Simultaneously, even the pirates' base, Hero Island, had fallen under Liu Kai Xuan's control.
However, Hero Island was nominally part of the Thunder Empire's territory.
Naturally, the Thunder Empire would not agree to Liu Kai Xuan seizing Hero Island.
The Thunder Empire immediately dispatched officials to Hero Island, intending to take over from Liu Kai Xuan.
Moreover, the Thunder Empire's envoy explicitly stated that if Liu Kai Xuan willingly handed over control of Hero Island peacefully, the Thunder Empire would not pursue charges for any crimes he committed there.
In addition, the Thunder Empire would grant Liu Kai Xuan certain rewards.
Liu Kai Xuan did not accept the Thunder Empire's demands!
Instead, Liu Kai Xuan proposed an alternative cooperation plan to the Thunder Empire's royal family!
Hero Island was too far from the Thunder Empire's coastline.
It was difficult for the Thunder Empire to fully control this overseas exclave, which instead became a haven for pirates.
Liu Kai Xuan hoped to lease Hero Island.
This would effectively curb the resurgence of pirate forces!
When Hero Island was previously occupied by pirates, the Thunder Empire's control over this exclave was almost zero!
Now that Hero Island had changed hands, the Thunder Empire naturally wanted to reclaim the lost territory.
If they were to lease it to Liu Kai Xuan now, it would be equivalent to losing control again.
Undoubtedly, this was not the outcome Leyton desired.
However, Leyton was cunning!
He knew how difficult Liu Kai Xuan was to deal with, and it wasn't worth a fight over such a small island like Hero Island!
Since Liu Kai Xuan wanted to lease the island, Leyton decided to play hardball on the price.
Leyton directly made a sky-high demand, asking Liu Kai Xuan for a rental fee of one hundred million silver coins.
If Liu Kai Xuan agreed to pay the rent, Hero Island would be leased to him in its entirety.
If Liu Kai Xuan had any objections to the rental price, he was to immediately withdraw from Hero Island.
It was important to note that the Thunder Empire's silver coins were cast from pure silver!
One hundred million silver coins was equivalent to almost six hundred million Renminbi.
It was likely that Liu Kai Xuan, even after selling all his assets, would not be able to scrape together such a large sum of cash.
But Hero Island was a territory I took by my own ability; why should I give it up?
The established international convention was always: what cannot be obtained on the battlefield will never be obtained at the negotiating table.
If Leyton had the courage to use force, he wouldn't have stood by and watched the pirates occupy Hero Island for so long.
Since Leyton was unwilling to deal with the pirates, he naturally wouldn't come after Liu Kai Xuan.
After all, Liu Kai Xuan's combat capabilities were far superior to that motley crew of pirates.
This was not Liu Kai Xuan boasting, but a clear and present reality.
Liu Kai Xuan completely ignored Leyton's exorbitant demand.
In any case, Hero Island was currently under my actual control.
The immediate priority was to develop my forces comprehensively as soon as possible.
The first step was to build an airport on Hero Island.
In the short term, Liu Kai Xuan couldn't build fighter jets himself.
But it didn't matter; the airport's primary value was to provide a base for drones to take off and land.
This was crucial for combating pirates.
Both drones and manned aircraft had limitations in their range.
Without a stable base for resupply, Liu Kai Xuan's drone formations, flying from the mine to patrol, would have to cover over 200 kilometers round trip just to reach the patrol area.
This not only wasted a lot of energy but also severely hampered patrol efficiency.
But now, with Hero Island as a base, everything would be different.
Hero Island was situated almost in the heart of the Mannia Sea.
Reconnaissance planes taking off from Hero Island could easily cover the entire Mannia Sea.
By deploying two drone squadrons on alternating patrols, comprehensive monitoring of the gulf could be achieved.
This would enable the strategic objective of early detection and early strike against pirate forces.
The Royal Family of the Thunder Empire!
A short, thin old man in elaborate robes was tearfully complaining to Leyton.
"Your Majesty, you must uphold justice for me!"
"Hero Island (the official name of Ying Hai Dao) is my private fiefdom!"
"Liu Kai Xuan, in his arrogance and disregard for law, has brazenly seized my private fiefdom!"
"This is tantamount to challenging the dignity of our Thunder Empire; you must seek justice for me!"
Leyton nodded and replied, "Merkay, do not be so agitated!"
"Our royal coordination team is currently in communication with Liu Kai Xuan!"
"Our Thunder Empire's territory absolutely cannot fall into the hands of others!"
"Rest assured, I will ensure justice is served in this matter!"
"However, the situation is complex, and we need to be patient in resolving it!"
"Go back now and wait for news; I will handle this matter!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Merkay bowed to Leyton before leaving the palace.
After leaving the main hall, Leyton summoned his advisor, Grey Dog, to discuss strategies in detail.
Grey Dog, aware of Leyton's temperament, got straight to the point without preamble.
"Your Majesty, Grand Duke Merkay has been colluding with pirate forces for a long time!"
"He has committed heinous crimes and acted with impunity in the gulf region!"
"Public sentiment against him is extremely high, and the people are celebrating his downfall!"
"If we were to send troops to attack Liu Kai Xuan now, it would:"
"First, result in significant casualties for us!"
"Second, incite public resentment!"
"And thirdly, offer us no benefits whatsoever!"
"Therefore, my suggestion is to remain neutral and observe the situation!"
"Hmm!"
Leyton nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it is not suitable for us to directly intervene in the chaos on Hero Island at this time."
"The pirate forces represent the influence of the great nobles!"
"The existence of these forces poses a significant challenge to the empire's security!"
"Using Liu Kai Xuan's strength to suppress them can be considered a viable plan!"
Grey Dog continued, "Your Majesty, we must not underestimate Liu Kai Xuan either!"
"The strategy of pitting tigers against each other is good, but if not perfectly controlled, it could lead to nurturing a formidable enemy!"
"We must be cautious about this!"