Chapter 348: Lies and Cooperation (Part 1)

Chen Zhongyuan looked up; standing before him was a ferocious mechanical giant that must have been six or seven meters tall.

Unlike the Frenzy he had dealt with before, although the sudden appearance of the former had also caused a stir among the country's top leadership, the military was not without discussions on how to handle Frenzy.

After all, as one of the world's leading military powers, China could not possibly view an unidentifiable, suspicious extraterrestrial life form as posing no threat to itself.

Not to mention anything else, the mere fact that the other party had repeatedly bypassed the military's radar and warning lines to intrude into Chinese territory was enough to make the military lose face and feel not a shred of security.

However, the body Sun Cheng had previously used, which was only about three meters tall, clearly had not left an impression on China that was quite so terrifying.

Chen Zhongyuan, who had attended several military briefings, knew that the conclusion reached by the military after discussions was generally that this mechanical life form calling itself "Frenzy," aside from its advanced stealth capabilities and the bizarre, unscientific "Space Bridge" technology, might have individual combat capabilities that were still within the range the military could handle.

The Air Force had even conducted simulations, believing that by mobilizing two or three main aviation regiments equipped with Su-27 fighter jets, configured with various potent air-to-air missiles, and coordinating with the various air defense and anti-missile systems equipped by the Army, they would have the ability to inflict heavy damage on "Frenzy" should it intrude into Chinese airspace alone.

Clearly, the Chinese side had not been able to obtain detailed battle damage data from the U. S. military regarding the "Battle of Las Vegas."

However, this optimistic assessment had influenced some people to a certain extent; even Chen Zhongyuan had previously optimistically believed that although China was looking forward to making up for the country's military deficiencies through deals with Frenzy, if the two sides were to fall out one day, they were not without the ability to fight against it.

After all, what they feared most was the "Space Bridge" technology Frenzy possessed that could transport troops over long distances, and the scientific community also believed it must have limitations; otherwise, the faction Frenzy represented could have directly invaded Earth to obtain everything it needed, rather than choosing to cooperate as it was doing now.

Yet, meeting again after more than a month.

The mechanical warrior before him, who still called himself "Frenzy," once again gave Chen Zhongyuan a massive shock no less than their first meeting.

Even animals without much intelligence would use size to gauge how much of a threat a target could pose to them, let alone humans who possessed extremely high intelligence.

In that brief encounter, relying only on a simple visual assessment, a huge storm immediately stirred in Chen Zhongyuan's heart.

This brand-new body, far more terrifying than the previous one, clearly could not be described as just "big."

On the four missile launchers extending outward from his back, four missiles that looked somewhat familiar to him were quietly mounted behind this mechanical warrior calling himself "Frenzy"; at first glance, one might mistake them for a backpack.

At the small of his back, a sharp alloy long blade emitting a chilling glint shone even more menacingly under the illumination of the base's searchlights.

Although Chen Zhongyuan did not see any other exposed weapons or equipment on "Frenzy" besides these, when his gaze finally landed on the equipment at the ankles of his legs—which were even thicker than his own and looked somewhat like spacecraft thrusters—Chen Zhongyuan's brow was already knitted into a knot.

"Are you Lord Frenzy?"

This was the second time he had asked this in a tone filled with suspicion; the next moment, as he looked up, he saw the ferocious mechanical giant before him smile grimly and nod slightly.

Chen Zhongyuan's doubt had long been within Sun Cheng's expectations.

As for how to answer, he was naturally well-prepared.

Smiling and nodding at him, Sun Cheng immediately threw out the explanation he had long prepared.

"Yes, General. Please allow me to express my sincere apologies to you and this country. When my compatriots and I arrived on Earth, because my body had already sustained significant damage, I had to use a backup body when I visited you and Russia last time!"

The reason for this explanation was actually a preparation Sun Cheng had made after careful consideration.

Dealing with national powers like China and Russia was undoubtedly like asking a tiger for its hide.

Although he did indeed hold a trump card that could make the other side want what he had, the status of the Decepticon as an extraterrestrial visitor not only made Sun Cheng unable to trust the other side completely, but he also believed that they must be wary of him in private, and might have already simulated the possibility of war between the two sides countless times should things turn sour.

Therefore, facing this fragile alliance.

Sun Cheng certainly did not dare to expose his trump cards easily; at the very least, he did not want the other side to know that once he had enough rare metals and other resources, he would have the ability to quickly manufacture more and more powerful bodies.

It was for this reason that he had this explanation.

Such an answer, naturally, could not satisfy Chen Zhongyuan.

However, their understanding of Frenzy was truly too little.

Only able to ask indirectly about a few secret transactions from their previous cooperation, and after confirming that the other party's answers were correct, Chen Zhongyuan, who really knew too little about this extraterrestrial visitor before him, could only force down the slight unease and doubt in his heart and chat with the other party in a friendly manner.

"... Lord Frenzy, we have already delivered the stipulated resources to your side in accordance with the previous agreement. We have also completed the evacuation of personnel from this hydroelectric station. So, shouldn't you also complete the subsequent agreement?"

After probing for some information about the planet Cybertron and the Decepticon Legion without being able to get much from Sun Cheng, Chen Zhongyuan, somewhat disappointed, stopped making small talk and steered the conversation directly toward the cooperation.

"Although most Decepticons treat betrayal as a daily routine, please believe us, General, we will faithfully fulfill all the contents of the contract!"

Sun Cheng stopped in his tracks and said, "General, please have your soldiers and these machines step back and clear an open space for us."

Chen Zhongyuan nodded hurriedly, turned around, and whispered a few words to the Colonel in charge of the Red River No. 1 Military Base who had been following by his side ever since he got off the plane.

The order was quickly relayed; amidst a series of rumbles, the armed transport vehicles and mountain tanks that had been parked nearby were driven away by the soldiers, clearing an open space.

After Sun Cheng scanned the surrounding terrain slightly and confirmed that the cleared space was sufficient to accommodate what he wanted to take out, he lifted his right hand and waved it slightly in the air.

Almost at the same time, he silently summoned the Spherical Space within his body.

In an instant, rows of tightly sealed, neat shipping containers appeared out of thin air within the military base, and soon they piled up into a small hill.