Chapter 1324

What if it actually works out?

"What should we do now, go over and provide support?" Although General Ji Xia was very worried in her heart, she was no fool.

Facing tens of thousands of troops on the battlefield, an individual's strength is extremely limited; they aren't some seventh or eighth-tier powerhouse.

Even if a seventh or eighth-tier powerhouse fought to the death, they might not be killed, but they would certainly be exhausted to death.

Li Li Li Changan had no idea what to do either now.

"That's why I've called you all here to discuss a countermeasure."

Li Li Li Changan turned his gaze toward General Ji Xia, but she shook her head; then he turned his gaze toward Lin Cheng, who was still in that same posture of eyes-on-nose, nose-on-mouth, immersed in his own world.

"Can't we mobilize the Divine Might Army of Bashi Fortress?"

Just as Li Li Li Changan was about to shift his gaze away, Lin Cheng suddenly spoke. "Even if it's only fifty or sixty thousand men, it doesn't matter — what matters is participating."

Uh… what do you think this is?

A tour group signing up in groups? Still talking about 'what matters is participating' — on the battlefield, there's a high chance of death; that's common sense for everyone.

"The Divine Might General may not necessarily send troops, and even if he does, given the Divine Might Army's look of being well-fed, well-watered, and slack these past years, you can hardly count on them."

Though he said so, Li Li Li Changan still felt in his heart that the Divine Might Army had some use. Even if they'd grown lazy over the years, their daily training hadn't decreased, and they could still play some role, more or less.

In his heart, he had already begun, more or less, to fantasize about how to persuade the Divine Might General to send troops.

"How about trying to post mercenary missions, gathering large numbers of mercenaries to rush to the scene in the form of payment?" Lin Cheng proposed again.

Li Li Li Changan shook his head.

"The Yongbinggong Society has explicit rules forbidding the posting of war-type missions — by anyone, any organization, any country."

"They are a neutral force. Once mercenaries from any one side begin to participate in war, mercenaries from other forces will probably also join the war, and in the end the flames of war will only grow worse and worse."

"My way — what's the use of asking them?" Lin Cheng was so angry he cursed outright.

"Can we only rely on you few?"

A flicker of shock passed through Li Li Li Changan's eyes, and quickly turned to annoyance again.

"Master Lin Cheng, the meaning of 'you few' includes you as well."

"But I never said I'd definitely take part. For me, this is completely thankless and unprofitable." Lin Cheng refused — the implication being, even if we cooperate, you'd better offer some benefit.

What's the point of just painting a big cake?

"You… don't you have any sense of collective honor at all? We're all people of the Tianwu Empire!" Li Li Li Changan pointed at Lin Cheng, truly not knowing how best to describe him.

He couldn't exactly say, wow, you f***ing realist — no benefit, no work.

Can't you make some contribution for your country?

"Sorry… I'm a businessman, I don't understand your theories. From a businessman's perspective, since we're cooperating, there must be give and take."

Lin Cheng was exactly such a practical, matter-of-fact person.

Setting aside that he was a transmigrator with no real feelings for this country in the first place, his family had been brought to its current state of decline by the Tianwu imperial family.

It was already quite decent of him not to kick someone when they were down; asking him to act for free was almost impossible. Li Li Li Changan surrendered — she couldn't persuade Lin Cheng. The guy in front of her simply didn't buy that old-society rulebook at all; he was a transmigrator through and through.

Of course, so was she.

"Then what would it take for you to act?"

"Tell me your plan first, then I'll decide whether to agree." Lin Cheng narrowed his eyes in a smile — looks like this is a big deal.

"My plan?" Li Li Li Changan was a bit confused.

If she had a plan, would she still need to sit here discussing it with you all? She could just execute it directly. Since Lin Cheng wanted a plan, she'd just improvise one on the spot.

"Don't you have those little ones? Just manufacture a legion's worth of little ones, and we should be able to win, right?"

Lin Cheng rolled his eyes at her.

"An army of a hundred thousand mechanical servants — you'd need to give me at least three years before I could possibly pull it off. If you have that kind of time, forget I said anything."

"Start production immediately!"

Uh… Li Li Li Changan was speechless.

Indeed, there was no such time.

"We have at most one week, and of course, during that time… the sooner the better."

"Then nothing doing! Forget it, I'm tired." Lin Cheng flopped back onto the sofa behind him, his ears already deaf to the world outside.

"You… I…" Li Li Li Changan could only watch helplessly as Lin Cheng tossed aside his stall and refused to work. She was so angry her chest heaved, feeling her breast-binding sash was about to burst from the fury.

She suddenly really wanted to kill the guy in front of her. Other eighth-tier forgemasters, even if they had no way, would think of a way — but him, no benefit and he doesn't even want to work.

What's the use of an eighth-tier forgemaster like you to the Empire?

At the critical moment, one still had to rely on General Ji Xia.

"Lin Cheng, how many of those cannons and super-soldiers you've built do we have now?"

"Why are you asking?" Lin Cheng countered.

"I heard from Miss Qianhui that the cannons' power can reach the peak of sixth-tier. That's a force not to be underestimated, and it's mobile too. If there are enough of them, they could completely reverse the battle situation."

So that's how it is.

Lin Cheng thought it over — this wasn't a bad idea. His craft had improved these past days; although he couldn't break through the cannons' power, he could make their attack and speed more durable.