âWhat⦠kind of fireworks is this?â Luo Qiongcang examined the device. âThis looks like the latest model of remote control with a range as wide as an entire starfield!â
âYouâre right! This device controls over 200 locations in Tenshou Starfield!â Chen Xiaobei answered. âYou just need to press the button and weâll be able to enjoy a spectacular display from this Star Plucking Deck!â
âAlright! I trust you!â Luo Qiongcang pushed down on the button.
Boom! Boom! Boom!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
All around them, the screens showed a series of violent explosions!
Mushroom clouds sprouted above the blinding eruptions, and the ground, consumed by fire, trembled out of control.
The people looked at each other, not knowing what to make of this.
âXiaobei, this is the fireworks you want me to see?â Luo Puti frowned. âThese donât look like fireworks at allâ¦â
âBe patient.â Chen Xiaobei smiled sweetly at his fiancé. âThatâs because itâs too far. Itâll take a while for the fireworks to show!â
Rumble! Rumble!
The Star Plucking Deck shook violently, swaying from side to side as if it was going to collapse.
Then, ten thousand miles away north of the Tenshou capital city**,** bright and colorful lights lit up the skies, each of them thousands of miles wide â bright red, white, gold, beams as thick as pillars, a dazzling sight!
âWhat⦠is happening?â The people asked. âThatâs too big to be fireworks! We can even see it from here!â
âItâs stunningâ¦â Luo Puti exclaimed, chewing on her lip. âBut they seem weird to meâ¦â
âWatch till the end.â Chen Xiaobei grinned.
âThereâs more?â
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Luo Puti could ask any more questions, a series of explosions resonated around her.
Bright flashes of lights lit up the skies where the explosions came from, just like fireworks!
There was one. Then three, then a dozen, until there were two hundred of them.
Lively colors painted the skies of the desolate Tenshou.
âXiaobei⦠This is really beautiful, very romanticâ¦â Luo Puti was over the moon. She wrapped her hands around Chen Xiaobeiâs arm and leaned against his shoulder, overwhelmed with joy.
Chen Xiaobei smiled at her. âThis may be the most special fireworks the world has ever seen. There probably wonât be another one like this!â
âOh, right! You still havenât told me whatâs so special about these fireworks!â Luo Puti peered curiously at Chen Xiaobei.
âIâll tell you now. The fireworks were actually the result of two hundred nuclear warheads being detonated!â
âWhat? Nuclear warheads?â Luo Puti looked horrified. âWhy⦠Why would you do that? Many innocent people will die! No⦠I donât believe youâre the kind who would kill the innocent!â
Having been brought up on Earth, Luo Puti understood the devastating effects of nuclear weapons.
One nuclear warhead was enough to wipe out an entire city, leaving nothing but poisonous dust and ashes!
She could only imagine the damage 200 nuclear warheads could do! Did that mean 200 cities were now destroyed?
Even though Tenshou was the enemy, the people who made the decision to start the war were the high-ranking members of Tenshou. The civilians were faultless in this matter.
Luo Qiongcang looked mortified. âChilde Chen⦠I was only worried that the people wonât be willing to surrender⦠I did not mean that the innocent should be killedâ¦â
âPuti! Uncle Luo! Donât get too upset! I wonât exterminate the innocent, of course!â Chen Xiaobei smiled. âTake a look at the screens around you first, then Iâll explain to you!â
Every person in the room turned their attention to the monitors.
Earlier on, they showed a live feed of Tenshouâs military prowess â places belonging to the armed forces.
It was all of these places that had been burnt to the ground in the series of explosions.
âAs you can all see, Iâve placed those nuclear warheads in Tenshouâs military facilities!â Chen Xiaobei explained. âThey are all in top-secret locations, located far away from civilians! There wonât be a single civilian within a ten thousand mile radius! I have already instructed Wugui Osama to evacuate all of the soldiers from these facilities. This means that no one was harmed in the explosions! I only want to eliminate Tenshouâs ability to wage wars! From now onwards, Tenshou is no longer a threat to anyone! Theyâve just lost all their tools to launch any form of large-scale war! Without military power, their Bushido will just be a meaningless ideal. They will have no other choice but to accept surrender!â
Chen Xiaobei had planned everything way ahead of time.
He was thorough in making sure that there were no defects in this elaborate plan!
âXiaobei! I knew I was right about you!â Luo Puti smiled.
âChilde Chen! Iâm so surprised that you didnât kill the innocent! I, Luo Qiongcang am truly impressed by you!â Luo Qiongcang grinned, giving Chen Xiaobei a thumbs up.
âYou guys think too little of Zhufeng!â Ao Liancheng joined in. âNot only did Zhufeng not kill the innocent, he even spared the lives of the younger princes, imperial concubines, and the womenfolk. From now on, they will live as commoners!â
The people all around gave Chen Xiaobei a thumbs up as a sign of approval and praise.
âThis⦠guy is⦠a monster⦠He is so damn powerful!â Helian Tulong had been holding his breath as he watched the whole thing unfold. Suddenly, he was no longer bitter about Chen Xiaobei but was filled with respect for this manâs capability, wisdom, and courage.
Luo Qiongcang asked, âBefore I sign the surrender document, Childe Chen, I have another question Iâd like to ask.â
Chen Xiaobei read the emperorâs mind. âAre you going to ask me if thereâs going to be internal conflict when the Tenshou core members are all sent to be punished?â
âChilde Chen, you really are wise and farsighted! That is exactly my worry!â Luo Qiongcang nodded.
âDonât worry, uncle Luo. From today onwards, Tenshou no longer exists! This starfield has a new ruler now! Itâs been handed over to more suitable candidates to manage! There wonât be any trouble!â