The Legendary Mechanic, page 735
He was a mature person and wished to befriend Black Star. However, he also wished to obtain the Beast Ancestor’s troops, seemingly wanting to have his cake and eat it too. Since Black Star was not hard up for these people, he was not picking someone else’s fruits.
Sorokin paused for a moment before changing the topic. “So, about my suggestion, what are your thoughts?”
Secret Master narrowed his eyes. “You wish to use the position of shareholder in the Limitless Financial Group that was vacated by Galactic Black Market in exchange for the position of Protector of the Galactic Black Market. This idea is not bad at all.”
“Hehe, I’m a businessman and will only talk about business. Since Gorutan has fallen, I’ll require a new partner.” Sorokin smiled faintly.
During the time he worked with Gorutan, Sorokin had already penetrated many different industries within the Galactic Black Market. If he had the identity of a Protector, he would be able to officially open a business within the Galactic Black Market and could incorporate the entire Galactic Black Market into the business empire of his Limitless Financial Group. This was a huge profit that was simply incalculable!
Even Sorokin who sat on astronomical assets could not help but move!
Thus, no too long ago, he had gotten in touch with the Secret Master and proposed a deal in which the wolf would be besieged and annihilated—the original shareholder position would be handed over to the Secret Master, while the other party would aid him in obtaining the status of Protector in the Galactic Black Market.
After he proposed this transaction, Secret Master did not immediately reject him, but he did not agree either.
From the perspective of Secret Master, without Gorutan, he would be able to gobble up more shares of the Galactic Black Market. If he introduced a financial giant like Sorokin, it would be equivalent to attracting a wolf into the room. After all, no one knew what Sorokin intended to do.
However, if he exchanged it with the identity of a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group, this would involve more legitimate businesses, and his profits would also increase. Thus came the Secret Master’s dilemma.
Hearing Sorokin bring this up again, Secret Master snorted.
“I’ll be honest, although the condition to become a Protector is to be a Beyond Grade A, with your strength, it seems hard for you to obtain the identity.”
Sorokin smiled mysteriously. “Wouldn’t this be better for you?”
Secret Master remained silent. It seemed as though he agreed with the statement.
He pondered for a while before speaking. “I can try to help you deal with and persuade the other two Protectors, as well as the administrators…”
Sorokin’s eyes lit up, knowing that this was the start to their partnership. His smile grew wide.
“Many thanks to Your Excellency Secret Master. I’ll keep the vacant seat of shareholder for the Limitless Financial Group open for you.”
“Hmm.” Secret Master answered indifferently before hanging up.
Chapter 1066. Concession from the dynasty, the Universe Celebrates |
Ka la ka la…
The sound of machinery being assembled reverberated in the private workshop, and the flashing Mechanical Force was like flexible blue tentacles, manipulating the robotic arms to create a totally new King mechanical suit.
Han Xiao was fully absorbed, watching the details of the mechanical suit in his hands step by step.
When the last piece of outer armor plate was attached to the chest area of the King, his interface pinged as a notification appeared.
_____________
You have built a Gold Grade equipment (Universal Treasure).
_____________
“Huu…”
Han Xiao’s tense expression finally eased up, and he slowly exhaled.
This was the second Gold-grade mechanical suit of the King. With his successful experience from the last time as well as the bonuses granted by [Universal Treasure Creator] and [Spirit Instrument], he still had to attempt it five times before succeeding. Still, that was much better than his previous attempt.
Han Xiao intended to pass this second mechanical suit to Hila. While this was exclusive equipment for Mechanics and Hila could not enjoy the bonuses attached, Han Xiao only wanted to utilize its transmission function to provide a safety guarantee for Hila.
Moreover, he was not intending to stop at two. Han Xiao had to create a few spare sets for himself and maybe also one set for Ames. The manufacturing time was not the limiting factor now. Rather, the cost was.
The King was equivalent to the cost of an entire fleet, and if it did not reach the Gold Grade, it would be a huge loss. He currently could not guarantee that he could churn out a Universal Treasure Grade each time and would inevitably waste a lot of Enas. Even if the Black Star Army was rich and powerful, the cost pained him.
Han Xiao could not help but sigh. “As a Mechanic, you can’t not know how to make money.”
He glanced at the Attribute Panel. Because it was his second time creating the King, the [Spirit Instrument] did not award him with new God’s Trait Transformation points, nor did it unlock a new layer of bonuses for him. There was only the benefit of a reallocation for his Attribute Points.
Furthermore, due to it being the same blueprint, the efficiency of attribute point reallocation had also decreased, from the previous 200 points to 160 points. It was a pity his Luck did not get reallocated this time, but he received a reallocation from his Charisma, which was not too bad. Anyway, he had always been shameless… He did not care about his face.
The 160 Free Attribute Points were put on standby, and Han Xiao stuffed the second King into a maintenance box for mechanical suits, sending a random mechanical soldier to give it to Hila.
It was worth mentioning that this special maintenance box was already Orange Grade equipment, which served to nurture the mechanical suit. Placing a mechanical suit inside it for a long time would improve a certain basic attribute of the mechanical suit. As a pinnacle Beyond Grade A Mechanic, everything that Han Xiao used was only the best.
After completing all his work, Han Xiao rubbed his eyes and stretched his waist. He did not have anything to do in camp, and other than dealing with daily tasks, he was only in the workshop repairing his Apostle Weapons and building Universal Treasures.
“Time to relax. I shall go and watch the others play cards.”
Just as Han Xiao was about to walk about, his communicator rang. The indicator showed that it was a call from a high ranking official of the Crimson Dynasty.
“The dynasty is finally willing to contact me. Have they finally come to a conclusion on how to deal with me?”
Han Xiao’s eyes flashed, and he accepted the call. A remote projection of a high-ranking official appeared. This was the person-in-charge of contacting Han Xiao, so he was already familiar with them.
“Your Excellency Black Star.” The official nodded. “It’s been a long time.”
“Good day to you too.” Han Xiao nodded, and he asked as if unaware, “What do you have for me?”
“Heh, I know you like things to be handed directly, so I shall not waste your time. The dynasty’s upper echelons are planning to release a plan related to you, and I would like to obtain your opinions and negotiate.”
“What sort of plan?”
“The dynasty intends to temporarily open the sales of the Evolutionary Totem to the universe, no longer limiting it to her allies. However, because the Evolution Cube is its energy source and it’s in your hands, the dynasty wants to know your attitude toward this matter.” The official smiled.
Han Xiao’s heart skipped a beat, and an expression of joy spread across his face.
While he knew that there was this probability, having it confirmed gave him a lot of excitement.
All the while, the Crimson Dynasty had controlled the sales channels of the Evolutionary Totem and did not allow it to enter the free market, only allowing her allies to purchase it. This was an agreement between Han Xiao and the dynasty. If these restrictions were lifted, every civilization in the universe would become his customer, which would bring him immense profits.
Furthermore, this was not a one-off sale. The Evolutionary Totem could run for up to twenty years, after which it had to be recharged with the Evolution Cube, just like refueling it. Thus, the subsequent maintenance costs could be considered a steady stream of huge benefits, which was like a business opportunity of endless profits.
The Crimson Dynasty had jammed the rights to publicly sell the Evolutionary Totem, wishing to control this income. The only way to do that was to get the Evolution Cube from Han Xiao, as it was unwilling to allow a non-direct ally to control such an important strategic treasure. Thus, both sides had been wrangling over this issue, and their relationship had soured.
Now, the dynasty was finally willing to open up the purchase channels of the Evolutionary Totem and finally made a concession, taking the initiative to ease the relationship between both sides. The reason behind their action was no doubt due to the influence of Black Star’s Godlike Battle. They were thus willing to temporarily hand over the huge profits to Han Xiao.
While excited, Han Xiao still caught a key point. “Temporarily? So, how long would that be?”
The official shook his head. “I don’t know about such exact details. Even the upper echelons probably have not set a date.”
That meant, the moment he did something wrong, this could all end…
Han Xiao knew that the dynasty’s move was not only a win-win situation but also an indirect method of control. The moment he got used to the huge gains or the rapid expansion, or when his army could no longer separate itself from the capital flow brought about by this business, the dynasty would have a new way to manipulate him. He also understood this point. After all, the dynasty was a Universal Civilization and would never allow themselves to back off. Now that they were willing to make concessions and show respect, it was good enough for him.
“Alright, I have no objections. When do we begin?” Han Xiao agreed.
“The duration has yet to be determined, but the duration it takes to implement this should take about half a year to a year to prepare. However, within the time of three days to half a month, this decree will be announced to the universe, so we have to quickly agree to a benefits distribution plan,” the dynasty official stated.
Because the previous cooperation mainly dealt with the dynasty and her allies, there were many preferential discounts. For the sales to the rest of the universe, be it Han Xiao or the dynasty, both wished to inflate the price significantly to fleece the outsiders. Therefore, distribution plans had to be reformulated.
Han Xiao thought for a while before replying. “In that case… I’ll have the business team under me contact you directly, and we shall strive to negotiate a suitable result as soon as possible.”
The Germinal Financial Group under the army had raised a group of business negotiation experts, who could come in handy regarding this matter. Furthermore, he had Iapetus, who was an executive of the financial group and a master in this field.
Because he was holding onto the Evolution Cube, the majority of profits would belong to him, but the dynasty still had to obtain a cut. After all, it had helped to bear the pressure for so long, so he could not act as though they had done nothing. Moreover, the Crimson Dynasty would still provide him assistance in logistics, transportation, and the supply of raw materials in the future. After all, the market of the entire universe was too huge, and the current Black Star Army could not cover the entire universe alone.
Both parties discussed a little more before they hung up. The moment Han Xiao thought of how the army was about to obtain a huge profit channel with a steady stream of money, his good mood took a turn for the better.
Suddenly, a past thought flashed across his mind, and Han Xiao’s eyes gleamed as a ridiculing smile surfaced.
“The moment the Crimson Dynasty announces this decree, I can go to the Limitless Financial Group… Heh, you thought that by taking back your commercial suppression on me, everything would go back to normal? How could there be such a good thing in this world!”
…
In the Emerald Star Cluster, within an actual combat training ground of the Beast Ancestor’s stronghold…
Boom!
The fist with fingers curled up like the claws of a leopard was entwined in a black energy glow, and it directly connected with the abdomen of a body. The skin and muscles ripped in a ring due to the tremendous force, and the resulting shock wave blew the target away like a cannonball, hitting the wall of the training ground heavily with a bang.
Schneider withdrew his fist, and the toxic energy circling him also faded. He indifferently said, “Let’s stop here.”
He did not even look at his opponent from the loyalist faction, who had challenged him to a spar but gotten easily defeated. He only picked up the windbreaker he threw to the side before walking out of the training ground.
Ordinarily, Schneider would not even bother to respond to the challenges of others, but right now, he was in a bad mood and was venting his frustrations.
Schneider lamented the fact that everyone was now controlled by the Secret Master and forbidden to leave the stronghold.
Beep beep!
At this moment, his communicator rang. He saw that it was a call from his elder sister Jotina.
The moment he connected, Jotina yelled in dissatisfaction, “When I invited you to leave the Beast Ancestor Organization together, you said to wait and see. Now, even after so long, you haven’t brought your team and left yet‽ What’s going on‽”
Schneider revealed an expression of resignation, and he softly replied, “Big Sis, it’s not that I don’t wish to leave. There’s been a small incident.”
“What incident?” Jotina frowned.
“It’s His Excellency Secret Master…” Schneider hesitated upon recalling the imprint that Secret Master put on them, but he resolutely decided to speak the truth. “He has expressed his intention to help manage the Beast Ancestor’s troops, and make us work for him. Now, none of us can leave the stronghold, and I’ve also been trapped.”
Jotina was furious as she expected better from him. “I told you to leave sooner, but you just refused to listen. Now look what happened! You’re useless! A shame to me!”
She ranted on and on, and Schneider could only mutely accept her cursing.
Because the rebel faction’s source of hatred was based on the miserable experiences of their birth mothers, they appeared far more humane compared to the other two factions. There was a true brother-sister bond within the people of the faction, and it was the case for Schneider and Jotina. They had grown up together, and Schneider had been afraid of her since he was a child.
Jotina continued to curse for a while before finally holding back when she saw Schneider’s sullen look. She asked, “If you’re unwilling to work under Secret Master, you should find a chance to escape.”
Schneider shook his head and sighed. “The Secret Master has already said that escaping without authorization will be regarded as betrayal, and he has also left a magical imprint on us. Even if we could escape, how could we outrun a Beyond Grade A?”
Toward the siblings that she recognized, Jotina had a soft heart and could not bear to see Schneider’s plight. After struggling for a while, she suddenly said, “Are you willing to join the Black Star Army?”
“Of course, but there’s no more chance for me now.” Schneider sighed.
Hearing this, Jotina gritted her teeth. “Don’t lose hope yet. I’ll go and beg the Army Commander for help!”
After she spoke, she did not even wait for Schneider to reply, immediately hanging up.
Schneider held onto the communicator with the busy dial tone, a helpless expression on his face.
“Beg Black Star for help? How is that possible/”
He sighed, not holding any hope at all.
Just thinking about it, as people previously under the flag of the Beast Ancestor, defectors at that, why would Black Star offend another pinnacle Beyond Grade A for Calamity Grades like them?
…
The former palace of the Beast Ancestor was now converted to a resting place for Secret Master.
Gorutan’s huge throne had been placed in the Secret Master’s alchemy storage bottle as a war prize, and he had replaced Gorutan’s seat with his own throne.
At this moment, Secret Master sat on the throne, browsing the information regarding the officers in the organization, whilst Byram stood at the side, ready to answer a question if needed.
His communicator rang, and when Secret Master glanced at it, his facial expression turned solemn.
His expression as though he had met with a life-threatening situation stunned Byram, and he secretly began guessing who was on the line to cause the Secret Master to show such a drastic expression.
At this moment, Secret Master waved his hand and coldly remarked, “Leave.”
Hearing that, Byram could only bid his farewell in resignation and leave despite his curiosity. While he considered himself the new confidant of the Secret Master, he did not dare step beyond the rules.
When he was left alone in the room, Secret Master connected to the communication channel with a solemn expression.
“Black Star, what are you calling for?”
Han Xiao’s hearty laughter came from the communicator.
“Hahaha, Secret Master, you seem to be a little nervous.”
“You’re thinking too much.”
Secret Master’s brain was overclocking at the moment. While he wished to befriend Black Star, he could not help having a somewhat guilty conscience.
Han Xiao smiled. “While we had a conflict on the issue of the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy, the matter has been resolved. Furthermore, there’s no enmity between us. If we must say, I also gave you quite a big boon.”
“What boon did you provide?”
“You still need to ask? It’s the Beast Ancestor. Didn’t you warn me the other time so that I would get rid of Gorutan? Both of you were Protectors, so there would definitely have been a conflict of interest. Helping you get rid of him means that you can take over his markets. Isn’t that doing you a favor?”
