Countless forces have shown great enthusiasm for the Shattered World. As the development of the new star field progresses, the exploration areas of the Free Competition Zone are penetrating deeper and deeper into the heartland, with efficiency far exceeding that of the previous three phases of closed development.
Planet Fein is a pivotal planet in the Emerald Star Cluster, strategically located at the boundary between the outer and inner star systems.
This was originally territory occupied by the Modo Civilization. However, the aftermath of the conflict between the two Beyond Grade A forces unfortunately "affected" this place, and the Modo Civilization forces stationed here encountered an "accident," leaving the planet unclaimed once again.
Shortly thereafter, the Black Star Army's fleet occupied the area and generously "offered" it to serve as the future headquarters of the Shattered World Beyond Grade A Development Federation.
Today, this barren planet has been completely transformed, bearing the marks of human intervention. Countless engineering ships of the Black Star Army rise and fall, constructing various surface and satellite structures on a massive scale.
The most prominent landmark is a towering building, the headquarters of the Development Federation. The building is shaped like a trophy, with a huge sphere suspended at the top, like a floating fortress. The interior of the sphere is also equipped with a variety of facilities, including a dedicated round table conference room for Beyond Grade A meetings.
At this very moment, an important meeting is being held here.
With a slight blur before his eyes, Han Xiao's remote projection had already descended upon the round table conference room. He glanced around and saw that many seats were already occupied, while new remote projections continued to arrive.
This was Han Xiao's first meeting since his return. It was a plenary session that brought together all Beyond Grade A members who were willing to join, not just the leaders like Manison.
Soon, all the seats were occupied. Manison tapped the table to stop the whispering.
"Everyone, Black Star is the main initiator of the Development Federation. Now that he's back, all members are finally present. This is our first plenary meeting. Some of you may not know each other yet, so let's start with introductions."
Even those Beyond Grade A members present who had never met each other knew each other's names; this was merely a formality, with each person simply stating their name.
Han Xiao looked them over one by one. Most of them were people from the Meeting of the Gods, but there were also many new faces, including direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations.
At the same time, some familiar faces were missing, such as those unfortunate souls trapped in amber. In fact, the number of people was even greater than that of the Meeting of the Gods.
Upon seeing him look over, everyone nodded slightly to Han Xiao.
"The direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations are also here..." Han Xiao understood.
The reason is not hard to guess. The Development Federation and the Three Universal Civilizations have been at odds for months, and both sides have made concessions and compromises in secret. The entry of these direct descendants must be one of the conditions in the exchange. Although the association cannot allow its direct descendants to control high-level power, since it is going to call itself Beyond Grade A Association, it cannot exclude Beyond Grade A members, even if they are direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations.
The initial goal was to form a united front among the Beyond Grade A and elevate the status of the entire class, but it's unrealistic to expect everything to be achieved overnight. In the early stages, no one wanted to truly break ties, so a certain degree of compromise with the Three Universal Civilizations was inevitable. However, this wouldn't deviate from the initial goal, because once the platform was established, it would form a new network of interests and have the function of mediating conflicts, allowing the Beyond Grade A to ignore some of the struggles stemming from factional affiliation.
As for more rights, those will have to be fought for gradually in the future.
Han Xiao hadn't returned for several months, but he had been keeping a close eye on the Development Federation's preparations and had a lot of intelligence. He was very clear about the association's basic system and personnel situation.
After introducing them one by one, Manison looked at Han Xiao and slowly said:
"The Development Federation has made good preparations over the past few months. Black Star, you've only recently returned and this is your first time participating in a meeting. Is there anything you'd like to say? You're one of the main initiators, and we'd like to hear your opinion."
All eyes immediately turned to them.
Han Xiao cleared his throat and began to speak in platitudes:
"I have no objections. Everyone has done a great job. We discussed this issue at the Meeting of the Gods, and I was ultimately put in charge of building the communication platform. Now, we're seeing results. As everyone knows, the primary purpose of the Development Federation is to mediate conflicts between Beyond Grade A beings. I've heard that many of you here have recently experienced some disharmony, so I hope this platform can be established as soon as possible. The entire universe urgently needs such an organization to bring peace to them."
"Black Star is right," Manison continued, "As you all know, the Development Federation encountered some obstacles during its establishment. Now those obstacles have been largely removed, except for the negotiations on Ultimate Knowledge, which cannot continue. We need to put that aside for now. The more crucial issue at present is deciding on the management team so that the Development Federation can be formally established as soon as possible."
Undoubtedly, the Three Universal Civilizations are unwilling to budge on the issue of Ultimate Knowledge. After a series of intense exchanges, both sides have exercised some restraint and decided to move the issue into a secret negotiation process. However, neither side has enough leverage and they cannot do anything to each other for the time being, so there will be no result in the short term.
Therefore, some Peak Beyond Grade A, including Manison, changed their minds and were unwilling to let this issue delay the establishment of the Development Federation. So they temporarily put aside this demand and did not publicly offer the Ultimate Knowledge as a faction benefit of the association... As for whether they would impart it privately, that's another matter.
The last hurdle to the formal establishment of the association was the fact that the management team had not been appointed for a long time because Black Star had not returned. Now that Han Xiao had finally arrived, everyone was eager to solve this crucial problem.
"Indeed, it's time to decide on the president..." An Ancient Ones surveyed the room and spoke up, "Over the past few months, His Excellency of the Mechanic Emperor, representing the Development Federation, has endured immense pressure. His performance has been evident to all. I propose that Manison be the first president."
Once he started talking, many supporters chimed in, and for a time, Manison's momentum overwhelmed the entire audience.
For months, Manison has been busy. He has leveraged his extensive network of connections accumulated over the years. Not only do more than half of the Peak Beyond Grade A members support him, but he has also won over many other Beyond Grade A members of the Tu Shu, especially the members of the Ancient Ones branch. The vast majority of them support the Mechanic Emperor as its president, and his momentum has been established.
The other two candidates have been completely overshadowed in the past few months, and knowing they have no chance, they have essentially withdrawn from the competition.
At this moment, everyone, intentionally or unintentionally, turned their attention to Han Xiao. He had disappeared for several months, and the only thing they were unsure about was his thoughts.
Manison couldn't help but look at Han Xiao; this was the final variable preventing him from becoming the chairman, and he couldn't afford to ignore it.
However, Han Xiao simply smiled and remained silent, showing no intention of speaking.
Kasuyi's gaze shifted between the two men, and he tentatively asked, "If there are no objections, then let's vote. Do you all agree to appoint Manison as the first president of the Development Federation?"
"Agreed." "Seconded." "Abstain." "Agreed."
Since everyone present was a powerful and influential figure, and the number of people was small, a complicated selection ceremony was unnecessary; a simple vote would suffice.
Everyone expressed their opinions, Han Xiao also abstained from voting.
Seeing this, Manison was completely relieved. As long as Black Star didn't cause any trouble, his position was secure.
The direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations all abstained, clearly having reached an agreement early on, and ultimately, Manison gained absolute support.
Seeing this, Kasuyi took a breath and said in a deep voice, "Then it's decided. Lord Manison Ancient Ones Papadopoulos will officially serve as the first president."
"Good."
Manison's facial muscles remained completely still, revealing no emotion whatsoever. He was neither polite nor needed to be modest.
Clap clap... The crowd gave a few token applause.
After the applause subsided, Kasuyi surveyed the room and asked, "So, who will take the position of vice president...?"
At this moment, Han Xiao suddenly spoke up, laughing, "The association was established thanks to the Black Star Army's influence in the Shattered World. My contribution was considerable, so this position suits me quite well. What do you all think?"
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, their expressions showing no surprise.
Given Black Star's strength and status, he would at least be a director, and with the crucial assistance provided by the Black Star Army, he would naturally be qualified to take the position of vice president.
In fact, there was a reason why Han Xiao did not compete with Manison. When he learned that the chairmanship would be elected by a rotating system, he abandoned his idea of becoming the first chairman.
On the one hand, his own foundation was slightly weaker, and he really couldn't compete with Manison's connections. On the other hand, he re-analyzed the pros and cons and didn't want to bear the main pressure in the early stages of the association. If he were replaced by someone else later, it would be like being used as a pawn.
Han Xiao went to hide in Secondary Dimension for a few months, and he had the same idea. He couldn't do everything himself and still not be elected president. So he simply let people like Manison bear the main pressure, while he came back to reap the rewards... Anyway, he was the main initiator, and the Black Star Army's influence also helped the Development Federation. This contribution was significant enough.
With the opportunity for a leadership transition, Han Xiao was in no hurry. He didn't want to confront Manison head-on, but instead opted for a second-best position: vice president, with the goal of becoming president later.
Even if he chose to confront Manison head-on, he wouldn't be able to snatch the big prize from him. Han Xiao hadn't planned to rely on connections; instead, he had relayed the benefits of his chairmanship to Kant and Old Dragon. The fact that those present still supported Manison indicated that they had already made their Choice on self-interest. Therefore, even if he had openly challenged Manison just now, he wouldn't have gained their support.
Although he has some resources at his disposal, such as the opportunity to use Evolution Cube, he can't use them as bargaining chips to gain support from some people. However, he can't do this every time there's a change of leadership. Moreover, many resources are one-time use; if they're used this time, it's hard to say what will happen next time.
Having understood the situation, Han Xiao decided not to force himself. Only by reaching a higher level in terms of experience, connections, and influence could he reliably compete with figures like Manison. After careful consideration, he decided to let Manison, the tall man, hold the fort while he could rest in the shade, continue accumulating wealth, and slowly undermine Manison and others.
After all, he has plenty of people to harvest, and his growth rate far exceeds that of others. Given this unique advantage, a strategy of concealing his abilities and biding his time is more suitable for him.
Many people coveted the vice-president position, but unfortunately, there were no strong contenders, and Kasuyi and others had no interest in vying for it. Because Han Xiao was a local strongman, most people gave him face, and Manison, who was in a good mood, reciprocated. Therefore, there were no major setbacks, and the vice-president position ultimately went to Han Xiao.
With this position secured, Han Xiao felt relieved.
This is what real status looks like. Getting the vice president position without spending much money is much more cost-effective than fighting for the president position.
The subsequent board seats were hardly in doubt, as they had already been decided, consisting of a group of Peak Beyond Grade A. In addition, three honorary board seats were set up, without actual management power, and were given to the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations ' Peak Beyond Grade A members. This was naturally one of the compromise conditions, and the intention was self-evident.
With the establishment of the first leadership team and the date of the founding of the Development Federation set, the meeting ended after these important matters were discussed. One by one, the remote projections disappeared, leaving only the remote projections of Manison and Han Xiao.
"Congratulations on becoming the president," Han Xiao said casually.
Manison smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time, and said earnestly, "Don't be discouraged. It's too early for you. The future belongs to you."
Han Xiao blinked, his expression playful.
Although the specific plot was different in his previous life, Manison's goal should have remained the same, and he knew a little about it.
In his past life, Manison was both ambitious and selfish. He wanted to expand the pie and turn the power of the entire Super A Tier into his backing to help him advance further.
The two men had different views, but there were also areas of overlap. At least for a long time, Manison's attempts could not be realized. If he wanted a strong enough backing, he had to wait for the entire class to grow stronger over time.
Han Xiao put aside his thoughts, pondered for two seconds, and then asked, "What is the offer from the Three Universal Civilizations regarding the negotiations on Ultimate Knowledge?"
When this topic came up, Manison's smile faded, and his tone became meaningful:
"Supercluster Civilization."
Han Xiao immediately understood and shook his head helplessly.
It turns out to be a strategy of using one enemy against another, coupled with a move to undermine the organization's credibility. This strategy both utilizes the association to deal with a more important opponent and damages the association's credibility.
Will you say yes to him?
I don't know, let's see.
Manison didn't answer. After saying that, his projector went offline, leaving Han Xiao alone in the conference room.
Han Xiao looked at the empty seat at Manison and suddenly chuckled twice.
Being a big director isn't an easy position to hold...
On July 11th, 730th year of the Galaxy Calendar, a sudden bombshell news broke Shattered World.
Nearly one hundred Beyond Grade A members jointly announced that, in light of the recent spate of conflicts, they have decided to form a union-like organization to mediate armed conflicts between Beyond Grade A and reduce the public losses caused by fighting.
It is reported that the organization's headquarters are located on the planet Fein in the Shining World Emerald Star Cluster, with the president being Mechanical Country Manison and the vice president being Black Star Han Xiao. It currently has nearly one hundred Super A-level members.
The Three Universal Civilizations publicly stated that they do not deny the organization's legitimacy and called on all superhumans to take it as an example and reduce the abuse of their powers.
The Shattered World Beyond Grade A Development Federation was officially established on this day!
Several months later, following the explosive news of the Hila Rescue Battle, countless citizens and forces across various star systems were once again in an uproar!