Creditor, Patriarch Hurry (42K)

The air in the meditation room seemed to freeze for a moment, with only the wisps of steam from the Clear Mind Tea swirling silently.

Lin Yi stared at Aurelia, a sudden realization dawning on him.

He had to admit that Aurelia's thoughts were far deeper and bolder than he had imagined.

"I understand." Lin Yi nodded slowly, accepting Aurelia's overall suggestion regarding the planet allocation method.

"So, regarding the portion you mentioned sold at a discount to the Xina Family, what kind of discount do you think would be appropriate?"

Lin Yi's original idea was to symbolically charge a 10% or 20% discount, just to make a token gesture.

After all, the Xina Family had almost emptied their resources to support him, and they were still in a recovery period with no income, so their finances were bound to be very tight.

Charging excessively high prices does not align with his original intention of rewarding his allies.

Upon hearing this, Aurelia tapped the rim of her teacup lightly with her slender fingers, lost in thought.

She frowned slightly, as if she were engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

A few seconds later, Aurelia looked up and tentatively asked, "Fifty percent off?"

Before Lin Yi could even respond, she immediately shook her head in self-contradiction. "No, 50% off is still a bit too low, it seems too easy. How about 60% off?"

Lin Yi was both amused and exasperated by her reverse bargaining tactic.

He was initially worried that the price would be too high for the other party to afford, but the other party took the initiative to raise the price.

"60% off?"

Lin Yi asked with some doubt, "Ellie, isn't this discount a bit too little? As far as I know, your Xina Family's finances are currently quite tight. At a 60% discount, you probably can't afford a life-sustaining planet enough to house your entire clan, can you?"

He thought Aurelia was being overly considerate of him, wanting to secure a "relatively reasonable" price for the Xina Family rather than a "purely advantageous" one.

However, Aurelia's answer surprised him.

She nodded without hesitation, her tone even carrying a hint of determination. "Of course I can't afford it. What I want is something I can't afford."

Lin Yi was taken aback at first, then a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

He was not stupid. Combining this with Aurelia's previous hints about possible disagreements within the family, Lin Yi instantly understood her true intentions.

"Ellie, what do you want...?"

Lin Yi didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes conveyed the complete question.

Aurelia met Lin Yi's gaze and readily admitted, "That's right, Commander. Although we can't afford it, we can incur debt. I hope you can become the biggest creditor of our Xina Family."

She smiled, lowering her voice as if discussing some shady plot with Lin Yi, "As I mentioned before, there have always been some old-fashioned people within the family who objected to leaving the clan's territory, which they had cultivated for countless years, migrating the Human Race realm, and placing almost all their hopes on you. It was only due to the circumstances and my grandmother's strong opposition that this was possible."

"Even if you sell the planet to us at the lowest price now, these old fogies will see it as our 'due return' on your initial investment, a favor you 'owe' us. They might accept it, but they may not feel much genuine gratitude, and might even take it for granted. In future decisions, they might still rely on their seniority and make unreasonable demands."

As she spoke, Aurelia's eyes sharpened. "But if the price is set higher, so high that we simply cannot pay in full at this stage and need to borrow from you, then the situation is completely different. We will not only get the planet and solve our immediate problem, but more importantly, we will incur a huge debt."

"Faced with someone with immense potential who is also our family's largest creditor, those old-fashioned types simply can't say 'no' with a clear conscience anymore, or make excessive demands. This debt will become one of the strongest bonds maintaining our relationship."

"At the same time, it will probably become the most powerful tool for your grandmother, Liyue, to suppress dissenting voices within the organization," Lin Yi added silently to himself.

He looked at Aurelia again, as if trying to get to know his comrade-in-arms all over again.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yi picked up the now slightly cool teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

Lin Yi then made a decision.

"Alright," he said in a deep voice, "Then let's do it your way. A 40% discount, with partial payments deferred. I need to finalize the specific details with the Liyue Chief in person."

Lin Yi looked at Aurelia, "Inform the Liyue Clan Chief of this news and ask her to discuss it in the Virtual Network. Some things are clearer when discussed face-to-face."

"Yes, Commander." Aurelia rose and bowed solemnly to Lin Yi. "On behalf of the Xina Family, I thank you for your understanding and support."

Aurelia disappeared at the entrance of the training room to arrange a virtual meeting with the Liyue clan leader.

--

at the same time.

In the central conference room of the "Star Chaser," the flagship of the Xina Family's giant ecological fleet, which floats quietly in the dark universe near Blue Star, the atmosphere is completely different from the "planning for the future" on Lin Yi's side.

Seated around the long wooden conference table were the current core members of the Xina Family.

Clan Chief Liyue sat in the main seat. To her left, first in line, was Elder Li Shan, who was in charge of resources and finances. Opposite her was Elder Tie Yan, who was in charge of clan discipline and security. His lips were pressed into a hard line, and he exuded a low-pressure aura.

Beside her was Elder Yun Zhi, a woman with a gentle demeanor but a furrowed brow at the moment, who was in charge of education and the cultivation of the younger generation. The light screen in front of her displayed a comparison chart of the recent cultivation progress of the younger clansmen, and the glaring negative growth marks made her very worried.

The other elders and deacons in charge of commerce, logistics, and technology all wore solemn expressions.

At the front of the conference room, on a huge light screen, the family's Intelligent Life "Orlan" was reading out a series of cold data in a calm, unwavering voice. Each number felt like a whip lashing at the hearts of the attendees.

"The family's general-purpose energy reserves have decreased by 12.3% compared to their pre-migration peak. The main consumption items are fleet maintenance, ecosystem circulation, and power supply for basic training formations. Based on the current minimum guaranteed consumption rate, the reserves can only sustain standard operation for approximately 13,000 standard years. If an emergency necessitates upgrading the energy level, this timeframe will be significantly shortened."

"The Source Energy Crystal inventory has triggered an alarm. The monthly quota for non-combat personnel and core R&D personnel has been reduced by 7%. Seventeen clansmen who are on the verge of breakthrough have been forced to postpone their advancement, and three of them have shown slight signs of instability in their realm."

"Family-specific resources: 'Moonlight Moss' inventory is down to 83.7%, 'Starry Grass' to 75.1%, and 'Ethereal Wood Core' to 74.2%. These resources are the core ingredients for the family's inherited cultivation technique, <Xina Moonlight Record>, as well as various unique potions and formations. It is projected that the supply will be completely discontinued in 8,000 years."

"Monitoring Report on the Clan's Cultivation Efficiency over the Past Three Months: The average cultivation efficiency has decreased by 15.4% compared to before the migration. The decline is particularly pronounced among the younger generation under 5,000 years old, with an average decrease of 22%. The main reasons are: environmental adaptation pressures, shortages of energy and specialty resources. Some inherited cultivation practices cannot proceed due to resource issues, leading to widespread anxiety and uncertainty among the clan members."

Each piece of data read out lowered the temperature in the conference room by one point.

Each piece of data read out felt like a heavy boulder pressing down on the hearts of all the participants.

The elders' expressions grew increasingly grim; some frowned, some sighed silently, and others had shifty eyes, hesitant to speak.

Although no one has directly questioned Clan Chief Liyue's decision to "leave the clan territory and fully invest in Lin Yi," Lin Yi's talent and his sect's background still make him a promising candidate in the long run.

But the harsh reality is like a cold tide, constantly eroding everyone's confidence.

"Chief."

Elder Li Shan, with his gray hair and stern face, couldn't help but speak up, "Resources are only being spent and not coming in; we're just living off our savings. This is not a long-term solution. Commander Lin Yi is indeed a hidden dragon with a promising future, but that's still 'the future.' Our entire clan's daily expenses are very real."

"Should we consider, without affecting our alliance with Commander Lin Yi, trying to contact other forces within the Human Race, or seeking some short-term ways to acquire resources? Even if it's just to alleviate the immediate pressure."

Elder Tie Yan replied in a deep voice, "Elder Li Shan is right. Living off our savings is a path to ruin. While the fleet's defenses are temporarily secure, resource scarcity is causing unrest and internal problems are brewing. Recently, minor incidents of violations of regulations have increased significantly compared to the same period last year. The pressure on discipline is immense."

Elder Yun Zhi sighed, "What I worry about is the morale of the younger generation. Seeing their peers' cultivation slow down due to limited resources, and hearing the rumors from the outside world about us being 'homeless dogs,' the light in their eyes is fading."

"A few days ago, a very talented child secretly asked me, 'Elder Yun Zhi, is it really the right thing for us to leave our hometown?' I didn't know how to answer without hurting his feelings, while also upholding the family's decision."

A somber atmosphere permeated the meeting room.

The scarcity of resources and the uncertainty of the future hung like dark clouds over everyone's hearts.

Even Liyue, who had been sitting firmly in the main seat, unconsciously clenched her hands slightly under the table.

How could she not be aware of her family's predicament?

However, rashly contacting other forces could not only lead to misunderstandings with Lin Yi, but also easily cause him to fall into a more complex vortex in the relatively unfamiliar environment of the Human Race territory.

Just as the argument was gaining momentum and the somber mood in the conference room seemed to solidify, the unique voice of the Intelligent Life "Orlan" rang out again, calmly drowning out all the noise:

"Received a high-priority encrypted message from Miss Aurelia. Lord Lin Yi, Commander the East Peak Mercenary Group, invites Clan Chief Liyue to meet at a designated encrypted Virtual Network node after three standard divisions."

The argument abruptly stopped, and everyone looked at Liyue.

Liyue rubbed her temples, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and prepared to fulfill her duties as clan leader. "Since it was Commander Lin Yi who invited us, there must be something he needs to discuss. The meeting is adjourned, I..."

She was preparing to temporarily leave her seat and connect to the Virtual Network when Elder Li Shan, who had previously expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the current situation, spoke up with barely suppressed anger:

"Chief!"

"What could be more important than the crucial matter concerning the survival of our clan? There are only a few items left on the agenda, and the meeting will be over in no time. Why not send a message to Aurelia first, asking Commander Lin Yi to wait a moment? To abruptly interrupt the meeting like this is rather impolite and makes my Xina Family seem too hasty."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the life form "Orlan" floating in the air, his tone pleading. "Lord Orlan, please also persuade the clan leader. There are countless clan affairs to attend to right now, and it is precisely the time when the clan leader needs to be in charge and make decisions."

Within the Xina Family, the Intelligent Life "Orlan" holds a transcendent position, and its advice often carries significant weight.

However, this time, Orlan's reaction surprised everyone.

The soft Light Sphere flickered slightly, mimicking a highly anthropomorphic "twitching of the corners of the mouth" expression, as if it had heard something utterly absurd.

Instead of responding directly to Elder Li Shan, it read aloud the core information attached to Aurelia's message in an almost "playful" tone, word for word.

"Message Attachment Note: During a sect gathering, Commander Lin Yi received 100,000 Life Planets from his sect's third senior sister, the Eternal Divinity —Her Majesty Thousand Illusions. He now cordially invites the Liyue Chief to discuss the specifics of 'selling' a portion of these Life Planets to my Xina Family at a discounted price."

"Orlan" paused, then turned his gaze to Elder Li Shan, who had just spoken.

"Elder Li Shan, are you now sure you want to ask Commander Lin Yi to 'wait a moment'?"

But Elder Li Shan did not answer him. Instead, he stood up abruptly, and the chair slid back with a screeching sound because of the sudden movement, but he did not care at all.

He turned urgently to Liyue, who was still sitting in the main seat, equally shocked by the news and struggling to calm her breathing, and almost shouted:

"Clan Chief! What are you standing there for!"

As he spoke, he even made urgent gestures to urge him on, as if the immense opportunity would vanish if Liyue delayed even a second.

"Go now! Immediately! Right now!"

His shout seemed to awaken someone from a dream.

The other elders also realized what was happening and no longer cared about decorum or restraint.

"Yes, yes, yes! Chieftain, go quickly!"

"This matter is our clan's top priority, no, its only priority! The meeting is adjourned! Adjourned indefinitely!"

"Hurry! Don't keep Commander Lin Yi waiting!"

The overwhelming joy washed away all the anxiety and gloom. In an instant, the conference room was filled with eager voices urging them on, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere just minutes before.

Looking at the crowd below who had instantly "changed their expressions," Liyue felt both amused and moved.

Compared to the other elders, Liyue was more familiar with Lin Yi, so at this moment, she wasn't as anxious as the other elders.

Therefore, she took a deep breath, suppressed her turbulent emotions, stood up, looked around at everyone, and her voice regained its usual calmness.

"Gentlemen, I understand. The meeting is adjourned; everything will be discussed again after I meet with Commander Lin Yi."

Without another word, she turned around, her steps quicker than usual, yet she maintained the demeanor of a clan leader, and walked towards the dedicated Virtual Network connection pod.