His real scheme, the true target behind today's emergency meeting, could it actually be... her?
“Miktikashiva, you seem to have been getting very close to the Mitra Group in recent years, and you also have a close relationship with the son-in-law of the Peacock King.”
Revealing his pearly white teeth, the man with the smoky glasses smiled at Mickett.
“We all know that you did a lot of business with the Mitra Group in the past few years, and obtained a lot of advanced and unique technologies and resources from them. That’s good, there’s nothing wrong with that. But now that we are preparing to confront the Mitra Group, isn’t it time for you to bring out these gains and share them with the company?”
"We need to share these resources and unite to defeat the Mitra Group! Don't you all agree?"
Your map of the Yan Kingdom is quite long!
325: The Challenge
What a clever move, revealing the true intentions behind the scenes!
Mickett isn't stupid.
She had a bad feeling right from the start of the meeting. She knew what it was, but at that time she didn't know what the problem was.
Now, even a fool should understand what's going on. The strange situation at this emergency meeting, and the purpose of the smokescreen, are now crystal clear.
“Miktikashiva, we all know that you did a lot of business with the Mitra Group in the past few years, and obtained a lot of advanced and unique technologies and resources from them. Now that we are preparing to confront the Mitra Group, isn't it time for you to bring out these gains and share them with the company?”
"If we don't share these resources and unite, how can we defeat the Mitra Group? Don't you all agree?"
With his elbows resting on the golden conference table, his fingers interlaced, he wore a sincere expression.
He said that He was developing a supreme life magic technology that could counter Mithra's [Reincarnation], so He wanted Mikt to share her previous findings with everyone.
What kind of bizarre logic is this? They're reaching for the cake before even starting to draw it—are they serious? Do you really think this kind of rhetoric can convince any capitalist?
However, upon hearing Smoke Mirror's words, some of the other board members around him were slightly taken aback, while others suddenly realized what he meant.
Did these board members really believe what Smoke Mirror said? It's hard to say if even half of them believed it! But after they realized what was going on, they immediately nodded vigorously and agreed with Smoke Mirror's suggestion.
Because in recent years, Mike has indeed made too much money.
Originally, the Smoke Mirror Company had four major gods, each governing one of the four regions of South America: southeast, northwest, and southwest. The chief god, Smoke Mirror, resided in the central holy land of Aztland, overseeing the overall situation. Ideally, the four gods should have been equal in status and roughly equal in strength.
And the result? Since connecting with Hayden in recent years, Miktikashiva has either amassed huge sums of Secret Flame or jointly developed new technologies. Hayden is like an inexhaustible treasure trove overflowing with wealth and power, allowing her to reap so many benefits that it's even enough to influence the power balance among the great gods. Miktikashiva is now just one step away from reaching the level of a chief god. How do you think the other three great gods feel seeing this?
Although Micket had managed to win over several directors on the Smoke Mirror Corporation's board, they were all minor figures. The other major figures in Smoke Mirror Corporation were unlikely to give Micket any favorable treatment; they were only jealous and eager to catch up with her… or to sabotage her and pull her down again.
Now Smoke Mirror is offering to help everyone rob Micket's resources and then distribute them among them? Of course, everyone is eager to accept!
...That being said, not every director would be lured away by the Smoke Mirror. In the meeting room, several directors who supported Mickett clearly showed their opposition, and a few others shook their heads vigorously while the Smoke Mirror spoke. However, they were far too few—their numbers were at most less than forty percent, far too few.
But in other words, at least 30% of the board members here have opinions about the smoke mirror.
Micket glanced at the smiling face behind the smoke-glasses mirror, and at the malicious expressions of most of the board members around him in the conference room, and let out a slight sigh.
Then she said firmly, "I refuse. I have absolutely no obligation to do so."
This resolute resistance made Smoke Mirror raise an eyebrow: "No obligation? We are the gods of Aztlan, sharing the same tradition and the same kingdom. Of course, we have an obligation to unite against external forces and gather strength to resist foreign invaders."
“That’s just sophistry,” Mickett replied coldly. “You want to appeal to the traditions of Aztland? Then let’s talk about tradition.”
As she spoke, she looked at each director in the conference room and raised her voice further:
"Everything comes at a price! All precious things stem from sacrifice and dedication! I have paid the corresponding price to obtain what I need from the Mithra Group. Smoke Mirror, do you want to take the fruits of my labor for nothing? Is this the tradition and truth of Aztlan?"
"You demand things from me, so where are the offerings you should give me?"
Everything comes at a price. What price are you asking for, and what are you willing to pay in return?
Would you go to any lengths to achieve your goal?
This was indeed the quintessential principle of Aztlan culture. So Mickett, wielding a gaze colder than liquid nitrogen and heavier than steel, swept it across the entire board of directors. This gaze was almost tangible, capable of suppressing even gods. Several minor deities who had initially followed the Smoke Mirror with great enthusiasm now obediently shut their mouths and averted their gaze. Even the other three great gods, while not entirely overwhelmed by her gaze, couldn't remain completely unaffected. More or less, under Mickett's oppressive aura, they hesitated slightly.
Conversely, the board members who had previously opposed the Smoke Mirror now witnessed the imposing aura emanating from Mickett, saw the immense growth of her power, and witnessed a divine strength they had not anticipated. This pressure did not oppress them, but they were all filled with both joy and astonishment.
Only Smoke Mirror wasn't intimidated by Mickett's gaze and imposing presence; quite the opposite, in fact. If Mickett's gaze was like a cannonball, then Smoke Mirror rubbed his chin, yawned, and swallowed the cannonball like a candy.
"Interesting statement."
After a thoughtful expression, He finally looked a little more serious: "But Miktikashiva, you have also made a mistake: what makes you think I haven't paid a price? On the contrary, quite the opposite—you are the daughter created by us, the gods of Aztlan, at countless costs and sacrifices. Shouldn't you now offer some sacrifices to your parents, to your people, and to your kingdom?"
This was an interesting point, even causing Mickett to pause slightly—she had intended to retort immediately, but this time even she couldn't help but be taken aback. Fortunately, Mickett's reaction was quite quick after all.
"I'm so sorry, Smoke Mirror, but I ate my creator a long, long time ago."
A cold smile quickly appeared on her face.
"I'm not your daughter. At most, you're related to me. Besides, do you expect a weapon created to have kinship and family obligations to the factory that created it? Are you kidding me?"
Smoke Mirror raised an eyebrow: "Not so, but let's put that disagreement aside for now—Miktti Kashiva, you say you want to see me pay the price? Fine, then I'll pay some price first."
As soon as He finished speaking, He turned to look at all the other board members present and stated directly to them: "In order to defeat the Mithra Group, and to prove that my heart and actions are as clear as a mirror and that everything I do is selfless—I will hand over all my life magic research assets to the board of directors for supervision, operation, and operation of projects that develop new and great life engineering magic."
When these words were spoken, even Mickett was stunned.
For a fleeting moment, her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly, but she didn't speak. If she did make a sound, it was inaudible amidst the collective gasp of shock from the entire board.
Hand over all life magic research assets under your name? Place them under the supervision of the board of directors?
Smoke Mirror, are you awake?!
Many of the directors gasped in shock, and then even more began whispering amongst themselves. Even many of the directors who had originally sided with Mickett were astonished.
The number of board members who originally supported Smoke Mirror and Mickett was roughly split 60/40 or 70/30, but now it's starting to change again.
It's important to understand that the board members of Smoke Mirror Company are essentially the "lords" of South America. While Smoke Mirror itself is the "leader of South America" and can be considered a "king," it is not an absolute and authoritarian "emperor."
These feudal lords do indeed fight among themselves, that's true. But if they see the alliance leader ruthlessly crushing one of them, the other leaders will inevitably feel a sense of impending dominance. In such situations, they will help each other out and jointly resist the alliance leader's tyranny.
Just now, Smoke Mirror acted arrogantly, trying to rob Micket's resources. Although He claimed these resources were to be shared among everyone, many board members felt this was inappropriate. If we support Smoke Mirror in robbing Micket's property today and dividing it equally among everyone, He might come and rob my property tomorrow and distribute it to others... The risk is obvious!
So just now, about 30-40% of the board members still support Mike.
But now, the smoke goggles suddenly changed the wind direction, and the situation immediately became different again.
Because He truly paid the price first, and a particularly high one at that—a price no one could have foreseen! The willingness to pay the price is indeed a fundamental principle believed by both gods and men in Aztlan. When you are willing and able to pay a great price, your legitimacy in the eyes of others will increase dramatically.
Many of the council gods, who had initially felt that Smoke Mirror's aggressive approach towards Mickett was inappropriate (because one day they themselves might be subjected to the same aggressiveness), and who had been hesitant about which side to take, no longer needed to hesitate. Several gods now nodded vigorously in approval of Smoke Mirror's actions. If they had ever felt any moral or ethical remorse, they clearly now considered their current behavior perfectly reasonable and noble.
"Alright, Miktikashiva, I've done my part, and I've also encouraged everyone to do their part."
Smoke Mirror tilted its head and looked at Mickett again.
"Moreover, simply getting everyone to contribute money and conventional resources is not enough. This is a new and great life project, a trump card against the Mitra Group. We also need something special. For example, someone special like you should contribute a special effort."
So now the pressure is back on Mickett.
This situation has become quite troublesome for her, causing her to frown deeply: "That's it? You still haven't revealed what your plan is. You said you want to develop a new and great life magic, even enabling us to contend with Mitra, but you haven't revealed any concrete details. At least tell me your research direction!"
“How can you say that? We can’t be sure there aren’t any Mitra Group informants on the board, or even be sure if you and I are completely trustworthy. As the saying goes, trust is important, but you also need to verify.” At this point, Smoke Mirror smiled slightly again, “That’s why I suggested that everyone contribute their resources to develop together, supervise each other, and not put all their eggs in one basket.”
"Moreover, I swear by my blood and magic to the Way of Aztlan, in this sacred land, that the new great magic we will jointly develop this time will not be used for my own benefit, but will certainly be for the benefit of all the gods of Aztlan."
Let me make this clear first: this oath has absolutely no binding force. If everyone could just casually make an oath and have magical power that couldn't be broken, this wretched world wouldn't be what it is today.
...But this doesn't mean that oaths have absolutely no influence on the listener.
The executives at Smoke Mirror Company were practically all fooled by Smoke Mirror, so they're not stupid. No matter how eloquently Smoke Mirror sang or how unbelievable his claims, the board members wouldn't completely believe him… well, not completely! At most, they'd be half-convinced! You at least have to actually pay the price first!
And that's precisely what makes the smoke mirror so powerful.
Even if everyone was deceived by Him from a young age, even if everyone knows He's a fraud, even if everyone has been deceived by Him countless times over the past hundreds or thousands of years... sometimes, the words that come out of His mouth can still make even the gods prick up their ears and believe a fraction of them. He is indeed a first-rate PowerPoint master, able to deceive people and attract investment without even using PowerPoint, and doesn't need to fabricate any data; he can paint a rosy picture with just his words. If Hayden met Him, he would have to admit defeat.
That's why Mike is now even more troubled.
Her origins were actually more chaotic than those of these embodiments of natural forces. Although she had developed some shrewdness over the past few centuries, she still couldn't fathom the thoughts of a lunatic old devil like Smoke Mirror.
Actually, it wasn't that she didn't want to fight the Mitra Group; rather, Miket's situation was more complicated than that of the Smoke Mirrors and their ilk. If these South American beings, embodiments of natural forces, were to truly lose to Mitra, they might simply be brainwashed. However, Miket Tikkahiva's situation was unique—her ego, her personality, couldn't exist independently of the current South American social system. If Mitra truly wanted to achieve [Reincarnation] and unify the world, other spirits and deities might accept their fate and gamble, but Miket simply couldn't afford to. She would almost certainly become the "new her."
...But that doesn't mean Mickert has to rebel against Mitra under the leadership of Smoke Mirror, right?
“You’re right, Smoke Mirror. What you say does indeed align with Aztlan’s reasoning.”
After a moment of silence, Mickett's eyes narrowed.
“But when two members of the family are vying for leadership, Aztlan has other reasons. Smoke Mirror, you call me your daughter, I refuse your leadership, but we both agree to unite against foreign invasion, so there is only one traditional way to resolve the dispute.”
She turned slightly, seemingly speaking to the person behind the smoke-filled mirror, but also as if addressing the entire board of directors.
“Smoke Mirror, you’ve been sitting in this position long enough. Since there’s no time like the present, let’s follow the ancient tradition of Aztland and see if you, this sun, have aged.”
At this point, everyone had already realized what Mickett was trying to say.
"I challenge your leadership."
This is indeed a tradition of the South American gods since ancient times. Now, Mickett simply stated it calmly.
...However, when Smoke Mirror heard Mickett's words, his eyes immediately lit up, as if he had been waiting for the word "challenge".
"very good."
He laughed again, and this time his eyebrows twitched.
"The word 'challenge' was uttered by you, Miktikahiva, in front of the entire board of directors; it has nothing to do with an old man like me."
Seeing Micket blink and realize what was happening, Smoke Mirror straightened up: "So, you have to admit defeat."
326: Plans can never keep up with changes.
Before Smoke Mirror could finish speaking, Mickett had already realized that he had fallen into a trap.
When she uttered the keyword "challenge," Smoke Mirror not only didn't hesitate or think for a moment, but also reacted immediately.
"Distinguished board members, you are all witnesses. Mikttikashiva has taken the initiative to challenge me."
He smiled and spoke calmly, but his eyes shone with keen interest.
"In accordance with custom, in accordance with the law, and in accordance with Article 6 of our first board of directors, I accept this challenge—now that things have come to this point, all that remains is for the board to arrange the duel ceremony for us."
Look how quickly the smokescreen reacted, how swiftly it made its decision, and how immediately it finalized the matter, getting the board of directors to get things running. What does this tell us?
Micket could only conclude that the Smoke Mirror had actually wanted things to turn out this way all along. He hadn't said it aloud, but was actually waiting for her to bring it up first. Now that Micket had truly fallen into his trap, things were likely to get complicated…
What exactly did Smoke Mirror mean when he said, "If you lose, you have to admit it"? In any case, it's not good news for Mickett.
"According to custom, law, and Aztland tradition, the challenger has the right to choose the time and manner of the duel ceremony."
The Skinner—the war god and head of dueling rituals for the Smoke Mirror Company—spoke up at this point.
"Smoke Mirror, when and how do you intend to duel Mikttikashiva?"
With Micket challenging for leadership and Smoke Mirror immediately accepting, this unexpected turn of events has once again changed the situation. Most of the board members are now rapidly considering the complexities of political power. Whether it's the lesser gods who originally supported Micket, the board members who continue to follow Smoke Mirror, or other powerful gods with their own ambitions... in any case, these situations will change depending on the outcome of the challenge.
On the contrary, Smoke Mirror himself remained calm and smiling throughout: "Of course I already have a plan. In order to unite the strength of our entire Aztland as soon as possible, the duel should be held as soon as possible. In order to reduce internal friction, I have also come up with a very good method."
See, now everyone can see that Smoke Mirror had obviously prepared this whole show a long time ago.
Then the Smoke Mirror revealed His dueling ritual plan. The specifics will remain a mystery for now. But anyway, after hearing it, Mickert's brow furrowed even more deeply.
This wasn't a duel in which she had absolutely no chance of winning—she certainly didn't, otherwise Micket wouldn't have challenged her in the first place—but it was strange and troublesome.
"How about it?" Seeing Mickett's expression and the way he realized what was happening, Smoke Mirror asked in a friendly and eager tone, "How about punching my head off before the duel? With your skills, you might be able to do it right now?"
"You jest. Since I've already challenged you, I will naturally abide by all the rules."
But Mickett stood up without looking back and walked outside.
"Great, you're very confident!"
Seeing Mickett about to leave the meeting room, Smoke Mirror called out behind her.
"But no matter how confident you are, you can't just look up when you're walking. You still need to pay attention to your feet and occasionally look back!"
Is this mocking me? Is it mocking me?
But then again, Mickett felt that this wasn't just mockery. The smile on the smoky glasses gave her a very ominous feeling.
Sure enough, after leaving Aztland, before Mickett even returned to her own territory, her senior secretary hurriedly sent her a message:
[A bio-factory in Bogotá was attacked by Night Axe Warriors of unknown origin, causing severe damage.]
Actually, this isn't a big deal. After all, the Smoke Mirror Company's bio-factory is a living thing; in other words, as long as it's not dead, it can be easily cured. Micket has only just received the news, but there's no need for her to even get home; the factory will definitely be cured by then.
The news that really troubled Mickett was the following:
The clone you were supposed to eat next week has been stolen.
Night Axe Warriors broke into the factory and stole the clones I was supposed to eat next week?