Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As the main mothership force of the federal, the Mammoth was responsible for heavy patrol and deterrence missions. When it came to the Shrimp World No. 2 for gold transportation missions before this, it did not have the opportunity to stay for a long time. Usually, out of courtesy, the senior officers would agree to the natives’ invitation of lavish hospitality to stay for a meal and a rest for a night before checking the gold shipment and returning to Earth.
However, since they were equipped with a mission of showing the solemn attitude of the federation and to secretly strengthen the influence of the ‘special envoy’ this time, the mothership docked in the native harbor for one whole week to accompany Zhang Lisheng who put on a pretense to negotiate with himself. Please visit at l istnovel.com
Finally, in an evening with a refreshing cool breeze that wiped out the entire day’s scorching heat, the young man finally brought a good news to the federal lieutenant general whose patience had been stretched to the limit.
“General Menger, I’ve finally obtained the approval of the Wizard Li leader. He’s willing to provide as much food assistance as possible for the federal citizens trapped in New York. He can even accept refugees who are afraid of the war to stay in a safe place on the Wizard Li Island…” Entering the tree house with an exhausted look, Zhang Lisheng swept his gaze across the smiling faces who looked like they were on a holiday on a tropical seashore and finally settled on an expressionless thin face.
The joyful sound of a bustling dinner in the entire room immediately quieted down, showing the high discipline of the federal soldiers who advocated leisure and relaxation outside of working hours.
In the silence, Menger frowned and looked back at the young man as he said, “Congratulations on achieving a breakthrough in negotiating with the Wizard Li people, Dr. but there must be some strings attached for them to suddenly show such strong goodwill right?”
“Of course. The Wizard Li people are neither sages nor our saviors. I’ll let Major Alison tell you the exact conditions. I know that I’m actually just a ‘mascot’ and since now that I’ve all I could, I should retreat to behind the curtain once again now that I’ve achieved a positive result.” Zhang Lisheng smiled at the female major who was beside him and casually walked to an open space covered with animal hide in the tree house to sit down.
Then, he loudly ordered the native choresmen guarding outside the house to respectfully offer fragrant roasted meat, fresh fruit, and fine wine.
“Lisheng, if you’re a mascot, then I’m a megaphone. After the situation is opened, the formal terms of the agreement still requires the federal negotiators and the Wizard Li leaders to negotiate among themselves.” After a few days of getting along with each other, Alison seemed to have restored her former friendliness of how she treated the young man when they were exploring the Shrimp World No. 2 together last time. After the native choresmen left, she sat down beside him and joked.
Then, she began to report to the lieutenant general solemnly, “General Menger, the Wizard Li request to form an ally of offensive and defensive alliance with the federation. Both parties will open up the borders with each other and withdraw military threats. Trade liberalization…”
She listed out more than ten conditions.
“Are these conditions brought up by the natives? This is incredible, Major. They were still in primitive society not long ago!” Menger said in shock after hearing this.
As he was speaking, the space carrier’s chief staff officer next to him who was already accustomed to sitting cross-legged inadvertently caught sight of the young man next to him through the corner of his slightly tipsy eyes. He just so happened to saw the young man raising a wine glass to step in and say with a shrug, “In the presence of a suitable soil, it won’t take long for a social system to develop by leaps and bounds, general. After many indigenous tribes in the Earth’s tropical rainforest were discovered by the civilized world, didn’t they also progress from their primitive society to civilized society right away? Not to mention that the Wizard Li tribe even has the guidance from their god.”
“Dr. Lisheng is right, general. These Wizard Li people have a strong ability to accept new things, they are not stupid at all.” Alison chimed in.
Menger fell into a moment of silence before saying in a low voice. “Of course I know that the Wizard Li are not stupid. This can be seen from the powerful equipment of those dwarf warriors who are armed to their teeth…”
Without warning, his interest worn out and he no longer said anything.
More than ten seconds later, the atmosphere in the silent tree house became inexplicably heavy. All of the federal officers became sullen and silent and in the end, it was Zhang Lisheng who raised his golden wine glass with a smile and said, “No matter what, General Menger, we’ve already successfully completed our mission. Let’s leave the rest of the problem to the politicians in the White House. I toast to you and all of you brave federal soldiers!”
“Thank you, Dr. and cheers to you too!” The lieutenant general smiled stiffly and also raised his glass. “Thank you for all your contributions to the United States. God bless America.”
“God bless America!” The federal officers in the bark house shouted in unison and raised their glasses before drowning the entire glass of fruit wine. Then, somebody started to sing the song ‘God Bless America’ that was popular in the nation in a low voice. Soon, more and more people started to join in and a loud choir resonated gradually.
Zhang Lisheng could never understand the spirit of patriotism that the American soldiers could display at all times but he could only put on a listening expression.
Just like that, after finishing the dinner in a false pretense, he pretended to be exhausted and yawned, before asking the commander of the Earth mothership, “General, when are we leaving the Shrimp World No. 2 to Noah?”
“We’ll depart early tomorrow morning, Dr. the Mammoth has spent too much time on the Wizard Li Island now.”
“Oh, so we gotta wake up early in the morning tomorrow? In that case, I’m going back to rest first.” Zhang Lisheng stood up with a smile and looked around. “Goodbye everyone …”
He bid goodbye politely while walking outside. Without warning, he saw the beautiful black major beside him also stood up tipsily and strode out of the tree house together with him after waving goodbye with her colleagues.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse outside. Even the deep jungles in the distance became soft under the clear moonlight.
Listening to the rustling sound of waves while enjoying the night wind, Zhang Lisheng walked towards the bark house where he lived but he suddenly heard a vague slightly slurred female voice behind him, “Lisheng, y’know, I’ve been admiring you since a long time ago.”
The young man froze. He turned to look at Alison and opened his mouth in befuddlement as he answered with a shrug, “I didn’t know that. Alison, what are you trying to say?”
“Isn’t the intention obvious when a pretty mature woman expresses her good opinion towards the opposite sex whom she admires?” Alison smiled charmingly and asked in a casual tone. “You seem to be very wary of federal public officials, don’t you?”
“Of course not. I just think that your admiration is too abrupt.” Zhang Lisheng smiled unnaturally. “Good night Alison, we have to get up early tomorrow.”
Then, he awkwardly increased his footsteps to walk to the tree house in the distance.
Looking at his disappearing back, the smile on Alison’s face slowly disappeared and was replaced by an extremely contradictory expression as she muttered to herself. “It seems that the ‘analyzer’ has a correct analysis of his psychology. Emotions are the only way to get to him…”
Then, she also walked back to the bark house where she lived.
The night passed by in a blink of an eye. At dawn, the next day, the senior federal officers who had completed their mission began to prepare for set off. After escorting more than 20 tons of gold to embark on the Mammoth, they left the Wizard Li Island with the federal’s special envoy and successfully completed crossing the world’s barrier twice to return to Noah.
After affirming its status as a superpower on Earth in the middle of the last century, the United States had already accustomed to dispatch somebody who had no official status but had a certain influence to act as special envoys semi-publicly to handle some difficult diplomatic dispute or to conduct diplomatic mediation.
These temporary envoys would retire after submitting just one report after carrying out the mission and no longer have the obligation to serve the federal government. Therefore, Zhang Lisheng was relieved shortly after returning to New Washington A. With nothing else to do, he began to live in seclusion again at the experimental oasis that was renamed as ‘Hope Ranch’.
In the months that followed, the United States finally established an alliance with Wizard Li after several long rounds of negotiations under the tremendous pressure from the Atlanteans. In return, the material support from the foreign world quickly improved the living conditions of the federal citizens living in the New York metropolitan areas on Earth, giving off a positive radiation effect on the entire east coast of the States as well.
Under this kind of benign interaction, despite having all kinds of doubts and scruples, its recognition on Wizard Li had started to steadily increase. They first established mutual embassies and began normal diplomatic consultations. Then, comprehensive cooperation programs not including the military field were carried out as they began to export valuable electronic products and audio-visual products to the foreign world natives who were short in food and spirit while importing large quantities of precious and scarce metals, high-yield crop seeds and weird carnivores from the other party. Finally, as the relationship became closer, they actually imitated the model between the United States and Canada and opened heir borders to each other at the civilian level. Of course, the territory opened by the federal did not include Noah World. Wizard Li also only opened 76 northern islands that were said to be relatively safe, with a total of about 2.7 million square kilometers of land.
After the implementation of various measures, the Wizard Li people of the foreign world magically became the most harmonious and friendly ally of the United States within half a year.
The short, ugly indigenous people seemed to have suddenly turned to become the Atlanteans who had a honeymoon period with the United States when they first landed on Earth last time and became the new darling of the people. The ferocious image had been strangely transformed to become as cute as the fictional character, ‘dwarves’ in the Dungeons & Dragons. Not only that, even cartoons, movies, soap operas, and dolls revolving them started to appear as well.
The river of time continued to flow in the increasingly weird but ‘real’ reality. In just a blink of an eye, year’s end stated to arrive.
In December, although the climate change in the Noah World’s desert was not obvious, many people still habitually changed in autumn and winter clothes at night, waiting excitedly for the Westerners’ most festive season of the year, Christmas, to arrive.
