by <unknown>
“Iapetus already had someone investigate. The Limitless Financial Group’s businesses are all stable. They’ve even achieved new records in some fields. Their capital flow is very healthy, but they’re just not paying us.”
“How much exactly?”
“There is a total of thirty-four projects. The total amount owed is 48.2 billion Enas. You…”
Before Sylvia finished, Han Xiao’s eyes widened, and he stopped her.
“Yoho, this b*stard dares to not pay up. I’ll speak with him personally.”
Then, Han Xiao found Sorokin’s private number and called on the spot.
It rang for a while before being picked up. Sorokin’s projection appeared on the screen. His enthusiastic-on-the-surface voice sounded.
“Your Excellency Black Star, what a rare treat. I was just thinking why I am in such a good mood today. It turns out I’ve got an honorable guest. Can I do anything for you?”
“Nothing much, I just heard you owe me quite a lot of money, so I’m here to hurry you to pay up.”
Han Xiao raised his brows.
Sorokin instantly looked troubled. He then said with a very sincere and helpless tone, “Sigh, the consortium is not doing well. Our capital flow is tight right now. You know, for people who have large businesses like us, we have to spend billions every day. I really don’t have the money now.”
“Stop lying. You think my finances department is a joke? The report on our side says you’re doing very well. You even expanded quite a lot of businesses, and you’re still telling me you have no money?”
“It’s exactly because we’re expanding our businesses. We’re spending more money to open up new channels, and it’s costing more money that I expected, so I really don’t have the money.”
“Bullsh*t. Don’t blame me for not reminding you. If you don’t pay up in the agreed period, you’ll have to pay for liquidated damages. Don’t regret it then… By the way, I heard some time ago that you were trying to poach Iapetus’s team with a high salary. Is that true?”
“Hehe, I’m a businessman. These are all normal business operations. Don’t take it to heart.”
The two of them went back and forth a few more rounds, and Sorokin was still not saying he would pay up.
Seeing Sorokin’s unusual responses, Han Xiao had some guesses in his mind. He suddenly said meaningfully, “Looks like this is not a business issue. It seems we’re having some problems in terms of our positions.”
Hearing this, Sorokin smiled faintly and said, “I thought we’d work well together, but I seem to be wrong…”
Both used very ambiguous words because they did not want to leave any evidence, but they both understood what the other meant.
Ever since Han Xiao reported Sorokin’s oddness to the dynasty using the opportunity when Gaud went missing, Sorokin had been investigated and targeted by the dynasty both on the surface and secretly. In the past two years, he had needed to be careful, scared, and worried all the time. It was very irritating.
At the start, Sorokin thought the dynasty was just investing all suspicious personnel, so he put up with it. However, the dynasty’s recent actions had made him feel more and more like something was not right. Through his connections, he asked around and shockingly discovered that the dynasty’s motive for investigating him was actually because they doubted his identity.
Currently, Black Star was the only person in the entire universe who knew about his secret. Initially, the Limitless Financial Group partnered with Black Star to shut him up. However, Black Star having exposed his secret to the dynasty was the only possible reason the dynasty was targeting him now. Sorokin was furious.
Since Sorokin was already betrayed, he did not want the Black Star Army to continue draining blood from the Limitless Financial Group.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be off. Hehe, I still have other things to attend to.”
Sorokin gave a fake smile and hung up.
The screen turned black. Han Xiao put the communicator away with a snicker.
He did this on purpose to force Sorokin to expose his identity. He was curious about how Sorokin would deal with it.
“You thought I was just messing with you, but I’m actually hoping you’ll lose your cool. If you fight me, that’d be for the best. Beating you up would be justifiable.”
Han Xiao’s eyes flickered as he chuckled.
Sorokin’s identity was similar to Gaud’s. It was a form of protection for them. However, Han Xiao dared to touch Gaud because his level was much higher, and he could see all of Gaud’s abilities, so he had the confidence to take him down. Sorokin was different; his level was higher than Han Xiao’s even now. Han Xiao still saw a ton of question marks on the interface and did not know what Sorokin was hiding. Han Xiao was worried about messing up.
Most importantly, getting rid of Gaud was because Gaud was involved in a matter that was way too big to be ignored. If he did not do it, everyone would be done for. As for Sorokin, his importance was not as high, so Han Xiao did not want to break the association’s rules because of personal beef. This was the bit of virtue he had.
Of course, this was only limited to not attacking him first. If Sorokin came at him, Han Xiao would not mind playing ‘Welcome to the Black Underworld’ for him.
…
As soon as the call was hung up, Sorokin’s expression turned gloomy.
He was a little regretful. He felt he should not have hesitated when his identity was pointed out by Black Star back then; he should have eliminated this threat as soon as possible.
Although gathering all Soul Seeds would cause this body to be destroyed, and he would lose this identity, letting Black Star be would still risk losing this identity.
Since he would definitely lose a ton of things no matter what, he might as well drag Black Star down.
Although he was furious, he was still hesitant. He was worried that he might be blowing the matter out of proportion, but he was also worried about if he could actually defeat Black Star.
“No matter what, I have to make backup plans. I need to find a way to inherit part of the Limitless Financial Group’s enormous funds. If the cash flow is too large, it’ll attract attention even if I use the black-market channels. It’s best to turn the funds into actual items…”
Sorokin clenched his teeth.
Whether he was going to do it or not, preparing a way to back off was definitely not wrong.
“Black Star’s body is indestructible. His soul is his only weakness, but even that is speaking relatively. He has peak Beyond Grade A mind resistance at the very least. Killing him is extremely difficult. He has the King, so exiling him into the unexplored universe will also not work. Based on my ability and the Universal Treasures I’ve secretly collected, only one plan has a comparatively high success rate, heavily damaging or sealing his soul so that he has to go into a long-term hibernation state.
“To do that, I’d best retrieve the Soul Flame. Only then will the success rate be higher. I wonder if the Soul Flame has a master now. If it has, I can only kill him and retrieve it…”
…
A few days later, the dynasty and the Black Star Army agreed on a date for the inspection. They sent emissaries and headed to the Flickering World from the Central Galaxy.
The dynasty’s inspection team had to spend quite some time on the way, so Han Xiao told the troops stationed on the hundreds of residential planets of the Kunde Race to spread the message that the inspection team would arrive soon. He told them that they could be freed if they performed well.
Originally, inspections were usually carried out secretly. Once the inspection target knew about it in advance, in order to be freed earlier, they might ‘cheat’. This had happened before.
This time, however, the dynasty did not react at all, as letting the Kunde Race out earlier was also their secret goal. Although what Han Xiao had done went against the rules, it matched what the dynasty wanted to achieve, so they turned a blind eye. Han Xiao
, too, wanted to free the Kunde Race as soon as possible so that he could acquire the mission reward.
Both sides were trying to achieve their goal. The difference was that Han Xiao knew what the dynasty was thinking, but the dynasty did not know what his goal was.
The news that the inspection team would soon arrive spread out rapidly on every Kunde Race residential planet. The Kunde Race, who had spent their days meaninglessly, suddenly saw hope.
…
Kunde Race Residential Planet No.77, South of Sigaia City, Apartment F0044’s rooftop…
Barton stood tall and looked over the entire city. Tall, rectangular apartments were neatly placed with the same height, shape, and distance between each other, like metal coffins. The city gave off a strong industrial vibe. The sky was dark, and the dawn hid behind the clouds, painting the city a depressed yellow.
Barton could not remember how many times he had seen this boring, forever the same, and depressed scenery. In his eyes, this was no city; it was more of a large prison.
Piercing cold wind swept past, bringing the voice behind.
“Brother Barton, the news said this is the first time the Crimson Dynasty inspection team has visited. Can we really leave here?”
Hearing this, Barton turned around. Hundreds of people stood on the rooftop, all young Kunde Race members.
He stayed silent for a while before nodding slowly.
“Definitely!”
They were all children of the residents in this apartment, born in the ‘Age of the Big Lockdown’. Barton was the oldest. He was the acknowledged leader of all the youngsters there.
During the cultural transformation, everything in their lives was arranged. Their residence was arranged, and their neighbors were arranged. Leaving the house had to be reported to the local artificial intelligence management system, and they could only leave the area after it was approved. Everything they did was monitored.
The Kunde Race was not allowed to develop their technology. The only thing they could pass around was part of the Super knowledge, which came from the Black Star Army. The Black Star Army saw the Kunde Race as its talent reserve, so it did not want them to all become useless shut-ins.
The cultural transformation involved many aspects, including their daily necessities, the news they saw, the education they were given, and so on. After more than two decades, this had already become the norm of the Kunde Race’s lives. They were receiving this information every day, and their mindsets changed subconsciously.
However, for the first batch of newborns during the Age of the Big Lockdown, the glory of the Kunde Race in the past only existed in words. They could not imagine it. While being educated in public schools, they were also influenced by the lingering hatred of the previous generations at the same time.
Some of the seniors who experienced the Kunde Race’s defeat still had hatred buried deep in their bones, warning the younger generations to never forget about it. Some chose not to speak of it, to let the newer generations leave the past behind. Only then would their race be freed one day and have a new future.
Living on a planet in lockdown, a society that was depressed, and between divided beliefs, this generation was lost. No one knew where the path ahead led.
Now, the arrival of the dynasty’s inspection team finally made them see something that was more important than anything else—hope.
Barton looked past the eyes filled with hope and said with a deep voice, “We might only have this one chance in our life… Anyone who causes problems will be a sinner to the entire race.”
A young man sighed and said, “Brother Barton, maybe we won’t cause any problems, but as you know, there are too many others who still are blinded by hatred just in this apartment… This is probably not what the inspection team wants to see.”
Barton stayed silent for a while. He then slowly raised the pliers in his hands. Tiny electric sparks danced on his skin, and he softly said, “Someone will have to take the lead. We still have time to prepare. Go, talk to everyone in the apartment who is still filled with hatred. For the entire race, I believe they’ll make the right choice.
“If there’s anyone who is really blinded and twisted by hatred, not willing to make any change, a burden to everyone…”
Barton paused. Colors representing pain appeared on his carapace.
“Kill them, even if they’re our family.”
Chapter 1238: Inspection and Conclusion |
After a long journey through Star Fields, the dynasty’s inspection team finally arrived at Black Star Palace and met with Han Xiao in the guest room.
“Greetings, Your Excellency Black Star. We’re the emissaries for this Kunde Race inspection.”
A group of dynasty officers walked into the room with synchronized footsteps. The group leader reached out his hand, his tone respectful.
Han Xiao shook his hand and invited them to sit. They briefly introduced themselves and took out the documents for the main topic.
“Currently, there are 113 residential planets for the Kunde Race, with a population of trillions. The dynasty colonial review department gave us the allocation for twenty-five planets to open up for this time. This is the maximum allocation, not a fixed one. If no planet reaches the standard, we can also choose not to open up any planets.”
“At most, a quarter of the population can be freed, got it.” Han Xiao nodded.
Every planet of the Kunde Race was locked down separately and had no communication with each other. Therefore, the progress of the cultural transformation for each planet was different. Choosing the planets with higher progress was the job of the inspection team.
Although the dynasty had other goals and the inspection team was most probably just a standard procedure, a standard was still required. If the results were really too far below the standard, they would choose not to free them.
The few of them spoke for a while. Han Xiao called the army’s patrol team over and told the two sides to discuss the details while he left the room.
Of course, he only had to show his face and express his attitude. He did not have to take care of the details.
Han Xiao returned to his office. Not long after, he received a message from Phillip saying that the dynasty’s inspection team and the army’s patrol team had decided on the details, already boarded the spaceships, and left Black Star Palace to get to work.
“Check the current status of the various Kunde Race planets.” Han Xiao told Phillip to bring up the related information.
He did not have the time to keep an eye on the transformation progress of the Kunde Race all the time. Now that the inspection team had arrived, only then did he decide to carefully go through the current status of the various Kunde Race planets. He could also see the effects of him notifying them in advance so that he could be prepared.
On the hovering virtual screen, the records of the Kunde Race planets flashed past one after another, and Phillip spoke on the side.
“Master, hum… according to the statistics, after the news of the inspection team arriving was announced, the overall state of the Kunde Race planets changed. The trend of anti-dynasty opinions decreased by forty-six percent on average, and the average percentage of haters decreased from thirty-two percent to seven percent. However, the security of some planets decreased. Murders occurred frequently. Some haters were killed by their own…”
“Killing their own race… looks like the arrival of the inspection team gave them hope. The more than twenty-year-long lockdown led them to fully understand that opening up the lockdown is the only way out for the race. Some of them treasure this chance, so they’ve started to eliminate the stubborn ones.”
“That’s right, hum…”
“That’s quite sensible and all, but… this might achieve the opposite effect.”
Han Xiao scratched his chin.
By sacrificing the minority and eliminating the stubborn ones to show obedience, at a glance, this was for the sake of the entire race, quite noble eve
n.
However, the dynasty looked at things from a different perspective—too much yearning for freedom represented a strong motive. Killing one of their own meant a new chain of hate was formed. According to the normal inspection standards, this was a sign of the transformation not being thorough enough, which meant that the lockdown would have to continue.
However, since the dynasty had decided to carry out the inspection so many years in advance, they clearly knew that this would happen. Han Xiao estimated that the standard would probably be very low, so this might achieve positive effects.
…
For the next few months, the dynasty inspection team visited one Kunde Race planet after another, filling up their inspection records.
…
The double-sided mirror split Sigaia City Prison’s interrogation room in two. On one side was the interrogation room where the criminal was in, and on the other was the surveillance room.
At this time, the dynasty inspection team stood in the surveillance room. The team leader held a set of documents in his hands, glancing from time to time at the Kunde Race member inside the interrogation room who was cuffed up everywhere. He slowly read the content of the documents.
“Barton, age 22, Mechanic Super, graduate of Sigaia City First Super Academy with excellent results. Talented, achieved Grade C last year, reason of imprisonment… murder and organizing murder. A total of 126 people died by his order. Also, he personally killed seven more, including his family.
“The victims were all haters according to the records. He claimed that this was to eliminate the stubborn members… When the marshals found him, he stopped his accomplices who tried to fight back. He chose not to resist and took responsibility for all the crimes.”
“Tsk tsk, how unflinching.” The Black Star Army patrol team leader tutted.
The dynasty inspection officer finished reading the report, cleared his throat, and opened up the comms. “Barton, you ordered others to murder, committing horrible sins. Is your goal to deal with the dynasty’s inspection?”
Barton’s eyes were closed, and he did not reply.
