The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

Seeing that Duoka was completely unresponsive, Mengyin gradually felt a sense of helplessness.

He knew that arguing like this was pointless; Doka had no intention of releasing him.

But he couldn't really stay here in this stalemate. The task Yang Xia had given him was crucial, and if it was delayed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He took a deep breath, tried to calm his tone, and attempted to communicate again:
"Chief Doka, I know you are worried about the infringement of our maritime sovereignty. As an envoy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I can assure you that this incident was purely accidental and the Great Zhou Dynasty would never intentionally infringe upon the maritime territory of the Atlan Empire."

We can sign a written statement promising to more strictly comply with flight regulations in the future to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Do you think this is okay?"

Doka shook his head, and said firmly:
“A written statement is far from enough! You must provide more tangible compensation, such as supplying our country with a batch of goods or opening certain trade channels of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Otherwise, I will not let you leave.”

Mengyin heard the word "compensation"

Those two words reignited the anger in my heart.

He never expected Doka to be so greedy, trying to make exorbitant demands based on an unexpected incident.

He suppressed his anger and said in an icy tone:

"Chief Doka, your demands are outrageous! The Great Zhou Dynasty will never accept such unreasonable demands! If you insist on this, don't blame us for taking strong measures!"

"A tough measure?"

Doka scoffed dismissively, "Your people are in my hands now, and your ships have been seized by us. You dare to talk about tough measures? I'd like to see what Yang Xia can do to me!"

The two were locked in a stalemate again, neither willing to back down.

Looking at Doka's arrogant face, Meng Yin secretly pondered—if he really couldn't persuade Doka, perhaps he could only try to contact the outside world and ask Meng Yu to send people to help.

But this is the heartland of the Atlan Empire, and communication equipment has long been confiscated, making it extremely difficult to contact the outside world.

Meanwhile, Doka sat in the main seat, looking at Mengyin with a smug expression.

He felt he had the upper hand. If he persisted a little longer, Mengyin would compromise for fear of delaying the mission, and then he would be able to get the benefits he wanted from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The arguing in the hall gradually subsided, leaving only the two of them staring coldly at each other.

The sea breeze continued to howl outside the palace, as if adding tension and pressure to this silent confrontation.

Meng Yin knew that this standoff was far from over, and he had to find a way to break the deadlock as soon as possible.

There was no need to continue the conversation. Both of them felt that the other was wrong and should apologize to them.

Inside the council hall of the Atlan Empire, the air seemed to have frozen into ice.

Mengyin stood in the hall, looking at the arrogant Doka on the main seat, feeling both anxious and helpless.

He knew that continuing this stalemate would only waste time, but the task assigned by Yang Xia was urgent and could not be delayed in the slightest.

Meng Yin's fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, his mind replaying Yang Xia's instructions before his departure: "Be sure to convey the instructions to Meng Yu within three days, so that the Great Zhou fleet can be prepared to launch a surprise attack from the rear as soon as Xingyun Kingdom attacks Yan Kingdom."

He has been trapped in the Atlan Empire for a full day now, and if he cannot escape soon, his plan to reach the main island of the Great Zhou within three days will be completely ruined.

What worries him even more is that Yang Xia is currently in Yan Kingdom discussing countermeasures with Song Jitian, while the Xingyun Kingdom's fleet is anchored in Yan Kingdom's port, ready to launch an attack at any time.

If the Great Zhou fleet fails to receive the order in time and misses the best opportunity for a surprise attack, the Yan Kingdom may be caught in a predicament of being attacked from both sides. At that time, not only will Yang Xia's plan fail completely, but both the Yan Kingdom and the Great Zhou Dynasty may face annihilation.

"We absolutely cannot let this happen!"

Mengyin secretly made up her mind.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down—rather than continuing to argue with Doka, it was better to back down for now and find a way to leave this place first; completing the mission was the top priority.

Thinking of this, the anger on Meng Yin's face gradually faded, replaced by a restrained calm.

He slowly walked up to Doka, sighed softly, and said in a gentle tone:

“Chief Doka, this stalemate is not good for either of us.”

"How about this? I'm not lying. The mission I'm carrying is extremely important and cannot be delayed. If it's delayed, it will not only affect the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it might also implicate the Atlantean Empire."

When Doka heard that "the Atlan Empire was involved," he raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, but he still didn't speak, only gesturing for Mengyin to continue.

Seeing this, Mengyin quickly added:

"I can assure you here that once I complete my mission, I will voluntarily return to the Atlan Empire and take responsibility for this incident of mistakenly entering the sea."

When the time comes, we can sit down and talk about how the Atlan Empire wants to punish me, and I will have no complaints whatsoever.

But now, I must leave immediately, otherwise, if the situation escalates, the Atlantean Empire might also be dragged into it, and then I'd be inviting trouble myself—it would be a losing proposition.”

He deliberately exaggerated the "playing with fire" aspect.

In four words, the intention was to make Doka realize the seriousness of the situation—the Nebula Kingdom's ambitions extend beyond the Yan Kingdom. If they successfully occupy the Yan Kingdom, their next target could very well be the surrounding smaller countries, and the Atlan Empire might not be able to remain unscathed either.

Doka was filled with doubt as he looked at Mengyin's sudden change in attitude.

He had expected Mengyin to continue its hardline standoff, but to his surprise, the other side took the initiative to back down and even offered to "come back later to accept the punishment."

conditions.

This sudden compromise made him suspect that there might be a trap, after all, Meng Yin's attitude had been so firm before, but now it had suddenly softened, which was really abnormal.

However, Meng Yin's mention of "involving the Atlan Empire" also made Doka somewhat apprehensive.

He knew that relations between the surrounding countries were very tense recently, and the Nebula Kingdom was making frequent moves. If he were to get involved in a bigger conflict because of detaining Meng Yin, it would not be a good thing for the Atlan Empire.

Moreover, he thought again that if he could take this opportunity to do the Great Zhou Dynasty a favor, he might be able to gain more benefits in the future. This was much more worthwhile than forcibly detaining Meng Yin now and risking conflict.

Thinking of this, the coldness on Doka's face gradually dissipated. He stood up from his seat, walked slowly to Mengyin, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face:

"Okay, your suggestion does sound reasonable."

However, before I decide to let you go, you must tell me what important mission you are carrying out? You keep emphasizing the importance of the mission, but you won't reveal any details, which has piqued my curiosity.

Doka's tone seemed casual, but his eyes held a hint of probing.

He had long wanted to know the recent movements of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and now that Meng Yin had taken the initiative to mention the mission, it gave him the perfect opportunity to gather information. If he could extract some secrets from Meng Yin, it would undoubtedly be a pleasant surprise for the Atlantean Empire.

Upon hearing Doka's question, Mengyin's mind immediately went on high alert.

He never expected that Doka would ask about the details of the mission at this time.

The task assigned by Yang Xia involved the joint plan between the Great Zhou and the Yan Kingdom, which was related to the safety of both countries. It was absolutely forbidden to leak the information. If the Atlan Empire found out, the consequences would be unimaginable. If Doka leaked the information to the Nebula Kingdom for his own benefit, all the previous arrangements would be in vain.

A look of surprise instantly appeared on Meng Yin's face. He stared wide-eyed at Doka, as if he couldn't believe that the other party would make such a request.

He suppressed his wariness, feigning confusion, and waited for Doka to explain further.

Seeing Meng Yin's surprised expression, Doka assumed he was hesitating and continued:

"Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just curious."

If you are willing to tell me the details of the mission, I can immediately order you and your crew to leave, and provide you with ample supplies to ensure you reach your destination as soon as possible.

This can be considered a compromise between us, what do you think?

As Doka spoke, he observed Mengyin's reaction, trying to find a flaw in his expression.

He believed that Meng Yin would likely waver in the face of such temptation, since his most pressing need was to leave.

But Meng Yin had already made up his mind that no matter what conditions Duoka proposed, he absolutely could not reveal a single word about the mission.

He took a deep breath, and the surprise on his face gradually faded, replaced by a resolute indifference.

He gave a soft hum, looked up at Doka, and spoke in a calm yet undeniably resolute tone:
"Chief Doka, there are some things you shouldn't ask."

I cannot tell you the specifics of the task; I hope you understand.

He paused, his gaze sharpening further:
"This is an internal affair of the Great Zhou Dynasty, involving state secrets. It is not necessary for other countries to know about it, let alone for outsiders to interfere."

If you truly want me to leave, there's no need to ask these questions anymore; if you insist on probing, then I'm afraid we can only continue this stalemate."

Meng Yin's words not only stated his position but also subtly exerted pressure—if Doka continued to pester him, he would rather abandon compromise and return to a standoff.

After all, the secrets of the mission must not be revealed; that was his bottom line.

Looking into Meng Yin's determined eyes, Doka knew that the other party would never reveal the details of the mission.

His expectations were instantly dashed, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face.

He originally thought that by letting Meng Yin leave, he could extract some useful information, but he did not expect Meng Yin to be so vigilant and not give him any room to compromise.

Silence fell once again in the hall. Doka stood there, his brows furrowed, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. If he insisted on keeping Mengyin, it might trigger a conflict with the Great Zhou Dynasty, and he might also miss the opportunity to do Mengyin a favor. If he let Mengyin go, he would not get any useful information, and the previous detention would seem to have been a waste of effort.

Seeing Doka's hesitant expression, Mengyin felt a little nervous.

He knew that Doka's decision was crucial. If the other party changed his mind because he couldn't find out the information, then his previous concessions would be in vain, and leaving would become much more difficult.

He took a deep breath and spoke again:
"Chief Doka, I know you want to know the details of the mission, but I really can't help you."

However, I can assure you that after this mission is completed, I will keep my promise and return to the Atlan Empire to explain everything to you.

"At that time, if you deem it necessary, the Great Zhou Dynasty is also willing to provide the Atlantean Empire with certain compensation to make up for the inconvenience caused by this incident."

Mengyin's words reassured Doka.

He knew that Doka valued profit the most, and if he promised compensation, the other party would likely dispel his concerns and agree to let him leave.

Doka heard "compensation"

Two words, and his eyes flickered slightly.

He was silent for a moment, then finally nodded:
"Okay, I'll trust you this time."

I can let you and your crew leave and provide you with supplies, but you must promise to return immediately after the mission is completed.

"If you dare to breach this contract, the Atlantean Empire will never let this go!"

Meng Yinjian finally relented, and the weight that had been hanging over his heart was finally lifted.

He nodded quickly and said:
"Please rest assured, I will definitely keep my promise and will never break it!"

Doka looked at Mengyin, his face still showing some resentment, but in the end he turned around and shouted towards the outside of the hall:

"Someone, prepare the boats and supplies, and let Mr. Mengyin and his crew leave!"

The guards outside the hall quickly responded and turned to make arrangements.

Mengyin watched Doka's retreating figure and breathed a sigh of relief, but also secretly reminded himself that he must remember this lesson and be more cautious on future voyages to prevent similar accidents from happening again.

Mengyin's reluctance to reveal details of the mission was like a thorn in Doka's side.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, even suspecting that Mengyin had no sincerity at all, and that the so-called "important mission" was meaningless.

Perhaps it was a fabricated lie, intended only to extricate himself.

The thought that he might be kept in the dark made Doka's face grow even uglier, and his previously softened resolve hardened again—since Mengyin refused to be honest, he didn't need to let him leave so easily.

Just when Mengyin thought the two sides were about to reach an agreement, Doka suddenly turned around and walked towards the entrance of the main hall with hurried steps, clearly not wanting to continue the negotiations.

Seeing this, Mengyin was both anxious and angry. He quickly stepped forward, raising his voice slightly:

"Chief Doka! What do you mean by this? Have you changed your mind, or are you unwilling to let me leave?"

He quickly caught up with Doka, his tone carrying a warning:

"If you insist on detaining me, you must be prepared to bear the consequences! I have made myself clear that if this matter is delayed, the consequences will be far beyond what the Atlan Empire can bear. You should think it over carefully and see if what I said makes sense!"

Kodoka merely gave a cold "humph," without even turning his head, his steps unwavering, his attitude resolute and unquestionable.

(End of this chapter)