Han Xiao accurately predicted the Sorokin's thoughts. His first reaction wouldn't be to guess that the alien god already knew about this, but rather to mistakenly believe that the empire had made progress in its research on wormhole data. Thus, he developed a faint hope, weighed the pros and cons in a desperate situation, and ultimately had a high probability of giving up resistance. In hindsight, he had gambled correctly.
All's fair in war, and winning hearts and minds is of the highest priority. If we hadn't successfully intimidated the Sorokin with this message, capturing him would have been much more difficult and uncertain.
"Speaking of which, this is the second time this hanged man has been imprisoned. The last time he was sealed, he was covered in burly men, and his poses were incredibly seductive. This time, he's much more dignified, looking like a little bird clinging to someone..."
Han Xiao examined the Sorokin inside the amber, feeling somewhat sentimental.
If you ignore other factors, this guy is actually a pretty pure person, but because of that, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. As long as you don't get in his way, everything is fine; otherwise, it's the complete opposite.
As he admired the Sorokin's "sleeping posture," the surrounding Imperial fleets, seeing that their mission was complete, immediately ceased their attack and retracted their weapons into their armor.
The battlefield was littered with the parts of numerous mechanical soldiers. Some of the mechanical units were destroyed by the aftermath of the Imperial fleet's concentrated fire. In their pursuit of output, they couldn't afford to harm their allies. Han Xiao didn't even know if his teammates were fighting the Sorokin or him.
He dispelled the Mechanical Deity, released Mechanical Force from his palm, which transformed into a chain of electric arcs that stuck together the broken parts. He then used Advanced Mechanical Generation to reassemble them, restoring them into mechanical warriors.
At this moment, the fleet commander spoke into the communications channel, letting out a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, we laid enough traps beforehand, gaining a significant advantage, and managed to recapture him with minimal losses... Alright, please hand over the Sorokin to us, we'll find a place to imprison him again."
Since the person who requested the exhumation and inspection was He-Tu-Shu Black Star, recaptured him wouldn't be considered a meritorious act, but letting him escape would be a heavy responsibility, a thankless task. Therefore, the fleet commander naturally had no gratitude towards Han Xiao and spoke in a purely businesslike tone.
This capture of the Sorokin seemed easy, but it was the result of perfect timing, location, and support. The Sorokin was immobilized, allowing them to freely set up an encirclement. They released the weakened Sorokin only after everything was in order. If the Sorokin had been able to move freely from the beginning, it would have been virtually impossible for it to be lured into the trap. This is similar to players fighting a dungeon boss, making all the preparations beforehand and only engaging the monster at the very end.
Several Imperial ships arrived to hand over the prisoners. Han Xiao witnessed them taking away the Sorokin. He waited for a while before the Imperial fleet shut down all the spatial devices and released the spacetime lock on this area.
He curled his lip, then opened the Dimensional Factory, stuffed all the mechanical legions present inside for maintenance, then refused the invitation to board the ship, took out a set of Sovereign Mecha, and vanished in a flash.
In a flash, the surrounding scenery transformed into a mechanical factory. The person was no longer in the Constellation Corridor, but had directly crossed several star fields, instantly arriving at the Black Star Palace in the Shattered World, and teleporting to the "Throne" left in their private workshop.
"Beep beep beep--"
Just then, his communicator rang. Han Xiao took it out and saw that, as expected, it was a call from Urranrell.
Because she had approved the exhumation and inspection of the Sorokin using a special decree from the head of state, she had been monitoring the live broadcast and contacted them immediately.
"Black Star, I've seen the details, and it seems your fears haven't come true."
Urranrell nodded.
"... Maybe." Han Xiao shook his head.
The Sorokin's true form remained alive and well, not an empty shell. In the Empire's eyes, the book was naturally the real one, dispelling any doubts.
Although he confirmed the relationship between the Sorokin and Gaud on this trip, the information on the panel was not enough to convince the Empire.
Although the Sorokin shows signs of Soul Tear, verifying this is extremely difficult. First, the Sorokin would resist and wouldn't obediently accept the examination; being imprisoned in the Space-Time Amber makes it impossible to probe, and it would have to be released. Second, the Sorokin's rank is too high; only a handful of Peak Beyond Grade A experts in the entire universe can thoroughly examine its soul state, assuming the Sorokin doesn't violently resist. This is like the difference between using abilities to fight and to cure an illness—the latter requires much more precise control. Third, from a manifestation perspective, the effects of Soul Weakness and Soul Tear overlap, making them extremely difficult to distinguish; both could be considered aftereffects of the Space-Time Amber. Even if all difficulties are overcome and the Sorokin's symptoms of Soul Tear are finally discovered, from the Empire's perspective, the connection between the Sorokin and Gaud cannot be confirmed; the correlation of the evidence is too low.
Taking all factors into consideration, Han Xiao felt it would be difficult to find substantial evidence in this regard.
Urranrell had no other thoughts and said, "Worrying is a good thing. At least this time, it eliminated a hidden danger for the empire, allowing us to imprison the Sorokin with peace of mind. Moreover, you re-imprisoned the Sorokin without paying much of a price, which did not disappoint me."
She didn't think Han Xiao's actions were unnecessary. She had given the order, and Black Star had obtained her approval before carrying out the exhumation and inspection. The fact that the inspection results were correct was a good thing, not a bad thing. In her view, this operation could be considered a precaution.
"It's alright..."
Han Xiao wasn't in the mood for flirtatious banter. After a few casual words, he said goodbye and logged off, looking somewhat helpless.
Urranrell was very considerate. This operation yielded no merit and even risked releasing the Sorokin, which would have made her bear the responsibility for the wrong decision. At the end of her term, she would certainly prioritize stability, and her willingness to approve his plan was already a sign of respect and trust. It was impossible to ask him to do more.
The Sorokin... no, if Gaud wanted to completely clear his name, he would have focused on serving the empire when he was weak and wouldn't have given himself away again. But I haven't found any real evidence this time, so I can't bring charges against Gaud.
Without evidence, the empire has no reason to cooperate with his baseless accusations to set up a trap and test the loyalty of a trusted elite for no reason, so this approach is most likely unworkable.
He even suspected that if Gaud genuinely wanted to clear his name, then even if he produced evidence, unless it was irrefutable proof, the Empire might not want to expose the matter and avoid losing a Infinite Beyond Grade A descendant. Such a thing was not entirely impossible.
"I need to make other plans. If I can't persuade the Empire to thoroughly investigate Gaud on its own, then I'll have to take matters into my own hands..."
Han Xiao frowned in thought.
If he were to secretly attack Gaud and the matter were exposed, he would be in huge trouble, needless to say.
If the crime is committed Thunder, the Empire will be furious and launch a massive manhunt to find the culprit and investigate thoroughly. Due to its organizational nature, the Beyond Grade A Association will inevitably become a primary target of the Empire's investigation, causing a huge uproar and potentially becoming the fuse for Tragedy of the Pinnacle.
Han Xiao had to admit that Gaud's move to clean up his act was brilliant. He transformed himself into a direct descendant of one of the Three Universal Civilizations, gaining an extremely powerful protective shield. If something were to happen to him, many more Beyond Grade A beings might be dragged down with him.
But if we ignore him, he threatens the entire Explored Universe and is a huge hidden danger, especially since this guy has already infiltrated the Empire. Who knows what kind of trouble he might cause? Maybe he will eventually become a guide for the World Tree Civilization.
Moreover, Gaud's superpower has great potential. He has only just entered the Beyond Grade A, so he is still relatively easy to deal with. But once he grows stronger, he will become more and more troublesome, and then he will be difficult to handle.
"This is a dilemma..." Han Xiao rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.
Sometimes there is no perfect solution; in reality, we can only make trade-offs, and decision-makers often face such difficult Choice.
He struggled with his decision for a while, but finally steeled himself.
"We need to eliminate this ticking time bomb before Gaud service) grows too powerful. If we wait until it reveals its weaknesses, it will be too late... Let's do it!"
Han Xiao gritted his teeth.
His mind raced, analyzing the possible consequences while simultaneously conjuring up all sorts of wicked schemes, from using others to kill to framing someone else.
"The best-case scenario isn't for Gaud to simply disappear, but rather to give the Empire an outlet for its anger, a target for a specific attack, so as not to vent its fury on others. Therefore, I not only need to avoid getting involved, but also find a way to pin the blame on someone else, while also considering the impact of shifting blame to different parties on the overall situation..."
Han Xiao's mind raced, and he soon came up with an idea.
Regardless of the differences between the various plans, in practice there are only two options: one is to take matters into one's own hands, launch a surprise attack, and then try to frame someone afterwards; the other is to create a desperate situation to lure others into attacking Gaud, thus absolving oneself of suspicion.
The former goes without saying, while the core of the latter is "luring." It's best not to show yourself in any form, and actively calling on friends to gang up on Gaud is not feasible.
For example, the Sanctum Organization has ample strength to besiege and kill Gaud, but Han Xiao cannot ask them to do so, as that would be tantamount to handing them leverage and sowing the seeds of future trouble. The First Ones survivors all have their own ideologies, are not of one mind, and are certainly not his subordinates, so there is no guarantee that their secrets will not be leaked in the future... Moreover, whether they are even willing to help him is another matter entirely.
The more people who know the truth, the greater the risk; the same applies to other forces.
"Whichever path I choose, I have to stir up the waters first..."
Han Xiao's eyes flickered.
On this day, the headquarters of the Beyond Grade A Association on Planet Fein welcomed an Imperial fleet, which docked at the outer airport pier.
As Gaud stepped out of the hatch, his Imperial high-ranking officer uniform gleamed in the artificial sun, giving him an imposing presence.
"Welcome, Mr. Gaud, to Planet Fein."
A receptionist in an association uniform was waiting at the dock early in the morning. She immediately went up to him with a warm smile.
The news that the Empire has produced a new direct descendant of Beyond Grade A has already spread among the upper echelons, but only his name is known; almost nothing else is known. The Empire has not revealed much information and has even controlled the outflow of intelligence. Therefore, many forces are now secretly speculating about Gaud's style of conduct and specific abilities... This is normal treatment for a newly born Beyond Grade A.
Gaud submitted its membership application with all the necessary documents, so the Beyond Grade A Association held an extra meeting today to welcome the new member. Staff members were already waiting for Gaud there.
"Lead the way," Gaud said casually.
The two left the dock, boarded an anti-gravity vehicle, and flew towards the spherical conference room atop the city center headquarters building.
Looking down from the sky, the ground is a dense cluster of buildings, resembling a high-tech interstellar city. The receptionist introduced Planet Fein like a tour guide, and Gaud did not stop him, but just looked down and silently observed the blocks that passed by.
Various Beyond Grade A forces have established offices here. Over the past decade, Planet Fein has been transformed into a bustling interstellar city, with flying vehicles forming a traffic network as they skim low overhead.
Everywhere on the street, you could see low-level personnel wearing uniforms from different factions. Gaud also saw quite a few low-level civilian staff members of the Black Star Army.
However, these forces are merely taking up residence; the association's own staff are responsible for managing the planet.
The vehicle quickly arrived at the platform outside the conference room. Gaud followed the reception staff to the private lounge. Because he was the main character of today's welcome meeting and it was the arrival of the original body, he needed to wait for someone to notify him before he could enter the venue through another door.
After watching the receptionist close the door and leave, Gaud casually picked up some fruit and snacks from the table and started munching on them, glancing around at the magnificent lounge with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"The Beyond Grade A has been a disorganized mess for so long, but in recent years it has finally shown signs of unity. Black Star, Manison, and Kasuyi have done a really good job. It's a pity I didn't live to see this kind of good time... However, they probably wouldn't dare to take on the most vicious criminal in the universe. If I hadn't changed my identity, none of this would have been for me."
Gaud couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile.
Once gangsters have amassed enough wealth, they'll consider going out of business and living a clean life. He's the same; crime isn't his goal, it's just a byproduct of his initial accumulation of wealth.
Having shed my former identity, I can now begin a new life.
After sitting in the room for a while, someone finally came to remind him to enter the meeting room.
Gaud stood up, straightened his clothes, walked along the corridor to the end, pushed open the exquisite door that was fifteen meters high, and suddenly a bright and spacious room appeared before him!
The huge round table venue came into view. All the remote projections of the Beyond Grade A members were in their respective seats, turning their heads in unison. Their gazes fell on Gaud, carrying different emotions such as scrutiny, friendliness, and curiosity.
Gaud became the focus of the entire event. He looked around at the faces of a group of familiar people and couldn't help but feel a moment of disorientation.
For the first time, he appeared before the vast majority of Beyond Grade A in the entire universe with a completely new identity. There were no more looks of disgust, hostility, or fear, no more past grudges, and his relationships with everyone were entirely new...
The feeling of being reborn has never been so vivid.
Just then, Manison, who was sitting at the head of the table, spoke up, nodding and saying, "This friend is Gaud. On behalf of all members of the Beyond Grade A Development Federation, I welcome you to join us."
"It's an honor to join the association." Gaud snapped out of his daze, a strange smile playing on his lips. He placed his hand over his chest and gave a slight, universally accepted interstellar greeting.
Clottey, who was usually silent, pointed to the empty seat next to her and said:
"You're a direct descendant of the empire, so we've saved you a seat. Come and sit down."
Seeing this, Gaud smiled slightly, walked over, and sat down next to Clottey. The row of seats around him were all occupied by the Empire's loyalists, making him look like he had finally found his tribe.
However, the moment his bottom touched the chair, he suddenly heard someone asking him a question filled with intense curiosity.
The question made Gaud's calm mood jump suddenly.
"Gaud, right? I heard that your ability is an extremely high-risk superpower that only exists in theory— Energy Manipulation! I wonder if it's true?"