"There's probably no plan, but our way of extracting energy might have some impact on the Earth... the greenhouse effect in recent years, El Niño, and so on."
"Never mind that," the emperor laughed smugly. "Now that we've embarked on this path, let's not dwell on things like compassion. Every undertaking has countless stepping stones to begin with. As long as our plan succeeds, what does it matter if everyone else in the world dies?!"
"yes!"
"We need to intensify our energy absorption efforts. Now we have another adversary, and I don't want any further complications, Death."
"exist."
"I know the Twelve-Petaled Golden Chrysanthemum was your culmination of many years of effort, but now that it's destroyed, so be it. Anyway, once our plan succeeds, those ordinary assassins will be of no value to us. Don't hold a grudge. I'll give you a promise... After the new army is established, it will still be under your command, as compensation. As for Chen Xu and SMMH, don't touch them now. Instead, try to win them over. After all, we've maintained a balance with the Americans for so many years, and suddenly such a figure has appeared. Before our plan succeeds, whoever he sides with will have their strength greatly increased, and this force is worth utilizing... Magician, finish what you were saying."
The magician nodded and said, "Since the Emperor has decided on the policy toward SMMH and his apprentice, which is the same as what I thought, no one knows SMMH's identity, or even the extent of his strength. Was his attack yesterday his full power? Or did he only use 70%? Or even 30%? We don't know any of that. However, according to the information obtained from our insider in the X organization, it is clear that SMMH is now also conducting research on 'God'."
"S, X, and our PRO, these three organizations should represent the world's most advanced technological level today. We are all conducting research in this area. Therefore, cooperation between any two organizations will make them leaders in this world. We have 'that thing,' but who can guarantee that SMMH and the X organization won't have something similar? So, we really can't let them cooperate, let alone turn one of our mortal enemies into two. So, my opinion is that we must ease the tension with SMMH now, otherwise, they will really treat us as enemies."
"How can we ease tensions? Should we start with Chen Xu?"
“Yes, since we can’t find SMMH, and Chen Xu is the only person who can contact SMMH, we should start with him. He’s a student, and he doesn’t want to be hunted down all the time. If we give him some benefits, I think we can ease the tension.”
"That guy probably isn't short of money. According to the data, SMMH gave him five percent of the shares in 'The Translator of Babel.' Among the younger generation, there aren't many people richer than him. Moreover, young people tend to be impulsive. We wanted to kill him before, but now we want to make peace. I'm afraid this kid won't be able to tolerate it."
“I do have an idea,” the demon suddenly said. “The reason SMMH is so mysterious is because we know absolutely nothing about it. We don’t know how many people they have, where they are, or what level their technology has reached… We know nothing about SMMH. We only know that it has sufficient technology, but who knows what its real-world influence is? Apart from a newly established S company, who knows what real-world businesses SMMH has?”
The emperor said, "Demon, just say what you have to say."
“What I mean is that S Company alone is not enough to handle SMMH’s capabilities, especially within mainland China, where the government’s surveillance capabilities are too strong. If SMMH is the same kind of people as us, S Company cannot allow him to conduct some special experiments and plans. So I’m thinking, since he is unwilling to expose his own power, then we can provide him with… Don’t we have a base near the Spratly Islands? It’s not too far from mainland China, but not too close either. We can give him this research base.”
After the demon finished speaking, a murmur arose below. The emperor tapped the table, and the murmur immediately subsided. The emperor said, "Demon, explain your intentions."
"My intention is simple. Since SMMH is lurking in a place we can't see and we have no idea about its strength, we need to find a platform to force its strength out. I have studied Chen Xu's information. He is very young and has been educated by the CCP since childhood. Like many teenagers in mainland China, they value national honor very much. The dispute over the Spratly Islands has a long history. Although the location of that base island is not the core of the conflict, it cannot escape this vortex. We all know the CCP's usual style of doing things. Right now, it seeks stability. That's why small countries like the Philippines and Vietnam dare to be so rampant in the South China Sea with the support of us and the Americans."
“This young man is impulsive and easily angered. To put it simply in Chinese terms, he is an ‘angry youth.’ If we give him this island and then spread the word that the Filipinos and Vietnamese are causing trouble for him, what do you think he and SMMH behind him will do?”
"Brilliant!" The emperor thought for a moment and gave a thumbs up: "As expected of the devil, this method is indeed excellent. Let the Philippines and Vietnam be the testing ground to see what kind of strength this SMMH really has. Very good, extremely good!"
The issue of the Spratly Islands has a long history, as the Spratly Islands are extremely important in terms of both strategic location and resource reserves.
The Spratly Islands have belonged to China since ancient times, but Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and other countries have seriously encroached on the Spratly Islands. 31 of the 32 main islands are now controlled by foreigners!
According to international practice, if China does not recover these islands by September 2020, it would mean that it has voluntarily relinquished its sovereignty over them!
The devil was clever. From the simple information, he grasped Chen Xu's only pursuit... Chen Xu didn't love money because he was already very rich, and his assets were more than he could spend in several lifetimes; he didn't love beauty because he had three confidantes by his side; he didn't love power. He could tolerate being drunk on the lap of a beauty, but the temptation of wielding power over the world was nothing to Chen Xu. To be honest, he hated those hypocritical politicians and would never try to enter the officialdom himself.
However, since his debut, SMMH has cracked the powerful Fiberhome virus as a Chinese person. Subsequently, whenever there are international hacker disputes, he has always stood up to defend the dignity and honor of Chinese hackers. Moreover, he and his mentor have taken such good care of the military, which shows that they are patriotic.
Is this a weakness in one's character?
Okay, if you insist on calling it a weakness, then let's call it a weakness.
He loved a country and a nation, even though many people in that country had been corrupted. But Chen Xu did not love the officials of that country, nor did he do things for those corrupt pests... but for the entire nation.
A demon is a demon. Just like those demons in legends, he easily found the only flaw in Chen Xu's mind.
But Chen Xu didn't think that was a flaw!
If a person lacks even the most basic patriotic sentiments, and even considers himself highly rational and superior, believing that such patriotic ideas are utterly idiotic... then he truly is not a human being!
“Your Chinese is really good, I think it’s no worse than Dashan’s,” Chen Xu said, toying with his teacup as he looked at the handsome European in front of him. “You mean, you give me that island, and then we’ll call it even?!”
This European was none other than the devil, whose real name was Schiller. Now, he sat in front of Chen Xu, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The previous order was not issued by the organization. The organization is also very angry. The person who issued the order to assassinate you has been executed because he caused the organization enormous trouble. The organization can forgive mistakes, but it cannot forgive stupidity."
Chen Xu gave a forced smile. If it weren't for his demonstrated strength, would they have come here to compromise with him? What was killing one person to them? They realized they couldn't afford to mess with him, so they came to negotiate. What a clever scheme.
An island?
Is it for vacation? If Chen Xu wanted an island, he could easily buy one in the Caribbean right now.
However, the Spratly Islands...
What is the meaning of your organization's actions?
The devil smiled slightly: "That island in the Spratly Islands does not appear on ordinary world maps. Even satellites cannot find its exact location. The South China Sea is a beautiful place, no less so than the Caribbean. However, if that's all, we can't offer this little gift. The most important thing is... that island has a base built by our organization."
"base?"
"Ha, it's a base that integrates large laboratories, military training bases, and defense measures. With us here, neither the Philippine nor the Vietnamese navy would dare to approach within fifty nautical miles of the islands."
Chen Xu had a sudden thought: "What do you mean by giving me this place? I'm just a student."
The devil chuckled: "Those who offend the might of my Great Han Dynasty, though far away, shall be punished... Would you not like to emulate General Huo Qubing of yesteryear, or perhaps learn from your master?!"
Chapter 326 Nansha (Part 2)
Last time, Miwa's cyber ghost clone hired a group of people to attack the Chinese mainland network, even causing a power outage in Shanghai. Enraged, SMMH struck again, demonstrating his terrifying hacking capabilities to the world… At that time, he left this famous quote from Huo Qubing on the White House website:
Those who offend the might of our great Han Dynasty, though far away, shall be punished!
It was because of this statement that the devil concluded that SMMH and his apprentice were both extreme nationalists who valued the honor and interests of the country and the nation highly. This was also the method the devil used to persuade Chen Xu.
When Chen Xu heard the European say this famous quote in fluent and standard Mandarin, he felt a sense of absurdity, but he blinked and asked, "What does it mean?"
"Ha, Mr. Chen, I've come all this way to meet you, not to beat around the bush." The devil smiled and said, "The dispute over the Spratly Islands has a long history. Of course, we all acknowledge that the Spratly Islands are an inseparable part of China's sacred territory. You see, I am French. As early as 1933, our country published an article in the magazine 'Colonial World' stating that the reason why those clowns like the Philippines and Vietnam dare to be so arrogant now is because they understand your government's policy. Your government now wants to rise peacefully and will not easily provoke war, which is why they are so rampant. Of course, there is also the support of the Americans and some European countries behind this."
Chen Xu sneered. He wasn't an idiot. Vietnam was once a French colony, and even now the Vietnamese and French are very close. Nobody would believe that they dared to be so arrogant without the support of that bastard Sarkozy!
"We're all smart people, so let's cut to the chase. Your government's current attitude is far too mild. Of course, we outsiders shouldn't presume to judge your government's strategy, but frankly, this kind of forbearance isn't a solution. The United Nations is currently planning to revise the world map, including the borders of various countries, and these small nations have become eager to seize this opportunity to formally occupy these islands." The devil smiled. "We know that Mr. Chen and that internet god SMMH are both pillars of your country's cause, and naturally they won't stand by and watch this happen. Of course, your country is also making preparations, I heard they're planning to build an aircraft carrier, is that right? But here's an opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
"We know that the most admired achievement of ancient Chinese people was to expand territory and defend the country. Mr. Chen, we all know that China is a rising dragon. Although it is still in the rising stage, small countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia are far from being your country's match. Your country doesn't even need to build aircraft carriers. Dealing with these jumping clowns—um, what's that word again? Ah, jumping clowns—is just a matter of minutes for your country to deal with them. But the reason your country is holding back is because it is considering the international impact and doesn't have a better solution for the time being."
Chen Xu's lips curled up: "Your Chinese is indeed quite good. In my opinion, the best way is to wage war. In this world, might makes right!"
"You're right," the devil laughed. "Countries like Vietnam and Malaysia combined aren't as big as China's fist. The reason they dare to be so arrogant is because we and the Americans are supporting them behind the scenes. Here, I'm saying very seriously that our organization very much hopes to become friends with you and your apprentice. Therefore, whatever you do, the EU will absolutely not interfere!"
Chen Xu raised an eyelid and took a breath: "That's quite a big promise! Can you really make that decision?"
The devil smiled confidently, as if he were saying something perfectly natural: "If we can't make the decision, then no one can. Moreover... with the face and strength of you and your master, the Americans will probably back down. If the EU and the US don't say anything, then recovering the entire Spratly Islands shouldn't be too difficult for you."
This place is indeed a very attractive idea!
Although Chen Xu did not covet any empty fame, he still cared deeply about and valued the integrity of China's territory. He certainly knew who was backing those small countries. Without their support, would they dare to do this? Would they dare to blatantly include the Spratly Islands, which belong to China, directly into their territory?
But this guy in front of me gave me a wonderful idea.
If the EU makes concessions on these issues, and even provides covert assistance, and if the Americans also make concessions, then Chen Xu will truly become a hero of China!
How incredibly difficult it is to find a hero like this in peacetime!
Seeing that Chen Xu was tempted, the devil, skilled at seducing people, immediately pressed his advantage, saying, "The island where we use it as a base is nominally not owned by any country. Because it's located between the Philippines and Malaysia, in international waters, it's an unclaimed island. So, once you become the owner of that island, from an international relations perspective, as long as you don't fly your country's flag, you won't represent any country or power. That way, even if the Americans want to cause trouble, they won't be able to find a reason. More importantly, Western countries have imposed technological blockades and restrictions on military exports on China, but these restrictions don't exist on that island. The island has complete facilities, including an airport and a dock. If you need them... we can sell you a few cruisers at a low price. Apart from aircraft carriers and nuclear weapons, there shouldn't be any major problems with the rest."
What do these guys mean?! Are they trying to start World War III?!
But Chen Xu quickly came to terms with it. It wasn't like China and Vietnam hadn't fought before. A world war? How could that be? Unless future wars reached an uncontrollable point, they would only be confined to certain regions, forming localized conflicts... Besides, although he was rich enough to buy a few cruisers, did he really think he could start a war?
How could that be! That's a huge overestimation of Chen Xu's abilities.
As if he had anticipated Chen Xu's concerns, the demon smiled and said, "Of course, we are all pacifists. War is not something we want to see. The main reason for giving this island base to you is that we hope to have a close cooperation with your master."
"cooperate?"
"Heh, you don't think we'd just casually give away an island that's so valuable and strategically important, do you? That would be incredibly wasteful. What we mean is, this island definitely belongs to you, both in terms of ownership and usage rights. But you should know that we've invested a lot of money in our base and numerous high-tech laboratories on this island. Wouldn't it be a waste to just leave it lying there unused? So, we have an idea: we'll give you the island, but for the next three years, we'll lease the laboratories on it to you... How about a ten billion US dollars per year for the rent?"
Chen Xu narrowed his eyes.
Giving someone an island base and then wanting to rent it back—if word got out, people would probably think this guy was crazy, but Chen Xu understood the meaning behind his words.
It's true that the island is yours, and you have all the rights to use it, but for the next three years, we'll be working together!
Chen Xu narrowed his eyes; this was exactly what he wanted!
Because Chen Xu's most pressing problem right now is... he has no one to rely on!
Everyone thought that SMMH couldn't possibly be a single person, but rather a very powerful organization. But only Chen Xu knew that SMMH was actually just one person... lacking both soldiers and generals, a lone commander with countless cutting-edge data but no ability to create it.
If the island they gave Chen Xu is uninhabited, then the experimental equipment is essentially worthless scrap metal!
Chen Xu's mind raced, and a line of thought gradually became clear in his mind... They wanted to cooperate with him, hoping to get some technical support from SMMH and give him the island. Besides the benefits to him, there was a deeper meaning behind it: Now that the island is yours, you should do your part, right? Don't keep anything good to yourself, share it so we can all make a fortune together.
They want to cooperate with me, so why not take advantage of this rare opportunity to cultivate my own strength?
The two looked at each other and smiled, their smiles so lewd and obscene!
Thus, a cooperative relationship was established. The devil's idea was to exploit the weakness in the character of Chen Xu and his apprentice, and then create a few conflicts so that these people who were protecting their own would not hesitate to take up arms against countries like the Philippines. At that time, SMMH would only have two choices: either expose their real-world identities, or complete the mission through this base. The former was almost impossible, because everyone knew that SMMH's biggest threat was its mystique. Once it was exposed, it would depend on whether its real-world power was strong enough to withstand it.
Chen Xu, however, was thinking, "You can use me, so I'll use you too... You're using me because you want to research the 'century-long hoax,' fine then, I'll give you whatever you want, since I'm not the one who'll suffer! But you researchers, hmph, that's probably not for you."
It's like free meat being delivered to your door; why not take it?
Three days later, Chen Xu, along with Wolf Fang and others, landed on the island under the guidance of Demon.
"As expected of the Pearl of the South China Sea, the air here is so fresh!" Although it is already December, the weather here is still warm, making it a great choice for a winter vacation.
"Now that this island is mine, I'll name it whatever it was called before..." Chen Xu thought for a moment, "If I had to name the person I admire most, it would be Lord Wei from 'The Deer and the Cauldron,' so let's name this island 'All-Eat Island'! Forget about Western powers, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other clowns, forget about any X organization or the Rothschild family... We'll eat them all!"
Chapter 327 Murder Without Shedding Blood
Eat-All Island... well, this beautiful little island is now called Eat-All Island.
Tongchi Island is located between the Philippines and Malaysia. At 53 square kilometers, it is neither large nor small, but the investment required to build this island is incredibly expensive... Almost flattening the top of a natural island to build an airport, buildings, a port, and an air tunnel... how much would all of that cost?
Moreover, this island has countless cutting-edge experimental devices that money can't buy!
Chen Xu and his group arrived by helicopter. From the airport, the research base in the center of the island was surrounded by mountains, resembling a basin. The surrounding mountains served as a natural barrier for the island, with the only access route being the aerial tunnel. On these mountains, Chen Xu could see several artillery positions at a glance. Indeed, the security of such a base could not be maintained by the reputation of the "Tarot" organization, which was affiliated with the demons; it still required force!
The agreement Chen Xu reached with Taro involved removing all the original defense forces on the island and replacing them with his own people. Chen Xu, who always believed that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, would naturally not hand over the island's vital forces to others. This request was certainly within the scope of the Demons' calculations, so they readily agreed and handed over the entire island's defense system.
This single defense system alone is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
These four hilltops contain a total of 128 heavy artillery positions. When the defensive machine guns are activated simultaneously, they are sufficient to destroy all low-flying aircraft. In addition, there are 30 giant cannons with a range of one kilometer, which can easily destroy passing ships. Furthermore, there are numerous torpedo launchers underwater at the base, and defensive watchtowers in the sky.
More importantly, the island is equipped with a powerful magnetic field interference system!
Once the system is activated, a powerful magnetic field defense membrane will be formed within a radius of 20 kilometers centered on the island. Any aircraft or ship that enters the defense membrane will experience malfunctions due to interference from the strong magnetic field!
If it were a ship, it wouldn't be so bad; although there are reefs around, it wouldn't be a complete disaster. But if it were an airplane… well, to sum it up in one sentence: "Damn, high-tech, driverless…"
The island's technicians were clearly informed of Chen Xu's arrival beforehand, and their reaction was rather lukewarm. Perhaps in the eyes of these research fanatics, nothing is more important than scientific research. As long as they have sufficient funds for research, who cares who their boss is?
Unlike the separate high-rise buildings inland, the research buildings here are connected in one large building, which looks like a large stadium from the outside, enclosing all the sophisticated equipment. What's even more amazing is that a large part of this research institute is underwater, and through tempered transparent glass, researchers can even watch the marine life swimming around while conducting their research.