r18novel Page 753
Page 753
The high priest's voice carried a strange rhythm, as if mocking the powerlessness of the word.
"Isn't your human history a history of betrayal and deception? How can you prove that you won't betray us again?"
"From the perspective of your human history, the only lesson you learn from history is that you never learn from history."
The supreme commander took a deep breath. He knew this was a critical moment, and any wrong decision could have disastrous consequences.
"We are willing to provide anything you need, as long as it is in our possession, as compensation for this."
His words echoed through the submarine, and all the crew members held their breath, watching the high priest's reaction.
Everyone knew this was a gamble, a gamble on whether they could gain the forgiveness of this powerful creature.
The high priest narrowed his eyes slightly, as if scrutinizing the supreme commander's sincerity.
At this moment, its gaze was profound, as if it could see into people's hearts, leaving them nowhere to hide.
After a moment, it spoke slowly.
"Do you have enough to meet our needs?"
The supreme commander did not hesitate; he answered firmly.
"Yes, we are willing to share our knowledge, technology, resources and everything else you need. We will not hesitate to provide whatever we can."
The high priest remained silent, turned around, and walked back to the center of the altar, seemingly lost in thought.
The crew members inside the submarine looked at each other, their eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation.
"I need your promises. You must guarantee that you will never again dump any harmful substances into the ocean!"
The Supreme Commander responded immediately.
"We assure you that from this day forward, humanity will respect your territory and there will be no further intrusion."
The high priest nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of each crew member on the submarine, as if confirming their resolve.
"Furthermore, I need your land territory."
What?
Everyone was stunned.
The Supreme Commander's eyes widened instantly, and he let out a soft, incredulous groan.
This request was beyond everyone's expectations, and could even be described as utterly absurd.
Land should be so distant and unfamiliar to deep divers, so why would they be interested in it?
The atmosphere inside the submarine was extremely tense; everyone held their breath, awaiting the supreme commander's reaction.
The supreme commander took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
His mind raced, trying to find a reasonable explanation for this absurd request. But in any case, he had to deal with the situation.
"High Priest, your request is truly beyond our comprehension."
The supreme commander tried to keep his voice calm, but his heart was racing uncontrollably.
"Land should be useless to you, so why do you need our land?"
A barely perceptible smile flickered in the high priest's eyes; it seemed to be enjoying the feeling of controlling the situation.
"Land is indeed of little use to us."
Its sound flowed slowly.
"But this is an exchange, a testament. If you can make such a sacrifice, then perhaps your promises are worth believing."
That's right.
Although these deep-sea creatures prefer to live in the ocean, it doesn't mean they can't survive on land.
The supreme commander frowned; he knew this request was virtually impossible to fulfill.
Land is the foundation of human survival and the cradle of civilization. How can we easily hand it over?
"High Priest, please understand, we cannot make such a decision."
The supreme commander's voice carried a hint of pleading.
“We can offer other compensation, we can sign agreements to protect the ocean and reduce pollution, but please withdraw this request.”
The high priest remained silent for a moment, then his gaze swept over everyone in the submarine once more.
"This is the bottom line for our Deep Ones. If you can't meet it, then you can continue to enjoy the blessings of the gods!"
Its voice echoed within the submarine, its words like a cold knife piercing the hearts of everyone.
The Supreme Commander's face darkened. He knew this was no longer an ordinary negotiation, but a game concerning the future of humanity.
"Please give us time; we need to communicate with our superiors."
He tried to buy time in the hope of finding a solution acceptable to both sides.
The high priest did not answer immediately; his eyes were deep, as if he were pondering something.
The crew inside the submarine waited anxiously, knowing that this decision could change everything.
Finally, the high priest spoke slowly.
You have thirty minutes.
Only thirty minutes?
This answer made the atmosphere inside the submarine even more tense!
"We will give you a reply as soon as possible," the Supreme Commander replied solemnly.
The high priest said nothing more, turned and returned to the altar to continue its unfinished ritual.
The crew members inside the submarine breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew that the crisis was far from over.
The supreme commander immediately convened a meeting with the team members to discuss countermeasures.
They hope to find a solution that can satisfy deep-sea divers without sacrificing human interests.
Jiang Xiao sat in the command center of the Shanghai-Hong Kong base, his gaze fixed coldly on the large screen in front of him.
The screen showed the tense scene inside the nuclear submarine, where the crew members sat in a circle, anxiously discussing countermeasures.
Seeing their babbling and dawdling, Jiang Xiao snorted disdainfully.
"These people are really useless."
He curled his lip in disdain, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a crisp sound.
Jiang Xiao understood that the humans in the supernatural world were indeed at fault in this incident.
It was their greed and ignorance that caused the Deep Ones' anger.
In his view, it wouldn't be unreasonable to compensate the deep-sea divers with some of the land.
After all, human history is a constant series of wars and struggles, with nature and other creatures always becoming the victims.
He stood up, walked towards the command platform, his gaze firm and powerful.
"What are you dawdling for? If you ask me, we should immediately notify the submarine and tell them that we are willing to compensate for the loss of some land!"
His voice echoed throughout the command center, and everyone was awestruck by his presence.
"but."
Jiang Xiao's voice suddenly turned cold.
“This compensation is not unconditional. We need to sign an agreement with the deep-sea divers to ensure they do not use this land for activities harmful to humans.”
"At the same time, we also ask them to share their knowledge and technology in exchange."
His words revealed an undeniable firmness.
Everyone present knew that this was not just a compensation dispute, but also a test and balancing of the power between the two sides.
Jiang Xiao's eyes swept over everyone, his gaze as sharp as a sword.
"If they disagree, we don't need to force them."
"You humans have no right to negotiate with them!"
The air in the command center seemed to freeze; everyone felt the weight behind this decision.
Yes
Humans have no right to participate in this gamble.
If the Deep Ones wish, they could allow the power of the gods to slowly erode human civilization.
Even though humanity possesses weapons of mass destruction.
However, the direct damage that can be caused at the depth where the Deep Ones live is negligible.
of course.
Humans could use the concept of "living as long as heaven and earth" to plunge the entire world of supernatural tales into an ice age.
But if we do that, humanity's fate will be even worse than that of the Deep Ones.
Therefore, humans have never had a choice from beginning to end!