Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

— A few Days Later —

In the conference room of the Forbidden Palace, high-ranking officers, court mages, and strategists of the Qing Empire sat in somber silence. They watched a large screen displaying news of the USA selling Astral Corporation weapons and power armor to the Ming Federation.

"He didn't sell the weapons directly to the Ming Federation, but let the US do it instead! He's exploiting a loophole in the contract!" one of the high-ranking officers roared indignantly.

Zhuge Liang recalled the day he received the contract from Daniel. Daniel had seemed satisfied and immediately signed it. Now, he realized that Daniel's satisfaction stemmed from the contract's advantageous terms.

Of course, Zhuge Liang had considered potential loopholes, but the contract sent to Daniel was supposed to be a draft even though they had added the soul binding enchantment within the contract, they still expecting revisions and the addition of clauses to prevent such exploitation.

They never anticipated Daniel would sign it without making any changes. Now, they understood he did so because it favored him.

"Our spies also report that the Astral Corporation has given at least 1 billion US dollars to the Ming Federation," the spymaster added.

"Isn't that the same as giving them the weapons for free? Daniel Emberweave is insane! Isn't he afraid we'll involve the Hightower? I hear they deal harshly with those who exploit contract loopholes," one of the generals remarked irritably.

At this point, the sole Westerner at the table spoke up.

"No, he won't involve the Hightower in this. We can only utilize them if the Qing Empire is under their jurisdiction, but we're not. We govern the Curtained World and the supernatural ourselves. Besides, Daniel is the one who pushed the Hightower back to Europe in the first place. They won't risk it," said the Westerner, who seemed to be their consultant on Western mage affairs.

At that moment, another courtier entered the room with hurried steps, maintaining composure but with a solemn expression. The paper in his hand bore grave news. He handed it to the spymaster and excused himself.

The spymaster quickly reviewed the paper, his face paling as he announced the news to everyone present.

"Our spy within the Kim Family in South Korea has reported that Daniel Emberweave visited them in secret, along with his family members. It's stated that Daniel spent about an hour in the study room of the Kim family patriarch, but the exact details of their conversation are unknown."

Upon hearing this, the faces in the room paled. Their greatest fear was that Daniel might have formed an alliance with the Kim family, supplying South Korea with advanced weapons and power armor, just as he had done with the Ming Federation.

While North Korea served as their buffer state, how long could they withstand such an assault? A month? No, not even that. Perhaps they would fall within a week, as North Korea was not as vast as the US.

Zhuge Liang pondered the situation and then spoke gravely, "Gentlemen, it seems Daniel Emberweave is not to be underestimated. He might have been targeting us from the start."

"Targeting us? We have the strongest standing army in the world! We possess nuclear weapons! If that tiny island nation dares to challenge us, we'll simply nuke them into oblivion!" one of the hot-blooded generals retorted angrily.

"I'm afraid a nuclear strike would be ineffective against them," Zhuge Liang warned. "The Confederation already attempted a nuclear strike, and all warheads were harmlessly disarmed by their orbital ICBM defense system. I've read the reports. Only 1% of the missiles even had a chance to launch."

The hot-blooded general fell silent, remembering the report. He wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been confirmed by his own men.

Zhuge Liang continued, "We know Daniel Emberweave has secretly allied with Tsar Dimitri Romanov of Russia. Our troop movements and supply lines have alarmed them, prompting them to seek his protection. While Dimitri's forces aren't the most formidable, they are numerous."

"Now, we must also be wary of South Korea and the Ming Federation. We can assume they will receive advanced weapons and power armor support. We should divert some of our forces from the northern Russian border southward towards North Korea and the Ming Federation."

Some courtiers and generals nodded in agreement, while others disagreed, advocating for a preemptive strike to occupy both South Korea and the Ming Federation.

Emperor Tianhao Wenzhong, seated at the head of the table, spoke with a solemn tone, "Silence!" The clamor and arguments subsided.

"Can we do anything to prevent this?" the Emperor asked Zhuge Liang.

"Your Majesty, I believe we should divert Daniel Emberweave's attention away from us, without offending him too much... at least not to the point where he sees us as mortal enemies needing eradication," Zhuge Liang advised.

Hearing this, a hot-blooded general stood up in anger. "That man has humiliated us to this extent, and you suggest not offending him too much? Are you on our side or theirs, Zhuge Liang? Don't think your past glories will make us blindly follow your every word!" he roared.

"Then, General Wang, please elaborate on what we should do if we offend him to the point of no return. What will you do when he unleashes everything against us?" Zhuge Liang challenged.

"We will meet him with everything we've got! He may be a powerful mage, but I don't believe he can fight ten million of our brave soldiers! His forces are insignificant compared to ours. He doesn't even have nuclear weapons! We have nothing to fear!" General Wang declared, receiving approving nods from some of the generals and courtiers who had confidence in the Qing Empire's might.

General Wang, full name Wang Dahui, a long-serving general who led the Qing Empire's army in the Anti-Unification War, was one of the most influential generals in the empire. If it weren't for the urgent recall order for his presence on the Russian front, the Qing Empire might have won that war.

Hearing this, Zhuge Liang let out a long sigh. The hot-blooded General Wang was reliable on the battlefield, but when it came to grand strategy, he was prone to making rash decisions, often lacking foresight.

"Just because he doesn't possess nuclear weapons doesn't mean he lacks weapons of mass destruction. As the saying goes, 'We can guard against swords and spears in the open, but the hidden dagger is hard to defend against.' I believe Daniel Emberweave hasn't revealed everything. There must be many dangerous tools he keeps hidden," Zhuge Liang explained.

General Wang snorted in disdain, but remained silent. Zhuge Liang's words were reasonable, and the Qing Empire also had secret weapons in reserve, unused until absolutely necessary.

"Then how do you propose to divert Daniel Emberweave's attention?" the Emperor inquired.

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, I have a general idea. Give me a few days to work out the details on how best to utilize it."

"Hmph! Just delaying tactics. Why not tell us your general idea now? Come on! Show us your legendary brilliance! Or are the tales of your prowess during the Three Kingdoms era just hot air?" General Wang taunted.

Wang Dahui disliked Zhuge Liang, seeing him as someone who had easily achieved his position. He was a man who valued proven facts over stories and hearsay.

Zhuge Liang simply smiled, unfazed by the provocation. He understood where General Wang was coming from and remained calm, seeking harmonious cooperation with the Qing Empire's generals and officials.

"I can share the ideas now, but I advise against proceeding with any of them until I've developed a solid plan based on this general outline," Zhuge Liang paused before continuing.

"There are three general approaches to divert his attention. First, Daniel is a mage who values his reputation. We could try to win the order for commission of a custom artifact from the Prosperity Auction Hall, the one that requires his personal involvement. This would force him to focus on the commission, diverting his attention. It's the safest method, but also the most unreliable."

"Second, this is riskier but has a decent chance of success. We create a conflict between him and the Vatican. The only reason Daniel hasn't been bothered by them is their good relationship. If we remove that link, he'll be occupied with them for a while." Zhuge Liang paused, his face grim.

"The last option is the riskiest, but it would surely draw his attention. However, if something goes wrong, we'll have made a terrifying enemy who can kill a Hell Lord and repel the Hightower. He will always be on our backs." Zhuge Liang issued the warning before continuing.

"Daniel values his family above all else. If we cause trouble for one of his family members, it will undoubtedly divert his attention." Zhuge Liang finished with a solemn tone.

"Moreover," Zhuge Liang added, "judging from this incident, I get the feeling that I'm up against Sima Yi in Daniel Emberweave. His plans are hidden deep; we need to be cautious with every move."

Zhuge Liang's warning sent a chill through the room. This was his assessment of Daniel based on his experience. However, if he had the chance to truly know Daniel, he would immediately realize that Daniel was simply a laid-back yet paranoid individual who disliked surprises and avoided troublesome situations.

Had Zhuge Liang known this, he would have advised the Qing Empire not to obstruct Daniel, as he had no interest in the Qing Empire in the first place.

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