Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 287 Cold Mountain Contract
Shortly after Violet left, Princess Daphne entered.

Su Ming quickly found a piece of wood to temporarily block the broken window, and the room became warm again thanks to the continuous heating from the coal fireplace.

She strode to the coffee table, deftly poured herself a cup of hot tea, tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh.

The princess led the engineering team, busy around the tunnel all morning. To temporarily conceal its existence, they not only had to install hidden doors at both ends that could be opened flexibly, but also carefully disguise them as ordinary rock textures, which certainly took a lot of effort.

"What's the current situation with the disguise unit?" Su Ming asked.

As planned, Daphne secretly dispatched a small team of trusted elites, disguised as the tracks of the Bone Train, to move towards the northern estuary, thus misleading intelligence personnel from all sides.

“We’ve arrived near Grodno.” She stood up and walked to the huge map on the wall, her slender finger precisely pointing to the target location. That location was about a thousand kilometers southeast of the Giant Horn Peninsula where Su Ming had initially landed.

“They’re creating the illusion that they’re about to go to sea,” Daphne said.

“There are very few people there, and the terrain is flat, making it suitable for landing and entering the sea,” Catherine said. “It is indeed a very convincing route of action, and it is not easy to get close and explore. The location has been well chosen.”

"Latest intelligence indicates that the Temple of Light's naval fleet has already assembled in the nearby waters," Daphne added. "Our disguise probably won't last long before it's exposed."

Su Ming quickly calculated the time difference in his mind, his brows furrowing slightly.

He realized that the window of opportunity was shrinking rapidly—if he could return to the landing point on Giant Horn Island in time to complete the ship repairs, he would gain the initiative in the ensuing confrontation; otherwise, he might be forced into a passive and reactive situation.

"I plan to leave Newman and a team of Bone-Beast Fiends behind to continue the dismantling and material collection missions, while the rest of the personnel will evacuate first on the Bone Train," Su Ming explained his arrangements.

"Should we keep Professor Newman here?" A hint of surprise flashed in Daphne's eyes, but it quickly dimmed. "Forget it, Professor Newman is too busy to leave without witnessing your amazing industrial base. He definitely won't come with me."

Su Ming glanced at the princess. If there were any possibility, Daphne would have already come to negotiate for Newman.

He chose to pretend he hadn't heard this, saying, "So I need to trouble you to look after Newman for a while. I will arrange for a ship to pick them up later."

Daphne nodded. "You must act quickly. The longer we delay, the more spies and agents will infiltrate the North."

"understood."

****
“Next, we’ll discuss the misdirection plan,” Catherine said, taking over the conversation. “We’re already cleaning up the evidence at the scene, intending to pin the entire operation on the Bell of Calamity.”

“It would be best if we could successfully frame them,” Daphne said with a hint of doubt. “But with the Temple of Light’s intelligence network, would they be so easily misled by us?”

According to a secret agreement reached beforehand by the three parties, the attack on the Holy Mountain would be publicly attributed entirely to the Bone-Ending Mad Machine and the Star Sand Organization, while the Cold Mountain Kingdom would completely absolve itself of responsibility. However, the latter would secretly provide assistance in subsequent confrontations.

Daphne knew very well that such a large-scale operation could not be completely concealed. However, the power struggle between major nations was never black and white; without solid evidence, their Cold Mountain Kingdom could simply refuse to acknowledge it.

Given the current situation of the Temple of Light, it doesn't have the resources to overturn the table.

The three organized forces of the Divine Knights, the Choir, and the Azure Sky Puppet were wiped out, the Radiant Chanter was killed, and the Fate Master was captured. One can imagine their predicament that followed.

"Our encirclement was executed more successfully than expected this time, and not a single one escaped," Catherine explained. This was an unexpected bonus; Su Ming's tactics had wiped out too many of the Divine Grace Sea's forces in one fell swoop, leaving them without the strength to break out when they decided to.

"So we need to make full use of this advantage, along with some misleading strategies," Catherine said confidently. "We're confident we can secure at least a three-month buffer period."

After careful consideration, Daphne concluded that this was largely consistent with the initial action plan and was more conducive to subsequent goals. "I have no objections."

“There’s another thing I need your cooperation on,” Catherine said, handing her a piece of paper.

After quickly glancing at it, Daphne sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead, "Are you going to use this trick again?"

“Since the method is effective, why not continue using it?” Catherine smiled.

"Okay, I understand." Daphne carefully folded the document and put it into her bosom.

****
With the negotiations over the proposed solution concluded, Daphne turned her attention to Su Ming.

“Even if I wanted your pipe jacking equipment, I wouldn’t be able to use it, right?” Daphne asked bluntly.

“Maintenance and logistical support are very complex; you can’t handle them,” Su Ming told the truth.

He is able to use this equipment because "Summoning All Things" connects him to the industrial production chain on Earth, allowing him to obtain parts at any time, in addition to a professional construction team that provides remote guidance anytime, anywhere.

If given to Daphne, this equipment will soon become a pile of scrap metal.

“Then help us dig the tunnel.” Daphne changed the subject, proposing a new plan. “I know the timing isn’t right yet, but our Cold Mountain Kingdom is willing to wait.” She looked directly into Su Ming’s eyes. “We will provide all the funding, manpower, and building materials needed for the project, and pay a generous reward!”

The rugged, mountainous terrain of the Cold Mountain Kingdom severely restricts transportation; the construction of the tunnel will completely change this situation. From her fervent gaze, Su Ming could clearly sense the royal family's extreme desire for this project.

But he was a little troubled, "I don't have that much time to spend on this."

Even after the production base is completed and the problems of the Temple of Light are resolved, Su Ming still has a lot of things to deal with: the analysis of gospel materials, the investigation of Earth's superhumans, and the research on interdimensional teleportation technology, each of which is of great importance.

Su Ming suddenly thought of a compromise. "I can design a simple steam-powered tunneling device." He gestured lightly on the table with his fingers. "Although the efficiency will be much lower, you can operate it independently."

The principles of steam engine technology are relatively simple. Given the alchemy and mechanical foundations of this world, and having witnessed its performance, it's only a matter of time before the principles are reverse-engineered and gradually mastered.

When the time is right, proactively presenting a mature configuration to all parties in exchange for benefits is one option.

Daphne's eyes lit up, and her hands unconsciously clenched. "This plan is good!"

It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Even if it is much slower, at least it is a technological capability that they can fully control!
Su Ming tentatively set the delivery date for a year later, emphasizing that additional cooperation conditions would be attached at that time. After hearing the general framework, Daphne readily nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)