abcnovels
Chapter 456: A Talk with Big Cao
Chapter 456: A Talk with Big Cao
"Guo Jia and Guan Yu? I thought you would prefer Zhuge Liang," Daniel commented with a hint of surprise.
"No, my lord. I don't think that brat and I would work well together," Cao Cao chuckled, then continued. "Besides, we never truly know what strategists are thinking, especially someone like Zhuge Liang. From my point of view, trust in a strategist is more crucial than trust in a general or commander, no matter how skilled they are in battle," explained Cao Cao.
"I see," Daniel nodded, agreeing with Cao Cao's point. He, too, was quite paranoid.
"Also, if that brat were resurrected, he might secretly plot to bring Liu Bei into this world. And… how should I put it… I'm 'not a fan' of how Liu Bei operates," said Cao Cao.
"How so?" asked Daniel. "Isn't Liu Bei portrayed as a benevolent ruler?"
Hearing this, Cao Cao chuckled. He looked at the view of the city outside and then let out a sarcastic smirk.
"Heh, benevolent?" He snorted. "He may have the reputation of a benevolent ruler; that's something I won't deny. But to judge a ruler's benevolence, one needs to examine the area they govern." Cao Cao paused and turned back toward Daniel.
"Liu Bei gained control of Liu Zhang's province, which was the least affected by the war. Meanwhile, I gained control of the central plain, the area most affected by the war. Yet, in the end, my Wei was more prosperous, and the people were not hungry," he said in one breath, as if venting his frustration from his past. Then he stopped.
"My apologies, my lord. I tend to get… emotional when talking about the old days," Cao Cao said as he cupped his fist and bowed in apology.
"It's okay, I understand how you feel," said Daniel. Cao Cao smiled at his lord's polite gesture of agreement. "Thank you, my lord, for your kind intention."
"Mr. Cao, when I said I understand how you feel, I meant it," said Daniel, his expression reflecting genuine empathy. He reminisced about a time when he was an ordinary person, unaware of the complexities of the Curtained World.
Back then, he recalled being just a small part of the machinery, believing in the propaganda of the Tessia Kingdom, praising the benevolent King Pious Justius and his son. There was a particular memory etched in his mind—the image of the king's visit to the impoverished countryside.
The news portrayed it as a noble act of oversight, claiming that the king had instructed the governor to uplift the lives of the people there.
However, three decades later, when someone revisited that place, they found little had changed. The only improvement was a bridge, a token gesture to connect the road to the area. The king's visits were primarily for propaganda videos; anything more might have raised questions about why the place hadn't progressed.
What's worse, those who dared to report on the reality faced harsh consequences. Daniel remembered one individual who went to check on the king's visited area, only to be arrested for spreading misinformation and defaming the king, charged with lese majesty, and got put in jail till now.
[Wait... That guy might still be in jail till now,] Daniel realized, reflecting on it.
After destroying the Hell Gate in the Tessia Kingdom months ago, Daniel entrusted Aryan with handling the aftermath. He distanced himself from the developments there as he focused on affairs in Japan and now North America.
During that time, he avoided situations that made him uncomfortable, such as political governance and the associated challenges and complexities. He didn't rush to establish his regime back then, preferring to let events unfold naturally.
Now, he hoped that nothing would spiral out of control or surprise him upon his return. He hates surprise.
Observing the sincerity in Daniel's eyes, Then… his lord turned to mulling something like he just lost in thought Cao Cao couldn't discern if his lord was being truthful, but this was something easy to verify. He trusted that Daniel wouldn't deceive him about such matters.
"Thank you, my lord," Cao Cao responded genuinely, his words echoing his true feelings rather than mere formality or obligation.
— Meanwhile - Texas —
Within one of the information hubs of the Whispering Hall, Albert passed through the teleportation gate he had requisitioned from the Atlanteus base, with the approval of his lord and overseen by Odysseus.
Albert felt irritated that his actions had to be inspected by Odysseus, the one who came before him. Despite Odysseus being one of the legendary heroes from Greek myth, Albert didn't appreciate being subjected to that scrutinizing gaze.
He let out a sigh, venting his frustration as he thought about how he had requested the teleportation gate to be used in all of the information hubs he had established across North America.
Currently, he had established four information hubs: one on the East Coast, another on the West Coast, one in Texas, and one in Alaska. Initially, he wanted more teleportation portals, but Odysseus vetoed it, insisting that Albert needed to prove himself first.
Instead of allowing him to establish two or three more information hubs in Canada and fulfill his lord's desires, Odysseus stopped him. Fine! If Odysseus wanted him to prove himself so much, then he would prove it!
Albert looked back at the teleportation gate he had just walked through with a smile, reminiscing about the time when he still reigned in the Curtained World.
"If I had this teleportation device back then, I might have been able to rule the entire Curtained World of Europe, and perhaps now I would be the one deciding what's right and wrong, not the Hightower," Albert mused in a melancholic tone.
Albert strode toward his personal office where his subordinates awaited. Among them were informants, spies, and even a few shadow morphs borrowed from Jack's Reaper Gate guild.
"All of you," Albert began, "I'm giving you three days to instigate a rebellion within the Confederacy and dismantle them from the inside out."
A shadow morph stepped forward and asked, "My Lord, how far may we go with our methods?"
"As long as you don't expose yourselves or leave a trace, you can use any means and tools necessary," Albert replied, his suave smile tinged with a hint of cruelty.
"As you command, My Lord!" his subordinates shouted in unison.