The Federal Government's Ultra-Left Faction
As time passed, Gu Ding and his group remained on Isa Star, waiting for news from the Federal Government.
Clearly, obtaining the time-manipulating item was far more difficult than Gu Ding and his group had anticipated. A week had passed, and there was still no news. Gu Ding couldn't help but contact Ba Er Sa Ze to inquire about the progress, only to be told that they hadn't even acquired the Time Gauge. Gu Ding was also informed that the Federal Government had even contacted several long-retired, god-level powerhouses who had gone to other planes, asking them to help search for it.
It wasn't until the second week that Ba Er Sa Ze sent word that the Celestial-level powerhouse he had previously asked had found the Time Gauge outside the High Realm and was beginning to procure it.
Near the end of the third week, Gu Ding's communicator finally rang again.
"It's Ba Er Sa Ze." The Sea Emperor knew it came from the Federal Government as soon as he saw the encrypted number. Different forces used different encryption methods, which was very easy for the Sea Emperor to identify.
"Connect it." Gu Ding nodded.
"Gu Ding, this is Ba Er Sa Ze." Ba Er Sa Ze's voice came through the communicator again.
"Have the Time Gauge been procured?"
Gu Ding was getting impatient. From the first time he met Hake, he could imagine what kind of upbringing Hake came from. Every additional day Hake disappeared meant a greater chance that he would revert to his original form.
He vividly remembered the sorrow in Hake's eyes when he begged him to kill him. As the captain of the crew, the last thing he wanted to see was Hake revert to that state. And it might even be worse.
"The Time Gauge has been procured, but things have taken a turn for the worse." Ba Er Sa Ze's tone sounded somewhat serious.
"What changes? Will they affect our plan to rescue Hake?" Gu Ding frowned slightly, sensing that what Ba Er Sa Ze was about to say was not good news.
"Here's the thing. The few Celestial-level powerhouses we invited to help with the procurement were high-ranking officials from our Federal Government in the last era. They demanded a share of the profits. We had no choice but to agree, since they were the ones who provided the time-manipulation items," Ba Er Sa Ze explained.
"You mean we have to give up our share of the resources?" Gu Ding breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "We can give up the resources as long as we can rescue Hake."
"That's not it. They want resources at the level of gods. They're not interested in resources below the level of gods," Ba Er Sa Ze explained, shaking his head.
"Gu Ding, he just said those people were high-ranking officials from the last era..." Miko suddenly interjected, asking Ba Er Sa Ze, "Those people, could they be Ultra-Left Faction?"
Ba Er Sa Ze paused for a moment before continuing, "Yes, that's the problem."
"What does 'Ultra-Left Faction' mean?" Gu Ding was somewhat confused.
"The Ultra-Left Faction are those who advocate the massacre of all Interstellar Pirate and try their best to suppress other forces, wanting the Federal Government to become a dictatorial force in the human Universe Sea. Before this era, there were a large number of Ultra-Left Faction members in the Federation government. They directly controlled the decision-making power of the entire Federal Government, resulting in the massacre of Interstellar Pirate for several eras and the suppression of other forces. This led to a sharp decline in the number of human prodigies..." Miko explained from the side.
"He's right. The actions of those Ultra-Left Faction have dealt a significant blow to our entire human race." Ba Er Sa Ze wasn't one to disrespect history; he acknowledged the Federal Government's mistakes. "The main reason I'm speaking to you is to inform you that you cannot participate in this operation. I'm sorry... your member, Hake. We will do our best to rescue him."
"Why, just because of those few Ultra-Left Faction?" Gu Ding was genuinely angry. His anger wasn't because the Federal Government went back on its word, but because the Federal Government's actions were tantamount to tacitly approving the actions of those Ultra-Left Faction.
"With those guys around, we can't cooperate with the Interstellar Pirate. They're too prejudiced against them. If you show up, you'll likely be killed on the spot. So, ending our cooperation and having us rescue Hake is the most appropriate choice." Ba Er Sa Ze's words weren't entirely wrong.
"But the ones who are clearly wrong are the Ultra-Left Faction. Why should we tolerate them and let them continue to view Interstellar Pirate with prejudice? Instead of correcting their thinking, you ask us not to show up, which will only allow them to continue making mistakes!" Gu Ding never thought that Interstellar Pirate were a shameful profession. In his view, any profession is worthy of respect.
"I don't want to argue with you about this. I can only say that people's upbringing is different, so their ways of thinking will be different. I know you grew up in a small tavern, surrounded by all sorts of Interstellar Pirate, so you don't find this profession hateful. As for me, I grew up in a military family and have always been proud to be a soldier. As for those Ultra-Left Faction who hate Interstellar Pirate, many of them have experienced having their homes destroyed, their relatives killed, and their houses burned down by Interstellar Pirate... Their prejudices are ingrained and cannot be changed."
"Our decision this time is to maximize everyone's interests. Although I can't guarantee that we'll rescue Hake 100%, we will do our best. I also sincerely hope that we don't see you on the day we set off. Because I can't predict how those gods will react when they see you. Your absence is the best cooperation for us."
After Ba Er Sa Ze hung up the phone, it was a long time before Gu Ding finally looked up.
What do you say?
"Gu Ding, let's forget about it. With the Federal Government and other major powers involved, plus those gods, we should be able to take over that Time Plane. The fact that they're willing to help Hake saves us a lot of effort, doesn't it?" Liliath comforted her.
"Ba Er Sa Ze sounded quite sincere, so let's trust him this once," Dokter advised from the side.
"I'm not comfortable entrusting Hake's back to those Federal Government people," Bigge offered a different opinion. "Hake is our partner, and if we were here, we would do everything in our power to protect him. But it's hard to say about those Federal Government people, especially with the Ultra-Left Faction involved. It's not impossible for them to sabotage things behind the scenes."
"Bigge, you think the same way I do. We can't entrust Hake's back to anyone else; we must protect our comrades ourselves!" Gu Ding clenched his fists, his eyes burning with determination. (To be continued~^~)