Shadow of Deep Space

Chapter 467 Peace Talks 2
The next day.

Inside the Lei Ji meeting room.

Firion and Jon sat at the conference table with melancholy looks on their faces.

At this time, the sound of footsteps was heard. Filion and the other man turned their heads and saw that it was Su Ming who came in. They smiled and waved to him.

"Su Ming, you're here, come and sit down!"

"Why did you call me here? What's the matter?"

Su Ming walked to Firion and sat down and asked in confusion.

"Of course we're going to discuss this with you. We're thinking so hard about asking City Lord Alicia for money that our heads are about to explode."

Filion raised his hand and rubbed his temple. He didn't sleep well last night.

"Don't be angry if I say something unpleasant. You want 20 billion worth of supplies, which is no different from robbery. If it were me, I wouldn't give it to you either. Can't you ask for less?"

Su Ming asked the two people with a helpless look on his face.

"No, we can't give in at all. It has to be this much, otherwise it won't be enough."

Filion simply shook his head in response.

"Then there's nothing I can do."

Su Ming shrugged, unable to help.

At this time, Jon said to Su Ming with a smile.

"Su Ming, you are so handsome, how about you take care of City Lord Alysia? Didn't you say before that you don't mind being older? If you can accept someone 30 years older than you, then 300 years older is definitely not a problem!"

"That's right. As long as you can capture City Lord Alicia and make this happen, it will be a great achievement."

Firion also looked at Su Ming with a smile.

"Get out, get out, get out. If you want to use the beauty trap, do it yourself. I won't get involved in this matter of money. I'm just here to help you fight. Forget about other things. You guys take your time to discuss it. I'm leaving first!"

Su Ming stood up from his chair with a twitching mouth, turned around and prepared to leave.

"Don't go, let's discuss this. This is also a sacrifice for the Federation."

Jon shouted quickly.

"You guys take your time to discuss it, let's go!"

Su Ming quickly ran away.

He was not so stupid as to stay. It was obvious that these two guys wanted to settle a personal grudge.

When Firion and Jon saw Su Ming leaving, they looked at each other and sighed at the same time.

In the corridor of the Fallen Light.

Su Ming walked towards the room, and when he reached the door.

Creak~
The door of the next room opened and Irelia just walked out of the room.

When Su Ming saw Irelia, the previous scene emerged in his mind, and he asked a little awkwardly.

"Senior, where are you going?"

"Commander Su Ming, I'm going to the cafeteria for lunch."

Irelia replied calmly.

When Su Ming heard this, he smiled and said.

"Well, how about I invite you to dinner in Poseidon City? Thanks to your help in directing this time, I don't know how to thank you."

After listening to Su Ming's words, Irelia looked at him with her purple eyes without saying anything.

"what happened?"

Su Ming asked a little nervously.

"It's okay. Since you said so, I won't be polite. Let me change my clothes."

Irelia said calmly.

"Okay, I just needed to change my clothes."

Su Ming then opened the door and walked in.
-
Inside Poseidon's Castle.

In the long corridor, Timmy walked out of Alicia's office holding a pile of documents.

At this time, Bihan led Dexier and Limi and walked towards them.

At this time, Desir and Limi lowered their heads slightly.
Several people passed by each other.

Timmy then stopped and turned to look back at Desir and Limi who were wearing hoods, frowning slightly.

But Timmy didn't say anything more, just turned and left.

Inside the office.

Alicia sat at her desk, supporting her chin with one hand, her beautiful eyes flickering, and it was unknown what she was thinking about.

At this time, the office door was pushed open, and Bihan led Dexier and Limi in.

"You two are here. Did you have a good rest yesterday?"

Alicia stood up from her chair and greeted him warmly.

"pretty good."

Desir and Limi responded politely.

“Archbishop Desir, let me be honest. If it wasn’t you that was sent by your Apocalypse Kingdom this time, I might not even meet you. Looking at the entire Apocalypse Kingdom, Archbishop Desir is the only one who makes me feel good. If it weren’t for our positions, maybe we could still be good friends.”

Alicia said with a look of great regret.

Archbishop Dehill also said this with emotion.

"Thank you for the compliment, Lord Alicia. I admire you very much. You have supported the entire Rain City on your own. You are really amazing. I really admire you. But life is full of regrets. We cannot choose our birth. We can only stay firm on our own path."

"Well said, let's talk business."

Alicia said with a bright smile.

"Lord Alysia, please speak!"

"You should know that the Thirteenth Legion has arrived, right?"

"know."

"Don't mind my unpleasant words. The Thirteenth Legion's support has arrived. Do you think I need to be afraid of your Apocalypse Kingdom? Do I still need to negotiate with you?"

"Lord Alicia, what do you mean by this? The Thirteenth Legion has arrived, but this cannot change anything."

Desir replied with a frown.

"Desir, I admit that the troops of Rain City are indeed no match for your Apocalypse Kingdom. But the Thirteenth Legion is a legitimate army of the Federation. And who is the commander of the Thirteenth Legion? You should know better than anyone that she is not a pushover. You should know better than anyone how the Dark Star Empire was defeated."

City Lord Alicia looked at Desir with a smile.

Desir's face suddenly turned gloomy. The threat in Alicia's words was self-evident.

But what Alicia said was right. The leader of the Thirteenth Legion was indeed capable of turning the table over.

The sinking of Skylight Shield Fortress is the best proof.

When Desir thought of this, a kind smile suddenly appeared on his old face and he said.

"Lord Alysia, I don't deny that the Thirteenth Legion is very strong, but so far we still have the upper hand in the Tidal Star Sea. We will not be afraid if a real fight breaks out. There is a saying that goes, peace is the most precious thing."

"Desir, you know me well. I don't like war. I am also very interested in your previous peace talks, but the price is not right."

Alicia said with a smile.

"Lord Alicia, as far as I know, the Thirteenth Legion is asking you for 20 billion in supplies, and they only guarantee victory on the right wing battlefield, not victory in the entire battlefield! The price we offer of 10 trillion in supplies is very low."

Dexier confronted Alicia directly.

"Haha, you have to understand one thing. The 20 billion in supplies are for the lives of everyone on your right wing battlefield. If your right wing battlefield collapses, do you think we will be afraid of you? And the money you paid for the peace talks was taken for free. How can the two be the same?"

Alicia asked calmly.

Desir's expression changed for a moment, and then he spoke.

"Lord Alysia, what you said makes sense. How about this, to show our sincerity, we are willing to lower the price to 5 billion, how about that?"

"The price of 5 billion is indeed quite sincere. This price can be negotiated. Okay, you can go back and report. As for the specific time of the peace talks, I will notify you later."

Alicia said with a smile.

"Okay, then I won't disturb you."

Desir nodded in response.

"Have a good time, Bihan will see them off."

Alicia said with a smile.

"this way please!"

Bihan extended her hand respectfully.

Dexier and the other man then followed Bihan away.

……

Poseidon Fortress·Dock No. 0.

A special ship with a shuttle-shaped hull covered with white armor was clipped onto the dock.

Bi Han sent Dexier and Limi to the connecting passage of the ship's boarding entrance and said respectfully.

"Take care, my two lords. I won't see you off."

"Thank you very much."

Desir and Limi walked straight ahead.

Limi asked confusedly after they entered the ship.

"Lord Deshier, why do you insist on facilitating peace talks?"

"We are all human beings. There is no need to fight to the death. It is meaningless. Of course, the most important point is that the Thirteenth Legion has arrived. If we go to war with the Federation now, it is still uncertain who will win or lose. Moreover, in recent years, those guys in the church have become more and more crazy. They will never admit defeat. Now we can only take advantage of the gap to reach an agreement with the Rain City and let them pay a sum of money to shut up those guys in the church."

"The problem is that if you offer a price of 5 trillion, Edrig and the others won't agree to it."

"I know. Then deduct our share."

Desir replied helplessly.

"understand!"

Limi nodded slightly and replied.

City of Poseidon.

Su Ming, wearing a white shirt and black casual pants, and Irelia, wearing a purple dress, strolled on the busy street.

The whole street was very lively, with young men and women out and about everywhere. The virtual advertising space in the air was constantly playing promotional images of the Thirteenth Legion.

"The arrival of the Thirteenth Legion will definitely change the entire war situation, marking our shift from defense to offense. We are likely to recapture the fallen neutral countries, and we may even push back, just like we did with the Danube Star Sea, and completely take over the entire Tidal Star Sea."

A white-haired strategic expert and reporter are discussing the situation in the Tidal Star Sea.

Su Ming took a look at the promotional video and felt extremely embarrassed.

The propaganda seems to be that they are invincible and will beat the shit out of the Kingdom of Apocalypse tomorrow.

"what happened?"

Irelia glanced at Su Ming and asked.

"Nothing, it's just a little awkward watching those promotional videos."

Su Ming coughed and said.

"It's not a bad thing to get more publicity. Fame is also part of strength."

Irelia said calmly.

"That makes sense, there's a restaurant over there that looks pretty good, why don't we eat there?"

Su Ming saw a restaurant called Banyan Tree in front of him, which was nicely decorated.

"it is good."

Irelia replied casually.

The two then walked towards the restaurant. Soon they entered the restaurant and, under the guidance of the waiter, found a seat in the corner and sat down.

"Sir, Madam. What would you like to eat? These are our signature dishes."

the waitress asked respectfully.

"Senior, come and have some, see if there's anything you like."

Su Ming said gentlemanly.

“Good, creamy raspberry, snow crab salad”

Irelia looked at the menu and ordered some.

"Ok."

The waitress retreated respectfully.

At this time, Su Ming took out an exquisite gift box from his pocket, placed it on the table, pushed it to Irelia and said.

"Senior, this is a small gift from me to you."

Irelia looked at Su Ming with some surprise and reached out to open the box.

Inside the box was an extremely luxurious, noble and elegant necklace.

The necklace features a teardrop-shaped blue star stone surrounded by a circle of gradient gemstones.

Place a profile card next to the necklace.

This necklace was given to Su Ming by Shadel.

"This necklace is too valuable. I can't accept it."

Irelia glanced at the necklace and said

"It's okay, this is just a small token of my gratitude. Without your help, I would be in big trouble."

Su Ming tried his best to persuade.

Irelia picked up the document and took a look at it.

Tears of Star
Meaning: Star love is eternal.

She looked at Su Ming meaningfully and asked.

"Are you sure? You don't mean anything else?"

"determine."

Su Ming replied without blushing or beating his heart.

"Okay, then I'll accept it."

Irelia closed the gift box and put it away.

At this time, the waiter brought the exquisite dishes and placed them on the table.

Su Ming quickly said to Irelia.

"The food is here, let's try it and see how it tastes."

"It tastes good, you can eat it too."

Irelia picked up the chopsticks, picked up some salad, tasted it and said.

"it is good."

Su Ming also picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

At this moment, Su Ming's bracelet suddenly vibrated and a message popped up.

Su Ming glanced down and found that it was from Timmy, so he clicked on the message to check.

"Commander Su Ming, are you free? I have something I want to talk to you about in person."

Su Ming looked at the content of the message and frowned.

Irelia keenly noticed the abnormality in Su Ming's expression and said with a smile.

"Su Ming, are you dating another girl?"

When Su Ming heard what Irelia said, his expression suddenly became very interesting and he quickly explained.

"No, how is that possible?"

"Really? Then why are you so excited?"

Irelia asked with interest.

"It's like this. My captain, Colonel Timmy, who left, just sent me a message saying that he has something to talk to me about."

Su Ming replied with a wry smile.

"Isn't this just perfect? ​​You can just get her back."

Irelia said with a smile.

"Forget it, I'll get back to her later."

Su Ming replied awkwardly.

"Are you sure? She might have something important to tell you. It would be terrible if she was delayed. Why don't you ask her to come over? You can eat and talk at the same time."

Irelia suggested to Su Ming.

"Ok."

Su Ming thought about it and felt that what Irelia said made sense, so he raised his bracelet and sent a message to Timmy.

After a while.

The door to the restaurant was pushed open and Timmy walked in and looked around.

"This way!"

Su Ming raised his hand and shouted.

Timmy saw Su Ming raising his hand and walked over.

However, when she walked to the dining table and saw Irelia, she was also startled, and then frowned.

"Let me introduce you. This is Senior Irelia. She will be my commander for the time being."

Su Ming formally introduced Timmy.

"Timmy, what a coincidence!"

Irelia greeted with a smile.

"Irelia, I didn't expect that we would meet here after the three-school league ended." Timmy took a deep breath, suppressed his anger and replied.

She had lost to Irelia in the three-school league, but she didn't expect that she would take her place as soon as she resigned.

Although this was all coincidence, she was still very angry.

Su Ming saw that the atmosphere was a bit tense and spoke quickly.

"Timmy, you probably haven't eaten yet, sit down and eat something first! Waiter, bring a set of bowls and chopsticks."

"it is good!"

When Timi saw Su Ming speaking, he sat down next to Irelia.

Soon the waiter brought the dishes and chopsticks.

"Try this grape shrimp, it tastes very good."

Su Ming pushed the plate of grape shrimp in front of Timmy.

"Well, thank you, Commander Su Ming."

Timmy said after tasting it.

Su Ming watched Timmy eat quietly for a while, then asked curiously.

"Timmy, what do you want from me?"

"Captain Su Ming, I want to ask how you can find so many supplies in Yuzhidu?"

Timmy asked curiously.

"It's called military spending, but it's actually the federal government's fiscal deficit."

Su Ming explained helplessly.

"20 billion is too much. If it's 5 billion, there's still hope that we can get it. But if it's 20 billion, Rain City will definitely not give it out."

"I know, but there is no other way. We can only talk about it slowly."

"I don't think there's much hope. Today, when I was delivering documents to the city lord, I unexpectedly saw him receiving two unidentified people."

Timmy replied, shaking his head.

When Irelia heard what Timmy said, her brows slightly frowned.

Su Ming said with a serious expression.

"Unidentified people, do they have any characteristics?"

"I couldn't see them clearly because they were wearing hoods, but judging from the material of their windbreakers, they are most likely from the Kingdom of Apocalypse."

Timmy said to Su Ming.

"The Kingdom of Apocalypse? Could it be that City Lord Alicia is negotiating with the Kingdom of Apocalypse? If they reach an agreement, there could be big problems."

Su Ming's eyelids twitched, and he said in a very tricky way.

In fact, Su Ming did not trust the charlatans in the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom. Those guys changed their attitudes faster than turning the pages of a book.

As for peace talks, although they could minimize the losses of Rain City, they would be tantamount to aiding the enemy in disguise and slapping the Federation in the face.

"I don't know. I also find it very strange. Logically speaking, City Lord Alicia would not negotiate with them."

Timmy said after a moment's hesitation.

"Why not?"

Su Ming looked at Timmy curiously and asked.

"My grandma Annabeth is Lord Alicia's aunt. They had a very good relationship. The Kingdom of Apocalypse killed my grandma. Lord Alicia would never negotiate like this."

Timmy said, biting his lip.

After listening to Timmy's words, Su Ming pondered for a moment and said.

"Timmy, thank you for the information. I know about this matter."

"Yes. Commander Su Ming, I have something else to do and I'll leave first."

Timmy said, standing up.

"Okay, walk slowly."

Su Ming nodded to Timmy and replied.

Timmy saluted and left the restaurant.

Su Ming turned his head to look at Irelia and asked thoughtfully.

"Senior Irelia, what do you think about this matter?"

"These are just speculations. City Lord Alicia still knows her limits."

When Irelia heard this, she took a sip of the water and said lightly.

"I hope so."

Su Ming nodded slightly and replied.
-
God Fortress·Light Conference Hall.

Edrig, Bairut and others sat at the conference table, and the projections of Archbishop Deshier and Limi appeared.

"Lord Edrig, I have finished talking to Lord Alysia."

"Oh, how was the talk?"

"5 billion in supplies to end this war."

Desir said to Edrig.

"Five hundred billion? Deshier, don't you think this number is too small?"

Edrig looked at Desir expressionlessly.

Bairuto and the others all showed a sneer on their faces.

"Lord Edrig, the Thirteenth Legion's support has arrived. The Rain City is not afraid of us at all now. They just don't want to continue to lose lives!"

Desir said in a deep voice.

"It's as if we're afraid of them. What's so great about the Thirteenth Legion?"

Byruto sneered sarcastically.

"I've said it many times before. The Thirteenth Legion is not to be trifled with. They are not pushovers. We may not win if we really fight. Now we have finally conquered so many neutral countries and plundered a lot of wealth. As long as we can get the Rain City to spit out this amount of supplies, our operation will be a complete victory and we can retreat unscathed. This is our best opportunity. If you think it's too little, I can give you my share."

Desir said to Edrig and others.

Edrig's expression changed for a moment, and then he spoke.

"I see. Let me think about this."

"it is good!"

Desir and Limi then cut off the remote communication.

At this time, Byruto's eyes flashed red, and he sneered sarcastically.

"Open your mouth, Thirteenth Legion. Shut up, Thirteenth Legion. I think Archbishop Deshier is either getting more timid as he gets older, or he has accepted benefits from the Federation! He has such a good situation, but he doesn't take the opportunity to swallow up the entire Tidal Star Sea, but insists on negotiating with the Federation."

"Bairut, watch your words!"

Edrig glanced at Byruth coldly.

"Humph!"

Bairut snorted coldly and stopped talking.

Edrig then spoke to everyone.

"The meeting is adjourned. Let's all go down."

Upon hearing this, Bayrut and the others stood up and left.

Soon Edrig was the only one left in the meeting room. He narrowed his eyes and kept thinking about something.

At this time, a figure walked into the conference room, came to Edrig's side, and spoke respectfully.

"Lord Edrig."

Edrig turned his head and spoke coldly.

"Axel, what's going on?"

The man in front of him was none other than Prince Yax of the destroyed Actons Kingdom.

"Lord Edrig, I would like to introduce you to a very important person."

Yax said humbly.

Edrig became interested after hearing what Yax said, and immediately spoke.

"Since you introduced him, let him in."

"Yes!"

Yax then backed out.

Soon, a man with short black hair, a high nose bridge, dark green eyes like deep pools, and ordinary looks walked in with a cigarette in his mouth. This man was the leader of the Mechanicus, Cross.

"Lord Edrig."

Cross greeted with a smile.

"you are?"

Edrig narrowed his eyes and looked at Cross. Although it was the first time he saw the man in front of him, his intuition told him that this man was very dangerous.

"Introduce myself, my name is Cross, a nobody!"

Cross introduced himself calmly.

"I don't think you are a nobody, but it doesn't matter. What do you want from me?"

Edrig asked coldly.

"I came to you just to tell you an important news."

"What important news?"

"The Speaker of the Federation is likely dead, and even if he's not dead, the situation is very bad."

Cross said with a smile.

When Edrig heard what Cross said, the muscles on his old face twitched, and then he said sarcastically.

"You are kidding me. You said that the president of the Federal Parliament is dead? And that he is not good? What evidence do you have?"

"I don't have any evidence, but I can tell you that this news came from within the Federation."

"Do you think I will believe it? If it's fake, wouldn't our Apocalypse Kingdom be killed by you?"

"Lord Edrig, believe it or not, but I have something to remind you. Your Lord God Emperor should be very interested in the thing that Chairman Longxian Council brought back, right? If you don't take action now, who knows who will get the thing."

Cross said with a half-smile.

In fact, the reason why Cross came here to see Edrig was because he was very dissatisfied with the actions of the mechanical clan.

Although he had already helped the Mechanical Clan verify the status of Chairman Long Xian of the Council, the Mechanical Clan was still hesitant and had not taken any action until now, so he could only push the market forward himself.

After hearing what Cross said, Edrig's face suddenly changed, and then he showed a bright smile.

"Ha ha!"

"Ha ha!"

Cross saw Edrig laugh and laughed too.
-
City of Poseidon.

In the black hovercraft, Su Ming, Firion and Jon sat in the back seat.

They were on their way to Poseidon Castle to meet with Lord Alicia for a second negotiation.

Su Ming thought for a while and spoke to Filion and the others in a low voice.

"I just got some news yesterday."

"what news?"

Firion and Jon asked curiously.

"It seems that City Lord Alicia has met with the envoys of the Kingdom of Apocalypse."

Su Ming said to the two of them.

"What are they talking about? Are they negotiating?"

When Firion and Jon heard Su Ming's words, their faces turned darker than charcoal.

They are not fools. At this critical juncture, City Lord Alicia is meeting with the envoys of the Kingdom of Apocalypse, most likely to discuss peace talks.

"I don't know. Anyway, today's consultation with City Lord Alicia is not expected to go smoothly."

Su Ming gave the two of them a heads-up in advance.

"we know."

Filion and the other man took a deep breath.

Not long after, the three arrived at Poseidon Castle. Housekeeper Bi Han had been waiting for a long time. She led the three directly to the city lord's office.

When they entered the office, they immediately saw City Lord Alicia sitting behind the desk with three chairs in front of her.

"General Firion, you are here, please take a seat."

Alicia said with a smile.

"Thank you, Lord City Lord."

Su Ming and the other two bowed slightly and then sat down again.

"Regarding the military expenditure issue, we held a meeting in Rain City, and we all agreed that you are asking for too much. After all, our industry in Rain City has just been looted, our ships have suffered heavy losses, and our personnel need compensation, so we really have no money left."

Alicia said to the three of them regretfully.

Filion coughed and asked politely.

"Lord Alicia, how much do you think is appropriate?"

"5 billion, and it's not supplies but federal currency."

Alicia directly quoted her price.

When Su Ming heard Alicia's offer, his eyelids suddenly jumped. He keenly felt that the number mentioned by City Lord Alicia was not a random number. It was very likely the bargaining chip that the Kingdom of Apocalypse wanted for peace talks.

Firion and Jon also noticed it, but they still spoke up.

"Sorry! City Lord Alicia, 5 billion is too little."

"Oh, how much do you want?"

Alicia looked at Firion and Jon with interest.

"City Lord Alicia, seriously, the minimum amount of supplies is 15."

Firion said through gritted teeth.

This is the bottom line he can compromise on. If it is any less, he really won’t be able to deliver.

When Alicia heard what Firion said, she immediately smiled brightly.

Su Ming and the other two felt uneasy when they saw Alicia's smile.

They were not stupid enough to think that City Lord Alicia was smiling because she was in a good mood.

"I'm sorry, I can't agree to this number, and my subordinates won't agree to it either. I also have to take their feelings into consideration, so go back and think about it carefully. Let's leave it at that for today."

Alicia directly asked to see the guest off.

Su Ming and Firion looked at each other, and the three of them stood up helplessly.

"Lord Alicia, we'll take our leave now."

"Walk slowly."

City Lord Alicia said with a smile.

Su Ming and the other two bowed and turned to leave.

Not long after, Su Ming and the other two walked out of Poseidon Castle.

Jon couldn't help but speak.

"The number reported by City Lord Alicia was definitely not random. She must have talked to the envoys from the Kingdom of Apocalypse."

"Don't talk nonsense. Alicia wouldn't dare to do that."

Filion replied irritably.

"Why not? Negotiations would only hurt the Federation's reputation, but would be good for the Rain City. They wouldn't have to continue fighting, and fewer people would die. As long as they can keep the Tidal Star Sea, they will make up for it in no time."

"Then what can you do?"

"Old Fei, we can't go on like this. If we really let them win the negotiation, not to mention aiding the enemy, how are we going to explain this to the parliament? Where are we going to get so many supplies?"

Jon said a little frantically.

Firion's expression changed for a moment, then he looked at Su Ming, who had been silent, and asked.

"Su Ming, what do you think?"

"What can I think? Judging from her current situation, 5 billion is actually a lot, but it is still far from our bottom line! If this matter is not negotiated for a long time, maybe if they push her too far, Rain City will really negotiate with the Kingdom of Apocalypse."

Su Ming sighed and said.

"We know this, but the problem is that the minimum is 15 billion, and it really can't be reduced any further."

Filion replied with a headache.

Just when Su Ming was about to say something.

hum~
The bracelet suddenly vibrated and a message popped up.

Su Ming lowered his head and clicked on the message, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He immediately hung up the text message and spoke to Firion and Jon.

"You guys go back first, I still have some things to deal with."

"Okay, let's go first."

Firion and Jon sighed.

"Go ahead! Don't worry too much. Things will work out when the time comes. There will always be a way out."

Su Ming comforted the two of them.

"Well, let's go!"

Firion and Jon left immediately.

Su Ming looked at the backs of the two people leaving, raised his bracelet again to look at the message, with a thoughtful expression.

(End of this chapter)