“I was almost frightened to death when Black Star appeared just now.” The female secretary rolled her eyes. “This move of yours was truly too risky. Don’t do something like this again.”
“If not for me making this bold move, our ending would definitely have been terrible,” Iapetus said with a resolute gaze. “There’s no point to trying to guess the thoughts of a bigshot. Why not just give it a try? How could we know if the other party was willing to help us? We must take the initiative to seize opportunities!”
…
On the other side, Han Xiao’s arrival on Planet Ladbu had scared the few large families, and they were currently discussing what they should do next.
In the conference room, the family heads of the various families had solemn expressions on their faces, and the atmosphere was grave.
“Our information shows that Iapetus doesn’t have any background. Why would Black Star come and meet him?” one of the family heads asked with doubt.
“Our intelligence report must have missed something. Immediately check his relationship with Black Star! Before this, all our schemes against Iapetus must stop!” another family head roared.
Black Star’s arrival had disrupted all their plans, becoming an obstacle that they could not ignore. They had no choice but to consider Black Star’s attitude in their future plans.
Everyone present was not sure about the relationship between the two, and this was the misunderstanding that Iapetus wanted them to have.
With Black Star by his side, it would be impossible for them to assassinate him. If Iapetus was truly Black Star’s friend, they would be dead if they dared make a rash move.
These family heads could only do as they liked on this planet, but they were no different from ants when compared to Black Star.
Even if Black Star slaughtered them all, the universe would not be bothered by the matter. As a vassal of the dynasty, the central government would not stand up for them for sure.
Even if they died, no one would care about them!
“Thankfully, we stopped the assassination, but I’m afraid…” One of the family heads said with lingering fear in his heart.
“The current feudal lord is still a member of our family. We should first pay a visit to Black Star and try to fish for some information.”
…
A few hours later, the current feudal lord of Planet Ladbu visited Iapetus’ villa with plenty of gifts.
Even though Han Xiao was only the guest in this place, he seemed more like the owner of the villa. Iapetus did not dare reject the guests on behalf of Han Xiao and reported it to Han Xiao obediently.
The feudal lord of Planet Ladbu waited for a while outside the gate before being allowed to enter. He then suppressed his anxiety and arrived at the guest room.
However, he was immediately stunned upon entering the room. Han Xiao could not be seen in the room, and only an adorable girl was seated on the couch.
He then remembered that this girl was one of Black Star’s subordinates and sat opposite her obediently.
“You can let me know what you want.” Aurora tried her best to force out a solemn expression.
The Planet Ladbu feudal lord then chuckled and said with a fawning tone, “As the leader of Planet Ladbu, I would like to pay a visit to His Excellency Black Star and personally welcome him…”
“You don’t need to worry about that. His Excellency Black Star is not an individual that you can meet as and when you please.” Aurora waved her hands and mimicked the words and tone that Han Xiao had taught her. “You may leave if there isn’t anything else.”
The Planet Ladbu feudal lord refused to give up and tried probing Aurora a few more times. He only left after he noticed Aurora frowning.
After leaving the villa, his face became extremely ugly. He was unable to meet Black Star, but Iapetus was able to personally welcome Black Star. The meaning behind this made his heart sink.
…
With Han Xiao’s current position, many complicated matters became simple. Just his name and appearance were sufficient to frighten the various large families. They no longer dared act as they pleased, afraid that they might anger him. As such, they had no choice but to watch as Iapetus’ votes increased in number and had no way to stop Iapetus.
Han Xiao trained his energy and stayed on Planet Ladbu for a period of time. Very quickly, it was time for the election.
During the day of the election, Iapetus won by a landslide.
He then made a speech and went through plenty of ceremonies.
Night gradually came, and darkness descended.
A flying carrier moved slowly in the air, and Iapetus looked out of the window at the city.
His excitement from the day had died down, and upon thinking about the bigshot waiting for him at home, he could not feel happy.
His flying carrier stopped outside his door. Despite it being his own house, he was like a frightened beast in front of the house. Iapetus then took a deep breath and walked into the villa.
“You’re back?”
Just as he entered the door, he saw Aurora leaning against the wall, waiting for him in the hall. She then pointed up and smiled.
“He is waiting in the room for you.”
Iapetus then went up into the room nervously.
Han Xiao was the only one in the room and had his back facing the door. Without turning back, he knew that someone had arrived and said, “Come in and take a seat if you’re here.”
“Alright.”
The atmosphere in the room made Iapetus gulp, and he sat in front of Han Xiao.
Han Xiao then looked at Iapetus expressionlessly.
“Since you have succeeded, it is time to fulfil your promise.”
Iapetus heaved a sigh of relief and said respectfully, “I understand. I will immediately use my authority to work together with the Black Star Army and support the construction of a subdivision over here. I…”
Before he could finish, Han Xiao interrupted him. “I am not talking about this small matter.”
Iapetus felt his intestines tangle up.
Han Xiao then looked at him and said slowly, “Since the matter is completed, I shall speak openly. You borrowed my prestige to suppress the other great families, and this is only your motive on the surface. Your second motive was to obtain the support of the army through the subdivision constructed here to ensure that you can sit comfortably in the position of feudal lord.”
Iapetus fell silent upon hearing that.
That was indeed his plan.
The election was only the start. After running Planet Ladbu for so many years, the various large families controlled the officials of all levels. Even if he became the feudal lord, he would be no more than a puppet without authority. When Black Star left and the families investigated his relationship with Black Star, his life would be in danger.
Thus, he had to find a reliable backer.
Black Star, who was in the vicinity, had attracted his attention. As such, he hoped to make the Black Star Army his backer to stabilize his position of feudal lord.
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“What do you want?” Iapetus said with a dark expression.
Han Xiao looked at him and smiled. The oppressive atmosphere in the room also disappeared.
“Don’t be so nervous. I won’t harm you since I chose to help you.”
Iapetus also felt that those words made sense and eased up slightly.
Before Iapetus could catch his breath, Han Xiao’s next words made him freeze in place.
“Alright. You have played enough already. Pack up and follow me onto the spaceship.”
Iapetus’ expression froze in place.
Chapter 936 - Dealing with Sorokin
“What do you mean?” Shock could be seen on Iapetus’ face.“You should understand the Universal Language, right? I mean what I said. You are going to come with me.” Han Xiao looked at Iapetus with interest.“Are you joking? Leave with you?
” Iapetus was puzzled.“I am not joking with you. You will need to pay the price for my aid. Since you sought help from me, you will become a member of my Black Star Army and my subordinate as the price.”
“We never had such an agreement!” Iapetus stood up abruptly.
“Why do you think that I need to discuss terms with you?” Han Xiao raised his brows. “Since I am the one providing help, the conditions will naturally be decided by me. My condition is you. You are already one of my subordinates now.”
Iapetus’ face began to contort. He had never imagined that the other party actually wanted him!
All of a sudden, his heart was filled with a myriad of emotions. There was shock and frustration, and he even felt overwhelmed with favor.
Iapetus then replied in a deep voice, “I am sorry. I thank you for thinking highly of me, but I will not sell myself.”
“Why are you under the impression that you have a choice?”
Han Xiao could not help but laugh.
Compared to combat strength, management ability did not have a benchmark. One could only view an individual’s past records to make a judgement, and Han Xiao felt that Iapetus was a talent worthy of harvesting.
It wasn’t that Han Xiao thought extremely highly of Iapetus. There was no lack of management talents in the army, but having met a talent, he would just take Iapetus back with him since he was already there.
“I won’t be able to fight back if you want to force me, but will the famous Black Star do something like that?” Iapetus was completely helpless and could only attempt to persuade Han Xiao otherwise.
“Tsk, you seem to have gotten something wrong.”
Han Xiao then walked behind Iapetus and pressed down on his shoulder to get Iapetus to sit down.
“If this was an ordinary recruitment, I wouldn’t force anyone who rejects me. But the relationship between us is different. You wanted to make use of me and have already obtained benefits. Furthermore, you will still need the Black Star Army to help you stabilize your position. Thus, the initiative is in my hands. It can be said that I am your creditor.”
Han Xiao then retracted his smile and said calmly, “Since I am your creditor, I will decide how you should pay your debts and not how much money is in your wallet.”
Iapetus had nothing to say in response. This was obviously a forced transaction, but he had no way to reject a bigshot like Black Star.
Gritting his teeth, Iapetus said, “You should have mentioned beforehand that you wanted me to work for you. That way, I wouldn’t…”
Han Xiao interrupted Iapetus calmly. “Don’t forget that you were the one who took the initiative to seek help from me. You did not ask me for my conditions at all.”
Upon hearing that, Iapetus was completely speechless.
He had only hinted at Black Star about his intentions during the invitation. How could he openly ask the other party for his conditions? Should he have openly stated that he would not work for the other party? Would that not have been too shameless of him? How would he have known that Black Star would take a fancy to him‽
Now that things had developed to such a point, Iapetus had nowhere to go. Black Star already had the initiative, and if he insisted on rejecting Black Star, he was certain that the Black Star Army would work together with the other families. The situation was different from before. Before the election, he had nothing to lose, and the situation could not have become worse for him. Now that he had already obtained the position of feudal lord, Black Star’s attitude would determine the stability of his position. In fact, it even determined his life!
At this moment, Iapetus only had a single thought.
Just why do you think so highly of me? I will change!
Seeing Iapetus’ difficult expression, Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and intentionally lowered the tone of his voice.
“Do you really dislike the Black Star Army that much?”
Upon hearing that, Iapetus was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.
Iapetus had no choice but to admit that his future in the Black Star Army would definitely be brighter.
How could the feudal lord of an ordinary planet be compared to the personal recruitment of Black Star?
“I am not against the idea of joining the army. It is just that I didn’t only participate in the election for my future but also to do something for my mother planet,” Iapetus said with a sigh and briefly described his ambition.
He was born in an ordinary family and started everything from scratch. After he made his mark, he became dissatisfied with the corruption in his homeland and thus tried to use many ways to wipe out the corruption in his homeland.
“You can still continue to be your planet’s feudal lord while serving me,” Han Xiao then replied.
“Then, I really cannot leave with you. How can I leave after being elected?” Iapetus said with difficulty. “Can you give me a few years to iron out matters here?”
“You do not have the right to negotiate with me.” Han Xiao chuckled. “Even if you are not on Planet Ladbu, you can still manage it from afar. With my support, no one will be able to shake your position even if you aren’t present.”
Upon seeing that he still had something to say, Han Xiao did not bother bargaining with Iapetus and said while leaving the room, “I don’t care how you take care of it, but I will only give you three days. You will leave with me when the time is up.”
Looking at Han Xiao’s retreating back, Iapetus sat in silence, and his face was extremely bitter.
His worst nightmare had come true. It was truly easier to invite a wolf into his house than send it away. Before he even warmed the seat of feudal lord, he would have to leave and sell himself away.
I’m so tired. I truly regret it… I shouldn’t have provoked such a bigshot.
…
Three days later, Iapetus stood in front of the hatch with a complicated look on his face.
He then let out a sigh and looked at his secretary, who had a reluctant look on her face. “I will have to trouble you when I am not around.”
After three days of making arrangements, Iapetus decided to make his trusted secretary his spokesperson to help him manage Planet Ladbu. With the support of the Black Star Army, her personal safety was guaranteed.
Although he was not very willing, he had no choice.
His secretary stepped forward and gave Iapetus a hug. She could only watch as the situation turned out as such, and she had no strength to prevent Iapetus from being dragged away.
“You… be careful,” Iapetus’ secretary said with worry on her face.
Upon hearing that, Iapetus could not help but laugh bitterly. If he followed Black Star, not to mention other things, his safety definitely would not be an issue.
He then suppressed his emotions and headed toward the spaceship and his unknown future.
…
News of their new leader leaving was not kept a secret, and all the large families were extremely shocked.
Is he leaving the third day after the election? Just what is this‽
After a series of investigations, the various large families understood what had happened. They found out that Iapetus had become a member of the Black Star Army and was taken away. He had left his secretary behind to maintain his control over the planet.
Iapetus had the support of the Black Star Army, and none of them could fight back. However, Iapetus’ actions did not conform to the rules. The local leader of a colonial planet was not allowed to join another organization. This was to prevent the colonial planet from being controlled by other organizations.
All of them then made a plan and made use of their network to report this matter to the central government. They did not have any way to deal with Iapetus, but the civilization’s government could. They would be able to take away Iapetus’ title of feudal lord by using the reason of ‘sensitive identity’ and have an official take over the position.
In their eyes, although the Black Sta
r Army was powerful, they did not have the right to interfere with the internal affairs of a civilization.
Since they could not provoke Black Star, they could only choose to employ such methods.
This civilization had stopped progressing many years ago, and many of their officials were corrupt and easy to deal with. These large families could not do anything to Iapetus, but they were still confident about roping in such an official. The situation definitely would not be worse than it was right now.
After the central government found out about this, they immediately fell into a dilemma.
Such an action had gone against their laws, but they could not afford to provoke Han Xiao. After some discussion, they could only force Iapetus to make a choice. He could choose to give up his identity as a member of the Black Star Army or give up the title of feudal lord.
Iapetus would want to return to his home planet, but he had no choice. However, he was not resigned to give up the title of feudal lord and could only report the matter to Han Xiao.
Since he had roped the other party into his army, Han Xiao did not mind increasing the loyalty of this newbie. As such, he immediately made a call to the Crimson Dynasty.
The effect of this call was obvious. A few days later, this Star System Civilization retracted their orders and pretended that nothing had happened.
This time, the several large families of Planet Ladbu were truly helpless. Black Star’s authority made all their plans useless, and they could only accept their fate obediently.
This Star System Civilization was a vassal of the Crimson Dynasty. With Han Xiao’s status in the dynasty, a single call was enough to resolve this problem.
However, Han Xiao was clear that this method would only work on the vassal civilizations of the dynasty. If it was a neutral Star System Civilization, his fame would be useless.
An outsider interfering with the internal affairs of a civilization was already taboo and touched the bottom line of a civilization. His status was indeed high up as an ally of the dynasty, and he was respected by the various Star System Civilizations. But respect was one thing, and no civilization would compromise on their principles.
The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385 Page 632
