0p0 Chapter 1462 Persuasion
Chapter 1462 Persuasion
Over there in the Arctic ice fields.
On the colossal ship "Roar of the Abyss".
At this moment, like a stranded whale, it lies quietly beside the ruins of the creation base.
At this moment, under Xiao Ce's orders, the ship was also busily working.
The ship's hull was flashing with the arc of welding torches, and the engineering mechs moved like busy worker ants through the huge wounds and internal passages.
Although the forced shutdown of the power core left the interior in a state of chaos, the self-destruction explosions in multiple non-critical areas caused structural damage.
But just as Xiao Ce had predicted, the main frame and core systems of the flagship, especially the incomparably powerful "Starbreaker" main gun base and the shipborne starship factory module, were miraculously preserved.
The team dispatched by Xiao Ce, composed of his most trusted top engineers from the Star Network Hub, is working day and night on intensive repairs and reverse engineering.
Repairing it would not only mean acquiring a super weapon capable of changing the course of the war, but also completely removing the Hyena Legion's last interstellar springboard on this planet.
The air was thick with the smell of molten metal and the acrid odor of leaking energy fluid. Once they made repairs, the warship would be completely refurbished...
This will also be a great help to them as they venture into the vast universe...
The structure and construction of these starships are particularly important, making it crucial for them to replicate the same ships in the future...
What they lack is technology and models...
And what we see before us are the technologies and models...
Meanwhile, in the far west, deep within the ruins of the emptied city of Lingas, new nests are growing wildly.
The Hyena Legion's engineering corps, using the equipment they brought, frantically dug a passage leading to the underground spirit marrow vein.
The massive drilling platform roared as it greedily absorbed the dark golden energy flowing underground.
Using the framework of Fort Lingas, new energy shield generators are being roughly assembled, and defensive turrets are being re-erected along the high ground of the ruins.
However, the situation is different from when they relied on the Abyssal Roar in the Arctic...
Everything here seemed rushed and chaotic, carrying an air of desperate madness.
After taking charge of the situation in the north, Xiao Ce made contact with Xiao Yang, who had retreated to the Roman Empire.
"Your Majesty!"
Xiao Yang's response carried a hint of fatigue, but even more so, a soaring fighting spirit.
The "fall" of the core area of Lingas was a strategic sacrifice!
But seeing the city he once protected reduced to ruins, the anger and sense of responsibility in his heart made him constantly think about retaliating.
"The Abyss Roar is under repair; it will be our iron fist."
But right now, this fist still needs time to be tempered.
Xiao Ce continued coldly, "We will not allow them to build their 'nest' in the west in peace. Your mission is to keep them restless day and night!"
"Understood! Harassment tactics—achieve maximum chaos with minimal losses!"
Xiao Yang immediately understood.
"That's right. But this time it's different from the Arctic."
Xiao Ce said with a hint of deeper meaning, "In the Arctic, we are barefoot and have nothing to fear from those wearing shoes. We will harass them relentlessly."
Now, the balance of power has shifted.
Now that we have the Abyss Roar as our asset, we need to be more strategic.
Don't launch a large-scale offensive. Use your old friends: drones, mechanical hounds, and light mechs—fight a guerrilla war!
"Your Highness is wise!"
Xiao Yang's spirits lifted, and he immediately echoed, "That's exactly what I was thinking. A large-scale attack would expose our strength and could easily cause unnecessary losses."
With these 'little gadgets,' like maggots clinging to bones, they specifically target their sore spots!
We'll keep them from sleeping, from repairing their fortifications, and from mining! The goal is singular!
Provoke them! Make them lose their temper and make them make the same mistake again! But...
Xiao Yang paused for a moment, then said with a hint of doubt, "Your Highness, will they fall for the same trick twice? The captain just learned his lesson from being too reckless; he'll probably be more careful this time."
In the virtual space of the Star Network Hub, one could almost see the familiar smile on Xiao Ce's lips, a smile that carried both powerful confidence and subtle cunning. "Don't worry, Xiao Yang."
He won't learn his lesson because he has our people around him.
Moreover, the more he tries to "behave" and retreat into his shell, the more we need to push him to get moving.
Go ahead and harass them; you can use even more disgusting methods.
As for when and how the fish will take the bait, I have my plans. You just need to prepare your trap, wait for my signal, and then... give them a good thrashing!
Xiao Ce's firm tone and attitude undoubtedly reassured them...
"Yes, Your Majesty! I will keep those hyena bastards in check! The ambush formation is ready at any time!"
Xiao Yang no longer hesitated; Xiao Ce's "having his own arrangements" was the greatest reassurance.
After cutting off communication with Xiao Yang, Xiao Ce immediately turned his attention to the most secret passage that connected to the heart of the enemy camp.
"Xiao Dingshan!"
"Your Majesty!"
Xiao Dingshan's response arrived almost instantly, carrying a hint of barely suppressed excitement and relief.
Being trapped in the wolf's den, every minute and every second was torture, and Xiao Ce's orders were his only anchor.
“You did a great job; the provocation worked perfectly. Now, they've retreated into the Western tortoise shell.”
Xiao Ce affirmed, "Aren't you their strategist now? Your next core task is only one: to maintain a defensive and steadfast strategy!"
"Understood! I will do my utmost to persuade the Commander-in-Chief..."
Xiao Dingshan immediately expressed his opinion.
"Do not..."
Xiao Ce interrupted him and explained, "It's not about persuading, it's about insisting!"
What you need to do is to stand up and use every reason to persuade the captain to take the initiative, no matter how slight the captain's intention is!
Use data analysis, lessons learned from failures, Xiao Ce's treachery, and the horrors you personally experienced to exaggerate the danger of the inescapable net outside!
Show your fear and caution to the fullest extent!
Make him think that you are truly terrified of Xiao Ce, and that you genuinely believe that hiding is the only way out!
Xiao Dingshan instantly grasped the deeper meaning: "Does Your Highness mean... that my dissuasion itself should become a catalyst to stimulate his rebellious psychology? That he should ultimately push me aside and insist on attacking because he is disgusted by my 'cowardice' and his blind confidence in his own strength?"
"exactly!"
Xiao Ce said with a cold approval in his mind, "You must play the role of this cowardly strategist well, and turn your correct views into shackles that he is eager to get rid of."
When he finally ignores your advice and insists on sending troops to attack, that will be the time when he falls into our trap again.
Xiao Yang will give him a surprise at that time.
And you, after his failure, will be proven right once again. Your position will be even more secure. He will trust you even more afterward…
Xiao Dingshan felt a clear understanding in his heart, and even felt a chill.
Xiao Ce's grasp of people's hearts and his exploitation of the enemy's psychological weaknesses had reached a level of consummate skill.
This is not just a tactic, but a psychological attack.
A single stroke that kills multiple birds with one stone!
"Understood! I will do my duty to the fullest and carry on this cowardly image to the very end! Until... the Captain can no longer tolerate it!"
After Xiao Ce issued numerous orders, they were dispatched.
The ruins of Lingas and the newly established mines and energy nodes around it quickly descended into a nightmare from which there was no peace.
Xiao Yang faithfully carried out Xiao Ce's orders. Instead of amassing a large army to press the border, he broke his troops into smaller units, relying on the secret supply lines provided by the Roman Empire and the complex terrain.
In particular, high-frequency, low-intensity, and extremely cunning harassment operations were launched against underground pipe networks and urban ruins that were not completely destroyed.
The new batch of optimized swarm drones are smaller, have better stealth capabilities, and are painted in camouflage to blend into the ruins.
They no longer pursue large-scale breakthroughs, but rather, like true ghosts, take advantage of dawn, dusk, or bad weather to emerge from unexpected gaps!
For example, abandoned ventilation ducts and subway tunnels that have not completely collapsed have quietly infiltrated the defense perimeter.
Their targets are no longer large equipment, but rather the helmet sensors of patrolling soldiers, the tool bags on the waists of engineers, the connectors of half-laid energy pipelines, and the precise cutting of miniature energy blades piled up in the open.
Miniature electromagnetic pulse bombs detonate at critical points, causing temporary equipment malfunctions or small-scale fires.
Often, by the time the hyena defenders react and the laser air defense network has just lit up, the surviving drones have already vanished without a trace, carrying with them the information of their victory, leaving behind only furious roars and a mess that needs to be repaired.
Enhanced by battlefield experience, mechanical hounds, with their exceptional mobility and environmental adaptability, have become the main force in nighttime harassment.
They roam in packs, like true predators, lurking in the shadows of the ruins.
They specialize in ambushing lone patrol teams or transport convoys, using their speed and sharp energy claws to quickly inflict damage, destroy vehicle engines or supplies, and then swiftly retreat.
They even learned to create small collapses near the mine entrance, blocking passages and slowing down the mining process.
Each attack was swift and decisive, never lingering in battle, leaving the "Rippers" mechs responsible for clearing out the attackers exhausted.
Xiao Yang's most elite remote-controlled warriors pilot specially designed ultra-long-range sniper mechs or stealthy drones!
They lie in ambush at hidden sniper positions several kilometers or even more than ten kilometers away!
Using the precise guidance provided by the Starlink Hub, they carried out long-range, precise sniping of exposed mid-to-low-level officers, engineers in key positions, and even lone "Ripper" mech pilots within the Hyena Legion.
Each successful sniper kill cast a deeper shadow of fear into the hearts of the remaining hyena soldiers.
The enemy is everywhere, and death can come at any moment.
They lived in constant fear...
Meanwhile, the Hyena Legion was under new command.
In a castle in Lingas...
This area has been rearranged into a new command center...
The entire room was filled with a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere.
On the holographic screen, red alerts representing the attack were almost constant, and damage reports piled up...
The captain's massive metal body sat on a crudely welded throne, his crimson electronic eyes fixed on the light screen!
Each new alarm flash sent a twitch through the metal muscles beneath his visor. Humiliation, anger, and anxiety gnawed at his processor core like venomous snakes.
Xiao Dingshan stood in an inconspicuous corner, his face pale, his brows furrowed, and his hands clasped nervously.
He perfectly portrayed the image of a strategist who was "worried" and "still in shock".
But he had to wait, wait for the Captain-Commander's volcanic rage to reach the breaking point.
The opportunity will come soon.
An urgent report arrived: a convoy consisting of three transport vehicles fully loaded with high-purity spirit marrow ore and a squad of "Rippers" escorted by them was ambushed by "Icefield Hyenas" on its way to the new refinery.
The guard mechs were paralyzed by a suicide attack from multiple mechanical hounds, two transport vehicles were destroyed by micro-bombs, and priceless raw ore was scattered and destroyed. A few surviving soldiers suffered mental breakdowns and incoherently described how "steel demons emerged from the ground."
"Damn it! It's Xiao Ce again! And these lowly bastards again!"
The captain suddenly stood up and punched the control panel next to him, sending sparks flying and a metallic roar echoing throughout the command room!
"Are they never going to stop?! Are we just supposed to cower here like rats and let them bleed us dry, bit by bit?!"
The command room was deathly silent; the adjutants were terrified.
Just then, Xiao Dingshan took a deep breath, as if he had made a tremendous decision, strode forward, bowed deeply, and began his performance...
"Captain! Please calm your anger! I...I know you are feeling frustrated, but...but you must not act rashly at this moment!"
The captain's crimson gaze locked onto Xiao Dingshan like a searchlight, his voice filled with furious anger at being interrupted: "Xiao Dingshan! Are you going to try and persuade me to cower again?!"
"The Commander-in-Chief is wise!"
Xiao Dingshan raised his head, his face filled with fear and awe at the commander-in-chief's authority...
He spoke very quickly, as if afraid of angering the other party again, "This subordinate is not afraid of fighting!"
Rather... rather, it is that Xiao Ce, that scoundrel, is far more vicious than we can imagine!
Look at the rhythm of the harassment, the target of the attack, the speed of the retreat... everything is linked together, and the precision is unparalleled!
This is by no means blind harassment; it is clearly a carefully planned and insidious scheme to lure the enemy in!
He pointed to the red dot on the screen representing the location of the attack, his fingers trembling:
“Every attack felt like a test, a provocation!”
They deliberately left seemingly vulnerable openings to lure our small forces away from the defensive perimeter of the fortress and the main mining area!
What lies outside? An endless expanse of ruins, a complex network of underground pipes, and Xiao Ce's carefully cultivated territory that he has built up over many years!
Once our troops leave the relatively safe defensive zone, our heavy mechs will be difficult to deploy in those areas, and communications will be easily jammed. Meanwhile, Xiao Ce's ambush... is probably already lying in wait in the shadows!
He's using these small wounds to lure us into sending out our precious mobile forces to pursue him, and then... then devour him in one bite!
This is a repeat of the old tactic of besieging a point to lure reinforcements into a trap!