Chapter 1192 1236 Pushing the envelope 1264 Beggar-thy-neighbor (two chapters)
Chapter 1263: Pushing the limits (first update to congratulate the cute master Mingyue)
"I actually encountered the sale of captives," Qu Jianlei said, dumbfounded.
He always felt that it was something in the history books and was far away from him.
Especially in this life of the empire, he has never been merciless towards his enemies, and now he only has an additional "ransom" option.
However, he still refused outright, "If you want to buy prisoners, you can wait until the matter in the black zone is over!"
After all, he can now extract a lot of information from the prisoner's mouth, and he will not make the mistake of capitalizing on the enemy.
Okay, Briarbloom may not be an enemy, but it's still a contender.
He won't insist not to sell, but it can't affect his actions.
The second thing that Thorns Blossom wants to know is of course the whereabouts of the magic weapon.
Qu Jianlei won't go into details, but he won't cause trouble for himself either.
He just said, "If we really find the magic weapon, is it necessary to continue to stay in the black area?"
He felt that his two answers had clearly demonstrated his intentions.
The former is to show that he has no intention of gaining government capital - I agree to sell people, but it is not suitable now.
The latter revealed his true purpose - we are here for the magic weapon, and we will definitely leave once we get it!
He consciously expressed it very clearly, but others have to believe it, right?
"Trading after leaving the black area? Haha, by then, not to mention that the value of the captives will shrink, who can guarantee that they will sell them?"
"It's hard to say whether he got the magic weapon or not. If he leaves now, won't it be confirmed that he got the magic weapon?"
Things in the world are always so ridiculous. He feels that his attitude is very clear, but he can't help but others always have other interpretations.
Faced with his reply, Thorny Flowers came up with a new condition: We hope that the two teams can cooperate.
We admire your team's unique inspection technology very much. If you are willing to transfer it, we can pay the corresponding remuneration.
In addition, once the cooperation is fruitful, except for returning the magic weapon to its original owner in exchange for the reward, everything else can be easily discussed.
"What's inexplicable?" Qu Jianlei felt that the person who made this request was crazy and couldn't understand human speech?
A few days later, the other two teams also sent messages, also asking for cooperation.
Is this an attempt to blackmail you? Qu Jianlei was really annoyed, but he decisively refused.
Next, the consequences of rejecting all teams appeared. The Digital Phantom fleet was targeted by everyone.
At first, the starships they encountered were just sarcastic, but later, someone actually flew with them.
Anyway, everyone has agreed that the five major teams should not start war lightly.
Previously, except for 1314, there were only four digital Phantom starships equipped with imitation divine consciousness equipment.
Now the other seventeen ships are all equipped with similar equipment - really just similar, the only thing that is the same is the "detection type".
There is no way, there is no long-lasting secret in the world, especially in this kind of group cooperation.
Moreover, once word spreads about treating this kind of difference, some centrists who were originally able to win over will instantly become alienated.
Qu Jianlei realized this relatively early and asked Xiaohu to develop a replica and start processing it himself.
In fact, it is not just a replica. In addition to its appearance, it also emits some detection waves and can issue alarms for abnormal situations.
It's just this kind of "abnormal situation", which is quite Buddhist, focusing on doing whatever you want.
Because the control end is controlled by Xiaohu, the abnormal situations selected are not too ridiculous, but there are no rules at all.
But one thing is absolutely the same - the self-destruct device.
After gradually issuing it to other starships, 1314 can also receive alerts from time to time.
However, at this time, we no longer dealt with the situation on site. We rushed to record the location in time, and then arranged for the starship to call the police to continue the inspection.
Many starships have strong curiosity, but Qu Jianlei will not give any explanation.
He just emphasized that if everything goes well, we will return the confiscated materials when the inspection is completed.
——Those with outstanding performance will receive some feedback privately, but we will not announce it to the public.
The main thing is just a piece of cake, but it doesn't come without any price.
Not only did Ship 1314 have a lot more tasks, Qu Jianlei also had to pretend to reward individual starships from time to time.
However, compared with these costs, Qu Jianlei felt that everything was worth it.
It is enough to have a few starships to help search the black area. At least it can greatly save the time of the team members.
And the big cost he had to pay was just to give back what he had stolen.
Now other teams have also learned that the Digital Phantom fleet has a special detector that seems to have miraculous effects.
There will definitely be someone who tries to trick the detector, but it is still inconvenient to take action rashly before breaking out.
If another team were to change, the four major teams would probably have taken a stab at the evil hand - this is a dark area anyway.
But the Digital Phantom... has powerful artificial intelligence, and no one can guarantee that it will not be detected after it is taken.
And not just any force can afford the revenge from the Digital Phantom.
If the grudge is too deep and spreads to the entire empire outside the black zone, then... it really needs to be seriously considered.
It doesn't matter if the seriousness is just a yin and yang of sarcastic remarks.
Accompanying the flight... is not impossible. The black zone belongs to everyone, not your team!
However, when he was accompanied by a flight companion for the first time, Qu Jianlei realized the other party's intention - to cut flesh with a dull knife?
He would never get used to this kind of problem, so he immediately rushed over with two company-class ships.
The opponent had three starships, and his own only had two, but by the time he arrived, it was five versus three.
He said very simply: I don’t care what your reasons are, I only give you two choices now.
Either get lost or I'll blow you up - once I open fire, I won't take any prisoners!
The other person explained a few words, saying that he didn't mean it, and then left in despair.
As the core ship of Digital Phantom, we must give face - neither artificial intelligence nor the supreme being can be insulted!
However, less than a day after the incident, the second accompanying incident occurred again.
Ship 1314 arrived again, expelled the opponent, and made it clear: It has happened twice, and we will open fire the third time!
Is it possible to hide the tactics of tired soldiers from him?
However, less than a day later, the third accompanying incident occurred!
After receiving the alarm, Qu Jianlei smiled helplessly and said, "Are you becoming a public enemy?"
But it doesn't matter anymore, etiquette has been reached, and if he doesn't forcefully break the situation, he won't be him anymore.
Accompanying the flight this time are still three starships, belonging to the Thorn Blossoms team.
After the 1314 ship arrived, it only said one sentence, "This is the third time, we have already warned you!"
The other party felt something was wrong as soon as he heard it, and immediately explained, "It's just a coincidence. What's the third time? This is the first time such a coincidence."
"That's because others didn't notify you. No wonder I am!" Qu Jianlei gave the order directly, "Every ship pay attention... open fire with all your strength!"
Not only his three starships, but also the two starships being flown by were equally unhappy, and upon hearing this, they also started fighting mode.
The starship with blooming thorns and flowers really didn't expect that the other party would actually hit them as soon as they said they would.
They have the word "thorns" hanging on their heads.
Although their power in the black zone is not as good as that of the Bright team, the Bright team would not dare to be disrespectful when they meet them!
Even two starships related to the Thorns broke away from Bright's requisition and joined the Blooming Thorns, but they did not dare to stop them.
The good thing is that these three ships are also alert enough, the strength of their protective shields has been increased very high, and their gun muzzles are also in a charged state.
——Everyone has spent so much money in the black area that they don’t care about this small consumption now.
Facing the siege, the three starships launched a counterattack, and at the same time tried their best to explain - of course, there must be some threats.
But in just two minutes, they no longer dared to act recklessly, and the power system and fire control system failed one after another.
Of the three starships, two have quite strong digital defense capabilities, otherwise the time would only be shorter.
On one of the starships, there seemed to be a person who made the final decision. He simply stated that this time we admit our failure and are willing to compensate!
At this point, all eight starships have ceased fire. Because the battle was still short, there was almost no damage to each starship.
When Qu Jianlei heard this, he snorted coldly and spoke directly on the public channel.
"Both of you... I have already stopped the starship, are you still waiting for me to do it again?"
The two accompanying starships were stunned when they heard this, "This... do you want to continue fighting?"
Qu Jianlei replied calmly, "This is the third incident of accompanying a flight in three days. I warned them that it will never happen again!"
The two starships being accompanied suddenly realized that because they had been searching separately, they had not heard about the previous two incidents.
But you can understand this kind of thing as soon as you hear it. Who is not an old Jianghu?
However, I understand, I understand, is the boss trying to... force us to take action?
Thorn Bloom and Digital Phantom are different teams, but these two starships were only requisitioned by 1314.
It's a bit annoying to encounter a companion flight, but how good is the 1314th ship?
A starship plucked up the courage to speak, "This...sir, can't we commandeer them?"
Qu Jianlei did not answer his question, "Of course we can take action, but the witnesses will be silenced. Are you sure?"
"I'm stupid," another starship frantically tried to persuade its companions through a private channel, "Don't drag me with you even if you want to die."
Their two starships seem to be operating normally, but they are already stationed by artificial intelligence, and they don't even need to invade!
As for the conversations in the private channel, there should be nothing private at all, but at this time, do you care about it?
As long as the three starships on the opposite side can't hear it, it'll be fine!
However, although the person on the other side could not hear their conversation, they could hear Qu Jianlei's words clearly and were extremely frightened for a moment.
You have already seized control of our starship, and now...you want to blow up the starship?
(First update, congratulations to the leader of the alliance: "Wherever the moon shines, what do you dream about?")
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Chapter 1264: Beggar Your Neighbor (Second Update)
Among the three ships of Thorns, it was the one who took the lead who spoke, "Sir, we really didn't mean to offend, and we are willing to compensate..."
"If it doesn't work out, you can take the starship away. Why break a good thing?"
At this moment, he felt extremely annoyed. He knew clearly that the other party was not easy to mess with, so why did he accept this task?
It is said that it is just an exploratory mission, and through various pressures, the other party will eventually be forced to submit.
Before coming, he assessed the risks and believed that the possibility of the other party falling out was not small. If he had the strength, he would not endure it.
But even if they fall out, there is still a problem of degree - restraining three of our own starships is enough, right?
The other party's menacing attack already made him feel bad. After being restrained, he immediately gave in and offered to compensate for the loss.
The bottom line in his mind was that at worst, he would have to compensate the other party with three starships.
This choice was a little painful, but he found a reason to comfort himself: there were already hidden dangers, and he didn't feel at ease using it.
As for what happens in the future, let’s talk about it later...we must find out what force the other party comes from!
In short, he is not only a member of the Thorns Blossoms team on his own starship, but also a member of the Thorns circle.
As one of the organizers, he was not forcibly recruited. It would be inappropriate not to join in such a situation.
Anyway, if you have to fight, fight, and if you lose, give in immediately. If the worst happens, you can slowly find a place later.
Who would have thought that the other party was really furious and wanted to blow up the starship he had already controlled!
A starship is not very valuable, but it is worth several hundred million.
Our three starships have all undergone different modifications before coming to the black zone, and the total price should be around 4 billion!
I don’t want the four billion I got, but I have to destroy it... What kind of mentality could lead to this?
So the next question is: if the starship will be destroyed, what will happen to the crew?
He didn't dare to think about this problem because he was scared from the bottom of his heart!
However, although he once again reminded the other party that the compensation could be starships, but even the most money-mad Xiaohu was indifferent.
Qu Jianlei sneered, "I've given you the opportunity... I've already given it to you, and I tolerated the first two provocations."
"If I don't tolerate it this time, it will be my problem!"
"I really didn't receive it," the person on the public channel hurriedly defended, "I know, I was wrong..."
Qu Jianlei was too lazy to listen to his nonsense, "These two, for us, three starships were destroyed, and five starships were also destroyed."
"I'll give you five seconds to think about it...don't say we didn't give you a chance!"
"Don't think about it for a second," one starship said decisively, "fire!"
When people mix in society, the most taboo thing is to be timid and wavering. There is a high possibility that both parties will not be pleased.
In extreme cases, the wrong choice is better than no choice.
This starship also made a very careful decision, so it opened fire at the first opportunity.
He is not sure which one is more powerful, Thorn Blossom or Digital Phantom, but he is certain: it is better to die early than to die late!
Seeing that he had made a choice, the other starship did not dare to neglect, "What are you still waiting for? Fire!"
For a moment, the opponent's three starships erupted with various dazzling lights.
"We surrender!" A shout came from the opponent's starship, but unfortunately, no one cared.
The power systems of the three starships were paralyzed, and naturally there was no energy supply shield.
Without turning on the protection and just relying on the starship's armor, how long can it last?
In just over a minute, the three starships were riddled with holes.
Qu Jianlei noticed that the artillery fire of the two attacking starships gradually became sparse, and snorted coldly, "Don't stop, blow it up!"
There was no shortage of skilled personnel on these starships. He could see clearly that the attack deliberately avoided the ammunition depot and energy cabin.
It's nothing more than hitting three immobile targets. A qualified artilleryman can do it, let alone an adventurer who dares to break into the black zone.
Qu Jianlei was not satisfied with this. I will not offend others unless they offend me. If someone offends me, I will offend them!
As soon as his words came out, the two starships were stunned for about two or three seconds, and then increased their firepower.
The guy who was very willing to gamble even said, "Sir, we want to reduce ammunition consumption."
What you want to reduce...is the hatred of the other party? Qu Jianlei didn't bother to pay attention to this guy.
But the person on the other side couldn't bear it, "We all said we surrendered... We are all from the Empire, why do you bother, sir?"
Qu Jianlei didn't take it seriously - I was at the large human testing site at the beginning of my time travel. Now you're telling me about the empire?
Even if you are in the black zone, you have already realized this. As for coming to accompany Fei to provoke you?
Seeing that he didn't respond, the guy in the lead said, "Abandon the ship!"
It’s no longer possible if we don’t abandon the ship. The opponent has already been cruel. How long can these starships that have been crippled survive?
He has nothing to gamble with now. He has already shouted out "They are all from the Empire". Is the other party really killing people?
The next moment, rescue capsules and space mechas popped out of the three starships... and two lifeboats.
People on the lifeboat should be more wary of digital phantoms - at least there is a certain motivation.
In addition, there was a man in civilian clothes, who jumped out like an arrow in front of the starship's fire.
The two starships responsible for the attack really let the water go. After the people were almost out, they started to blow up the starships one by one.
——Everyone has come out. It doesn’t make much sense to blow it up or not. This level of damage is absolutely impossible to repair in the black area!
But the supreme one who came out last was really not bad at it. If he was a little late, he would be injured by the aftermath of Huo Bao Huo Za.
Just as he thought, the ejected rescue capsules, lifeboats and space mechas were not attacked.
Qu Jianlei actually didn't mind hurting these people. Surrender before the war and surrender after defeat were two different concepts.
At worst, he could just ignore these people, but he didn't believe they could last in the dark area for long.
But the words "all from the Empire" still carry some weight, even if he has no sense of belonging to the Empire.
Moreover, if the other party accuses him of "having ulterior motives and having an affair with the alliance" in the future, this will also become evidence!
Don't think that the probability of such accusations is low, Qu Jianlei never underestimates the evil in human nature!
So he could only say, "You two cease fire and let's go capture the prisoners!"
It is important to point out that he did not say "rescue", but emphasized the prisoners - the human rights of prisoners are pitiful.
Mrs. Jia and Mu Guang emerged from the two company-class ships, and Qu Jianlei and Nutrients also emerged from 1314.
Mrs. Jia and Mu Guang did not take any action and supervised the starship to capture the rescue capsule, lifeboat and space mecha.
Qu Jianlei and Nutrients went straight to the Supreme Being.
Upon seeing this, the supreme leader spoke quickly, "Don't get me wrong, I sincerely..."
Before he could finish speaking, the nutrient directly released coercion, suppressing the opponent's ability to react.
Then she flashed her body and came directly in front of the opponent. She raised her hand and placed a restraint, so fast that people couldn't react at all.
Then she carried the Supreme and returned directly to the 1314th ship.
Qu Jianlei felt that there was something wrong with the fact that there was only one supreme among the three starships, so he still stayed in space to prepare for the response.
It took more than an hour before all the escaped personnel were collected by the two company-class ships, and he returned to 1314.
Arriving on the ship, he found that the Supreme Being was thrown into a corner of the hall, while Nutrient was playing with the Vortex Terminal.
"Didn't you interrogate him?"
"I'm too lazy to ask," the nutritional supplement replied without raising his head, "You are the boss, you go ahead and ask."
The Supreme Being was sitting there exhausted, with a look of despair, but when he heard the word "boss", he suddenly became enlightened.
He just said a few words and was slapped several times by the Supreme Being across from him. He was so frightened that he no longer dared to speak.
Now that he heard that this man was actually the boss, he was really confused - wasn't this man just the supreme one?
"I'm too lazy to ask," Qu Jianlei frowned in disgust.
It's not easy for Zhigao to ask questions. This is one of them. The key is... the other party's operation really makes him tired.
It's nothing more than four teams tied together, testing step by step, applying extreme pressure, and finally forcing themselves to give in.
If he really dared to show off that the carriage and horse were fighting hard, he would still have some respect.
He really doesn't like to see such disgusting methods.
Then he sensed that Nutrients was talking to Xiaohu, and he couldn't help but ask, "Are those two parties interrogating?"
"Well," Nutrient raised his head and spoke disdainfully, "Only one of the three supremes came...someone still wants to face it."
"Oh," Qu Jianlei nodded with sudden realization, "I still think I'm hiding the two supreme beings... I just want to save face, not because I'm afraid of death?"
He said this so unscrupulously that the supreme prisoner trembled when he heard it - you are not satisfied with co-writing a supreme?
"Maybe it's because I'm afraid of death," the nutritional agent nodded, "It's pretty disgusting anyway!"
She didn't bother to interrogate the other party for the same reason as the boss - it was really disgusting!
Qu Jianlei could also understand her emotions, so he sat down casually and said, "Then these people... want ransom?"
He didn't think about how to deal with these people. It was like a toad fell on his feet. If it didn't bite, it would bite them.
"Energy blocks," the nutritional agent replied casually, "If we have more, they will have less."
When the two said this, they did not shy away from the Supreme Being next to them - although the other party's behavior was excessive, there was no way he could kill someone.
The Supreme Being secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was always a good thing to escape this situation.
As for the ransom? That's easy to say, he's not short of money.
But he has remembered this humiliation and will slowly recover it in the future.
After a while, Nutrients laughed, "They were really tricked by their teammates... No one heard your warning."
It's just beggar-thy-neighbor behavior. Qu Jianlei is not surprised at all. "It's not strange that they want to trick others!"
Hearing this, Supreme felt that he had finally had the opportunity to explain.
"You two, I really don't mean any harm. Maybe you have some misunderstanding about the blooming of thorns and flowers."