Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Xia Fei immediately thought of Xiao Yu when Thuram mentioned that he had something to say. Xia Fei had not forgotten about her after seeing the Blood Matrix but had instead missed her even more.
Thuram awkwardly chuckled. Apologies. The secret investigation department, executive department, manhunt department, and all the related departments have been as busy as ants on a hot pan for the past few days, but unfortunately, theres still no trace of those people.
Xia Fei was slightly disappointed. He lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. When they left, I discovered that their warship was equipped with a cloaking system. The Alliance has very strict control over strategic-level devices like cloaking systems. Perhaps we can find some clues by looking into the sales records of the various large companies.
Thuram replied, Our Adjudicator Union isnt the military, so we dont have the right to look into the databases of others. At most, we can get them to hand over their data, but that still depends on whether they are willing or not. After all, customer information is considered a trade secret, and most companies will rarely reveal it to outsiders. Its not that simple.
Xia Fei thought about it and said, Since thats the case, why dont we report the missing candidates to the military and get them to assist in the investigation?
Thuram burst into laughter. What a joke! Who are we? We are the mighty Adjudicator Union! The largest warrior organization in the Pan-human Alliance! We have 175 integrated fleets and countless non-integrated fleets. Our members number in the hundreds of millions! Theres always the military, the Adjudicator Union, and the Monastic Order working together to solve the problem. There is no reason for the Adjudicator Union to ask the military for help.
Xia Fei pursed his lips. Like the other large organizations, the Adjudicator Union valued their reputation very much. Investigating the missing candidates at all costs was for the sake of their reputation, and not asking the military for help was also for the sake of their reputation. Though they managed to preserve their reputation, they were unable to cooperate with other organizations, so they could only deal with everything on their own.
Besides, the cloaking system is no longer a secret. Recently, the Alliance has found many underground factories that produce cloaking equipment. It is said that the biggest mystery of the cloaking system, the reverse coding system, has been cracked, allowing some workshops to produce cloaking devices for warships. Due to the high profits from the cloaking system, many are willing to take the risk and produce the cloaking devices that the Alliance has labeled as contraband. Thuram sighed.
Xia Fei was slightly taken aback. It turned out that the core technology of the cloaking system had already been leaked to the public. He wondered if he should buy one for Vampire and install it. After all, installing a cloaking system would greatly increase their tactical flexibility.
Uncle, why did you come looking for me personally this time? Xia Fei asked.
Thuram said, "Actually, I didn't come here just to see you. I just happened to have something to do nearby, so I stopped by. However, I do have two things to tell you."
"First, I heard that the warship modification finals in a few days will be attended by an important figure from the Alliance Army. I haven't found out who exactly it is, but it's probably one of the Army's big three. Haven't you always wanted to introduce the energy-shield booster to the entire Alliance? This is the perfect opportunity."
"Although the energy-shield booster has received a good response from the Adjudicator Union, the military and the Adjudicator Union are two completely different systems. The Adjudicators are more flexible when it comes to the equipment of their fleets, so we don't necessarily need all warships to be equipped with the same equipment, but the military is different. Once they see something that catches their eye, they'll purchase it in large quantities, quickly popularizing it among their fleets. If you really manage to get the military's order, I'm afraid you'll be smiling even in your dreams."
Xia Fei nodded. "Thanks for telling me all this, uncle. As long as I make it to the finals, I'll surely do my best. You can rest assured."
Thuram nodded. "Yeah. The most important thing is to have a calm heart. Do you know why it's so hard to get the military's orders?"
Xia Fei was confused. "Is it because they have high technical requirements?"
Thuram smiled and patted Xia Fei on the shoulder. "I see that you're usually quite quick-witted, yet you can't even figure this out. Go look through the military's purchase list over the years, and you'll know that there are actually only a few companies that provide equipment to the military, and most of them are owned by the military. After all, the equipment used by the military can't be sloppy and can't have the slightest flaw, so the military trusts the products of the companies under them more than anything else.
"The other commercial companies that can get the military's orders mostly have solid capital, such as the four major warship companies. They don't have much influence in the Alliance, but everyone knows that they're strong enough to make it into the top ten in the Alliance, so why do their financial reports turn out to be so lackluster every year? That's because they've received too many orders from the military and various sovereign nations. Don't be fooled by the fact that the military will hold a tender for products every year, but that's only for purchasing unimportant logistics and ammunition. When have they ever held a public tender for products like warships and cannons that are directly related to the military's strength? It's all done behind closed doors.
"Each of the four major warship companies has their own accounts that can't be made public, and they're all filled with the military's orders. It's a secret, so naturally, they can't show it to the public. That's why every time the top five hundred commercial organizations in the Alliance are announced, the four major companies will always be ranked last."
Xia Fei listened to what Thuram had to say and asked, "Thanks for your advice, uncle. That means that getting the military's orders won't be easy. I thought that as long as the product is good, the military will buy it, but it looks like I was thinking too simply."
Thuram said, "That's the truth. Even if the military is interested in your energy-shield booster, they'll put forth some harsh conditions, such as priority purchasing rights, payment in installments, and so on. I just hope that you'll be prepared."
Xia Fei nodded. "What about the second matter?"
Thuram chuckled. "The second matter is very beneficial to you. I've talked to Rakshasa, and he wishes to transfer you to the Covert Investigations Department. You'll be in charge of investigating cases related to the missing candidates. This is a chance for you to enter the core of the Union, and you'll have better prospects in the organization."
Xia Fei furrowed his brows. "I don't have much of a relationship with Rakshasa, so why would he suddenly want to transfer me to the Covert Investigations Department?"
Thuram answered, "The reason is very simple. First, you've seen those people with Xiao Ruoyu, and you were a witness to the incident, so Rakshasa feels that you might be of help to the investigation. Second, your cultivation is still quite far from being able to enter the core of the Union, but your prospects aren't bad, so you're barely qualified. Furthermore, you have a good relationship with that old fart Qin Mangs, so Rakshasa probably wants to take advantage of the situation and do Qin Mangs a favor.
"You don't have to answer me right now; you can think about it first. I know that you don't like being restricted, but this is indeed an opportunity for you. I'll let you in on a little. Actually, Qin Mangs has long had the idea of pushing you into the management of the Union, but you don't have a contract with the organization and you're still young, so he hasn't been able to do it. Don't doubt Qin Mangs ability; even I can't predict how far he can go."
Xia Fei smiled. "Uncle Thuram, I won't treat you as an outsider. I can tell you right now that I'm actually not that interested in joining the upper echelons of the Union. My priority right now is to develop my own strength. As the old saying goes, it's better to rely on myself than on others."
Thuram was not surprised. He turned around and left after a brief conversation with Xia Fei. Avril had been quietly following behind him so that she would not disturb Xia Fei. Only when she saw Thuram leave did she step forward and grab Xia Fei's arm.
"You seem to have something on your mind?" Avril asked curiously.
Xia Fei replied, "Actually, it's nothing. I just had a chance to look for Xiao Yu, but I rejected it, so I'm feeling a little down."
Avril was slightly surprised. "Why did you reject it? Isn't bringing Xiao Yu back something you've always wanted to do? "
Xia Fei glanced at the setting sun. "That's right, but I know that I can't do it alone, so I need to get stronger as soon as possible. If a thousand people aren't enough to find her, I'll hire ten thousand, and if ten thousand isn't enough, I'll hire a hundred thousand. As long as it's within the limits of my financial resources, I'll do my best. "
Avril leaned her head on Xia Fei's arm and asked softly, "If I was the one who went missing instead of Xiao Yu, would you do the same?"
Xia Fei replied softly, "I wouldn't."
Avril was shocked. She could not believe Xia Fei's answer, but what Xia Fei said next made her smile as brightly as a flower.
"If it were you, I'd find you even if I had to turn the entire universe upside down."
…
The three-day modification period was over. All the participants' warships were sealed and could not be modified before the start of the tournament.
Every participant could choose a spare part worth fifty million star coins to install. Xia Fei had spent a total of 41.22 million star coins to modify his warship, and the remaining funds would be reserved for the finals. If his warship was damaged, he would need to replace the spare parts at the last minute, which was why it was necessary to reserve funds.
Constantine and Li Mo had the lead in points, so they did not need to participate in the first two days of the elimination rounds, but Xia Fei had to participate in all the matches because he was in the last few places. In a sense, Li Mo already had the upper hand from the start of the tournament, while Xia Fei had to face a tough schedule.
Early in the morning, Xia Fei had an early breakfast and went to the warehouse. He checked his warship once more before he set off. Xia Fei knew very well that the grudge between him and Li Mo was not going to be resolved so easily. There was no telling when Li Mo would come up with something new to deal with him.
Surprisingly, Li Mo had been as quiet as a house cat for the past few days. Every day, he would come and go in a hurry with his men. Xia Fei had bumped into him a few times, but the two did not say a word and simply brushed past each other.
Actually, there was no need to say anything. Warriors were naturally sensitive to their enemies, and in Xia Fei's eyes, Li Mo was his enemy, and he had no intention of stopping there.
The large group of bodyguards around Li Mo revealed how uneasy he was feeling. Otherwise, there would be no need to gather so many people in the capital ring, which was heavily guarded. Xia Fei was very satisfied with this, for it was part of his plan. He did not reveal the reason, but Phantom speculated that Xia Fei must have his reasons for doing so.
Li Mo did not have a match today, so he did not show up at the gathering point. Instead, it was Constantine who showed up unexpectedly. Xia Fei chatted with him for a bit, and the latter said that he did not have any friends or family in the capital ring, so he came here to watch the matches as well as check out his future opponents.
Xia Fei said that he could watch the matches through the interplanetary internet from his dorm, but Constantine said that the computer screen in his dorm was too small, not as clear as the big screen in the arena.
Constantine and Xia Fei did not have any deep grudge, and he was already in the lead in points, so Xia Fei had no chance of overtaking him. Therefore, the atmosphere between the two was very relaxed.
The group elimination rounds would split the participants into groups of ten, and they would engage in a free-for-all battle. Only the first place would advance to the next round.
More than three hundred participants were divided into more than thirty groups. Xia Fei had drawn the number seven, which meant that he was in group seven.
It was time. Xia Fei boarded the warship and turned on the autopilot. The warship event was different from the technical events in the past. There was a certain level of danger, so the venue was set to be a warp away in space.
The flight route had been predetermined. More than a hundred warships flew into space, opening up a bright passage and entering the sea of stars.
These were the participants for today. The other hundred or so participants would be held the next day.
The warship exited the wormhole and found itself in an empty space. Ten bright coordinates were placed in different areas. The warship needed to reach its position first, and they were a thousand kilometers away from each other.
The venue did not have any protective measures. If the warship was seriously damaged, the participants would need to eject from the cockpit, abandoning the warship to save their lives. Of course, attacking the ejection pod was not allowed. The fire-control system had been modified, so there was no way to lock onto the escape pod.
If the opponent's firepower was too strong and accidentally hit the reactor and caused an explosion, the participants could only blame themselves for being unlucky.
Every participant had signed the terms of the competition. Even if they died, the Association of Machinists could not be held responsible. The organizers would at most compensate the deceased's family with a sum of money. Large organizations like the Association of Machinists and the Adjudicator Union were all rich and powerful, so they would not care about such a small amount of compensation.
Xia Fei felt that the reason so many spectators liked to watch the warship event was because they could smell blood. They could not wait for an accident to happen so that they could watch the show.
Humans were evil and cruel by nature. The popularity of the Blood Matrix proved this point. Humans, who appeared to be highly civilized on the surface, actually still had some of the characteristics of beasts hidden in their bones. It was just that with the advancement of civilization, humans were getting better at disguising themselves.
All the warships lined up, and soon, the organizers gave the order. The ten frigates headed to their respective positions, ready to go.
Xia Fei did not look at the screen but stood by the window to observe with his own eyes. Fortunately, he had practiced the Beast Spirit Codex, so he could get a rough idea of what was going on even though he was far away.
"This sort of competition seems to have some flaws," Xia Fei lit a cigarette and muttered to himself.
"What flaws? Everything looks very fair. "Gui Ying said.
Xia Fei shook his head slightly. "It looks that way, but what if a few people surround and attack one? Ten people are spread out in different directions, and whoever accidentally enters the battle will be surrounded by all the enemies. If you want to win, you'll first need to ensure your own safety. You mustn't recklessly enter the range of others. "
"Makes sense." Phantom thought for a moment and said, "The venue of the competition is strictly controlled. No matter which direction you move in, you'll quickly get close to your opponent. It'll indeed be very troublesome if you accidentally end up in the middle of two or more people."
As he said that, the first round of the competition began. The indicator light flashed, and a warship with the serial number 12553 rushed into the center of the venue. This way, it became a target for everyone, and it took less than thirty seconds for it to be destroyed by the other warships.
The situation was very tense. Ten warships of the same model squeezed into a narrow space and attacked each other with all their might. Missiles whizzed past, leaving beautiful trails in their wake.
"This is too chaotic. There's no way to tell who's fighting who. It's practically a chaotic battle." Phantom shook his head.
Xia Fei said, "It's hard to tell who's superior in a chaotic battle because the firepower isn't uniform. I believe that even the best warship will find it hard to withstand the simultaneous attacks of several warships."
"We must do our best to avoid falling into a chaotic battle. If that happens, no matter how good the energy-shield booster is, it won't be able to unleash its full strength," Phantom reminded Xia Fei.
…
Li Mo did not participate in today's competition, but he was still lying comfortably on the sofa, waiting for the competition to begin.
"Do you think Xia Fei will find out this time?" Li Mo asked as he took a sip of his wine.
"He won't, young master. We've been fine with him for the past few days, and we didn't go looking for trouble. I believe that Xia Fei won't even think that we've been waiting for him here. Besides, I've been extremely secretive about bribing the contestants. There's no way that Xia Fei will find out." The mustached man bowed.
Li Mo coldly harrumphed. "Hmph! Hook also swore that Xia Fei would die, but look what happened in the end! "
The mustached man hurriedly said, "Young master, we're different from the Blood Matrix this time. We're making use of the loophole in the rules to openly attack Xia Fei. No matter how smart he is, there's no way that he'll think that we've already bribed everyone in Team 7, and the drawing of lots was arranged beforehand."
"The reason why we failed at the Blood Matrix wasn't because Xia Fei was too strong but because Hook underestimated him. This time, we're fully prepared. There's no way Xia Fei could have guessed that we'd try to harm him in the tournament."
Li Mo nodded lightly and coldly said, "Let's hope it's as you say. What I want is the result; I don't care about the process. If we still can't take Xia Fei down this time, you know what to do."
The mustached man could feel cold sweat dripping down his forehead. As the saying went, being in the king's company was akin to being in the company of a tiger. He had done so many things by Li Mo's side over the past few years, and it could be said that he had made great contributions to the man, but all of this was in vain. As long as Li Mo was unhappy, he would still be punished.
"Right, how did you solve the problem of the escape pod? If Xia Fei escapes through the escape pod, the other warships won't be able to attack him, and he'll be able to escape," Li Mo asked.
The mustached man confidently said, "Young master, you don't have to worry about that. Don't forget that the participating warships can also carry additional weapons aside from missiles. It's fine as long as it's within the budget of fifty million star coins. It's true that guided weapons need a fire control system to guide them, but there are some weapons that don't need a computer to control them. In other words, if Xia Fei's escape pod happens to be attacked indiscriminately …"
Li Mo slapped his thigh and excitedly said, "You mean to say …"
"That's right. Just do it, young master."
…
The tournament proceeded faster than expected. The defenses of the frigate class warships were not that great to begin with, and the Caldari Kestrel-class frigates had sacrificed a lot of their armor and propulsion in order to maximize their firepower. It was very easy for them to be shot down the moment they got caught in a chaotic battle, not to mention the fact that the Kestrel-class was equipped with an extremely accurate missile system.
There was a fire outside the window, and several pebble-shaped escape pods were slowly floating in the dark night sky.
Xia Fei pursed his lips. "We've already scrapped dozens of frigates in just a short while. How much money will that cost? What a pity. If I had all these ships, I could have built a brand new defense fleet on Earth. "Phantom chuckled.
"The sponsor is one of the four major warship companies, the Caldari Corporation. Even the Assassin Sect will be able to bear the losses, let alone a large corporation like them. After all, this is an Alliance-level tournament, and some losses are nothing. I can't say that the Association of Machinists is being too extravagant; it's just that you're too poor."
Xia Fei was speechless. To these giant corporations, scrapping a few frigates was as easy as throwing away a few pieces of paper. Just take the Caldari Corporation, which provided the warships, for example. They manufactured countless warships in a year, and the value of the warships that were scrapped every day due to their experiments was far more than that, so they did not care at all.
This was how humans were. Once their wealth reached a certain level, it would become a mere number, no longer holding any meaning.
A few moments later, the sixth round of the tournament ended. The organizers sent Xia Fei a message, reminding him to head to his starting point immediately, as the seventh round was about to begin.
Xia Fei switched the ship to manual operation and piloted it to the starting point. Though the computer's control was accurate, it was not as fast as Xia Fei's. After all, he was a high-tier speed ability user, possessing a high-speed nervous system that the computer could not compare to.
Xia Fei handed over the manual control to himself, but the firepower and other auxiliary systems were still handled by the computer. He only needed to focus on moving the ship.
The screen began to count down to three minutes. Xia Fei grabbed the rudder with both hands, his eyes staring straight ahead.
"Turn on all missile reflectors! Begin automatic loading and unloading of the ammunition! The power system is running at 100%, the energy shield is fully engaged, the shield booster is doing a final check, and the radar system is preparing for a precise scan. I want to know the speed of every missile coming at me, and who launched it … "
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