Cao Cao spoke with a friendly smile, but the sultan knew better. It was a political smile, the kind used at negotiation tables. Nevertheless, the sultan returned it with a warm smile of his own, though he didn't believe a word of what Cao Cao was saying.
He knew this was just a power play by New Atlantis, cutting off the phone call the moment they sensed the other party was trying to gauge their position. They made it clear that, in their view, the Sultanate of Aqaba wasn't of great importance, a stark contrast to other powers vying for influence due to Aqaba's rich oil resources and rare earth minerals.
The sultan couldn't be sure if this was New Atlantis' true stance or simply an act. Even if it was just a show, it had been incredibly effective. He was aware that the Sultanate of Aqaba had little choice in the matter, even if it was all part of New Atlantis' strategy.
With that single move by Gua Jia, New Atlantis had forced him, the Sultan of Aqaba, to come to their turf, where they had the upper hand. He knew this was a standard political tactic—to secure as much advantage as possible before negotiations. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment toward New Atlantis for maneuvering him into this position.
As the sultan mulled over these thoughts, he noticed that the VTOL had already taken flight. Its technology was remarkable—so advanced that the engine noise was even quieter than that of his private jet.
"My lord, are you sure we should bring him there?" Cao Cao asked Daniel, who was observing the hologram displaying the ziggurat's current activity.
"Yes, why not? Sooner or later, Oceanos will no longer be a secret," Daniel replied calmly. "Besides, I still have plenty of trump cards. Revealing Oceanos doesn't mean I'm showing all my cards. And honestly, it's difficult to keep something like Oceanos concealed. I'd rather reveal it on my own terms than have some paparazzi stumble upon it and turn it into a global sensation."
"I understand, my lord," Cao Cao nodded and sat back down, continuing to work alongside Gua Jia, conversing in Han and pointing at the hologram from time to time.
[Oceanos? What's that?] The sultan thought, feeling puzzled. Shouldn't they be discussing an alliance or at least negotiating permission to access Aqaba's waters?
As he pondered, the VTOL began to descend. Curious, the sultan walked over to the window and saw they were above the open sea. Does New Atlantis have an aircraft carrier? He wondered. Well, it's possible. New Atlantis is so advanced, maybe their carrier is something futuristic—like something out of a sci-fi movie.
When the VTOL finally touched down, the sultan saw that they had landed on a flat surface. However, it didn't resemble the deck of an aircraft carrier. Instead, it looked more like a landing pad specifically designed for helicopters or this VTOL.
He then realized the ground was lowering—not the VTOL itself, but the landing pad it had touched down on. As the platform descended, he noticed Daniel, Cao Cao, and the others in the VTOL starting to move, drawing his attention to them.
"Your majesty, we've arrived. Please follow me," Daniel said, leading the sultan out of the VTOL.
Following Daniel, the sultan found himself in what appeared to be a massive hangar. He saw numerous VTOLs of varying sizes, along with interceptors, bombers, and even the Atlantean Carryall—the enormous aircraft used during the North American campaign, which had amazed the world with its carrying capacity and stealth capabilities.
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His question was soon answered when one of the officers' voices came through the speaker, "Start phasing! 30% phasing... 60% phasing... complete!"
With that, the sultan watched in disbelief as the submarine moved through the water, passing directly through the shallow seabed as if it wasn't even there.
"This... this is... God..." Both the sultan and his confidante were struck with the same awe, disbelief slowly giving way to stunned acceptance of the reality before them.
Suddenly, the sultan slapped his confidante, Shahid, across the face.
"Ouch! Your Majesty, why did you slap me?" Shahid protested, rubbing his cheek.
"I wanted to see if I was dreaming," the sultan replied.
If you wanted to check, why didn't you slap yourself!!? Why slap me!? Shahid thought but didn't dare say out loud.
"Mr. Emberweave," the sultan spoke, drawing Daniel's attention. "Is this... really a submarine?"
Hearing this, Daniel tilted his head slightly, as if the answer should be obvious. "Yes, Your Majesty. We are indeed inside a submarine," Daniel replied.
"Where did you find the resources to build something like this? I don't think all the resources in Southeast Asia would be enough, and even if you bought the materials, no one would sell you this much," the sultan asked, his curiosity piqued.
This was something he truly wanted to understand. It might even reveal Daniel's intentions toward his own country, which was rich in oil and rare earth metals. Perhaps Daniel had deliberately brought him here to negotiate for his country's resources, or worse, planned to take them over, having exhausted his own after building this colossal vessel.
Upon hearing the question, Daniel flashed a mysterious smile. Cao Cao did the same, as though he knew exactly what the sultan was thinking. And who could blame the sultan? If Cao Cao didn't know Daniel better, he would likely think the same.
"You probably already know that 71% of the Earth is covered by oceans, and less than 5% of the ocean floor has been explored. The unexplored areas are often rich in minerals, just waiting for someone with advanced enough technology to claim them. Most of the materials used to build Oceanos came from underwater mines we've been operating," Daniel explained.