The asteroid belt, a dense area of meteorites, with a little-known safe shipping lane, where the remnants of the Provisional Government's fleet and all those dedicated to fighting the invasion gathered.

In the large conference room of the flagship Yunshan, the highest-level military meeting attended by General Kramer and Provisional Government officials was discussing the terms of reinforcements.

Yes, Madame Wall is not reinforcing us unconditionally, though it would be nice for them to have a force that can contain the Berlandians who are in the crosshairs.

"That's it, that's what we've got from Mars. Sixteen cruisers, including all of the starship core, were detained, and they demanded that we hand over all the brain domain chips before sending reinforcements to the fleet. ”

Deputy Commander Greene, speaking without emotion, spoke of Avalon's harsh conditions.

I kept my eyes on him until his indifferent gaze swept over where I was. Once again, I confirmed the coldness of this man, and he had no indication of me, who might be incapacitated by these conditions. In his eyes, everyone is a chess piece, and once they conflict with a big goal, they will not hesitate to give up.

I pondered my fate in a slightly sad tone.

If they were to take away my brain domain chip, would I resist?

The answer is no.

I don't have any reason to object to this, after all, the chip didn't belong to me, for the sake of the provisional government, for the sake of the people who survived, since I can sacrifice my life, just a chip shouldn't be a big deal.

But without the chip, what else do I have?

I'll be beaten back to my original form, and I will become the cowardly and untrustworthy volunteer again.

It's not the loss of status or anything else that makes me sad, it's that I can't fight like I do anymore and can't help the people around me.

What a melancholy it is.

"Is that all? We'll have to take what those tin cans say! 17 cruisers, as well as the core of the starship, are extremely valuable combat power for us now, so they are handed over? ”

Harding's words were hard to hear, but they really spoke to my heart.

It is not really up to him to say it, but to say it with my mouth.

The devil in my heart, the cowardly nature always follows me, and if I don't pay attention, it will be exposed.

If Kiana and the girls knew that I didn't do my best to fight for their interests, they would definitely show that they had mistaken you.

"Yes, I agree with Major Harding, this kind of condition is obviously a lion's mouth, since it is cooperation, it is something that is beneficial to both parties, why do we agree to such unreasonable conditions?!"

As I spoke, I felt a lot of eyes focused on my face. Although I was prepared, I still felt uncomfortable.

They will definitely think that I am selfish and ignorant of the general situation, but who can speak for their interests, and who can fight for them, Starship Core, Transform Warriors?

I was the only one who could do something.

"Colonel Zhao Ping's opinion, the command understands, is there anyone else who thinks differently?"

General Kramer, who had not spoken since the meeting, spoke.

He ignored Harding's protests and instead focused on my statement.

I can't thank this commander enough for being cold on the outside and hot on the inside.

He's helping me, and no matter what anyone else thinks, the commander's opinion still carries a lot of weight.

Although he did not explicitly agree with it, the meaning behind this sentence and the way in which I took out my opinion alone and emphasized it is very telling.

"I also agree with the colonel."

"We split the fleet to second."

"The government will not interfere in the military's decision-making, but the conditions of the other side are indeed too high."

As the people at the meeting made their own statements, especially the statements of some commanders of the detachment and government representatives, the tone of the meeting was basically set.

I guess there are still people who want to agree to this condition, but this is the case in the organization, once the big people are biased, some different opinions will automatically disappear, which shows how effective General Kramer's help is.

Green looked at the officers present with great majesty, and his sharp eyes seemed to ask who had an opinion.

"Very well, since most people think that the Martian asking price is too high, the meeting moves on to the next agenda, and we must send a negotiating team to bargain with Mrs. Wall. Please note that the general direction of the joint fight against the biochemical fleet will not change, and the purpose of our negotiation trip is to complete the goal of fighting the biochemical fleet at the lowest cost. ”

"Do we have that much time? It takes time to send people, as well as the negotiations themselves, what if the biochemical fleet attacks at such a time? ”

"Then hold them back, stall for time, find the position of the super will, and prepare for the arrival of the reinforcement fleet."

“......”

Green answered this question with a very unquestioning attitude. Let the questioner be speechless for a while. The meeting immediately went into the details.

......

......

I thought I would be abandoned by the headquarters, and I was even ready to remove the brain domain chip and return to the ranks of the incompetent, but the development of events was still beyond my expectations. Not only did the command decide to negotiate with Mrs. Wall, rejecting the existing terms of sending troops, but they also asked me to assist Green in completing the negotiations.

This practice of using practical actions to superficially adopt attitudes sends a clear signal.

Don't even think about recovering the brain domain chip.

When asked why he chose me as the deputy head of the negotiation team, the commander said that I had fought in and out of Avalon, and I knew more about Avalon's top management and social structure than anyone else, so I was the best candidate for the deputy leader. Moreover, my threats to Mrs. Wall could substantially strengthen the position of the negotiating team.

Afterwards, he was called to the headquarters, and in the presence of both Kramer and Green, the general gave the bottom line of the negotiation.

"The starship core and brain domain chip must not be handed over, and they must be allowed to release the detained spaceship and people. As for defeating the Biochemical Fleet, the biggest advantage is that we can help Mars defend and stabilize their position. As long as they can provide technology and equipment, we are fully capable of being their barrier, which is enough to impress a normal commander. I believe that the leader of Mrs. Wall can see that this is the best situation for them. ”

Grimm and I were ordered to come out. I was so thankful that I was about to find an excuse to slip away, but he took the initiative to talk to me.

"Negotiation is not a problem, since our relationship with the Martian side is actually a bitter one, they will definitely send a fleet to reinforce us. The problem is how to keep you transformation warriors, the Command's intention is clear, defeating the biochemical fleet is a top priority, and the starship core and brain domain chip represent the future of the Provisional Government. As long as we have these two advantages, it is impossible for either the people of Brande or Mrs. Wall to ignore our existence in the future. So you get the idea? Your position is far more important than you think, and the real purpose of this negotiation is not to discuss how to defeat the biochemical fleet, but to fight for the future of the solar system, and as for the outcome, you and I need to work together. ”

Parting ways with Green on the main passage of the Yunshan, he went back to his office while I took the shuttle back to the Wanwang.

I understand the meaning of his words, but what does it mean to work together? I think that the biggest advantage at this stage is in the military aspect, and the brain domain chip strengthens this ability, as for how to negotiate, how to convince others is really not what I am good at, can I really meet the expectations of the commander? When I think about the future of the solar system, I can't help but feel a little bolder.

Thinking along the way yielded nothing. When he returned to the Kings, he immediately consulted with Verelli and Maxim, who had arrived first.

"Political negotiations are not just a matter of a few people sitting around in a meeting. The negotiations themselves are divided into different levels and aspects. The deputy commander did not mean that you should help him at the meeting, but that it was more direct and physically strengthened his position. ”

What bothered me seemed nothing to Maxim, and he smiled and gave me this advice.

"But I still don't know what to do. Physically, does it mean the use of force? My force doesn't count in the face of Avalon's actual combat power, so how can I strengthen my negotiating position? ”

"There is no need to really outforce them in force, as long as people realize that we have such potential, once the Jupiter system completely falls and the provisional government is defeated, we will give all the resources at our disposal to the Branders, and I believe that they will seriously consider our request."

Wei Leili added that two of my subordinates were staring at me like this, making me blush. It turned out to be such a simple thing, and I guess neither Green nor Kramer expected that I actually had no experience in this matter at all.

The thought that if I did something stupid in the negotiation meeting without consulting the two of them, it would cause unforeseen consequences.

After much thought, I contacted the headquarters directly and asked for additional negotiators to be appointed as additional negotiators.

Command approved my request 15 minutes later.

The fleet hovered in the asteroid belt and could not really rest.

Be on alert at all times for the liquidation of the biochemical fleet. As the news of reinforcements subsided, fears of an uncertain future, as well as real-world difficulties, continued to hit the already low morale.

As I can see, the fleet is teetering on the verge of collapse.

It is believed that in order to avoid the further deterioration of the situation, the day of the departure of the negotiating team will not be far off.

Two weeks after Europa's retreat, the negotiating team officially set off for Mars.

The composition of the negotiating team is almost the most luxurious lineup that the fleet can put together at this stage. The team was led by Deputy Commander Green, and the acting Speaker of the Government, Chalma, personally went into battle, plus the Chief of the General Staff Rex, the representative of the Starship General, Lieutenant Colonel Garfield, the representative of the Technical Department, Technical Brigadier General Randolph, the representative of the Marine Corps, and a number of attachés, including Maxim and Verrell.

The negotiating team traveled to Mars aboard the Ten Thousand Kings, and the group of ships serving as escorts was none other than the strongest destroyer detachment commanded by Lieutenant Commander Stanley.

In order to show our confidence on the surface, the technical department specially equipped the starship with several advanced weapons and cleaned the shell of the starship. Anyway, from the outside, our negotiating team is very imposing, even if it is said to be the plenipotentiary of the solar system in its heyday, it will not make people suspicious.

The ceremony was not held before leaving, not that the ceremony was not important during this period, but now that there is a shortage of materials and a tense situation, it is really impossible to spare manpower and material resources to put on a show.

Eventually, the ceremony of departure was replaced by General Kramer's speech.

He first politely inquired about Speaker Chalma's opinion, and then talked with the members of the negotiation team. Although no one mentioned what would happen if they failed, there was already a sense of determination in the words of conversation. Everyone understands that if the negotiations fail, we will all be destroyed, so this is a voyage from which there is no turning back, and there is no third way to go.

General Kramer was not a sentimental man, and after some encouragement, he cut off the communication in a salute. I feel as if I am a knight from the ancient earth who went out of the city to ask for help, and before the person left, the city gate behind him has been ruthlessly closed.

......

......

After more than 1 year of absence, I saw Mars surrounded by blood again. The raging atmosphere and messy surface of the place when I left are a thing of the past. What we see now is a planet that is undergoing a mechanized transformation.

Although the time is still short, and it is not yet clear what Mars will look like in the future, from the wide-area monitor, the observation of the huge metal structure on the surface of the Martian desert, the prototype of the behemoth orbital elevator around Mars, and the satellite cannons under construction all over the orbit of the Martian moon, etc., all indicate that Mrs. Wall is planning to turn this planet from us into a veritable mechanized fortress.

"Gentmad, do the invaders think it's theirs to change the face of this place?"

Lieutenant Colonel Stanley angrily banged on the table, but received no response from most of the people. Most of the people here are big people who understand the overall situation and have a long vision, and they will not be swayed by the gains and losses of one place and a little anger.

The reason why I didn't respond to him was not because of how deep my city was, but because I remembered the hard battles on Mars, and the unwillingness to be profited by Mrs. Wall's fisherman.

The ending of Mars actually gave me a profound moment.

Before this, I always naively thought that God rewards hard work, as long as we work hard, God will eventually give us a satisfactory ending.

This idea was greatly impacted during the fall of Mars. My belief in hard work and my view of the world collapsed. Everything seemed like a fantasy to my eyes, so unreal.

When I finally came out of the shock and looked at the war that was affecting the solar system, my view was no longer as simple.

This is not just a matter as simple as the so-called battle between good and evil. It not only involves the diplomacy between interstellar forces, the inevitable trend of civilization development, and the characteristics of human beings themselves. Any one-sided or anachronistic view will lead to devastating consequences.

As a result, I understood my boundaries and limitations, and instead of fantasizing that I could turn the tide and save the world, as I did two years ago, I looked at the world I lived in with a more cautious eye, and tried to find the meaning of my existence from it.

Now I actually envy Lieutenant Colonel Stanley, who can have simple likes and dislikes and fight for them, rather than a kind of happiness, a kind of happiness that people like me can never get again.

"Look, what's that?!"

With the screams of the intelligence non-commissioned officers, all of our eyes were focused on the wide-area monitors, which were glowing with silver light and were expelling complex formations with agile maneuvers like swimming fish.

"They're coming, everyone is ready, and the battle that belongs to us is about to begin."

Green's words made the atmosphere on the bridge sober until now.

Hundreds of starships formed a huge formation, which was not a welcome ceremony, but a sign of deterrence.

Mrs. Wall is showing us what they are capable of.