"Ho ho ho."
The laughter echoed through the empty room.
Turles seemed to feel the air around him grow colder.
Frieza's eyes had narrowed.
There was something about his laughter that made it impossible to relax.
"What an amusing bunch of insects," Frieza said softly.
"Their appetites are even bigger than I imagined."
"Mr. Turles, you've done very well."
"It took Mr. Zarbon a long time to discover their little schemes back then."
"You saw through those greedy creatures after just one mission."
Turles had caught what Frieza was saying.
Zarbon had already discovered this before?
That meant Frieza had known about it all along.
Those Heeters Group guys were lucky to be alive!
They'd been fleecing Frieza and had even been found out, yet they'd still managed to keep their lives!
Since when had Frieza been so merciful?
Frieza noticed the confusion in Turles's eyes and slowly began to explain.
"The Heeters Group's value lies in the vast customer network and intelligence channels they control, which stretch across the North Galaxy."
"Those channels are an important supplement to the Force's interplanetary real estate business."
"Many buyers don't dare deal directly with the Force and need black-market brokers like the Heeters to act as intermediaries."
Frieza paused, his eyes narrowing further.
"I had planned to take my time, wait until they'd spread their underground network throughout the North Galaxy, and then swallow them whole."
"But now it seems these insects have eaten too much and grown too quickly."
"Perhaps it's time to speed things up."
Turles raised his head.
"Lord Frieza, do you need me to get rid of them?"
Frieza waved a hand.
"There's no immediate hurry."
"They're still useful to us, but a suitable warning is unavoidable."
With the atmosphere already set, Turles suddenly found himself unable to hold back some ideas that had come to mind.
"Lord Frieza, speaking of that, I've had some half-formed ideas about the way the Force, and even most people in the universe, operate..."
Frieza maintained his gentlemanly smile.
"Speak freely, Mr. Turles. You've just rendered a service to the Force, so there's no need to be so formal."
"Take our Force, for example. What we do is a one-off deal."
"We wipe out the natives, then sell the planet like a blank commodity to a buyer who takes a liking to it."
"I believe that not only are the profits low, but it also makes it easy for middlemen like the Heeters to bleed us dry."
"Oh?" The tip of Frieza's tail swayed twice, and he seemed a little interested.
"That's a novel perspective I've never heard before!"
"Go on."
"Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs only earns us money once." Turles pressed both hands against the edge of the console.
"My idea is interstellar real estate, combined with a property management monopoly."
"Interstellar real estate? A property management monopoly?" Frieza murmured.
"When we take over a planet, we could intervene in the name of a peacekeeping force or an urban redevelopment project instead, spare some of the natives, and resettle them together. Then we'd use the Force's technology to build brand-new, standardized cities and commercial districts on the planet."
Frieza leaned back in his chair.
"That's right." Turles nodded.
"Once they're built, we sell the new homes to the natives through loans."
"They'd pay in installments. If we handle it properly, as far as these natives are concerned, we'd not only have saved their civilization but also given them homes far beyond their civilization's own level. They'd be deeply grateful to us. They'd work to pay off their debts for generations, creating value for the Force forever."
Frieza fell silent.
After a while, he chuckled and shook his head.
"It's a creative idea, but it doesn't fit the Force's way of operating. The natives can barely feed and clothe themselves. How could they afford houses?"
Turles laughed.
"As expected of you, Lord Frieza. You spotted the crucial point at once. We really can't make big money from the natives alone."
"So?"
"They were never the real customers." Turles braced both hands on the desk and leaned forward.
"We'd make money from the universe's wealthy. Get them to put down roots and live on our territory."
Frieza narrowed his eyes.
"Mr. Turles, you may not be aware, but wealthy people generally don't do business on someone else's territory lightly. Or do you have a particular idea in mind, Mr. Turles?"
Turles straightened up.
At this point, Turles had succeeded in drawing Frieza into his own rhythm.
And now, he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.
"Lord Frieza, you remember that we'd be taking over planets in the name and manner of an interstellar peacekeeping force, right?"
"Under those circumstances, what I said earlier about making the natives grateful to us was no joke. Our Frieza Force would have enormous prestige and influence locally. Think about it, my lord. Wouldn't that make it a little different from an ordinary prosperous interstellar economic zone?"
"And take those major interstellar business groups. When they operate on their own turf, spending on things like security is an absolute necessity, isn't it?"
"Now imagine this: on our Frieza Force's territory, would security still be a problem?"
"Security and privilege could both be hallmarks of the Frieza Force."
"The universe is full of pirates and roaming bandits. Once the rich have made their money, what they fear most is dying or having it stolen. We'd set aside a few planets with the best environments and turn them into top-tier enclaves for the wealthy. The Force would provide absolute protection through its military might. As long as they paid their property management fees, anyone who touched them would be going against the Force."
"And on our territory, we'd have native residents as a labor force, and they'd also provide a contrast for the wealthy. Only the presence of these paupers could truly highlight the wealth of the rich. I call that emotional value."
"There's also plenty of room to expand this business. With the Force's capabilities, creating an interconnected region of space would be no problem at all, right?"
"As long as we can establish a good environment at the initial stage, we can proceed step by step afterward. Residential areas aren't our only goal; commercial districts are our core target."
As Turles patiently guided him along, Frieza seemed to have fully immersed himself in that grand commercial empire.
After a long while, Frieza slowly spoke.
"I have to say, Mr. Turles, you seem to have moved me."
"I've even... found myself experiencing a feeling I've never had before..."
"For instance, you may understand me better than anyone I've ever met..."
"A completely different way of operating from before... leasing, but never selling..."
"If it could be done, the Frieza Force's influence over the universe would be incomparable to what it is now..."
As for Frieza, although he didn't care about a title like Emperor of Evil, who would refuse the chance to become a truly beloved emperor of the universe?
"I've decided. Once you reach the base you're assigned to, how about putting the vision you just described into practice?"
"I'm very much looking forward to seeing how far you can take it."
Seeing that the time was about right, Turles prepared to stop while he was ahead and return to more practical matters.
"Also, aside from our Frieza Force's various advantages, I believe there are certain things we can't do without."
"What things?"
"Core industries and core publicity!"
"The core industries and labels our Frieza Force has been known for in the universe aren't very suitable for publicity materials."
"If you agree, Lord Frieza, I'd like to try making you the main face of our publicity. My squad has just gained a new member-a novelist!"
"I thought they might just come in handy."
"Oh?" Another look of pleasant surprise flashed across Frieza's face.
"It seems you've prepared thoroughly, Mr. Turles. In that case, I'll leave all the arrangements to you, including where exactly you'll go. I won't assign you anywhere. You may freely choose whichever base and region of space you fancy."
"I hope you won't betray my trust, Mr. Turles... Otherwise, I may be very saddened..."
Turles solemnly knelt on one knee, his tone sincere and serious. "I will remember your trust, Lord Frieza. If I betray it, I won't shrink from death, even ten thousand times over!"