Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 289 - 208: To the Future

Chapter 289: Chapter 208: To the Future

As of now, Duan Mingyuan was not satisfied with his trip to Mechanical Star.

He had imagined interstellar travel on a planet with a pleasant climate, experiencing the charm of different cultures, staying in a luxury hotel, enjoying the top-tier VIP service known across the universe, and when they were not required at the conference, he and Jiuyue could visit the capital’s shops on Mechanical Star, buying some local mechanical souvenirs for keepsake.

Rather than confronting the Flesh Curse, Cosmic Pirates, and the Silver Lotus Family as he was now.

If reality had a "version rating," Duan Mingyuan would have given it a one-star review without hesitation.

The only good news was that after tonight, all the troubles should come to an end—so far, all the chaos had been brought about by the high and mighty head of the Silver Lotus Family standing before him, and if the other party agreed to his demands, not to bring disaster to this war-ravaged planet again, their days would likely be much better.

"...Peace."

Morgan VII repeated Duan Mingyuan’s request, his demeanor becoming much more solemn.

That could be considered a reasonable request.

Yet these two simple words, in this era, were the most expensive luxuries, perhaps only those impractical idealists would still utter this term.

After a while, Morgan VII spoke, his eyes flashing with a glint of brilliance, "I can grant this planet peace, but there are many ways to achieve peace, and I hope this could become our first honest deal—as between you and me, the Shan Clan and the Transcenders."

Earth Wolf Twelve had dealt with the Shan Clan People quite often, and whenever they showed such an expression, it meant they were about to ask for the moon.

He did not let his guard down and asked coldly, "So, what is the price?"

"You know the Chamber of Commerce’s objective, if you can manage those council members well, keeping them in line, the Chamber need not interfere with their decisions anymore."

"The ’Chamber Unification Act’?"

Earth Wolf Twelve cursed inwardly, the Shan Clan People seemed willing to step back, but in reality, they were dumping all the mess onto them.

"Cowboy, it seems you’re more clever than the rumors suggest."

With that, Morgan VII looked at Duan Mingyuan, "This is how the universe operates, you help us achieve our goals, and the Chamber will grant you the ’peace’ you expect."

He believed Duan Mingyuan could indeed achieve such a result through bloodless means, "This shouldn’t be difficult for you, no need for strife, you only need to alter some of their memories and real peace will descend upon this planet. I must admit, that is indeed a convenient ability."

Of course, this was just the first step in the Chamber’s cooperation with Duan Mingyuan.

Morgan VII thought it was an entirely normal process, as business partners, it was right to showcase some of the Transcenders’ capabilities in the first cooperation.

"The cooperation between the Chamber and Universe Company is only the first step towards the future; in the past while, you have demonstrated value to the family, and hence the Shan Clan is willing to share the future with you... ’Savior’ is a much nicer title than the spiritual leader of the Rebels, and you need this reputation, as do we."

When the "Cocoon" transformation on Mechanical Star was halted, they had crafted a brand new future for the Transcenders.

No longer defeated as the "Demon Lord," but celebrated as a "hero."

On the path to a new era, people needed a formidable enemy and also a hero to overcome that enemy, and the Shan Clan People were willing to offer this future white-gloved role to their partners.

In the end, both the "hero" and his people from his homeland would attain peace in a shower of flowers and praise, as they had wished.

"The Chamber never intended to keep the promises made at the banquet from the start."

Duan Mingyuan realized that the sole purpose of that dinner was to provoke mistrust among the council members.

"That is the nature of business. When you can no longer provide value to your business partners, be prepared to be abandoned at any time. The Sixteen Stars Summit is a deformed product of the tide of the times. When the Chamber merges with the Company, there’s no need for such a ’neutral’ organization anymore."

Morgan VII shifted his tone slightly, "But if you are able to manage this organization, as a gesture of sincerity, the Chamber can allow it to continue existing."

He believed he had conveyed the Chamber’s goals fully to their future partner.

The Sixteen Star Peaks Summit on Mechanical Star was never about a game of legislative votes but a means for the Chamber to completely dissolve the Sixteen Peaks Summit.

"Of course, if you’ve lost interest in these people, the Chamber has also prepared a simpler plan for you—if they die on Mechanical Star, the Chamber will quickly foster new leaders across these sixteen planets, who will naturally abolish the outdated institution of the Sixteen Star Summit."

"I understand perfectly."

Duan Mingyuan finally grasped Morgan VII’s point; the peace negotiations he hoped for were doomed to fail.

"So, what are your thoughts?"

"The Sixteen Stars Summit will continue, we won’t interfere with the other council members’ votes, but Blue Star will cast a dissenting vote."

Duan Mingyuan also made his full intentions clear, "For the sake of maintaining order at the conference, please move the Laurel out of this Star Zone."

This wasn’t a business deal, nor was he a businessman.

"What a pity."

Morgan VII shook his head regretfully, "We need your reputation and strength, but I hope you understand, Transcenders are not the Chamber’s only option, in fact, no one is irreplaceable in this universe."

Signaled by Morgan VII, the butler emotionlessly took off his white silk gloves, revealing a dazzling ring on his index finger.

"Then let us return to the initial topic."

Morgan VII said, "Perhaps you’ve heard a saying that no matter how the process unfolds, the outcome will always develop in the direction the Chamber hopes—if this were a detective game for you, the answer you seek lies within that ring."

The anomaly at the Gear Hotel originated from this ring.

All the Assassins who boarded the ship also died because of this ring.

Duan Mingyuan saw the ring on the butler’s finger burst into dazzling brilliance, the fluctuating energy gave him a somewhat familiar sensation.

When the Flesh Curse spread across Mechanical Star, when "Cocoon" transformation was on the verge of covering every corner of the planet, he also sensed the same presence.

But compared to the consciousness born on Mechanical Star, this ring was fiercer, more powerful.

"You might as well consider it a war trophy of the Chamber."

The image of Morgan VII gradually faded until it disappeared, and after the breakdown of the negotiations, he left the follow-up work to a specialist as he had done before.

—"This is the power to dominate all things."