Abyss Solo-Chapter 901 - 362: That Was Close

Then he laughed: "Let's talk about something light, your speech at the meeting just now, everyone had a good evaluation of it."

"Is it because I got my position right?"

Yang Ming replied with a bitter smile:

"I just spoke the truth, I am like the spokesperson for this war, responsible for promoting the Empire's battle achievements to the people within the Empire."

"You want me to command warships, dozens are fine, but several thousand is really beyond my capability."

"I'm still very curious," Thomas chuckled, "aren't you afraid of being branded as a warmonger?"

Yang Ming laughed: "Which famous general of the Empire is not a warmonger? This is the way the Empire exists."

"Yes, that's the way the Empire exists."

Admiral Thomas's eyes were slightly distant, speaking softly:

"Hanton, I've already received the plunder order... do you know what that means?"

"Official robbery?"

"It's not that simple," Thomas sighed, "First, directly plundering the population would make us the target of condemnation across the interstellar, which would give other countries the perfect reason to unite against us, easily causing panic within their borders."

Yang Ming nodded: "And then?"

"Generally speaking, we would use a combination of multiple methods."

Thomas took a sip of his drink and continued in a soft tone:

"Currently, the frontline is in a standoff and hasn't started the war yet. Once it starts and we gain the upper hand, we'll effectively occupy a planet and transform their local government into a military-administered government.

"That's just the first step.

"The second step, we'll first confiscate the property of the local upper class, throw them in prison, and relocate all useful resources from there.

"The third step, we'll spend a few months creating a material circulation trap, gradually lowering the local living standards, then adopt methods like 'working in the Empire to earn basic survival materials', 'voluntarily joining the Empire's nationality to get materials', etc., to make some New Federation people voluntarily enter the Empire.

"To coordinate with the third step, we'll also support some pirate and bandit groups, creating panic among the local residents, making them voluntarily abandon their homes.

"This approach is generally quite effective."

Yang Ming frowned tightly.

Thomas looked at Yang Ming and laughed: "Now, do you still think this is a good task?"

"Daphne told me about these," Yang Ming said calmly, "I have my own reasons for having to come. I've already left the Emperor Star, and can't be expelled by the Sherman family again, or I won't be able to fulfill my mission."

Thomas stared at Yang Ming: "Can you accept these?"

"As long as it's not me executing it."

"Hmm," Thomas said, "We are frontline commanders; we don't have to care about these things at the rear. They will send people to carry it out, continually plundering the population from the New Federation."

Yang Ming asked: "Is the New Federation going to abandon their outer defenses this time as well?"

"For now, it seems that way, yes," Admiral Thomas said softly, "They cannot not defend, but most likely they'll give up twelve Administrative Stars along the border."

"Why?"

"You know the answer," Admiral Thomas said, resting his cheek, "The New Federation wants to stir up domestic public sentiment, and by the way, they want to solidify the Empire's crimes, to occupy the moral high ground of righteousness."

The Vice Admiral sneered:

"Hanton, do you think the Empire is more evil, or that the New Federation, which easily abandons its own people, is more hypocritical?"

"They're about the same, I guess."

"Hahaha, yes, they're about the same."

Admiral Thomas chuckled:

"Prepare for a long and bitter fight, according to the latest news from the Military Intelligence Bureau, if the Empire really launches a surface attack on the New Federation, the Free Federation and the Guel Alliance, as well as the countries ranked fifth to fifteenth in the Milky Way, will likely join the war."

"Of course, they won't dare to directly stand next to the New Federation, but they will back it up, providing ships and semi-automated ship operation robots to the New Federation."

"Now the New Federation's diplomatic and intelligence departments are hopping around in the interstellar space, they've dispatched twelve batches of diplomats trying to meet with His Majesty at the Emperor Star."

"Did they manage to meet?"

"All were stopped."

"Stopped?"

"Yes, if these diplomats were allowed to see our noble Majesty, His Majesty might change his mind," Admiral Thomas laughed, "In fact, this war was not initiated by His Majesty."

"The Sherman family."

Admiral Thomas nodded: "I only understood the true intent of this war after being reminded by an elder in the Military Department, Hanton, did you know? The prince and duke who died were among the elite in power of the Sherman family."

"I had heard about it."

"The Military Department is also controlled by these people."

Thomas said:

"They determined that the liquid robots of the New Federation, some of their technologies, have already surpassed the Empire, which is something the Empire cannot tolerate.

"We don't have actual evidence proving the New Federation attacked our high-ranking officials, but that's not important.

"We cannot lose technological superiority, that's the most important thing."

Yang Ming:...

"Suddenly talking so much with you," Thomas drained his cup of Neuro Corrosive Agent, "I don't want to think about these off-topic matters, a soldier's duty is to obey orders, rest assured, the part we are responsible for is defeating the New Federation's regular army, the rest of the dirty work is for others to handle."

Yang Ming asked with a smile: "Is this the General's first time participating in such a plundering war?"

"Indeed," Thomas said, "I just didn't expect that I would need more comfort than you, and you could be this calm."

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