BXBX NOVEL Chapter 429: The New CEO of Astral PMC
"What is this place?" Cao Cao tried to speak but his voice didn\'t come out, instead, his thought echoes throughout the starlit realm like the sound reverberating within a mountain range.
He looked around and suddenly saw a road weaving amidst the golden stars, extending toward him as if inviting him to walk upon it. But he sensed something profound about it. This was no ordinary road—it was the offer of a powerful being, so mighty that he couldn\'t even fathom it.
Something told him that if he set foot on this star-woven road, he would be bound to the creator and owner of this path. Cao Cao, the one who once declared, "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me."
This was what he said when he mistakenly killed an innocent family who had offered him shelter. Though he had committed such acts many times, it didn\'t mean he enjoyed them. In fact, they left a bitter taste in his mouth each time.
If he accepted this offer, he would be unable to betray the road\'s creator. Cao Cao gazed at the road, certain that he had died. Was this a new beginning for him? Or was it something entirely different? His gut feeling told him that this star-weaving road would lead him to the second chance he had wished for, and perhaps even to greater glory, considering the being\'s immense power.
"Since this is my new life, my second chance, I will start anew. Let\'s see where this road leads," Cao Cao uttered as he stepped onto the road.
For Cao Cao, betrayal was a tool, a desperate measure for survival in a cutthroat world. However, when serving a powerful lord who guaranteed protection, such tactics became unnecessary. In his youth, as a lowly official, he served the Han Dynasty and its Emperor with unwavering loyalty.
This time shouldn\'t be any different. No, it was fundamentally different. Betrayal wouldn\'t even enter his mind. Loyalty was woven into the very fabric of his being, an essential part of his existence.
The road stretched before him, beckoning him towards the unknown. He didn\'t walk; instead, he was swept along, carried by an unseen force.
A torrent of information flooded his being, a summons across time. He had been called to a future unlike anything he could have imagined – an era where men walked on celestial bodies and traversed the skies in flying machines.
Time seemed irrelevant as he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a man – a foreigner with dark hair and features reminiscent of the northern barbarians. Stand on the air amidst the cosmic scene of golden starry space.
Yet, an undeniable power emanated from him, amplified by the long, dark coat that added to his imposing aura.
Cao Cao took stock of himself. Gone was the weakness that had plagued him in his final days. In its place, a surge of vitality coursed through him. His strength felt boundless, surpassing even his prime.
He felt as if he could confront Lu Bu once again, the mightiest warrior of his time. Not only did he believe he could survive, but he also sensed he could exceed his previous limits and engage Lu Bu in combat for more than 200 moves without being at a disadvantage. This newfound power invigorated him.
"Hello," the man before Cao Cao greeted him with a smile, extending his hand. "My name is Daniel Emberweave."
According to the information gleaned on the golden star road, this gesture, a handshake, symbolized trust and cooperation throughout the current world.
"Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde," he replied, grasping Daniel\'s hand firmly. "You can call me Cao Cao or just Mengde."
With this handshake, Cao Cao pledged himself to Daniel\'s cause, a powerful and the most influential minister, reborn into this new era.
—
On Daniel\'s side, he had shaken hands with Cao Cao, the Grand Chancellor and a famous warlord from the Three Kingdoms era.
Prior to meeting Cao Cao, Daniel consulted with the Keeper regarding his needs. The Keeper suggested that he write down his requirements on a piece of paper and insert it into a strange contraption. From this machine emerged the Cao Cao card.
Card: Cao Cao - The Grand Chancellor of Wu
Image: An authoritative man in a luxurious Hanfu robe, holding a bamboo slip in his hand and wearing Chinese armor while overseeing his vast army.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique - Human - Warrior - Advisor
Mana Cost: 1 Light, 1 Dark, 1 Water, 3 Non-Element
Description:
Creatures under its controller\'s control gets +1/+1.
When sacrificing a creature, the target opponent must also sacrifice a creature, then you draw a card.
Cao Cao - The Grand Chancellor of Wei gets +1/+1 if its controller controls one or more non-basic locations.
Cao Cao - The Grand Chancellor of Wei gains First Strike if its controller controls two or more non-basic locations.
Create a Soldier token with 1/1 power and toughness, for each non-basic location its controller owned at the end of each turn.
Power: 3
Toughness: 4
Flavor text: Cao Cao, the man who never bowed down to the world; his ruthlessness and pragmatism instilled fear in both his enemies and allies.
"I have a very important task for you, Mr. Cao. Could you please listen?" Daniel asked Cao Cao.
"Of course, my lord. You may tell me what you need from me, and I will comply," said Cao Cao.
— Days Later —
Days later, in the US, after Astral Tech Corporation had sold power armor, weapons, and many advanced technological gadgets and equipment to them, progress on the frontline improved significantly. Now, the US continued to \'liberate\' territories from the Confederacy.
State by state, areas long held by the Confederacy since the American Civil War returned to the US. This included North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and lastly, Oklahoma. These states marked the first phase of the Reclaiming campaign proposed by President John Malcomes, which received overwhelming support from both American citizens and Congress.
The second phase of the Reclaiming campaign also garnered immense support, further boosting John Malcomes\' political influence. Many attempted to persuade him to take matters into his own hands, but John Malcomes, knowing his place, never entertained the idea of betraying Greed, the unofficial queen of the US.
He understood that without her, he would be nothing, and without her, Astral Tech would never sell its technology to the US.
During this period, Nicholas Sullivan, the seasoned warrior from Tessia Kingdom who led a small team of Astral PMC troops to assist the US, received numerous offers from the US government to join them, with the promise of a one-star general position.
However, Nicholas promptly rejected these offers. It\'s not because of his loyalty to Daniel; rather, as an old war dog who thrived on the battlefield, he believed that following Daniel allowed him to live the life he desired, where he could excel and potentially meet his end as a warrior on the battlefield.
During this time, Daniel had introduced a new CEO of his Astral PMC to the US military higher up. He was none other than Cao Cao himself.
Within the meeting room of Liberty House, Cao Cao sat beside Daniel and Penthesilea. While Daniel wore a smile, Penthesilea eyed Cao Cao suspiciously, aware of his identity and deeds from his era, which led her to hold a wary attitude toward the former warlord.
The purpose of this meeting was for Daniel to introduce Cao Cao to the higher-ups in the US to prevent any potential misunderstandings in the future.
Present in the meeting room were Nicholas Sullivan, Daniel\'s PMC field commander and former Supreme General of the Tessai Kingdom, along with Ragnar Stenmark, representing his company responsible for surveying the newly acquired territory and assessing its mineral and resource value.
"I am Cao Cao, also known by my courtesy name Mengde. I am the new CEO of Astral PMC, and I hold authority surpassing Ms. Penthesilea, including the authorization of all weapons and technology within the Astral PMC armory. It\'s a pleasure to meet all of you," Cao Cao introduced himself.
"Are there any questions you would like to ask?" he invited the higher-ups in the meeting to inquire.
One of the higher-ups raised his hand, prompting Cao Cao to allow him to ask the question. "Mr. Cao, does this mean Mr. Emberweave will give you full autonomy over Astral PMC and its operations?" the higher-up asked.
Daniel smiled and responded to the question instead of Cao Cao. "It\'s more than just full autonomy. I have also granted him the right to negotiate and represent Astral Tech as a whole in matters concerning territory and resource disputes," Daniel explained.