Manison wasn't angry. He looked Han Xiao up and down and nodded.
"You're quite humorous. I'm the president of the Development Federation. If you're absent, I won't be."
"What you've done as president is unethical. Everyone supports you, not so you can gamble away everyone's interests," Han Xiao said, standing with his arms crossed.
He had previously raved about Old Dragon, but the moment they met, Han Xiao completely forgot about not provoking the Mechanic Emperor. Now, the moment he saw Manison, he wanted to provoke him.
Upon learning of the association's stance, he deliberately provoked Manison, thus stirring up discontent among many present. This proved highly effective, as many people began to look at Manison with increasing hostility. These were all important figures, and no one wanted others to make decisions for them.
The two have already severed ties and resumed their competitive relationship. Damaging each other's reputation is secondary; their own perverse sense of humor is the main point... Oops, that seems to be backwards.
The most awkward situation was among the Glory Allies present. Although Manison was still a nominal ally of the Glory Empire, they could not and did not want to speak from the perspective of the Mechanic Emperor. Those who had previously strongly supported Manison were now somewhat uneasy.
Ignoring the stares of those around him, Manison said calmly, "Through this incident, I've seen you for who you really are. Our initial intention in establishing the association was to gain greater influence and avoid being controlled by advanced civilizations. But while you claim to be considering the interests of the Super A Tier, you're actually just a lackey of the Three Universal Civilizations. Everything I've done is for the long-term benefit of the Beyond Grade A; of course, it's impossible to avoid taking risks... Unfortunately, you wanted to curry favor with the Three Universal Civilizations but didn't want to lose your reputation and credibility among the Super A Tier, so you chose to destroy our hopes. In my eyes, it's nothing more than a selfish and opportunistic act. I will no longer have any expectations of you."
"Oh, I never thought the arrogant Mechanic Emperor would have such a time of sophistry. Living long certainly makes you wiser; you're quite adept at distorting the facts." Han Xiao said dismissively, "Unfortunately, justice resides in the hearts of the people. Your slander against me is unfounded. Everyone has their own opinion on the truth. As the vice president, I have a duty to stop you from leading everyone down this dark path."
"Ha... Just because you've donned the cloak of public opinion woven for you by the Three Universal Civilizations, you really think you're a hero?"
"You're so confident now, but I'm curious, when the whole universe recognizes you in a while, will you even have the face to attend?"
"Why not? If it weren't for me, could the Three Universal Civilizations have discovered the virus so early? Could they have developed a dedicated antivirus program so quickly? Without me, the Intelligence Plague would still be spreading. In terms of achievements, I'm not much less than you, yet the Three Universal Civilizations don't mention it at all. Their intentions are quite obvious."
Once they started talking, the two became sharp and aggressive, exchanging barbs and accusations.
They're arguing! They're arguing... A large number of Beyond Grade A players are excitedly watching the drama unfold, wishing they could bring over a small stool to sit and watch the show.
After exchanging a few words, Manison looked around and said coldly:
"I'm not here to argue with you today. The association's role is to mediate conflicts between Beyond Grade A members. As the president, I need to set an example, so you can rest assured that although we have disagreements, I won't do anything to you."
"That sounds nice, but I think you're too busy dealing with the suppression from the Three Universal Civilizations to dare provoke me, your powerful enemy," Han Xiao said mockingly.
Manison narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "You seem to be taking the tie record seriously? We all know exactly what happened, but you seem to have some kind of illusion, really thinking that we're evenly matched?"
"That's a fact, not an illusion." Han Xiao chuckled, eager to test his skills. "If you're not convinced, I'm ready to fight anytime."
So far, he has gotten a lot of good stuff from Manison, even discovering the core exclusive skills. He has already tasted the sweetness of success and can't wait to do it with Manison a few more times.
"The Development Federation's original intention was to mediate Beyond Grade A armed conflicts; I won't stoop to your level."
Manison remained expressionless, turned and walked into the venue, too lazy to chat with Han Xiao anymore.
Seeing this, Han Xiao secretly curled his lip.
Old Manison is really patient. If it were before, if I provoked him like this, he would definitely come to me with a 40-kilometer-long machete to have a heart-to-heart talk.
However, the Mechanic Emperor must be feeling very frustrated. They clearly thought they could defeat me, but they were forced into a draw by the Three Universal Civilizations and have to patiently wait for the opportunity to get revenge, watching helplessly as their prestige wanes.
Not only did I obtain his core exclusive expertise, but I also secretly acquired the fragments of the Domino Virus technology he had been longing for, and even drew a new skill that could counter him... However, in Manison's mind, my combat strength was still based on the impression I had during our encounter.
If we were to fight Old Manison again, I guarantee I could give him a "surprise".
Just as Han Xiao was secretly chuckling, Kasuyi walked over and said:
"I haven't seen Manison suffer in a long time; you're one of the few guys who can really make him lose face."
Han Xiao turned to look at him, surprised, and said, "I thought you and Manison had a good relationship, but you seem quite happy."
Kasuyi smiled with narrowed eyes:
"Haha, don't misunderstand. I've known Manison for many years, and we are indeed good friends, but he is him, and I am me. To be honest, I also don't approve of his actions. Even if you hadn't stopped him, I would have distanced myself from him afterwards."
Han Xiao nodded. "I just happened to be there. If it weren't for this incident, I might still be friends with the Mechanic Emperor. Unfortunately, we have different paths and can't work together. I just hope this incident hasn't affected our friendship."
"Don't worry, your conflict with him won't affect our relationship. I don't mind the differences in our ideologies, because everyone has their own desires... However, while Manison's actions are questionable, he wasn't wrong about one thing: the Three Universal Civilizations are just using you to attack them. The day they're no longer of use... perhaps their present will be your future."
"I know what I'm doing, you don't need to worry about this."
As the two were talking, a third voice broke in, a half-smile playing on its lips:
"Therefore... when being used by an advanced civilization, you should realize the benefits as quickly as possible; this is my advice based on experience."
The two men turned to look and saw Sorokin also approaching, joining the conversation with his signature fake smile, and casually giving the two shareholders a simple bow.
"Oh, it's you." Han Xiao glanced at him sideways. "What brilliant idea do you have now?"
"Your Excellency Black Star is too kind. I am merely an ordinary Beyond Grade A, how could I possibly be involved in such a complex topic? I have no profound insights to offer; I am simply providing some advice from a businessman's perspective, hoping to provide Your Excellency Black Star with some inspiration for dealing with your current situation," Sorokin said warmly.
Hmph, those who offer unsolicited favors are either up to no good or are thieves...
Han Xiao crossed his arms, adopting a sizing-up posture:
"You don't seem to be here just to chat. Is there something you need?"
"Haha, nothing escapes Lord Black Star's eyes." Sorokin smiled broadly. "I'm hoping to discuss cooperation with you..."
After listening to his explanation, Han Xiao finally understood what Sorokin meant and secretly sighed at how shameless this man truly was.
Having become a special advisor to Three Universal Civilizations and gaining the support of all three, Sorokin saw a business opportunity and wanted to approach him, a shareholder, for deeper cooperation.
Han Xiao got this shareholder position. Sorokin was initially unwilling, but seeing the potential for profit, he didn't hesitate to lower himself and shamelessly come over to discuss cooperation. Moreover, the two hadn't settled their score yet, but he was able to act as if nothing had happened. His shamelessness must have already left home in a spaceship.
In the past few months, Han Xiao has been busy dealing with the Intelligence Plague, while Sorokin has been dealing with the dissatisfaction of the Three Universal Civilizations, spending a lot of money to finally smooth things over.
Not only that, through a series of elaborate maneuvers, Sorokin demonstrated his alignment with the Three Universal Civilizations and acted as a networking broker, thus securing the support of some powerful officials from the Glory and Arcane. He also used his position on the council of the Association to forge new relationships of mutual benefit, employing extremely unscrupulous tactics.
Han Xiao suddenly remembered something, "By the way, Manison is also a shareholder of the Wireless Consortium. What he did must have an impact on you, right? Can the Three Universal Civilizations tolerate him continuing to be a shareholder of the consortium?"
"There has been some impact, but that doesn't prevent us from continuing our cooperation, and the regular profit sharing will not be interrupted."
"The Three Universal Civilizations allow it?"
"First, I am a legally owned private foundation with the power to appoint personnel at will. Second, well, hehe..."
Sorokin smiled without saying a word, giving him a knowing look.
Han Xiao immediately understood. No wonder the Three Universal Civilizations didn't mind the cooperation between the two sides. They were using the Infinite Financial Group as a channel to obtain intelligence on the activities of the Mechanic Emperor. This was one of the conditions that allowed Sorokin to get on the good side of the Three Universal Civilizations.
He naturally didn't want to cooperate deeply with Sorokin, so he gave perfunctory answers to deal with Sorokin's persistent pleading.
After chatting for a while, it was finally time for the meeting to begin. Everyone filed into the meeting room and found their seats.
Han Xiao stopped arguing with Manison. The two chaired the meeting according to the agreed agenda, handling each issue as usual.
Although the two were seriously doing their own thing, the atmosphere in the room remained strange. After the incident outside the venue, most people were left with a lingering unease, making it difficult to return to normal.
Soon, the last topic came up. Manison surveyed the room and said in a deep voice:
"Because of the sudden outbreak of the Intelligence Plague, the conflict between the Three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance was delayed for more than half a year. Now that the disaster has been resolved, the two sides will soon begin to fight. Our Beyond Grade A Association needs to choose a side."
As you all know, the Three Universal Civilizations have been holding onto Ultimate Knowledge tightly. Their condition is that we deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance, which I do not intend to agree to. Therefore, I suggest maintaining our original stance, remaining neutral, and not participating in the conflict between the advanced civilization factions.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Although they were dissatisfied with Manison, the decision was the consensus of most people, so there was no problem with it.
As for the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations, they generally do not express their opinions at this time, since it would be meaningless to do so.
However, at this moment, Manison turned to look at Han Xiao and suddenly said, "Vice President, what do you think?"
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he pondered for a moment, realizing the intentions of the Mechanic Emperor.
He was now at the center of public opinion, with the Three Universal Civilizations praising him highly, perhaps hoping he would become their spokesperson in the Development Federation. They not only wanted him to compete with Manison, but also wanted him to speak for them within the association.
However, one of the original intentions of the association was to help Beyond Grade A break free from the faction constraints set by advanced civilizations and avoid being used as tools to kill each other. At this moment, Han Xiao found that choosing either side would have negative consequences.
Upholding the consensus is fine with the association, but while the Three Universal Civilizations are not surprised, they will be somewhat disappointed, affecting their support. Other allies can make this choice because they represent the "masses," while I am seen as an "exemplary figure" expected to be there. The same action will have different consequences.
If one speaks for the Three Universal Civilizations and incites everyone to fight against the Super Star Cluster Alliance, the result will be even worse. It will reveal the face of a beneficiary, making it appear as if one has completely sided with the Three Universal Civilizations, truly becoming the "lackey" in the eyes of the Mechanic Emperor, which will inevitably arouse dissatisfaction among the people. Furthermore, the path one represents will be distorted, no longer peaceful coexistence, but rather flattery and dependence, betraying the original intention and returning to the original track.
Han Xiao looked up and saw that everyone present, including the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations civilizations, had their eyes on him. They clearly understood this and were waiting for his attitude.
Manison's questioning wasn't some kind of conspiracy or trickery; it was simply a straightforward act of using someone else's strength against them.
"I certainly agree with everyone's consensus, which is why we've come together... but I have a personal grudge against one of the supercluster civilizations."
Han Xiao spoke calmly. He was very realistic and would not choose the wrong side at a time like this.
When the Three Universal Civilizations openly promoted him, Han Xiao knew that he would inevitably encounter this hurdle sooner or later, having to undergo tests from other Beyond Grade A to ensure that he had not "changed his mind."
Upon hearing the answer, everyone looked away with satisfaction.
After finishing their business, the meeting ended, and one by one, the Beyond Grade A members logged off.
Han Xiao didn't leave immediately. He pulled Hila, who had been just observing, along with him, found a room, and closed the door.
"You're back." Hila looked Han Xiao up and down. "You seem to have lost weight."
"I should be the one asking you that. How's the Netherland doing?" Han Xiao smiled.
"It's stabilized and is slowly recovering... Oh, by the way, there's something I need to tell you about the Netherland."
"What a coincidence, I also have something to ask you about the Netherland, but you go first."
Hila nodded.
"Okay, have you heard of the Sanctuary?"
"!!"
Han Xiao looked surprised and instinctively clutched his heart.
At that moment, he suddenly understood how the Oathkeeper felt...