In its previous life, version 5.0 was the Super Calamity. Under the combined influence of factors such as the return of historical Beyond Grade A, the intensification of class conflict between the superpowered class and ordinary people, the emergence of Calamity Grade players, and the Supercluster civilization's unwillingness to accept defeat in the war, the Explored Universe had only been peaceful for a few years, once again fell into turmoil and had to deal with the impact.
Now, under his influence, there are too many variables, and the specific changes in the next version are hard to predict. The only thing Han Xiao can be sure of is that the importance of players will rise again, making them the focus of competition among more factions. Some factions will no longer be reserved and will introduce various welfare measures to recruit players.
The Legion significantly expanded its player base in version 4.0, which presents both an opportunity and a problem. Aside from the potential chaos caused by the players themselves, other factions will definitely try every means to poach Legion members. As long as they are willing to invest, they will naturally achieve results. Han Xiao is not blindly confident, nor does he trust the integrity of the players. Moreover, the idea of being a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond is quite popular among players.
Players who reach the Calamity Grade, in particular, will have a huge impact on the super-powered mercenary market across the entire universe.
A genuine Calamity Grade is qualified to dominate a region, and most factions can't afford them. But even if the regular pay is reduced to a quarter or a fifth, it's enough to feed the players. Although Calamity Grade players are the weakest, they are the cheapest Calamity Grade backers that some smaller factions can find.
The only way to counter other factions poaching our members is to continue strengthening our own faction and increase its status and attractiveness during version updates. Even with my personal influence, this is a gradual process. However, if we utilize some valuable civilian technologies from our technological treasure trove, we can accelerate the process. In the eyes of others, these will simply appear as things I developed myself...
Han Xiao pondered deeply.
The Legion's operations in the Shattered Star Ring and Shattered World are on track, with limited room for improvement. If they want to continue expanding, they must target other star systems and vigorously develop their branches.
With decades of version updates, the legion can develop quietly. With the help of the association, the legion does not need to participate in the war between the Three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance, and will not be burdened with its energy. It can sit back and watch the tigers fight, and make a fortune from the war.
On the other hand, this is also beneficial to the construction of the association's community of interests. The final structure will inevitably be a multi-polar network of interests, with the most powerful Beyond Grade A forces selling various resources and services, while the weaker Beyond Grade A forces take what they need and receive support, forming a balanced relationship. With the size of the Black Star Army, it is naturally qualified to become one of the poles.
Each president's term is fifty years. Han Xiao has already planned it out. He will oust Manison and take the position himself. With his current influence in the association, as long as Manison doesn't pull any dirty tricks, he has a pretty good chance of succeeding.
If one becomes the president and achieves some results related to the Sanctuary during their term, then multiple re-elections are virtually guaranteed.
"The specific plan will depend on the actual situation..."
Han Xiao opened the memo and began to draft the initial outline of the plan.
Han Xiao and Kasuyi's actions were carried out in secret. Under the premise of tacit confidentiality, their return after being missing for several months did not cause any stir. After all, it was too common for them to go on adventures to the Secondary Dimension World, and the major powers did not pay attention to their actions.
The news of Black Star's return spread throughout the Legion, and the players noticed it as well. However, the tournament had already reached the international quarterfinals, and everyone had used up all their Blank Character Card, missing the optimal time to use them. Many people felt a little regretful for a moment before turning back to focus on the tournament.
Since the launch of version 4.0, major Huaxia clubs have enjoyed the benefits of the Black Star Army's development, reaping huge profits. The better the official guilds develop, the greater their support for professional teams. Currently, Huaxia's top professional teams are basically at the T0 or T1 level internationally, possessing outstanding strength and performing exceptionally well in the quarterfinals.
Due to the encirclement and suppression, the major teams in Huaxia had difficulty controlling the score. Dynasty and Jiangcheng advanced to the quarterfinals as the second and fifth place teams in the group stage, respectively. After a fierce battle of best of five games, they defeated their opponents with scores of 3:0 and 3:1, respectively, and advanced to the semifinals, successfully occupying two spots, which means that at the very least, they can get a third place.
However, after three versions, Huaxia players have become more discerning. No one is satisfied with a mere third place; a three-peat is the only goal for most players, and they have no other pursuits in this league.
The semifinal matchups were determined by a draw. Before the list was released, Huaxia players on the forum were divided into two camps: one side hoped that both Dynasty and Jiangcheng would draw other opponents, while the other side hoped that Dynasty and Jiangcheng would meet in the semifinals. The root of the conflict was the clash of two mindsets: whether they would meet in the finals or be guaranteed a spot in the finals.
Ideally, both the Dynasty and Jiangcheng would defeat their opponents. But what if both lose? While a guaranteed victory in the finals would mean one side would be eliminated in the semifinals, it would preserve some of their strength. A three-peat dynasty is too important, and many Huaxia players couldn't help but support this safe option.
With prayers from both sides, the semifinal lineup was drawn. The two teams did not face each other. Dynasty's opponent was North American Thunder Python, Jiangcheng's opponent was South Korean Kimchi.
The Huaxia players who supported the route of meeting in the finals got their wish. However, like the other group of players, they were all on tenterhooks, worried that both teams would be defeated. As the saying goes, you only know what you really want when you flip a coin. In the end, most people found that although they talked about meeting in the finals, deep down they still hoped to be guaranteed a spot in the finals.
After several rounds of matches, this feeling of gain and loss gradually turned into tension. Both Dynasty and Thunder Python were top-tier teams, and each guild provided them with maximum support. Due to the version's limitations, both sides had reached their limits, and the only thing left to fight for was tactics, lineup selection, and on-the-spot performance. Under these circumstances, the battle was full of uncertainty, and no one was guaranteed to win.
Both sides gave it their all, but the Dynasty team fell short by a single move, losing 2-3 and failing to advance to the finals. Their hopes of meeting their opponents in the finals were dashed, and they were unable to replicate the situation from the previous tournament.
On the other hand, Jiangcheng performed at a high level, securing a stable 3-1 victory over Kimchi and carrying the hopes of the entire team. As the saying goes, each version has its own meta, and the Mechanic Class gradually gained strength in the mid-to-late game. Due to the limitations of the version's cap, the ability to continuously enhance strength by spending money became increasingly favored by professional teams, and the Jiangcheng Team was precisely a team primarily Mechanic Class players.
In the previous league, Jiangcheng narrowly defeated the KEY team in the semifinals, successfully allowing the Huaxia team to advance to the finals. Although they failed to win the championship, they still received countless accolades. This time, they truly have a chance to win the championship and once again shoulder the expectations of Huaxia players.
The final date was set for a few days later, and the forums were buzzing with activity, with countless betting odds being opened.
Meanwhile, outside the players' view, the Beyond Grade A Association held its latest regular meeting.
Planet Fein, headquarters of the Beyond Grade A Development Federation.
Beyond Grade A remote projections descended upon the venue. People entered the round table conference room, took their seats, and whispered and chatted with their neighbors.
Sitting in the chairman's seat Manison watched this harmonious scene, then glanced at the empty vice-chairman's seat, feeling that the air was so fresh and the atmosphere so relaxed.
Just then, an untimely voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, shattering the harmony and tranquility.
"Hehe, I'm back. Didn't anyone miss me?"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, everyone turned around and saw Han Xiao, who had disappeared for several months, reappear, walking into the conference room with an irritating smile on his face.
"Hey, Black Star's back!"
"It's been months since I last saw you, you look great!"
"Where have you been having so much fun all this time? You didn't even tell us."
Upon seeing Han Xiao, many people present laughed and greeted him in unison. Even the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations, who had been keeping a low profile, nodded in acknowledgment, and the scene became noisy for a moment.
Han Xiao is now quite popular in the Beyond Grade A circle and has good relationships with most people.
He smiled and responded to everyone, then returned to his seat, turned to Manison, and teased, "I heard you've had a comfortable few months? No problem, I'm back."
Manison remained expressionless, his eyes fixed straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to everything. Ever since Han Xiao appeared, he had adopted a stern and unyielding demeanor.
Seeing this, the Beyond Grade A members present perked up, their eyes darting back and forth between the two, revealing expressions of anticipation for a good show.
A regular meeting without a fight between the president and vice president is incomplete. The meetings these past few months have been too "plain," and everyone is getting sleepy. Now that Black Star is finally back to liven things up, we can finally enjoy the association's signature program again, and no one is slacking off anymore.
Just then, Kasuyi arrived, greeted everyone, and sat back down in his seat, prompting the others to cast suspicious glances at him.
The two disappeared for several months and then reappeared at the same time, sparking much speculation.
Manison glanced at Kasuyi a couple more times, suppressing his doubts and not asking on the spot.
He looked around, coughed twice, and began, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting..."
Before he could finish speaking, Han Xiao immediately raised his hand, "I have something to say."
Manison was interrupted from his opening remarks, but he wasn't angry at all—he was used to it; as long as Black Star was around, he never managed to finish his sentence.
Instead, everyone's eyes lit up.
Here it comes, here it comes, the tearing down is about to begin again. Black Star is truly our source of joy, stirring things up as soon as he arrives, so dedicated.
Han Xiao glanced around, seeing everyone waiting for him to continue, then turned and pointed at Manison, saying in a deep voice:
"After much deliberation, I've come to believe that Manison's Convict technology is detrimental to the unity of the Beyond Grade A prisoners. The live animal modification is going too far. I think Manison should voluntarily abandon this technology and release the other Convict."
Upon hearing this, Manison immediately flew into a rage.
Everyone already knew about this, but you didn't bring it up during the meeting. Now, months later, you're suddenly bringing it up. It's obvious you're just looking for trouble.
The demand to abandon the Convict's technique was clearly a pipe dream. Black Star knew that this topic would not yield any results, but he still brought it up. In Manison's eyes, it was simply a deliberate attempt to cause trouble and sophistry.
"Black Star! Have you no shame?! This happened so long ago!" Manison shouted.
"What's wrong with us? We don't have a statute of limitations. You can do it, but I can't say anything?" Han Xiao shrugged. "Ask everyone here, is there anyone who doesn't have an opinion on this?"
"That's right, Beyond Grade A live body modification is against the rules. Although this happened before the association was established, it's okay to talk about it." Kant was happy to see Black Star picking a fight and immediately chimed in.
Upon hearing this, everyone present began to voice their condemnation.
Although a considerable amount of time has passed, Manison's Convict techniques remain a thorn in the side of many.
Normally, everyone tacitly agrees not to discuss it, but now that someone is stirring up trouble, they don't mind joining in the commotion... mainly to provide firepower support for Black Star, fearing nothing more than a peaceful world.
Manison's eyelids twitched, and he said in a deep voice, "Alright! Black Star is just being ridiculous, but why are you all getting involved?"
"That's not right of you. What do you mean by 'nonsense'?" Han Xiao crossed his arms and said, feigning seriousness, "As long as you're still doing something that violates morality, we have the right to criticize you. Even if you can't control your greed and are unwilling to give up this technology, you should at least apologize."
"Apologize to whom? They were my spoils of war, and I have the right to do with them as I please. I've never heard of apologizing to prisoners of war," Manison said coldly.
"Apologize not to them, but to us. You've damaged the association's unity, and most importantly, you've broken everyone's hearts," Han Xiao said, spouting nonsense with a straight face.
"You're playing..."
Just as Manison was about to launch into a tirade, Kasuyi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up in agreement:
"Mechanic Emperor, your actions are indeed detrimental to the unity of the association."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone present was stunned.
The previously noisy environment instantly became quiet.
Everyone present stared at Kasuyi, their hearts filled with doubt and unease.
Kasuyi has always been neutral at meetings, never taking sides, and he's been a friend of Manison for many years. Why would he suddenly kick someone when they're down and side with Black Star?!
Manison was also stunned.
Old Ke actually sided with Black Star against me! When did they become so close? Aren't we just friends anymore?!
These two disappeared for months, what did they do together that made their relationship heat up so quickly?!
He stared intently at Kasuyi's calm face, finding it all hard to believe.