Han Xiao followed the two dynasty officers through the heavily guarded corridor and came to a large office that had been converted into the temporary office of the three rulers. At this time, the door to the reception room in the deepest part was tightly shut.
The secretary of the Dynasty Ruler put down his work and greeted him with a respectful tone.
"Your Excellency Black Star, the three rulers are still talking. They'll probably be done soon. Please wait for a moment."
"Okay, I'll sit by the side for a while."
Han Xiao found a seat and sat down. The secretary asked someone to serve him drinks and sat across from Han Xiao.
In order not to let Black Star feel left out, the secretary took the initiative to be the escort and started chatting.
Having been in the dynasty for decades, Han Xiao knew quite a few high-ranking officials. This was not the first time he had interacted with the Secretary-General, so the conversation was rather casual. As the two of them chatted, the topic quickly shifted to the small incident that happened during the ceremony.
"Your Excellency Black Star, what do you think of that reporter?" the secretary asked.
"Just a pitiful unlucky guy."
"Indeed." The secretary smiled. "When he was chosen, his career was destined to be affected. It's not hard to understand why he finally decided to take the gamble that maximized his benefits."
"Huh, I thought that a position like yours would have to be politically correct, saying that he should take the initiative to expose the crimes of the mastermind."
"Haha, we're all about political correctness, but we have to do practical things. The higher-ups don't like people who only know how to shout slogans." The secretary shook his head. "He's not a citizen of our civilization, and there's no patriotism in him. The chances of him taking the initiative to expose are very low. What can he get by reporting to us?"
"A meager reward, or a banner?" Han Xiao casually teased.
"Haha, you're quite humorous … but even that's wishful thinking. He'll most likely get a demotion. He was originally a big-name reporter in charge of attending official news events like ours. It's a top position, but if he exposed this matter, he won't receive any preferential treatment … You also understand that we're a huge system. Every department not only works for the entire civilization but also considers their own political achievements. Therefore, why would the news department take the risk of letting a suspicious reporter continue to attend official events? They would most likely inform the higher-ups of the media channel that this reporter works for. Therefore, his company will consciously transfer him back to another news channel. "
"Doesn't this mean that this person is worth using?"
"Is it necessary? Wouldn't it be easier to change to someone else? What kind of irreplaceable character is he? "
"Yo, you're a little cold-blooded. Aren't you afraid of disappointing others?" Han Xiao raised his eyebrows.
"Haha, do you think that we will fight over a small reporter and let others see how protective we are of a small reporter? This will increase the confidence of outsiders in working with us, and make it more likely that people will come to us to expose this matter in the future?" The Secretary-General laughed.
"Isn't that good?" Han Xiao was interested.
"Different people have different logic when dealing with things at different levels. At our level, most of the time, the way we deal with things is the opposite of the logic of ordinary people. Basically, it's a combination of many factors." The Secretary-General blinked and said, "If it's someone with a higher status or an organization with a certain amount of power, we might do as you said.
But a small reporter? We won't waste our energy on him. The public opinion war between us and the Supercluster has been going on secretly. This is not the first time something like this has happened. If he doesn't have any connections, he might not even be able to get a place in our protection plan … In the end, he's not an important person, so we won't pay too much attention to him. "
"How come I didn't know that you were so bold before?" Han Xiao looked up and down.
"I'm just telling the truth. Although the public power is great, the resources to exercise public power are limited. In the end, it's a problem of distribution." The Secretary-General smacked his lips and said, "Putting yourself in their shoes, there's no benefit in taking the initiative to expose them, so it's better to agree to the behind-the-scenes instigator. At least on the surface, you can get a large sum of money, and what you do is within the scope of your normal duties. You didn't cross the line … After all, it's the reporter's freedom to ask questions. We can't force him.
"Can't we?"
"… At least in name. Official activities don't have a budget for friendly questions. We can only rely on authority to make people aware." The Secretary-General smiled. "It's just that authority doesn't always work. There are many reporters who dare to make things difficult for us. Some do it for performance, some are ordered by others. All kinds of situations have happened before. How can things remain the same?"
Han Xiao stroked his chin and suddenly said, "Why do I feel like you're implying something else when you say this to me?"
"Haha, you saw through me. Actually, I wanted to test how the Black Star Corps plans to deal with this reporter … With your swift and decisive methods, you must have already made arrangements." The Secretary-General smiled.
What swift and decisive? You can just say that I'm narrow-minded …
Han Xiao cursed in his mind and casually explained his plan.
"It's good that you didn't fall for it. It seems like my reminder was unnecessary." The Secretary-General smiled and nodded.
"… It's so tiring to chat with you. Don't hide anything. Just say it." Han Xiao was helpless.
"Haha, we hope to deal with it lightly and not threaten this reporter, so we need your cooperation. If this person's life is threatened, it will be easy for people to write about it …"
"I think it's useless even if you don't want to do it. Maybe the mastermind behind this has already prepared to kill someone and frame them. They can still smear the name."
The Secretary-General crossed his hands and said, "I understand your concerns. There is indeed such a possibility, but the probability is very low … First of all, this kind of accusation is neither painful nor beneficial to the overall situation. We simply don't want to cause trouble. But if someone is trying to frame someone, there will definitely be flaws and it will be easy to overturn the case. Also, how many people will care about the life and death of a reporter? Once the publicity is started, the power behind the scenes will definitely be exposed. Anyone with a discerning eye can see it. And because the person involved this time is a reporter, doing this will also ruin the good impression of the media industry. If we want to promote it, we can't do it without their cooperation … With so many factors, the mastermind behind this is not willing to lose the big picture. Similarly, this is also the reason why we're dealing with it lightly. "
Hearing this, Han Xiao did not comment. The higher one's level, the wider one's knowledge was. The improvement in his methods over the years came from interacting with people of different levels.
After chatting for a while, Han Xiao suddenly thought of something and changed the topic.
"Uranril's term should be ending soon, right?"
In his previous life, not long after the Flickering World storyline ended, the dynasty had a new ruler. Counting the days, it should be ending soon.
The Secretary-General paused and subconsciously lowered his voice. "I can't say exactly how long it will take."
"Alright, let's talk about you. After Uranril retires, there will be a change in your position, right? Is there any news?"
"When the ruler retires, my term as the Secretary-General will end. My position hasn't been decided yet, but I'll definitely be sent out to manage the country. There's an 80% chance that I'll be transferred to the same level …"
Just as Han Xiao was about to ask casually, the door of the reception room finally opened.
The Secretary-General stopped talking and made an inviting gesture. Seeing this, Han Xiao got up and walked into the reception room. He immediately saw the three leaders sitting behind the table, with their respective Beyond Grade A personal guards beside them.
The door closed behind him, and Han Xiao casually greeted them.
Dark Emperor Clottey nodded slightly and did not intend to speak.
On the other hand, Oulou glanced at Han Xiao from head to toe and slowly said, "You captured quite a few of my friends some time ago. It's a pity that I wasn't there, or you wouldn't have been able to do it."
"Hello, it's our first time meeting. Nice to meet you." Sensing the hostility in Oulou's tone, Han Xiao remained indifferent. He maintained his smile and did not respond at all.
"Humph."
Oulou snorted and did not continue speaking. He raised his head slightly and revealed an arrogant posture … although he did not have nostrils.
The first impression this guy left on Han Xiao was arrogance.
Although Kasuyi said that Oulou was more gentle, his frame of reference was the Dark Emperor, who was known for being cold. Han Xiao did not expect Oulou to be very friendly. Furthermore, he had captured a few Radiance allies not long ago, so it would be strange if Oulou had a good expression.
On the other side, Wuornos did not even open his eyes, as if he was asleep. He had no intention of paying attention to Han Xiao at all, as if he did not see him.
Among the three of them, Han Xiao was the most curious about Wuornos. In his previous life, the Dark Emperor and Oulou's two personal guards had both entered the main battlefield and sacrificed themselves in the World Tree War. Only Wuornos had never taken action, and his past achievements could be counted on one hand. He was extremely mysterious.
Generally speaking, when mentioning Beyond Grade As, Wuornos was rarely included because he basically did not fight with others. He was an unusual existence like Sorokin, but the two of them happened to be on opposite ends of the spectrum.
This time, the Dynasty Ruler Uranril spoke.
"Black Star, how do you feel after receiving the Galaxy Medal?"
"I'm flattered." Han Xiao was expressionless.
"But you don't seem very satisfied?"
"… You saw through me. Yes, I'm actually worried."
"Worried about what?"
"If I make new contributions to the universe in the future, will you give me a second or third Galaxy Medal? I feel like I have to open a warehouse to store this thing. Who knows, one day, I won't be able to store it. How distressing." Han Xiao sighed.
Uranril: "?"
Is that what you're saying?
"Let's cut the pleasantries. You didn't call me here just to encourage me, right? If you have something to say, just say it." Han Xiao shrugged. He had been pretending for the entire day, so he did not want to be polite anymore.
Bader pondered for a moment before saying, "Then, let's get straight to the point. I believe you've also heard from other channels that our conflict with the Supercluster Alliance is about to start. As the leader of the private warlords in the Flickering World, the Black Star Corps needs your help."
Han Xiao frowned.
The three Universal Civilizations had been trying to get the Beyond Grade A Association to help them deal with the Supercluster Alliance. They had even decided to use the monopoly of Class Knowledge as a bargaining chip, but the association had never agreed. The three Universal Civilizations did not do anything after that, but now, they were starting again.
"You should know the results of the Beyond Grade A Development Union's discussion some time ago, right? I thought that was the answer," Han Xiao said.
"That's right. We know that the Beyond Grade A Association intends to stay neutral, but that's your agreement, not ours," Ethereal's Pope said calmly.
Uranril also added, "Black Star, we hope you can do something about this."
The Red Empire had given their territory to their Beyond Grade A allies precisely because they hoped that their allies would contribute at this time. However, the establishment of the Development Union had exceeded their expectations, and their allies now wanted to stay neutral. Of course, they would not agree.
Although the Black Star Corps' territory was a reward for meritorious service, giving it out also had a purpose. If it did not achieve the effect that the dynasty wanted, they would not give up so easily.
"I thought we had reached a consensus on this issue, but it seems like you've misunderstood my position." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
"Don't misunderstand. We know what you mean, but this is not beyond the scope of our agreement," Bader said with a deep voice.
The three Universal Civilizations were trying to build momentum for Black Star because they wanted to find a spokesperson to speak for them in the association. With Han Xiao as a link, they could influence the Development Union through him. At this juncture, the spokesperson would come in handy. The Supercluster Alliance also had Beyond Grade As, so the three Universal Civilizations would not easily allow their allies to go on strike.
"If I do this, I'll deviate from the united front and lose the greater picture." Han Xiao waved his hands.
"Don't worry, we've considered this and have already chosen an entry point for you …" Ethereal's Pope leaned forward. "Since you've publicly stated that you have a personal grudge with the Modo Civilization, you can use this as a reason to make more Beyond Grade As intervene without damaging your reputation in the association."
"You think it won't be damaged just because you say so? No way. "Han Xiao waved his hands.
"Then let's each take a step back. We won't force you to participate in the entire event, but if the Beyond Grade As of the Supercluster Alliance take action, I hope the Development Union will respond. Since you've shouted the slogan of regulating all Beyond Grade A conflicts, you should follow through to the end. This happens to be within your scope of responsibility."
Han Xiao immediately understood the three Universal Civilizations' plan. He snorted in his heart and put on a troubled expression as he explained, "But in this case, the Beyond Grade As who are willing to stand up for the Supercluster Alliance will definitely be their direct subordinates. You have your own direct subordinates too, so isn't it just right for the direct subordinates to fight the direct subordinates? If you insist on the association taking action, it will more or less be biased. It doesn't seem appropriate."
Bader's tone became heavier as he said with dissatisfaction, "According to what you've said, what do we still need you allies for?"
Han Xiao raised his brows and said, "If you have the ability, cancel the alliance with all the Beyond Grade As."
Bader was immediately speechless.
You're the best, so I'll shut up.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
