Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 198 - 194: Interrogation_1

Chapter 198: Chapter 194: Interrogation_1

Ever since the Advance Team sent back news of their defeat, the entire frontline Headquarters immediately fell into chaos. The only good news that brought joy to Wang Xu was that Luo’er and his team landed safely without any casualties, and successfully evaded the pursuit of the High-peak people. The bad news, however, was that they lost a significant amount of their weapons and equipment.

There has always been dissatisfaction within the High-peak people’s ranks towards the domineering attitude of the Headquarters. Quite a number of the High-peak upper class advocate for Ronisca to establish a relationship of complete equality with Headquarters, rather than their current one, where they are constantly interfered with and controlled.

Opposition within Ronisca to the Headquarters is led by Crown Prince Masya who, according to the intelligence gathered, orchestrated the deal to export cannons to Masya. This transaction was never reported to the Headquarters.

Currently, there are two factions within Ronisca: one represented by Masya opposes the Headquarters, while the other, led by Prince Mooer is a firm supporter of cooperation with the Headquarters.

Speaking of Mooer, Wang Xu had a good impression of him. Mooer was a staunch ally of the Headquarters and an admirer of Earth’s culture. The main reason why Wang Xu liked him was that Mooer could speak Chinese.

It’s worth mentioning that despite comprising thirty years of cooperation between Headquarters and Ronisca, their mutual communication still requires translation. However, in the years following the war, Mooer learned Chinese. Although he had an odd accent, he could already communicate fluently.

Therefore, Wang Xu favored this High-peak dwarf, Mooer, who humbly learned Earth’s culture, over the aggressive Masya.

Not long after receiving news about the peace of the Advance Team, the Ronisca Airship Fleet finally reached Yazhi City, which was within Wang Xu’s expectations. They docked in a field ten kilometers away from Yazhi city. Wang Xu sent a liaison officer to secretly go to the airship to negotiate with them.

The liaison officer returned with a grim look on his face. Masya presented him with the belongings of the Advance Team members, leaving him speechless and enduring a verbal lashing from Masya. Back at Headquarters, he sought out Wang Xu to vent his grievances.

"What on earth happened with the Advance Team? Not only was their operation exposed, but they also dropped their weapons and equipment into the lake for others to pick up. I was unable to refute their questions. I was completely pressured by that Masya!"

"You got reprimanded, while the Advance Team nearly died in Ronisca. What, do you feel wronged? Would you rather join the Advance Team and let them become liaison officers?" Wang Xu was quite irritated by the complaints of the liaison officer. "The Advance Team’s equipment does not have obvious markings. If you can’t argue back, it indicates that you’re slow-witted, and let that dwarf lecture you for no reason. Who is to blame? Is it the Advance Team’s fault, or yours? As a liaison officer, you should be speaking for the Headquarters. Regardless of what the Advance Team has done, you should maintain the interests of Headquarters rather than be silenced by a few so-called pieces of evidence. If you can’t keep your mouth shut, are you ready to sell out the entire Advance Team next?"

"Boss, the dwarves are heading here to confront you face-to-face." Li Si walked in, waved the liaison officer away, and then spoke to Wang Xu.

"Let them come. Masya wants to blow this out of proportion to make the Headquarters yield. He’s dreaming. The Headquarters is not allocated by how much noise is made." Wang Xu said angrily.

"Boss, Commander Mooer came along. Should we privately talk to Commander Mooer and explain the situation?" Li Si continued to ask.

"There’s no need for that. Mooer will come find me himself." Wang Xu breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "It’s always like this. Masya starts the trouble, and Mooer cleans up the mess."

It wasn’t long before the Ronisca delegation arrived at the base. Led by Li Si, Masya, in high spirits, entered the meeting hall. Wang Xu sat there, merely glanced at Masya when he entered, his expression unperturbed.

Masya dismissed his entourage, leaving only himself, Wang Xu, and the translator in the large meeting hall. Leaning on the table, he spoke loudly in Dwarven to Wang Xu. Then, the Dwarven translator translated his words: "Mr. Wang Xu, as we are partners, why did you secretly send military personnel to Helros without our permission? Do you intend to break our cooperation?"

"I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Just because you found a few Earth items you claim we sent people there, on what basis do you make such a claim?" Wang Xu replied calmly, showing no signs of nervousness due to the other’s aggressive tone.

"One of the men has black hair. He claims to be a Southerner, but I’ve seen Southerners. They do not have black hair. Only you Shani people have black hair in Otherworld!" Masya accused, pointing directly at Wang Xu.

"Let’s just assume it is our man. So, your highness, what do you intend to do?" To everyone’s surprise, Wang Xu acknowledged Masya’s claim and then asked back.

"How to do it," Mu Lansi sneered, "You Shani people have always been interfering with Ronisca, setting various obstacles. I now demand that you remove these obstacles and stop meddling in Ronisca’s internal affairs. We must establish an absolutely fair mode of cooperation between us."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, we have not interfered in your internal affairs, those were mere suggestions. In our thirty years of cooperation, we have contributed a lot to Ronisca. We never expected anything in return. We only ask that after exhausting our help, you won’t turn around and bite us," Wang Xu said.

"Suggestion? Is that what you call suggestions? Using the cutting off aid as a threat, is that what you call suggestions? You claim that you’ve never interfered in Ronisca’s internal affairs, don’t you find it laughable when you say things like that?" Mu Lansi asked.

"Since you know that we have been aiding Ronisca for thirty years, why do you have the audacity to mention a so-called absolutely fair mode of cooperation?" Wang Xu sneered.

"What do you mean?" Hearing Wang Xu’s words, Mu Lansi was both shocked and angry.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, I want to know why you haven’t reported your armament situation to us, why you have exported cannons and shells to Masya without consulting us," Wang Xu stared at him and demanded.

"Those things are none of your business!" Mu Lansi was taken aback. The news about exporting cannons to Masya had leaked somehow. Who could have told Wang Xu, perhaps Mooer?

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, I hope you understand, if you wish to sever our thirty years of cooperation. Then Ronisca will suffer a great loss, thirty percent of your military weapons need to be imported from us, twenty-five percent of your food needs our transportation, ninety percent of industrial products need our supply. Without us, do you think Ronisca can really survive?" Wang Xu asked with a sneer.

"Don’t think that Earth only has your country, Ronisca will not die without you!" Mu Lansi gritted his teeth.

"I’m well aware that Ronisca can seek collaboration with other countries, but I want to remind you, the Manikens are very cautious about partnerships that come their way. If you intend to cooperate with them, for at least the next ten years, you won’t be able to reap any benefits from them. Are you still willing to abandon our thirty-year cooperation like this, can Ronisca really withstand such a loss?" Wang Xu continued to press.

"I..." Mu Lansi was suddenly speechless.

What Wang Xu said was the truth. Although Ronisca has become one of the few industrial powers in Otherworld, essentially, it is still dependent on the help of Earth’s countries. Without the headquarters, many of Ronisca’s industrial and agricultural products wouldn’t have a source of supply, behind the headquarters is the most powerful industrial country on Earth. Even the Manikens they refer to rely on industrial products provided by that country, let alone the backwards countries in Otherworld that have just entered the Industrial Age.

Mu Lansi originally intended to use coercive language to force the headquarters to compromise, and the weakness of the liaison officer had also confirmed this approach’s feasibility. However, he didn’t expect to stumble as soon as he met Wang Xu.

This guy didn’t care if he severed the cooperation between Ronisca and the headquarters, he didn’t make any concessions at all. This was something Mu Lansi did not expect.

While voices of opposition to cooperation may be loud within Ronisca, if he were to actually implement the severance of cooperation, the first person to stand up against it would be his beloved father, the King of Ronisca.

They are all trying to gain more benefits through making noise. Everyone knows that the importance of the headquarters to Ronisca is far greater than the importance of Ronisca to the Headquarters.

"Mr. Mu Lansi, if you want our cooperation to continue for a long time, then report the armament situation that you have always withheld, then explain clearly the matter of the Masya cannons. If you really want to sever the cooperation, I can bear it, can you?" Wang Xu’s tone was very calm, but you could feel the pressing momentum.

For the task of sending the Advance Team to infiltrate into Helros, he has always regretted it, especially after he learned that Luo’er had gone missing, he was so worried that he couldn’t sleep well for several days. If he had known this would happen, he might as well have directly called Mu Lansi to ask him face to face, instead of sending them to that godforsaken place, and causing Luo’er and his team so much hardship.

If anything really happens to Luo’er, Wang Xu would be really ashamed to face Luo Qishan. Though Luo’er is not his son, Wang Xu had watched him grow up and he has always seen Luo’er as one of his most intimate people.