Chapter 936: Defending the Homeland
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
t.i.ta Star was as beautiful as ever. Just getting close, w.a.n.g Zheng felt like he was back at his hometown. This was where he had once fought. Those forests, those hills, everything. No matter who it was that wanted to wrest away this place, he would resist.
It was only 15 minutes to t.i.ta Star, but because of the Jiro Federation and Diweng Alliance’s lockdowns, there were layers of checks. The entire entering process required six hours. Spending so much time in s.p.a.ce was a huge loss.
The two countries were like two huge hands firmly clamped over t.i.tat.i.tan Star’s throat. w.a.n.g Zheng could hear the crowd’s chatter. Some were daring tourists who had come to t.i.ta Star to chase a dream. But as the att.i.tude spread and took effect, t.i.ta Star would, in the end, be left alone.
Finally, w.a.n.g Zheng reached t.i.ta Star. The newly built airport was not very busy, and permeated with a mood of fear. Some of the newer immigrants were thinking of leaving. They were not like the locals who had no choice. If t.i.ta Star broke out in war, then the average citizen’s life would not be good. And it was not something that would recover readily.
At the same time, if t.i.ta Star eventually turned into a mining planet, then what quality of life would there be?
Once a planet in the Milky Way Alliance was turned into a mining planet, it would automatically enter the uninhabitable living places blacklist.
w.a.n.g Zheng had told Mu Sen and Lan Ling beforehand not to send anybody to pick him up. He took the fast city line alone. w.a.n.g Zheng could feel t.i.ta Star’s pulse. It was still busy, but the joy in the business had gone.
This was no longer a fight between the t.i.ta people and humans, but invasion. Only, the opponent was too strong. Just Jiro Federation or Diweng Alliance alone would have been more than t.i.ta Star could stand up to.
And t.i.ta Star was unable to respond, because their s.p.a.ce troops were too weak, and had no control at all. As for land troops, the t.i.ta people were unafraid of war or death. The problem that worried Mu Sen and Lan Ling was that death would solve nothing.
If this was not handled well, the t.i.ta people would disappear from the face of history, perhaps relegated to museums for future generations.
This was something that Mu Sen, as the chairman, had to consider. He firmly believed that humanity had the ability to eradicate t.i.ta Star, and there were a myriad of ways.
w.a.n.g Zheng arrived at Lan Kao city. Mu Sen, Lan Ling, and Yan Xiaosu were all there. Only, everyone was clearly plagued with worry. Even Yan Xiaosu had lost weight.
“If we fight, t.i.ta’s braves will never back down,” Rara Durai said solemnly. They were not afraid of war.
Mu Sen gave a bitter laugh. The thinking of giants and the intellectuals was forever different. This war had to be avoided if there was a choice. Regardless of s.p.a.ce or land war, the t.i.ta people would not come out of this ahead.
Although the t.i.ta giants were all fighters, and their giant suits of armor were powerful, in reality, the more Mu Sen understood the human world, the more he found it futile to resist. If there had to be war, it would be a last resort.
“Things are not at that stage yet. w.a.n.g Zheng’s almost here. He will definitely find a way,” Lan Ling said. That guy was really infuriating. The fire was already singeing their eyebrows, and he was taking his time.
“Highness, Ada is here.” From outside, Shan Meng’s bellows could be heard. This guy’s lungpower was ridiculous.
w.a.n.g Zheng walked in with a smile. “Shan Meng, you need to lower your volume. The room almost collapsed.”
“Oh you, the elder is worried to a state, and you have the mood to laugh.” Lan Ling seemed to have found the support she needed.
w.a.n.g Zheng hugged everyone. “Lan Ling, long time no see. You’ve grown more beautiful.”
Lan Ling could not help herself. “What will I do with you.”
“Shan Meng, stay outside and make sure no one disturbs us,” Mu Sen said.
“Yes, Elder.” Shan Meng happily went out. The giants were not troubled or worried. Whether war or death, they would face it with courage. Theirs was a simple world.
“Elder Mu Sen, I understand the general situation. Please elaborate,” w.a.n.g Zheng said. He knew that no one was really relieved, but he needed to preserve the smile and composure, because it would give them confidence, even if he had none.
“The Jiro Federation and the Diweng Alliance must have some superpower pulling strings behind them. From what we know, Aslan and Arbiter are involved. Of course, they will not intervene directly, but it will be difficult to enlist the support of the Milky Way Alliance,” Mu Sen said.
w.a.n.g Zheng nodded. These things were hard to prove. “Lan Ling, what are their conditions?”
Lan Ling gave a bitter laugh. “After a few rounds of negotiations, the situation has stabilized temporarily. They are not concerned with the land rights of t.i.ta Star, but the super-gravity energy ore mines. They want to cash in on the benefits and turn t.i.ta Star into a mining planet. Of course, we have to give them privileged migration benefits.”
w.a.n.g Zheng laughed, and Mu Sen did too. Clearly everyone understood that they were here to stay. Even if they agreed, they would not stop there. Human avarice knew no bounds. They would not honor their agreement.
“Are their methods so far limited to sealing off?”
“Exactly so. The Alliance Council still has some threat. They have no reason to start the war at present. An economic lockdown is the best method. Under their pressure, t.i.ta Star’s development needs will fail,” Lan Ling said.
“If that’s the case, then we t.i.ta people are unafraid. Even if we maintain our primitive state, we still live very freely,” Mu Sen said.
An economic lockdown would be fatal to a star that wanted to grow, but t.i.ta Star was mostly populated by t.i.ta people. Even if many t.i.ta people had flocked to the city to take part in building, they still depended on nature. A new life was novel, but something they could do without.
“Economic lockdown is just the first step. To us, it is just time bought. If we do not cooperate, the next step will be violence.” Lan Ling said. For the opponents to have postured so aggressively, they would not just back down without a fight.
w.a.n.g Zheng nodded. “Internationally, we need aid. Depending on the Solar System alone is not enough. At present, we should hope for Hail Cloud Alliance’s support. If Hail Cloud Alliance flexes its strength, the results might be a bit more favorable. Besides that, much counts on the att.i.tude of the Alliance Council chairman. From the Council’s standpoint, they are unwilling to see a large country gain so much power. The problem remains in the time of intervention, and what we offer. We can’t rule out that they might give us aid when we need it most. And crucial aid in the key moments is the best case scenario.”
“Given that the two empires possess huge influence in the Alliance, is that viable?” Lan Ling and the rest had already given up hope on the Alliance.
“It’s worth a shot. But the Alliance headquarters will definitely not send troops. Which is why we must still depend on ourselves. How is the t.i.ta Star military power?”
“Our s.p.a.ce troops have not much to speak off. All they can do is maintain the order in the s.p.a.ce port, and we must completely depend on ground troops,” Lan Ling said worriedly. In planetary battles to date, s.p.a.ce control was undoubtedly the most important. If they lost s.p.a.ce control, then they would be sitting ducks.
“Boss, our armament factories are already at full production. The present situation is not looking good. We must make preparations for war. Even if we lose s.p.a.ce control, I think they might not use s.p.a.ce weaponry. This is a dispute, and if they take direct action, I think the Alliance will not turn a blind eye. It is tantamount to a complete tras.h.i.+ng of the entire galaxy’s cooperation contract. And the two countries will be unable to deal thereafter.”
Yan Xiaosu said. The Tyrant Su now was not the Tyrant Su of the past. “I’ve also sent Jasper and the rest to see what aid they can secure. At present, it seems useless. As long as they don’t commence hostilities, in the end it’s just a dispute.”
w.a.n.g Zheng nodded. The situation was basically clear now. Jiro and Diweng were using economic pressure to force t.i.ta’s cooperation, but in truth, t.i.ta Star did not care about this. They could live, backward as they were. The t.i.ta people were not avaricious. But it was merely an excuse to turn to war.
In that case, then the chance for t.i.ta’s counter had come. As long as they could repel the attack, and turn the fight into a stalemate, then the Alliance could not turn a blind eye, or risk the rules of the Milky Way crumbling.
On this, everyone was clear. It depended on who could hold out, and who was stronger. Of course, if they had no control over s.p.a.ce, then they could be attacked at any time. In order to buy time for preparation, Mu Sen and Lan Ling had opened round after round of negotiations.
But how much time they could buy was not easy to say. They were not dealing with fools. Once they were busted, the opponent would speed up their process.