Forge a path to success.

Chapter 198 Single-mindedly devoted to the enemy (3)

"First, let's establish the premise. To improve the efficiency of killing enemies, we can't just look at the quantity and ignore the quality. Killing a hundred non-material beings won't earn as much merit as killing a single demon. Do you agree?"

The mechanical woman nodded: "Agreed. The energy recovered from destroying a single Demon Slayer is approximately 641.97 times the mass of an average life unit."

"The second premise," Chu Hengkong held up two fingers, "is that because the strength gap between adjacent particles on the path of ascension is extremely large, the combat merits of low-particle units cannot be converted into the combat merits of high-particle units by simply accumulating numbers."

"Even if you kill a hundred Demon Slayers, you'll still only have a Level 2 Legendary... oh no, I mean, Battle Merit. But if you kill one Three-Demon, you'll only have a Level 3 Battle Merit, far surpassing that True Mech who collected a hundred Level 2 Battle Merits. Do you agree?"

“Partially agree.” The mechanical woman said meticulously, “Before the Empire, there are no legends.”

You actually remembered Van der Rohe's words... You're not still proud of them, are you...?

Chu Heng cleared his throat, his expression benevolent, like an old man selling crutches on TV: "So, based on the premise of shared resources, we can conclude that, with equal resource consumption, killing high-quality heretics is the most efficient way to achieve merit."

“Completely agree.” The mechanical woman nodded repeatedly. “When there are no special missions, killing high-quality outsiders should be the top priority.”

“But your choice is completely irrational and inefficient,” Chu Hengkong sighed. “You have brought shame upon the empire.”

The cyborg woman froze at the table, utterly shocked: "I didn't! I will take over your body and recycle your resources as quickly as possible—"

"How many can you recover?" Chu Hengkong sneered. "Even in the best-case scenario where you wipe us out, you take down two point-3s and two point-2s. That's a mediocre achievement, but it's still passable."

But in the desolate wilderness, there is still a resurrected particle 7, and its horde of mixed 56 minions!

Chu Hengkong spread his hands wide: "Can you kill them all by yourself? Use your computational circuits to think about it! Can you do it alone?!"

“I can’t do it,” the mechanical woman said. This was the border of the Heavenly Prison, and she couldn’t apply for an upgrade.

"That's a fact, you can't do it! But we can!" Chu Hengkong looked sincerely into the mechanical eyes, "Think about the battle not long ago. You, me, plus Huaisu, Qingye, and Qingxia. Together we took down a resurrected particle 6."

But if you're the only one left, you'll have no chance. The Demon King's army still has several Fearbringers, and so many high-quality heretics! You won't be able to do anything then. After you kill those few quality 2 and quality 3 enemies, you'll only be able to hide in the desert, pitifully eating sand, watching helplessly as the Fearbringers swagger around. You so desperately want to serve the Empire, yet you can't even slay a real enemy!

"I..." the mechanical woman panicked, "I will fight them to the very end!"

“You can’t beat him,” Chu Hengkong said coldly. “You’re wasting the empire’s resources to satisfy yourself.”

The mechanical woman leaned against the coffee table, her gaze vacant. The calculation circuit's results perfectly matched her words: even if it completely consumed Chu Hengkong and the surrounding resources, it couldn't upgrade to level 3 without approval. No matter how much material was added within the existing framework, no qualitative change could occur.

It cannot defeat the Demon King's army on its own.

"Are you going to let these heretics escape?" Chu Hengkong pressed aggressively, like a military drill instructor. "Are you going to just stand by and watch them pollute the Chen Dong Realm and turn the world into a pile of shit?"

"I don't want to!" the mechanical woman said anxiously.

"So what should you do?" Chu Hengkong shook her shoulders forcefully. "Think! The most efficient way! What should you do!"

"I, I should..." The mechanical woman drove the simulation verification program, and all calculations pointed to one answer: the most efficient and optimal solution.

It was incredulous: "I should...work with you!"

"You finally understand," Chu Hengkong said approvingly. "You've figured it out!"

"Don't try to deceive me!" the mechanical woman roared in fury. "The Empire will never compromise with heretics!"

"What do you mean by compromise?" Chu Hengkong coaxed. "You made the decision to cooperate temporarily. What did you give up? Did you give up killing me?"

"No." The mechanical woman shook her head.

"Have you given up on killing the heretics?"

"No." The mechanical woman continued to shake her head.

Chu Hengkong patted its shoulder hard: "You didn't give up anything, you just changed the order of eliminating the enemy and gained more merits - that's wisdom! And it's your unique advantage! If you calculate it, you might even be able to kill Vansalar, and you can rid the empire of a great scourge."

Do other true mechs have this condition? Can other true mechs do it?!

The cyborg hesitated for a long time, its expression becoming increasingly focused. It murmured to itself, "Only I...only we can...!"

“You’ve found the right direction.” Chu Hengkong took a sip of tea. “Now tell me, for the greater good, what should you do?”

"First, I need to perform mechanical repairs to prepare for a long-term operation... Then, I will modify the machine based on its current condition to optimize energy utilization efficiency as much as possible and ensure the feasibility of transformation." The mechanical woman began to deduce, her speech becoming more and more fluent. "As for you, you need to undergo targeted training for your heart module. We need to ensure that you transform into the 3rd particle, the Asura Heart, as soon as possible, so that you will have a greater chance of winning the final battle against the Outer Path."

"What about the other threats?" Chu Hengkong said seriously, "Those knights... the Heartless Ones... a potential crisis stirring up trouble!"

"It depends on the specific circumstances," the cyborg woman said carefully. "If there is still strength after the final battle, then begin the elimination—no; if there is survival after the final battle, then the remaining life forms will need to provide assistance—if there is survival after the final battle and more than 50% of combat strength is retained, then begin the elimination—"

“There are too many loopholes.” Chu Hengkong interrupted, “What if someone among them undergoes a transformation? Can we, two battered and bruised point 3s, win against a Dao-path point 4?”

"We'll lose," the mechanical woman concluded.

"So this premise needs to be revised again." Chu Hengkong thoughtfully added, "Only when we win, I survive, there are no Dao paths with a higher quality than mine, and there are no external paths that urgently need to be killed, is it feasible to fight."

"You're right." The mechanical girl nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for your calculation assistance."

“You’re welcome. We’re in the same boat.” Chu Hengkong laughed. “But you see, this is a negotiation. I’ve been making concessions from beginning to end—correcting your mistakes and offering you advice—but I also need to obtain certain authority, otherwise the negotiation cannot be successful.”

"Tell me, and I will judge."

“I have no expectations for your ability to adapt to changing circumstances. I believe that your unauthorized actions will ruin what was originally a smooth battle and waste the Empire’s resources,” Chu Hengkong said. “Therefore, from now on, I will decide whether to summon Imperial reinforcements.”

The mechanical woman slammed her hand on the table and stood up: "I disagree—" "Think about my record," Chu Hengkong said firmly, "Have I ever lost a single battle so far?"

"You lost to Qingxia."

"It was you! You started the war on your own initiative, and you lost." Chu Hengkong began to let his personal emotions get involved. "If it were me, I would definitely have won!"

"I cannot transfer authority to you. I am the ultimate mechanical being, you are not!"

“You are me.” Chu Hengkong said calmly, “You are a true machine, therefore I am a true machine. Just as I am a martial artist, therefore you are a martial artist. We can continue to argue that you are a Fallen One, you are a centaur, you are a tentacle monster, but the conclusion that remains unchanged is…”

The mechanical woman's eyes began to dart around. Reason told her that the other party was utterly bluffing; the calculations proved Chu Hengkong's words to be true. Ultimately, they were one and the same. It quickly waved its hand, halting its demonic cultivation process: "Stop! Don't say another word! You only obtained this authority to avoid being annihilated by the Imperial army; you'll only use it to take the enemy down with you when you're about to die."

"When will I die?" Chu Heng asked calmly.

"You have friendly relations with multiple forces, and your death scenario is most likely when you are besieged by multiple external forces with higher than your current mass point..." the True Machine Woman said.

"Isn't it obvious to you? I'll only summon Imperial reinforcements when I'm about to die. Once the Imperial reinforcements arrive, they'll definitely wipe out a considerable number of powerful heretics. The Empire will benefit no matter what!" Chu Heng laughed. "But if we follow your original plan and send signals from Longquan Township, Shura Island, or other righteous sect strongholds... even if the Imperial reinforcements come, they'll have a hard time winning, right? Isn't that a pure waste of resources?"

"This..." The mechanical woman couldn't find a reason to refute it for a moment, "This...is indeed...but..."

The mechanical woman paced around the room, her eyes blinking faster than a hummingbird's wings, and the humming of machinery filled the tea room.

Chu Hengkong tapped his teacup, speaking sarcastically: "An imperial soldier, in order to fight for power and profit with his host, is unwilling to give up the little power he has! Truly loyal and courageous, with an iron will. I never thought that the vast territory of the empire would be carried on the shoulders of such an iron worm."

"Shut up first." The mechanical woman's words began to take on a personal touch.

Chu Hengkong sighed deeply and slumped onto the coffee table: "Alas! Seeing that the Empire's soldiers are going to make another wasted trip, I am heartbroken and grief-stricken. Our deaths are a small matter, but the waste of resources is a great matter. If anything changes in the future, I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly and forgive us!"

The cyborg suddenly flipped over the coffee table and smashed it on the ground. She angrily stomped on the splinters a few times: "Fine! But if your judgment results in the loss of Imperial resources, I will forcibly shut down the machine!"

"Deal." Chu Hengkong snapped his fingers. "One last confirmation of the terms."

1. We should work together to prioritize eliminating the outsiders. To achieve this goal, we are allowed to team up with friendly units in the vicinity.

2. If there are no Dao units with higher stats than you on the current Dust Island, and there are no external Dao units that you urgently need to kill, you may display your killing intent towards the surrounding creatures.

3. To optimize resource utilization efficiency to the greatest extent, I will decide whether to send a distress signal after negotiations are concluded.

Are there any other questions?

“It exists,” said the mechanical girl. “How do units like Qingxia and Fande determine this?”

"Consider them as allies who can join forces."

"Request that Article 2 be changed to allow for the active elimination of surrounding life."

"Rejected. Any Dust Island is susceptible to invasion by external forces, and the second clause could be converted to the first clause at any time before it is implemented."

“You’re lying to me.” The mechanical woman frowned. “You can just find a safe dust island and do nothing all the time. Just survive without contributing to the empire.”

“Absolutely impossible.” Chu Hengkong said confidently, “I can be swept into a desolate wasteland just by going out to find a stone seed. The tide of fate will never let me go.”

The mechanical woman suddenly realized.

"The judgment is accepted. After negotiation, there are no further objections."

Chu Hengkong reached out his hand to it, his expression turning serious: "The truth of the Empire will endure forever."

The mechanical girl shook hands firmly and replied meticulously, "The truth of the Empire endures forever."

It transformed into a stream of white data and merged into Chu Hengkong's back.

Chu Hengkong remained expressionless, took a sip of the cold tea, and waited thirty seconds to make sure there were no further disturbances before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Finally done...!"

Deep down, Chu Hengkong had absolutely no confidence. Because ultimately...

He had absolutely no confidence in defeating his opponent.

The idea that winning in reality equates to winning in one's mind is pure bluffing, a "conjecture" he uttered to exploit the fact that he doesn't lie. Leaving aside the ideal situation of a multi-on-one fight in Yingshi Town, this "true mechanical woman" not only retains her former abilities but also uses all of Chu Hengkong's moves. Nearly half of his 48 previous defeats were due to her being instantly killed by a single shot. It would be a miracle if she could actually win one-on-one.

If we could really beat them, why bother talking? We would have already chopped them up and sent them to meet the King of Hell!

That's why he decided to negotiate, not only to talk but also to deceive, using every trick in the book to exploit the other party's weaknesses and ruthlessly cheat them. If the other party were truly an immortal machine, then this plan would be completely useless, but based on his previous two experiences, he knew very well that this so-called humanoid immortal machine was essentially just another "Chu Hengkong" intensified by the true machine.

The ultimate mechanical form originally had no flaws, but this true mechanical form, Chu Hengkong, was undoubtedly an accident. Because mechanical thinking is inherently rigid, and Chu Hengkong wasn't exactly a clever person. This created a flaw that the enemy shouldn't have had.

—After merging with his self, this mechanical woman has clearly become stupid!

If the other party isn't as clever as you, you can deceive them. Since you can deceive, there's a possibility of gaining more benefits. After this series of deceptions, even the most dangerous opponent will be crippled. As for what happens afterward…

"Let's take it one step at a time," Chu Hengkong muttered to himself. "Anyway, we'll inevitably have to fight with outsiders wherever we go."

The imagined tea room vanished, leaving only a silver door in the space. Chu Hengkong pushed open the door, feeling exceptionally relaxed. He only had one person left to negotiate with—a force that could never harm him.

He pushed open the door and smelled the sea breeze.

(End of this chapter)