Chapter 1214 Times Have Changed
After sending away Oathkeeper, who was still dazed, Han Xiao relaxed and let out a sigh.
"Huff, acting is pretty tiring, but I"ve managed to pin him down."
The Holy Accord was a powerful force, completely hidden in the dark during his past life. However, he had now established a stable relations.h.i.+p with it, indirectly holding a secret power in his own hands. Furthermore, he would also know the whereabouts of the Revivors, which was an important move in this game to complete the key layout.
In this manner, he could interfere in the Calamity of the Supers event to become a chess player, rather than pa.s.sively waiting for the situation to occur like in his past life.
This was only the general layout. There were still other more specific issues, such as the impact of the Primordial Ones revealing their ident.i.ty, the shockwave it would cause upon entering the Beyond Grade A a.s.sociation, and so on. Since he would be the President, such details had to be dealt with.
"It seems like I have more things to do during the Version update. Visiting and helping all these old people integrate into the present times gives me the impression of a neighborhood committee member…"
Han Xiao shook his head and chuckled.
Based on what Oathkeeper said, the Primordial Ones were taken from the warring era, and their blood and fire had yet to dissipate. They were basically a rebellious generation. Now that they had been put into an era that did not belong to them, most of their mentalities had yet to be adjusted.
If he wanted these people to accept and support him, it was not enough to just use his mouth. They had to be convinced. It was best for them to accept severe beatings of the society, allowing them to recognize their reality and understand the meaning of "the new will constantly replace the old".
However, the other party was still a future partner, so it was not good to be too violent. It was better for him to first be courteous, only giving them "education" if they failed to behave.
In this regard, Han Xiao was quite confident. The Primordial Ones were the first generation of Beyond Grade As, and while he could not rule out the fact that there might be super geniuses who had reached the peak of Beyond Grade A, that number would not be huge. The average strength of the Primordial Ones was likely to be the same as the modern Beyond Grade As, and this was because of the long fighting that they did. Otherwise, their strengths might not even match up to the Beyond Grade As of today.
However, he did not have a complete advantage as well. There was a problem that could not be avoided, namely because he was still second place in the a.s.sociation. Old Man Manison was holding onto his position tightly, which could mean that some of the Primordial Ones would end up supporting Manison.
However, the problem was not too big. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that he himself was thriving potential stock, whereas Manison was old stock that was bleeding internally. The choice was simple.
"As for the specifics, it"s best to talk about it only after contacting the Primordial Ones. I"ll wait for Oathkeeper to arrange it. Before that, I"ll study their characteristics…"
As the saying went, "know thyself and your enemy, and you"ll win all your battles". Han Xiao took out the Revivor name list, and based on the information on the internet and his memory, he began to construct a data model for these Primordial Ones.
…
In the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p of the Holy Accord, Oathkeeper dismissed the remote projection. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the Primordial Ones looking at him.
"How was it? What did Black Star say?"
Everyone was concerned about the att.i.tude of the other insider.
"I"ve already communicated with him and reached an intention to cooperate. He mentioned that he will not disclose any secrets. Furthermore, he commands the Beyond Grade A a.s.sociation and has expressed his hope to get your support. You can check the information about the a.s.sociation through the internet. Finally, he has proposed a request to see all of you," Oathkeeper recounted.
"He wishes to see us?"
Everyone looked at each other, and many of them showed off weird smiles.
"That"s good as well. We would like to see what sort of intentions he has for helping to resurrect us."
There was no love without reasoning in this world, so no one believed Oathkeeper"s description of Black Star, thinking that Black Star wished for more than just an increase in the number of Beyond Grade As. There should be some ambition and scheme involved in his plan.
In their eyes, Black Star likely wished to use them. While they had positive feelings toward him for his kindness, they did not intend to be used by him.
Everyone had on relaxed expressions as they talked about it.
"Black Star knows of our resurrection. Do you think he wishes to use this as a threat to force us into doing something for him?"
"Hehe, if he really thinks of it this way, he"ll soon find that his thoughts are wrong. Want to use us? Laughable!"
"He might have asked to meet because he wishes to foster a good relations.h.i.+p with us. It"s just as well. We can take this opportunity to pull him down a peg, dispelling his thoughts about trying to use us."
"There"s also that Beyond Grade A a.s.sociation. He seeks our support on that matter. In my opinion, we can totally set up another organization. There"s no need to listen to the orders of another. Even if we wish to join it, we don"t need to support Black Star or any others. Why don"t we just aim for the top by ourselves?"
"I checked up Black Star"s deed on the internet, and it"s actually pretty ridiculous. He broke the record for the fastest promotion to the Beyond Grade A realm, and he has even repelled the attacks of more than a dozen Beyond Grade As."
"Oh? To think that the Beyond Grade A strength of this era has regressed so much, that more than a dozen people failed to kill a newcomer who has only been promoted for a few decades. Tsk tsk… it seems like each generation is inferior to the last."
"Don"t look down on them. If it wasn"t for his capabilities, he would not dare to have designs on us."
By the side, Oathkeeper quietly listened to their idle chatter, with no intention of correcting their misguided notions.
It was too common for the Primordial Ones to look down on newcomers, especially since they were the "founders" of the Beyond Grade A realm. Their statuses were lofty, with the mentality that the descendants today were able to achieve what they had because of them, the trailblazers.
But from his viewpoint, this bunch of fools would need a lesson in order to quickly adjust their mentality.
This is also for all of your own goods…
Oathkeeper shook his head as he secretly sighed.
…
After half a month, on a certain barren planet in the Ancient Star Desert, six figures stood on the ground, Oathkeeper and five other Primordial Ones. Because they did not wish for Black Star to know the total number of people resurrected, they selected five people as representatives who had the best combat power.
The other Revivors did not show up but stayed in a fleet that was two days" distance away, remotely monitoring the area.
"He should be here soon. Let"s listen to what he has to say first. Don"t just scare him the moment he comes," Beiger said.
"Just follow the previously discussed plan. No matter how the discussion goes, let him see our strength and dispel any unnecessary thoughts," Pangon lightly replied.
By the side, Oathkeeper closed his eyes and rested his mind, as though he did not hear anything.
Before long, a comet flashed through the dark outer s.p.a.ce and fell quickly. It was Han Xiao, who was using his fleshly body to cross the starry sky.
"I"m not late, right?"
Han Xiao landed in front of everyone, having an inkling of the situation as he glanced at the six people present.
Oathkeeper took the initiative to introduce them. "No, you"re not. The five here are the representatives elected by the rest. Let me introduce them to you…"
But Han Xiao however cut him off, taking out his fluent a.s.s-kissing techniques as he smiled. "Everyone here is a Primordial One, with a reputation that resounds like thunder. How could I not know all of them?"
His words were comfortable to the ears of those present. As the saying went, one would not hit a smiling face. While they had discussed showcasing whose fists were stronger today, since Black Star was their savior and even boasted good manners, the five also followed suit and greeted him, showing their friendly intentions.
While Han Xiao was speaking, he was secretly calculating.
[King of War] Pangon, [Mage G.o.d] Beiger, [Purple Emperor] Lady l.u.s.t… these five were all experts in this batch of Primordial Ones, with different att.i.tudes in his previous life. They were deliberately elected as representatives likely because they suited with the different goals among the Primordial Ones. Pangon represents the Avengers, Meiji represents the Liberals, and Beiger represents the Careerists who pursue power… It seems like the issue of differences among the Revivors has become prominent…
After everyone exchanged greetings, Pangon then spoke. "You actually came with your main body?"
"It"s our first meeting. I had to show my sincerity. It would be too disrespectful to arrive in my avatar." Han Xiao smiled.
"I admire your guts. Not bad at all." Pangon"s tone was indifferent.
Oathkeeper coughed a little to catch their attention. "Let"s first get to business. Black Star is now our partner, and he has requested this meeting, expressing his intentions to provide resources to help you quickly integrate into this current era."
Hearing this, Han Xiao smiled and nodded. "Everyone has just been revived, and your thinking has stopped during the exploration era. I estimate that you might not be adapted to the current era, so I would like to help you. However, I would like to know the goals you have after being resurrected, so as to facilitate the arrangement."
"Let me be clear. If the goals for some of us are not within your line of interests, then what are you going to do?" Beiger asked with interest.
"It will depend on the situation, but you can be rest a.s.sured that the possibility of engaging in armed conflict is not high. The Beyond Grade A a.s.sociation that I belong to specializes in resolving such problems. I will not prevent you from pursuing your own goals, unless this goal will harm everyone," Han Xiao replied.
"Really?" Pangon coldly said. "The Federation of Light destroyed my homeland, so I"m going to avenge them. What do you think of this goal?"
"Avenging your own civilization is a justified matter, but the premise is that you do not bring us a negative influence, or else the a.s.sociation will not sit idle… However, I would like to say something. I don"t recommend you performing such suicidal goals." Han Xiao waved his hands.
"I just want to remain free forever, without being restricted. The Beyond Grade A a.s.sociation you speak of seems to also have a lot of rules." Lady l.u.s.t raised her brows.
"The rules in place are mainly just to protect the interests of everyone. Fundamentally speaking, the a.s.sociation is just a neutral group. Everything can be settled through negotiation. As long as you do not deviate from the interests of the group, you can enjoy the greatest degree of freedom. No one will force you to do something, and with the change in the universe, the Beyond Grade As grouping together is an inevitable trend. Only by seeking shelter can you obtain freedom," Han Xiao answered as he sized up Lady l.u.s.t.
This Beyond Grade A had an exquisite appearance, with gorgeous makeup, purple lipstick painted on, and purple eyeshadow. Her hair was bunched up high, and she gave off an awe-inspiring aura. Among the women Han Xiao saw, her temperament resembled Urranrell the most, a "superwoman" who would not take no for an answer.
The group constantly asked questions that they were concerned about, with Han Xiao answering them one after another, explaining how the a.s.sociation could help them with it, but no positive response was received. The five did not agree with this proposal at this time, and in contrast, they were more inclined to create their own group.
During the discussion, Han Xiao could feel that the five of them were scrutinizing him, as though they wished to see through his tricks.
Suddenly, Pangon interrupted the questioning as he said, "I"ve always been curious. What is the motive behind you helping us?"
Hearing this, everyone immediately focused their gazes on Han Xiao.
Han Xiao remained impa.s.sive. "I"ve already told Oathkeeper. The Beyond Grade A realm requires more manpower. Only then can we obtain our own independence."
Pangon shook his head. "This is not enough to persuade me. You are holding onto the intelligence of our resurrection and information on the Holy Accord. Was it never your intention to threaten us?"
"There"s no need. We"re mutually benefitting in this." Han Xiao took out the signature fake smile that Sorokin used to give.
"I really hope that is the case. I"ll advise you to dispel any unrealistic thoughts as soon as possible, or you will regret it," Pangon warned.
"You"re overthinking it." Han Xiao laughed in return.
At this time, Beiger also spoke. "We"ve heard from Oathkeeper that you wish to obtain our support. Let us make things clear first. While we"re thankful to you for resurrecting us, personally, I will only respect the strong."
"Oh, can I understand that as you inviting me for a spar?" Han Xiao"s brows furrowed.
"If you wish for me to support you, it"s best to show some skills to convince me. If you don"t mind, I really wish to try how capable you are." Beiger narrowed his eyes.
Han Xiao swept a glance at the rest. "Do all of you think the same?"
"Beyond Grade As ultimately speak with their fists," Pangon coldly replied.
The rest also nodded, staring at Han Xiao with a playful look on their faces.
After being in contact, they discovered that Han Xiao was courteous and talkative, without the air of an expert. It was inevitable that they would doubt and underestimate his combat power. They could not help but embrace the att.i.tude of testing him out.
"I have no issues, but who is going to spar with me?" Han Xiao smiled.
"You can pick any one among us five. It doesn"t matter to us. Since you also helped us, we won"t go too heavy on you."
Beiger sounded casual, but he was actually very confident in all of their strengths.
Hearing this, Han Xiao turned his head to see Oathkeeper rubbing his nose in embarra.s.sment and immediately understood.
He shook his head with a smile, and facing their gazes slowly spoke out. However, the content of his words froze everyone"s expressions.
"That"s not too good. No matter who I choose, it will only make people think that I"m picking on a soft persimmon, which will offend them… How about all of you come at me together? This will save me from the rumors that I only bully the elderly."
The silence became palpable.
The five did not expect that Black Star, who had been so flexible and friendly, would suddenly make such arrogant remarks. Their eyes widened and showed emotions such as disbelief, uncertainty, and anger.
"Are you looking down on me?" Pangon"s expression sank, and a dangerous light shone in his eyes.
"No, no, you"re mistaken. I"m not targeting you."
Han Xiao kept his smile, glancing around, before slowly stating.
"I"m saying that all of you here are all weaklings!"
Stop trying to pretend to be wolves in front of me. Wake up. Your glory days have already pa.s.sed. The times have changed!