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Chapter 658: The Trade (Part 2) 1/11
🕑 Added 2023-09-29 05:22:32 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Dealing with the Autobots proved to be even more challenging than Sun Cheng had anticipated.
While Sun Cheng had mentally prepared himself for this, he couldn't help but feel frustrated when the Autobots rejected his proposal for the trade.
"The energy in the Leadership Module is truly intriguing," he muttered to himself.
Controlling another mechanical body thousands of miles away, he guided it across the African continent and back to Terindad Island.
Sun Cheng was contemplating how to obtain some of the energy from Optimus Prime's Leadership Module.
Before long, Thunder suddenly burst into the side hall where he was located.
"Master, Swindle wishes to see you!"
"Let him in."
Although Sun Cheng had seen through Swindle's cunning and deceptive nature, he didn't harbor excessive animosity or humiliation towards him.
Occasionally prodding Swindle was sufficient, as Sun Cheng was aware that pushing too hard might trigger the wrath of this unfortunate soul who had sparred with Starscream and Megatron for millions of years. The wisdom of their ancestors had left warnings and lessons about the dangers of pushing a desperate man too far.
Retrieving his old mechanical body, which had lost consciousness, back into the Spherical Space, Sun Cheng raised an eyebrow as he observed Swindle, who entered the side hall looking both angry and timid.
"You came to find me? Have you completed the weapons I assigned to you?"
Sun Cheng couldn't claim to possess complete knowledge of the advanced technology and weaponry that had emerged during the pinnacle of Cybertron civilization, especially during the Council of Primes era. Even now, he periodically delved into Skyfire's memories to learn more.
While Skyfire might be a qualified scientist, he was not an expert in weaponry. In this regard, Swindle, who had dealt arms on the Black Market during the Council of Primes era, was undoubtedly better suited for certain tasks.
Sun Cheng had previously given Swindle a month to create five heavy weapons capable of threatening elite warriors. It was no easy task, but it was not impossible.
The Decepticon engineers under Sun Cheng's command were capable of producing weapons that could threaten elite warriors, but due to their limited knowledge, they had only explored the path of energy weapons, specifically plasma weapons.
Energy weapons came in various types, including lasers and particle beams, all of which utilized energy differently. The technology involved was extremely complex and went far beyond what Sun Cheng's team, consisting of just over twenty Decepticon engineers and around two hundred Decepticon soldiers, could fully comprehend or produce.
This was one of the reasons Sun Cheng was eager to recruit Swindle. He was curious about how many potent weapon manufacturing techniques from the Cybertron civilization's peak Swindle actually possessed.
As soon as Swindle heard Sun Cheng mention the weapons manufacturing task, his face grew even more unpleasant.
"Master," he attempted to force a sycophantic smile, though it looked rather forced, "with my current mechanical body, it's extremely challenging to manufacture weapons. I can complete at most one in a month!"
While his words had some merit, Sun Cheng remained unconvinced.
"Completing this task will determine your value in my eyes."
Forerunner had departed from Terindad Island with Hynix quite some time ago, returning to Base Two.
Upon their return, they promptly delivered a batch of materials for Swindle to use in crafting weapons.
The supplied materials were more than sufficient to produce far more than five weapons, and Sun Cheng had made sure to select a wide range of materials, from common steel to various rare metals.
However, when the materials were delivered to Swindle, the sly and deceitful fellow turned out to be quite devious. He had quietly taken a significant portion of the materials and used them for clandestine modifications on his own mechanical body.
Sun Cheng wasn't blind to the quantity of materials sent; he knew it better than anyone. Yet, Swindle had yet to produce even a single finished weapon, and the materials were already significantly depleted.
One could only say that it was no wonder this guy had been manipulated as a pawn by Starscream and tormented by Megatron for millions of years. With his intelligence, he couldn't even manage a simple act convincingly.
However, Sun Cheng still had some patience left for Swindle. As long as he could manufacture some of the weapons Sun Cheng needed before Lockdown arrived, he could turn a blind eye to Swindle's material pilfering.
Swindle, taken aback by Sun Cheng's words, seemed momentarily choked. It took him a while to lower his head slightly and say, "Master, it's Starscream... Starscream just contacted me, wanting to meet you..."
"Starscream..."
Sun Cheng immediately narrowed his eyes. That guy had recently orchestrated an assassination attempt on Autobots' leader, Optimus Prime, and actually succeeded. After that, Starscream had disappeared without a trace, not even showing up when Lord Fallen faced his predicament.
Although Sun Cheng had speculated earlier, he felt that someone like Starscream, a cunning schemer, couldn't possibly pledge loyalty to anyone else. That's why he had sold information about the location of the Leadership Module to Starscream and struck a deal with him.
However, they had not been in contact since then. Nobody knew what Starscream had been up to during this time, but him reaching out now was intriguing.
In an instant, Sun Cheng's mind raced with various thoughts. He had a vague feeling that Starscream might be involved in some kind of conspiracy behind the scenes.
"Optimus Prime shouldn't have lied to me; Lord Fallen is most likely already dealt with... Soundwave isn't a match for Starscream, and with Megatron left with only one head, Starscream wouldn't be so kind unless Shockwave arrives. Megatron probably won't get a new mechanical body in the short term..."
As Sun Cheng mentally reviewed the recent events, he still couldn't fathom Starscream's intentions in contacting him.
After pondering for a moment, Sun Cheng decided to meet with him.
Starscream was one of the most challenging yet resourceful figures among the Decepticons. He relished in schemes and conspiracies at every turn. However, when it suited him, Starscream was incredibly generous.
Just as he had spared Sun Cheng back in the aftermath of the Las Vegas battle, Sun Cheng felt it was because Starscream, apart from being unsure of his stance on the Onslaught, also had a certain level of disdain for him.
Of course, a more significant possibility was that Starscream preferred to stay behind the scenes, watching Sun Cheng and his former superior, Soundwave, engage in turmoil.
During the Cybertron Civil War, Starscream had betrayed Megatron twice, only to be thwarted and suppressed by Soundwave and Shockwave working together.
Within the Skytiger Legion, Starscream's list of most-hated Decepticons would undoubtedly place Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave in the top three spots.
With the decision to meet Starscream made, Sun Cheng turned his attention to Swindle. "Go and inform Starscream. He can set the time, and I'll choose the location. Once he confirms, let me know."
After Swindle acknowledged and left, Sun Cheng once again plunged into deep contemplation. He was pondering a critical question: How much time did they have before Shockwave arrived on Earth?
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 659: Cassette Legion Civil War (Part One)
