Super Mothership
“Procurement Project No. 398 has been completed. Total expenditure: 398 tons of energy crystals. Requesting inclusion in the procurement list.”
“……”
This round of transactions lasted an entire day, and throughout that time, the communication signals never once went offline.
Not only were the thousands of trade negotiators rushing around nonstop, but the corporations and think tanks backing both sides were also operating at full capacity—carefully weighing pros and cons and directing the negotiators to secure the greatest possible benefits for their own side.
Each side got what it needed and believed it had gained the upper hand, so naturally everyone was pleased.
In the end, the trade list finalized by the Earth side contained a total of 2,534 projects, covering nearly every field of galactic development. They had practically spent all of their “foreign exchange reserves” down to the last drop—and even chipped in quite a bit more on top of that.
Chu Xiaoxiao looked over the consolidated product catalogs submitted from all parties and nodded in satisfaction.
The primary objective of this trade negotiation had been achieved. What came next was another small task that Nie Yun had assigned her… She shifted her gaze toward Leon.
This guy claimed to be a negotiation representative, but his words and behavior were still quite different from those of a typical “merchant.” After consuming a fair amount of the Water of Life, Chu Xiaoxiao’s mind had become even sharper—how could she fail to notice?
That the Gemini side would plant some intelligence operatives to gather information was already within Earth’s expectations. In fact, Earth’s approach was even more direct!
They hadn’t planted any spies per se, but were the cameras on those robots just for show? They had long since been switched on for full-time sno—cough!—full-time recording.
Nie Yun had already opened a privileged access channel for the Earth Defense Force. Their newly established interstellar intelligence department had entered the virtual world long ago, observing every Gemini present through “spectator mode,” as if they were there in person.
The image quality was high-definition, the experience smooth—every microexpression on the other side was perfectly captured.
In other words, Leon and almost all of the Gemini agents had already been exposed to the eyes of their intelligence,” and after a full day of screening, most of them had been identified.
And this refined-looking, well-dressed Mr. Leon was, according to the analysis, very likely the main person in charge of Gemini’s intelligence-gathering operation this time!
This assessment had already been reported to Chu Xiaoxiao.
“Ah! Lord Leon, this time we really did go all in,” Chu Xiaoxiao sighed theatrically. “We spent almost all of the development funds allocated by the organization in one go.”
“Uh… your organization is financially strong, haha!” Leon didn’t understand her intention and could only force an awkward laugh.
Today’s probing operation couldn’t be said to have yielded nothing… At the very least, they had learned something about the organizational model of the All-Things-Return-to-One Society?
But such gains alone were far from enough to satisfy Leon.
Member identities, the true strength of the Ante Empire, the military forces of the solar system… All of it was blocked by one mechanical face after another, leaving him completely at a loss.
“The trade deficit is a bit too large, and it also seems that your side isn’t particularly interested in the products we displayed…” Chu Xiaoxiao continued, frowning slightly.
Earth hadn’t come to this trade without salespeople either—mainly arms dealers.
There was no helping it. Nie Yun’s early tech tree had been developed in a rather “specialized” direction, so there wasn’t much to show on the civilian side. On top of that, his military technology was updated at an extremely fast pace, meaning that the weapons and equipment accumulated during the early wartime period were already obsolete and could only be exported.
Although these weapons were cost-effective, they didn’t really spark Gemini’s interest. Their internal military-industrial oligarchs would never easily allow outsiders to share this slice of the pie, which led to virtually zero sales.
“Hm?” Hearing Chu Xiaoxiao’s words, Leon raised an eyebrow.
What, the deficit’s too big so you can’t take it anymore? Planning to start a trade war or something?
But Chu Xiaoxiao suddenly changed her tone. “However, I do have something here that I believe your side will be very interested in.”
“Oh? What is it?” Leon perked up immediately. Could it be some top-secret “psionic technology”?
He watched as Chu Xiaoxiao flipped her hand and took out… a thick tome?
As he was wondering, his eyes inadvertently caught sight of a few words on the metallic cover—
“Hiss!” Leon immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
After a long while, he finally suppressed the excitement in his heart and said in a slightly urgent tone, “We’re very interested in this book. Don’t worry—money is not a problem!”
“Hehe…”
……
The Encyclopedia of the Wolf Empire, 128TB Collector’s Edition
(Note: Gemini-language translated version!)
“Once the item was delivered, and after comparing it with intelligence sent back from the front lines, Gemini immediately determined that it was… real!”
“Compared to the brief intelligence report Nie Yun had previously submitted under the identity of Arthas, the informational value contained in this e-book was on an entirely different level.”
“With it, Gemini could completely peel away the mysterious veil surrounding the Wolf Empire.”
“For the Gemini high command, who were currently living in constant unease, this was nothing short of a priceless treasure.”
Even though Chu Xiaoxiao had taken a hefty cut, Leon accepted it gladly. He was even promptly commended by the council and effortlessly awarded a first-class merit.
This time, it was truly a case of stumbling upon unexpected fortune. Leon had picked up a massive win, showing off spectacularly in front of all his peers and firmly securing his position as the intelligence chief of the Caldari Sector.
Ever since intelligence on the Wolf Empire had been reported back to the council and its threat level raised to an unprecedented S-rank, the five characters “Wolf Empire” had been like a towering mountain, pressing down on Gemini until it could barely breathe.
One could easily imagine just how valuable any information related to the Wolf Empire was at this moment.
What no one had expected, however, was that this intelligence did not come from the neighboring Gallente Sector, but from the faraway Caldari Sector, tens of thousands of light-years away!
The All-Things-Return-to-One Society—part-time intelligence brokers!
This group of smugglers had undoubtedly gained a new label, and their level of mystery skyrocketed overnight.
The local conflict on Kara Star was merely a minor skirmish, while the Wolf Empire was a calamity-level threat. The two were worlds apart, and the level of attention they received was naturally completely different.
“I heard that the All-Things-Return-to-One Society has influence spread across surrounding star regions and civilizations—some say they even have members within the Wolf Empire itself.”
“I never thought it would actually be true…”
At this moment, the wild boasts Nie Yun had made while impersonating the Black Butler were perfectly validated.
“No matter what, immediately send a friendly signal to the All-Things-Return-to-One Society.”
“See if we can obtain more intelligence about the Wolf Empire from them,” Speaker Cruze issued the order without hesitation.
“Yes!”
Leon closed the communication and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Although he had rendered great service, after the excitement faded, Leon couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
The power displayed by the All-Things-Return-to-One Society was growing larger and larger, and the organization itself was becoming increasingly mysterious. The pressure on him was immense.
“It seems my identity has already been exposed.”
“In that case, I might as well engage them openly,” Leon sighed.
The fact that Chu Xiaoxiao had been willing to sell him the intelligence already said a great deal.
“The White Butler’s Earth branch was only just established, so this intelligence… was probably the work of that Black Butler.”
“Still, since they provided such precious intelligence at a time like this, maybe… they could be considered a patriotic merchant?”
Leon made a bold guess and began thinking about how to extract even more intelligence from the other side.
If Nie Yun were to learn of Leon’s thoughts, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold it in and would burst out laughing.
Selling the same piece of intelligence to both sides—Arthas earned merit, Chu Xiaoxiao reaped tangible benefits, and the entirely fictional “All-Things-Return-to-One Society” dramatically boosted its prestige. One move, three gains!
Patriotic? Nie Yun felt that he must have been influenced by his surroundings—he clearly had the makings of a true “unscrupulous merchant.”
TL Note- Nothing is True, Everything is permitted....
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