Cataclysm King.

Chapter 442: Did Xie Guozhong assassinate the Pope?

  Even normal business negotiations are indispensable without the back-and-forth verbal exchanges.

　What’s more, this kind of negotiation involves life and death.

 Both parties will inevitably strive to achieve the results they want as much as possible.

  In the conference room of the New World Base, the negotiations were very intense.

"The situation in the Old Continent is very bad now. The latest information from seven days ago is that the Holy See of the Southern Continent has issued a development order, allowing nobles from the three kingdoms to come to the Old Continent to develop territories and conquer new territories to establish a country. In other words, now the Old Continent The mainland has been recognized as their territory by the people of the Southern Continent. Now the three kingdoms must use their full strength to send not only hunters and mercenaries to the Old Continent, but also a large number of elite troops from our alliance. The pressure to be right is a hundred times greater than before.”

"And in the Eastern Wasteland War, only the Iris Legion of the Red Dragon Kingdom was the main attacking army before. But it is different now. The Holy See has ordered that all three royal families must participate. The situation in the Eastern 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”

ˆ “.”

This is a meeting attended only by high-level officials from the Alliance Army and the New World.

 There are only eight people at the round table.

There are three people coming from the Allied side, Catalina, who looks dashing in a white commander's uniform, Carmon, the old head of the Lionheart family, "Silver-Eyed Lion", and General Rogers, the current deputy commander of the Allied forces.

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

 Seven people are the core management of both parties in the negotiation.

 Beyond this, there is another idler.

 It is Ji Xun.

In this kind of negotiation between two major forces, it stands to reason that Ji Xun is a complete outsider, and he did not say a word during the entire negotiation process.

Just sitting in the corner and listening silently.

 But unfortunately, his existence is crucial.

 He is more like a notary and a witness.

 The two parties in the negotiation had disagreements on some fierce issues, and they were about to argue at first sight, but when both parties opened their mouths and glanced at Ji Xun, they would subtly soften.

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

 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.

 Catalina was very strong at the negotiating table.

 Now the aura of a superior person in her body is becoming more and more condensed.

Even though she deliberately restrained herself because of Ji Xun's presence, the invisible and domineering pressure exclusive to the emperor still made the entire conference room faintly breathless.

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

 As a negotiating opponent, I feel a bit stressed.

Song Can’s chubby face was already covered with fine sweat.

 Throughout the entire negotiation process, he was really suppressed.

 He did not dare to think how strong this Silver Mist Rose would be without Ji Xun.

  After all, what the other party said is right. The two sides are interdependent and have a close relationship.

Those requirements for cooperation are, in a sense, necessary means during wartime.

 But now the core mechanical technology research and development of the Song family has been assigned to the independent organization "New World Machinery City".

 Mechanics don’t want to be bound by the old rights system.

 Powerful mechanical technology must represent powerful combat capabilities. If it is not controlled by power, this will be a conflict.

 So other terms of cooperation are easy to discuss.

 The negotiations have been deadlocked on this issue.

Ji Xun was listening silently.

Both parties are friends, and he knows that if he opens his mouth, either party will retreat to reach cooperation.

 But in this way, some original causal lines are interfered with.

Ji Xun’s current ability to be the world can already extrapolate things far, far away.

 Of course he can see that both sides' proposals have their own advantages and disadvantages.

 In the short term, Catalina’s proposal is reasonable and feasible.

If the military controls scientific and technological research and development and all resources, it will inevitably be able to dispatch it more efficiently and have a positive impact on war; but in this way, all research and development and resources will be directed towards the military industry, which will have a huge constraint on the development of science and technology, and will also have a huge impact on the development of science and technology. There are many hidden dangers of power corruption.

Just like the once powerful Talon Dynasty, the Augustus Dynasty obviously had powerful weapons like the Titan Armor, but because power was concentrated in those in power, and because of some personal reasons of the Mad King, it was ultimately unable to produce enough. Also brought to the mausoleum.

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

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

Ji Xun just listened silently.

 Just to be a witness, I will not intervene in any negotiation content.

 The relationship between the two parties is based on equality, justice, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation.

 So it’s a stalemate.

 From noon to evening.

 Although the negotiations failed to be completely concluded in the end, 90% of the cooperation proposals were approved, which can be considered as achieving the goal.

 The rest will be discussed later.

After getting off the negotiating table, Catalina was not so strong. With Ji Xun present, she showed the elegant and ladylike side that a noble lady should have.

Song Can also did his best as a landlord and took the top leaders of the Alliance Army to visit the machinery workshop and held a grand reception dinner.

 Eight o'clock in the evening.

 The dinner is over.

 Wartime dinners were not so fancy, and most mechanics did not like this kind of entertainment.

 It is said to be a dinner party, but more like a work arrangement meeting.

 After talking about business, everyone left early.

The people had almost left, but Ji Xun and Dong Qi stayed at the main table in the banquet hall.

Little Ivan has a good appetite and is eating and drinking.

Not far away, Catalina also finished talking to several senior officials of the Song family and came over with a goblet.

 She sat directly next to Ji Xun, with a slightly joking expression on her face, and asked, "Long time no see, how have you been lately?"

 The tone was like a greeting from a friend, but it was obviously a little weird.

 Speaking, the young lady from the Lionheart family glanced at Dong Qi.

 “Miss Carter, long time no see.”

Ji Xun chuckled softly, and heard that there was something in her words.

 In total, the last time the two met was more than a month ago, which couldn’t be considered too long.

However, when Catalina came through the teleportation array, she was contacted by Song Can as soon as possible. Since then, they have been discussing business matters, and the two of them really had no chance to talk alone.

 The two of them are already very familiar with each other, and it is impossible for them to get acquainted with each other no matter how they meet.

 But not counting little Ivan who was eating and drinking, there were three people at the table, and the atmosphere was a little strange.

 Dong Qi on the side certainly knew about the relationship between Ji Xun and Catalina.

However, as a gangster, she didn't mind at all that Ji Xun had several female companions.

 Even if there are ten or eight, or a bunch of lovers. This seems to her to be normal.

The only thing that bothers me is that the young lady from the Lionheart family in front of me is a little too radiant.

　Birth, identity, appearance, temperament, and figure are completely impeccable.

  There is some comparison after all.

Katrina cleverly turned her gaze to Ivan and gently stroked the little Loli's head: "Little Ivan, it's been a long time."

Ivan followed Ji Xun all the way to eat and drink, and of course he was very familiar with Catalina.

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

However, when I spoke, my mouth was full of food, and I almost choked when I swallowed it hard.

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

 When friends meet, they have a lot to say.

 But the atmosphere on the table was slightly awkward.

No one knows how to speak.

 Catalina's crystal eyes glanced at the faces of Ji Xun and Dong Qi. She seemed to find them quite interesting. She arched her eyebrows and said, "There is a lot of action over there in the Southern Continent. I want to give you some information. Let's talk somewhere else?"

Ji Xun, of course, felt it didn't matter: "Okay."

This cocktail party is really not suitable for chatting.

It seemed that there was no one in the banquet hall, but as soon as Catalina came to the table, people would look over at her with gossiping eyes from time to time.

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

Even if the identities of the three of them are not related, sitting together will give people a sense of topic.

What’s more, the people in the banquet hall are senior officials from both parties, and they all know the relationship between the three of them.

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

Like the fat man Song Can in the distance, he seemed to be chatting about serious matters, but his small eyes, which did not take things too seriously, glanced in their direction from time to time.

He was sweating profusely at the negotiation table, and now he is eating melon, which makes him feel happy.

 Everyone else thought the atmosphere at this table would be awkward.

 However, as the victims, Ji Xun and the three others were very calm.

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

She cleverly cast her eyes on Dong Qi, who was silent, and asked: "Miss Qiqi, if you don't mind, can I come and sit at your place?"

This "you" is very subtle.

This statement puts himself in the position of a third person with a slightly more intimate relationship, and also cleverly resolves some embarrassment.

Of course Dong Qi didn't mind. He just thought the other party was quite polite and responded: "Of course. But there are a lot of machines in my apartment, which is very messy. If Miss Carter doesn't mind, I welcome it."

　　Fate is also very magical.

The three of them had once had such an experience of being present together, and it was also the first time Dong Qi got to know this young lady from the Lionheart family.

 It is in Honglou.

At first, Catalina disguised herself as a man and came to Honglou to find trouble. Then she had a bet with Qin Ru and ended up getting naked.

 The first impression was not a pleasant one.

 But now it seems that they can be considered allies.

 Dong Qi's character is very straightforward. If he likes something, he likes it. If he doesn't like it, he won't pretend to like it.

To be honest, aside from other things, she actually had a good impression of Catalina.

 The Alliance Army survived in such a harsh environment in the Old World, and this commander-in-chief was indispensable.

 Very heroic.

 It is admirable for a woman of her own age to be able to do this.

After hearing this, Catalina glanced at Ji Xun again and smiled softly: "Sorry for bothering you." Not long after, 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 only heard that Dong Qi was the most powerful combat mechanic, but when she saw the machinery and equipment in the studio, she realized that it was far from that simple.

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

 Dong Qi is simple by nature, and his character can be seen after just a few words.

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

 After entering the apartment.

 There was no embarrassment as expected.

Katrina was immediately attracted by those machines.

Without anyone around her, she has completely lost her aura as commander-in-chief. She is like a friendly aristocratic lady who sincerely admires those magical machines.

“Miss Qiqi, your workshop can be completely controlled by the [Octopus Robotic Arm]? It’s too exaggerated. How can such a high-precision operation be achieved?”

“Is that the [Rhodes Seven Type Boiler]? I have long heard that it was designed and improved by Miss Qiqi”

“Hey, what is the purpose of this magic device? Oh my god, it is actually a city-breaking hammer? It looks more like a magic sword.”

"Is this your improved version of [Hunter Armor] Qiqi? Oh. This is the most beautiful armor I have ever seen. I heard from Ji Xun that the drawings of the Hunter God Armor should go to Oran with you. The royal family took a risk and snatched it out. It was a thrilling experience when I think about it.”

ˆ “.”

Those wonders are not just the subtle etiquette of getting along.

 More importantly, Catalina truly admired it from the bottom of her heart.

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

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

These machines can be said to almost represent the pinnacle of the world's technological fields.

Furthermore, Dong Qi has an artist-like aesthetic towards machinery. Even the most violent weapons in her works have a strong sense of violent beauty.

Here, Catalina saw the future of Allied mechanical equipment.

Also sees the unlimited future of mechanical civilization.

 When it comes to machinery, Dong Qi has a lot to say.

Katrina asked for advice seriously, and she explained it seriously.

As they chatted, the two of them soon lost their previous sense of having nothing to say.

Occasionally, Dong Qi will take the initiative to introduce some of his proud works.

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

Ji Xun was watching from the sidelines, keenly aware of this change and happy to see it.

Katrina, the Allied commander, is really concerned about machinery and asks questions very carefully.

But if we really want to fully explain the machinery of this room, I'm afraid it would take days and nights to complete.

 After Dong Qi took Catalina for a rough look around, the three of them planned to sit and chat.

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

　In addition to two simple iron chairs in the reference room, there is only a soft lazy sofa in the corner.

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

 Catalina looked unconcerned and said with a smile: "Miss Qiqi, don't think of me as the Princess and the Pea from a noble family. I really don't mind."

Of course Ji Xun knew that, and he also felt that this useless politeness between the three of them was meaningless. He seemed to say hello: "You guys, sit down. What would you like to drink?"

Katrina thought for a while and raised her eyebrows: "Wine?"

Ji Xun nodded: "Okay."

Since this was his own home, Dong Qi sat down casually, took the cup handed over by Ji Xun, and placed it on the simple coffee table.

Katrina was still wearing the commander's military uniform. This kind of clothing often has internal fixings and is not suitable for sitting on a low sofa. She took off her coat without looking outside.

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

  Without military uniform, Catalina looked very casual. Like a friend, there is no invisible pressure from a superior person at all.

 “Cheers~”

"cheers."

 The wine was poured, and Ji Xun and the other three began to drink.

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

 After chatting for a while, Catalina got down to business.

Catalina: "Didn't I say in the afternoon that the three major empires in the Southern Continent are now sending a large number of troops to the Old Continent, and the war in the Eastern Wasteland will become very fierce in the future. This The most important reason is that the senior leaders of the Holy See have divined some future situations, so they changed the strategic plan. "

 “Divination?”

Ji Xun had actually been curious before about why people from the Southern Continent suddenly thought of a large-scale invasion of the Old Continent.

 Originally I thought it was some exaggeration of negotiations, but when I heard it, it seemed that the matter was more serious.

Catalina nodded and said: "There is news from the Dragon Rebel Army. It is said that the prophets of the Holy See have learned that there will be several powerful kings and fortune-tellers in the future of the Old Continent, so they want to eliminate these hidden dangers in advance."

 When she said these words, her eyes were faintly distant.

 “The luck of kingship.”

Ji Xun pondered something in his mind.

Of course he knew what it meant.

 A person with royal power means a powerful political power.

 People in the Southern Continent are absolutely not willing to see this scene, so it is normal to eliminate hidden dangers in advance.

Moreover, there may be one right in front of you.

Katrina has gathered a heroic destiny. She is now the commander-in-chief of the Alliance Army. Once the country is established in the future, she will most likely be the leader.

There is also Chujiu, a blood descendant of Augustus.

 After coming out of the extradimensional space, Ji Xun found that her luck with the kingship was getting stronger and stronger. Furthermore, the descendants of Talon’s old ministers in the Rebel Dragon Army seem to be interested in supporting them, and the future is hard to say;

Even King Arthur of Oran, who is still trapped in the Eastern Wasteland, cannot be underestimated.

Ji Xun felt that if he were a senior member of the Holy See, once he knew this information, he would choose to nip it in the bud.

 However, after learning the news, some new changes occurred in his deduction.

 “Oh, that’s right!”

Thinking of something, Catalina added: "This news spread only two days after the teleportation array was established."

"oh?"

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

 The establishment of the teleportation array linking the Eastern Wasteland and the Old Continent can almost be said to have changed the fate of the Alliance Army.

 With this "huge variable", Ji Xun's previous deduction of the situation was almost completely overturned.

 Similarly, those people in the Southern Continent have not carried out such a large-scale invasion before, and they may not have taken it seriously.

Now that the teleportation array is connected, Donghuang's luck has skyrocketed instantly, and the luck of some people will also skyrocket.

 Only then did the Holy See predict the results of "several powerful kings and fortune-tellers".

 As for divination

Ji Xun is not too worried either.

 He learned from Griffith that the price of divination is very high.

 Divination based on existing clues will cost the least.

 Those who have royal power and luck, in other words, are actually "sons of luck".

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

 Divining the situation of the entire plane, I am afraid even the life of a **** is not enough.

 The diviners of the Holy See only have vague clues at most.

 It is almost impossible to be precise to an individual.

As long as those god-level people don’t end up, the problem isn’t too big at the moment.

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

 While talking about this issue, Ji Xun and Catalina also deduced the future situation.

Dong Qi was listening.

 Chatting, it seemed like a continuation of the negotiation.

 She was also a representative of the mechanics and listened to these conversations.

 From time to time, he would interrupt and express some of his own opinions from the perspective of the impact of machinery on war.

 In this way, many things that were not explained clearly during the afternoon negotiations are now made clear.

Unknowingly, after drinking a glass of wine, there were several empty bottles on the table.

But currently there is very little information about the Southern Continent’s invasion of the Old Continent, and Ji Xun can’t say much about the future.

 Thinking of something, Catalina added: "That's right. There are two other very important pieces of information about the Southern Continent."

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

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

Ji Xun listened to the wine glass in his hand and asked in surprise: "The Pope was assassinated?"

You must know that Pope Russell, like Griffith, is a top powerhouse who stands at the pinnacle of the extraordinary.

Will such a being be assassinated?

 Could it be done by the Dragon Rebel Army?

That's not right, Griffith is still hiding from the limelight in the Old Continent, so there is no way he could be hers.

 But besides the Dragon Rebel Army, who else in the Southern Continent dares to assassinate the Pope and has the strength?

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

ˆ “.”

When Ji Xun heard this, the corners of his eyes suddenly twitched.

 He finally understood why Catalina had such a strange expression.

 Because she knew that the [Holy Sword of Olympus] was brought out from the tomb of Augustus by Ji Xun’s friends.

 Later, the sword recognized Xie Guozhong.

When Ji Xun heard the news, he had countless unbelievable thoughts: "Has Lao Xie assassinated the Pope?"

 Why?

Also, when did Lao Xie become so powerful?

Although he has a [jar] fused into his body, it’s not like he can hurt Pope Russell after not seeing him for a long time, right?

 I don’t know why, but this idea suddenly occurred to me.

Ji Xun suddenly thought of a picture.

In the extradimensional space of "Thousands of Armies Besieging the City", he saw Old Man Xu leading a man to assassinate the Mad King while carrying the Holy Sword of Royal Power.

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

Ji Xun's mind seemed to be filled with countless fragments being spliced ​​together. Ji Xun's eyes were stunned and he thought to himself: "This can't be true, can it?"

 (End of this chapter)