Chapter 917: The Meeting (End)

On the coastline of West Africa, beneath a secluded cliff by the sea.

More than a dozen mechanical warriors, resembling giants, were waiting there quietly, ignoring the surging waves crashing in from the sea from time to time.

"They're here!"

Ratchet spoke up suddenly.

Although he was the medical officer of the Autobots, he also possessed impressive sensory and reconnaissance capabilities.

No sooner had Ratchet finished speaking than all the Autobots beneath the cliff saw a black dot appear in the sky not far away.

A dozen seconds later, a rather intimidating small spaceship descended slowly, finally stopping beneath the cliff along the sea level.

In the horrified eyes of many Autobots, its chassis shifted rapidly, soon transforming into a tall mechanical giant only half a head shorter than Optimus Prime.

The person who arrived was none other than Sun Cheng!

"Lord Optimus Prime, and everyone of the Autobots, long time no see!"

Nodding slightly to greet Optimus Prime and the Autobots, Sun Cheng let his gaze linger for two extra seconds on the few followers behind Optimus Prime.

"All familiar faces!"

He chuckled inwardly, though he remained calm on the surface.

Optimus Prime returned his goodwill with a smile, "Lord Frenzy, welcome!"

Sun Cheng coming to the meeting alone was in itself an attitude of goodwill.

Otherwise, one only had to look at the preparations on the Autobot side to know that they were also worried that Sun Cheng might harbor evil intentions due to Optimus Prime's self-imposed exile.

"I won't repeat the superfluous words. Lord Optimus Prime, I believe you should be very clear about why I suddenly wanted to meet with you."

Optimus Prime's expression was grave; he nodded slightly, waiting for Sun Cheng to continue.

He did not waste words either, "My supporters and I are a group of pacifists tired of the endless Cybertronian Civil War. The vast majority of Decepticons may be arrogant and warlike, but we are still trying to find a way to coexist peacefully with the Autobots, with the people of Earth, and even with other civilizations in the universe. This is also the reason why we have always proactively extended goodwill toward your side."

"We have no intention of interfering with the current changes among the Autobots. But after your Majesty Sentinel Prime regained control of the Autobots' military and political power, he seems to be gearing up, preparing for a new war."

Having said this, Sun Cheng paused slightly, frowning as he looked at Optimus Prime and the Autobots.

"My lord, we are very conflicted right now. Because we don't know if we should also start preparing for war. We loathe war, but we also don't want to be passively dragged into it!"

Answering Sun Cheng was Optimus Prime's silence, and the slight restlessness of the Autobots.

The vast majority of the dozen or so Autobots present were born during the period when Sentinel Prime ruled the Autobots.

Therefore, they had personally experienced the cold and cruel methods of that Tyrant-like Majesty.

Many Autobots were accustomed to cursing Megatron as a tyrant and dictator, but Sentinel Prime's methods were not a whit weaker than his.

Megatron did indeed ignite the war against the Autobots and slaughtered countless Autobot tribes, towns, and fortresses.

But Sentinel Prime had done no less of such things; he had even done so back then to force the Autobots to fight with all their might.

In the early stages of the civil war, he had a special unit under his command responsible for brainwashing propaganda for war mobilization, and also responsible for identifying pacifists who refused to participate in the war, then reporting them to Sentinel Prime.

Then he would dispatch another unit under his command to carry out bloody massacres against them.

Even in the middle and late stages of Sentinel Prime's rule, he spared no effort in suppressing the pacifists.

It was just that the methods were no longer as direct as in the beginning; he changed to having his subordinates disguise themselves as Decepticons to carry out bloody massacres against those war-weary Autobots and pacifists who refused to participate in the war.

With such a tyrant back in power, no one could guess whether the future of the Autobots would be good or bad.

But one thing was certain: Sentinel Prime would inevitably bring war and turmoil, and with his arrogance and conceit, I fear even the indigenous creatures on Earth, especially the humans who created Earth's civilization, would not be spared.

"Lord Frenzy..."

Optimus Prime was, after all, the former Leader of the Autobots; facing Frenzy's questioning, he needed to take the initiative to step forward.

"The vast majority of Autobots, just like you, yearn for peace!"

"I know, that is why today's meeting happened!" Sun Cheng did not embarrass him excessively.

After all, according to his deduction, Optimus Prime, having obtained the Matrix of Leadership, should now be one of the most powerful Leader-class Warriors beneath the Thirteen Primes.

I fear that even if Megatron, who could once crush Optimus Prime, were to be resurrected and return, he might not be a match for the current Optimus Prime.

Having prepared his lines before coming, Sun Cheng paused for a moment and then asked again: "I can guarantee that I and our people will voluntarily cede the entirety of Africa, and this place will be regarded as an Autobot-controlled zone. But Lord Optimus Prime, can your side also give us a promise that the Autobots will not spread the flames of war beyond Africa?"

"Over the past month, you Autobots have driven away the Decepticons from over half of Africa, but satellites show that the Autobots are further mobilizing for war, which makes us very worried!"

He looked at Optimus Prime calmly, without deliberately assigning blame; every line of his dialogue had been carefully considered in advance, all spoken from the standpoint of a pacifist.

Because of this, even the most hot-tempered Autobot present—Ironhide—was rendered speechless by his question, unable to say a word.

Because all the evidence now pointed to Sentinel Prime, who was in the midst of mobilizing for war.

It could be said that it was precisely his existence that turned the Autobots, who represented peace, into a source of instability.

"In the universe, planets like Cybertron are unique. Even planets like Earth, which have nurtured life and civilization, are not many in the Milky Way."

"It would be a great pity for such a beautiful planet to be destroyed just like Cybertron."

With this passage, he ended his statement.

Sun Cheng stood quietly to the side, watching Optimus Prime, whose expression was constantly changing, calculating something in his heart that only he knew.

Sentinel Prime was undoubtedly a powerful Leader; during the Cybertronian Civil War, he had once used force to compel Megatron to have to join forces with Shockwave just to confront him head-on.

And as for other high-ranking Decepticon Commanders, without the combined efforts of more than six or seven Elite Warriors, I fear they wouldn't even be able to last a minute in his hands.

Many high-ranking Commanders of the Decepticon Legion at its peak in the past had died at the hands of Sentinel Prime.

Sun Cheng would not and was unwilling to face Sentinel Prime personally; at least in his view, unless he exhausted all his trump cards, it was hard to say how long he could last against Sentinel Prime.

And Sentinel Prime was clearly not the enemy that posed the greatest threat to him, so rather than risking himself, it was better to force Optimus Prime to have to face him actively.

This was the purpose of his meeting with Optimus Prime this time!