Everyone knew the subtext of Xu Shi's question, "What should we do next?"
This clearly shows they've already planned how to deal with the Imperials... but Jiang Chengcheng still couldn't quite grasp it for a moment.
Because she knew Xu Shi very well, if he wanted to do something, especially something like this prank, it would either be a series of interconnected schemes or a single, decisive move... but what kind of tricks could he possibly pull off with something like the Poseidon Stone?
She is good at engineering materials and weapons, but not so good at intricate matters. Even after she took a position, she basically just followed Xu Shi's orders and managed people by simply putting on a sour face. She didn't really have any special skills.
However, since Xu Shi had spoken, she naturally obeyed and casually picked a crumpled piece of paper.
When I opened it, I saw a small flower drawn on it.
"This is... a tulip?"
It took her a while to remember what kind of flower it was. That's how engineering students are... especially since Night City is a steel jungle with hardly any greenery, so it's not easy for them to even know its name.
But she certainly didn't understand the meaning behind it, and everyone else present was also completely baffled. What was this guy up to?
"Well..."
Xu Shi didn't mean to be mysterious; everyone present was one of his own, so there was nothing he couldn't explain.
Tulips naturally represent the tulip bubble, one of the three major bubble events in modern Europe. According to records, it was even the earliest bubble economy event in the past.
The situation at the time was that the novel flower tulips, which were introduced to the market, were snapped up by people in an unusual frenzy. After speculators entered the market, the price was driven up to an unprecedented peak. In the end, the bubble burst and the farce came to an end.
Fortunately, the authorities at the time intervened in time and solved the problem simply and brutally; otherwise, the mess would have dealt a heavy blow to the then-dominant maritime power.
What he needs to do now is to replicate this event.
It can only be said that the land of the Hualan Empire is too suitable for staging such a grand feast—a similar social structure, an imbalance of wealth... Under such circumstances, his original idea was to wage an economic war, after all, in the long run, turning the Hualan Empire upside down in this way would definitely be more effective than simply conquering it by force.
Especially when conquering by force, you have to consider many external factors, the most direct of which is Cheng Gujian.
Even if he were a powerful minister who usurped the throne and controlled everything, Xu Shi knew from their previous conversation that his stance was firm. Not to mention Xu Shi, an outsider, he harbored deep hostility towards the Papacy. If they were to openly and directly confront each other, Xu Shi had no doubt that the other party would intervene immediately.
As we all know, it is no exaggeration to say that an SS-level "Ascended One" is worth a thousand troops. My grandfather Wen Shengkui's performance during the riot incident already illustrates a lot. The fact is that if he hadn't been in charge, he could have easily suppressed the riots on his own, with at most a little help.
Including Xia Ke'an, the old lady certainly doesn't have the fighting power, but that's just because her expertise is not in the right field. How bad is her "foreseeing the future"? Without her help, it would have been impossible to achieve everything perfectly before.
The reason he only intervened in crucial areas was simply because his grandfather was indeed getting old. On the other hand, he probably also wanted to test his eldest grandson. If such matters could be resolved perfectly, he would have no more worries afterward.
So it seems that the riot caused by the sinking of the river was a loss from the very beginning... But that's all in the past, and it's not like we didn't win, right?
Thinking of this, Xu Shi couldn't help but chuckle.
Shen Qin had already been standing beside him, trying to kill Jiang Chengcheng, this wicked woman, with her eyes, and she had also noticed Xu Shi's changing expressions.
She didn't know what Xu Shi was thinking, but she was happy because her brother was happy; a good sister's happiness is very simple.
On the other hand, by extension, Cheng Gujian is also a tough nut to crack. Can you be sure that he displayed his full strength when he fought the Sea God? It's impossible... A power like "destruction" is terrifying, and even if he wins, it will definitely result in mutual destruction.
Xu Shi didn't want to suffer a lose-lose situation, as such a loss was no different from failure. There was also another problem that couldn't be ignored.
Even someone as powerful as Cheng Gujian is still locked in a standoff with the Holy See.
Of course, it's because the strength over there is not weak either, and there's a pope constantly pulling him along... The only one who can rival an SS is another SS.
Xu Shi had heard before that the Pope lived a secluded life, and not only he himself, but many locals did not know his true strength. He had tried to get information from Cheng Gujian, but the answer he received was evasive. According to Cheng Gujian, the last time he fought the Pope was more than 20 years ago, when they were both only S-level. It was really hard to say what they were like now.
This is already a double burden... not to mention that as an outsider, who can guarantee that once war breaks out, they won't temporarily put aside their past grievances and come together to deal with him?
It's safe to say that the possibility is definitely not low; if that's the case, then things will get really interesting...
Therefore, in this situation, the methods should not be too aggressive; a gradual, insidious approach is far better.
Especially since this is a plan that needs to be implemented step by step, it is easier to test where the other party's bottom line is, and it will be more convenient for him to make flexible adjustments at that time.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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