What Business Makes the Most Money? Raiding Estates! (A Six-Thousand-Word Chapter)

The news that the sole heir of the Valshius Dynasty had been assassinated in front of the Governor's Mansion quickly spread throughout Upper-hive in the Hyperion Sector!

But what's even more frightening is...

The fate of that noble heir remains unknown, with no news whatsoever. There are only a few rumors circulating that he was poisoned by the Dark Eldar and is on the verge of death.

For a moment, a tense atmosphere, like a shadow looming over the nest area, filled the air with fear and unease among the nobles from top to bottom, who were terrified of incurring retaliation!

However, a very small number of families were gloating, after all, the heir was suddenly assassinated in front of the Governor's Mansion, Agamemnon could not escape blame!

Rather, what they would prefer to see is the heir's early death, so that the Valshius Dynasty can unleash its fury on the damned Agamemnon family, allowing them to reap the benefits.

Lucien was well aware of the thoughts of those observing families, so after resolving the riot, she immediately summoned the family's best Apothecary.

Then, they almost flew to Valshius Residence.

Centered on the Valshius Residence, the surrounding ten city blocks were under strict martial law, with Astra Militarum legions everywhere, their magazines full of ammunition, ready for battle.

Lucien was truly terrified that Alvin would die like that.

The trade itself is secondary; what's truly infuriating is that it happened right on their own turf. This whole thing is clearly designed to completely destroy Agamemnon!

Whether it's unlucky or not is another matter, but Agamemnon is definitely going to take the blame for this.

He was Valshius's only son, and now he's dead on your doorstep. Even if you take it to the High Lords of Terra, Agamemnon will have no way to complain.

It's fine to make a scene, but if it results in someone's death, then don't blame them for going all out against you.

No one wanted to risk their lives against the "Valshius" dynasty, so Lucien entered the mansion with a heavy heart, silently praying that nothing bad would happen to that guy, otherwise Agamemnon would be the one to suffer!

Finally, Lucien met the heir.

The good news is that the heir is alive, but the bad news is... the other party is clearly furious!

Contrary to expectations, the other party seemed quite energetic, showing no signs of having been assassinated. He sat in a dimly lit hall, shrouded in shadow, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

For a moment, Lucien had a strange feeling, as if the person sitting in front of her was no longer that naive young boy.

Instead, he traversed the Milky Way and starry seas, his conquests spanning the entire territory of Imperium of Man —a true ruler of the Merchant Dynasty!

An invisible pressure filled every corner of the room, making the air seem thicker and thicker. Every inch of her skin and every hair stood on end involuntarily, filling her with fear and unease.

Alvin sat in his chair, but he wasn't nearly as angry as he appeared. He did this purely to put pressure on the governor in order to achieve his later plans.

Silence, repression!

Just as Lucien was about to break down, Alvin, shrouded in shadow, finally broke the silence. "Lucien, I need an explanation."

Anyone could hear the anger in his voice.

"Your Lord Alvin, with your brilliant wisdom, it should not be difficult for you to see that this assassination has nothing to do with Agamemnon."

Knowing Lucien lost her previous assertiveness and only wanted to appease the heir's anger. So she took the initiative to lower her stance. "Of course, your assassination attempt in front of the Governor's Mansion is related to me, and I am willing to compensate you for your losses."

"Losses... Lucien, you seem to have misunderstood me." Alvin, lurking in the shadows, revealed a chilling glint in his deep eyes. "What I need is not compensation, but... an explanation, a reasonable explanation."

Lucien was speechless.

Explain?

She had no idea how to explain it: you were assassinated the moment you stepped out the door, what does that have to do with Agamemnon? It was just bad luck!

Besides, I haven't even blamed you yet!

If Alvin hadn't been assassinated, how could a whole bunch of Dark Eldar have suddenly appeared in her Governor's Mansion? If she had been even a little slower, that Planetary Governor's position would have been taken by someone else!

Unfortunately, she was in the wrong, so despite her Lucien had no choice but to swallow her anger and force a smile, "Then... what explanation do you want, Lord Alvin?"

Her meaning was simple: we're all seasoned foxes, so let's stop acting and get straight to the point... what do you really want?

Seeing that the other party was so cooperative, Alvin's tone softened considerably, seemingly with some distress. "Lucien, within the Emperor's territory, within your domain, someone is so powerful that they managed to allow so many Dark Eldar to infiltrate unnoticed, and without anyone noticing. Don't you think... there's a problem?"

Isn't that just a complete waste of breath?

Lucien forced a smile. Of course, she knew something was wrong, but what could she do if she couldn't find any evidence? So she looked at Alvin, somewhat weary, and said, "Lord Alvin,"

"No, you are mistaken, Your Excellency."

Alvin, supporting himself on a chair, slowly emerged from the shadows. His chilling, sinister eyes made Lucien feel uneasy. "The real reason lies in the corruption of the Imperium nobility. It is because of these insects that the damned Xenos have infiltrated His Majesty's territory!"

His bloodshot eyes were terrifying, and his voice rose another notch. "Your Excellency, I have reason to suspect that the Xenos have infiltrated the very marrow and blood vessels of Alert Star. They attempt to overthrow the Emperor's rule and challenge His Majesty's authority, and we... must use overwhelming force to exterminate those heretical scum!"

At this moment, Lucien finally caught the key point in Alvin's emotionally charged and impassioned speech. Her pupils contracted sharply, and her face showed horror. "You... you're going to attack the nobles of the Imperium?!"

"No, Lucien, you are wrong again."

Alvin strode forward with steady steps, his figure appearing magnified several times in Lucien's eyes, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression and shadow that completely enveloped her. "We are clearing away those insects for His Majesty, for the Imperium!"

"No... no, you can't do that!"

Lucien stared at Alvin with wide eyes, as if he were a monster, and said in a trembling voice, "You have no evidence, you can't do this!"

"Evidence?"

Alvin's lips curled into a slight smile as he looked down at Lucien, who was now slumped on the ground, her face filled with terror. "I am the best proof, Your Excellency," he said, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"With me here, I won't let you do that!" Lucien could not possibly agree to this plan. She was a member of the nobility herself, and if the nobles were slaughtered indiscriminately, it would inevitably cause the already wavering nobles to completely turn to the Ecclesiarchy and the Styx Eight!

In the end, Agamemnon will be the one who suffers!

"Really? That's such a shame..."

Alvin sighed, turned and sat down in the chair, resting his right hand on his head, gazing at her indifferently. "By the way, there's something I need to remind you of, be careful... of assassinations by the Dark Eldar."

"Are you threatening me?!"

A murderous glint flashed in Lucien's eyes; she was both terrified and horrified. This guy dared to threaten her!

"No, this is not a threat."

Alvin said calmly, "This is simply a heartfelt blessing from a friend."

"You..."

Lucien gritted her teeth, but couldn't lash out.

Others might not know, but she knew very well that Alvin was suspected of having connections with the Aeldari. The mysterious Xenos who assassinated the cult leader in public yesterday was Aeldari!

Then, that bastard turned around and told her to be careful of the Dark Eldar, but the problem is... who can tell the difference between the Dark Eldar and the Aeldari?!

If she really went out that door, Lucien couldn't guarantee she'd see the sun rise the next day. Besides, it's perfectly reasonable that Valshius's heir was assassinated!

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell everyone?" Lucien was furious, glaring at the other woman. "If this gets out, you won't have it easy either!"

That makes sense.

Alvin nodded slightly, then waved.

Then, a person who looked exactly like her walked out of the room, almost indistinguishable from her, causing Lucien's expression to change drastically, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

"Let me introduce you, she's Bioroid." Alvin looked at her with interest and chuckled, "Of course, she can't completely replace you, but... does it make sense for her to return to the Governor's Mansion while still looking like you, and then be suddenly attacked and killed?"

As they spoke, a tall figure appeared behind Lucien like a ghost, and the Spear of Song was placed directly against her neck, enveloped in the light of Disintegration field. Instantly Lucien cold sweat.

"No, calm down... don't act impulsively!"

Nobles are known for their quick thinking; Lucien instantly snapped to attention, breaking out in a cold sweat, and said, "I can do whatever you say, there's no need for it to turn out like this!"

"Your Excellency, I really didn't want to do this either."

Alvin casually picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly set it down. "You can think about it carefully. This might not be a bad thing for you or for Agamemnon, but rather an opportunity."

What opportunity?

Feeling the person behind her disappear, Lucien a sigh of relief, then looked at Alvin. "A chance to help Agamemnon regain power." Alvin's eyelids narrowed slightly, his fingertips tapping the table. "How many of the nobles do you think are biased towards Agamemnon, and how many wish... you would die immediately so they could divide your corpses?"

These words made Lucien fall into deep thought. After a long while, she said bitterly, "Many, at least 80% of the nobles, are unwilling to join the fight. They are all waiting for Agamemnon to be dismembered by the Ecclesiarchy and the Styx Eight."

"So here's the question: since keeping those nobles around is pointless, why don't you just... kill them?"

Alvin crossed his arms over his stomach, tapped his legs together, and slowly leaned back in his chair, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Actually, if you think about it carefully, all you're lacking is an opportunity, a legitimate reason to clear away all obstacles."

Lucien's eyes lit up. "You mean...?"

"Yes, that's right. I can give you that opportunity."

Alvin sat in his chair, looking down at the already wavering Lucien, a slight smile playing on his lips, "The great heir of the Valshius Dynasty has been assassinated, and heretics and traitors have emerged within the Imperium's borders. And you... you only need to use this opportunity to completely sweep away those scum who stand in Agamemnon's way, and also lighten your burden."

"But..."

Lucien was tempted, but she still hesitated. "Without evidence, if I do this, it will only drag Agamemnon completely into the vortex!"

"I've already said it, Your Excellency, I am the proof."

Alvin shook his head, thinking to himself, with such a lack of political acumen, how did he even become the Planetary Governor? No wonder Agamemnon was played to death by the Ecclesiarchy and the Tech-priest.

"If you insist on evidence, I can give it to you." He casually tossed a document over. "Take a look, Your Excellency. So many Genestealer are lurking in your own territory—truly a disgrace to the Emperor!"

"What?! Genestealer?!"

Now, Lucien panicked. She hurriedly picked up the documents from the ground, but after only a few cursory glances, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. "No... how is this possible? It has actually infiltrated the nobles of Upper-hive!"

"Your Excellency, this 'evidence,' plus myself, do you think... is enough?" Alvin tapped the table, rousing the shocked Lucien from her reverie, and said calmly, "Now, I've given you the evidence you wanted, and I've given you the title... Do you know what to do?"

What business is the most profitable?

Alvin my opinion, it should definitely be a raid on their property!

Tell me, what business in the world, besides confiscation of property, can offer a return of hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times the initial investment with zero cost?

Have you not seen how Wei Xiaobao, by confiscating his family's property and exterminating his clan, became incredibly wealthy overnight?

With his left hand he held high the banner of righteousness, and with his right hand he gripped a sharp butcher's knife.

If we slaughter these insects on the Alert Star one by one, there will probably be innocent ones among them, but if we kill one and release one, there will definitely be some that escape.

He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, during the assassination attempt by the Dark Eldar, to give these insects a surprise!

Keeping the insects is of no use to either the Imperium or the common people, but dead Imperium insects are not only very useful, but can also reduce a lot of expenses.

Is there anything better in the world than this, a win-win situation?

Alvin always believed that only a dead Imperium Insect was a good Insect, wasn't he?

"Your plan is a bit too radical."

Even with her extraordinary courage, Lucien couldn't help but gasp at the sheer audacity of this plan.

If she really does as Alvin says, how many nobles will die? Perhaps by then, only a handful will be left in the entire Upper-hive district.

This young man's murderous intent is a bit too much!

Lucien looked at Alvin with some horror. She seriously suspected that this guy was Inquisitor in disguise, otherwise how could he have such a strong murderous aura?

"Bold? You're too conservative, Your Excellency."

Alvin shook his head. If it were him, he would have killed even more, not like this. "To restore the glory of our ancestors and reclaim our former power, how can we succeed without being ruthless? If you miss this opportunity, you'll never find another one as good as this, Your Excellency."

Lucien listened to his voice, she couldn't help but fantasize about the day Agamemnon would regain power. Her heart pounded wildly, as if the devil himself was urging her on!

She gripped the document tightly and looked at Alvin. His figure seemed to grow taller, and a suffocating pressure emanated from him. She suddenly realized that... from the moment she stepped into this mansion, she had fallen into this guy's trap.

From the very beginning, the other party did not leave her any room to refuse!

Agreeing would certainly bring Agamemnon, the implementer, enormous benefits, but from then on, he would be inextricably linked to "Valshius"!

Either refuse, then the cause of death: assassination by the Dark Eldar!

"I understand what you mean, Your Lord Alvin..."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Lucien gritted her teeth. Since there was no way out anyway, things couldn't get any worse than they were now. Rather than sitting and waiting to be divided up by the country and Styx Eight, she might as well fight to the death!

Moreover, from these few days of brief contact, Lucien realized that this successor of Valshius... has a much brighter future ahead of him!

She now even suspects that the Dark Eldar assassination attempt was also a scheme orchestrated by Alvin himself, designed to lure the desperate Agamemnon into this game!

Horrible!

This is Lucien's assessment of Alvin!

But at the same time, it also gave her immense confidence in Alvin and Valshius. Perhaps only such people could help Agamemnon regain his lost glory!

"I, Lucien Agamemnon, pledge my allegiance to you on behalf of the entire Agamemnon family!" Lucien knelt on one knee, bowing her head. "I swear by my ancestors Agamemnon, that I shall be your sword and blade!"

"No need to say that, Your Excellency. We are merely cooperating... There's no need for you to pledge allegiance to me."

Alvin didn't care whether Agamemnon was truly willing to pledge allegiance. From the moment Lucien willingly became the executioner in his hands, there was no turning back for Agamemnon.

"Yes... Lord Alvin." Lucien turned slightly bitter; he clearly looked down on Agamemnon. But she quickly rallied and asked, "You... no, I should say, what exactly do I need to do?"

"It's simple. Kill them one by one, then confiscate their assets and put them all to public use." Alvin spoke casually, yet his words were laced with ruthlessness. "Then... help the obedient ones up, and kill the disobedient ones. Something this simple, I shouldn't need to teach you, right?"

Don't overestimate the dignity of the Imperium nobility.

The nobles on Alert Star are not even as good as the nobles on Losel. At least those nobles truly lived up to the Imperium's motto of enjoying its privileges and dying for Imperium!

What kind of insects are the nobles on the Alert Star?

Ever since he stepped into the hive, he had been burning with anger, especially after seeing that the commoners in the Middle Hive were living worse than those in the Underhive. He realized that the nobles of the Alert Star were already irredeemable insects, and keeping them around was a waste of resources!

"..."

Lucien was shocked. You can do that?

The problem that had troubled her, and even Agamemnon, for so long seemed... to have been solved just like that?

Upon closer examination, it seems to be that simple!

Alvin was assassinated. All she had to do was claim that a few nobles, out of jealousy, learned of her deal with Valshius and hired the Dark Eldar to assassinate her.

Next, by revealing that the Coleman Family has sided with Chaos, and those other families on the list corrupted by the Genestealer, we can shut up the rest of the conversation.

Then... all you have to do is kill them one by one, seize this opportunity, label all the nobles who oppose Agamemnon as "heretics," and wipe them out completely!

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

Lucien's eyes lit up, as if she had awakened something.

She trembled uncontrollably, looking at Alvin with reverence. "You are simply amazing, Lord Alvin!"

Just a simple frame-up, and you're already so agitated?

Alvin was somewhat speechless. It seemed that the Agamemnon family had only survived to this day because of sheer good fortune!

"Don't thank me yet, Your Excellency."

Alvin waved his hand, interrupting the other person, and got to the point. "I am a businessman. Since I have helped you, I should ask for something in return. What do you think?"

The most important thing about ransacking homes isn't the confiscating items, but the contents of the house!

He went through all that trouble, going through all that trouble, just for that little bit of property?

Having finally seen the light, Lucien readily agreed, "No problem. I'm willing to offer half of all the confiscated noble assets as a token of Agamemnon's sincerity."

Half, and quite a lot.

One could even say a lot more, since the executor was Agamemnon, who directly relinquished half of his assets, demonstrating Lucien's boldness and clearly indicating her loyalty.

She wasn't stupid; she just hadn't thought of this step many times. But with Alvin's guidance, she suddenly understood. However, she also knew very well that doing so would inevitably cause Agamemnon to suffer political persecution from the Ecclesiarchy and the Styx Eight.

Therefore, she chose a "patron" for the Agamemnon family, namely Valshius's heir.

Although they are still weak at the moment, Lucien believes that as long as Alvin lives, he will soon lead Valshius back to its peak!

At that time, Agamemnon would become an unparalleled "vassal," his status rising dramatically, and who would dare to seize their interests?

This was a bold gamble, but Lucien thought that since she was gambling either way, she might as well gamble on the future!

Alvin, having discerned Lucien's thoughts, didn't refuse, nodding with a light laugh, "Alright, then I look forward to... Your Excellency's performance tomorrow."

"Please, Your Lord Alvin... enjoy the show."

A sickly flush rose on Lucien's face, and she seemed to be laughing maniacally, "I promise, tomorrow... will be the best day on Alert Star!"

The two chapters have been combined! My subscription rate has plummeted so much it almost gave me a heart attack, so I'm combining chapters to try and boost it. There's also a long 4,000-word chapter tonight, still aiming for 10,000 words a day!