Chapter 400: Stalemate
This “good cop, bad cop” routine might not have been something Luo Wen had personally experienced, but he had seen and heard enough about it.
Even if what they said was true, it would have to wait until an actual army was at their doorstep. Otherwise, surrendering the moment they were threatened would only encourage further exploitation.
As a result, no matter how heartfelt or impassioned the performances of the five-member group and the Troi diplomats, no matter how much they professed to consider the Swarm’s interests, the Swarm remained unmoved.
When Froede, the Troi representative in charge, almost stopped attending the discussions altogether, the Swarm followed suit. Marlene ceased attending the meetings, leaving Danton to deal with the situation alone.
The Swarm’s stance left the five-member group and the Troi delegation feeling humiliated, escalating their threats against the Swarm. However, when the Swarm mobilized tens of thousands of Primordial bodies to encircle the A11 base and the Troi diplomatic fleet, their bluster subsided significantly.
Perhaps they realized that if they pushed the Swarm too far, it was uncertain whether the Swarm would ultimately be destroyed, but there was a very real possibility they would perish here first.
Thus, the meetings devolved into prolonged and harmonious stalling.
Before long, possibly due to boredom, the five-member group proposed visiting the Rat folk civilization and the Riken. Although the proposal seemed spontaneous, Luo Wen detected a different undercurrent.
It reminded him of a certain “Master Negotiator” who frequently used extreme pressure tactics during negotiations—first proposing utterly unacceptable terms to wear down the other party’s patience before finally revealing their true bottom line.