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Chapter 679: The Ark
🕑 Added 2023-10-03 07:02:19 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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On Terindad Island, after ending communication with Base Two, Sun Cheng squinted his eyes.
"They responded much faster than I expected. It seems Moscow is aware of my impatience," he remarked.
The communication he had just concluded was from Base Two, where engineers stationed at the North Dovinsk military port had received a request from Moscow to send a representative to negotiate an expanded cooperation agreement with Sun Cheng.
He had little patience left for the seemingly amiable but scheming Lao Maozi, so Sun Cheng had used his recent busyness as an excuse to decline their request.
As for whether the Lao Maozi would send someone directly to Terindad Island next, it would depend on how savvy they were.
Even if Sun Cheng abandoned Polar Bear now, he believed that the iron-willed president would continue to execute his previous plans, expanding their influence in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and the Middle East, forcing the United States to divert some of its resources.
That would be sufficient!
Many aspects of Sun Cheng's previous cooperation agreements with Moscow remained unfinished.
Though the Lao Maozi were prone to subtle machinations, they had not ceased deliveries even when the Decepticons had invaded en masse.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Sun Cheng doubted he would return to the North Dovinsk military port.
Since Sun Cheng had decided to transform Terindad Island into a Black Market, it had undergone remarkable changes.
This island, with a total area of just a few square kilometers, offered limited habitable space. Coupled with its harsh environment, it had previously been home to only twenty to thirty Brazilian naval personnel, with their activities confined to the southeastern region.
The island's development potential was limited, even for the Decepticons. They could, at best, flatten some of the low sand dunes and fill in the rugged river valleys.
Under Sun Cheng's direction, hundreds of robots had worked for over a week, expanding the island's habitable area to only two to three square kilometers.
But that would suffice!
A Black Market for secret transactions between Base Two and Earth's inhabitants didn't require much space.
Sun Cheng had no intention of selling advanced technology to the Earthlings of the "Transformers Universe." Instead, he focused on providing them with small quantities of technology and a plethora of equipment.
After all, as Humans continued to advance, they would inevitably encroach upon the survival space of the Decepticons and Autobots.
While his soul hailed from another Earth, his identity in this world was that of a Decepticon traitor.
One's position was determined by one's actions, and although Sun Cheng refrained from harming Humans, his allegiance remained with his kind.
Since it was a Black Market, it didn't need to be too extensive.
Taking inspiration from some Earth designs and incorporating elements of Cybertronian architectural style, Sun Cheng designed a massive structure resembling an ancient Greek temple.
Once completed, this building would serve as a venue for negotiations and transactions between them and the Humans.
Inside, there would be showrooms for merchandise, meeting rooms, and guest rooms for the Humans to rest.
Around the island, occasional explosions could be heard, and if one stood at the southeastern corner of the island, they could even witness towering columns of water when the explosions occurred.
Those were Forerunner and Thunder, two Decepticons, conducting underwater explosions near the docks.
Terindad Island had not been effectively utilized in the past due to several reasons. Its geographical location was unfavorable, the island was small, and there was no access to fresh water or supplies. Moreover, the island was surrounded by treacherous reefs, and the Brazilian Navy had expended millions of dollars to clear a supply route, regularly delivering fresh water and supplies to the island.
However, for the Decepticons, it was far more cost-effective and required less time to conduct large-scale underwater detonations around the island to clear the reefs. Forerunner and Thunder, in less than a day, had widened the previously navigable channel, which could now accommodate cargo ships of thousands of tons.
To complement Forerunner's efforts, engineers, along with numerous robots, were overseeing the expansion of the dock.
As if on cue, Sun Cheng received another communication from Base Two, this time from the Far East. He still had some sentimental attachment to his homeland in this otherworldly realm. Therefore, to avoid dragging trouble to the Far East, especially after he had offended the United States, Autobots, and Decepticons simultaneously, he hadn't visited the region in a long time.
Currently, a Decepticon engineer was in charge of affairs in the Far East, accompanied by several engineers and thousands of various robots. The message from Beidou resembled Moscow's diplomatic rhetoric, expressing a desire to negotiate an expanded cooperation agreement with Sun Cheng.
After some contemplation, Sun Cheng ultimately had the superintelligent AI, Mirage, responsible for coordinating communications within the base, inform the Decepticon engineer stationed in the Far East to communicate directly with Beidou.
Terindad Island was located in the South Atlantic Ocean, and for the Far East, still transitioning from the Yellow Water to the Green Water phase of naval development, it was beyond their reach. Furthermore, the goods sold in this Black Market were slightly inferior in terms of technology and equipment compared to what Sun Cheng had previously traded with the Far East and the Lao Maozi. Therefore, it was more appropriate for them to maintain a low profile.
Once the orders were conveyed, Sun Cheng conducted a brief inspection of the island before returning to his sub-base on the island. There, he resumed his study of the numerous recent acquisitions. He had a substantial collection of valuable items now, not to mention two Primus weapons. Just the three special energy modules he had obtained in his previous deal with Optimus Prime made him realize their worth was comparable to All Spark fragments.
And let's not forget that the remains of Soundwave and Astrotrain had also fallen into Sun Cheng's hands after their battles.
Even with Base Two's current capabilities, it would take a considerable amount of time to fully exploit these spoils. Consequently, Sun Cheng had been leading a fulfilling life lately, so much so that he had temporarily forgotten his plans to return to the Real World periodically to restock and trade for supplies.
While fully immersed in accessing and digesting Soundwave's memories, he was gradually expanding his knowledge of Cybertronian civilization and his understanding of the Decepticons and Autobots.
Just then, another communication from Base Two interrupted Sun Cheng.
With a hint of annoyance, he opened the message and read what Base Two had sent.
As the content of the message fully registered in Sun Cheng's mind, all traces of his previous irritation vanished instantly.
The communication was exceedingly brief, containing only a single sentence.
"Master, the Cybertronian spacecraft that crashed in Bolivia has been found!"
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 680: The Ship at the Bottom of the Lake
