“I understand, you don’t have any better solutions either,” Li Yunshou sighed.
Qing Chen turned and stared straight at Li Yunshou: "No one from the Li family has ever been to the Western Continent. How do you know that my parents left because of black magic?"
At this point, there were no more spies in City 10; they had all been eliminated by the giant's mental perception.
City 10 is also in a state of communication silence, with only the internal local area network available.
So, how did Li Yunshou find out?
Li Yunshou looked at the shimmering lake: "There's no need to look at me like that. People from the Western Continent have already come and let me understand the effects of black magic. Moreover, they already have the names and birthdays of the main members of the Li family."
In other words, not only were the core members of the parent-teacher association firmly controlled by the other party, but the same was true for the Li family.
Parents' meetings can temporarily hide in Kurobahara, but what about the Li family? Is there enough time?
Even if it's not too late, all the core members of the Li family have already left, and the Li family without a leader is essentially useless.
Qingchen finally understood why the Li family had made the decision to obstruct the parents' meeting.
Li Yunshou suddenly said, "If the old man were still alive, he would definitely feel troubled too. And that kid Li Ke, if he survives his ordeal and comes out of the fire pit, he will definitely blame me as his father when he hears about this. Changqing also called from the front lines, advising me not to interfere with the parents' meeting... But, we are at their mercy. The information of all 41,231 direct descendants of the Li family is in their hands. It is brave to fight back, but what will happen after the resistance?"
Li Changqing, Li Shutong, Li Ke, and Qingchen's disciples from the Li family—the bond between the Li family and him was already too deep.
The problem is that being killed by dark magic is utterly meaningless.
You didn't sacrifice yourself while capturing a position, nor did you die on the way to accomplish a cause, taking risks for the cause.
Rather, it means you die meaninglessly, at most expending a little energy on the judges, nothing more.
Dark magic is now like a dark cloud hanging over everyone's head.
At this moment, Li Yunshou suddenly said, "Qingchen, if I were to hand over the Li family to you, would you treat it well?"
Qing Chen was startled.
Li Yunshou smiled and said, "I'm not asking you to be the head of the Li family. I'm asking if the Li family would face exclusion if it gave up its foundation and retreated to the southwest with the Parents' Association?"
Doing so would mean that the Li family would abandon its industrial base and economic lifeline in the Central Plains, entrusting the fate of all members of the Li family to the Qing family.
If the Qing family cuts off supplies or deliberately isolates the Li family, then the Li family will be in great danger.
Qing Chen asked, "Why did you make this decision?"
Li Yunshou stared at the lake for a long time: "Just kidding. Qingchen, I'll ask you one last question: are you determined to fight the Western Continent to the bitter end? We have no chance of winning, why make pointless sacrifices?"
Qing Chen said, "I will not have a second choice, because I will not watch the people of this land become slaves of others."
"Understood," Li Yunshou nodded. "Go back. You definitely can't cross the Mianchi Bridge peacefully. If you want to cross, then fight your way through. We're going to part ways now."
Qing Chen got up and left.
Li Yunshou listened to the footsteps fading away but did not get up.
He simply gazed quietly at the lake, the sounds of his brothers and sisters laughing and chatting here when he was a child seemingly still echoing in his ears.
“Grandpa, you left at such a convenient time,” Li Yunshou said with a smile. “Fortunately, you, as the father, don’t have to make such a difficult decision. Let me do it.”
"Big brother!"
"Huh?" Li Yunshou almost thought he was hallucinating, but he quickly realized that someone was really calling him from behind.
He turned around and looked at the person behind him, and said with a smile, "When did you arrive? There wasn't even a sound of footsteps."
“You’re just too focused,” the person behind you replied.
“Let’s begin, we have no time to hesitate,” Li Yunshou said, getting up, dusting off his clothes, and walking alone toward Baopu Tower.
...
...
Return countdown: 13:00:00.
A rumor circulated from a high-level teleconference of the Li family that the Li family was discussing whether to go to war with the Western Continent. As a result, the pro-war faction, led by Li Changqing, broke with the pro-peace faction, led by Li Yunshou.
At the meeting, Li Changqing asked Li Yunshou to open the Mianchi Bridge so that the parents' meeting could approve it.
However, Li Yunshou rebuked Li Changqing for disregarding the family's interests and betraying the Li family for the sake of a man.
The brother and sister argued for more than an hour at the meeting and parted on bad terms.
Following the meeting, the Li family's logistics department cut off all supplies to Li Changqing's faction, and even revoked the military ranks and positions of Li Changqing and others, as well as their electronic access.
For a time, Li Changqing's troops couldn't even start their own armored vehicles because they didn't have the necessary permissions!
That afternoon, Li Changqing's troops were reduced to only the Qingshan air fortress. Under pursuit by Li's air fleet, they retreated to the southwest of Qingshi and requested political asylum.
If this aerial fortress hadn't been a physically independent military system, they might not have even been able to take it with them.
Chapter 946. You don't necessarily have to be able to win before you fight.
Return countdown: 10:00:00.
In City 10.
Inside the garrison, a shadow unit operations staff officer said in a daze, "The Li family has suddenly turned against us. Are we now the only army in the Eastern Continent Federation resisting the Western Continent? How can we fight this war?"
At this moment, Zero looked at the operations staff officer and said in a calm tone, "If you say such things during wartime, you should take off your epaulets and go back to the grassroots level to learn how to be a soldier again."
Qingye frowned: "A direct drop of five levels?"
"Is it not allowed?" Zero looked at him. "Qing Chen seemed to have said that I could handle everything. Or perhaps, the Qing family's so-called military spirit is just empty talk?"
Qingye looked at the operations staff officer and said, "Take it yourself. Don't make me talk nonsense. Report to the First Brigade."
The operations staff officer silently removed the shoulder insignia and collar tabs from his uniform, and without uttering a single word of explanation, walked straight out.
Qingye looked at Ling: "I know you want to take this opportunity to establish your authority and see if we will obey orders, but don't underestimate the Qing family. Since the boss has decided to hand over command to you, even if you send us to our deaths right now, we will still do it."
“Very good,” Zero nodded. “Now you’re starting to resemble the Qing family… As for what the Qing family is like, I know it better than you do. To be honest, your current performance is no better than it used to be. Don’t rest on your laurels and be complacent. The history they created belongs to them, not to you.”
Everyone in the command room was stunned for a moment. The 'robot's' tone was particularly strange, as if it knew a lot about the Qing family.
They were unaware that the Qing family's most devastating battle had ever been against the robot before them.
In that era, Zero swept through millions of AI legions, crushing the Qing Clan and the Northwest Army all the way to the Northwest. Just like now, humanity seemed to have no chance of winning, but in the end, Zero was the one who failed.
Therefore, Zero was also well aware that this war was not as hopeless as she had said.
At this moment, Qingqu muttered, "What do we do now? The boss said that the Li family is under pressure from black magic... This black magic is too overpowered. If it weren't for this kind of black magic, we would definitely have a chance to win."
“What if there’s no dark magic?” Zero looked at them with a half-smile: “Why not just wipe out their demigods, dark magic, and God’s-eye view, and also their aerial fortresses… Oh, and that puppeteer too. That way, the world will be at peace, everyone will live a happy and fulfilling life, and there will be no need to fight wars.”
The command room fell silent.
Zero smiled and said, "Life can't always be smooth sailing. If war always starts when you're ready, when you're stronger than the enemy, that's a dream, not reality. Don't act like a coward. Thinking about how to win is the most important thing."
Qingye whispered, "It's rare for you to say so much in one go."
Suddenly, Yi asked, "What about the parents' association members at Mianchi Bridge?"
Zero looked at the holographic sand table: "Since they won't let us pass, let's fight them. From now on, I will take over all command."
Qingye asked, "Where did the boss go? Isn't he coming back?"
Zero said, "With me here directing, he can get away to do more important things."
"Something more important?" Qingye asked, puzzled.
"You must understand that the person who can decide the outcome of this war is him, not me."
...
...
A war suddenly broke out on the Mianchi Bridge over the Chunlei River, but the parents' association members were not the main force in this battle.
Just as they were about to use human lives to breach the sluice gate of the Mianchi Bridge, the Qingshan suddenly arrived on the battlefield and blasted open the Li family's position. After successfully creating a breach, the members of the parent-teacher association continued to advance southwest.
In retaliation for this action, a field brigade of the Li family arrived outside City 10 that night and began its assault.
The night sky over City 10 was lit up, and a huge breach was punched in the towering city walls surrounding the city. The field brigade only retreated briefly after the Qingshan returned to reinforce City 10.
The Li family and the Qing family suddenly went to war!
This upheaval in the Li family came somewhat suddenly. No one expected that Li Yunshou would make a choice completely opposite to that of the Qing family in order to protect the Li family!
This is no longer about tying the Qing family together to fight the enemy; it's betrayal!
The Li family sided with the Western Continent!
In an instant, students from City 18 took to the streets, holding banners that read "We will not be slaves of a conquered nation," and chanted outside the Li family's hillside manor.
But they didn't shout for long before the Lee family's garrison troops dispersed them with tear gas, and more than 300 students were imprisoned in the PCE Security Committee's temporary jail.
At this very moment, the Qingshan was flying over City 10, buying time for the parents' association to evacuate.
In the garrison's conference room, Zero looked at Li Changqing on the holographic projection: "What an unexpected choice. How many troops can you take away from the Li family?"
“There is only one aerial fortress,” Li Changqing said.
Zero smiled. She knew that Li Changqing was not telling the truth, because the Li family's intelligence organization, 'Red Sparrow,' had always been in Li Changqing's hands.
These people will definitely not leave; they will remain in the Central Plains and become part of the enemy's intelligence network behind enemy lines.
Li Changqing said wearily, "The Li family's air fleet will arrive at City 10 in 18 hours. The Qingshan cannot stand here and take a beating. Can you complete the evacuation within 18 hours?"
Zero shook his head: "It depends on whether Shindai Yunluo can hold off the fleets of Silver City and Storm City in the north. If he can't, then you won't even last 18 hours."
"Can he do it?" Li Changqing asked.
Zero thought for a moment: "It depends on how determined he is."
Judging from her tone, it seemed that as long as Kamishiro Unra was determined, she could definitely stop him.
"Where is Qingchen?" Li Changqing asked.
“He’s gone to do what he had to do,” Zero said with a smile. “Now I’m the highest military commander here. You can tell me anything.”
"No need," Li Changqing said, hanging up the call.
The Qingshan floated in the air like an island, quietly awaiting its unknown fate.
This former lieutenant general of the Li family sat blankly in the command seat of the air fortress.