Cooperation

The cooperation was to be discussed in a VIP reception room specially set up on Proxima Star. Xi Ye arrived alone, curiously looking around.

This VIP room wasn't as luxurious as he'd imagined; the standard was quite ordinary. However, he knew that in such a prime location, anything labeled VIP would have an expensive rent, which at least proved the sincerity of the other party.

"Excuse me, which room is reserved for the Wine Immortal Lord's business meeting?" Xi Ye politely asked the service staff at the navigation desk.

The staff member waved his hand and said, "Over there, turn left to the end, the cheapest room!"

Xi Ye frowned slightly, thinking, Are the people of Piltover so rude?

Then, following the directions, he arrived at his destination and realized he had misunderstood. The staff member's words weren't malicious, just a statement of fact.

Because the door clearly displayed six large characters: Cheapest Room!

Xi Ye suddenly felt a headache coming on. Piltover's style was as straightforward as ever. Couldn't they have written 'Most Discreet Room' or something?

Entering the room, Xi Ye finally met this legendary senior. It was said that the Pandaren had the worst genetic compatibility, and today he saw it firsthand. He had seen all sorts of races at school, but they could all be assimilated by the Celestial Race genes, becoming as handsome as himself... well, a little less handsome than himself.

But this didn't seem to have the desired effect on the Pandaren. Apart from the Celestial Race's unique Supreme Purple Starry Eyes, this senior was no different from a regular Pandaren in other aspects...

Well... not entirely. Judging by the Pandaren's method of distinguishing individuals by weight, this senior was a ton heavier than Er Pang. Sitting on the chair, it looked like half of his butt was going to spill out.

"Damn it, they don't even have a bigger sofa!" The Panda Lord seemed to be bothered by this as well.

Xi Ye was stunned for a moment and asked curiously, "Can't you ask them to change to a bigger chair?" The Federation had no shortage of giant races; the VIP reception room should have such services, right?

Lord Wine Immortal shook his head, "They have them, but it costs extra."

This is a stingy lord, Xi Ye immediately concluded.

"Forget it, it's fine as it is." The Wine Immortal sighed helplessly, then looked at the helmeted Xi Ye in surprise, "Yo, junior, isn't your getup a bit too serious for a negotiation?"

Xi Ye was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I apologize, but due to some personal reasons, I'm not comfortable showing my face in any place with people or surveillance."

"Did you get a blemish on your face during evolution?" The Wine Immortal was slightly taken aback, "That's not scientific. The Celestial Bloodline rarely has such problems. If you need, I can introduce you to a very skilled Wood Spirit Doctor. Her cosmetic surgery is definitely cosmic-level, without any sense of disharmony. Look, this body of mine was done by her... can you tell I'm from the Celestial Race except for my eyes?"

No wonder...

Xi Ye shook his head, "Thank you for your kindness, senior, but my face is already perfect beyond improvement."

Wine Immortal: "..."

"Let's get down to business, senior..." Xi Ye found a seat and got straight to the point, "Since you invited me here, you must have considered my proposal, right?"

"Yes, I've seen the samples Er Pang sent. The quality is good, considered above average for D-grade mines. Are you sure everything you produce there is of this quality?"

"I've tested it." Xi Ye quickly said, "The data from the instrument doesn't lie. The fact that I was able to get a loan of 10 billion based on the data is proof. If you need, I can show you the certification from the financial institution."

"Financial institution?" The Wine Immortal was stunned, "You didn't get the loan from a bank?"

"Uh..." Did I expose something? Xi Ye chuckled, "Actually, you can get that much from a bank too, but I was scammed by my teacher on the way here and took out a loan from a private institution..."

"Jialuode?" A strange look appeared on the Wine Immortal's fat face.

"Uh?" Xi Ye was stunned, then stammered, "How did you know, senior?"

The Wine Immortal immediately covered his face, "Is that institution called Zuan Ken Sha Bi Financial Club?"

"Senior, could it be that you..."

"Sigh..." The Wine Immortal Lord immediately wore an expression of unbearable past memories, "Brother, take care..."

Looking at the other party's expression as if he was already dead, Xi Ye asked in confusion, "Why does Senior Brother look like this? Isn't it just a 3.5% interest? Although I was scammed, it shouldn't be enough to ruin me, right? Isn't Senior Brother doing quite well now?"

"I had a special opportunity!" The Wine Immortal Lord rolled his eyes at him, "You think all you lost was this 3.5% interest?"

"What else?" Xi Ye felt a flash of unease.

The Wine Immortal Lord said seriously, "These private institutions are very unscrupulous when it comes to protecting client data. As long as the price is right, they can reveal it at any time. Once your planet data falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it's very dangerous!"

"What danger is there?" Xi Ye asked, puzzled, "I didn't reveal the coordinates."

The Wine Immortal Lord: "They can use big data analysis. Once some advanced lords have Dragon-level arcane mages or analysts under their command, they can find your location in at most a hundred years with this data!"

"Dragon-level?" Xi Ye laughed, "Lords of that level wouldn't specifically target a newbie like me, right?"

"Under normal circumstances, it's unlikely..." The Wine Immortal Lord suddenly said faintly, "But you're different. I just looked at the data. Your surname is Eldia? Are you from the Eldia Family that produces Thunder Warriors?"

"Senior Brother has heard of our family?"

"Yes... The Thunder Warriors from your family are very good in terms of quality and work reputation in the industry, but recently..."

"What about recently?" Xi Ye's heart sank. He hadn't been home for ten thousand years, so he naturally didn't know the specific situation of the family now.

"The leader of the younger generation is a guy named Raine, right? That guy has joined a very ambitious lord, and now your family's Thunder Warriors are almost monopolized by that lord. The younger generation basically enlists there, making it impossible for me to recruit them."

Xi Ye listened quietly, his face slightly gloomy. In the Federation, large families have always implemented the policy of 'a cunning rabbit has three burrows' and spreading nets in multiple directions. Very few families would completely tie themselves to one lord, because that would be extremely risky.

Although his grandfather was an interstellar marshal of a large lord, he still insisted on this strategy and did not encourage the family's descendants to enlist under the lord he served. For example, Raine initially joined another lord.

But why would the old man tolerate Raine messing around like this now?

"I've met that guy named Raine a few times..." The Wine Immortal Lord leisurely picked up a cup of green tea and said, "In my opinion, he doesn't seem like someone who can tolerate a Celestial Race member emerging in the family!"

Xi Ye's heart skipped a beat, but he said, "Senior Brother is overthinking it. The Eldia Family has been passed down for so long, and the iron rule is that siblings must not kill each other. Although the old man has refined his genes, he is a lifeform with half a foot in the Dragon-level, and has at least tens of thousands of years of lifespan left. I don't think Raine would dare to do anything under the old man's nose..."

"Tens of thousands of years?" The Wine Immortal Lord chuckled, "It's a long time for some low-level lifeforms, but it's just a blink of an eye for people like us. You're relying on your old man's protection now, but what about after he's gone?"

"After the old man is gone?" Xi Ye's pair of purple pupils flickered with starlight, and he said faintly, "Then it will be time for Raine to worry about whether I will cause him trouble!"

"Oh?" The Wine Immortal Lord was stunned. He had a very deep impression of that young man named Raine. He had already crossed the threshold of level twelve at a young age, and his evolution to Dragon-level was almost a certainty in the future. He might even strive towards the Star-level, and at that time, he would at least be an interstellar marshal under that great lord, which ordinary small lords could not afford to offend.

So-called entrepreneurship is difficult. Although the lifespan of a Celestial Race lord is long, their growth is very slow. Not to mention tens of thousands of years, even millions of years, if there is not enough faith from the people, they will at most hover at level ten.

But listening to this guy's tone, it seems that he will be fully capable of surpassing Raine in tens of thousands of years. What is this kid relying on?

If it's not just mindless boasting, then it proves that this kid should have some other trump cards.

Thinking of this, a shrewd light different from that of a panda flashed in the Wine Immortal Lord's pupils, and then he showed a standard silly smile, "In that case, let's talk about cooperation."