This is a large commercial planet located in the Dawn Star Cluster. Anti-gravity flying vehicles shuttle back and forth in the sky, like steel rivers hanging diagonally in mid-air.
In the heart of the planet's core city, skyscrapers stand out, with one towering building particularly striking. Its overall structure resembles an upright gene chain, much like a twisted "8". The building's exterior is pure white, with its corners flashing with a faint blue light every now and then, giving it a sense of both technology and artistry.
At the top of the building are eight anti-gravity floating helipads arranged in a circle, like floating islands, guarding the central "∞"-shaped building signboard. This is the emblem of the Infinite Financial Group. The entire building is a branch funded and built by the Infinite Financial Group. Under normal circumstances, commercial organizations do not build armed bases everywhere like warlords.
A small aircraft within the atmosphere slowly landed on the helipad on the top floor of the Infinite Financial Group's branch. Han Xiao stepped out of the cabin and onto the platform.
Welcome to Black Star Pavilion (www. hetushu. com. com).
The reception staff who had been waiting nearby immediately came to greet him. Black Star had already informed them of his visit to the Infinite Financial Group, and the foundation had arranged for reception staff in advance.
Han Xiao hummed in response, his face expressionless, and asked, "Where's Sorokin?"
"Lord Sorokin is already waiting in the reception room. Please follow me."
The receptionist responded respectfully and then led the way.
Han Xiao followed him into the Infinite Financial Group branch, took the private elevator, and stopped on a floor.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a spacious area. A sofa and table were placed in the center of the room, with some kind of blue-green plant in the four corners. The walls were all floor-to-ceiling windows, and there was no other furniture, making the space feel very empty. The entire floor was a reception room.
Sorokin, who had been waiting on the sofa, stood up to greet him with a broad smile. "Lord Black Star, please have a seat."
The elevator doors closed, leaving only the two people in the room.
Han Xiao sat down opposite Sorokin, Sorokin then sat down again and said with a smile, "What a rare guest! When you told me you were coming to visit, I didn't believe you. How could someone as busy as you suddenly come here?"
"What, you don't welcome me?" Han Xiao tilted his head.
"Haha, you're joking. Of course, I'd be more than happy to oblige." Sorokin maintained his smile, secretly sizing up Han Xiao, but unfortunately, he couldn't discern anything.
On the surface, he appeared warm and hospitable, but in reality, Sorokin was filled with doubts, secretly wondering about the purpose of Black Star's unexpected visit.
Rumors of the Empire making concessions to Black Star have been circulating wildly, and Sorokin had naturally heard about them. Although he was surprised, he wasn't shocked. After all, he had guessed this possibility when Han Xiao had just resolved the Hila Rescue Battle. His surprise stemmed more from the fact that the Empire had actually done it.
Black Star is currently the most powerful force in the universe, and at this crucial moment, this guy suddenly came to find him. What are his plans? Could it be that he wants to cooperate on the issue of the Evolution Totem?
Hmm, that doesn't seem like it either. The Empire has no reason to let outsiders interfere. Besides, the Infinite Financial Group and the Black Star Army have been engaged in commercial struggles for years. Although he keeps quiet about it, he hasn't forgotten about it.
Sorokin was secretly very vigilant at this time.
Han Xiao, however, appeared quite relaxed, as if he were simply catching up with an old friend. He smiled lightly and said, "This is my first time visiting your place. It's truly magnificent. It seems the Infinite Financial Group is doing very well in the Shattered World."
"This is all thanks to our partners." Sorokin picked up a bottle of wine from the table, opened the cap, and personally poured Han Xiao a glass.
"Hmm, good wine. This seems to be a premium product from Glory, a special supply." Han Xiao picked up his glass, swirled the amber liquid inside, listened to the crisp clinking sound of ice cubes hitting the glass, smiled, and casually said, "Speaking of which, we are also partners in some areas."
"Yes," Sorokin nodded.
Instead of getting straight to the point, Han Xiao started making small talk. Sorokin, unsure of his intentions, could only go along with the conversation.
Taking a sip of the wine, the crisp and fragrant liquid flowed down his throat. Han Xiao smacked his lips, savoring the taste, and then suddenly sighed.
"Sigh, even today, I still regret that the Infinite Financial Group almost became a closer partner with us, but unfortunately, you ultimately chose the War Realm."
"Hehe, business matters are never certain. Compared to the self-contained Black Star Army, the Infinite Financial Group prefers to invest in a force with a massive size but difficult to monetize. It's not that the Black Star Army isn't excellent, but rather that the War Realm needs us more. I also deeply regret that the cooperation couldn't be reached back then."
Sorokin made a series of polite remarks, but inwardly he was muttering to himself.
His investment in the War Realm was intended to support a rival of the Black Star Army in the business arena and to seize the Legion's business. Black Star had no reason not to know this, yet he brought it up now while remaining silent about the business struggle. It's unclear what his true intentions were.
"Let me feign politeness with this man a little longer..." Sorokin thought to himself.
But at that moment, Han Xiao looked up at him and smiled slightly, "Actually, this is why I'm here today. Today is different from the past. I want to represent the Legion and provide an opportunity for cooperation with the Infinite Financial Group."
Upon hearing this, Sorokin narrowed his eyes, quickly began to calculate, and suddenly realized something.
I understand now; so that's Black Star's plan.
With the Evolution Totem now available, the Infinite Financial Group no longer needs to exert commercial pressure on the Black Star Army. The obstacle between the two sides has disappeared, and they can now conduct business cooperation normally. Given the size of the Infinite Financial Group and the Black Star Army, cooperation would indeed be a win-win situation for both sides.
Therefore, Black Star stopped pursuing the conflicts arising from the more than 20 years of business struggles and took the initiative to propose a cooperative vision.
This approach of setting aside past grievances and making money together suited Sorokin's taste perfectly. He believed he had guessed Han Xiao's intentions and immediately relaxed a lot. The smile on his face was no longer formulaic and finally showed a bit of genuine joy.
"Lord Black Star's suggestion is exactly what I'm looking for. Opportunities abound in the Shattered World right now. If our two companies join forces, we'll be invincible and seize the lion's share of the Shattered World market!"
"Since Sorokin thinks so too, things will be much easier!" Han Xiao slapped his thigh. "Then let's set a date for my official appointment as a shareholder of the Infinite Financial Group."
As soon as the words were spoken, the air in the room froze.
Sorokin's smile froze on his face.
What? Shareholder positions? Weren't we discussing a normal business partnership? How did we get onto this?
However, upon seeing the playful and amused look in Han Xiao's eyes, Sorokin's heart skipped a beat, realizing that he seemed to have misunderstood Han Xiao's intentions.
"Lord Black Star, forgive my intrusion, but the cooperation you speak of is..."
"The cooperation opportunity I offered to the Infinite Financial Group was to make me a shareholder of the Infinite Financial Group. Doesn't that mean you have a vacancy?" Han Xiao was meaningful; this was his true intention.
Sorokin narrowed his eyes slightly, finally confirming that Han Xiao's visit was not well-intentioned.
Black Star wants to take over Gorutan's position now that it's vacant? Ha! Does he really think the position of shareholder in the Infinite Financial Group is a prize? Whether he can take it or not is up to me!
Sorokin has already formulated a detailed strategy for entering the Interstellar Black Market around this shareholder position. It is a bargaining chip in his deal with the Secret Master, and he naturally will not hand over this position to anyone else. It is related to his blueprint for a business empire, and becoming the protector of the Interstellar Black Market is an extremely crucial step that cannot be missed.
Sorokin faded, and he said slowly, "I'm truly sorry. Although Gorutan met with an accident, since he is still alive, he remains a shareholder. If he had died unexpectedly, according to the terms he signed with me, the shares would have been taken back by the consortium. I have no plans to establish a new shareholder for the time being. If you want to discuss other collaborations, I'm happy to oblige, but the shareholder position is out of the question."
Han Xiao didn't take it to heart and chuckled, "If I remember correctly, this is the second time you've refused my offer to become a shareholder."
Upon hearing this, Sorokin couldn't help but recall that Black Star had brought it up once more than twenty years ago, when the two first met.
"Indeed, I already rejected you then, and I'll give you the same answer today." Sorokin said calmly, "The conglomerate's foundation is vast, and any change in shareholders requires the consent of all shareholders. Furthermore, each of the three major cosmic civilizations has only one shareholder in the Infinite Financial Group, creating a three-way balance of power. Now that Kant is already a shareholder, the Glory and the Arcane will not allow a second Imperial ally to enter the Infinite Financial Group's shareholders' meeting."
Han Xiao blinked, then said meaningfully, "Sorokin, twenty years have passed, times have changed. I will give you a condition you cannot refuse."
"Oh?"
"Heh, first of all, I need the consent of all shareholders... Do you think the others will support me or reject me?"
Sorokin was slightly taken aback, and his brows furrowed sharply.
He suddenly realized that this problem no longer seemed to be an obstacle for Black Star.
Black Star is no longer what he used to be; his status in the universe is far greater than it was twenty years ago. He is also in charge of building Beyond Grade A united front communication platform. Based on this alone, he can gain the support of Manison and Kasuyi, and it is even less likely that Kant, as Black Star's colleague, would oppose him.
Sorokin suddenly had a bad feeling.
When asked about the book, Han Xiao smiled and slowly said, "As for the checks and balances among the Three Universal Civilizations... do you think that the Glory and the Arcane, out of consideration for the Evolution Totem, might make an exception and allow a second imperial ally to become a shareholder? Or do you think they would openly oppose me at this juncture?"
The true intentions are revealed!
This was Sorokin's only thought at that moment.
His face darkened completely.
Yes, the Empire's opening of the Evolution Totem has temporarily resolved the hostility between the Glory and the Arcane. Moreover, to ensure the Empire's smooth implementation of this decree, the Glory and the Arcane might even become sycophants, not only trying to ease tensions with the Empire but also trying to curry favor with Black Star, who controls the Evolution Cube.
Moreover, Black Star has their prisoners in his hands, giving him ample leverage to force Glory and the Arcane to compromise. If he insists on including the condition of becoming a shareholder of the Infinite Financial Group in the ransom terms, Glory and the Arcane will not only not stop him, but will also help Black Star become a shareholder of the Infinite Financial Group!
At this moment, Sorokin finally realized a detail that had been vaguely unsettling him but had been overlooked—once the problem of the Evolution Totem was resolved, although he had completed the deal between the Glory and the Arcane and obtained the benefits he desired, he had also lost these two protective charms.
This means that if Black Star wants a shareholder position, he, as the head of the conglomerate, doesn't even have the power to veto it!
Either they reluctantly accept Black Star as a shareholder, letting him reap astronomical dividends for free, or they wait for the Three Universal Civilizations to help Black Star sanction the Infinite Financial Group in the business world, forcing them to submit.
You can't refuse to give it!
With this in mind, Sorokin gave Han Xiao a deep look.
--Excellent tactic! They've fully utilized their own "momentum." Did Black Star anticipate this all along?!
Han Xiao simply smiled, leisurely sipping his drink, appearing completely unconcerned, awaiting his reply.
Seeing this, Sorokin's expression kept changing. After a long silence, he finally spoke again, slowly saying:
"Black Star, that was a pretty good move."
"So, what's your choice?" Han Xiao asked with a playful expression.
"... Do I have a choice?"
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao laughed, put down his wine glass, and extended his palm towards Sorokin.
"Well... I wish us a pleasant cooperation?"
Looking at the hand Han Xiao offered, Sorokin took a deep breath, suppressed his disgust, forced a smile, and reached out to shake Han Xiao's hand.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you."
Their hands clasped tightly together, their eyes meeting in mid-air, as if sparks were about to fly.
Seeing the mockery in Han Xiao's eyes, Sorokin couldn't help but feel the urge to take action, but he suppressed the thought as soon as it arose.
He faced reality. Since he couldn't resist, he could only enjoy it. He chose the lesser of two evils. Even though it hurt, he decisively compromised and gave in to Han Xiao.
"Um?"
Han Xiao sensed the killing intent emanating from Sorokin in an instant. In that moment, it felt as if he had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood. The killing intent was even more intense than Hila's. He didn't believe that Sorokin didn't have hundreds of billions of lives in his hands.
This old bastard really was a ruthless killer back then...
However, Han Xiao didn't mind and withdrew his hand with a smile. He knew that Sorokin was used to playing dumb to take advantage of the other party's inability to make a move.
Over the years, Han Xiao has come to understand Sorokin's style quite well; the man doesn't care about his personal reputation at all.
If he were to take the initiative, and dare to make a move, Sorokin would feign defeat, shamelessly letting him beat him up, then using propaganda tools to exaggerate the situation and make it known throughout the universe. In that case, he would be in the wrong, his shareholder position would be lost, his positive reputation would plummet, and he would lose a large number of cooperative consortia. Although he would lose the support of Glory and the Arcane, his identity as the head of the Infinite Financial Group would still be a protective shield. This was not some nobody from the gray forces, but the leader of a legitimate interstellar business organization. Using violence against such a person would have a huge negative impact, like someone with the surname Ma beating up another person with the surname Ma. Whether that would make the headlines is obvious.
Having obtained what he wanted, Han Xiao stopped teasing Sorokin, his smile fading as he said calmly, "Since we've reached an agreement, please announce it to the outside world as soon as possible. I won't bother you any longer."
"Okay, take care." Sorokin forced a smile, indicating that he was seeing the guest off.
Only after Han Xiao left the room did Sorokin's face turn completely sour.
We've failed this time!
Although it may seem like just a change of shareholders from Gorutan to Black Star, this actually disrupted Sorokin's business strategy and caused him to miss a golden opportunity to enter the Interstellar Black Market.
As a businessman, watching a vital business opportunity slip through your fingers is a pain that words cannot describe; it is truly unforgettable.
Moreover, given Black Star's wariness of him, he wouldn't genuinely cooperate with the Infinite Financial Group. Therefore, the Infinite Financial Group would likely find it difficult to gain any returns from this shareholder and would only be able to give Black Star dividends for free. They might even have to deal with Black Star's reverse infiltration.
Just thinking about it made Sorokin feel terrible.
The Infinite Financial Group has been using business tactics to hinder the Black Star Army's development for a long time, and only recently has it restrained itself. But this time, it was Han Xiao who suppressed it.
Click!
The wine glass was crushed, and shards scattered all over the floor.
Sorokin didn't wipe his hands, letting the amber liquid drip from between his fists.
His face was extremely pale, and he muttered to himself:
"I hate Beyond Grade A..."