"Buyer No. 123, your proposal has passed the audit. The purchase contract has been sent."
"Procurement project No. 398 has been completed, at a total cost of 398 tons of energy crystal. Requesting inclusion in the procurement list."
"..."
The trade fair lasted an entire day, and the communications never stopped throughout.
Not only were the thousand-strong trade negotiators run off their feet, but the companies and think tanks behind both sides were also working flat out, weighing the pros and cons and directing their negotiators to secure the greatest possible benefits.
Both sides got what they needed and believed they had come out ahead, so naturally, everyone was happy.
Earth's final procurement list contained no fewer than 2,534 projects, covering every aspect of star system development. They had spent almost all their "foreign exchange reserves," and then some.
Chu Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction as she reviewed the product catalogs compiled by the various parties.
The main objective of these trade negotiations had been achieved. Next came another little task Nie Yun had given her... She turned her gaze to Leon.
He called himself a negotiator, but his words and manner were quite different from those of a "merchant." After drinking a considerable amount of the Water of Life, Chu Xiaoxiao's mind had become increasingly sharp. How could she fail to notice?
Earth had expected Twin Stars to plant intelligence operatives to gather information. In fact, Earth's approach was even more direct!
They had not planted any agents, but were the robots' cameras just for show? They had long since switched on their full-session covert... ahem! Their full-session recording mode.
Nie Yun had already opened a privileged access channel for the Earth Defense Force. Its newly established Interstellar Intelligence Department had entered the Virtual World long ago, using "spectator" mode