by <unknown>
"Hehe, now that I was bold enough to return to the Imperium on my own, I certainly had my own reliance, and how could I have succumbed so easily? After I escaped from the capital, it occurred to me that the powerful people in the capital were not on the same boat as the people who rose from the peripheral worlds of the Imperium after all. I should've listened to Di Feiwen and come to talk with Jin Yuyan and the rest of you sooner!"
The few senior managers looked at each other and asked, "May we ask what business you want to talk with Director Jin about?"
"I do not 'want' to talk with him; the deal has already been made. It's about the reconstruction of the abandoned worlds at the edge of the cosmos!"
Li Yao said, "We collected a lot of confidential files from Firefly during the campaign to eliminate the government-in-exile of the Star Ocean Republic. As it turned out, Firefly found dozens of abandoned Sectors in the past hundred years. Now, the coordinates of those worlds are in the hands of the Black Wind Fleet. In fact, most of the habitable planets have undestroyed atmospheres and acceptable industrial infrastructures. They can be easily rebuilt with a tiny bit of initial capital and labor.
"Furthermore, according to the files of prospection on Firefly, some abandoned worlds even had primeval relics below the ground. If any of them is found luckily, the cost to build ten Sectors will be covered!
"Also, like I said just now, I have just conquered a few remote worlds of barbarians. Although those worlds are barren, they do have comfortable sunlight and atmospheres. The aggressive barbarians are qualified warriors too. There are also many mother lodes deep below the ground that are beyond the abilities of the barbarians to excavate, but things will be different with the advanced technologies of the Imperium."
The more the Immortal Cultivators listened, the further they craned their necks.
Li Yao blinked his eyes and sniffed. "To be honest, I wasn't going to share the coordinates and the development rights with anyone. After all, the Black Wind Fleet carried tremendous colonization starships and population. With a few hundred years, we can digest as many barbaric worlds or abandoned worlds as possible.
"However, after I discovered the subtle situation in the Imperium, I changed my mind and began to consider making a deal with some capable partners with parts of the coordinates and development rights."
Chapter 2546: Nonexistent Agreement |
The eyes of the senior manager were glittering, and he rubbed his mustache to cover his cramping lips. He asked, "What kind of deal are we talking about, Black Wind King?"
Glancing at the four senior managers, Li Yao smiled casually. "Do I need to say it out, everyone? If you cannot see what deal I'm trying to negotiate with you as the senior managers of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors, I'll be starting to wonder if you are qualified and smart enough to accomplish the unprecedented deal."
The four senior managers were slightly stunned. Then, another senior manager who was younger hurried to say, "How can we not know what is on the Black Wind King's mind? Although you have discovered almost a hundred abandoned worlds at the edge of the Imperium, learning their coordinates and developing them profoundly are two wholly different things!
"You only have the colonization resources and population of five Sectors, which may not be sufficient even for the construction of the barbaric worlds, much less rebuilding even more Sectors.
"Therefore, the coordinates of those abandoned Sectors, for the Black Wind King, are just ducks hanging high in the sky, greasy, fragrant, but unreachable!"
"Exactly!"
The second senior manager jumped out, with a look of "I've totally seen you through" on his face. With a cunning smile, he said, "We are all smart people. Why don't we stop beating around the bush? I assume that the Black Wind King never really intended to rebuild those abandoned worlds in hundreds of years through hard work, did you? There will be too many variables during the hundreds of years. Besides, the experts of the Black Wind Fleet, with their tough and brutal nature, are the most excellent warriors, but they are not the dutiful and diligent pioneers!
"Instead of spending hundreds of years working on the uncertainties, it may be a better option to pack up those abandoned planets and sell them at a good price, earning more concrete benefits—the Black Wind King must've snuck back into the Imperium with such an intention, right? Only a critical business like that deserves you to come in person. If you are only here to investigate the latest situation of the Imperium, the mission could've been carried out by any random expert."
"However, the moment the Black Wind King returned to the Imperium, you were involved in mayhem and realized that the Imperium today was on the brink of falling apart if not complete destruction. Heroes like the Black Wind King were needed more than ever to save the day!"
The third senior manager said confidently, "If I were the Black Wind King, I would've been a hundred times more ambitious too. The abandoned worlds at the edge of the cosmos may be good, but how can they be compared to the Black Wind King's homeland?
"Trading the coordinates and development rights of the abandoned worlds for the five worlds including the Black Wind Sector or even more developed worlds around… Or taking over the banner of the reformists and becoming the hero who revives the Imperium, to be remembered by all future generations… That's what the Black Wind King and the Black Wind Fleet want!"
"It is a pity—"
The old senior manager concluded, "—that the queen did not seem fond of ambitious heroes like the Black Wind King. Or rather, the reformists only have one banner, which is to be carried by one person ahead of all the other Immortal Cultivators. Therefore, a… minor misunderstanding happened between the two of you. Then, the Black Wind King came here to negotiate with the 'old friends' of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors for cooperation!"
The four senior managers were all the most experienced and smart guys. Although Li Yao said only a few words, they had inferred his intentions in a reasonable and convincing way. The managers, shareholders, and investors around all nodded their heads in agreement.
Li Yao's eyes were popping out as he stared at the four senior managers without blinking.
It was not until the four senior managers were almost creeped out that he finally cackled and clapped his hands, raising his thumbs at the senior managers. "Haha, hahahaha! Impressive, very impressive! Do you know why I like the smart people of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors? Because you are all f*cking geniuses! Communicating with you does not need any effort. I do not even need to open my mouth for you to know what I am thinking. It's almost like you've all practiced mind reading before!
"Then, let's cut the crap. Do you think the business is acceptable?"
The senior managers looked at each other and then at the other managers and shareholders on the seats around. Seeing that everybody was fascinated and deep in thought, they knew that the participants were already tempted and were simply evaluating how much profits the Black Wind King had to offer.
"If I may ask the Black Wind King—"
The old senior manager asked cautiously, "The coordinates of how many abandoned worlds are stored in Firefly's database? Also, what are the specifications of the barbaric worlds that you conquered? What's the quantity of population, resources, and money needed for the first period of development, and how long will it take for them to be returned? Also, if we are going to establish new sailing routes between the homeland and the edge of the cosmos, are there suitable jump points? What about the fuel consumption on the way? We cannot talk about the business without knowing the details first.
"Also, more importantly of all, if the Black Wind King is generously offering the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors such a great gift, what do you want from us in return?
"What I want is very simple. Like what you said just now, what I want first is the five worlds including the Black Wind Sector. As the hometown of many experts in the Black Wind Fleet, they are of paramount significance and mu
st not fall to the hands of other people."
Li Yao said coldly and demandingly, "Also, after we do crush the four Kurfürst families and reestablish the Imperium, I will have the returns that are due for me. I do not care about being remembered by the future generations, but it won't be an outrageous request to expand the scale of the Black Wind Fleet by a couple of times, right?"
The senior managers shook their heads at the same time. "No, not at all."
"Hmm…"
Satisfied, Li Yao nodded his head. "In exchange, since I am not interested in the trivia about the reconstruction of the abandoned worlds or the operation and colonization, is it really a problem to entrust all the affairs to the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors? I don't care about the specific details. All in all, I have only one price, for everyone to benefit from this! I have no family or friends after returning to the Imperium after a hundred years. Now that we have met each other today by the arrangement of fate, everybody here will be my best friend. Since you are my best friends, we should eat meat and make fortunes together without leaving anyone behind, right?"
Everyone's eyes were glittering like burning holes because of his declaration.
"Speaking of which, since we are best friends, reciprocity should naturally be honored."
Li Yao narrowed his eyes, his voice filled with the most intense stink of blood. "The distribution of the duck is for the next step. For now, we have to stick together and defeat the four Kurfürst families first! Otherwise, we will not be cutting the duck but will be cut as ducks before getting split and swallowed by other people!
"I do not worry about it too much. After all, I have my Black Wind Fleet. Even if the four Kurfürsten were to learn about what I did, I'm afraid that they would have to turn a blind eye to it and show me some respect. But I don't think everybody here can escape the disaster. Hehehehe!"
His crazy laughter made everybody look awful again.
"Since we have joined the cause to renew the Imperium, we have put aside our own ending, and we will certainly fight with our best. Please rest assured about that, Black Wind King."
The old senior manager was still not letting it go. "However, if you could reveal some of the details of the enormous business you talked about, Black Wind King, I'm sure that it will significantly boost the morale."
"Is that so?"
Li Yao frowned and said rather impatiently, "That's what Jin Yuyan said too. He pestered me for three days and three nights until my head was dizzy before we finalized the details into a secret agreement. You'll know them after you take out the agreement and read it."
"Well—"
The old senior manager was stunned for a moment. Then he said with a bitter smile, "Black Wind King, you should know that our Director Jin has unfortunately perished. Where can we find the secret agreement that he signed with you?"
"It's simple. Jin Yuyan had been paranoid and worried that somebody was going to murder him. In case of accidents, he told me the place where the secret agreement was kept as well as the retrieval code."
Li Yao said, "He stored the secret agreement in your central trade database, with four retrieval codes and three other safety measures, namely… Huh, Manager Qi, your face is so awful that you almost look like a hanged man. Is there a problem?"
Qi Yuanbao was too shocked by what Li Yao said to control himself. He cried subconsciously, "Lies! Lies! You are telling lies! This whole thing is highly illogical! How could our Director Jin have told an outsider the place where the signed secret agreement was kept and the way to retrieve it? Why didn't he tell other directors or his wife? That is simply too weird!"
"Fair enough. Now that you put it in such a way, it is indeed weird and illogical!"
Li Yao said quickly, "Then, in order to prove my innocence, why don't you retrieve the document that I talked about and see for yourselves? The truth will immediately be out."
"Well—"
Qi Yuanbao was more than angry. "How can the secret documents of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors be read by any random outsider?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm not interested in your secret documents at all."
Li Yao smiled and said, "I'm aware that under normal circumstances, only your director is qualified to open the central trade database. However, in emergencies, five senior managers can open it too, if they unlock it together.
"Then, I would like the five of you to check whether the document that I talked about a moment ago is a secret agreement… or something else."
Chapter 2547: Inescapable Soul! |
Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua!
The other four senior managers, as well as all the other managers, shareholders, and investors, stared at Qi Yuanbao.
Wuying Qinxin stood nearby, overwhelmed. The big shots that belonged to the "Wuying group" were rendered speechless too.
"Manager Qi."
The old senior manager said, "What do you think of the Black Wind King's suggestion?"
"I-I… He's lying! Trust me, he has told the greatest lie!"
Qi Yuanbao couldn't have felt more wronged. Bashing his chest, he said, "He is not the Black Wind King at all. He's fake! Fake!"
"We have checked the jade chips, medals, warship structures, and star maps that the Black Wind King brought over. Everything is authentic without the slightest flaw."
The old senior manager said peacefully, "If you think otherwise, you are free to check them yourself. Speaking of which, you said so yourself a moment ago, that the Black Wind King was too strong and the Colossus was too finely-made to be products of the Imperium today, didn't you? Isn't it another proof of the Black Wind King's identity?"
"Well…"
Lost for words, Qi Yuanbao blushed and said, "Perhaps it was not the Black Wind Fleet that destroyed Firefly, but Firefly that destroyed the Black Wind Fleet! That's how he got the items! He… He's not an Immortal Cultivator but a Cultivator!"
Everybody was amused by what he said.
Holding his arms, Li Yao sniffed. "Manager Qi, I did not know that you were so imaginative. How strong was the Black Wind Fleet, and how strong was Firefly? Even if the Black Wind Fleet lost most of the starships in a cosmic storm and had only a tiny branch fleet left, Firefly still couldn't have resisted it! I am a Cultivator? Haha, hahahaha. It's truly the joke of the year!"
"Yes, I'm saying that you are a Cultivator!"
Like a lunatic, Qi Yuanbao pointed at Li Yao's nose and demanded, "If you want to prove that you are not a Cultivator, just kill a random person!"
"That's not a problem. Bring your family here, and I'll mince each and every one of them."
Li Yao's eyes were suddenly even colder than ice. Like the god of slaughter who had just crawled out of the deepest level of hell, he said, one word after another, "However, why don't you retrieve the document and take a look at it first? I can kill your family after that. You seem very reluctant to let other people see the document. Why?"
"Yes, Manager Qi, it's just a document that only the five of us can check. It won't harm anybody. Why are you so nervous?"
The old manager appeared more and more suspicious as he stared at Qi Yuanbao. "I didn't want to talk about it in front of so many managers and shareholders, but you are really acting weird today. Is there anything clandestine about the document? Even if there is, are the four of us not qualified to learn about it either?"
"Of course not. Trust me! You have to trust me!"
Qi Yuanbao was like a desperate dog that had been pushed into a corner. His forehead was covered with beads of sweat and his body was shivering hard as he cried hoarsely, "He's not the Black Wind King at all and not even an Immortal Cultivator, but an out-and-out Cultivator! Also, the incident in 'Manjusaka, the City in the Sky' was done by him too! I guarantee with my head that he was the perpetrator. It was he who ruined the work of so many investors!"
Everybody was shocked at what he said!
Li Yao, however, raised his neck and burst into laughter. "I've never seen anyone a
s insane and crazy as you. You are biting like a rabid dog now that you are doomed, aren't you? Blaming the destruction of 'Manjusaka, the City in the Sky' on me? Why don't you say that Emperor Shenwu was assassinated by me?
"I stand by what he said. If you accuse me of being a Cultivator or even the culprit who destroyed 'Manjusaka, the City in the Sky', I can defend myself later. But first things first, why do you insist on not retrieving the document? Is the document not the secret agreement between Jin Yuyan and me, but one between you and… the four Kurfürst families?"
The indictment was like a thunder on a sunny day, electrocuting everyone's soul.
The other four senior managers immediately grew hostile. Making gestures, they hinted to the soldiers who were loyal to them to scatter and watch over those loyal to Qi Yuanbao.
The soldiers loyal to Qi Yuanbao, and even the former members of "Life Claimer", the assassin group, were mostly not involved in Qi Yuanbao's scheme. They had no idea what was going on at all when other people took precautions against them.
Seeing that their leader was stuttering impassively, as if he had truly done something wrong, how could they have any morale to fight?
"Manager Qi, the Black Wind King does have a point."
The old senior manager said solemnly, "It won't take much time to condense our soul signatures and retrieve a document. Whatever you want to say, let's wait until we read the document, shall we?"
Qi Yuanbao looked at everybody, as well as Wuying Qinxin who was hiding in a corner, and then at Li Yao hatefully. He nodded his head heavily. "Alright. I don't know anything about any document. Why shouldn't we?
"However, there are too many people here, and the secret may be leaked. Let's go to a more confidential room to check it!"
"About that…"
The old senior manager looked at Li Yao.
Li Yao made a "be my guest" gesture.
The five senior managers discussed for a while and then boarded on the same giant floating disc, descending to the space below the grand conference room.
