Super Mothership
Chairman Cruze cast a meaningful glance at the sea-tribe representative who had just spoken.
**“As for the negotiation process, I fear that many here are far more familiar with the details than I am. Whether that one ton of energy crystals counts as a bribe—due to my position, I am not in a place to make such a guarantee.
However, if anyone believes there’s something shady about it, I don’t mind forming a special investigation committee once again. And, to demonstrate the Cruze family’s innocence, the committee leader will be the very person who raised the accusation. What do you all think?”**
Faced with Cruze’s half-smile, his eyes filled with a certain playful sharpness, the senior sea-tribe officer who had just accused Arthas felt his heart skip a beat.
He remembered well the last time, during the Solar System incident, when Parliament had sent an inspection team to investigate Arthas. They had even used truth serum—but instead of incriminating Arthas, it was Gustav, a mere bystander, who took the fall.
And the sea-tribe officer who had led that investigation had it even worse. Not only did he cause a huge mess for his own military, but because he had treated Arthas unfairly with truth serum, Chairman Cruze later found an excuse to have him reassigned to some godforsaken corner of nowhere.
With such a precedent, it was clear that neither the elder nor the younger members of the Cruze family were people to trifle with!
He already regretted speaking out, realizing he had foolishly made himself the target.
At that moment, Clan Leader Assad gave a light cough and spoke up.
**“Ahem! Everyone saw how Gustav targeted Arthas beforehand! Now that Gustav has betrayed us, it only further proves Arthas’s unwavering political stance.
Moreover, given the unfavorable state of the battlefield at the time, to have secured such negotiation terms was already no small feat. Even the finest negotiation experts within our civilization likely could not have done better than Arthas.”**
Though the Assad and Cruze political families had long been rivals, in the neighboring star systems Isabela and Arthas stood as allies. Where mutual interests aligned, Assad had no problem cooperating with Cruze.
A prior political exchange of benefits had even brought their two families into something of a honeymoon phase.
The ability to switch between ally and rival as circumstances demanded—that too was a hallmark of a seasoned politician.
“Indeed! Arthas’s performance in these negotiations is plain for all to see. Such accusations are nothing more than irresponsible slander!”
“I’ve heard that the professors and experts at the Capital Academy praised this negotiation highly, calling it a textbook example of psychological bargaining. And yet someone dares to call it a failure? Why don’t you go try it yourself, then?”
“…”
Following Assad, Cruze’s allies also voiced their support.
By now, Cruze had become deeply entrenched in Parliament, his power solidified. He was gradually consolidating the political strength of the Winged Tribe under his banner—gone were the days of being isolated and vulnerable at the start of his term.
Surrounded by the united voices of the Winged Tribe’s factions, the sea-tribe officer who had just raised doubts squirmed in his seat, feeling like he was sitting on needles. Desperately, he turned for help to a white-haired sea-tribe elder with a long goat beard.
“Ahem!” The elder gave a deliberate cough, and the chamber immediately fell silent, a sign of his extraordinary standing.
This was Victor, a veteran parliamentarian with a military background. He had once served as Speaker of the United Parliament and held great prestige in both the military and political spheres of the sea-tribe. He was, without question, their current leader.
**“The fine details of the negotiation are of little consequence. Moreover, the deal itself is not something that prevents us from continuing talks with the Order of Unification.
Even though we’ve experienced the grave misfortune of a senior officer’s betrayal, we must trust that the vast majority of our officers remain loyal—to our civilization, and to Parliament!”**
Victor’s dignified words lightly brushed the matter aside, while tacitly acknowledging the “legitimacy” of Arthas’s hardline stance against the Black Deacons. It was a way to give both sides an exit.
“As things stand, it will take us a very long time to develop the technology for recharging blank crystals. Therefore, I believe that once we gather the blank crystals scattered across our civilization, part of them should be stored as strategic reserves.
The rest can be exchanged for energy crystals to alleviate the increasingly dire shortage, ease the burden of this year’s military overspending on Parliament’s finances, and better prepare us to face the fierce onslaught of the Wolf Civilization!
But the real issue now lies in how we collect all the blank crystals dispersed throughout the civilization…”
Chairman Cruze thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly,
“Lord Victor, what exactly do you mean?”
Exchanging currently useless waste resources for precious energy crystals—this was something the Gemini civilization could never refuse. Cruze’s proposal to collect blank crystals from within their civilization had always been intended as a preparatory move for future crystal trade.
But how to collect the blank crystals—that was where the real interests lay!
**“If we try to seize them by force, the major factions will surely hoard supplies once they get wind of it and refuse to cooperate.
Hmm… in my view, it would be better to set a purchase price acceptable to all parties and have Parliament buy them uniformly.
That way, we can prevent anyone from secretly trading with the Order of Unification, while also increasing our efficiency in gathering blank crystals within the civilization.”** Victor continued.
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
A fair purchase price, with Parliament buying them centrally?
That was essentially compensated acquisition!
Victor’s words clearly indicated he intended to share some of the trade profits with those factions who had gotten advance notice.
At present, only a handful of high-ranking powers knew about the crystal trade intelligence, and they were already moving to exploit the blank crystal market for massive gains.
It was like merchants who got advance word of a government development project—once they bought up the land, they were guaranteed hefty demolition compensation!
Just look at the Black Deacons. They had casually offered up a full ton of energy crystals. Perhaps the Order of Unification’s staggering wealth had been built on this very kind of costless trade?
If they can pull it off, why can’t I?
Even Cruze’s own allies were showing interest now, and he knew… Parliament could not possibly swallow this whole cake for itself.
Originally, Cruze had planned to acquire blank crystals from the market at rock-bottom prices, funneling the entire profit margin from crystal trade into Parliament’s coffers.
This was not out of selfless public duty, nor entirely free of personal motives. But compared to the modest benefit his Cruze family might gain, he cared more about the development of civilization and Parliament as a whole.
After all, the Cruze family was a political dynasty, not one known for overwhelming wealth or commercial power. Even if they gave up some of the cake, the profit they could claim from blank crystal trade was still quite limited—nowhere near what the great mercantile families and conglomerates within the civilization could reap.
“Then… let us proceed according to Lord Victor’s proposal!” Even Cruze had no choice but to consider his allies’ interests and make the necessary political compromise.
Since the heads of both tribes had already reached agreement, the rest of the discussions were merely about dividing the cake.
As for that one ton of energy crystals Arthas had extorted—no one was foolish enough to bring it up again…
After the negotiations ended, two escort frigates carried the respective delegations back to their bases.
Aboard the Houyi-class frigate’s bridge…
“Mm! This face is still the more handsome one!” Nie Yun grinned broadly, flashing his white teeth at his reflection as he rubbed the features of his restored true appearance.
Mechanical Bug: “…”
Tossing aside the mirror, Nie Yun returned to his own faction’s ranks with an easy air, taking a quick moment to sense the situation around “Arthas.”
Everything was normal. The disguise was flawless!
Aside from Katherine seeming faintly suspicious, no one else had noticed that their commander had been swapped out for a counterfeit…
Using carefully preserved blood and the Karla people’s exquisite biotechnology, Nie Yun had created a clone of Arthas.
Combined with his increasingly refined neurological skill—Puppet Manipulation—he had forged the perfect stand-in!
The next stage of the “Borrowing the Corpse to Return the Soul” plan, “The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell,” had been successfully completed!
TL Note- Fooling everyone....
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