Rulu said: "Because loathsome as Suwen is, he still has some use to us. He said he would do everything in his power to stop the Sanctuary from coming after me and your Rebels. I thought he could serve as a check on the Sanctuary—so I spared his life."

  General Li said: "If he's true to his word, that would certainly be to our advantage. But it's entirely possible he was just lying to save himself."

  Rulu said: "It doesn't matter. Even if he said it against his will, he'll at least be more restrained going forward. Besides, I've already punished him by destroying both his legs—I doubt he'll be as brazen as before anytime soon. And if we had killed him, the Sanctuary would simply send an even more capable Governor in his pce, which would only make things harder for us."

  General Li said: "I see—I now understand the full picture. Since you were the one who captured him, you have every right to decide how to deal with him. And your approach may well prove useful to my pns going forward."

  Rulu said: "Is that what you called me here to discuss, General Li? I'd like to know what these pns of yours are."

  General Li said: "Before I get to my pns, I'd like to ask you something first, young Rulu. How much do you know about the Dragon Group?"

  Rulu said: "The Dragon Group is the rgest Rebel organization in Huaxia Nation, with a presence throughout the entire country. Beyond that, I don't know much."

  General Li said: "The Dragon Group's predecessor was actually Huaxia Nation's former military science and technology research institution. When Huaxia Nation was defeated by the Sanctuary, the institution was forcibly dissolved. The organization was gone, but most of our researchers remained. To resist the Sanctuary, we banded together in secret and founded a new organization—that is how the Dragon Group came to be."

  Rulu nodded and said: "I see. No wonder the Dragon Group became the rgest Rebel organization in Huaxia Nation—there's quite a history behind it."

  General Li continued: "Although the Dragon Group has always been committed to resisting the Sanctuary, as you know, the Sanctuary commands a rge number of Ultra-capable individuals fighting on their behalf, and ordinary people like us are simply no match for them. No matter how hard we try, we cannot defeat the Sanctuary."

  Rulu said: "That's true. A single capable Ultra-capable can take on hundreds or even thousands of ordinary soldiers. Add the Sanctuary's humanoid armored soldiers into the equation, and a conventional army going up against one composed of Ultra-capable individuals has virtually no chance of winning—even if it outnumbers them a hundred or a thousand to one."

  General Li said: "That used to be the case. But things are different now. Through years of painstaking research, the Dragon Group has gradually developed methods for artificially cultivating Ultra-capable individuals. Artificially developed Ultra-capable come with significant limitations and their Psionic power ratings are low—but the advantage is that they can be mass-produced, allowing us to expand our forces on a rge scale and substantially increase our combat strength. The Dragon Group now commands a considerable number of Ultra-capable individuals and armored soldiers, so I feel the moment is drawing near."

  Hearing this, Rulu was taken aback. He then said: "Are you saying the Dragon Group is pnning to unch an all-out war against the Sanctuary?"

  General Li chuckled and said: "Sharp as ever, young Rulu. What do you make of it? Do you think we have a chance of winning?"

  Rulu said: "Forgive me for being blunt—the Dragon Group is formidable, but unching a full-scale war against the Sanctuary would be pushing it too far. If the operation fails, the consequences would be more than you could bear."

  General Li said: "Many within the Dragon Group share that concern, which is why we've held back from acting. But sooner or ter, this is a step we must take. One of my reasons for coming to Blue Sea City was to test the Sanctuary's strength and decide on our next move from there."

  Rulu said: "And what conclusion did you reach in the end, General Li?"

  General Li let out a sigh, his expression heavy with worry: "From the battle against the Sanctuary here in Blue Sea City, I can feel that there is still a meaningful gap between us and them. So we cannot go to war with the Sanctuary just yet—we must continue building our strength and wait for the right moment."

  Rulu nodded and said: "That is indeed the best course of action avaible to you right now."