The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 317: Drive the Wolf, Devour the Tiger! The Ruins of the Sacred Temple! The Leadership Module!

Seeing the core supervisors of each department present their views, Li Ang did not rush to make a decision. Instead, he passed the question to V.

This task of unifying the Transformers universe was something Li Ang intended to hand over to V to lead and manage. This would also be the second universe under V's jurisdiction.

Previously, the Edge of Tomorrow universe, which was managed by V, had been handed over to Xu Shiming, the former CEO of Kangtao Corporation.

Although Li Ang would still be involved in most of the key decisions during this unification operation, for smaller matters like unifying Earth, he wanted to first hear V's opinion.

"V, what do you plan to do?"

Li Ang, sitting behind a hard light screen, looked at V, who was stationed at the front-line base headquarters. He hoped to get a different answer from him.

Instantly, all the supervisors fell silent, their eyes all fixed on V.

V, who had remained silent throughout, knew full well that neither a decisive strike nor a soft approach would be the solution Li Ang was looking for.

He understood that Li Ang's core approach to handling matters was clear: efficiency. Everything must be done quickly and decisively, with no room for hesitation or lingering issues.

Either do it, or do it completely!

However, the issue was that neither a harsh approach nor a softer one was ideal when dealing with the American government.

A harsh approach would only escalate Earth's conflicts. In the presence of external threats like the Megatronus and the Creator Civilization, starting internal bloodshed would complicate the unification process.

Though the Universe Mega-Corporation could easily do this, there was no need for it. After all, Li Ang rarely resorted to large-scale slaughter against humans.

It was only during the cyber era of the main universe that Li Ang, to eliminate the influence of major companies and political elites, resorted to brutal means, wiping out many individuals.

Even then, the general public was barely affected since the war only lasted for about half a year, followed by clearing up the remnants of the smaller factions.

However, choosing a softer approach would lead to the American government taking advantage. Given their nature, they would press further, demanding various benefits and privileges from the Mega-Corporation.

This kind of appeasement was unacceptable for the Universe Mega-Corporation.

"Boss, I suggest that we cooperate with another major power, convene the global conference, and exclude the United States. We should also ban them from participating in the technology aid plan."

After contemplating for a moment, V finally responded.

He knew that the root cause of America's refusal to participate in the conference was their desire to monopolize and control the communication channels with the Universe Mega-Corporation.

If they prevented the Mega-Corporation from making contact with other countries, the U.S. could receive the latest updates and developments first.

But V wasn't going to let the U.S. have its way. He decided to exclude them from the conference and deny their participation.

In Li Ang's Earth unification plan, one key decision was to grant various countries some "backward but usable" advanced technology to rapidly boost their combat capabilities.

This would help them actively cooperate with the Universe Mega-Corporation's unification efforts to prepare for future confrontations with enemies like the Megatronus, the Cybertronians, and the Creator Civilization.

This was supposed to be a major conference with profound significance, but the shortsighted American government, as the current Earth superpower, feared losing their technological advantage and global hegemony.

This time, their leadership had clearly positioned itself against humanity's interests.

V understood the American nature well. Their short history and sudden rise to global dominance led them to behave like nouveau riche—constantly making enemies and causing trouble, thus laying the groundwork for their own downfall.

Now, with the Universe Mega-Corporation leading the rise of other countries, there was no need for the Mega-Corporation to take direct action. Other factions would take care of the U.S. for them.

Once the U.S. was put in its place by other nations, they would eventually send peaceful representatives, begging the Mega-Corporation for cooperation.

This would allow the Universe Mega-Corporation to achieve the goal of unifying Earth efficiently without leaving any mess or resorting to brutal violence.

Even if the U.S. was beaten by other countries, it was a matter for Earthlings to resolve, not the Universe Mega-Corporation. As long as the Mega-Corporation didn't get directly involved, they would remain unassailable.

After hearing V's suggestion, Li Ang nodded approvingly. V, a core member who had risen from the grassroots, now displayed a razor-sharp understanding of problem-solving.

For a normal person, the first consideration when dealing with a mad dog like the U.S. should be to avoid getting involved directly. That would be undignified and could easily backfire.

The better approach was to use other dogs to tear down and trample the mad dog. It would save time and effort and avoid any future troubles.

Other nations were the dogs the Mega-Corporation was about to take in. They had been bullied by the U.S. for too long. If the Mega-Corporation gave them a chance for revenge, they would unquestionably obey its commands.

In fact, this decision had already been made in Li Ang's mind. He was very pleased that V's approach matched his own.

The American government resembled a bloated, oily giant baby. Their leadership and tactics were stuck in the primitive modes of plunder and zero-sum games.

Expecting them to learn cooperation and mutual benefit was unlikely.

Since the U.S. didn't want to cooperate, it was better to let other countries use advanced weapons to make them beg for cooperation. At that point, the Mega-Corporation would effortlessly benefit as the middleman.

"V, I'll leave this matter to you." Li Ang made the decision and entrusted the global conference to V. V's strategy of driving the wolf to devour the tiger had perfectly captured the essence of Li Ang's way of handling matters.

"Yes!"

V nodded solemnly, already predicting the outcome. Either the U.S. would back down and come begging, or they would stubbornly fight back, possibly even sending troops to attack the Universe Mega-Corporation. But that would suit V's purpose just as well.

Once that happened, the Mega-Corporation could legitimately take over the U.S. leadership and install their own personnel in the White House.

Other Earth nations wouldn't dare to say anything. Regardless of what choice the U.S. made next, the Universe Mega-Corporation would win.

After discussing the global conference and the technology aid plan, Li Ang shifted the focus to dealing with the Decepticons.

At this point, Megatron had started recovering from his injuries, and Starscream was actively assisting the Mega-Corporation, gathering and appeasing the surrendered Decepticons.

However, the specific plans had not been finalized yet.

"I propose we send these Decepticons to the rear base, where they can cooperate with the R&D department for technology research. We can also provide them with information to make them understand their situation."

The head of the R&D department, Alt Cunningham, spoke up. As the head of R&D, she was quite curious about the technological aspects of the Transformers universe.

Energy conversion and cable transmission efficiency were just some of the areas where the Transformers might provide valuable insights.

Li Ang nodded, deciding to send the Decepticons to the Universe Mega-Corporation's base. Without support or allies, they would have no choice but to comply with the Mega-Corporation's arrangements and serve as experimental subjects.

"Good. I'll leave this to you, Alt. Try to maintain communication with the Decepticons as much as possible."

Li Ang specifically mentioned this to ensure that Alt handled the Decepticons carefully. They were a valuable force that could be united and used, not treated as mere lab rats.

"Understood!"

Otto quickly grasped Li Ang's meaning and nodded in agreement.

With that, Li Ang declared the meeting adjourned, instructing the staff to carry out their orders. The first stage of the Transformers unification task had been completed.

Now, it was time to move on to the second stage—capturing the Leadership Module, capturing the Megatronus, and uniting with the Cybertronians to prepare to strike at the Creator Civilization!

...

...

Meanwhile, in a desert region in Egypt, a group of unusual visitors had arrived at an ancient, long-abandoned temple.

This group consisted of Sam, the male lead from Transformers 2, and three Autobots, acting as a sightseeing tour.

As they marveled at the interior of the temple, Sam curiously observed, while the Autobot scout, Bumblebee, vigilantly surveyed their surroundings, wary of a possible Decepticon ambush.

They were unaware of the events that had transpired outside. Four hours had passed since the Universe Mega-Corporation arrived on Earth, and the Decepticons had already surrendered to them. No one was pursuing them anymore.

"This place is safe for now. Let's move quickly before Starscream shows up and causes trouble!" Bumblebee said anxiously.

They were here to find the Leadership Module—the key to activating the Star Bombardment system.

Through a series of coincidences, Sam learned the coordinates of the Leadership Module and was transported here with the help of the ancient Transformer, Jetfire.

Since Jetfire had betrayed Megatronus and joined the six original Supremes who sealed their former leader, he had been hiding and now served as Sam's guide.

For Sam, the Autobots' leader, Optimus Prime, had been beaten to death by the Decepticons. The information and energy within the Leadership Module could bring him back to life.

Sam had to find it quickly to revive Optimus and have him lead the Autobots to fight back against the Megatronus.

But the interior of the temple was a disappointment to Sam. He didn't see any ancient Supreme artifacts or the missing Leadership Module.

The archaeologists who had visited earlier had already emptied the temple, leaving only inconsequential murals. But what use were murals?

"We're too late. There's nothing here," Sam said, shaking his head in frustration. If they returned empty-handed, both he and Optimus Prime would be lost.

"There might be a hidden switch or a secret passage leading underground. We didn't come to the wrong place," Bumblebee reassured Sam, beginning to look for any suspicious signs.

If there were no ancient Supreme tombs or traces of the Leadership Module here, Jetfire wouldn't have brought them to this place.

"Let's hope so!"

Sam walked around the temple, deep in thought about where any hidden switches or passages could be located.

But Sam was desperate. He couldn't wait to retrieve the Leadership Module and save Optimus. He had no idea where to look.

The archaeologists who had come earlier had already ransacked the place, leaving the floor neatly smoothed out.

While Bumblebee and Sam were busy searching for the internal switch, the twin brothers, Red and Green, started their usual bickering nearby.

"Why is it that it's only Starscream chasing us? Where's Megatron? I heard he drowned in the sea. Is that true?" Red asked.

"That guy is like an unkillable cockroach. With Starscream and Soundwave around, they've probably already fished him out and brought him back to life. What's the matter, are you scared?" Green mocked.

"I'm not scared!!" Red immediately snapped, pushing Green away. "I'm just sick of staring at your stupid, ugly face all the time!"

Hearing this, Green's anger surged. "You idiot! We're twins, born from the same womb! You think you're the only one who looks good?"

While Bumblebee and Sam continued their search, Red and Green were having their usual fight. They turned the inside of the temple into chaos, and even Bumblebee couldn't stop them.

Seeing this, Bumblebee had no choice but to grab both of them and throw them out of the temple to avoid further trouble.

Once the temple returned to normal, Sam returned to the mural. At that moment, he suddenly noticed that because of Red and Green's antics, the mural had cracked open, revealing a hidden compartment!

"New discovery!!" Sam exclaimed with excitement, calling everyone over immediately.

Bumblebee, Red, and Green quickly gathered around. They pried open the compartment, and sure enough, they found some rusted metal hidden inside.

Etched on the metal were the words of the Transformers!

"That's it, everything's correct! These symbols, I've seen them before. This is the tomb of the Supreme!"

Sam was overjoyed. He quickly instructed Bumblebee to shoot through the mural to reveal the temple's hidden secrets.

"Step back, be careful," Bumblebee said, then pulled out his cannon and fired, destroying the mural. A dark and eerie opening appeared before them.

A foul, decaying smell and an unexplainable chill suddenly hit them. But Sam wasn't scared; his excitement took over as he dove into the opening, determined to find the key to revive Optimus Prime.

Not long after, he saw six imposing figures—the ancient Supreme Transformers. These were the ancestors of the Cybertronians.

Over 17,000 years ago, these six Supreme Apostles had fought a fierce battle to protect the solar system's star and Earth's life, battling against Megatronus. But Megatronus, fully powered, was far too strong. Despite being at a disadvantage in a six-on-one battle, Megatronud still managed to hold the upper hand, especially with the backstabbing of the traitor "jetfire."

In the end, the six Supreme Transformers were forced to sacrifice their lives to seal Megatronus in a stone coffin. They also hid the key to the Star Harvesters.

Now, after almost twenty thousand years, the Supreme Transformers had been rediscovered by Sam, but they had already become spirits.

As soon as Sam saw the Supreme Transformers, he didn't have time to think about their tragic past. His only focus was to find the leadership module.

The leader module was a crescent-shaped object with two pointed ends and a curved shape, about half the length of a human arm. At that moment, the leader module floated peacefully in one of the Supreme Transformers' hands.

"We finally found it!" Sam exclaimed with overwhelming excitement. He instinctively held his breath and slowly stepped forward, gently lifting the long key.

But the moment his fingers touched the leader module, the object turned to ashes, as if the object he had just touched had been an illusion.

In an instant, Sam's smile froze. He couldn't believe that the leader module he had worked so hard to find had vanished into thin air.

"No... No, how could this happen?"

At that moment, Sam's emotions plummeted, as though he had fallen from the highest peak to the deepest valley. Without the leader module, his only hope of resurrecting Optimus Prime, and of having the Autobots fight against the Decepticons led by Megatronus, was gone. The only thing that awaited him was being captured by Megatron and having his brain cut open and put into formalin!

Sam's expression of despair, as well as Bumblebee's disappointment, were all captured by the AI reconnaissance drones of the giant corporation and transmitted back to the headquarters.

When Li Ang saw the leader module disappear from Sam's hands, he immediately understood what had happened.

It turned out that the six Supreme Transformers had set up a special switch to prevent the leader module from falling into enemy hands again.

This was an extremely strange energy technology that allowed the leader module to switch between an intangible and tangible state.

When the leader module was in someone else's hands, it would appear in an intangible state. Only when the conditions were right and the "right" person came along would it materialize in its tangible form.

It was like downloading a movie: even though the download wasn't complete, the system would show that part of the storage had been occupied, even though it hadn't been fully used.

According to the plot of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, after Sam collected the ashes of the leader module, he was knocked unconscious by a Decepticon attack. During this time, the long-dead Supreme Transformers communicated with Sam through "dreams" and helped him recover the leader module.

Sam's previous contact with the shard of the AllSpark had left him with residual energy and information in his mind. Although the Supreme Transformers' physical bodies had perished, their residual energy consciousnesses had not completely disappeared. They communicated with Sam through the energy in his mind, helping him inherit the leadership module.

After realizing this, Li Ang decided to follow the original plot development and let Starscream and Soundwave lead the Decepticons, playing the role of the antagonists. The spirits of the Supreme Transformers would then pass the key to Sam.

After all, with the current technology of the Universal Megacorp , it would be nearly impossible to forcefully take the key and recreate the leader module. It was better to follow the established path.

"Let Starscream and Soundwave go. Remember, don't actually take the key. Let Sam revive Optimus Prime first, then take the leader module after," Li Ang ordered V, who was also observing the situation.

"Yes!" V nodded in response and immediately sent orders to Starscream and Soundwave to start their mission. The Decepticons were now ready to play their part as the villains.

Soon, after receiving the order from the Universal Megacorp , the Decepticons, led by Starscream and Soundwave, rushed toward their designated location.

Not long ago, in Ideal City, Starscream and Soundwave had seen the wonders and technological marvels of civilizations from across the multiverse.

The awe-inspiring mega-structures, the hundreds of meters tall Kiju beasts, the AI knight armies of the Prometheus Legion, the Star Alliance soldiers, and the indescribable Alpha monsters...

After learning about the vast scale of the Universal Megacorp , Starscream was convinced that joining this organization to develop his skills as a professional villain was the best stage for his abilities.

Meanwhile, the semi-damaged Megatron, who was recovering, had no objections either. They had left Cybertron in search of a new home and the AllSpark to restart their empire. Now, with a steady meal at the Universal Megacorp , they were happy with this outcome.

So when they learned that they were about to face the Autobots and Sam once again, the Decepticons rushed excitedly to the target location.

Fighting Megatronus was a daunting task, but fighting the Autobots and the main characters was a job they knew well.

For the Decepticons, this was their specialty.

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