Under the trio's relentless verbal provocations and Xi Yan's revolting tricks, the M'tok Chairman finally lost it. Even after punching and kicking Xi Yan's projection, he still took ages to recover.
Having had their fun, the trio had also vented the resentment the Criminal Enterprise had built up in them over the years. They were in excellent spirits.
Both sides were finally willing to sit down and properly discuss a ceasefire agreement.
After a brief discussion, the trio solemnly told the M'tok Chairman, "A ceasefire? Certainly. But prepare to cede territory and pay reparations!"
The M'tok Chairman, who had already braced himself for this, finally nodded.
After intense negotiations, the M'tok Union and the Nier Guardians reached a ceasefire agreement.
The M'tok Union announced its unconditional surrender to the Nier Guardians, ceding thirteen resource-rich, easily defended systems, including those the Nier Guardians had already occupied.
At Xi Yan's instigation, M'tok also had to pay additional annual war reparations for ten years and withdraw every Criminal Enterprise Branch from the Nier colonies.
The M'tok Chairman was so furious that his joints creaked. He wanted nothing more than to string Xi Yan up and whip him with a thick leather belt.
But there was nothing he could do. The Nier could take or leave the war, but if M'tok kept fighting, their nation really would fall.
Outmatched and dependent on the other side's goodwill, the M'tok Chairman had no choice but to swallow the humiliation, hold his nose, and sign these unequal treaties.
Then came the Zirick Cooperative. At present, it had a mere five ships roaming within the M'tok Union's borders, but they were still slowly conquering M'tok territory.
The M'tok Chairman knew that the Zirick Cooperative's entire main fleet was trailing the Iron Purifier fleet as it returned to defend