"Chief, are you playing cards?"

"Ah yes, Erin, how many rounds do you want to play too?"

"Okay. It's been a long time since I've played with a boss. What to play? Three-man fighting aristocrats? ”

"Yes."

“.”

In the backstage warehouse of the Hong Building.

Not only Jia Yu, but also Erin, the chief intelligence officer, also sat around the table and played poker leisurely.

Ji Xun didn't know why he was chatting, and the three of them started playing cards again.

The atmosphere that had been very urgent just now is now gone.

It was as if the slight ripple of a stone falling into the water quickly subsided.

However, playing cards is also idle, and the topic of conversation is still before.

"Foreign wars are bound to centralize power. The Federal Parliament is going to be lively. ”

"yes. And not only parliament. The Oran Court should have some ideas. After all, the Crown of Thorns is in the hands of the new king of Orlan, and now that he has the only way to the Old World, his voice is much more important than before. Those guys don't die, and if a few federal parliamentarians don't give up power, they will have to make a fuss."

"Tsk, the Abyssal Rift doesn't have to stop those who can turn into dragons."

"yes. If the decision is not decisive enough, the changes in the Federation in the past few days may determine the luck of the major families of the Federation in the next hundred years. The five councillors may not dare to take risks, after all, they have long lost the determination to take risks after enjoying the comfort of the rich minerals. It will take a little time for the enemy army to crush the territory. Hiding in the Eastern Continent, maybe they can still be nobles for a few years. Instead, the Lionhearts might have an idea."

"Hmmm! I think too. Judging from the current intelligence, the layout of the Lionheart Family is very large. Whether it is the head of the family, the "silver-eyed lion" Carmon, or the recent younger generation of Katarina, they are all ambitious. Even if it weren't for this change, sooner or later the Lionhearts would have overridden the council."

“.”

Ji Xun didn't have much interest in the situation in the Federation, and the height of his standing was not high enough.

So he's listening most of the time.

The Illuminati are really like spectators, they don't get involved in politics.

But Jia Yu and Erin almost deduced the future situation of the Federation in a few words.

The game continues.

Jia Yu: "Right 2. ”

Ji Xun: "Fried!" ”

Erin: "Ji Xun handsome guy, I'll report a small single card~"

Ji Xun: "A 3. ”

Erin: "4. Haha, Chief, you lost! Give money! ”

“.”

After all, excellent technology can't beat Laipi.

Regardless of Jia Yu's cards, Irene's hint of pulling the corners of her clothes and throwing her eyes was always a big advantage.

And she also takes special care of Ji Xun, a newcomer to the game.

Even if Ji Xun is a nobleman, she will occasionally send cards.

Ji Xun has been playing double Rhodes cards for the past few days, and he is almost doubting his card skills when he loses.

He was also happy to see the mushroom head deflated.

Jia Yu seems to have become accustomed to Erin's cheating.

There is nothing to be done.

But even if he often plays two and plays a few more rounds, this guy's win rate is still very high.

The copper coins in front of his desk were piling up more and more.

At this time, Ji Xun was also curious: "Aren't you afraid that the Federation will be destroyed?" ”

When Jia Yu heard this, he said with a smile: "The future is in my eyes as in the past, and history is repeating itself now. If you look long enough, you will find that there is nothing new in history, especially politics. ”

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Ji Xun raised his brows slightly.

This is "I am the world".

After a week's exchange, he already had a deep understanding of this demonic mystic method.

This guy can follow the historical context and deduce the rise and fall of dynasties.

In his eyes, he must have seen something more long-term.

That's why I don't panic.

Saying that, Jia Yu's eyes gradually deepened, and he said: "What's more, this matter is not so simple. We never live in a peaceful and peaceful world. Crises are always accompanied by opportunities. My teacher used to tell me an old proverb: 'If there are no bloodthirsty beasts in the forest, the deer will be weakened and wiped out'. ”

Ji Xun listened carefully.

I already realized where the indifference of this mushroom head came from.

The "Light Hermitage" has always been a lonely walker walking in the shadow of history.

The years have changed, civilizations have changed, and they are still there.

They are, and the hope of civilization is there.

It was a leisurely place in the utility room of Honglou.

But outside, as the news fermented, the entire Innocence City exploded.

Hunters' Guild, Mercenary Guild, Card Master Guild, Adventure Tavern.

Crowded with people inquiring about news.

"I heard that there was a dragon attack on the Old World? Oh my God, that mythical creature really exists! ”

"That's fake news! I just heard that there seems to be a super-level ruin found on the side of the Demon Cross, and those nobles are going to fence it up and develop it. Dragons are real dragons, and that's because of the Treasure Present. As for the rest, it's all fake news spread by the nobles. It's not like those guys haven't done this before. ”

"I said how to block the Nuggets Pier, it turned out that I wanted to eat alone."

"That's right! Don't listen to those nobles, this opportunity to make a fortune, we must go! ”

“.”

The civilian class had no idea what was going on.

There are all kinds of rumors.

No one knew that it was the 3,000-year-old "fire" that attacked the city, and another card master civilization was passed down.

I don't know that the current card division federation is in danger.

The Federal Assembly did block the news for the first time, and also spread some ambiguous fake news.

After all, not everyone is qualified to know the truth.

That kind of news doesn't mean anything other than causing unnecessary confusion.

And when Ji Xun and the three of them were playing cards and chatting in the warehouse, they were in a heavily guarded building in Innocence City.

Cao, Bai, Morton, Orin, Capone. An emergency meeting was held here for the families of the five members of the parliament and the top representatives of several families of the federal military.

The expressions of the people in charge at the top of the hierarchy, who are usually high up, are getting uglier and uglier at the moment.

The atmosphere of the meeting was very serious.

"The people from the Bai family who went to pick up the body have already disposed of the corpse and sent some information. It has now been almost confirmed that the people who attacked the new town of Cross were another 'fire' from 3,000 years ago. And the bad thing is that the empire is far more powerful than you think. Now only a vanguard army has come. But it is said that there is an empire. Not only are there Seventh Order, but there are also stronger Card Masters and Dragons! ”

"Hey, I've guessed from the previous information that it may be a 'fire' that has not been broken. Damn the royal court of Oran, mistook me for a thousand years! ”

"There's no point in talking about that now. Think about how to deal with it. ”

"We can't fight at the moment. I can only find a way to defend it. I think that, the war fortress on the side of the Nuggets will fall sooner or later, and the focus of defense will have to be on the side of Innocence City. ”

"You want to give up the Nuggets Pier before you fight?"

"I didn't say give up, I just said that sooner or later it will fall, so it's better to plan early."

“.”

In the conference room, the well-dressed old gentlemen argued one by one.

Under the devastating oppression of absolute force, it is difficult for these usually pampered bigwigs to maintain their grace.

After all, the Card Division Federation is really going to collapse, and they are in a high position, and they will fall the most.

And on the other side of the Big Five.

Coming to the Lionheart's seat as a representative of the military, there sat an old general who did not look angry and arrogant.

This is the head of the Lionheart family, the Generalissimo of the Federation, and the legendary powerhouse "Silver-Eyed Lion" Carmon.

And next to the old man stood a blonde girl with the same serious expression, it was Caterina.

The grandfather and grandson looked at the arguing members of the council and remained silent.

There are no outsiders who can participate in this meeting, they are all the top level of the federation who know the roots.

The parliamentarians had no scruples about talking.

"Now that the enemy is present, I think that many members of our parliament should no longer fight on their own, and should elect a speaker to lead the overall situation."

"yes. Otherwise, just scheduling and command execution is a big problem. ”

"My Cao family has been operating in the City of Innocence for the longest time, and they have the most thorough understanding of the Old World. I recommend myself"

"Boss Cao, your Cao family's reputation in Innocence City was not very good before. I think that if we really want to elect the speaker, the Cao family should avoid suspicion and avoid causing some unnecessary criticism."

"My Morton."

"Everyone, it's all at this juncture, so don't be careful."

“.”

Centralization of war, this is a truth that everyone understands.

They are even more clear to politicians who have been in high positions for a long time.

However, as soon as this topic was mentioned, the five congressmen immediately fell into a quarrel.

Once power is centralized, it is very likely that it will remain centralized in the future.

No one wants to give their power to someone else.

I saw that the debate surrounding the choice of the speaker was getting more and more endless.

At this time, the "Silver-Eyed Lion" Carmon, who had not spoken, let out a soft snort and interrupted the argument: "Everyone, I think we should discuss how to deal with the enemy now, right?" You don't think that if those people really attack, they will give us any chance of peace negotiations, do you? Who is the Speaker, this question can be said later. ”

As he spoke, the lion-like resolute gaze swept over the silent councilors.

He put forward his opinion: "It seems that the current intelligence shows that it is impossible for us to hold any city in the Old World. So the time frame of the war will inevitably be very long. If we want to have a chance to turn the tables, we must complete the layout in the Old Continent as soon as possible before the enemy comes, and focus on guerrilla warfare. After all, now everyone knows that the Old Continent is a treasure trove, as long as we are given time to develop, we may not be able to cultivate some super-level powerhouses in the future and turn the tide of battle."

As soon as these words came out, the conference hall immediately fell silent.

He is worthy of being a generalissimo of the military, who clearly analyzed the entire war situation at a glance and also put forward a countermeasure.

In fact, the five congressmen are not blind to the situation.

But everyone knows that going to the Old World now is almost equivalent to death.

Who goes?

No matter how much you go to the bottom, it's all cannon fodder.

If you want to gain a foothold in the Old Continent and turn the tables, you must go to the elite and top powerhouses!

But no one wants their family's elite family to overwhelm the old continent.

Otherwise, on the side of the Eastern Continent, they will immediately lose their right to speak.

As soon as these words came out, the conference room fell silent again.

They are all old foxes who play politics, and everyone knows that if they open this mouth first, they will inevitably bear heavy responsibility.

No one wants to take this mouth first.

The only sound in the conference room was the sound of breathing.

The atmosphere was slightly awkward.

After waiting for a long time, looking at the people who were looking at each other, a hint of anger appeared in Carmon's silver eyes, but it was expected.

He thought of something, and proposed: "Since everyone wants to say that a joint speaker is elected, otherwise, which one stands up and goes to the old continent to preside over the overall situation, the old man will support whoever he is. What do you think? ”

The Lionhearts are now the first warlords of the Federation, and they have a very strong voice.

Hearing this, the expressions of several congressmen froze.

This is indeed the most reasonable approach at the moment.

But.

Several of them want to be the speaker.

But this is a war that no matter how you look at it, there is no chance of victory.

No one wants to go to the Old World to die.

They don't want to watch others do it.

So there can only be silence.

I can't be it, and no one is equal.

Seeing this, Carmon couldn't help but sneer and sneered.

Several members of the council became more and more afraid to squeak.

Seeing that the meeting was about to go cold.

It was, someone spoke to break the deadlock.

"That. Ladies and gentlemen. I wonder if we're going to be a little too worried? Haven't you called yet? What's more, there is the abyssal rift. What if they can't cross the Abyssal Rift, aren't we worried in vain? ”

"I think so, too. Rather than fortifying the war fortress at the Nugget Pier, I think the priority is to find the remnants of Oran. After all, as far as I know, the new king has the 'key' in his hands to control the chains of the abyss. As long as you put away the chains, you can cut off the passage to the Old World in no time. ”

"That's right! I also endorse Congressman Morton's proposal. After all, the Eastern Continent is our foundation. Only by keeping the foundation can we talk about other things. We all came this way for more than 2,000 years before the discovery of the Old World. Without the Old World, it's nothing. ”

“.”

With that, the conference room became lively again.

Originally, the Old World was discovered, and several parliamentarians were not very in favor of development.

After all, except for the Cao family and the Lionheart family, which were laid out in advance, the development of several other companies in the Old World was much slower.

Now the two companies that have seized the initiative have gained huge benefits, and there is a faint momentum to crush the "two giants" above the parliament.

Before, it was the general trend, and there was no way to stop it.

Now this "unknown enemy" has suddenly appeared, with the opportunity to re-blockade the Old Continent. In a sense, this news is not necessarily a good thing for several others.

As long as the Old World is sealed, in their opinion, at least the status quo can be maintained.

They are still in the high positions of power.

As soon as these words came out.

There was silence again in the huge conference room.

The "main battle faction" and the "retreating faction" were immediately separated.

If, according to the proposal of Marshal Yuan Carmon, the layout of the Old Continent is made in advance, then it can be expected that someone will inevitably have to make sacrifices.

And the risks are unpredictable.

No one wants to die.

And if you choose to retreat to the Eastern Wilderness and cut off contact with the old continent, at least for the time being, it will not be hindered.

General Cocalmon's face had darkened.

How did he not see that even at this juncture, these guys still had their own ghosts.

This is a battle for the destruction of civilization, and there is no chance of victory if the hearts are not aligned.

But when it comes to this, they are all colleagues, no one has expressed their position, and Carmon is not good to speak again.

Seeing that an emergency meeting is about to stalemate, it is very likely that it will really choose to "retreat".

At this time, a person who surprised everyone stepped forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Have you ever thought about it? The enemy hasn't blocked the Nuggets yet, so this may be the only time we can touch the upper echelons of the card master, or maybe the only time in countless years to go to the Old World? If we take this step back, it means that from now on, we will be cut off from the super-level civilization! From then on, we can only shrink in the Eastern Wilderness, for generations! ”

These words are loud and clear.

Echoing in my ears for a long time.

Everyone looked at each other.

It turned out to be a sleek and heroic Caterina in a straight military uniform.

Originally, this kind of meeting was only attended by juniors, and they were not qualified to speak.

No one thought that this "Silver Mist Rose" would stand up now.

After Caterina finished speaking, in the face of a group of top real power figures in the Federation, she was neither humble nor arrogant: "We have been ridiculing the remnants of Orlan for delaying the Karshi civilization for two thousand years. But if we retreat, wouldn't we do the same thing? In a few years' time, when our descendants talk about our decisions today, how do you think they will judge? ”

As soon as these words came out, the members of the parliament were silent.

Even if he is in a high position, it is difficult to hide the embarrassment in his eyes.

No one expected that he would be taught a lesson by a junior.

Only Marshal Carmon listened to his granddaughter's statement, although his expression was the same, his heart was indescribably happy: scolding well! These old things who are greedy for life and afraid of death!

On weekdays, Caterina would never be so reckless.

Nor could it be possible to speak on such an important occasion.

However, it is now on the eve of the collapse of civilization, and there is really no chance to retreat.

Caterina pondered for a moment, her tone still sharp: "What's more! There may not be a future! ”

Her eyes were piercing, and her eyebrows were full of heroism.

Responding to any questioning gaze without showing weakness.

She asked rhetorically, "Now it is clear that the enemy has super-level powerhouses and dragons. Are you sure they won't be able to cross the abyssal rift? It's just that we haven't been discovered before, and we can still live in the Eastern Wilderness. Now that we've been discovered, do you think they'll let us go? Don't leave anything to chance. There is never one outcome in war! Everyone, stop worrying about it! ”

These words were like a sharp scalpel, mercilessly slicing open the ribcage, revealing the rotten and filthy hearts of the big guys.

They know it better than anyone else.

But after 200 years of comfortable life, they have lost the determination to take risks and take risks.

Since she said that, Caterina no longer cared about anyone's face, and said bluntly: "And after we really sever ties with the Old World, we will get weaker and weaker, and the enemy will become stronger and stronger." Even if the Abyss Rift could really hold them back for ten or a hundred years? I dare say that we are cowering here, and one day in the future, all of us here will see the enemy cross the abyss! At that time, our strongest card master will still only be at the sixth order, so there will really be no chance of turning the tables, and he can only be a lamb to be slaughtered! ”

She said, looking at the crowd who still didn't say anything, like an angry lion cub: "The blood we shed now is shed for our children and grandchildren!" If our children and grandchildren can live a peaceful and happy life in the future, it is not because the times have changed, but because their ancestors once shed their blood and fought for the sake of civilization! They will remember, they will be grateful, and they will be proud of our sacrifices! ”

"It's like two hundred years ago, our ancestors overthrew the old dynasty with countless blood! We are proud of it. This is the undying glory engraved in our blood and in our surname! ”

As soon as these words came out, it was as if the glory of the ancestors had shone from two hundred years ago, and Katarina's body was full of light.

The pins in the huge conference room can be heard.

For the first time, several members of parliament had a feeling of emptiness.

They didn't even dare to look directly at the junior standing in the court.

After a long time, there were a few light coughs.

Cao Zhengxiong, the head of the Cao family, finally broke this embarrassment and said: "Carter's niece, everyone understands this, but war is not child's play, it is much more difficult to operate in practice, and there are more factors to consider."

He originally thought that Caterina was young and hadn't taken into account the intrigue at the political level, so he reminded him.

From the bottom of his heart, the Cao family is biased towards the main battle.

After all, they have too much information about the Old World.

This is an advantage over several others.

As soon as these words came out, it was as if there were steps.

Several other members of parliament also spoke.

"yes. It's not that simple. I think we have to think about it in the long run. ”

"I think I can do it with both hands. Carter Jr.'s plan can be considered, but it's a question of who will take the lead."

"Hmm. That's what I meant in the first place. We're not saying we won't fight. At least live before you can plan for the future. ”

“.”

A few old foxes also took advantage of the situation and went down the stairs and started the previous discussion again.

But when people have the idea of backing down, it is difficult to muster up courage again.

"You guys."

Caterina knew that if she continued to discuss it like this, she would inevitably fall into the same dead end as before.

No one wants to stand up, and it will inevitably end up in the end.

These old guys will inevitably choose to keep their current selves.

So before a few people finished speaking, Marshal Carmon spoke: "I think Carter Jr. is right." Some people really can't get up and down in the high positions of power. Do you remember what our ancestors overthrew the old dynasty two hundred years ago? For freedom and civilization. What now? Gee. Some people have really been in the bonanza layer for a long time, and they don't have the heart to take risks at all! ”

The old man doesn't look like Katarina, and he has to give face.

When he said this, it was as if he had lifted the gentleman's gown that the parliamentarians had covered their fat bodies.

The five councillors all had dark expressions.

Finally, someone couldn't help it, and choked: "Since your Lionheart family is righteous, then the defense line of the Nugget Pier just needs to send troops."

Everyone knows that if there is a real fight, the Nuggets Pier must be the front line of the battlefield.

There is no life or death to go there and garrison.

No one dared to grab this task.

It seems that saying it can also save them a little face.

Didn't you Lionheart just scold a lot?

What now?

Do you Kamon dare to go?

If you go to the Lionhearts, your status in the Federation will collapse immediately!

However, before those fat faces showed a sarcastic smile,

Katerina, who was still in the conference hall, did not flinch, and shouted: "Uncles, although my niece and nephew are a woman, I will never back down!" After today, I will lead my troops to the front line of the Old World. The crisis is endless, and there will be no return! ”

These words are sonorous and powerful.

It was as if there was an invisible magic force that struck people's souls.

With that, she brushed her sleeves away.

A group of old gentlemen who are in high positions are all stunned when they look at the delicate but heroic back.

Although Carmon was distressed, his eyes were more relieved and appreciative of courage.

The hero's life has been condensed, and it is extraordinary.

He had a brief chat with his granddaughter before he came.

That's when Caterina said what she thought.

She has her own unique perspective on the war.

As long as the enemy is unable to cross the rift in a short period of time, it will inevitably be a protracted battle.

Carmon also knew that the Old World was the future and the only hope of winning the war.

It is both a danger and an opportunity.

You must not give up.

The old man withdrew his gaze from Caterina's back, looked at a few people in the council hall, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, since you don't want to go, then I'll go to the Lionheart!" I want people, I want resources, I want everything you can provide! It's all at this juncture, you guys can do it."

Stuck in the Old Continent sees no hope.

This time, the Lionhearts gambled everything for that little hope.

Kavin, over~

(End of chapter)