job. You are the well-deserved Speaker of the Federation!"
"But the situation right now is completely different from the Battle of Defense of the Federation."
Ding Ling Dong sighed softly and said, "During the Battle of Defense of the Federation, the Black Wind Fleet pressed the border. We had no choice except to fight to the end. I did not need to hesitate, be confused, or make a choice at all. What was there to be scared of?
"But it's different now. Right now, we seem to have two paths that we can take, and my choice will decide the life and death of billions of people. A single hesitation or impulse on my part could end six hundred years of civilization. I, I …"
"It will be up to the parliament whether or not to send troops to the center of the cosmos."
Jin Xinyue said, "Masteress, you don't have to shoulder all the burdens on your own shoulders."
"But as the Speaker, I have more influence on the parliament than anybody else. Once the parliament makes a decision, I will carry out the decision without any hesitation and take all the glory and blame."
Ding Ling Dong took a deep breath and said, "That is exactly the responsibility of the Speaker. Otherwise, why would people waste so much time, energy, and resources on electing a Speaker?
"Forget it. Let's not talk about that … Director Jin, is the communication with the Imperium going well? If my memory serves me right, a few starships of the Imperium jumped to the Dragon Snake Space Zone this morning. Have you received them?"
After pouring out the confusion and worries in her heart, Ding Ling Dong immediately became a different person, regaining her usual firmness and confidence.
She addressed Jin Xinyue as' Director Jin ', too, indicating that the conversation that followed would be serious work.
Jin Xinyue used to be the president of the 'Dim Moon Fund', an external intelligence organization of the Federation. But after the Battle of Defense of the Federation, she had been relieved of all her official duties nominally and had been 'reflecting on her mistakes in seclusion'.
It was not until the dialogue between the Imperium and the Federation began that she was reappointed by Ding Ling Dong as the director of the 'special liaison bureau' between the two parties. In fact, her subordinates were still the original staff of the 'Dim Moon Fund', and her job was still the external intelligence work of the Federation.
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