Novellv Chapter 406 Another Level of Decapitation
Chapter 406 Another Level of Decapitation
Chapter 406 Another Level of Decapitation
In fact, the United States has been very anxious.
In addition to ships deployed in the Middle East and those still undergoing maintenance at their home ports, a total of eight carrier strike groups have entered the highest level of combat readiness, firmly guarding several key sea entrances such as the Bering Strait, the Denmark Strait, and the Fram Strait, effectively blocking most of the Arctic Circle.
But they didn't know where the enemy was. In the thirteen million square kilometers of the Arctic Ocean, under which ice sheet or in which trench did that legendary, terrifying army, destined to destroy humanity, lurk? The radar screen was blank, and satellite images could not detect any signs of a large-scale gathering.
The commanders of the carrier battle group felt a strong sense of frustration, as if they had the power to do nothing. Fighter engines were roaring and ready to be launched, and shipborne cruise missiles were ready to be fired at any moment, but they did not know where to strike.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, deep in the heart of North America, the "Kassel College," which was secretly training hybrids, was surrounded by heavily armed forces, but all conventional forces seemed pale and powerless in the face of the "unknown shield" that enveloped the college and flowed with an eerie light.
Precision-guided bombs dropped by B-2 bombers and cruise missiles launched from outer positions only created a few ripples upon impact with the shield surface before falling silent.
Europe, on the other hand, has fallen into a different, more delicate and thorny predicament.
Although the higher-ups had access to detailed information on almost all people of European mixed race, the names on the list were proving incredibly troublesome for them.
Almost all of them are connected to those ancient families with deep roots and great renown on the European continent.
In addition to the suffocating and heavy family history that can be traced back to the First and Second World Wars, there are several families that control business empires and financial networks that are almost equivalent to the economic backbone of the European Union!
Even though the data showed that these families had all defected to the "Destruction Legion" and betrayed humanity, the top leaders of European countries fell into a collective silence and dilemma. Any so-called "centralized management" or "extermination" became a pipe dream. They could only freeze the public assets of these families on the surface and then wait in secret for the leaders of these families to come out and explain everything.
They are not yet prepared to bear the consequences of a European economic collapse.
In stark contrast to the panic among ordinary people scrambling to buy daily necessities, North American capital groups smelled the scent of a feast amidst the clamor of "doomsday" and "war".
Amid media frenzy over the terrifying threat of the "Superman Legion" and a panic sell-off that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummet by 3000 points in a single day, military stocks, gold, and energy-related ETFs (exchange-traded funds), traditional safe-haven assets and beneficiaries of war, bucked the trend and surged, hitting their daily limit.
There is also a staggering rumor circulating on Wall Street: an unidentified super-client used a staggering 300 tons of gold reserves as collateral to buy up a large amount of LMT stock through highly leveraged margin trading.
This massive buy order crashed into the market like a tsunami, causing the stock price of the world's largest military industrial giant to surge by 50%. This single-day surge set a new record for the highest increase in the entire military industry sector in recent years.
……
"'Financial Decapitation'—how about that? Isn't that a more interesting name than just 'stock trading'?"
Lu Mingfei tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a faint smile playing on his lips, his gaze falling on Su Enxi's still somewhat bewildered face.
"Financial...decapitation?"
Su Enxi was slightly taken aback.
Then, her "naturally evolved" brain began to work at high speed, and her top-notch sharp thinking instantly grasped the true meaning behind the four words that Lu Mingfei had told her.
And the true intention behind inviting this "financial queen" here.
"You...you want me to help you ruin it..." Su Enxi looked at Lu Mingfei in disbelief.
"To deal with a system rooted in and built on capital, wouldn't it be just right to use the sharp blade of capital to paralyze it?"
A hint of appreciation appeared on Lu Mingfei's face, and the light in his eyes seemed to indicate that he had already figured out the weakness of a certain huge system.
"So... do you already have a concrete plan?"
Su Enxi asked tentatively in a low voice, unaware that her breathing had become rapid.
"Eva, thank you for your help."
Eva nodded, and a holographic screen silently unfolded in front of Su Enxi, her gaze immediately drawn to the characters on the screen.
After Su Enxi read through the entire plan word for word, she looked up at Lu Mingfei with a gaze filled with shock and awe.
Su Enxi was completely convinced that the war giant and his legion could unite the entire planet with their combined military and military power; but it was this plan, which she had just finished reading, that showed that this war giant also possessed wisdom no less than his military prowess.
As expected of... the Legion Master!
"Do you think there's anything that needs improvement?" Lu Mingfei asked. "In the financial field, you're the sharpest weapon; I might not be as proficient as you."
"No, no, no, Commander, you're too modest!" Su Enxi wiped away a cold sweat. The last vestige of connection she had with the harmless and powerless "little angel" of the past was completely shattered. "This decapitation plan... is simply impeccable!"
“Then, while I’m away, the execution of the plan will be handled by the Percy brothers and you.” Lu Mingfei nodded, turning his gaze to Percy, who stood silently to the side.
Percy thumped his chest in a gesture of respect, while simultaneously turning slightly to bow to Su Enxi as a sign of his reverence.
"As for compensation, as long as your request is within the Legion's acceptable range, the Legion will do its best to meet your requirements."
"Ahem... Talking about compensation for working for the Legion Commander is too polite..."
Su Enxi forced a smile.
It would be impolite to refuse again, especially since the person in front of her wasn't the kind of heartless boss who thought, "I don't care how you do it, I just want the results and all the credit goes to me." The plan had already been provided, and she only needed to execute it. She obviously had no reason to refuse.
“However, to paralyze the economic system of the North American hegemon, the little money in my account probably won’t be enough to break their resilience threshold…” She licked her dry lips and tentatively asked, twirling her thumb and forefinger, “Could you allocate some more funds? Preferably in the form of gold, a hard currency that is difficult to depreciate…”
"Funding..."
Some of the school board members and elders in the back seats felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing this word, sensing that the legion leader was about to target them.
Although their assets have been frozen and seized by the US and Europe on the surface, they still hold a considerable amount of cash flow in their secret accounts; once Lu Mingfei speaks up, they have no reason and no way to refuse, so they are getting used to a kind of pain similar to "cutting off a piece of their flesh" in advance.
Lu Mingfei took in all their subtle expressions, but he simply smiled slightly and turned to look at Eva:
Have you taken a detailed count of the items stored in the vault?
"I'm so sorry, Lord of the Legion... This was my oversight." Eva bowed her head and apologized to Lu Mingfei.
"It's nothing, I was just asking. Let's have Ms. Su Enxi review the legion's military expenses directly."
Lu Mingfei smiled slightly.
"As ordered."
The next second, it was as if the entire strategic conference hall had been "shifted" to another location. The originally dim space was instantly swallowed by an ancient and magnificent light, and the sudden intense light made everyone subconsciously squint.
Once their vision adjusted to the light, the sight before them nearly made everyone stop breathing, and their minds went completely blank.
The projector in the conference hall perfectly covered and replaced the original spatial image; now, everyone felt as if they were in another real scene.
Inside a magnificent palace of unparalleled splendor, the Dragon King's treasure trove!
Gold is the most basic element and the cheapest decoration here. Everywhere you look, there are magnificent mountains made up of countless gold ingots, bricks and blocks, with an eternal luster flowing across their surfaces. Under the light of the unknown source of the dome, this palace is more dazzling than the desert at noon.
Between the gold mountains, beneath four towering bronze pillars carved with dragons and flames, lies an even more countless ocean of gold coins.
From the ancient Roman Aurelius, the Byzantine Solido, the Spanish Ducat, to the Eastern gold ingots… they form shimmering, undulating golden waves under the light, truly resembling a vibrant “ocean,” while fist-sized pearls and diamonds serve as embellishments.
But these are merely the backdrop to this treasure trove; between the mountains and seas of gold lie countless breathtaking wonders, scattered haphazardly everywhere:
Huge, uncut natural gemstones are piled up in the corner of the treasure trove; rubies are like congealed dragon blood, sapphires are like a deep starry sky, and emeralds flow with the life of the forest.
There are also crowns, scepters, weapons, armor, or other strange parts inlaid with various gemstones, all of which shimmer with the mysterious glow of the alchemical matrix. Normally, a single alchemical artifact would cause a bloody fight among hybrid factions, but here it is just casually half-buried in a pile of gold coins.
Those alchemical crystals, shimmering with elemental luster, while not as pure as the ultimate "Philosopher's Stone," were still enough to drive modern hybrid alchemists mad, and here they were piled up in boxes...
There are many more treasures. Here, the scale of space seems to be infinitely magnified. The towering dome seems to connect with the sky. In the distance, a huge bronze door is tightly closed, and the lifelike dragon relief on the door seems to be guarding this treasure belonging to the legion.
"That should be enough." Although Lu Mingfei was aware of their value, he was still indifferent to these cold, hard metals. It would be more practical to exchange them for the Titan Legion.
He turned his head and joked with Old Tang, "General Forging, you won't mind, will you?"
"Hey! Commander, you're being too polite!" Old Tang immediately stood up and patted his chest to show his commitment. "What's mine belongs to the legion, and what belongs to the legion belongs to everyone! As a member of the legion, it's my duty to contribute to the legion!"
"You're right, aren't you, little sister?"
After saying that, he winked and looked at Xia Mi, who hadn't said a word, with a smug expression.
Xia Mi was immediately speechless, feeling that her older brother was becoming more and more annoying. Just because he was rich and had a good background, he thought he was something special!
"What do you mean, 'right'? I'm a penniless wretch! My only asset is an apartment in the Third Ring Road! If you like it, take it and use it as a dormitory for the army!" she retorted, cursing.
“If that’s not enough, I can go back to Atlantis; I remember storing some things there that might come in handy.”
The classical beauty, dressed in a pristine white priestess robe, also spoke. Her voice was ancient and ethereal, revealing her profound knowledge in a casual tone.
"Let's not turn this place into a show of wealth..." Lu Mingfei sighed and began to regret joking with the Forging General.
He looked at Su Enxi, who was staring blankly with her mouth agape, her usually proud financial mind completely shut down.
Shocked!
A mind-blowing experience!
She had once controlled hundreds of millions of dollars and had seen the vaults of Swiss banks, but compared to what was before her... it was an absolute annihilation!
Enough! Enough!
She slapped herself a few times to bring herself to her senses before finally managing to tear her gaze away from the treasure vault. "That's enough! Smashing it could sink Wall Street and Manhattan Island together!"
Su Enxi's body trembled slightly, and she suddenly felt dizzy as she spoke.
The expressions on the faces of the school board members and elders in the back seats, the heads of these ancient mixed-race families, were even more fascinating.
Their family wealth, which they were so proud of, the secrets hidden in the castle cellars or in secret accounts, all seemed incredibly meager in the face of this displayed treasure trove!
They then realized how ridiculous their earlier thought had been—that the Lord of the Legion needed to cut flesh from their bodies? This was merely Norton's treasure trove!
And then there's the White King, who seems to have completely submitted...
Whether in terms of military strength, financial resources, technology, or cultural heritage, they truly and directly felt how astonishing the power of this legion and its leader was.
If it weren't for the threat posed by the Arctic, his unification of the entire planet would have been a foregone conclusion; the only difference would be the method Lu Mingfei would use.
"That's fine."
Lu Mingfei nodded, then stood up again, but this time his gaze fell on the people in the back seat, and the air pressure in the entire space seemed to suddenly drop.
All the board members and elders straightened up, seemingly waiting for the other's gaze.
"Everyone," Lu Mingfei began slowly, "I don't care how you fantasized about the change of power after Nidhogg's fall... but now, it's time to wake up from that dream."
Lu Mingfei's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy hammer striking a bell, hitting everyone's heart.
"There is no new dragon race, nor a new ruler."
"There is only one outcome: the humans and hybrids on this planet will move into the universe as a whole, and the world will enter a brand new era."
"Whether to retire and be buried with the old era, or to be the first ship to step into the new era... the choice is yours."
……
After a brief silence, Frost was the first to raise his hand; although he knew very well that whether he raised his hand or not would not change much, it was always good to be the first to express his opinion to the Legion Commander.
Then came Duchess Elizabeth of the Laurent family, followed by Nanami Sakurai, the new head of the Japanese branch; then Charlotte of the Göttingen family, and then Saint George…
After the last elder, Beowulf, raised his hand, all the Secret Society families stood completely with the Legion of the Sword of Revelation.
"Very good. The meeting is now adjourned."
Lu Mingfei nodded. "The war begins."
……
In a top-secret underground nuclear defense facility in North America, the president and all high-ranking officials are gathered, with an elite soldier armed with live ammunition every few steps, guarding against a possible decapitation strike by the legion.
A huge screen hangs in the main hall of the facility, divided into countless images that monitor every move in the world, including satellite images, video surveillance, and, most notably, air defense surveillance images.
The president's statement a few hours earlier was pre-recorded. He was transferred to this protective facility the moment he learned of the legion's existence.
"Your Excellency President! That tyrant, the leader of that legion, is addressing the world with a speech and a statement!"
An assistant rushed in.
"Switch to the big screen quickly!"
……
After hearing the giant's statement on the screen, the top decision-makers fell silent, seemingly pondering whether what he said was true and whether they should believe it.
Until someone else rushed in, panting, and said:
"Chicago Express! That college... the shield protecting it has vanished!"
The scene switched to the perspective of a helicopter monitoring remotely from the air. Sure enough, the mysterious hemispherical shield had disappeared, and the ancient academy was completely exposed to missile strikes at any moment.
"What should we do now, Your Excellency?" the Finance Minister asked nervously.
"You cannot trust their words, Your Excellency, especially not those unidentified foreign armed groups."
The tall Minister of Defense spoke first, a fleeting golden glint in his eyes.
"This is an opportunity. I suggest that this group of terrorists should be completely destroyed immediately, Your Excellency."
"Let us declare to the world that no force can challenge our global dominance, whether it be the so-called Dragon Clan or the so-called Legion!"