Just think about it: a private fleet of three hundred starships was one of a kind in the Solar System. There was no way the internet wouldn't be talking about it.
"To get straight to the point, someone wants your NZT-50." Liu Manyun's words were startling. Seeing Lin Zhichen's shock and anger, she hurriedly explained:
"Don't worry, it's not the Federation. It's a close friend of mine from the Anlan Tribe. Her family has been in business for generations and has considerable influence in the Anlan Civilization. She hopes to get a share of the NZT-50 through me."
The Anlan Civilization was a fairly influential civilization in the Milky Way Galaxy. Its foundations were on par with the Federation's, perhaps a little weaker, but not by much.
Historically, the two sides had enjoyed good relations. Their territories were close, and since their species were similar in appearance, there was plenty of civilian exchange between them.
Under the influence of a range of factors, the two sides had finally signed a strategic alliance agreement a hundred years ago, opening their markets further to each other and signing a mutual defense treaty to face common threats.
Lin Zhichen rubbed his temples. His drowsiness had vanished. He said irritably, "NZT-50 won't be going on sale anytime soon. We won't be discussing shares at this point, either. Besides, even if I made a promise now, what good would it do? We'd have to negotiate again when it goes on sale."
"Exactly. You can ignore the shares and make a quick profit." Liu Manyun reminded him, "My friend has some influence in both the Anlan government and military. She can get her hands on things that ordinary people would struggle to obtain—though nothing strategic, of course!"
Seeing Lin Zhichen's eyes light up, she had to warn him, "But if you put NZT-50 on the market, even if it's in a xeno market, all the various forces will keep close tabs on it. Sooner or later, your identity will be exposed."
"Then let them expose me. I'm almost ready on my end. Everything will be in place in a month at most!" Lin Zhichen mused.
"Since it's business, I'll make the trip and see if I can add another layer of security for the future!"
He soon received a communication request from her. After entering the connection code, the signal went through, and an elegant figure appeared in the holographic projection.
"She really does look like an elf..." Lin Zhichen exclaimed. She was tall and slender, with delicate features. Even her build seemed frail, yet her appearance was harmonious and beautiful, as lovely as nature itself. Her beauty was completely different from Liu Manyun's; each had her own distinctive charm, like the plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Conilia." Her long ears peeked out from beneath her sky-blue hair. Her azure eyes reflected a sky-like mystery, and a perfectly refined face was lit by a just-right smile.
"Manyun has told me about you several times. I hope you won't mind me contacting you out of the blue."
"Beautiful women always make me more forgiving," Lin Zhichen said with a smile. "I'm Lin Zhichen, leader of the Meteor Mercenary Group. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You certainly know how to talk. No wonder Liu Manyun likes you so much," Conilia said with a smile. "I know you're a busy man, so I'll get right to it. I hope to obtain a share of the NZT-50."
"I'm afraid that won't work. We have our own plans for bringing NZT-50 to market, and when the time comes, you'll probably have to negotiate with the Federation yourself." Lin Zhichen shrugged.
"How inconsiderate." Conilia puckered her delicate little mouth, and her whole demeanor instantly turned adorable. "Then I want the exclusive rights to sell NZT-50 in the Anlan Civilization!"
"A beautiful woman's request is always hard to refuse, but what can you offer me in return?" Lin Zhichen asked.
"That depends on what you want. I remember your Federation has a rule against anyone outside the legions owning a flagship. Otherwise, even a dreadnought or a Titan could be yours!" Conilia's words were startling.
"The real question is, what do you need right now?"
"The nights are long, and I'm lonely in bed. I need you~" Lin Zhichen drawled, his tone flirtatious.
"Oh? Is that so?" Conilia gave him a knowing look, and a sense of danger quietly crept over him. "Manyun was right about you. You want what's in your bowl while eyeing what's in the pot. Should I give her a call?"
Lin Zhichen's gaze sharpened. He wasn't shaken by her "threat"; he was startled by the Psionic Power she had just displayed.
If his senses were right, this seemingly delicate beauty had a Psionics cultivation level at least one major tier above his own—the Hero Tier!
Damn it! Are Heroes really everywhere now? Why do I keep running into them? Lin Zhichen grumbled inwardly, then said thoughtfully:
"In that case, do you have an Industrial Colony Ship?"
An Industrial Colony Ship was a special type of Colony Ship: a mobile industrial base capable of producing most industrial goods. Its drawback was obvious, too. Since it incorporated too many production lines, its output was low, making it suitable only for early-stage development.
Some powerful Industrial Colony Ships could establish a complete Industrial System for a colony from scratch. They were essential vessels for developing colonies.
But these ships were extremely difficult to build, a combination of cutting-edge technologies. Their technological sophistication far surpassed even that of a Battleship or flagship.
"You're planning to build a base?" Conilia's eyes flickered. She paused to consider, then said, "How about this? I'll give you a large Industrial Colony Ship. It'll be delivered to Earth within a week!"
Lin Zhichen couldn't help looking at her. Specialized ships were difficult to build and not in great demand, so they were famously expensive. A large Industrial Colony Ship like this would cost at least ten million Energy Coins—she was just giving one away for free! No wonder she was a big-time businesswoman. Everyone in her circle must be a Lü Buwei!
The price wasn't the only issue. Ships of this type weren't even available on the market, and Lin Zhichen didn't have the authority to buy a medium-sized or larger Industrial Colony Ship, even with his military connections.
"In principle, I agree to your having the exclusive sales rights in the Anlan Civilization, but you'll have to negotiate the details with the Federal Government yourself," he said.
"I have one more condition. You can't reveal my identity through your channels for at least three months. After NZT-50 goes on sale here, you can do as you like."
"Yay!" Conilia jumped up excitedly. The sight of her adorable expression made Lin Zhichen's eyes light up.
"Pardon me. I'm just so happy." Conilia beamed. "How much NZT-50 do you have on hand? Two Energy Coins per pill, and I'll take the lot!"
"I can give you two million pills." Lin Zhichen wiped away nonexistent "tears." "Send me a location, and I'll deliver them myself!"
This was a four-million-Energy-Coin deal. It deserved his full attention!
A star map arrived shortly afterward. Lin Zhichen checked it. The destination was at least a hundred star systems away from the Solar System. Fortunately, the two countries' territories were connected by a Space Gate, making the actual journey only a few star systems long.
"Looks like I'll be taking a long trip." Though Lin Zhichen could hardly sit still, a clear smile appeared on his face.
Four million Energy Coins—enough to build a Titan!
For a group the size of the Meteor Mercenary Group, it was almost too much to swallow. It was enough to arm the entire fleet to the teeth!
"Big brother, you're heading out again?" Wu Tianyi followed Lin Zhichen, watching NPC workers load box after box of NZT-50 onto the hovercar.
NZT-50 pills were tiny. One standard, temperature-controlled half-cubic-meter container could hold ten thousand pills. The Qinyuan's cargo hold had been cleared out, leaving enough room to load all of them.
"That's right. We've got a big buyer this time. We're going to make a fortune," Lin Zhichen said with a smile. "When I get back, it'll be time for us to truly set sail."
The others were thrilled, yet anxious and eager at the same time.
"Dapeng, you're coming with me this time. You two stay and guard the place," Lin Zhichen ordered. "I expect it'll take about a week. I won't be gone long."
"Understood, big brother." Wu Tianyi nodded firmly.
The Qinyuan set off at once, flying to the Kuiper Belt before traveling FTL along the Hyperspace Lane.
The Master-level NPC Crew aboard meant that even at a speed of 300 kilometers per second, they wouldn't crash into obstacles and destroy the ship, but to be safe, they still traveled at 30 kilometers per second—a speed already faster than lightning in space.
A day later, they had crossed the Hyperspace Lane and arrived at Dover, the commercial planet closest to Earth. It also had a Space Gate connecting it to the Anlan Civilization.
A Space Gate was a fixed wormhole that could compress thousands or even tens of thousands of light-years of distance into a single spatial gateway. Even among the civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy, only the foremost and most powerful Interstellar Civilizations possessed this technology.
But because Space Gates were so important, ships passing through them faced traffic like that on congested roads in major cities during the Planetary Era. Progress was slow.
Ships had to file an application, undergo an inspection, and then wait in line to pass through. This often took a week to half a month—something Lin Zhichen only discovered after arriving.
Fortunately, as a senior figure in the military—even if only in name—he had priority clearance. After completing the necessary paperwork, he could get permission to pass through the very next day.
Once again, the benefits of having connections were on full display. Wei Peng and the other man looked at the endless line of ships stretching across the stars and smiled smugly.
"Come on. Since we're here, let's have a look around."
They left the warship in the hands of an NPC captain to wait in line, then took a hovercar and zipped toward the commercial port not far from the Space Gate.
That was the normal way to handle the queue at a wormhole. Making everyone wait a week without anything to do would be a tremendous waste. The stranded travelers were a ready-made customer base, and the bustling commercial port had grown up around them.
The hovercar docked at a berth. The two men climbed out and stared at the surging crowds, momentarily stunned.
"Whoa, big brother, look at that guy with the cockscomb! There really are chicken-headed people?!" Wei Peng exclaimed as several aliens passed by.
"Shut up. Look around—everyone thinks we're country bumpkins!" Lin Zhichen glared at him.
"Come on. Let's see what they have here."
In the Interstellar Era, holographic technology had been deeply integrated into every aspect of life. The huge space starport displayed blue skies and white clouds, with mountains and forests faintly visible beneath filtered starlight. In reality, though, it was all artificial scenery.
Even so, the background gave the visitors in the starport a taste of nature. After all, there were certainly species in the sea of stars that preferred steel or other strange things,
but most natural life still yearned for an untouched environment. So the starport's decor mostly featured materials such as natural wood, green trees, and fresh flowers. Even the ground was paved with pebbles, and greenery all around filled the place with the breath of nature.
"The more advanced they are, the more they go back to the old ways." Wei Peng sighed. "I thought it'd have a sci-fi vibe."
"It's probably because most people in the starport spend all year aboard starships. Decor with a natural feel can ease the psychological strain."
Lin Zhichen had noticed something. His keen Psionics senses told him that most people here felt some degree of oppression.
"Big brother, there's a Clone Shop here, too," Wei Peng said.
Lin Zhichen glanced at it and opened it with his holographic wristband. "Oh, this one's run by the authorities as well. Most of the choices are common occupations. Most of them are trash, but you can occasionally find a top-tier one."
As he spoke, the densely packed NPC icons on the holographic display suddenly trembled, and the interface he had been looking at changed completely.
"This is... a refresh? What luck!" Lin Zhichen was taken aback. Opportunities like this weren't common. To prevent certain organizations from monopolizing all the high-value NPCs, the Federation Government's Cloning Factories refreshed on an unpredictable schedule. It all came down to luck.
Of course, people had found ways around the rules, so the results were only mediocre.
But just then, an intense premonition swept over him. Without thinking, he opened one of the options among the tens of thousands of choices. A yellow icon appeared before him.
"What's this?" His heart gave a violent jolt, and he clicked without hesitation. Only after two thousand Energy Coins had been deducted did he let out a breath and come back to himself. "Did I just find a hidden gem?!"
He opened the newly purchased NPC's personal panel:
Name: Li Heng, Human, Yellow Sex: Male Age: 24 Occupation: Master Scientist Talent: Matter Reorganization, Yellow; Material Research +30% Skills: 1—Material Research, Red, Master-level 11.32%: Material Research ability +28%; permits research on materials of Yellow rank and below —Matter Reorganization, Yellow, Apprentice 0.13%: Reorganize matter using the power of Psionics. Not unlocked Evaluation: A master of matter manipulation. Unfortunately, he took an arrow to the knee!
"A Master-level materials scientist?! The Federation would actually let a scientist like this enter the market?" Lin Zhichen stared at the panel, speechless.
"Big brother, what's wrong?" Wei Peng finally noticed something was off and brought Lin Zhichen back to his senses.
Before you continue