Munitions Empire

Chapter 2028 - 1890: The Last Meeting

Although she was mentally prepared, Sofia still felt a bit aggrieved the moment Tang Mo walked into the room.

She should have been seated more gracefully, charmingly smiling at such a formidable opponent who made one’s hair stand on end. But she was too disheveled now, feeling unworthy to face the man before her.

Not presenting her best side to this man was Sofia’s greatest regret. If it were ten years ago, she would have been more confident about this meeting.

Wes did not leave; he stood near the door, looking down at Sofia on the hospital bed. He was curious as well about what had possibly possessed this woman to recklessly oppose someone as terrifyingly powerful as Tang Mo.

Sofia didn’t care that there were other people in the room; she had nothing to lose. It was not a time when she had the privilege of choosing her environment. The fact that Tang Mo could sit here and chat with her was already an unexpected joy.

While Sofia was somewhat self-deprecatingly scrutinizing Tang Mo, Tang Mo was also examining Sofia. To be frank, even though she was no longer young, Sofia was undoubtedly still a beauty.

Even with a few scrapes on her face, it remained enchanting, reminiscent in many ways of her former peerless beauty.

No wonder Tang Mo heard that this woman was once as famous for her beauty as his imperial concubine, Ying Yue, and even Iryn, the elf meticulously chosen to be by his side, might not have been much more stunning than Sofia.

However, Sofia at that moment was too disheveled.

Her bare wrist indeed made Tang Mo somewhat uncomfortable, and her bandaged leg added blemish to what was otherwise a work of art in Sofia.

Silence spread through the air; there was no sound in the room except for the faint noise from the medical equipment monitoring Sofia’s life signs.

"Great Emperor, might you describe your coronation ceremony to me?" Finally, the silence was broken. Sofia’s voice was weak, as if drifting from a distant place, like it was trapped in thick cotton, laced with frailty and powerlessness. She strained to turn her gaze to the bedside Tang Mo, her pale lips slightly moving once more, "I didn’t get to see it..."

She actually saw images of Tang Mo on TV, and his photos were everywhere in newspapers, occupying nearly all the important pages. In those photos, Tang Mo seemed either spirited or introspective, always exuding a kind of majesty and an aura that could not be ignored. However, when she saw Tang Mo with her own eyes, she felt a reality that photos and images could never convey.

The man in front of her was steadier and more elusive than in photos. There was a faint sense of detachment emanating from him, like a thin mist, making him hard to see clearly. This feeling made her feel unfamiliar and a bit inexplicably uneasy.

In the past, the kings she saw were merely puppets in her or the Shireck Consortium’s hands, manipulable at her whim. That sense of overlooking left her without basic awe for the concept of an emperor.

But now it was different; the man in front of her emitted a scent that made women enraptured, making every breath Sofia took a bit tense. It was a feeling she never had before, like the excitement of first love awakening.

"The ceremony... went relatively well," Tang Mo’s voice was low and calm, as if narrating something unrelated to himself. "Due to the little incident you orchestrated, security measures were enhanced, and many procedures were simplified." He paused here, seemingly recalling the scene.

The grand spectacle of the coronation ceremony reappeared in his mind. The magnificent palace, the solemn solemnity of the ceremony, the cheers akin to a mountain roaring and a sea wailing... it was all like a movie scene, flashing frame by frame.

He seemed to hear once again the cheers of the citizens of Chang’an City, the sound flooding in like tides, deafening, filled with awe and admiration. That was his glory and also the symbol of his power.

Yes, the entire Chang’an City was cheering, every person in Chang’an was shouting "Long live His Majesty The Emperor," the sound was akin to a mountain and sea roar, enough to shatter all courage attempting to challenge Tang Mo’s imperial power. Anyone faced with such calls would be born with heartfelt awe.

With the television signal continuously diffusing, every inch of the Great Tang Empire burst forth with the warmest shouting. The cries of "Long live the Emperor" echoed in the sky, lingering for a long time.

Such a scene had never occurred in history and likely would not occur again in the future.

"So, did I indirectly ’participate’ in your coronation ceremony?" Sofia’s lips showed a bitter smile, her tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation and helplessness.

Originally, she planned to use that bomb to create some "surprises" at Tang Mo’s coronation ceremony, making him taste the bitter fruit of failure at the moment of reaching the pinnacle of power. Even if she ultimately failed, that hint of fear and unease buried in Tang Mo’s heart would still take root and affect his entire life. Yet, her plan failed, and her carefully chosen subordinates ultimately did not accomplish their task.

Tang Mo’s response confirmed her suspicion, bringing her a touch of comfort; at least, her plan did have a certain impact on Tang Mo.

"Yes, your ’participation’ indeed caused me quite a bit of trouble." Tang Mo’s tone remained calm, betraying no emotional fluctuations: "My security department was busy for three whole hours just searching for the so-called bomb you hid."

"Three hours?" Sofia was a bit surprised. She didn’t expect the Great Tang Empire’s security department to be so efficient. In her view, three hours was barely enough time to enjoy a decent lunch. Unexpectedly, in such a short time, Tang Mo’s subordinates could find the bomb and confirm that there wasn’t a second one elsewhere...

"Unfortunately, they didn’t find it." Tang Mo shook his head, his tone tinged with faint mockery.

"Didn’t find it?" Sofia was stunned. She didn’t understand what Tang Mo meant. If the bomb wasn’t found, the coronation ceremony should be canceled, right? Why was Tang Mo able to calmly say that "everything proceeds as planned"?

"Your people couldn’t even get close to the observation platform and the coronation stage." Tang Mo explained, "So, there was no chance for him to plant a bomb."

"Your people have been deceiving you from the start; the bomb doesn’t even exist." Seeing Sofia frozen there, Tang Mo continued, "It’s precisely because you were kept in the dark that your performance was so convincing. It made Li’ao and the others truly believe that there was a security breach during the venue’s setup, leading them to check repeatedly for three hours."

"I see..." Sofia finally understood. She underestimated the Great Tang Empire’s security measures and overestimated her subordinates’ abilities.

"So, your coronation ceremony... was it impressive?" After her sigh, there was a brief silence. In that silence, Sofia changed the topic, wanting to know how Tang Mo felt in his heart at the moment of ascending to the throne.

"Everything proceeded as planned." Tang Mo’s tone remained calm and unruffled, "The only regret is that there weren’t any surprises."

To avoid any mistakes, Mr. Tan’s coronation ceremony had to be finalized by himself, and there were even rehearsals for certain segments. So for Tang Mo himself, there were no so-called surprises.

"Who crowned you?" Sofia was very curious about this. She wanted to know who had the right to place the crown on a figure like the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire.

"I did it myself." Tang Mo’s answer was brief and powerful.

"Yourself?" Sofia was momentarily taken aback but then understood. This approach indeed matched Tang Mo’s style.

"Very special..." She soon reacted, nodded, and softly agreed, "If it were me, I’d choose to crown myself too."

Tang Mo ignored Sofia’s presumptuous words and merely gave a faint smile. He knew Sofia had already lost the qualification to oppose him; he didn’t need to dwell on a dead person. He was here just to see with his own eyes his last overt adversary in this world.

After today, such opportunities might truly be gone. After all, there were very few people now who dared to openly oppose him.

"My time is limited. If there’s nothing else to say, let’s end it here." Tang Mo stood up. He really didn’t have time to waste on someone like Sofia, who was as good as dead.

A vast empire required his management; every minute was extremely valuable for someone like him.

From Tang Mo’s perspective, handling a political affair to save even one more of his people from disaster was far more meaningful than staying here to exchange pointless words with Sofia.

"If..." When Tang Mo reached the door, Sofia’s voice came from behind: "Ten years ago, or fifteen years ago, if we had met... would you have liked me?"

When she asked this, Sofia seemed to expend all her courage. She didn’t even know why she asked such a question on impulse, not even preparing herself for it.

"No." Tang Mo answered without thinking.

The door closed, leaving Sofia there in a daze. As medication was injected into her body, the signals representing her vital signs on the life-monitoring equipment all went to zero.

In the corridor, Wes, who was accompanying Tang Mo, couldn’t hide the smile on his face: "I thought you would offer her some last comfort."

"How could I?" Tang Mo’s lips curled up slightly, "I was only here to nail the final nail into her coffin."

(The End)