Life Game In Other World
Chapter 1158: The Fog (Two More - s for Monthly Votes)

Chapter 1158: Chapter 1158: The Fog (Two More Chapters for Monthly Votes)

Upon hearing He Ao’s question, Dailot’s expression halted before he responded coldly, "When you stand against the Federation, all the power of the Federation naturally becomes your enemy."

"I don’t think I’m standing against the Federation, at least, I don’t feel like I am,"

He Ao smiled as he looked at Dailot, "It seems we have different definitions of ’Federation’."

"Arrogant and stubborn,"

Dailot set his teacup on the desk with a ’clink,’ "The true power of the Federation is a greatness beyond your comprehension. Everything originates from Order, everything returns to Order. Do you think yourself a moth under the daytime sky, aspiring to shake the boundless Firmament?"

"I’m just afraid that the Firmament is not the real Firmament, but just a backdrop painted with low-grade artworks to deceive the world." He Ao said slowly, his smile unchanged.

"You low-borns always have such wild fantasies,"

Dailot was holding the teacup, his voice cold, "Even if by some fluke you rise to a higher position, you are nothing but a rootless mad dog. And mad dogs do irrational things."

"Your words remind me of a phrase I read in a book,"

The smile on He Ao’s face remained as he spoke gently, "Do you know about potatoes? It’s a plant that was once a staple food during the Era of the Great Cataclysm."

"I graduated from Bailin Public School and Ains College of Literature,"

Dailot sneered, "Different from those industrial schools that teach only technology, where middle schoolers can enroll."

Bailin Public School is the best private middle school in Ains, relying on donations to operate; only those with some ’special’ recommendation letters could enter.

Ains College of Literature is one of the top five universities in the Federation, and the oldest literary institution, with over seventy percent of its students coming from upper-class families in Ains. Graduating from this school is an emblem of noble ’bloodline’.

Dailot’s words were simple; he was mocking ’Suote,’ who had graduated from ’Ains Industrial University’ without having completed high school.

"Oh,"

In the face of Dailot’s ridicule, He Ao’s expression did not change, and he laughed, "It seems you know about potatoes, you must have also heard that phrase, ’The only people who boast about their illustrious ancestors are like potatoes, the best part of them is underground.’"

Indeed, this phrase was read in a book, but it wasn’t Suote who read it in a book, it was ’Linen.’

As a descendant of the founders of the Federation, whose ancestors had served as Presidents, grandfather as a Senator, and father as a Lawyer, Linen’s ’bloodline’ ranked highly even in Ains.

Linen remembered this phrase from childhood and kept it in his heart as a reminder to himself.

Hearing He Ao’s words, Dailot’s face turned slightly red; of course, he had heard this phrase and knew it came from the classics of the Era of the Great Cataclysm.

He just didn’t bother to remember it and never imagined that one day he would be ’mocked’ by a ’country bumpkin’ from a small city, using classical references.

Ancient families naturally have their own ways to declare their ’noble age,’ which includes mastering and studying the ancient history of the Era of the Great Cataclysm, and their families have special libraries that keep classics from old times.

The more ancient knowledge they possess, the older the family and the more prestigious their status.

Dailot, who prides himself as an ’expert’ in ancient history and a graduate of Ains College of Literature, is known by Suote for this.

Being ridiculed using the classics of the Great Cataclysm is equivalent to slapping him right in the face of what he’s most proud of.

This is a double ’mockery’ of Dailot, both in terms of the phrase itself and the historical comprehension it symbolizes.

The key point is that He Ao even reminded him with ’potatoes,’ yet Dailot still did not anticipate that the other party intended to satirize him.

At that moment, with his seemingly refined face flushing, Dailot looked at He Ao and hissed, "You will pay for your arrogance and folly."

"I’m right here in Minte City,"

He Ao replied with a smile, "Things are going quite well for me at the moment. It’s you all who seem to be having some trouble; otherwise, you wouldn’t be calling now, attempting to ’persuade’ me to surrender. After hanging up the first call, you came back again like an anxious rookie salesman."

Dailot gripped his teacup, his arm shaking somewhat from anger, causing the tea within to sway from side to side, nearly spilling over the brim. His voice was hoarse, "Who did you say resembles a rookie salesman?"

He Ao looked at him, his eyebrows slightly raised, "Are you getting agitated?"

"You will pay for what you’ve done, Suote."

Dailot’s voice was completely suppressed, resembling that of an angry Bull.

"You see, you’re getting agitated,"

He Ao shrugged, advising, "Don’t be angry, ruining your health over it is not good,"

He sighed, "It seems your mental state isn’t too great today. If you really can’t regulate it, remember to see a Psychologist. Let’s stop our conversation here for today."

"You!!!"

Dailot glared with eyes wide in anger.

But under his gaze, the other party had already hung up the call.

······

Staring at the screen that had gone dark before him

Dailot furiously grabbed the teacup from the desk, and along with the warm tea, flung it directly onto the floor, "This rustic! Lowlife! Madman!"

Bang——

The splashing tea and the shattered bits of ceramic scattered across the floor.

"Dailot."

It was at this moment when a calm voice echoed in the office.

Dailot subconsciously lifted his head to look at a camera in the corner, and he hurriedly said, "Bishop sir, you, you saw that?"

"I’ve been watching,"

The voice said calmly, "You’re already of such an age, where is your composure and demeanor?"

"I, I, I,"

Dailot raised his hand, speaking hurriedly like a child who had made a mistake, "I didn’t do it on purpose, it was that Suote, you saw it all, he, he, he···"

"Did he insult you from the start to the end?"

The calm voice asked.

"He—"

Dailot opened his mouth slightly, his words coming to a halt.

He suddenly realized that ’Suote’ didn’t seem to have used any swearing throughout the exchange, not even overly aggressive language.

The sarcastic comment he made was a quote from a classic, and even that statement did not contain any curse words.

"On the contrary, you start with ’despicable’, ’mad dog’; do you think these are words a person of quality and composure would speak?"

The calm voice continued, "Suote’s composure and literary foundation are far higher than the level you’ve demonstrated."

"I—"

Dailot’s words faltered again.

"If you maintain this behavior in front of others, how can you uphold the Church’s reputation and image?"

The calm voice asked slowly.

"Bishop, I was wrong,"

Dailot’s body shuddered, and subconsciously he fell forward, tumbling into the red tea and ceramic shards scattered on the floor, "I’ll definitely be more careful next time."

"No, you’re not wrong,"

The calm voice continued, "You’re just not capable enough for your current job. Put aside the things at hand for now, and also refrain from external contacts. We happen to need an observer up north, and since you’re nearby, go take a look."

Dailot’s body stiffened, and finally, he trembled as he lowered his head, "Yes, Bishop."

His body tensed, and his fists slightly clenched. After the silence fully engulfed the room, he whispered, "What about Suote?"

"You need not worry about Suote, he is capable and his will is strong,"

The calm voice carried on, "As long as he desires something, there’s a possibility for cooperation. There are no absolute enemies in this world."

"Yes."

Dailot’s half-clenched fist suddenly tightened, and then slowly relaxed.

The calm voice did not rise again, and the entire office was plunged into utter silence.

——

South City Command Center

He Ao set down his bracelet, taking a glance out the window.

He actually wasn’t planning on talking so much with Dailot, but as soon as the call connected, Eve found the hidden camera in the screen and determined it was still in operation.

This meant that on Dailot’s end, someone was still ’paying attention’ to this call.

So, he put in a little extra effort, talking a few more sentences with Dailot, giving an additional ’performance’.

The terms Dailot proposed indeed seemed favorable, but He Ao was well aware that if he just left Minte City and went to Ains, completely submitting to the Order Church, his fate would no longer be in his own hands.

Whether he’d be given the promised things, live or die, all would depend on others’ whims.

’Suote’s personality, once separated from the Order Church, would certainly not return.

Of course, this ’chat’ wasn’t completely fruitless.

At the very least, it was confirmed that the Mercenary Corps behind the two major consortia were indeed driven by the Order Church.

What on earth are these guys up to?

Taking a slight breath, He Ao withdrew his gaze and briskly walked to the other side of the command hall, behind the console that segregated the area.

"With our military strength and quality, it’s impossible to break through their defensive perimeter."

"We can stay within the city; our high walls and gates have been reinforced, providing better defense than ordinary ones, hence they can’t breach them in a short time."

"But with the trade routes severed, we won’t receive any food, and in a few days, all of us will starve to death."

A few somewhat intense voices entered He Ao’s mind. He looked up just in time to see Owai and several officers gathering around a table filled with tablet computers.

The Mayor’s Mansion was still under repair. Considering safety among other factors, on He Ao’s advice, Viko temporarily resided in the command center and dealt with some official duties there.

He had returned here straight after completing his speech.

"Suote, you’re here."

Hearing the footsteps, Owai turned his head towards He Ao; he made room and pointed to the tablet computers on the table, "These are the images captured by our surveillance drones."

He Ao stood by Owai, looking at the tablet computers on the table.

At this moment, these tablets were showing different wilderness areas.

You could vaguely see dense groups of mercenaries building fortifications and defense facilities outside the city gates, completely sealing them off.

"What’s the situation now?" He Ao asked.

"The Mercenary Corps from the two conglomerates have split into four groups, each blocking one of Minte City’s gates, isolating our trade routes," Owai raised his hand and pointed at some of the images on the tablets, "It seems their plan is to completely encircle us."

"How much food do we have left?" He Ao inquired.

"Viko is organizing a team to investigate, but I’m afraid it’s not much," Owai shook his head.

"According to the data the City Cabinet has collected so far," Viko began, who had been rather silent, "Minte City’s circulating food supply can last for at most a week. If we consider the stocks that grain merchants might have, we may last an additional three to five days,

"However, neither the citizens of Minte City nor the City Defense Army can hold out until the very last sack of flour is consumed. We still have to beware of some grain companies hoarding food, inflating prices outrageously.

"As soon as the current situation and potential food shortage become known, Minte City will immediately plunge into chaos. The City Government has just been dealt a heavy blow; they likely have the ability to maintain stability for, at most, two to three days."

"Has there been a response from Ains?" He Ao looked at Viko.

Viko had already requested ’help’ from Ains last night.

"Ains declared it would mobilize the Central Army to support us," Viko said quietly, "but even the nearest Central Army unit would take a week to arrive. By that time, we’d have already collapsed."

"The situation we speculated last night has occurred," Owai looked at He Ao, "The two consortia’s City Defense Army gave up the assault, seeking to starve us out instead. For them, this method is the most ’cost-effective’."

He slightly frowned and sighed, "This is almost an open plot. If the City Defense Army ventures out into the wilderness, given our fewer troops and inferior equipment, we definitely cannot defeat them, so we cannot venture out. They can’t breach our city defenses in the short term either. Cutting off the trade routes and waiting for us to collapse from within is their best strategy."

An officer beside them couldn’t help but comment, "If the Federation’s Central Army could come to our aid, we wouldn’t need to fear them. Damn it, those Ains big shots are practically in cahoots with these consortia."

He Ao bowed his head, quietly gazing at the tablet computers flickering with different images on the table, falling into a brief contemplation.

"Did you discover something?" Owai asked, looking at him.

"I’m just thinking about what the two consortia really want to do," He Ao rubbed his face and said in a heavy tone, despite Owai’s puzzled look, "Last night they were so eager to get in that they even used the Church of Chaos’s hidden pieces to assassinate the Mayor and empty the City Cabinet.

"But after realizing that their plan failed and they could not get in, they seem to be in no hurry at all, starting a siege.

"What exactly are they plotting?"