Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Moreover, this is not the only benefit. The snowfield will become the center of the world, and countless industrial and scientific research projects will be launched around the Eden Project. Their existence is to prove the power of the snowfield infected to the whole world and make those with ill intentions hesitate to act.

Moreover, these defeated soldiers will not be abandoned so easily. Ursus has suffered such a great loss of military strength, so it must be rebuilt. Although they fled, it is ultimately not their fault, and they will definitely be recruited again to build an army.

These armies may be able to wreak havoc in foreign wars, but if it comes to targeting the infected in the snowfields... how much morale do you think an army built on the backbone of those survivors who have experienced today will have left?

Ultimately, Xia Yu's base of support in the snowfield consists of these infected people, so he will naturally consider their needs in everything he does; he's not some unscrupulous boss.

The infected need his strength and Rhodes Island's medicine to survive. The upcoming Eden Project requires manpower to carry it out, but he doesn't trust Ursus. These helpless infected will be his best workers.

As a good boss, he wouldn't risk creating a deep-seated enmity between the Ursus people and the infected just for his own momentary pleasure, since these infected are also Ursus people after all.

Once the Eden Project is completed, once Rhodes Island's inhibitors are spread throughout Ursus, once the disaster Kal'tsit spoke of is over... by then, Ursus's last name will still be uncertain, so why make enemies?

Xia Yu took it all in stride.

As for the rejection of infected individuals?

Believe me, with Rhodes Island's inhibitors available, coupled with the enormous benefits the Eden Project on the Snowfields brings to Ursus, naturally some people will be eager to eliminate these rejections.

This so-called exclusion and persecution all stem from the unspeakable purposes of the upper echelons of the state. Faced with sufficient benefits, they will naturally be led by the nose like lapdogs.

If you don't turn back, then the development of the snowfield will have nothing to do with you. And the infected people will not accept someone who rejects them coming here to make money, right?

I have both power and influence. Power lies in my ability to crush the noble fleet, and influence lies in the Gaia technology that Ursus absolutely cannot give up. Want to cooperate? Sure, let those people die!

Otherwise, why would I cooperate with you? There are plenty of forces in Ursus waiting to enter the fray.

Those die-hards will naturally be abandoned by the forces behind them, and the remaining people will be willing to change public opinion for the infected.

"As for those who were affected by the aftermath of the battle, I can only say they deserved it," he said, spreading his hands with a sigh. "I had Frostnova send a message to the other side this morning that it was not advisable to go out today, but they still insisted on going their own way."

What news? Is it that so-called almanac that says today is a fine day, suitable for brothers to quarrel, and not suitable for going out?

Speaker Witt looked at Frostnova.

“I did send the message,” Frostnova said calmly, already used to the advisor’s quirky sense of humor. “Looks like they still didn’t listen to my advice.”

It's no wonder they'd reply to a message that comes out of nowhere!

Speaker Witt and Patriot exchanged a glance, then looked at Froststar and Summer, whose faces were full of regret.

I always feel like... I don't fit in with these young people.

Ah, no, this person can't possibly be a young person... that means Frostnova's mental age far exceeds her physical age...

Or perhaps she simply adapted to this style of doing things.

Speaker Witt suddenly realized a problem.

Having overwhelming military power, they spared the vast majority of their soldiers...

Their ambitions are truly grand!

“Mr. Xia Yu, let’s speak frankly,” Speaker Witt deliberately used many Yan proverbs during the conversation, “What exactly do you, or Rhodes Island, and your friends and connections want?”

"What is it about Ursus that would warrant the attention of someone like you?"

He stared intently at Xia Yu, waiting for his answer.

Do I want it all, or...?

“Since Your Excellency the Speaker has said so, then I will also be frank,” Xia Yu stood up and looked at the first phase of the ecological park in the distance.

"Speaker Witt, what do you think my simulated Gaia means to Ursus?"

“It’s hope!” Witt said without hesitation. “It’s the future!”

"The entire Ursus will be reborn because of this technology."

"You're quite honest."

There's no point in lying to you.

Especially things that are obvious to anyone with eyes to see.

“Then, I’ll make my request,” Xia Yu said, turning to look at him. “This technology is not quite what you expected. I’ll make a table of all its functions for you later. It’s much better than you think.”

"But in fact, we haven't fully mastered it yet. As you can see, this isn't a technology that Terra can research right now."

"Therefore, I need enough researchers to study this technology for all mankind."

"Wait? You mean this is a request?" Speaker Witt was bewildered.

We didn't fully master it... well, it was expected, but Ursus is asking researchers to study this technology... is that a requirement?

Isn't this supposed to be a reward? He was prepared for Rhodes Island to acquire all the core technology, leaving Ursus with only the right to use it. Now you want our researchers to study this technology...

Aren't you afraid we'll steal your skills?!

“The researchers I’m talking about aren’t just from Ursus,” Xia Yu knew what he was thinking, “Victoria, Colombia, Yan, Casimir, Letania—anyone who wants to come is welcome to come, and they’re free to come and go!”

He emphasized the last few words, "I will not restrict their personal freedom just because they have access to technical data. No matter what they research, no matter where they want to go next, I will not interfere."

"Whether they want to stay or return to serve their country, it doesn't matter."

"So, I hope Ursus won't interfere in any way, what do you think?"

"This... I can guarantee it perfectly!" Although it's a bit of a shame that we can't keep this technology to ourselves, it's still someone else's property after all, so we shouldn't covet it.

"But is that all?" Speaker Witt looked into Xia Yu's eyes. "You went to great lengths to come to the snowfield, brought out such precious technology, and generously offered to share it with the world. Was it all just for these two hundred thousand infected people?"

"Please forgive my abrupt tone, but as the Speaker of the Ursus Empire Council, I must get to the bottom of this."

478 I want to build a wall

“Of course, that’s not all,” Xia Yu turned around, took out a map of Ursus, and slapped it in front of him.

Upon seeing this, Speaker Witt's heart clenched. Could it be that he was about to be granted a fiefdom and become king?

Then I should...

brush!

Xia Yu took out a pen from somewhere and drew a line on the map along the northern border.

This... what does this mean?

Speaker Witt was dumbfounded. Even if you wanted to create a fiefdom, did you have to draw the line all the way to the northern border of Ursus? Any further than that is the no-man's land, inhabited by demons...

What exactly does this mean?

"Do you really think people like us would be interested in worldly power?" Seeing his uneasy expression, Xia Yu chuckled and said righteously, "Believe me, if we were really interested, the world wouldn't be your place to rule."

No, you're really interested! Frostnova thought to herself, I've seen how much Dr. Kal'tsit tried to persuade you.

"So what exactly do you need?" Speaker Witt thought about it seriously, and then realized that seemed to be the case.

Such a massive fleet vanished just like that. If people like that are interested in power, then the world really doesn't need an emperor to rule it.

One or two would be fine, but it seems like there are more than one or two.

“I want to build a wall,” Xia Yu said, spreading his hands and looking at the group. “I will use simulated Gaia to cover the entire northern region, forming a wall to shelter Terra’s civilization from the wind and rain.”

"Do you get me?"

Upon hearing this, Speaker Witt was stunned.

He suddenly thought of a not-so-worrying possibility, a possibility even more terrifying than such a power grab.

"You mean... a demon..."

“You are a smart person, and I believe there are many, many smart people in Ursus,” Xia Yu changed the subject. “Our civilization is not far away in this disaster. The revelation has appeared, and we must begin to save ourselves.”

"From the demons of the snowfields to the sea creatures in the ocean, beyond the Star Pods, and inside the Originium... Thanks to the Great Khan's expedition, at least we don't need to add a monster to the list."

"But with so many world-ending crises... to be honest, the Terra civilization has only survived this long thanks to divine intervention."

“But we can’t rely on luck forever, especially when a storm is coming,” Xia Yu said calmly. “At the very least, we need to repair the holes in the big ship we’re on.”

"Don't let the ultimate destruction come before the Terran civilization is wiped out by the aftershocks. Yes, I'm talking about those collapsed bodies on the snowfield, the offspring of the demons."

Xia Yu looked at Patriot and Speaker Witt, "One of you is Wendigo, and the other is the Speaker of the Ursus Empire. You should know what's important."

"If it weren't for the arrival of a once-in-a-millennium upheaval, we wouldn't have appeared before the world in such a grand manner."

“Now, give me an answer,” he asked, looking at Speaker Witt. “Can Ursus provide the defensive line I need?”

“If I say no…” Speaker Witt looked into his eyes tentatively.

“Then we’ll send someone who can do it,” Xia Yu said expressionlessly. “The survival of civilization is paramount. We don’t care about the feelings of the incompetent.”

“Well, we can, but could you give us a deadline?” At this point, Speaker Witt could only say this.

“There is no deadline,” Xia Yu shook her head. “Who can predict what the demons are thinking? Anyway, if you don’t do your best, then the first to suffer after the disaster will be you Ursus.”

"You are the ones who will perish and your race will be wiped out. We can just wait for the next civilization."

“…”Is it so direct?

Upon hearing this, Speaker Witt's mind was filled with thoughts of the survival of civilizations, the extinction of nations and races, and all his previous worries were forgotten.

Clearly, he felt there were more important things to think about.

Watching him being led astray by the consultant, Frostnova silently thought to herself: He's using PUA on you!

All that talk about not being interested in power, about just preparing for impending disaster, about having extensive connections, and constantly referring to himself as "we"—it's all just his own doing! He's planning to use this opportunity to promote a proxy and then get Ursus to change his surname!