Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Xiao Ce bowed deeply to Nie Bing with a serious expression: "Thank you for your trust, President. I will do my best to live up to your expectations..."

"I'll investigate these things first... Once I've confirmed everything's alright, I'll have him come to you..."

Nie Bing's smile returned, and she said to Xiao Ce, "Alright, Mr. Sean, I will trust you... I will do as you say. When Victor King returns, I want to hear his report in person. You... arrange for him to meet with you before his formal audience, just as you said."

"Yes, sir." Xiao Ce (Sean) bowed and accepted the order, a faint smile playing on his lips. This was the next step in his plan.

Several days later, a very secluded safe house in Alliance City was confirmed to be absolutely safe by Atie himself.

Viktor King shed his travel-worn disguise and changed into casual clothes, but the deep weariness and lingering unease between his brows were hard to conceal.

He sat alone in the dimly lit room, waiting.

When the heavy iron gate slid open silently, Sean Aurelius (Xiao Ce) appeared in the doorway.

Viktor King stood up almost immediately, his body instinctively bowing slightly, his eyes looking at this "ally" and "enemy" who held his life and death in his hands with a complex expression.

“Mr. Sean…”

Viktor King's tone carried a subtle hint of awe. Now that he knew the man before him was Xiao Ce, he could no longer view him as merely a strategist.

Xiao Ce (Xiao En) walked in, while A Tie stayed outside to guard.

He casually pulled up a chair and sat down, his relaxed posture radiating an invisible pressure. "Sit down, Vice President Victor. You must be tired from your journey. Your performance was excellent, very effective."

His voice was calm, revealing little emotion.

Victor King sat down as instructed, taking a deep breath: "As you commanded, the news of the 'defeat' and the subsequent 'great victory' have been conveyed, and it's all thanks to Mr. Sean, and your help along the way, otherwise... we would be..."

Xiao Ce smiled and then waved his hand to indicate that it was nothing.

Viktor King then asked Xiao Ce curiously, "Mr. Sean, how is Chairman Nie Bing's reaction?"

“She is very satisfied,” Xiao Ce (Sean) said calmly.

"At least on the surface, especially in front of the monarchs of the various countries, your 'victory' has earned her a lot of face and also deterred those kings with wavering minds. Her doubts about your previous 'mistakes' have greatly diminished, and now she urgently needs you, as a 'hero,' to return and stabilize the Western branch and contribute to the alliance. This is your opportunity."

A glint flashed in Viktor King's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by caution: "Then... how should I report on my performance? Especially regarding Xiao Ce and Morgana's 'escape,' and those fabricated battle details... Actually, I..."

Xiao Ce (Sean) stared intently at Victor King and interrupted, "Forget that it's fake... If you say it's real... then it's real... Zion Capo is one of us! I've now woven a beautiful cage for her... a cage that no one can break..."

Remember these points, Viktor, they will determine whether you can truly win Nie Bing's temporary trust, and even regain more power... I will help you..."

After listening to Xiao Ce's words, Victor King nodded solemnly: "Mr. Sean, whatever you say, I will cooperate with you... Please teach me, Mr. Sean..."

Xiao Ce saw that Viktor King was still keeping himself in a very humble position...

He smiled and said, "Alright, Vice President Victor, I knew I hadn't misjudged you... You're a smart person. As long as you listen to me obediently, your future will be smooth sailing..."

Upon hearing this, Victor King nodded respectfully: "Please teach me, Mr. Sean..."

Victor King was very clever; from beginning to end, he never revealed Xiao Ce's true identity and always called him Mr. Sean.

Xiao Ce nodded in satisfaction and began to speak: "Upon meeting Nie Bing, the first thing to do is not to boast of your merits, but to apologize!"

I apologize for your grave 'negligence' in initially failing to intercept the refugees, which allowed them to escape!

You should express deep regret, self-blame, and even fear. Emphasize that this is a disgrace to your career and that you have failed the chairman's trust.

Then, the narrative shifts to how you were driven by this guilt and anger to spare no expense, utilizing all your personal connections and networks. This can be glossed over, but it implies you still had the energy to relentlessly pursue your goal, ultimately seizing the opportunity in a desperate situation to launch the Blackrock Rift attack.

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Victor King nodded respectfully.

Xiao Ce continued, “The details should be vivid, but the key information should be vague. Describe the treacherous terrain of Black Rock Rift Valley and how the rebels used the terrain to put up a stubborn resistance. Emphasize the exceptionally fierce fighting, the significant casualties suffered by the Illuminati warriors, especially your elite troops. The numbers can be vague, such as ‘paying a considerable price.’”

The emphasis should be on your leading by example, highlighting how you turned the tide at crucial moments, such as personally leading a raid on the rebel command center and killing the formidable general Frank. This requires a 'piece of evidence,' such as a sword engraved with Frank's mark. I will have someone provide this to you. Let Nie Bing understand that this victory was hard-won, won through your courage and determination.

"Also, you need to prepare some spoils of war. I've prepared them all for you and will hand them over to you later... Regarding Morgana, insist that she was protected to the death by her most loyal guards during the melee, and that you personally witnessed her being hit by stray arrows or explosions. Emphasize that it was stray arrows or accidental explosions to avoid being questioned about why you failed to kill or capture her yourself, and why you were seriously injured and rescued by the remnants of your troops."

Her escape from grave injuries was more convincing than her easy death, and more in line with her status as a rebel leader. As for Xiao Ce... that's of paramount importance.

Victor King nodded, then said, "Then it doesn't make sense that I killed so many people and didn't bring back any of the bodies..."

Xiao Ce then revealed a meaningful smile, and said, "I've already prepared all of this for you..."

Victor King's eyes widened, then he looked at Xiao Ce with disbelief and said, "What? You mean, you even prepared those corpses..."

Xiao Ce, still smiling, said, "That's right, everything is already prepared... Since I entrusted you with this task, I naturally made sure everything was in order..."

Without letting Victor King continue, Xiao Ce continued, "You must act even more wary and confused by this person."

You need to tell Nie Bing that you didn't find any trace of Xiao Ce at all during the entire pursuit and battle!

The interrogations of all the prisoners, especially the few "seriously wounded and captured key members," yielded extremely conflicting testimonies: some said Xiao Ce had already left the main force and his whereabouts were unknown;

Some say he used some kind of 'mysterious Eastern magic' or 'sleight of hand' to disappear when he broke through the blockade line;

It could even... imply that you suspect he might not be in Britain at all, that his whereabouts are a mystery, and that his methods are unpredictable.

You need to show great concern, even a sense of frustration, about this 'unknown' and Xiao Ce's 'inhuman' energy.

This not only explains why you couldn't capture him, but also deepens Nie Bing's fear of Xiao Ce. It also transforms your regret at 'failing to capture the ringleader' into a sense of helplessness in the face of an 'extraordinary opponent,' making your victory all the more precious. In short, you can describe Xiao Ce in the most mysterious and enigmatic way possible…”

As he spoke, Xiao Ce looked at Victor King with a serious expression and said, "Anyway, wasn't it proven at the docks that Xiao Ce knows evil magic before?"

Victor King heard Xiao Ce's intriguing smile, and then looked at Sean in front of him.

He was absolutely convinced of this, after all, the very real situation was right before his eyes...

The two people were clearly different, but Xiao Ce somehow managed to transform into Sean's face...

Isn't this just sorcery?

Viktor King was absolutely in awe of Xiao Ce at this moment, so he didn't interrupt, because Xiao Ce's words were clearly not going to end...

Xiao Ce continued, "Finally, I want to reiterate your absolute loyalty to the Illuminati and to Chairman Nie Bing. This victory has only washed away part of the shame. I implore the Chairman to give you a chance to redeem yourself and continue to oversee the West, on the one hand, to wipe out Morgana's remnants, and on the other hand, to do everything in your power to track down Xiao Ce's whereabouts."

At the same time, they proactively expressed their willingness to contribute all their strength to consolidating the newly formed Western alliance, awaiting the chairman's orders. The more humble they adopted, the more they could lull Nie Bing and potential adversaries into a false sense of security!

Viktor King listened intently, memorizing every word Xiao Ce spoke. He understood that this was not a simple performance review, but rather a guiding principle for his future career within the Illuminati, and even for his covert operations. Xiao Ce's schemes were intricately linked, demonstrating his mastery of human nature and political maneuvering.

“I understand, Mr. Shaw…” Victor King nodded solemnly, almost letting slip, “I will carry it out word for word. However…President Nie Bing is naturally suspicious; if she presses for details, such as the scout squadron’s 'defection'…”

Clearly, Victor King didn't quite understand why Xiao Ce would reveal the rebellion of the scout brigade...

"A scout squadron? Do you think I shouldn't have leaked this information...? I'm just asking for trouble?" Xiao Ce (Sean)'s lips curled into a cold smile...

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Victor King nodded awkwardly, and after weighing his options for a moment, he nodded again: "Yes!"

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "You should know that there are spies within your army... If this information is kept secret, that's the real problem..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Victor King suddenly realized what was going on.

He then said, "Mr. Sean, they're hiding among my men, it's making it very difficult for me to find him..."

"They didn't betray us. They were ambushed by Morgana's main force while carrying out your secret mission. They fought bravely but suffered heavy losses! Only a few managed to break through and bring back crucial intelligence, which allowed you to locate Blackrock Rift! You are heartbroken for the 'sacrifice' of those scouts and consider them martyrs of the Illuminati! Do you understand?"

"The dead cannot speak out, and the status of martyrs will completely silence anyone who wants to exploit this. We must insist that they didn't just disappear, but that they went deep behind enemy lines, infiltrating their territory... This will both explain their disappearance and shut some people up..."

Viktor King felt a chill run down his spine, finally understanding Xiao Ce's ruthlessness and meticulousness.

He took a deep breath: "Understood. Mr. Sean, I will follow your instructions..."

“Very good.” Xiao Ce (Sean) stood up!

“Go back and prepare. Nie Bing will formally summon you soon. Remember, you are now a 'hero,' so display the spirit and loyalty befitting this role. A Tie will arrange your safe departure and take you to retrieve the evidence…”

Victor King continued nodding...

Xiao Ce then said, "Tomorrow, as Nie Bing said, I will come to see you first... and then proceed with some official procedures... we'll just go through the motions..."

"When it's my turn to stand up for you and speak up for you, I will... but you can also act like you don't need to appreciate it too much, just be a little indifferent..."

Victor King also stood up and bowed deeply to Xiao Ce (Sean), this time with even more heartfelt respect: "Thank you for your guidance, sir. Victor King... will certainly live up to your expectations."

He knew that stepping out of that door would mean returning to an even more dangerous stage, playing a role with a double mask. Whether he could survive and play a role depended entirely on his performance in front of Nie Bing.

To be honest, he was still incredibly apprehensive about this...

Under Atie's guidance, Viktor King left without anyone noticing.

Upon arriving at the place Xiao Ce had prepared for them, they found charred and rotting corpses, whose human figures were still vaguely discernible. The clothes they wore, and the charred remains stuck to the flesh, indeed proved their identities...

Having seen this so-called evidence, Viktor King knew very well that it was all fake...

However, even though he knew these were fakes, he couldn't find the slightest flaw...

It seems there's a reason why Xiao Ce is called "God Xiao" by those people...

After memorizing the location, he returned to his team and then, under the pretext of resting, went to the place where the evidence was placed.

He ordered his trusted men to move all those things into their car!