"Who'd have thought the Lanners civilization's representative would be so arrogant, and actually put forward terms like these. This isn't negotiating with us at all; it's treating us as a tool," Secretary Officer Barbara said with some anger, having finished reading the record of the meeting.
"After all, their power truly is greater than ours now. It's only natural that they look down on us. If it had been three-way talks as before, they might really have been able to put forward some outrageous terms. But now there's only one civilization here: our Fierce Dragon civilization. If they want to talk, fine. But how we talk and what we settle isn't theirs to decide. We're not their tool, their stepping-stone. We're rivals on an equal footing," Zhao Chen said with a cold smile.
"Mm. Our attitude must be firm. Even if we don't cooperate with the Lanners civilization, we aren't afraid of them either. At worst we go it alone!" Secretary Officer Barbara said confidently.
At this point Marshal Chu Xuan beside them spoke up: "If possible, it's best if we can cooperate with the Lanners civilization. Otherwise they'll most likely sit on the wall and watch from here on. The Dax Empire civilization's main target in its next stage is surely us. So even if the Lanners civilization doesn't cooperate with us, they in fact lose little by it. But for us it's very unfavorable. So in the coming negotiations, we must not only hold the initiative, we must also make the Lanners civilization bleed a little!"
Zhao Chen listened to Marshal Chu Xuan's words and nodded: "That's what I think too. As things look now, our Fierce Dragon civilization is the smallest among the Dax Empire and the Lanners civilization. But it's exactly we who are the one point on these scales that can tip the balance. When we talk to them tomorrow, we'll tell them straight out. If they keep putting forward these preposterous terms, our Fierce Dragon civilization can perfectly well negotiate with the Dax Empire civilization, ready for the fish to die and the net to tear. If we don't fare well, we won't let the Lanners civilization fare well either. If our Fierce Dragon fleet and the Dax Empire's fleets turned on the Lanners civilization at the same time, could they hold? So long as we tell them this thought of ours, they surely won't dare go so far as they're going now!" Zhao Chen stated his idea.
Everyone expressed agreement too.
This question having been discussed,
Zhao Chen looked at Marshal Chu Xuan and asked about another matter: "How is the fighting on the Frey civilization's side going? Tell me the details."
Marshal Chu Xuan nodded and began describing the state of the war on the Frey civilization's side.
"We've destroyed all of the Frey civilization's main fleets and destroyed their temple. The Lord of Frey is dead, and all the Frey civilization's people are dead. There is no Frey civilization anymore."
Hearing this, Zhao Chen glanced at the Trial civilizations page.
The number of Trial civilizations truly was one fewer than before.
On this page the remaining number of Trial civilizations was shown, but it would not tell them which Trial civilization had vanished.
"Very good. The Frey civilization has been rooted out by us. Then this star system belongs wholly to us. The two main problems now: one is handling matters between us, the Lanners civilization and the Dax Empire. The other is taking over the mess the Frey civilization left behind. Send our people to land on their planet, but don't send too many of our people. They must open contact with some of the local forces there, and express our goodwill. Tell them we haven't come to colonize or oppress them. We've come to cooperate. We can help them set up a new regime and system, help them restore production and life, and a new order of rules can be set up through our discussion together, not oppression like the Frey civilization's before. Of course, we must also get the advantages we want out of it, such as labor, resource output and so on! And we must take over as soon as possible the industries the Frey civilization set up before on the other asteroids and resource planets, and restore production and life. If there are backward production lines, they must be upgraded as soon as possible too. We'll make the whole star system our Fierce Dragon civilization's. That way, holding the whole star system, our Fierce Dragon civilization can take off fast!"
Having heard Zhao Chen's words, everyone agreed heartily.
Before, the Fierce Dragon civilization had held only half a star system.
This star system was not large to begin with; that it had only two planets with intelligent civilizations showed as much.
The two planets' populations together did not even pass two hundred billion.
It counted as a rather population-poor star system.
So making the most of the population there was, and getting the fullest use from it, was the most important thing now.
"Rest assured, I'll arrange all this properly. Within a month, I guarantee a new system will be set up on the Frey planet, and all its production and industry restored, to at least eighty percent of the prewar level!" Secretary Officer Barbara said, very confident.
"Mm. I'll await your good news." Zhao Chen nodded with a smile.
"Yes."
The next day,
Zhao Chen came to the meeting room.
This time that Lanners civilization representative opposite had come even earlier.
On seeing Zhao Chen, his face wore a smile not seen the day before.
"Your Fierce Dragon Majesty. Some of the terms discussed yesterday may indeed not have been suitable. Some things we can perfectly well sit down and discuss in detail. Negotiations, negotiations: of course they need negotiating, don't they?" the Lanners civilization's representative said with a smile.
But this time Zhao Chen did not give the other a friendly face; he said calmly, "We can negotiate. But yesterday I saw no sincerity at all in your negotiating. If your attitude is still like that today, then there's no need for us to go on talking."
"Yes, yes, yes." The Lanners civilization's representative nodded again and again.
Then he looked at Zhao Chen, who had sat down, and asked tentatively, "Then can we go on talking now?"
Zhao Chen nodded, but said nothing; instead he quietly watched the Lanners civilization's representative, as if waiting for the Lanners civilization's representative's performance to come.
If his performance did not satisfy Zhao Chen, Zhao Chen was fully minded to cancel the meeting outright.
The Lanners civilization's representative swallowed.
After going back yesterday, he had talked it over with the brain trust he had brought too, and they had felt the terms put forward truly had been somewhat outrageous.
And for today's negotiations, they had in fact drawn up three plans: best, middle and worst.
The best plan was naturally the most favorable to their Lanners civilization.
Yesterday's idea had been first to push the best plan, and then to come down to the middle plan, which was also acceptable.
But now, feeling the presence of the Fierce Dragon Emperor opposite,
he had a feeling that if he brought out the original plan now, the other would break off these negotiations without a word.
So he changed his opening strategy; this time he stated his middle plan outright.
"We build star-gates, one at each end. Each side controls its own. Nor will we station troops on our own initiative. When you need it, we'll send fleets over to support you as the actual situation requires. And the supply and losses in the fighting, we'll bear ourselves."
Having heard the whole set of terms of cooperation the other stated,
compared with yesterday, much had indeed been given up.
"If it's only this, then I don't think there's any need to cooperate," Zhao Chen said with a faint smile.
The Lanners civilization's representative's face changed, and he said hurriedly, "These are already the best terms we can offer. Facing the Dax Empire civilization, only our two sides cooperating gives the best result."
"Is that so? Just as I said yesterday. Once we cooperate, what if we beat the Dax Empire? Does our Fierce Dragon civilization become your Lanners civilization's stepping-stone? Don't forget: in this Trial of the Gods there will be only one victor. So our two civilizations are bound to fight in the future," Zhao Chen said coldly.
"That will be in the future. For now our enemy is the Dax Empire civilization. Our Lanners civilization can promise not to move against the Fierce Dragon civilization within ten years. As for after ten years, who wins and who loses in the Trial of the Gods will be up to fate," the Lanners civilization's representative said.
Zhao Chen shook his head with a light laugh: "Even so, there's nothing in it for us. Why should I agree? I can perfectly well go and talk to the Dax Empire civilization. You'd give me ten years. Then I can perfectly well win three years from the Dax Empire civilization. Within three years the Dax Empire doesn't attack our Fierce Dragon civilization, and in return our Fierce Dragon civilization is willing to send troops to help the Dax Empire attack your Lanners civilization, and help the Dax Empire take your Lanners civilization's territory! What difference would the result make to us?"
"You'd be raising a tiger that will devour you. Sooner or later you'll be swallowed by the Dax Empire too!" The Lanners civilization's representative, hearing the idea in Zhao Chen's mouth, turned pale with alarm.
If the Fierce Dragon civilization really did cooperate with the Dax Empire, the Lanners civilization was bound to be unable to hold.
"To your two great civilizations, our Fierce Dragon civilization may be a minor player. But as chance would have it, in this war of yours, it's exactly we, this minor player, who can change who wins and who loses. Today is our second negotiation, and our last negotiation too. If the negotiation doesn't go as I'd like, I'll send people to the Dax Empire civilization; do you think they'd be willing to accept these terms I'd offer?" There was a teasing look in Zhao Chen's eyes.
The Lanners civilization's representative clenched his fists; he was thinking, weighing gains and losses.
In the end he found that though this of the Fierce Dragon Emperor's was an open stratagem, laid bare,
their Lanners civilization had no way around it at all.
They could not bear the cost of the Fierce Dragon civilization going over to the Dax Empire civilization.
"Then let the Fierce Dragon Emperor state your terms." The Lanners civilization's representative tried as best he could to keep his face from looking too ugly.
Zhao Chen thought a moment; in truth he had long had a plan in mind.
He said, pretending to think deeply, "Cooperation is very simple. It has to benefit our Fierce Dragon civilization. First, building star-gates is no problem; control of each side's star-gate belongs to that side."
To this point, the Lanners civilization's representative had no objection at all.
"Second, considering that the Dax Empire civilization will turn on our Fierce Dragon civilization first from here, as the price for our helping the Lanners civilization share the pressure of the war, your Lanners civilization must pay us, in one lump sum, resources worth a billion star coins."
Hearing this,
this Lanners civilization's representative sprang to his feet in shock.
"Resources worth a billion star coins? That's impossible!"
"Impossible? Then it seems there's no need for us to go on talking," Zhao Chen said, rising too.
"Wait…" The Lanners civilization's representative hurriedly called Zhao Chen back; his hands clenched and loosened, his face full of struggle.
"How do I know that once you've taken this billion star coins, you won't act against our Lanners civilization?" The Lanners civilization's representative looked at Zhao Chen with complicated eyes.
Zhao Chen said with a light laugh, "Think about it and you'll see. Your Lanners civilization backs our Fierce Dragon civilization. Our Fierce Dragon civilization's strength rises. Then would we be willing to serve as the stepping-stone for your two great civilizations? Since we wouldn't, naturally I won't watch your Lanners civilization be destroyed by the Dax Empire civilization either. So whatever I'm thinking in my heart, at least on the larger picture, my Fierce Dragon civilization won't stand on the Dax Empire civilization's side," Zhao Chen said calmly.
Having heard Zhao Chen's explanation,
the Lanners civilization's representative listened and felt there was some reason in these words.
So long as the Fierce Dragon civilization truly had a sliver of a chance in the Trial of the Gods, they would surely not cooperate with the Dax Empire.
"The condition of resources worth a billion star coins is too great. I can't decide it; I need to report it back. Getting a result will take some time." The Lanners civilization's representative's words had already softened.
"That's fine," Zhao Chen agreed.
Resources worth a billion star coins:
this was no small output of resources.
Even for the Fierce Dragon civilization now, it would take a year.
But for the Lanners civilization it might be only a few months' output.
"Oh, right. I have one point to add. This investment of a billion star coins in resources is only good until the next Dax Empire civilization expedition against us. If, after the Dax Empire civilization's third expedition ends, our Fierce Dragon civilization still exists, and you still want us to deal with the Dax Empire civilization, then you'll need to pay another fee," Zhao Chen said with a light laugh.
The Lanners civilization's representative gritted his teeth, but still answered that he understood.
After that, the negotiations held basically nothing else;
they were chiefly about these billion in resources.
"The Lanners civilization's representative has already gone back to report on the matter of the billion in resources. I reckon the Lanners civilization's side will agree." Zhao Chen looked at Secretary Officer Barbara and the others present.
"With a billion in resources, we can build more starships. The T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser kind, we could build a hundred!" Annie said excitedly.
Hearing the picture Annie described, everyone present could not help their eyes lighting up,
as if they could already see those interstellar warships laid out before them.