Seeing the solemn expressions on the three people's faces, Han Xiao shook his finger.
"You don't want to?" Mabrus's eyes narrowed.
No, I mean... it's not enough.
Han Xiao maintained a calm expression, but inwardly he secretly scoffed.
If we're talking about shamelessness, you guys are the thickest. Not long ago you were targeting the Super A Tier, and now you've changed your tune so quickly, talking about joining forces. Although your motives are understandable, this kind of behavior is like treating us Beyond Grade A people like chamber pots, summoning us at will and dismissing us at will.
Since the blockade was issued, the association has suffered considerable losses. Even though everyone is now united against a common enemy, the World Tree has not yet attacked. It's not so easy for the Three Universal Civilizations to get the association's assistance without offering substantial benefits.
His identity is multifaceted, and advocating for the interests of association members is his duty; he cannot accept being "legally blackmailed" by the Three Universal Civilizations.
"So what are your conditions?"
The three of them narrowed their eyes and leaned forward slightly.
Personal opinions are personal opinions, and business is business. When it comes to substantial interests, even though the three admire Han Xiao's contributions, they will not allow the other party to make exorbitant demands.
Perhaps, considering their united front against a common enemy and Black Star's active sharing of information about the World Tree, they might be able to make some concessions, but if the conditions are too unreasonable, the three of them will not agree.
Han Xiao nodded and said, "Joint cooperation is the general trend, but I hope you understand that I am, after all, the president of the association, and I have to give the members an explanation... The blockade has caused considerable losses to many Beyond Grade A members. First of all, the blockade needs to be lifted, and the losses suffered by Beyond Grade A members during this period need to be compensated. What do you think?"
"Can."
The three nodded; this was already part of the plan.
Han Xiao continued, "Secondly, the association needs additional compensation for lost work time and emotional distress. In subsequent cooperation, the Three Universal Civilizations must also continue to provide resources. Although we have a common enemy, you are the rulers of the Explored Universe. We will help you protect your territory. It's impossible for us to work for free."
"That's no problem, the amount is negotiable."
The three pondered for a moment, but had no objections.
Han Xiao paused, then slowly said, "Finally, the Three Universal Civilizations must recognize the authoritative status of the Beyond Grade A Association, making it no longer a civilian organization but an official superhuman organization. They must acknowledge our independence, the sanctity of our territory, allow us to publicly impart all superhuman knowledge, and grant us equal political status with higher civilizations, enjoying the same rights, all of which must be enshrined in Interstellar General Law... Furthermore, at the edge of the Explored Universe, the Association must possess highly autonomous territories."
Upon hearing this, the three of them frowned slightly.
One key factor enabling them to openly suppress the Beyond Grade A Association is that the association is a civilian organization and does not enjoy the rights of a series of Interstellar General Law such as the Peace Treaty. No civilian force has ever enjoyed the same political treatment as advanced civilizations, not even a powerful Beyond Grade A force. This demand set a precedent.
This isn't just a verbal promise; it's written into law. The Beyond Grade A Association aims to become a true authority among superhumans. Once they acknowledge this, the association's soaring prestige will almost monopolize the civilian superhuman community. Moreover, it will be protected by universal law, making many suppression methods ineffective against the association, which is quite troublesome.
At the same time, the Beyond Grade A Association also demanded autonomous territories with civilized treatment, which are different in nature from the respective territories of the Beyond Grade A. It is almost like establishing a nation, and it is located at the edge of the Explored Universe. It is estimated that it has a strategic intention of being able to advance or retreat at will, in order to prevent possible future purges.
Han Xiao waited a moment, and seeing the three of them looking thoughtful, he clicked his tongue and added, "Don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything by it. This is a request from the Association for its own security. I believe the Three Universal Civilizations should be willing to satisfy the Association's desire for self-preservation, right?"
He practically said the unspoken message: "You've been hesitating for so long, are you thinking about cooking the dog after the rabbit is caught, you brat!"
The three exchanged glances and quickly switched gears in a private chat.
Soon, Mabrus tapped the table and began to speak:
"If the World Tree intelligence is accurate, we agree to this condition. In addition, if a war breaks out, the Association will need to provide full support, and we will draft detailed terms later."
"That's good. Once you fulfill your agreement, we'll have a stronger foundation for cooperation."
Han Xiao nodded, fully aware that this was a potential exchange of interests and a game of risk.
Even knowing of the existence of external enemies, life must go on. The Three Universal Civilizations will certainly anticipate the situation after defeating the external enemies. At that time, the problem of the proliferation of Beyond Grade A beings will still need to be solved. Agreeing to this request will only increase the difficulty of future reckoning.
However, due to the pressure from external enemies, the Three Universal Civilizations have no choice but to stabilize the association and make certain compromises. If they do not agree to this condition, their intentions will be too obvious. Even if they cooperate with the association, they will be sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams, and there will be many unstable factors. This request is equivalent to Black Star's open conspiracy, which they can hardly refuse even if they know the consequences.
And most importantly, Black Star was an unexpected insider, which disrupted the plans of the Three Universal Civilizations. Stabilizing Black Star himself was even more important than stabilizing the Association.
After some deliberation, the three finally agreed. Besides compromising, they were also exploring another possibility: reducing the number of Beyond Grade A enemies was a more suitable approach than internal purges.
The fact that the Beyond Grade A Association suffered heavy casualties in external wars is the ideal outcome, far better than internal strife. It not only temporarily alleviates the problem of imbalance in individual power but also maximizes the value of these Beyond Grade A deaths. In this way, the side effects of agreeing to Black Star's demands will be greatly reduced, and there will be ample time to consider solutions before the next imbalance in the number of individual power levels.
Han Xiao also understood the intentions of the Three Universal Civilizations; this was the point of contention—because the World Tree posed too great a threat, he did not intend to shirk his responsibilities, and causing heavy casualties to the Beyond Grade A Association was also his goal.
The core reason is that the Sanctuary Revival Infinite. He claims that there is only one chance, and only by exposing the truth can the Three Universal Civilizations be deterred.
If you want people to die, you either have to start a civil war or a foreign war; you can't just have all the Beyond Grade A soldiers commit suicide.
In contrast, fighting external wars is the only way to maximize benefits, without wasting resources, without depleting internal strength, and while demonstrating power.
Once they see the effects of the Sanctuary Revival, even without experiencing it firsthand, the Three Universal Civilizations will understand its importance and feel a strong sense of unease... This achieves two goals at once: it confronts the World Tree and intimidates the Three Universal Civilizations.
Incidentally, he planned to include some hard-to-collect Sanctuary Key materials in the resource compensation list, which the Three Universal Civilizations could certainly provide.
--It's like using someone else's materials to build your own "weapons" and then using them to threaten them, which is pretty nice.
With the World Tree's early contact a foregone conclusion, Han Xiao adapted to the situation, flexibly adjusting his plans to maximize his benefits. The three leaders before him, of course, were unaware of this and probably still mistakenly believed that he was seeking a guarantee of peaceful coexistence.
With each side harboring its own agenda, a temporary consensus was reached.
"Also, don't reveal the matter of the World Tree Civilization to the outside world for now. The fewer people who know about it, the better, otherwise it will cause chaos," Mabrus instructed.
"Of course I know."
Han Xiao nodded.
In the past, the battles against the World Tree relied on advanced civilizations, armed forces, and groups of superhumans. Ordinary people were basically protected and had limited use. Now, it's not yet at the point of universal conscription; knowing about it would only cause more trouble.
Han Xiao paused, then said, "By the way, since you've invited me to be your special security advisor, I have to oversee this matter. I need to share your exploration report on the World Tree Civilization."
"No problem."
Mabrus agreed readily this time, after all, he didn't have as much information as Black Star, which was one of the assistance they needed.
Han Xiao quickly received the Imperial Academy of Sciences ' research report on wormhole data and immediately began reading it.
He was reinstated as a special security advisor to oversee the exploration progress of the Three Universal Civilizations and obtain firsthand information. Currently, he is the only outsider qualified to intervene in the Three Universal Civilizations ' exploration of the World Tree.
After quickly skimming through the report, Han Xiao's gaze settled on the first detection report. Next to the conclusion "Confirmed existence of an unknown cosmic-level civilization," there was a comment from the review department expressing doubt. Looking back at the data, he realized that this conclusion could not be drawn directly.
"Huh, what's going on with this researcher who wrote the conclusion? These data don't prove that the other party is a cosmic-level civilization. Although he guessed correctly, it's too arbitrary." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"So we suspended him; that was too careless." Mabrus nodded.
Han Xiao's heart stirred, and he vaguely had a guess.
Is this guy doing it on purpose?
'Little people can also change the times.' He sighed softly and sighed in his heart.
Composing himself, Han Xiao jokingly said, "No matter what, they accidentally made a contribution, so we can't let them down."
Mabrus glanced at him but said nothing.
Seeing this, Han Xiao smiled, changed the subject, and got down to business.
"Based on the current progress, I have a few suggestions..."
The meeting lasted for several hours. Only after both sides reached a consensus to "maintain frequent contact" did Han Xiao disconnect the remote projector and return his attention to his office.
Han Xiao exhaled, rubbed his cheeks, and murmured:
"Fortunately, a civil war has been averted, and the conflict between the Three Universal Civilizations has temporarily ceased..."
He knew that the Three Universal Civilizations could not completely put aside their hostility. However, at their level, there were basically no stubborn fools who would not turn back until they hit a wall. They all knew what was important and what was urgent. As long as everyone reached an agreement, they could be at each other's throats yesterday and make peace today. Their relationship with each other was not important. It only mattered whether there was a need. And external enemies were always a factor in diverting internal conflicts.
The two sides didn't really turn from enemies to friends; at most, they became temporary partners, working together to resolve their common major contradictions.
In reality, the biggest obstacle to the Three Universal Civilizations and the association's decision to cease hostilities and make peace was Han Xiao, the powerful chairman. Now that he has agreed to cooperate, most of the obstacles have disappeared, and he can be considered to have single-handedly promoted the alliance between the two sides.
"From today onwards, the situation enters a new phase of united front against external threats. The enemy is in the open while we are in the shadows; we must begin preparing for war against the World Tree Civilization."
Han Xiao braced himself, his heart filled with dread.
This hidden danger has troubled him for nearly a century, and now it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from his heart; it's finally time to face it.