The clone of Feng Jun, controlled by the old merchant, was even more adept at business and social interaction than the real Feng Jun. In less than two months, the old merchant had established connections with more than a dozen other space dock operators, using his vast wealth to monopolize the entire Wind Star Civilization's Silo Liquor business. This allowed these operators to taste the sweetness of monopoly, something the Wind Star People had never considered. In their minds, there was no such thing as monopoly. All operators relied on constantly raising prices to make profits, but the higher the price, the fewer people bought it. They were always wavering between lowering and raising prices.
Hu Yu did not intend to replace more Wind Star People. The more people replaced, the greater the possibility of exposure. If Feng Jun, a local strongman, was used properly, the waves he stirred up would be enough to give the Wind Star Civilization a hard time.
It wasn't until Hu Yu replaced Feng Jun and checked his accounts that he discovered Feng Jun, who was ostensibly a dockyard operator, was anything but simple. He not only exploited the crew members but also extended his underground business to the upper echelons of civilization. Whether it was domesticated civilized creatures or special items from other star systems, Feng Jun always managed to obtain them through various underground connections. Ultimately, most of these items flowed into the upper echelons of civilization without anyone noticing. No wonder Feng Jun dared to ask Hu Yu to procure local specialties from Planet 97.
The so-called "local specialties" are actually their slang, referring to the civilized beings of Planet 97. The laws of Wind Star prohibit individuals of this civilization from possessing domesticated civilized beings. Even some alien beings serving as service personnel in various places are strictly controlled. After all, these domesticated civilized beings possess considerable intelligence, and if they were to integrate into the life of the Wind Star Civilization on a large scale, it could cause extremely serious consequences.
Civilized beings always have all sorts of strange quirks, especially the high-ranking ministers of the Wind Star Civilization. They have a particular fondness for the civilized species on Planet 97. Hu Yu also made a special trip to Planet 97 to see it. The civilized beings there look exactly like fleshy balls, with all six limbs retracting into them. Unlike humans and the Sand Python Civilization, they don't have separate heads. They are like creatures that have their facial features painted on a soccer ball; the entire ball is their whole world.
Their way of moving is also very special. When going uphill, they will extend six limbs to support a half-meter-sized fleshy ball and slowly crawl. When they encounter a downhill or flat ground, all six limbs will retract into the ball, and occasionally one or two will be extended to make the ball roll. To humans, these creatures are just a little cute and fun, but the creatures of the Wind Star Civilization have an irresistible desire for these spheres, so much so that many officials, large and small, secretly keep one at home.
These spheres were delivered to the subjects through various channels, becoming their playthings. However, they all ultimately came from the black market, where the flesh spheres and other civilized creatures could only be purchased. Most of the leaders of the transport fleets colluded with black market bosses like Feng Jun, reaping huge profits. The clone controlled by Hu Yu, named Si Luo, had only been the transport captain for less than a century when Feng Jun approached it, demanding that it acquire the creatures from Planet 97. The pursuit of profit and the protective umbrella of power behind it made Feng Jun even more unscrupulous.
After Hu Yu replaced Feng Jun, the cloned Feng Jun will gradually expand its influence by monopolizing Silo Liquor and colluding with the upper echelons of Wind Star, striving to cause some turmoil to the Wind Star Civilization when Hu Yu invades Wind Star.
That day, Hu Yu arrived at Planet 97. After loading hundreds of millions of flesh spheres, the fleet set sail. Just as the warships were about to enter the minefield, a small spaceship silently detached from the fleet. On the small spaceship were a hundred fresh flesh spheres. In the busy shipping lanes where hundreds of millions of civilian spaceships came and went, this small spaceship was inconspicuous. It eventually came to rest at the Feng Jun's dock. The clone Feng Jun immediately sent people to quickly transport these flesh spheres into the building and hide them.
On the Deep Blue.
" Old Li, you've worked hard. You're responsible for delivering these 100 No. 97 organisms to the higher-ups of the Wind Star Civilization. Be careful, make sure you find the right people, and don't get yourself into trouble," Hu Yu said to the old merchant in charge of controlling the Feng Jun.
"General, rest assured. To be honest, when it comes to this kind of thing, if I say no, no one dares to say no. I thought my skills would be buried forever, but I never expected to be able to contribute so much to the fleet. I feel extremely honored. General, whether they are from Wind Star People or humans, I can tell at a glance which one is just a cat that eats fish."
"Good, mission accomplished. I will personally award you the Gold Ship Medal."
"Really!!! General, rest assured, I will certainly not disappoint you." The old merchant said excitedly. Very few people in the entire fleet can receive the Gold Ship Medal. Unless they make significant contributions, they cannot receive this award. So far, there are fewer than ten people in the entire fleet who have received the Gold Ship Medal, and they are all scientists.
The transport mission is still ongoing. Over the years, Hu Yu has gotten used to it. Watching batches of civilized beings board the warship, Hu Yu also wants to save them, but now is not the time. These civilizations still need to go through hardships.
The species being transported today is quite unusual; they are trees that can actually run. This species from Planet No. 33 has once again overturned Hu Yu's understanding. These tree-people range in height from a few meters to tens of meters. Calling them trees isn't entirely accurate. They can walk, move, communicate, and think, but they are completely different from ordinary creatures. Their individual differences are significant. They move by using root systems deeply embedded in the planetary soil. These roots normally absorb water and nutrients from the soil, and when the tree-people need to move, the roots can be flexibly pulled out of the soil, giving them a mobility that surpasses many animals.
Tree-people reproduce in the same way as plants, relying on seeds to take root and sprout, eventually growing into adults. They have short, thick branches and leaves on their heads. These branches and well-developed root systems allow them to perform more complex actions than humans, such as threading a needle.
According to the information Hu Yu obtained, the Tree People had not developed into a technological civilization; they were merely a group of intelligent, civilized beings. When the Wind Star People discovered Planet No. 33, they did not encounter any resistance from the Tree People. The fleet simply transported Planet No. 33 over. Initially, the Wind Star People were very interested in the Tree People, but after studying them for a long time, they discovered that these Tree People were just a rather special species, which led to them becoming food for the insects.
The Tree People are lazy and can survive without any work. Sunlight and water are their only requirements. The Wind Star People believe that this superior way of life is why the Tree People have never developed. According to the Tree People themselves, they have existed on Planet No. 33 for billions of years.
Hu Yu observed Planet No. 33 and indeed found no signs of civilization. The tree people used the sky as their blanket and the ground as their bed, living a very comfortable life. For the tree people, any labor was superfluous.
Once the initial excitement wore off, Hu Yu began arranging for the warships to transfer the tree people. The tree people were loaded much more smoothly than other civilized creatures. They eagerly pulled their roots out of the soil and ran to the warships, piling them up layer by layer, without Hu Yu needing to intervene at all.