Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 159 - 155: Internal Discussion

Chapter 159: Chapter 155: Internal Discussion

Although Wang Xu was the highest-ranking officer in the frontline headquarters, he didn’t dare to make a hasty decision on such a serious matter. Even though the main headquarters had given him the autonomy to make decisions, he felt the need to report back and explain Princess Melia’s demands, allowing them to deliberate on whether or not to cooperate.

He looked at Melia across from him, feeling the pressure for the first time. It surprised him that this teenage girl had such audacity, truly deserving of his admiration.

"We will carefully consider your demands and conditions, and likely provide a response within two days. In the meantime, I would request Princess Melia to graciously stay at our humble abode," he said after a long pause. Wang Xu knew that the decision must be made by the higher-ups. He understood that a potential mistake with such a critical decision could result in irreparable damage. Despite not being held accountable, he did not wish to see the national interest harmed.

"Thank you!" Melia nodded in agreement, speaking respectfully. Wang Xu’s reaction was within her expectations, and she would have been more worried if he had readily agreed to her demands.

Only a genuine buyer negotiates the price repeatedly. Melia knew her terms had struck a chord with Wang Xu, and that was why they were being so cautious.

After the meeting, Wang Xu arranged for Melia’s accommodations. Of course, the wooden boxes filled with gold bars were also carried into her room.

As for the gold bars, Melia was quite indifferent. The Otherworld was rich in gold mines. The amount of gold circulating in the entire continent was greater than that on Earth, which is one of the reasons why Earth nations are keen to establish themselves in Otherworld.

To her, these gold bars were meant as a gift for Wang Xu and his team. Relying solely on these bars to buy enough military weapons was nothing short of a pipe dream.

It’s worth noting that although Otherworld has plenty of gold, Earth’s people don’t hesitate to exploit customers. They had even traded weapons for equal weights in gold bars. The gold bars Melia currently possessed would only be enough to equip a knight’s brigade with weapons, at best.

She did not plan to trade these items for support. Instead, she planned to exchange their assistance with her promise. This support included weapons, intelligence, and related personnel training, which she found to be the most advantageous.

If not for Luo’er paving the way, Melia would have had no choice but to be heavily overcharged by Blaiqi merchants in exchange for those weapons. However, merely possessing weapons was not enough, and the rebellion had gained momentum not only because of their weapons but also the comprehensive support from Earthlings. This was her primary concern.

With this thought in mind, Melia couldn’t help but glance back at Luo’er who was moving the wooden crates. Noticing her gaze, Luo’er paused, then asked, "Your Highness, do you need anything?"

"Nothing, I am just happy to see you," Melia laughed.

"You..." Luo’er looked embarrassed, coughed after hearing Cheng Ziang’s reminder, and quickly followed him out.

"Why does she keep flirting with you?" Cheng Ziang couldn’t help asking once they reached the corridor.

"How would I know?" Luo’er responded awkwardly, avoiding Cheng Ziang’s gaze. Initially, he denied it, but as they spent more time together, Luo’er felt that Melia’s attitude was becoming more and more ambiguous.

"Why don’t you declare your sovereignty by calling Moumou over?" Cheng Ziang proposed jokingly.

"Don’t stir up trouble," Luo’er responded, rolling his eyes.

In private interactions like these, Cheng Ziang was always carefree, making Luo’er wonder if he had been influenced by Hu Daoke. Luo’er remembered how captivated he was by Cheng Ziang’s stoic demeanor when they first met, but now Cheng Ziang’s image had completely collapsed in his mind.

"What do you think about Princess Melia’s request?" After some playful banter, Cheng Ziang, serious again, asked.

"To be honest, if I were the highest-ranking officer on the frontlines, I might have agreed to her demands on the spot," Luo’er responded with a nod.

Although his interactions with Melia were limited, Luo’er had faith in her capabilities. Instead of saying Melia found a way to contact the main headquarters through Luo’er, it was more accurate to say Luo’er found a way to interfere with the Kingdom of Masya through Melia.

If Melia could be cultivated into a major warlord in the Kingdom of Masya, she would have sufficient power to pursue the throne of Masya, eventually controlling the entire kingdom. While Western nations led by NATO attempted to control Masya through the rebels, it was clear Luo’er and his team had found another path.

As the two are discussing, a staff member walked over and asked them to assemble in Wang Xu’s office, saying that they were needed.

Upon entering the office, they saw Wang Xu sitting at his desk, lost in thought. Seeing the two enter, he immediately asked, "How much do you two know about Princess Melia?"

The two exchanged a look before Luo’er stepped forward and replied, "Melia is the child of King Masiya Varen and a concubine, and she has an older brother. Her brother, Oliver, was born to the king and queen, and he’s adored by the king, so he was chosen as the crown prince."

"A struggle between legitimate and illegitimate offspring?" Wang Xu asked with curiosity.

"Um," Luo’er hesitated before responding. "Otherworld doesn’t make that distinction, otherwise Melia wouldn’t stand a chance to vie for power with her brother."

"Of course, I know that," Wang Xu said, rubbing his temples as he continued, "do you think Melia is all talk?"

"Not at all," Luo’er stated, "I believe Melia has the ability to organize an army and vie for the throne. Despite her youth, she’s capable and shrewd."

Wang Xu nodded before asking another question: "How did Princess Melia know about our frontline Headquarters?"

"Well..." Luo’er faltered under Wang Xu’s gaze. He turned to Cheng Ziang with a pleading look, but Ziang merely shrugged, hinting Luo’er to spill everything.

After a moment of hesitation, Luo’er sighed and admitted, "She recognised us when we were on a mission in Masya."

Wang Xu stared at them impassively, "What else are you not telling me?"

"Actually, we provoked the internal strife in the Masya frontline troops. we infiltrated the frontline corps to incite discord between Masya and Odelanqi’s army, which sparked their infighting," Luo’er confessed.

"I knew it," Wang Xu sighed, then continued to ask, "did you do this on Melia’s orders?"

"Yes, we helped her instigate the trouble between Masya and Odelanqi. In return, she provided us with intelligence," Luo’er responded.

"Why did she want to incite conflict between the two?" Wang Xu asked.

"If she didn’t, by spring she would have been married off to the prince of Odelanqi, thus, estranging her from Masya’s political center. Her brother Oliver is also preparing to launch a new offensive against the rebel forces in spring, seeking political points to succeed. If she doesn’t stop them, she’ll be completely marginalized, unable to intervene in Masya’s politics," Luo’er explained.

"The recent attack by the rebels almost seized Obus," Wang Xu commented with a half-smile.

"Melia doesn’t care about the rebels. She won’t mind if Galan falls. She’s only fixated on the throne. Only after securing it will she turn her attention to the rebels," Luo’er clarified.

"So, she’s looking to partner with us, not to organize an army against the rebels, but to amass power to attain the throne of Masya," deduced Wang Xu.

Though he had already guessed Melia’s intentions, he couldn’t resist prompting for a confirmation.

"Indeed," Luo’er nodded, "Melia truly understands the cause of the rebellion and the solution, so she has been acting accordingly."

"What a remarkable woman!" Wang Xu couldn’t help but admire.

"What’s your take on her requests?" Luo’er inquired cautiously.

"Obviously, Melia seeks our support to consolidate her forces and claim the Masya throne. The fight against the rebels is just a smokescreen. However, organizing an army is hardly a covert operation. If the Earth nations find out, there will be inevitable commotion and accusations. We’ll wait to see what Headquarters thinks. If they don’t object, we could consider a partnership," Wang Xu gauged cautiously.

"Right, there’s another thing." Luo’er suddenly remembered, "on our way here, Melia mentioned Masya’s cannons. I suspect she plans to offer that information as a bargaining chip for our support."

"Masya’s cannons?" Wang Xu paused, then recalled it.

Last year, Masya’s ambassadors went to Yazhi City to request Earth nations to purchase 155mm howitzer shells. The result stirred up a hornet’s nest. The entire UN Security Council was nearly on the brink of a row, accusing each other of secretly exporting such powerful weapons to Otherworld.

This argument carried on from the beginning till the end of the year without resolution, mostly because none of the Earth nations could find proof in Otherworld to pin down the culprit, they were left guessing each other.

If Melia could reveal the source of the cannons, even though it wasn’t crucial intelligence, it would at least resolve their year-long confusion. Most importantly, there was already a suspect within the Headquarters. If Melia could confirm the suspicion, this problem that had been plaguing the Earth nations over a year could finally be resolved.