in2ebook Chapter 1467 1 dead end
Chapter 1467 1 dead end
But his remaining rationality and the eerie silence of the officers around him acted like a cold iron clamp, restraining his impulse.
He saw Claude's hand on his weapon at his waist, saw the cold scrutiny in Sofia's eyes, and saw Jon's evasive gaze...
He suppressed his burning rage, letting out a muffled, suppressed snort. It took almost all his strength to control himself as he took heavy steps, like a volcano about to erupt, and slumped heavily into the second seat.
The metal seat groaned under the strain.
He wanted to see what tricks Xiao Dingshan was up to!
Counterattack?
He now only hopes that this "counterattack" is real!
Xiao Dingshan ignored the captain's anger as if it were just insignificant background noise.
He cleared his throat, and his voice carried clearly through the loudspeaker into the silent conference room:
"Gentlemen, everyone is here. The reason I have gathered you all here today is to make a crucial decision concerning the life and death of all of us, and even the last bloodline of the entire legion."
He pulled up the fortress's holographic star map, which clearly marked the enemy and friendly positions!
The red area representing the Hyena Legion was compressed into a single point at the core of Lingas Fortress, surrounded by blue dots representing Xiao Ce's forces, forming an impenetrable wall.
In one corner of the star map, the North Pole direction was specially marked, and a huge blue dot representing the Abyss Roar was flashing steadily, next to which was the cold data "Repair Progress: 98%".
"The situation is self-evident."
Xiao Dingshan's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.
"The Commander-in-Chief's previous strategic actions have exhausted the Legion's last remaining mobility."
We are trapped in this ruin, our resources are dwindling, Prince Xiao Ce's army is eyeing us covetously from the outside, and morale is low and people are considering changing their minds from within.
The Abyss Roar is nearing completion of its repairs, at which point its main guns will flatten Lingas as if wiping away a speck of dust.
To resist stubbornly will only lead to certain death; body and soul will be annihilated, utterly vanished into this cold starfield, and even the chance of resurrection will be taken away.
With each word he spoke, the atmosphere in the meeting room grew more oppressive.
Many officers lowered their heads; this was their deepest fear.
The captain sat to the side, his face ashen, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his crimson electronic eyes fixed on Xiao Dingshan!
I resisted the urge to interrupt...
He wanted to hear exactly what this "counter-offensive plan" was!
Xiao Dingshan suddenly changed the subject!
The star map shifts, revealing the vast western continent and the deep starry sky, as a magnificent golden emblem representing the Xiao Kingdom Empire slowly rises:
"But the East Asian Federation, or perhaps the ruler of this planet!"
Xiao Ce, with a heart that embraces the universe, remembers Heaven's benevolence in nurturing life.
He gave me, and everyone here, a choice, a path to survival, a... road to heaven!
He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping across the room, taking in everyone's reactions.
What I saw was tension, anticipation, fear, and a hint of...desire.
"Your Highness promises!"
Xiao Dingshan's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority and a strong allure:
"First, he will give us a way to survive!"
As long as everyone lays down their weapons, abandons their loyalty to the captain, and submits to the Xiao Kingdom, all past transgressions will be forgiven!
Your lives will be under the Prince's protection! Your consciousness backups will be prioritized for transfer and safe preservation, and the resurrection sequence will be given priority protection!
"Secondly, he will give us our home!"
The prince will grant us the Western continent as our new home! No!
They were no longer exiles living under the roof of others, but citizens of the Xiao Kingdom with a stable rear and rich land!
In the future, the vast universe and the prince's territory will be our hunting grounds!
"Thirdly, he will give us strength and glory!"
We will be reorganized into the 'Night Owl' interstellar legion of the Xiao Kingdom Empire!
Preserve our institutions and honors!
The prince will open up the core technology of the Abyss Roar and the advanced knowledge base of the Star Network Hub!
We will be armed with unprecedented technology and become even more powerful!
Those who achieve outstanding merit will be granted land and titles, their names etched in history! What the prince can offer is that loser who only knew brute force and repeatedly led you to your deaths.”
Having said that, he pointed bluntly at the captain, paused, and continued, "It's a future he can never reach!"
Every promise struck the officers like a hammer blow.
Survival, home, strength, glory...
This is precisely what they crave most deeply in the abyss of despair!
What can the Captain-Commander offer? Only death and endless failure!
"so!"
Xiao Dingshan slammed his hand on the control panel, making a loud thud, the sound like a final verdict!
"Today's discussion is this: to lay down futile resistance, lead all soldiers to surrender to the Xiao Kingdom Empire! To pledge allegiance to Prince Xiao Ce! To fight for a true path to survival and glory for our future!"
"Xiao Dingshan!!!"
A roar of extreme rage exploded like thunder!
The captain could no longer tolerate it!
The massive metal body stood up with a roar, causing the alloy seat beneath it to slide backward, producing a screeching sound.
His crimson electronic eyes blazed with tangible fury, his mask twisted and deformed with extreme rage, and the finger pointing at Xiao Dingshan trembled violently from the force of his grip.
"You despicable, shameless traitor! Spy!"
I should have crushed you the moment I first saw you!
How dare you... How dare you spread rumors and betray the Legion here?!
What promise from a prince? It's all bullshit!
It's Xiao Ce's treacherous scheme! He sent you to break our trap! Surrender?
You're just going to be slaves! Cannon fodder! You bunch of idiots!
Is this what you call a counterattack, a counter-offensive?
His ferocious gaze swept over the silent officers, and he roared:
"Wake up, all of you! Pick up your weapons! Take down this traitor! I will personally tear his consciousness out and crush it ten thousand times!"
The conference room was deathly silent, except for the captain's heavy, labored breathing, like a broken bellows.
The officers did not move; not one of them responded to his order.
They lowered their heads, some looking at Xiao Dingshan, others at the table, their eyes filled with complex emotions, but mostly with numbness and...resoluteness.
Jonk clenched his fist and then relaxed it. Sophia pushed up her glasses. Claude's hand was still on his weapon, but his finger was not on the trigger.
Xiao Dingshan slowly stood up from the main seat. He finally looked directly at the furious captain, his face expressionless, only showing a coldness of complete control.
He walked step by step toward the captain, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling pressure that clearly drowned out the captain's roar:
"Captain, your era is over. Roaring and anger won't change anything, they'll only make you look more... pathetic."
He stood before the captain, so close he could feel the scorching rage emanating from the other's metallic body.
If I were you...
Xiao Dingshan lowered his voice even further, like a viper flicking its tongue, each word chilling to the bone, as he slowly spoke:
"Now shut up, sit quietly, and listen to... everyone's choice. Otherwise..."
He didn't finish speaking, but his gaze swept over Claude and several guard officers he had turned against the commander, who had already quietly taken their places behind and to the side of the captain. The threat was clear.
Victor operated the control panel silently, and the hidden weapon ports and energy suppression field generators in the conference room emitted a faint charging hum.
The captain's massive body jolted violently, and his crimson electronic eyes stared incredulously at the guards who had once sworn allegiance to him, now looking back at him with wary and even hostile eyes.
A chilling cold, mixed with an unprecedented sense of isolation and helplessness, instantly froze his boiling rage, leaving only bone-chilling coldness and...fear.
He realized that this was no strategic meeting at all.
This was a meticulously planned coup! Xiao Dingshan had already taken control of everything!
He opened his mouth, making a gurgling sound in his throat, but he couldn't utter another word.
The massive, powerful metal body swayed slightly under Xiao Dingshan's cold gaze and the invisible pressure surrounding it. Finally, filled with boundless humiliation and despair, it slumped back into its cold second seat.
He lowered his head, his massive metal fist slamming into his knee with a dull thud, his crimson electronic eyes fixed on the ground as if trying to burn through it.
Xiao Dingshan didn't look at him again, as if he were just an old piece of furniture that was in the way.
He turned to face all the officers again, his voice regaining its usual calm and authoritative tone:
"Alright, now let's take a vote."
Those who support surrendering to the Xiao Kingdom and pledging loyalty to Prince Xiao Ce, in order to fight for a path to survival and a future for all of us, please authorize your identification code to confirm your vote.
On the holographic screen, large patches of green light instantly lit up.
Jonk, Sophia, Claude, Victor... all the key officers confirmed it almost without hesitation.
Immediately afterwards, other mid-level officers also raised their hands to operate their personal terminals.
The green dots spread like wildfire, quickly covering the entire voting area and eventually coalescing into a dazzling, overwhelming green percentage: 98.7%.
Only the commander-in-chief and his two most loyal bodyguards remained silent.
But that red island, representing dissent, looked so small and ridiculous in the green ocean.
"The voting results are in."
Xiao Dingshan's voice echoed in the deathly silence, cold and authoritative:
"Based on the wishes of the vast majority of people, I hereby declare that, effective immediately, all remnants of the former Hyena Legion shall submit to the Xiao Kingdom Empire!"
I swear allegiance to Prince Xiao Ce!
Accept the prince's reorganization into the 'Night Owl' interstellar legion!
"Put down your weapons, activate all defense system interfaces, and await the StarNet Core's reception!"
"No! You can't! You've betrayed the Legion! You've betrayed..."
The captain suddenly looked up and let out a final, hoarse, desperate cry.
"enough!"
A gruff voice interrupted him. It was Armaments Officer Claude!
He stood up, his face devoid of excitement, only displaying a cruel calm, and said to the captain:
"Commander-in-Chief, we are not betraying the Legion."
We are simply betraying... death.
You led us to a dead end, time and time again.
Prince Xiao Ce gave us a way to survive, gave us strength, and gave us a future.
We... just want to survive. To survive like warriors, not to rot in the ruins like rats, or to rush out like fools and be led to our deaths by you!
Our loyalty is reserved only for those who can keep us alive!
"It used to be you, now it's Prince Xiao Ce and Commander Xiao!"
His words expressed the sentiments of the vast majority of officers and soldiers present. Interests? Yes. But survival came first.
Cloud's words were like a final, devastating blow, shattering the last vestige of hope and support in the Captain-Commander's heart.
He looked around at those familiar faces!
Jonk avoided his gaze, Sophia's eyes were cold, and the other officers were either numb or filled with awe for their new leader.
There was no anger, no support, only a cold, resigned silence.
"Live...on..."
The captain muttered to himself, his crimson electronic eyes completely dimming...
All the anger, pride, and resentment were drained away in that moment.
His massive, battered metal body seemed to have lost all support in an instant, hunching over and slumping into the chair, even the last bit of anger gone.
He looked at his enormous metal hand, which had once torn apart countless enemies, but now he couldn't even clench his fist.
He realized that he had lost everything.
Glory, power, loyalty... even the meaning of being a leader, were completely stripped away by Xiao Dingshan, Xiao Ce, and these "traitors" who only wanted to survive.
He was no longer the captain; he was merely a remnant and waste, abandoned by the times and by failure, awaiting disposal...
Time flowed by in a suffocating silence.
Just when everyone thought this former king would either fall into depravity or unleash a final, destructive madness...
The captain's massive body trembled very slightly.
It wasn't an angry tremor, but rather more like a final gathering of strength before a decision.
He slowly and with great difficulty raised the heavy metal head.
The crimson electronic eyes swept across the entire area, their light dimming but no longer chaotic; instead, they exuded a chilling, clear-headedness.
He saw Xiao Dingshan standing before the main seat, scrutinizing him like a new king!
He saw the complex and wary looks in the eyes of Jonk, Sophia, and others; he also saw that Claude's hand on his weapon did not relax.
A head-on confrontation is a dead end.
This thought pierced his already fragile emotions like an ice pick...
He had a sudden, impulsive urge to self-destruct or lunge at Xiao Dingshan and perish together!
But reason told him that mutual destruction was useless!
He still managed to hold her down with his strong willpower.
No, that's not the ending he wanted.
He needs... time, space, and a chance to turn things around!
A chance to escape this damned cage!
A faint, almost imperceptible glimmer of light flashed and disappeared deep within the crimson pupils.
The metallic lines on his face, contorted with humiliation, relaxed with astonishing speed... and then he seemed to be thinking...