The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Augustus's generals took their seats one by one on the velvet-cushioned seats in the conference hall, even Tychus Finley, who was only there to observe, was assigned a seat at the very back. Less than a third of the CEOs of the major Moria guild companies in the Kel-Morian Combine board of directors were present, and the representative of the Moria Mining Association, another giant among the Kel-Morian Combine mega-corporations, was also absent from the meeting.

However, this does not mean that the Combine Board of Directors did not value Augustus's arrival. In fact, these elites of the Kel-Morian Combine only gathered together on rare occasions, and more often they used Holographic Projection projections to conduct remote real-time dialogues.

"We will sell most of the goods on your list at absolutely fair prices—engineering vehicles, Power Armor, heavy armored vehicles, armored assault vehicles, tanks, heavy artillery, rocket launchers, and even fighter jets, interceptor Mothership, and battleships," the CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild continued Augustus's words.

The CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild was not an old man; like other executives, he was in his prime, with short, gray-brown hair streaked with silver and a pair of deep, bright black eyes.

"These were originally on the prohibited sales list. Even the frail, skinny Umojan and the underdeveloped primitive ape-men of the Terran Confederacy couldn't buy the weapons and valuable strategic materials you wanted." He used somewhat crude language to describe the Terrans and Umojan, revealing a deep disgust for the latter two, but he didn't resort to profanity.

When doing business with the Umojan and the Terrans, they would say that the Terrans are cultured and have an aristocratic air, while the Umojan are known for their gentlemanly manners.

"For this, I would like to express my gratitude to the board." Augustus and the CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild sat facing each other on opposite sides of the conference table.

"However, we all know that my Revolutionary Army and I came here from Ma Sara, tens of light-years away, not to haggle over these few small orders."

Augustus dropped his charming smile, his expression turning cold. "A single small deal, though small, can add up to billions. Long-term, stable orders are not only a huge source of income, but can also revitalize Moria's manufacturing industry, which was on the verge of collapse after the war. The terrible wave of unemployment and the chaos caused by tens of millions of unemployed workers from the weapons manufacturing industry can also be resolved, injecting new vitality into the stagnant financial market."

"Simply put, I want to buy not only weapons, but also the entire production line."

There was no commotion or endless arguments at the meeting table. From the beginning, it was mainly Augustus and the CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild who were talking, with the second-in-command of each side occasionally chiming in.

These well-spoken and shrewd board members are undoubtedly elites in their respective industries; to reach their positions, both family background and ability are indispensable.

"In the long run, the existence of a Revolutionary Army powerful enough to split the Terran Confederacy without posing a threat to oneself is definitely more beneficial than harmful. In ancient Earth, if a monarch wanted to rule a region with a culture completely different from his own country, he had to support two or more equally powerful but mutually hostile families or forces locally," Augustus continued.

"The biggest beneficiary of weakening or even destroying the Terran Confederacy is neither Umojan nor us, but the Kel-Morian Combine, which has just been defeated and lost a large amount of territory. In the past, what connected Moria and other dependent colonies was Kel-Morian's strong sense of self-identity and national consciousness, but now, all of these have been shattered with the Kel-Morian Combine's defeat in the war."

"And I believe that the entire Kel-Morian Combine is rife with undercurrents and instability, and dealing with internal separatist forces alone is enough to give you a headache. At this time, you need a powerful ally, even if it's just to invest in its future potential."

"Your request is reasonable." The CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild looked at Augustus seriously and answered shortly afterward.

"If you have the money, we can even sell you the manufacturing technology for the Hephaestus battleship's fusion core. Of course, it won't be cheap." He expressed his sincerity in just a few words.

"The technology for producing Ripper Power Armor and heavy Kel-Morian tanks can also be told to you. The problem is, where should you build the factory? The Umojan will definitely not agree to you building a factory on their planet; they are notoriously petty and calculating, and Korhal..."

"The Korhal people have no shortage of the ability to solve problems flexibly. There are so many planets outside the Koprulu Sector, we will find a new home sooner or later," Augustus.

"Look what we have, we can sell it to you." The high-ranking CEO of Kel-Morian handed Augustus a thick stack of documents, including the unit price of a complete production line for Ripper Power Armor. The board members already knew what Augustus wanted, but they didn't say it outright because they were used to speaking in riddles.

"Including the particle railgun and Mag Mines produced by the Moria Hephaestus Foundry, the former is powerful enough to penetrate the hull of Terran Confederacy Navy Behemoth-class Battlecruiser in space." He spared no effort in promoting the products under his company's name.

Following its defeat in the war against the Terran Confederacy, all sectors of the Kel-Morian Combine suffered a downturn, with the mining and military manufacturing industries being hit particularly hard.

The position of CEO of a guild enterprise, which is pushed to the forefront by the capital controllers behind the scenes, is not unshakeable. In fact, after the defeat, most of the executives of various guilds were replaced in order to quell internal dissatisfaction and conflicts.

"You should have heard of these Mag Mines. They are also adapted to planetary and space environments, and they caused the Confederate Marine Corps Marines a lot of trouble during the Four Year War. Deploying Mag Mines where the enemy Fleets jumps to will cause them to bloom in the heart of the Fleets." The Kel-Morian people would never call the Guild Wars the Guild Wars as the Terrans call it.

"This is exactly what I want." Augustus nodded, satisfied. This was why he chose to negotiate directly with the leaders of the Kel-Morian Combine; the weapons that truly determine the fate of a war cannot be decided by one or two guild companies.

For Kel-Morian, Augustus's Revolutionary Army was not just a major client; part of the reason they were willing to help the Revolutionary Army was to cause trouble for the Terran Confederacy.

The meeting with Augustus was to demonstrate the Kel-Morian Combine's stance and encourage the other side to continue the war, fearing that Augustus suddenly lead the Revolutionary Army back to Umojan to farm and never come out again.

"Perhaps you can find many skilled mercenaries in Moria's mercenary market," the CEO continued.

"They were all soldiers who retired during the Guild Wars. They were used to wielding electromagnetic guns and moving through a world of constant gunfire. They couldn't adapt to a peaceful life. After retiring, they couldn't find suitable jobs within the Kel-Morian Combine, which was experiencing a wave of unemployment. So they had no choice but to look for work in the Mercenary Guild."

"After the war ended, our people blamed the defeat on the Guild Guards who had fought for the guild, and all the warriors were filled with resentment."

The CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild did not tell the truth. In reality, the ruling class of the Kel-Morian Combine, in order to divert attention from the conflict and maintain its ruling position, deliberately guided public opinion through the news media, causing the public to vent their resentment and dissatisfaction with the defeat on the backs of veterans—even though these people had once shed their blood for the Kel-Morian Combine.

Today, these retired soldiers remain a force to be reckoned with, a potential threat to the board's dominance, and the board's leaders are happy to provide a suitable outlet for their pent-up energy.

"If you're looking for people to fight, these are the best choice, and the price will satisfy you. For a reasonable fee and the cost of cremating the bodies, they'll risk their lives for you," he concluded.

"Including having them fight aliens?" Augustus chuckled.

"Augustus is such a humorous and witty person. There's a reason why the Revolutionary Army soldiers all love and respect you." The CEO thought Augustus was joking.

"If it were me, I wouldn't like someone who sends themselves to the battlefield." Augustus took the list handed to him, glanced at the terms, and calculated the costs he could afford.

It must be said that Augustus indeed not short of money now. Augustus first spent half a year mining crystal mines in the mineral-rich Mar- Sara, with mines of all sizes scattered across the wilderness. In the previous Mar- Sara campaign, he also emptied half of the planet's reserve military supplies and minerals from the government warehouses.

Meanwhile, the mining bases operated by Augustus Arcturus were also providing Augustus's Revolutionary Army with a continuous supply of resources, and the wealth accumulated in six months was equivalent to the total output of Korhal IV in two years.

After the Battle of Mar- Sara, Augustus arrived in Moria. Besides cultivating good relations with the high-ranking members of the Kel-Morian Combine, his main objective was to buy up resources and convert them into combat power in a short period of time.

After a moment's thought, Augustus marked what he wanted and then filled in a series of astronomical figures, roughly equivalent to tens of trillions of Umojan citizens' currency circulating within the Kel-Morian Combine.

When he retrieved the list he had handed out, even the well-informed CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild took a second look; he clearly hadn't expected Augustus buy so many things.

Augustus purchased one million Gauss Rifle, starting with the most basic ones. In addition, he also bought 200,000 sets of Ripper Power Armor, 1,500 Kel-Morian heavy main battle tanks, 3,000 175mm Kel-Morian Hellfire howitzers, more than 5,000 Kel-Morian I heavy tanks, and the production lines that support these weapons.

Perhaps out of fear of insufficient firepower, Augustus also purchased three hundred Draken Railgun and tens of thousands of Mag Mines.

In addition, Augustus also ordered eight Kemorian Hephaestus-class battleships.

In short, I want them all.

Augustus had already dispatched a group of agents from the August National Security Committee to Moria's weapons manufacturing plant to test these weapons, and the power of these war weapons, which had once displayed their might in the Guild Wars, was also evident to all.

"We can only deliver 30 percent of it initially; the rest needs to be handed over to the foundry and manufacturing workshop, and that requires a deposit." The CEO wanted to ask Augustus if he really had that much money.

In his mind, although Augustus's Revolutionary Army had dealt a heavy blow to the legendary Alpha Squadron, such a rebel army, which was limited to guerrilla warfare, couldn't possibly have much money. K considered that Augustus not an ordinary civilian; behind him stood the Mengsk Family and all the Korhal people of Korhal.

It is more likely that Augustus used the foreign exchange reserves and accumulated wealth of the entire Korhal Dominion to purchase weapons from the Kel-Morian Combine, which should have been reserved for the tens of millions of Korhal people who fled to Umojan to rebuild their homes.

Thinking of this, the CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild couldn't help but feel sympathy for the warlike Korhal people—business, of course, had to be done, and not a penny less.

Squeezing the Korhal would only prick the CEO's conscience, but a bulging wallet would bring him pleasure.

No conflict.

"My people are drafting a new contract," the CEO told Augustus. "Please wait a moment."

"Before that, we can have dinner together," he said.

"Yay! I like that guy." Although Harnack thought he had spoken very softly, many people present still heard him. "Holy fucking shit, you finally said something I could understand."

"You shameless bastard, I can't believe Mengsk would bring you, this red-crested rooster from Shiloh, here!" Tychus, standing next to Harnack, immediately jumped up.

"What was that saying again?"

"Not suitable for refined occasions."

"Is that one of your generals?" The CEO of the Kalanis Transport Guild looked at Harnack with the composure of a medieval nobleman looking at a peasant.

"Red Devils Harnack, the Revolutionary Army leader ranked among the top twenty on the Terran Confederacy's wanted list."

"I am proud of him." Augustus didn't say anything about Harnack being an unruly country bumpkin and asked the other party not to mind.

"Why is your name so prestigious, while I'm just ' Augustus Mengsk's Dog'?" Tychus's face contorted with jealousy.

"Looks like you don't understand," Harnack said smugly, completely oblivious to the fact that others were watching him.

"Of course, you have to come up with that title yourself first; otherwise, they'll just call you a nobody."

"Marshal Augustus." At this moment, the executive officer of the Kalanis Transport Guild stood up and clapped his hands.

Right behind him, the wall with the crystal water tank hanging on it suddenly rose up, and a brilliant blue light immediately shone into the conference room.

Before them stretched a vast, azure swimming pool, with an elegant restaurant boasting glass windows in the distance. Dozens of beautiful and alluring Kel-Morian women, clad in bikinis, swam gracefully in the pool, their movements as fluid and elegant as if their legs were fishtails. These stunning Kel-Morian women, with their fair skin and curvaceous figures, were truly captivating.

"I knew this trip wouldn't be a waste." Tychus pushed aside the dazed Raynor, scolding him for his ridiculous, unsophisticated appearance. "Luckily I brought my swim trunks. You're getting married soon, you'd better keep yourself pure."

"I used to think all the women of Kel-Morian were hairy mountain dwarves. I curse that Rory Swann who gave me such a stereotypical image." Harnack's grin almost reached the back of his head.

"Come on, let's go to the restaurant for a drink." Warfield patted Raynor on the shoulder. "Ignore those two slobs."

"You cannot approach them." As Augustus's generals made a complete fool of themselves, Kerrigan walked sharply from a corner of the meeting hall to stand in front of Augustus.

"It may take some time before I can determine whether they are assassins."

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