From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 765 You know
The Crown Fortress, the temporary prison cell of the former Regent Norton II.

Although this room where Norton II stayed alone was his temporary prison cell, it was actually a standard officer's lounge in the Crown Fortress.

The layout is simple and the furnishings are complete. The only thing that has something to do with a "prison cell" is probably the two Immortal heavy-armored soldiers standing silently like sculptures at the door, and the external communications and network that have been completely cut off in the room.

When Amber walked into the "prison cell", Norton II was sitting on the sofa by the window in a relaxed posture. The lighting simulation system inside the living area of ​​the Crown Fortress cast the "afternoon" sunlight onto him through the window glass.

It dispelled some of the inherent gloom of the former regent, and instead highlighted a rare leisure, as if he was not a prisoner, but on vacation in his own estate.

He raised his eyes and saw Amber coming in with a sullen face. He seemed to have noticed something and a teasing smile immediately appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Mr. Amber doesn't look very happy. Who has offended you?"

Norton II spoke first, his tone was overly relaxed, as if the relationship between them was not that of a prisoner and a guard, but just old friends who had not seen each other for a long time.

Amber walked over to him, sat heavily on another sofa, leaned back and crossed her arms across her chest, her posture showing obvious vigilance and impatience.

"The former regent is beaming with joy. It seems that the food grown by the hydroponic array of the Mianlu Fortress is still able to nourish people."

Norton II chuckled, not paying any attention to Amber's slightly unhappy words. Instead, he looked at Amber with interest, then smiled and said:

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong again, making Mr. Amber unhappy?"

"Humph"

Amber snorted heavily and said bluntly without beating around the bush: "Your own problem is not that big. After all, you are a loser. The problem is the group of people outside, your former Queen, the two Duke allies - one of whom stabbed you in the back, and your two 'loyal' former staff members, each one of them... Tsk, it's really amazing."

Norton II was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he couldn't help but burst into a hearty laughter as if he had heard a huge joke. There was a sense of complete relief in his laughter, and even more so a sense of undisguised gloating.

This was the first time Amber saw such a sincere and undisguised smile on his face, as if the emotions that had been suppressed for a long time had finally found an outlet.

"I didn't expect that these guys could make Mr. Amber angry? This really surprised me. Mr. Amber, I'm curious about what they did?"

Norton II finally stopped laughing and asked Amber with a curious look on his face. This look made Amber feel more and more angry.

Amber glared at him unhappily, and her tone became even more hostile: "They are so efficient! They just wrote you off in a few words at the negotiation table, as if you were some kind of plague god and they were afraid of having any contact with you. In the end, they tacitly threw you, the hot potato, directly to me like trash!"

Norton II laughed again, even louder this time, his body rocking back and forth, as if Amber's complaint was the funniest joke he had ever heard.

"Mr. Amber, you are really like 'shooting geese all day, only to be pecked in the eye by a goose today'! I never thought that you would also be defeated, hahahaha!"

Norton II's undisguised gloating made Amber very angry for a moment. Her already unhappy expression became completely gloomy and her tone became a little cold and hard.

"You seem very proud, sir? Aren't you afraid that if I get upset, I'll make you disappear from this world completely?"

Norton II shrugged his shoulders. The smile on his face faded a little, but there was no fear in his expression. Instead, there was a kind of indifference that seemed to be seeing through the world.

"I am in this situation now. I am just a miserable life. I don't know whether I can see the sun tomorrow. Mr. Amber can do whatever he wants to do with me. I believe that Her Majesty Queen Agnes will not trouble Mr. Amber again for my miserable life."

Norton II's desperate attitude made Amber choke on the harsh words she had prepared, and she was caught off guard for a moment.

He originally thought that the other party would continue to play power games, or at least bargain, but he didn't expect that the other party would be so honest as to just lie down.

Amber only now truly realized that her act of "capturing" Norton II seemed to have really brought her back a big trouble - a big trouble that she couldn't kill or keep.

Norton II looked at the ever-changing expression on Amber's face with interest. Suddenly, he changed the subject and asked tentatively:
"Mr. Amber seems to think that my idleness is a bit of a hindrance. If that's the case, why don't you let me work for the Atlas Group? It can be considered a way to make use of waste~"

Amber was stunned when she heard this and almost thought she had heard it wrong.

He raised his head and stared at Norton II seriously, his eyes full of suspicion and caution. "Sir, your joke is not funny at all. I really don't know how you came up with this proposal. But I'm sorry, our Atlas Group is too small to support a great god like you." Norton II heard Amber's angry words, but his mood did not change. Instead, he smiled and shook his head, his tone was surprisingly serious, and he did not mean to joke at all.

"I'm not kidding, Mr. Amber, please rest assured. I don't need any salary. As long as Mr. Amber can provide me with three meals a day and a place to stay, that's enough. Of course, it would be even better if you could provide me with some cigars and good wine occasionally."

"Oh, cigars and good wine, you really dare to think so."

Amber retorted bluntly, but he became even more confused. He squinted his eyes and looked at Norton II, trying to see something from his wrinkled face.

"Sir, what are you doing? What good will it bring to you, a man who was once a powerful figure in the Star Dragon Empire, to join the Atlas Group?"

"This is wrong"

Norton II shook his head and continued:
"Mr. Amber, you know that we have cooperated for a long time. I was the one who first introduced the quantum entanglement communication network to the Star Dragon Empire.

And I have been following you for a long time. I know you are incredibly strong. I think that if the two of us work together, we can produce a very good chemical reaction!
Sometimes it’s hard to make a decision. After many days and nights of thinking, I decided to bring my talent to Atlas Group. I can’t wait to put on the Atlas Group employee uniform!
As for Duke, Perseus, and Altras, I wish them all the best in the Star Dragon Empire!"

This speech, which gave Amber a strong sense of déjà vu, made him a little nervous. He opened his mouth for a long time and finally squeezed out one sentence: "You haven't said what the benefit is yet."

The smile on Norton II's face gradually faded, replaced by a calmness, a clarity that seemed to have gone through countless storms.

"Benefits? Maybe there are no practical benefits for me personally, but I have no place to stand in the empire anymore. If I go back, everyone will hate me. My later years are doomed to be miserable.

Instead of rotting in obscurity in that corner, it is better to change your way of life and follow Mr. Amber to witness with your own eyes how you realize your grand blueprint step by step. "

Norton II paused, his eyes becoming more profound. "What I said to you in the underground base was not all false flattery. Although I am not as servile and disgusting as Frederico, I really want to witness it, and even want to personally participate in the construction of the new order you described, to see what the world will eventually become in your hands."

Amber was silent. He stared at Norton II, and his invisible psychic power carefully read the other's emotional fluctuations.

His intuition and psychic feedback told him that this time, Norton II really did not lie.
This once powerful and ambitious hero seemed to have a change in mentality after experiencing a complete defeat, and he became more open-minded about many things.

This little old man, who had become much more haggard the night before, now just wanted to find a corner to stay in, and spend the rest of his life under the flag of Atlas as a 'witness' or 'participant'.

Seeing the tangled and hesitant look on Amber's face, Norton II chuckled again and asked provocatively, "Why, Mr. Amber is so afraid of a loser like me? You don't even dare to let me join the Atlas Group and be an idler under your nose?"

Amber sneered and replied rudely: "Sir, please stop using your cheap provocation method. It's useless to me."

Norton II seemed not to hear it, and didn't care, continuing to slowly throw out more tempting chips.

"If Mr. Amber is really willing to take in a 'useless' person like me and give me the identity of a 'witness', I can 'confiscate' all my personal property, note that it is all my personal property, to the Atlas Group.

All my fiefdoms, mining areas and colonies in the empire can be handed over to you, Mr. Amber, and I will not take a penny from the future profits.

Besides, hasn't Mr. Amber always wanted to promote your 'Atlas Model' within the Empire?

My core fiefdoms have a superior geographical location, rich resources, and an easy-to-control popular base, which can be used as your first experimental field.

Regardless of success or failure, all risks and costs will be borne by me, Mr. Amber, what do you think of my proposal? "

Norton II's words were powerful, and every word hit Amber's heart like a hammer.

His proposal undoubtedly provided a nearly perfect solution to Amber's current predicament. Apart from anything else, the acquisition of an excellent "experimental field" where they could do whatever they wanted established a bridgehead for the Atlas Group to penetrate the Star Dragon Empire.

No matter how you look at this deal, Amber doesn't lose anything, and can even say that he makes a huge profit.

(End of this chapter)