GBP Chapter 1406 Interrogation of Xiao Dingshan
Chapter 1406 Interrogation of Xiao Dingshan
act like a buffoon!
But they all made it clear, in the most humble way, that "independence and autonomy were bestowed by the prince, and the prince can take them back at any time."
Yin Weiyong, the Protector-General of the Western Regions, and others watched coldly, feeling little sympathy but only awe of Xiao Ce's methods.
Generals like Han Da stood up straight, their eyes cold and filled with disdain and contempt.
Xiao Ce was satisfied with their attitude, but he still felt somewhat helpless about what they said...
Because these people still hold onto the mindset of feudal dynasties...
However, judging from their attitude and their repentance...
Xiao Ce could tell that these guys had really put a lot of thought into it...
Moreover, these people might turn against you.
In fact, Xiao Ce understood what they were saying.
The root cause is that these people completely misunderstand what a federation is; they still have the mindset of local tyrants.
"Alright, I see. You've only achieved the form of a federation; you don't understand what a federation truly is... At its core, you're still stuck with a local tyrant mentality..."
Seeing the doubt in everyone's eyes, he said, "The Federation is one, sharing both glory and shame. I can grant independence, and I can also take it back. The fates of Slav Shahar and Ries serve as a warning. I hope you will take heed and not say you were not warned."
"Your Highness's teachings will be remembered! We will never forget them!" The five men responded in unison, their voices trembling with relief and utmost obedience.
I'm not here to lecture them today. Xiao Ce only touched on the point and will find another opportunity to talk to them next time.
Xiao Ce nodded slightly, no longer looking at them, as if these five people and the earlier incident had never existed. He turned to Yin Weiyong and the leaders of the Western Regions, the Turks, and India, a gentle smile returning to his face: "Father-in-law, the Western Regions, the Turks, and India have made invaluable contributions to stabilizing the rear this time. I promise that you will have priority in obtaining a share of all new weapons and technological achievements shared by the Federation, in order to strengthen the border defenses and ensure the safety of the people."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness!" Yin Weiyong and the other three men were overjoyed and quickly rose to bow. This was a real benefit, a reward and trust earned through loyalty!
"Han Da." Xiao Ce looked at his beloved general again.
"The general is here!"
"Ten 'Rock' main battle tanks brought back will be allocated to the Western Regions, the Turks, and India, with corresponding maintenance personnel and energy blocks. They will be trained to operate them and form combat capability as soon as possible."
"Your humble servant obeys!" Han Da replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute. The people in the hall, especially the leaders of the Western Regions, the Turks, and India, were extremely excited. That was a steel behemoth they had personally witnessed capable of withstanding Xiao Dingshan's energy cannon! The prince's trust and reliance on it were self-evident.
"As for you..." Xiao Ce's gaze finally swept lightly over the five leaders who had just stood up straight and were still in shock, "Sulu, Khmer, Siam, Korea, Japan."
The five people tensed up again, their hearts leaping into their throats.
"Once the Tianji Academy completes its research on the equipment brought back from the Qianlong Arsenal, if there are any secondary technical equipment suitable for your national defense, they may be allocated as appropriate after being reviewed and approved by Yin Weiyong of the Federal Parliament."
They have no priority, no core equipment, only "secondary technical equipment" and "discretionary allocation," and still need to be "reviewed and approved."
This was already an immense favor, and a clear distinction in social status. The five felt a bitter taste in their mouths, but dared not show it, quickly bowing and saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness! We... are deeply grateful!"
Being able to get a little scrap is a million times better than having nothing at all, or even being wiped out altogether.
After the reprimands were given, rewards and punishments were clearly defined.
Of course, Xiao Ce still offered a glimpse of the future, but he still had an important matter to attend to before deciding how to distribute the spoils.
That means interrogating Xiao Dingshan...
He needed to know about those so-called enemies from outside the region; he needed to figure out what Xiao Dingshan wanted to do.
And what about the creation bases and the Hidden Dragon Armory? Were these things brought by extraterrestrial civilizations, or...?
He needs to figure things out before taking any further action...
After the banquet came to a close, Xiao Ce left first.
Xiao Ce asked Yin Weiyong a question, and then had someone take him to the place where Xiao Dingshan was imprisoned.
Xiao Ce immediately ordered Axe Ox to follow.
Xiao Ce passed through the alloy passage guarded by layers of guards.
The dungeon of the Northern Desert King's Palace is not a dark and damp traditional prison, but a confinement facility designed by the Heavenly Secrets Institute specifically for imprisoning powerful beings or those with special modifications.
These were designed by the Tianji Institute when they first learned about the Iron Man.
In the deepest, special cell, a horrifying "human-shaped" figure was fixed to a restraint frame.
That was Xiao Dingshan, the once formidable enemy, now reduced to a mangled corpse.
Just as it had been at the end of the battle, his left arm was severed at the shoulder, and his right leg disappeared from the thigh, leaving only his torso and head, covered in shattered armor and exposed pipes, firmly imprisoned on a cold metal frame by heavy mechanical locks.
His artificial left eye was dim and lifeless, but his remaining right eye was like a poisoned dagger, fixed on Xiao Ce the moment the door opened.
Xiao Dingshan was still in the same predicament as before, unable to die even if he wanted to...
"Xiao...Ce...!"
When Xiao Dingshan saw Xiao Ce enter, a hoarse, venomous roar, like the scraping of metal, instantly shattered the silence of the cell.
Xiao Dingshan's remaining limbs struggled violently, the locks emitted a screeching sound, and the exposed pipes flickered with dangerous electric sparks due to the energy surge!
"You ungrateful wretch...you bastard..."
"You despicable bastard! You opportunist! You treacherous worm who only knows how to scheme and plot behind people's backs!"
The curses poured down like a storm, filled with insults towards Xiao Ce, fury over defeat, and extreme hatred for their own situation.
He cursed Xiao Ce's origins, and cursed the empty city stratagem and the Don River Fort trap he set in Slavia!
The blade of "Dragon Abyss" and Wei Wuji's sword are cursed; Eva's judgment is cursed; everything in the Northern Desert is cursed. Every word is imbued with hatred that runs deep to the bone...
Xiao Dingshan's words were extremely venomous...
Xiao Ce stopped a few steps away from the prison rack, his expression calm as still water.
He waved to signal the axe-ox behind him to stand guard at the door.
He pulled over an equally cold metal chair, sat down steadily, and his deep gaze pierced through Xiao Dingshan's raging anger. He simply watched him quietly, letting the vicious curses echo between the cold prison cell walls.
He didn't refute, didn't mock, and didn't even show the slightest emotional fluctuation, as if he were merely listening to a clamor that had nothing to do with him...
Time passed amidst Xiao Dingshan's frantic cursing...
His voice gradually changed from high-pitched and frantic to hoarse and intermittent, and the strength of his struggle also noticeably weakened...
After all, a war of words, like a duel, requires back-and-forth exchanges to make it seem like there's a give and take...
He was hurling insults at Xiao Ce without any response; perhaps he was just getting tired of it...
Xiao Dingshan lowered his head wearily, and when he raised it again, his eyes were filled with deep resentment and a kind of exhaustion that was close to collapse.
"enough..."
His voice was hoarse as he asked Xiao Ce, "Xiao Ce...you vicious dog...what exactly do you want?"
"Coming to admire your spoils? Coming to listen to the lament of a piece of trash?"
"Do you still want me to kneel down and lick your boots? Please tell me how to live like a dog?"
He grinned, revealing a twisted smile that was more like a grimace, and continued, "Dream on!"
"I won't tell you anything! Not a single word! You won't get anything from me!"
"Those secrets...you'll never get to know them..."
Xiao Ce saw that he had finally regained some composure.
He finally spoke, his voice steady, devoid of any victor's arrogance, but instead carrying a hint of inquiry as he asked, "Why?"
He leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto Xiao Dingshan.
Xiao Dingshan was bewildered by Xiao Ce's abrupt question and then asked, "What do you mean, why?"
Seeing this, Xiao Ce continued, "Why must we be mortal enemies? In truth, Xiao Dingshan, are we destined to be unable to coexist? Is cooperation truly impossible for either of us? I feel we shouldn't have so many disagreements..."
"You mentioned this to me before? You're dealing with those extraterrestrial visitors... I think we should be on the same page about this..."
This question seems to have taken Siu Ding Shan by surprise.
He paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his remaining right eye, which was then replaced by a stronger mockery and an almost obsessive certainty.
"Cooperation? Hahaha...cough cough..."
He burst into laughter, and no one knew that he was a robot, so how could he cough?
After coughing for a while, and finally calming down, his voice suddenly lowered, becoming cold and sarcastic, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue!
"Xiao Ce, stop with your hypocritical tricks! Cooperation? Absolutely not! Never! We were born to be mortal enemies! It's our destiny!"
He stared intently at Xiao Ce, his eyes flashing with an almost crazed light, and said, word by word, with deep-seated resentment and a twisted expression, "If it weren't for him secretly helping you... could you, Xiao Ce, really be my match?"
"Xiao Ce, with your meager resources in the Northern Desert? With your underhanded schemes and tricks? Ask yourself honestly, without 'him' pulling the strings behind the scenes, could you have anticipated my moves time and time again? How could you possibly defeat me?"
"he?!"
Xiao Ce's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.
He caught that crucial and abrupt pronoun!
Moreover, Xiao Dingshan's comment about "adding fuel to the fire" was true even if he hadn't said it.
Xiao Ce knew that he had always felt an invisible hand grasping him, or rather, pushing him forward...
Opportunities are fleeting!
Xiao Ce abruptly stood up from his chair, strode to the restraint frame, and an immense sense of oppression instantly enveloped Xiao Dingshan. His gaze was sharp as a knife, and his voice carried an undeniable urgency as he demanded, "You said 'him'? Who is helping me? Who is he?!"
Xiao Dingshan was forced to lean back instinctively by Xiao Ce's sudden burst of power!
But then, a sly grin, as if he had succeeded in his scheme, appeared on his twisted face, along with a kind of madness that seemed to want to drag others down with him as he faced death: "Want to know? Hahaha... Are you scared? You've finally realized that you're nothing more than a pawn on someone else's chessboard?"
He paused deliberately, savoring the undisguised urgency in Xiao Ce's eyes, before dropping the deadly bait in a lower, hoarser, almost whispered voice...
Xiao Ce naturally knew that the Star Network Hub couldn't be opened and controlled for no reason, especially since the omnipotent Ling Xu wasn't someone he was bound to by luck. From the moment they bound, Xiao Ce knew he was just a pawn...
As Xiao Dingshan spoke, he looked at Xiao Ce with a playful expression.
"I told you, I won't say anything..."
Xiao Ce looked at Xiao Dingshan and said, "Do you think you can solve the problem by not speaking up?"
Xiao Dingshan still looked at Xiao Ce with a playful expression...
Xiao Ce said to Xiao Dingshan, "Whether it's the Star Network Hub or the Hidden Dragon Armory, they both specify that I can open them... If I don't even understand this, am I still myself?"
"So, you mean the person who gave me all of this is your enemy?"
Xiao Dingshan didn't give an answer, but judging from his expression, that was the case...
Xiao Ce continued speaking to Xiao Dingshan, "In your current state, you won't die. Even if you wanted to be reborn, you probably couldn't..."
"How about we talk... You know, I'm someone who doesn't like to be controlled... Maybe..."
Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xiao Dingshan smiled wickedly: "Don't try to trick me into telling you anything..."
As Xiao Dingshan spoke, he turned to Xiao Ce and said, "However, sometimes I really admire your confidence... How do you know I won't die? You don't think that just because you've trapped me here, I won't die, do you...?"
Xiao Ce looked at Xiao Dingshan with a smile and said, "Then let one of them die and show me..."
Xiao Dingshan said to Xiao Ce, "Although I can't do it for now, if the Creation Base doesn't receive my message, and after a period of time they haven't obtained my authorization, they will forcibly take it offline and re-upload the data... At that time..."
After hearing Xiao Dingshan's words, Xiao Ce looked at Xiao Dingshan with a smile.
Seeing Xiao Ce's expression, Xiao Dingshan was still somewhat uncomfortable and said to Xiao Ce, "What? Don't you believe what I'm saying?"
Xiao Ce said to Xiao Dingshan, "You look so serious... but I'm not stupid... and as you know, I'm from another world, so I have some understanding of your system..."
"Your self-destruct device contains a data upload mechanism; only after activation will your consciousness be uploaded..."