Retracting the remote projection, Han Xiao opened his eyes in the camp. He was in a good mood.
"Seven Calamity Grade officers joined, including a Beyond Grade A seed. The quality of this batch of talents is not bad."
He was only interested in the resources that Beast Ancestor had accumulated and did not have much thoughts about those descendants. After all, both sides were enemies. Even if he forcefully accepted the troops and forced all the descendants of Beast Ancestor to work for him, they would definitely be conflicted.
Those loyalists would also pollute the purity of the army and form a new faction, which might become a time bomb one day.
Furthermore, the Black Star Corps was a lawful faction on the surface, so some things could not be done too obviously. At the same time, the army was not lacking in manpower. Thus, he was not interested in accepting all the old subordinates of Beast Ancestor. It looked like he was increasing his strength on paper, but in reality, he was burying hidden dangers.
Of course, if they were like Jotina who abandoned the beast and joined him willingly, he would naturally not reject them.
"Most of the people in the rebel faction are still observing. Jotina is only the first batch. There will definitely be a second and third batch in the future. I wonder how many people will want to join me."
Han Xiao pondered. He did not think of getting rid of all these people. After all, everyone had their own ambitions. Some of them betrayed Beast Ancestor's organization, but they might not necessarily join others. Some might want to retire and live in anonymity.
Shaking his head, Han Xiao temporarily put this matter aside and summoned Philip.
"Inform Herlous and Sylvia to mobilize the main forces of the Shattered Star Ring and send a fleet to Beast Ancestor's base. Liberate all the slaves and destroy the assembly line of his descendants."
The difficulty of [End of Darkness] was too high, and he did not know where to start. However, the other mission was not difficult for him. Since he had promised them, Han Xiao put it into action. With Jotina as his backer, he had a reason to do so.
Furthermore, Gorután had brought out a large number of elites, so his base was rather empty. As long as the fleet brought along his Lord's Avatar as protection, there would not be any accidents.
This group of people who had abandoned the dark for the light brought good news, but there was one detail that Han Xiao was rather concerned about.
He felt that there was something wrong with the way Jotina looked at him. She seemed a little too eager …
He felt like he was looking at Fu Ding.
…
The Emerald Star Cluster was Beast Ancestor's stronghold. Ever since Jotina and the rest broke out of the encirclement, the atmosphere here had become strange. It was silent and cold, and there were fewer and fewer people talking. Although they were brothers and sisters, there was more vigilance in their eyes when they looked at each other. More and more thoughts were hidden behind each of their expressionless faces.
People's hearts changed, and undercurrents surged.
Jotina was the first defector, and there were even more cautious members of the rebel faction who were observing the situation. Seeing that she had made a good start, more and more people became restless.
In a secret room, a group of people from the rebel faction quietly gathered. The leader was a Calamity Grade officer who had always had a reputation, 'Great Python' Schneider. Although he was not at the level of one of the Four Great Generals, he was still an elite combatant who had fused his Pugilist techniques with his poison talent. His combat strength was extraordinary, and he was one of the commanders of the fleet.
"I'm sure everyone knows why I've gathered all of you here." Schneider looked around, and his gaze paused on a few powerful officers. He slowly said, "Big Sister Jotina has sent news that Black Star has already accepted them. They have found a good home."
Everyone present did not speak, staring at him and waiting for him to continue.
Schneider saw this and continued, "The Diehard Loyalists have suffered heavy losses in the battle with Jotina, so they probably do not want to waste any more energy dealing with the defectors. We have been observing for a long time, and it is time for us to leave. I know that some of you here are not willing to join others and want to establish your own faction. Everything will wait until we join hands in the defection. Those who are not willing to follow me, we will go our separate ways in the future. If we meet again in the universe, perhaps we can still remember the friendship between brothers and sisters."
The moment he finished speaking, the room was silent for a while before someone spoke in agreement.
"That's right, we should leave. In a few days, it will be my troops' turn to patrol. This is an opportunity, and it is best to avoid conflict with the Diehard Loyalists."
Once the chatterbox was opened, everyone began to talk at once. Everyone present was a figure of real power, and they all offered suggestions for the defection plan, brainstorming for the benefit of the masses.
On the other side, some of the Diehard Loyalists had also quietly gathered in another secret room to discuss another matter.
"Have you heard? Jotina and that group of traitors have joined the Black Star Corps."
"Where did the news come from? Is it reliable?"
"Many people witnessed their spaceship flying toward the Black Star Corps' stronghold, and they never came out again. Among those traitors with ulterior motives, there has also been a lot of information. It should be reliable."
Someone's eyes flashed, and he said with a deep voice, "If the situation is true, we can implement a bold plan. Let our people pretend to defect and join the Black Star Corps to find a chance to save Lord Father."
"But … Black Star is a Beyond Grade A Mechanic. It will be very difficult to steal from under his nose. Plus, it is said that the Spacetime Amber is unsolvable. Even the three Universal Civilizations are helpless against it …"
"Lord Father raised us and is our respected elder. Now that he is in trouble, only we can help him. No matter how slim the hope is, we have to try," someone said firmly.
"Alright … but there is still a problem. Those traitors definitely know about us. If we, the loyal subjects, pretend to defect, they will definitely see through it."
"This is indeed a problem. After being together for so long, we know each other very well. Our people will not be able to infiltrate the group of traitors …"
Everyone fell into hesitation.
Jotina's incident had provided these loyal subjects with inspiration. Some of them wanted to put on a show and take the risk to save Gorután, who had been turned into a specimen. After all, their father was only imprisoned and had not died. The loyal subjects still had hope.
This time, the sound of the communicator in the room broke the silence. Like a clap of thunder, it pulled everyone back from their dilemma.
The leader opened it and said, "Byram has gathered all the officers. We are going to have a meeting to discuss our future plans."
Everyone was not surprised. After Gorután fell, such meetings had been held many times. Without a decision maker, the affairs of the organization could only be decided by the many officers. Everyone had their own plans. Most of the time, they could not reach a consensus, but they had to go.
The group of loyal subjects got up and left the room, rushing to the large conference room.
At this time, the conference room was already full of people, all of whom were officers of the stronghold. The scene was as noisy as a market. The seats of the loyal subjects, the neutral subjects, and the traitors were clearly separated, looking at each other coldly.
This group of loyal subjects saw Schneider at a glance and glared at him before finding a place to sit down.
Schneider did not care about the attitude of the loyal subjects. They had also received the news of the meeting when they were gathered in the secret room and rushed over.
After waiting for a while, all the officers finally arrived. Byram was the last to enter, and he closed the door of the conference room. Under everyone's gazes, he walked to the podium at the front of the room and glanced at everyone below.
"What happened? Why did you gather us again?" One of the officers below spoke. This person was also one of the four generals.
"We haven't finished discussing the topic from last time. Today, we have to continue discussing the future of the organization." Byram showed a calm smile, then suddenly changed the topic and said with a smile, "But before that, I would like to introduce a person to everyone."
Everyone frowned, sensing that something was wrong from Byram's attitude.
At this time, a magical wave suddenly appeared in the room, and a circle of blue teleportation door opened beside Byram.
A foot slowly stepped out of the teleportation door, and a strong sense of oppression descended. The air in the room seemed to have condensed to the freezing point in an instant.
Secret Master walked out and closed the teleportation door. With his hands behind his back, he scanned everyone present with an indifferent expression.
The entire room was silent.
At this time, Byram's smiling voice broke the silence.
"I believe everyone is familiar with him. This is His Excellency Secret Master, a protector of the Galactic Black Market like Father."
"Byram, what is the meaning of this?"
A loyal battle general stood up, suppressing his anger as he asked in a deep voice.
In fact, everyone understood that Byram, a neutral officer, had already made contact with Secret Master. Under the guise of a meeting, he gathered all the officers so that Secret Master could capture them all and control them.
He wanted to offer this stronghold and all the officers present to Secret Master as a reward for his promotion!
Byram smiled but did not say anything. He turned to Secret Master and said with a smile, "Father has fallen, and now countless organizations are eyeing us covetously, wanting to divide us up. Without a Beyond Grade A organization, we will always be a pile of loose sand. His Excellency Secret Master is Father's old friend, so he has decided to provide us protection and help us get through this difficult time."
Lie, continue lying!
Everyone cursed in their hearts. The neutral parties were surprised, the traitors had heavy hearts, and the loyalists were furious.
Secret Master took in everyone's expressions and said calmly, "This is the situation. Gorután and I are like brothers, and I cannot watch his descendants fall apart. Therefore, I will temporarily take over Beast Ancestor's organization until the situation stabilizes. Then, I will return the authority to you."
To hell with your brotherly relationship, do you think we all have amnesia?
Everyone clenched their teeth.
Secret Master was not as wealthy as the Black Star Corps, and the generals under Beast Ancestor were also one of the resources he wanted to occupy.
Because he was not a direct enemy like Black Star, he was not worried about revenge. As a protector of the Galactic Black Market, it was more reasonable for him to take over Beast Ancestor's organization. Furthermore, his organization was originally a mix of good and bad, belonging to the gray faction. Therefore, he was not worried about indigestion after taking over Beast Ancestor's army.
This was just an excuse for Secret Master to take over Beast Ancestor's organization. However, even if the loyalists were furious, they did not dare to stand up and oppose him.
Secret Master had already said so much. If they did not know what was good for them, they would be done for if a pinnacle Beyond Grade A killed them.
Therefore, after Secret Master finished speaking, no one dared to refute him. It was as if they all agreed.
Right at this moment, Schneider slowly stood up, attracting the gazes of everyone, including Secret Master, to him.
He took a deep breath and slowly said in a respectful tone, "Thank you for your generosity, Secret Master.
Your protection is exactly what we urgently need. I am very much in favor of you temporarily taking over Father's organization. "
"Hmm, not bad."
Secret Master nodded, feeling that this kid was quite smart.
However, Schneider suddenly changed the topic. "But I'm tired of this kind of life. I don't want to continue fighting in the universe with my bravery. Now, I just want to live the life of an ordinary person. Your Excellency Secret Master, I'm not against you, but everyone has their own ambitions. Please allow me to retire."
Secret Master did not mind and casually said, "You have the combat strength of a Calamity Grade. It's a pity to retire just like that. Continue to do your job. I have high hopes for you. Don't talk about resigning. Sit down."
Schneider gritted his teeth and mustered up his courage. "Your Excellency Secret Master, I wish to take a leave of absence. My sister has defected to the Black Star Corps. I want to tell her so that she doesn't have to worry about her family."
As soon as he said this, his meaning was clear. The subtext was that he did not want to work for Secret Master but wanted to defect to Black Star.
Secret Master narrowed his eyes and looked at him deeply. After a long silence, the pressure in the room grew stronger and stronger.
It was only when Schneider broke out in a cold sweat that Secret Master slowly replied, "I don't think it's necessary.
When I officially take over, the outside world will naturally receive the news. There's no need to do this. "
Hearing this, the people of the rebel faction, including Schneider, all sighed in their hearts.
Secret Master's attitude was already very clear. Even if he knew that they wanted to defect to Black Star, he would still detain them and not allow any officers to leave. Who knew how long he would control them.
"Sigh …" Schneider sighed and sat down, feeling rather regretful.
If he had known, he would have been more radical and acted together with Jotina. Now that he was one step too late, he might not be able to leave.
The faces of the people of the rebel faction did not look too good. Only 'being in Cao Cao's camp but being in another' could describe their current mood.
…
Secret Master publicly placed a magic imprint on every officer to monitor their every move. He then said a bunch of pompous words, emphasizing how deep his relationship with Gorután was, how strong their relationship was, and how happy they had been together. He was just short of saying that the two of them were blood brothers.
Everyone rolled their dead fish eyes as they listened to Secret Master's nonsense. When he announced the end of the meeting, everyone could not wait to get up and leave the room.
Only Byram and Secret Master were left in the conference room. Byram went up to Secret Master and put on a smile.
"Your Excellency Secret Master, congratulations on taking over Beast Ancestor's troops."
"This is only the first step. Beast Ancestor still has a lot of people in his headquarters and other Star Fields."
"I understand, but these people he brought to the Flickering World are all important officers. Controlling them basically means controlling half of the Beast Ancestor organization."
"Hmm, you've done well. When this matter is over, I'll reward you." Secret Master nodded.
Hearing this, Byram's smile became even more sincere.
After Jotina's betrayal, Byram decided to find a way out. Coincidentally, Secret Master was also plotting against Beast Ancestor's army, so the two of them came to an agreement and decided to assist Secret Master.
The reason why he did not look for Black Star was partly because of the conflicting emotions of the members of the organization. The loyal party would definitely split, and secondly, if he gave his organization to his enemy, he would not be able to survive. In comparison, Secret Master was a more suitable choice.
Byram was filled with excitement as he bid farewell and left. Secret Master watched him leave and curled his lips.
"Humph, a fence sitter."
Shaking his head, Secret Master took out his communicator and dialed Sorokin's number.
After three rings, the call was connected. Sorokin's face appeared on the screen with a playful smile.
"Your Excellency Secret Master, have you taken over Beast Ancestor's troops?"
"The initial stage is complete." Secret Master nodded and said in a deep voice, "However, Black Star seems to have intervened. Someone wants to join him …"
Sorokin smiled and said, "Don't worry, Black Star has many strong generals under his command. He definitely won't take a liking to Beast Ancestor's troops. Since he doesn't want them, you don't have to be afraid of offending him. If you still feel that it's not safe, give Black Star enough resources as compensation after the incorporation. He won't pursue it."
"We'll talk about it when the time comes." Secret Master was noncommittal.
He was an adult. He wanted to make friends with Black Star and incorporate Beast Ancestor's troops. In short, he wanted them all. Anyway, Black Star would not take a liking to these people, so it was not like he was picking the fruits of his labor.
Sorokin paused and changed the topic. "Then, what do you think about my proposal?"
Secret Master narrowed his eyes. "You want to use Gorután's vacated position as a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group in exchange for the identity of a Protector of the Galactic Black Market. Your plan is not bad."
"Hehe, I'm a businessman. Business is business. Since Gorután has fallen, I need a new partner."
Sorokin smiled.
During the years of working with Gorután, Sorokin had already infiltrated many industries in the Galactic Black Market. If he had the identity of a Protector, he would be able to open up a business. If he could incorporate the Galactic Black Market into the Limitless Financial Group's business empire, the profits would be incalculable!
Even Sorokin, who had astronomical assets, could not help but be tempted!
Therefore, not long ago, he got in touch with Secret Master and proposed a deal. He would give the position of a shareholder to Secret Master, and the other party would help him get the identity of a Protector of the Galactic Black Market.
After he proposed the deal, Secret Master did not directly reject, but he also did not agree immediately.
From the perspective of Secret Master, without Gorután, he could finally seize more shares of the black market. If he brought in another business giant as a protector, it would be equivalent to inviting a wolf into the house. After all, everyone knew about Sorokin's intentions.
However, if he became a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group, he would be able to get involved in more serious businesses, and the profits would be greater. Therefore, Secret Master had been hesitating.
At this time, hearing Sorokin mention this again, Secret Master snorted and said calmly, "Let me be frank.
Although the entry requirement is Beyond Grade A, with your strength, it seems that you can't take on the identity of a Protector. "
"… Isn't this better for you?" Sorokin smiled mysteriously.
Secret Master was silent. It seemed to be the case.
He pondered for a while before slowly saying, "I can try to help you and persuade the other two Protectors, as well as all the managers of the black market …"
Sorokin's eyes lit up. Knowing that they had reached a preliminary cooperation, he smiled with satisfaction.
"Thank you, Your Excellency Secret Master. Then, I will always keep the position of a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group for you."
"Okay."
Secret Master responded calmly and hung up the communication.
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