Cataclysm King

Chapter 442: Xie Guozhong went to assassinate the Pope?

Even normal business negotiations are bound to involve verbal battles.

What's more, this negotiation involves life and death.

Both parties will inevitably try their best to achieve the results they want.

The negotiations in the conference room of the New World Base were very intense.

"The situation in the Old Continent is very bad now. According to the latest intelligence seven days ago, the Holy See of the Southern Continent has issued a development order, allowing the nobles of the three kingdoms to come to the Old Continent to develop territories, conquer new territories and establish nations. In other words, the Old Continent has now been tacitly recognized as their territory by the people of the Southern Continent. Now the three kingdoms must be doing their best. The people they sent to the Old Continent are not just hunters and mercenaries, but also a large number of elite troops. The pressure our coalition army faces is a hundred times greater than before."

"Also, in the East Wasteland War, the Red Dragon Kingdom's Iris Corps was the main attacking corps before. But now it's different. The Church has ordered that the three major royal families must participate. The situation in the East Wasteland will be very bad in the future."

"So we hope to reach a deeper strategic alliance with you and jointly develop and research mechanical technology, Mr. Song, I hope you can seriously consider my proposal."

"."

This was a meeting attended only by top officials from the Allied Forces and the New World.

There were only eight people at the round table.

Three people came from the Allied Forces, including the heroic Katarina in her white commander's uniform, the old patriarch of the Lionheart family, "Silver-Eyed Lion" Kamon, and the current deputy commander of the Allied Forces, General Rogers.

On the New World side, there is the fat man Song Can in a tuxedo, Mr. Jiu who is always meticulous in his black suit, Douglas, the president of the Mechanics Union, and finally Dong Qi.

The seven people are the core management of both negotiating parties.

And besides this, there is another idle person.

It’s Ji Xun.

Logically speaking, Ji Xun was a complete outsider in this negotiation between two major forces, and he did not say a word during the entire negotiation process.

Just sit in the corner and listen quietly.

But his existence is crucial.

He is more like a notary, a witness.

The two negotiating parties had differences on some heated issues and were about to argue, but as soon as they opened their mouths, they glanced at Ji Xun at the same time, and the mood subtly eased.

Especially some proposals that require a foundation of trust, as long as Ji Xun doesn't say anything, they can be successfully achieved.

He seems to be more effective than any contract, representing the bridge of communication and the basis of trust between the two parties.

There is so much to talk about.

This conversation lasted for several hours.

Katerina was very strong at the negotiating table.

Now her aura of a superior is becoming more and more condensed.

Even though she tried to restrain herself because Ji Xun was present, the invisible and overbearing pressure that belonged only to emperors still made the entire conference room hold its breath.

Everyone can see that he is a qualified commander and an excellent negotiator.

But as a negotiating opponent, I feel a lot of pressure.

Song Can's chubby face was already covered with sweat.

He was really under pressure throughout the entire negotiation process.

He didn't dare to imagine how powerful this Silver Mist Rose would be if Ji Xun was not there.

After all, what the other party said was not wrong. The two sides are interdependent and have a relationship of mutual dependence.

Those demands for cooperation are, in a sense, necessary measures in wartime.

But now the Song family’s core mechanical technology research and development has been transferred to an independent organization, “New World Machinery City”.

Machinists don't want to be bound by the old system of rights.

Powerful mechanical technology inevitably represents powerful combat capabilities. If it is not controlled by authority, this is a conflict.

So the other terms of cooperation are easy to negotiate.

Negotiations have been deadlocked on this issue.

Ji Xun just listened quietly at the side.

Both parties are friends, and he knows that if he opens his mouth, either side will give in and reach a cooperation.

But this would interfere with some of the original causal lines.

Ji Xun’s current ability of “I am the world” can already predict things that will happen far into the future.

Of course he could see that both proposals had their pros and cons.

In the short term, Catalina's proposal seems reasonable and feasible.

The military controls scientific and technological research and development and all resources, which will inevitably lead to more efficient scheduling and a positive impact on the war; but in this way, all research and development and resources will be biased towards military needs, which will greatly restrict the development of science and technology and also pose many risks of power corruption.

It’s like the once powerful Taron Dynasty. The Augustus Dynasty clearly possessed powerful weapons like the Titan Armor, but because power was concentrated in the hands of those in power and due to some personal reasons of the Mad King, it was ultimately unable to be mass-produced and was even taken to the mausoleum.

So in the long run, the new world of independence is indeed better.

Only such a technology tree can grow without limits, and a brand new technological civilization will inevitably be born in the future.

Ji Xun just listened silently.

I am just a witness and will not interfere in any negotiations.

The relationship between the two sides is one of equality, justice, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation.

So the stalemate remains.

Talk from noon to night.

Although the negotiations were not completely concluded, 90% of the cooperation proposals were approved, which means the goal was achieved.

As for the rest, we can talk about it later.

Catalina was not so strong after leaving the negotiation table. With Ji Xun present, she showed the elegant and ladylike side of a noble lady.

Song Can also played the role of a good host, taking the senior leaders of the Allied Forces to visit the mechanical workshop and holding a grand reception dinner.

eight pm.

The dinner is over.

Wartime dinners were less fancy and pompous, and most mechanics did not enjoy such socializing.

It was called a dinner party, but it was more like a work arrangement meeting.

After finishing the discussion, everyone left early.

Most people had left, and only Ji Xun and Dong Qi stayed at the main table in the banquet hall.

Little Ivan had a good appetite and was eating and drinking heartily.

Not far away, Catalina had finished talking with several senior executives of the Song family and walked over with a wine glass.

She sat directly next to Ji Xun, with a slightly playful expression, and asked, "Long time no see, how are you these days?"

The tone was like a friend greeting, but there was something obviously odd about it.

As she spoke, the young lady from the Lionheart family glanced at Dong Qi.

"Ms. Carter, long time no see."

Ji Xun chuckled, hearing the hidden meaning in her words.

The last time the two met was more than a month ago, which is not too long.

However, when Katarina came over through the teleportation array, she was immediately contacted by Song Can, and then they were talking about business, so the two of them really didn't have a chance to chat alone.

The two of them were already very familiar with each other, so there was no way they would feel awkward when they met.

But excluding little Ivan who ate and drank a lot, there were three people at the table, and the atmosphere became a little strange.

Dong Qi, who was standing by, of course knew the relationship between Ji Xun and Katarina.

However, as she was born into a gang, she didn't mind at all that Ji Xun had several female companions.

Even if there are ten, eight, or even a bunch of lovers, this is normal to her.

The only thing that bothered him was that the young lady from the Lionheart family in front of him was a little too radiant.

Birth, identity, appearance, temperament, figure... absolutely impeccable.

There are always some comparisons.

Katerina cleverly turned her gaze to Ivan and gently stroked the little girl's head: "Little Ivan, long time no see."

Ivan followed Ji Xun all the way, eating and drinking for free, and of course he was also very familiar with Katarina.

Hearing this, she quickly responded obediently and politely: "Hello, Sister Carter~"

However, when he spoke, his mouth was full of food, and he almost choked when he tried to force it down.

Catalina smiled and patted her on the back, and the girl continued to eat happily.

When friends meet, they have a lot to talk about.

But the atmosphere at the table was a little awkward.

No one knew how to start.

Catalina's eyes swept across Ji Xun and Dong Qi's faces, and she seemed to find them quite interesting. She said with a curved eyebrow, "There's a lot of activity over in the southern continent. I have some intelligence to tell you. Should we talk somewhere else?"

Ji Xun certainly didn’t care: “Okay.”

This cocktail party is really not a good place for chatting.

It seemed that there were not many people in the banquet hall, but as soon as Catalina sat at the table, she was looked at by gossipy eyes from time to time.

A commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces, a most dazzling mechanic, and a Ji Xun.

Even if the three of them have no relationship, they will give people plenty of topics to talk about when they sit together.

What's more, the people in the banquet hall were all senior executives from both sides, and they all knew the relationship between the three.

This made the gossip fire burn fiercely in everyone's hearts.

Like the fat man Song Can in the distance, he seemed to be talking about serious matters, but his little eyes, which were always looking for fun, would glance in their direction from time to time.

He was sweating profusely at the negotiation table, but now he was eating melons, which made him feel relieved.

Everyone around thought the atmosphere at the table would be awkward.

However, Ji Xun and the other two, who were the victims, were in a very calm state of mind.

Catalina did have something important to say, and it was not appropriate to take Ji Xun away alone.

She cleverly turned her gaze to the silent Dong Qi and asked, "Miss Qiqi, if you don't mind, I'd like to sit over there with you guys?"

This "you" is very subtle.

This statement puts himself in the position of a third party with a slightly distant relationship, and also cleverly resolves a certain embarrassment.

Dong Qi certainly didn't mind, he just thought the other party was quite polite, and responded: "Of course. But my apartment is full of machinery, it's very messy. If Miss Carter doesn't mind, I'm very welcome."

Fate is magical, too.

The three of them had been present at a similar event before, and it was also the first time that Dong Qi met the young lady from the Lionheart family.

It’s in Honglou.

At the beginning, Catalina came to Honglou disguised as a man to cause trouble, and then had a bet with Qin Rushi, but ended up taking off all her clothes.

The first impression was not initially a pleasant one.

But now it seems that we are allies.

Dong Qi has a very straightforward personality. If he likes something, he will like it, and if he doesn’t like something, he won’t pretend to like it.

To be honest, putting aside other things, she actually had a good impression of Katarina.

The commander-in-chief played an indispensable role in the survival of the Allied Forces in such a harsh environment in the Old World.

Very heroic.

It is really admirable that a woman of the same age as me can achieve this.

After hearing this, Catalina glanced at Ji Xun again and smiled gently: "Sorry for bothering you." Soon, the three of them returned to Dong Qi's apartment.

After entering the workshop, Catalina was really surprised by Dong Qi's studio.

Before, she had only heard that Dong Qi was the most powerful combat mechanic, but when she saw the machines and equipment in the studio, she realized that it was far from that simple.

Every detail in the studio is enough to show a mechanic's love for his dream.

Dong Qi is a simple person by nature, and you can tell his character after just a few words of conversation.

Catalina also had a more intuitive impression of Ji Xun, a close friend whom she had heard of for a long time, which was very good.

After entering the apartment.

There was no awkwardness to be expected.

Catalina was immediately attracted by the machines.

Without anyone around, she completely lost the aura of the commander-in-chief and became like an affable noble lady, sincerely admiring those magical machines.

"Wow, Miss Qiqi, your workshop can be completely controlled by the [Octopus Robotic Arm]? It's too exaggerated. How do you achieve such high-precision operation?"

"Is that the [Rhodes Type VII Boiler]? I've heard that it was designed and improved by Miss Qiqi."

"Hey, what is the purpose of this magical device? Oh my god, it's actually a battering ram? It looks more like a magical sword."

"Is this your improved version of the [God Hunter Armor], Qiqi? Oh, this is the most beautiful armor I have ever seen. I heard from Ji Xun that the blueprint of the God Hunter Armor was snatched from the Orlan Royal Family when we risked our lives together. Just thinking about it is a very thrilling experience."

"."

Those exclamations are not just about the subtle etiquette of getting along with each other.

More importantly, Catalina's admiration came from the bottom of her heart.

The machines in Dong Qi's apartment are all laboratory-grade, several levels ahead of conventional military versions.

There are also some exclusive designs and finished and semi-finished products that are replicas of ancient drawings.

These machines can be said to almost represent the pinnacle of contemporary technology.

Moreover, Dong Qi has an artist-like aesthetic sense for machines. Even the most violent weapons in her works have a violent beauty.

Here, Catalina saw the future of Allied mechanical equipment.

We also saw the unlimited future of mechanical civilization.

When talking about machinery, Dong Qi has a lot to say.

Catalina asked for advice seriously, so she explained it seriously.

As they chatted, the two of them soon got rid of the previous awkwardness of having nothing to talk about.

Occasionally, Dong Qi would take the initiative to introduce some of his best works.

And Catalina would also cheer and exclaim from the bottom of her heart.

Ji Xun was watching from the side and was keenly aware of this change and was also happy about it.

Catalina, the Allied commander, really cares about machinery and asks very detailed questions.

But if I really want to fully explain the machinery in this room, it would probably take days and nights to finish.

After Dong Qi took Catalina on a rough tour, the three of them decided to sit down and chat.

Most of Dong Qi's apartment has been converted into a workshop, and useless places like the living room have long been abandoned.

The whole apartment has a battlefield style. There is not even a complete wall. Even the bed and bathroom are visible at a glance.

Apart from two simple iron chairs in the information room, there was only a soft lazy sofa in the corner.

The three of them came over, and Dong Qi said to Catalina, "Miss Carter, I said before that my place is very simple."

Catalina had a nonchalant expression on her face and said with a smile, "Miss Qiqi, please don't treat me as the Princess and the Pea from an aristocratic family. I really don't mind."

Ji Xun knew this, of course. He also felt that this useless courtesy between the three of them was meaningless. He greeted them, "Sit down. What would you like to drink?"

Catalina thought about it and raised her eyebrows: "Wine?"

Ji Xun nodded: "Okay."

This was his own home, so Dong Qi sat down casually, took the cup handed to him by Ji Xun, and placed it on the simple coffee table.

Katerina was still wearing her commander's uniform, which was too tight inside to sit on the low sofa, so she took off her coat.

Ji Xun also took it and hung it on his clothes.

Without the uniform, Katarina looked very casual, like a friend, without any of the invisible pressure of a superior.

"Cheers~"

"cheers."

After pouring the wine, Ji Xun and the other two started drinking.

There are only three of us in the room, so there is nothing to worry about when chatting.

After chatting for a while, Catalina started talking about business.

Catalina: "Didn't I say this afternoon that the three empires in the southern continent are now sending a large number of troops to the old continent, and the war in the Eastern Wilderness will become very tragic in the future. The most important reason for this is that the top leaders of the Holy See are said to have predicted some future situations, so they changed the strategic plan."

"Divination?"

Ji Xun had actually been very curious before, why the people of the Southern Continent would suddenly think of launching a large-scale invasion into the Old Continent.

I originally thought it was just some exaggerated talk during the negotiations, but upon listening to it, it seemed like something more serious.

Catalina nodded and said, "There's news from the Rebel Dragon Army. It's said that the Holy See's prophet has learned that several powerful kings will appear in the Old World in the future, so they want to eliminate these hidden dangers in advance."

When she said this, her eyes were vaguely distant.

"Royal power and destiny."

Ji Xun pondered in his mind.

Of course he knew what this meant.

A person with royal power means a powerful regime.

The people of the Southern Continent absolutely do not want to see this scene, so it is normal to eliminate the hidden dangers in advance.

And, there might be one right before your eyes.

Catalina has the destiny of a hero. As the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces, she will most likely be the leader once a country is established in the future.

There is also Chujiu, the descendant of Augustus.

After coming out of the alien space, Ji Xun found that her royal power was getting stronger and stronger. In addition, the descendants of Talen's old ministers in the Rebel Dragon Army seemed to be willing to support her, and the future was uncertain;
Even King Arthur of Oran, who is still trapped in the Eastern Wilderness, should not be underestimated.

Ji Xun felt that if he were a high-ranking official in the Holy See, he would also choose to nip this in the bud once he knew this information.

However, after learning the news, the situation changed again in his deduction.

"Oh, right!"

Thinking of something, Catalina said, "This news spread two days after the teleportation array was built."

"Oh?"

When Ji Xun heard this, the idea that he had just deduced in his mind immediately completed a "cause".

The establishment of the teleportation array connecting the Eastern Wilderness and the Old Continent can almost be said to have changed the fate of the Allied Forces.

This "huge variable" almost completely overturned Ji Xun's previous deduction of the situation.

Similarly, the people of the southern continent had not carried out such a large-scale invasion before, probably because they did not take it seriously.

Now that the teleportation array is connected, the fortune of Eastern Wilderness will instantly soar, and the fortune of some people will also soar along with it.

This allowed the Holy See to divine the result of "several powerful people with royal power and destiny".

As for divination
Ji Xun wasn't too worried either.

He learned from Griffith that divination was very costly.

Divination based on existing clues will consume the least cost.

In other words, those who possess the destiny of kings are actually "sons of destiny."

Throughout history, this has always been enough to change the situation of civilization.

Divining the situation of the entire plane, I’m afraid even if a god comes, there won’t be enough lives.

The fortune tellers of the Holy See can only give some vague clues at best.

It's almost impossible to be precise to an individual.

As long as those gods don't die, the problem isn't too big at the moment.

Moreover, Ji Xun now knows that there seems to be some taboos in the Old Continent, and the Dragon God of the Southern Continent does not seem to be so easy to come.

When discussing this issue, Ji Xun and Catalina also deduced the future situation.

Dong Qi was listening on the side.

As they chatted, it seemed like a continuation of the negotiation.

She was also listening to the conversation as a representative of the mechanics.

He would occasionally interrupt and express his own views from the perspective of the impact of machinery on war.

As a result, many things that were not made clear during the afternoon negotiations have now been made clear.

Before we knew it, after drinking many glasses of wine, there were already several empty bottles on the table.

However, there is currently little information about the Southern Continent's invasion of the Old Continent, and Ji Xun is not sure about the future.

Catalina thought of something and said, "Oh, right. There are two very important pieces of information about the southern continent."

Ji Xun looked at her serious expression and cast a curious glance at her.

Catalina said, "The first is that it is said that the Pope of the Holy See, Pope Pollalante A. Russell, was assassinated during an outing. Although he did not die, he was injured."

Ji Xun paused for a moment as he listened to the wine in his hand, and asked in surprise, "The Pope was assassinated?"

You know, Pope Russell, like Griffith, is a top-level powerful person who has reached the pinnacle of the extraordinary.

Such a being would be assassinated?
Could it be the Rebel Dragon Army who did it?

That's not right. Griffith is still hiding in the Old World. There's no way he can be hers.

But apart from the Rebel Dragon Army, who else in the Southern Continent would dare to assassinate the Pope, and have the strength to do so?

Catalina knew what he was curious about, and said bluntly: "It is said that the assassin was holding a great sword that also possessed divine power. Rumor has it that it is most likely the [Sword of Olympus], one of the four great royal sacred weapons."

"."

When Ji Xun heard this, the corner of his eye twitched suddenly.

He finally understood why Catalina had such a strange expression.

Because she knew that the [Olympus Ascension Sword] was brought out from the Tomb of Augustus by Ji Xun's friend.

Later, the sword recognized Xie Guozhong.

When Ji Xun heard the news, he had countless unbelievable thoughts: "Old Xie went to assassinate the Pope?"

Why?

Also, when did Lao Xie become so strong?
Although he has a [jar] fused into his body, it's not possible that he could hurt Pope Russell just because they haven't seen each other for such a short time, right?

I don't know why, that's when this thought flashed through my mind.

Ji Xun suddenly thought of a picture.

In the alternate dimension of "Thousands of Troops Besieging the City", he saw Old Man Xu leading a group of people and carrying the Holy Sword of Kingship to assassinate the Mad King.

Coincidentally, Xie Guozhong and Old Man Xu are also old acquaintances.

It was as if countless pieces were pieced together in his mind. Ji Xun was stunned and thought to himself, "This can't be true?"

(End of this chapter)