Queen's Hotel, upper floors.
Looking at Welt leisurely eating a banana, Dr. Magi felt a strange sense of worry welling up in his heart.
Stealing the Gem of Serenity, escaping Schicksal's pursuit... every step had been so smooth, and the dawn of victory was already in sight, yet Dr. Magi always had a secret unease in his heart.
Even though Schicksal had dispatched one pursuit squad after another, they had passed through every checkpoint without incident, thanks to the power of the Welt before him.
Having arrived in the neutral country of Singapore, Schicksal's influence could no longer reach them. Returning to Anti-Entropy's territory was now an easy matter.
It could be said that he had succeeded.
Once they reached Anti-Entropy, the Gem of Serenity would surely be put to proper use, rather than just being a butcher's knife for harvesting the lives of young girls.
At this thought, Dr. Magi couldn't help but tremble, a joy from the bottom of his heart filling his entire body.
However, the moment he thought of Anti-Entropy's abnormal actions, a sense of unease instantly crept into his heart, and the joy of completing his mission vanished without a trace.
"Doesn't Cocolia want the Gem of Serenity very much? Why not take it away quickly, instead of coming to this island nation?"
Looking at the nonchalant Welt, Magi voiced the worry in his heart.
Even though theoretically, as a neutral country, Singapore should not have any Schicksal presence. But it would still be wise to bring the Gem of Serenity back to an Anti-Entropy base as soon as possible. He really couldn't understand why they were stopping here.
Even if it was for a temporary rest, this was taking too long. Besides, his body wasn't tired at all; he didn't need any rest.
"Hmm?" Hearing Dr. Magi's question, Welt finally turned his gaze to the old man and answered in an impatient tone, "Just a minor hiccup. Someone will be arranged to take you to headquarters in a few days."
Taking a bite of the peeled banana, Welt's brows furrowed slightly.
What kind of dump is this place? Even the bananas aren't as sweet as Anti-Entropy's!
He really couldn't wait to see the plan completed. A ruined Singapore would definitely be much prettier than it was now.
A teasing smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and Welt said with a light chuckle, "Rest assured, this is Singapore.
Even if any little Schicksal bugs slip in, I'll have a good time playing with them."
Seeing Welt's perverted action of licking the banana with his tongue, Dr. Magi felt a chill run down his spine.
But when he thought of this Welt's power, the unease in his heart dissipated quite a bit.
With Anti-Entropy around, there shouldn't be any accidents... right?
...
Staring at the tightly shut door before her, Fu Hua, who had changed into a black suit, had a sharp look in her eyes.
Ahead was the most heavily guarded area of this building, where the higher-ups of Anti-Entropy were located. As long as she subdued the people inside, she could find out the whereabouts of the Gem of Serenity, and this mission would be successfully completed.
Thinking about Anti-Entropy's defenses along the way, Fu Hua still felt a trace of surprise.
Although Anti-Entropy's security could not be said to be lax, with personnel stationed at almost every key intersection, these ordinary bodyguards were somewhat inadequate against an elite Valkyrie from Schicksal.
With just a few simple tricks, she had easily deceived those bodyguards and arrived here unimpeded. The occasional few who noticed something was amiss were subdued by her in a single move, unable to send out any information.
Sometimes, she even felt that even Ming Yu... forget it, that brute would probably only think of going on a rampage.
Composing herself, Fu Hua regulated her breathing and walked forward calmly.
Behind her lay several unconscious armed bodyguards, who had not made a single sound the entire time.
She reached out and gave the door a gentle push. The expected resistance didn't come, and the seemingly tightly closed door swung open with a bang.
The unlit room was somewhat dim, and Fu Hua could only vaguely make out the figure of a person.
A pair of glowing blue eyes suddenly looked up, gazing down from on high at the Valkyrie who had appeared at the door, and a jeering laugh followed.
"Welcome to my cage, little Schicksal bug~"
...
Glancing at Ming Yu, who seemed to be lost in thought, Yang Zhenjun couldn't help but feel that this was a difficult situation.
Even though Ming Yu hadn't said much after that sword slash, the initiative in these negotiations was still firmly in the other side's hands.
Ming Yu, with his cold face providing a show of force, and Ximei, with her glib tongue and diplomatic skills, perfectly demonstrated the art of negotiation. One played the bad cop, the other the good cop, and they had Singapore completely under their thumb.
Looking at the food on the table that was gradually growing cold and had been left untouched, this military bigwig couldn't help but sigh.
That slash from Ming Yu had destroyed half the food on this table, yet he still unhesitatingly chose this spot and had no intention of picking up his chopsticks, a clear expression of his distrust for Singapore.
Even though the Valkyries at the other tables were dining happily, and that little white-haired girl even seemed to be on the verge of devouring a whole table's worth of food by herself, as long as Ming Yu, their leader, didn't make a move, their intention to curry favor with Schicksal could not be said to have been achieved.
If they could have talked over dinner, the atmosphere would have been much more relaxed, and the negotiations could have proceeded more pleasantly. But due to Ming Yu's initial display of force, a heavy atmosphere had lingered ever since.
This negotiation would undoubtedly take much longer than he had expected. But Singapore was running out of time…
Smelling the fragrance wafting through the air, Ming Yu's already hungry stomach rumbled even louder.
His eyes darting to the side, he glanced at Kiana, who was feasting away, and silently shed tears of envy.
But confidence was one thing, and being overconfident was another. Even if he believed Singapore wouldn't stoop to playing dirty tricks, Ming Yu would not trust the integrity of politicians.
Therefore, the other team members, who were just here for support, could freely enjoy the delicacies provided by Singapore, but he, the pillar, could not.
Only with Ming Yu standing here, intact, could he deter any and all troublemakers.
While calculating what he would eat later, Ming Yu grew increasingly annoyed with these boring negotiations.
Boring, that was Ming Yu's entire feeling about such negotiations.
Even with the danger of their country's destruction looming, and even though all that was to be achieved today was a general consensus, the end of this negotiation was still nowhere in sight.
Normally, negotiations between nations were incredibly lengthy; dragging on for several months was the norm. Even under special circumstances, talking for a few days was still common.
Reaching a consensus in just a few short hours was almost impossible!
Even if the Far East Branch's style was quite easygoing, they still had to secure the benefits they were due. Even someone as naive as the Principal wouldn't let her people work for free.
Singapore naturally understood this and was prepared to make significant concessions. But there were still many areas to contend over, which inevitably led to a stalemate of mutual wrangling.
Although Ximei was indeed shrewd and capable, as well as eloquent, suppressing several of the opposing negotiators single-handedly and causing the situation to visibly tip in their favor.
But in Ming Yu's eyes, this was still too slow.
"Ahem!" Clearing his throat to draw everyone's attention to himself, Ming Yu's face showed unconcealed impatience. "The Anti-Entropy forces inside the city will be dealt with by us, and you will handle the mecha troops outside the city. Any problems?"
Skipping the allocation of benefits, Ming Yu went straight to the main topic—how to deal with Anti-Entropy.
"This..." Hearing Ming Yu's words, the expression on Yang Zhenjun's face suddenly froze. "Your Excellency Ming Yu, Singapore's army cannot stand against Anti-Entropy's troops..."
It was precisely because of the mecha troops deployed outside the city that Singapore was in such a passive position.
They had only recently discovered that the number of mecha troops, which had arrived under the pretext of supporting "Singapore's cause against the Honkai," was incorrect. The purpose of the extra mechs needed no further explanation.
Pitting an army of flesh and blood against an army of steel was no different from a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. But these mecha troops were a problem that both sides had to face; the only difference was how much force each side should commit.
But from Ming Yu's statement, it seemed he intended to completely dump this burden onto Singapore.
"Of course, I know that." Waving his hand to cut off the other's excuse, Ming Yu's face broke into a cold smile. "However, both loyalty and betrayal require weight. And blood is the most suitable counterweight!"
Whether it was declaring loyalty to Schicksal or demonstrating a break with Anti-Entropy, a simple statement was not enough.
Things that are obtained too easily are often not cherished. Only a peace stained with blood is worth treasuring.