There's Always Room for Negotiation

Wu Miaomiao, who had been temporarily detained, burst into tears before the interrogators, her face filled with fear. "Zhuang Hong is my good friend. Even if you torture me, I won't tell you anything. I'm tough... boohoohoo!"

The interrogators stared speechlessly at the little girl sobbing her heart out. Left with no choice, they could only give up.

Wu Miaomiao was still sniffling when she came out. By chance, she saw Zhuang Hong's feat on a television in the corridor. Her reddened eyes flew wide open as she said in disbelief, "Huh? Zhuang Hong kidnapped the Emperor and Empress? Hiss—good heavens, I knew Zhuang Hong wasn't a proper person... But that's fucking cool! How did he pull something like that off? I suddenly realized I'm into men. If I married him, would he take me along to rob vaults...?"

Just then, an interrogator ran over. "Wu Miaomiao, come with us to Star Glory City to meet Zhuang Hong."

Wu Miaomiao said in surprise, "Now?"

Meanwhile, Cheng Jiji saw the video and wet himself in fright again. "I don't know him. I don't know anything. You've mistaken a good man for the wrong person..."

At the hospital, the doctor who had treated people saw Zhuang Hong's vicious expression and froze for a long while. When he finally came back to himself, he was speechless. "My life is over... So this was the 'method' he meant. If I'd known he was going to make such a huge move, I never would've helped him no matter what... Taking one million from him was a loss for me. Right, he still hasn't paid me the remaining five hundred thousand."

Atop the Federation's Main God Statue, the pale, fat Emperor spoke with a tremor in his voice. "Little brother, don't act rashly. Everything is negotiable. It doesn't matter who took your medicine. Believe me, I'll definitely help you find it."

The Empress said in terror, "Y-Yes, yes, yes."

The Emperor said, "I don't mean anything else. I just want to make friends with you, little brother. There's nothing friends can't resolve."

The Empress said, "Yes, yes, yes."

Zhuang Hong waved his long blade. "You don't need to be nervous. Once I get the medicine, I'll release you as promised. Just sit still. I'm not someone who indiscriminately kills innocents."

He was not afraid of the enemy attacking him with some strange weapon, because although he appeared to be standing atop the Main God Statue, he was actually in another world.

If anyone observed carefully, they would notice that his figure was somewhat translucent and illusory.

Theoretically, in this state, attacks from the three-dimensional world were ineffective against him.

The Emperor and Empress exchanged a glance, seeing fear in each other's eyes. They secretly thought, Doesn't indiscriminately kill innocents? It's over. This time, the odds are stacked against us...

In their eyes, neither of them could possibly count as "innocent."

People from Earth were people, and people from Ji Ling Star were people too.

Zhuang Hong's view of people was basically the same. He would not treat people from another space as anything less than human.

For example, he sincerely regarded Wu Miaomiao of Ji Ling Star as a friend. For example, he would not casually kill other people. That was the best proof.

However, compared to how reserved he was on Earth, his style of doing things on Ji Ling Star was somewhat different.

He seemed freer, more unrestrained, and less concerned with consequences.

After all, once he finished what he needed to do on Ji Ling Star, he might not return many times.

Since he did not plan to come back often, there was no need to be overly cautious.

Besides, it had been the people of Ji Ling Star who made the first move.

Zhuang Hong sat cross-legged atop the Main God Statue with great patience, chatting with the incomparably noble Emperor and Empress.

"...Don't you think they're hateful? I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I only wanted to take the medicine to save my brother, but they took my medicine without saying a word. They even shot at me and stabbed such a huge syringe of anesthetic into my leg..."

The Emperor and Empress said indignantly, "Do they have any morality left? Any law left? Those people are truly too unrestrained and outrageous!"

Zhuang Hong said, "So if I got angry and sliced the two of you dead, that would be understandable too, right?"

"This... Fighting and killing are never very good. I think everything can be resolved calmly."

After spending some time beside the Emperor, Zhuang Hong vaguely sensed a special aura from him, similar to the feeling given off by the Dragon Tendon Whip on his back. Unable to help himself, he looked the Emperor over in confusion.

The Emperor's fat trembled uncontrollably. "Brother Zhuang, what are you going to do? Please don't act rashly."

Just then, a group of people squeezed into the square. From far away, Zhuang Hong heard a familiar voice.

"Zhuang Hong, I'm here!"

Zhuang Hong focused his gaze and said in surprise, "Miaomiao? Why is she here?"

A flying craft carried Wu Miaomiao up until she was level with Zhuang Hong in midair. Wu Miaomiao waved excitedly. "Zhuang Hong, they asked me to stabilize you. They sent me to negotiate with you, but don't worry, I didn't betray you."

Zhuang Hong waved his hand. "It's very dangerous here. You should go back down. Don't worry. As long as they deliver my medicine, I'll release them."

Wu Miaomiao said, "Hahaha, I'm not afraid."

Zhuang Hong suddenly smiled faintly. He raised a hand and shot out a mass of fine threads, wrapping Wu Miaomiao up. With a casual pull, he dragged Wu Miaomiao onto the Main God Statue amid her startled screams.

This scene was recorded by all kinds of cameras and livestreamed across the global network, allowing everyone watching to see it clearly.

Yet everyone who saw it was stunned. They could not help rubbing their eyes and gaping.

"What... was that just now?"

For several seconds, the entire square fell silent. Then it erupted into uproar.

Many believed it was an effect created by some advanced device, but after the video was enlarged and slowed down many times, they clearly saw that the fine threads had shot from Zhuang Hong's fingertips.

Even the most learned scholars fell silent at such a sight.

In their hearts, they roared madly, This isn't scientific!

Yet they still had to maintain thoughtful expressions.

The rescue force that had originally planned to wait for Zhuang Hong to let down his guard before killing him with an ultra-long-range sniper shot temporarily abandoned that idea as well.

The terror had not yet faded from Wu Miaomiao's face when Zhuang Hong said, "Didn't you say you weren't afraid?"

Wu Miaomiao was terrified out of her wits, but she stubbornly said, "I'm not afraid. Didn't you say you don't break the law or disrupt order?"

Zhuang Hong gave a dry laugh. "An exception."

Wu Miaomiao turned to the Emperor and Empress and greeted them politely. "Hello, Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Empress!"

The Emperor and Empress piled on smiles. "Hello, hello. You're Zhuang Hong's friend, right? Then you're our friend. Friends needn't stand on ceremony."

Zhuang Hong nodded. "That's right. Wu Miaomiao is my friend. Bullying her means bullying me. If anyone dares bully me..."

He gestured between the Emperor and Empress's necks with his blade, then bared his teeth in a chilling smile.

The Emperor immediately patted his chest. "Don't worry, Mr. Zhuang Hong. From today onward, Wu Miaomiao is my friend. With me here, no one will dare bully her."

Zhuang Hong said, "Then it seems your little lives have some value after all."

"Of course they have a little value."

Wu Miaomiao laughed at the Emperor and Empress's cowardly words. "You two are even more timid than I am."

The Emperor said, "Mainly because the fat has squeezed out the space my courage needs to grow."

The four of them simply sat down and chatted casually. As Zhuang Hong listened to the Emperor and Empress describe their outrageously extravagant lives, he could not help taking out a notebook and writing it all down.

It did not look like a kidnapping at all. It looked more like they were having tea.

Yet precisely because of this, everyone felt considerably relieved. If the Emperor and Empress were truly killed in full view of the public, the Federation's prestige would be utterly lost, and the current ruling group might never again have a chance to obtain the right to govern.