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

"More likely... to erode and replace those we know! The investigation process must be conducted in secrecy, and action should only be taken when there is solid evidence, to avoid alerting the suspects and, more importantly, to avoid wrongly accusing innocent people! Once a highly suspicious target is discovered, report it immediately and do not take any action without authorization!"

The directors nodded after hearing Xiao Ce's words.

They all bowed and replied, "We understand! We will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust!"

Internal purges are the most difficult and deadliest step.

"Of course, these individuals may exist, or they may not... My asking you to observe doesn't mean there's a traitor among us. Don't let this peaceful scene become chaotic. I'm just asking you to be careful, not that there's a traitor among you... Unless something seems amiss, continue to act as if they don't exist..."

"The specific operations are handled by Night Owl and his team..."

In fact, all of this was just Xiao Ce's speculation. After all, he was quite certain that the original Xiao Ce wouldn't have come and done nothing.

Seeing them nod, Xiao Ce said, "Alright... this is just a reminder..."

Xiao Ce looked at Qian Lai and Rong Heping of the Golden Society and continued, "Qian Lai, Rong Heping!"

"Chen is here!"

Xiao Ce said with a serious expression, "The Gold Society will join forces with the Ministry of Finance and utilize all financial means and business networks."

"Closely monitor all unusual transactions within the East Asian Alliance, especially those involving rare minerals, new materials, precision machinery, and... special materials beyond current technological understanding!"

At the same time, we need to analyze whether there has been a recent influx of huge sums of money from unknown sources into the East Asian market, and whether there are any suspicious aspects to its flow. Any abnormal funding or supply chains are clues to enemy activities and must be thoroughly investigated!

When necessary, covert financial controls can be implemented without affecting people's livelihoods and the economy.

"Yes, Your Highness, I obey!"

Qian Lai and Rong Heping immediately agreed, as monitoring the economic lifeline was equally crucial.

Xiao Ce's gaze finally landed on Xin Xiaoci of the Directorate of Ceremonial: "Xin Xiaoci!"

"Chen is here!"

Xiao Ce ordered, "What you need to do is guide public opinion. There is no need to deliberately clarify or forcefully suppress the rumors about me. Just let them ferment naturally."

However, your department must constantly monitor public opinion and international discourse, especially regarding unusual celestial phenomena, divine weapons, doomsday prophecies, and other statements that could trigger widespread panic or superstition. You must immediately identify the source, analyze its dissemination path and purpose, and if there are clear signs of manipulation or incitement, promptly report it and formulate a mild intervention plan. Stabilizing public sentiment is tantamount to stabilizing the overall situation.

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Xin Xiaoci bowed and accepted the order.

With a few words, Xiao Ce meticulously and clearly outlined each of the weighty tasks, precisely assigning them to his task.

Everyone who heard this felt a surge of admiration...

Every order from Xiao Ce hit the nail on the head, and also took into account the realities of the Xiao Kingdom...

They were quite cooperative with Xiao Ce...

After the deployment was completed, the atmosphere in the hall remained solemn, but there was less confusion and more composure and stability.

To be honest, when Xiao Ce first mentioned those extraterrestrial objects, their shock and panic were still the main factors.

However, after Xiao Ce added those words, their expressions softened considerably...

"Everyone..."

Xiao Ce's voice softened: "Although the crisis is like dark clouds looming overhead, the sky won't collapse immediately."

The enemy's desires are great, and they will surely have something to fear. What we need to do is make good use of this precious time to tighten our defenses, sharpen our eyes, and strengthen our resolve!

Each performs its own function, as smoothly as an arm or fingers.

"I and President Yoon are your central authority. What I am saying today is top secret, absolutely top secret. After leaving this room, you are strictly forbidden from revealing it to anyone except your most trusted confidants needed to carry out necessary missions! Anyone who violates this will be considered a traitor and will be severely punished!"

"I will obey Your Highness's decree!"

Everyone responded in unison again, their voices perfectly synchronized...

"Very good." Xiao Ce nodded slightly, then turned to Yin Weiyong and asked, "President Yin, do you have anything to add?"

Yin Weiyong stepped forward and said solemnly, "Your Highness's arrangements are thorough, and this old minister has no objections. There is only one point that you all must remember: Your Highness's return is the greatest secret of our Xiao Kingdom, and also the greatest reassurance!"

If the contents of today's meeting are leaked, it will shake the foundation of the nation and bring disaster to the people! I urge everyone to prioritize national affairs and the safety of His Highness, and to exercise utmost caution! After the meeting, without a personal written order from His Highness or me, or a specially made secret order, no one may use today's agenda as a pretext to collude with others or inquire about their missions!

All actions are proceeding as the Prince just instructed; everyone is doing their part and carrying it out in secret! Do you all understand?

"Understood!" the crowd responded solemnly.

"Meeting adjourned!" Yin Weiyong said in a deep voice.

Everyone rose and bowed deeply to Xiao Ce and Yin Weiyong once more, their eyes filled with complex emotions—awe, excitement, and more...

Of course, I was mostly excited...

Everyone then got up and prepared to leave.

At that moment, Xiao Ce suddenly remembered something: "Wait..."

Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, everyone immediately turned to look at him.

Everyone looked at Xiao Ce with suspicion.

Seeing everyone's tense expressions, Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Don't be nervous... relax..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, everyone nodded.

Xiao Ce then invited all of them to sit down.

After everyone returned to their positions, it became clear that everyone was tense.

Xiao Ce then reassured everyone, "Everyone, relax. Don't be so tense. This should be considered a good thing..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, the group looked at him with expectant eyes.

Looking at the expectant eyes of everyone, Xiao Ce said, "Do any of you have relatives or friends who are suffering from incurable diseases, or who are on their deathbeds?"

Xiao Ce's seemingly random question left everyone present completely bewildered.

Han Da was the first to speak to Xiao Ce: "Your Highness, this is..."

Xiao Ce looked at everyone with a hint of doubt in his eyes, but even more so with concern...

"Gentlemen, don't worry! This is good news. I have a technology that can cure even the most serious illnesses of your people...bringing them back to life..."

After Xiao Ce said this, the scene erupted in chaos...

Everyone got excited.

Without any other reason, if someone else had said this, everyone would have remained skeptical.

However, these words came from Xiao Ce's mouth.

They firmly believed this...

It was Han Da who spoke first: "Your Highness, is it true? I have a general under my command who was very talented and capable, but he fell ill half a year ago. We've consulted many doctors, but they are all helpless. His condition is getting worse every day. The doctors say he may not be able to hold on for more than a few months... Is he alright?"

Xiao Ce looked at Han Da's expectant eyes and his determined expression.

Xiao Ce said to Han Da, "Is this person very important to you?"

Han Da nodded: "Yes, he is quite important... but not extremely important... However, his character is impeccable; he is absolutely loyal to the country... I think such a person, if possible, is worth saving..."

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Alright, later, take this person to Qi Lin's port."

Han Da was surprised by Xiao Ce's words, even finding it hard to believe his ears: "Your Highness, do you mean... he can be saved..."

Xiao Ce nodded, then said to Han Da, "That's right, you've heard about the humanoid technology I mentioned earlier, haven't you?"

The group nodded, but a hint of doubt still lingered in their eyes.

Xiao Ce continued, "Now that I possess this technology, I've already told you about the advantages of simulants. I can turn him into a simulant, giving him almost unlimited lifespan and physical strength far exceeding that of humans, without the troubles of birth, aging, sickness, and death..."

Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Han Da's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Then, Your Highness, why don't you just turn us all into lifelike humans...?"

After hearing Han Da's words, Xiao Ce smiled and said, "That's right. If everything is advantageous, wouldn't turning everyone into humanoid simulators be a permanent solution?"

Everyone thinks the same way.

Xiao Ce then addressed everyone, saying, "This is just your own idea. Everyone knows there's no such thing as a free lunch. Besides, our machine typically takes three to five days to create one humanoid, so mass-producing them is impractical... Also, we don't even know what side effects this technology might have..."

"Ultimately, this android is a translated consciousness, irreversible... I selected people whose lives may have reached their end; the worst outcome for such people is death... it can't be worse than that..."

"That's why I wanted to tell you... Of course, we don't know about the side effects, maybe there aren't any... My biggest worry is that this technology isn't mine! So, it's possible that it could eventually be controlled by the other side... But these risks are potential... However, I think it's perfectly fine for saving your family and close friends..."

Xiao Ce's words were quite simple and clear.

After listening, these individuals all nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness, my father's health has been declining day by day these past few years... and recently he's contracted a strange illness..."

"Your Highness, my elder brother, he is..."

"A close friend of mine..."

Xiao Ce didn't know until he told him, and even after he did, there was still quite a bit to learn.

Especially marshals like Yan Jia and Wei Wuji, some of their subordinates were seriously injured or even crippled during training.

They all felt they wanted to use this technology to revitalize themselves.

Xiao Ce's idea was simple, after all, he had already gotten the machine over.

As he often says, one should not worry unnecessarily.

We shouldn't avoid using it just because there might be problems.

These machines never rested while they were at their creation base...

Now that Xiao Ce has brought him over, he hasn't used him yet...

Therefore, seeing that many people were in need, Xiao Ce decided to do them a favor.

I guess I'll just have to try out this machine...

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ce addressed the group, "Everyone, go find Han Da and register. Then, write down the health conditions of your relatives and your relationships with them in detail. We'll then arrange for them to proceed with the procedures..."

"However, before that... I have a few things to tell you. This matter isn't 100% guaranteed to succeed. Although the success rate is high, there's still a possibility of failure. Secondly, I need them to be absolutely good people, loyal to me, and loyal to our country..."

"Finally, once they become humanoids, they will need to be under our unified management... After all, everyone has seen how powerful these humanoids are..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, these people nodded vigorously in agreement.

After all, everyone knows that no matter how great the risk Xiao Ce mentioned, could it be greater than death?

They say it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death...

They all nodded: "Your Highness, we are willing to try... Is there anything more terrifying than death?"

"Yes, Your Highness, we should give it a try..."

Xiao Ce looked at everyone, smiled, and nodded: "Alright... then everyone can leave first. Once you're outside, register with General Han Da... and then I'll arrange for your people to go there..."

As Xiao Ce spoke, he said to Han Da, "Han Da, come to the Presidential Palace to find me after you have finished collecting them."

After listening to Xiao Ce's words, Han Da nodded.

After Xiao Ce finished speaking, he waved to the crowd, indicating that they could leave...

Without lingering, everyone nodded and left...

The huge conference hall quickly became empty.

Only Xiao Ce, Yin Weiyong, Yin Pan'er, Da Lei, A Tie, and the three brothers, along with Lin Zhong, the dean of the Tianji Academy, who was specially left behind.

Lin Zhong stood there, looking at Xiao Ce with a nervous expression.

He was burdened with an immense weight in his heart, concerned about the whereabouts of Prince Xiao Dingshan, the King of Zhen! The prince had mentioned being kidnapped at the meeting earlier, but had not had time to elaborate.

This made him extremely anxious. Now, only a few core members remained, and Xiao Ce had just signaled to him to stay with his eyes, which was clearly for this reason.

He could no longer restrain himself, and stepped forward, his voice trembling with pleading:

"Your Highness! You...you just said that the Prince of Zhen...he was kidnapped by those extraterrestrial demons? What...what exactly happened? Is the old prince...is he alright? Is his life in danger?"

Tears streamed down his face, and he almost knelt down again: "Your Majesty, I beg you to tell me the details! Your Majesty and I are like brothers, and my heart is truly breaking!"

Xiao Ce looked at Lin Zhong's face, which had aged considerably in an instant, and sighed inwardly.