Snatching territory!
"That means the star map is real!" Phantom exclaimed.
Xia Fei did not say anything. He gestured for Phantom to continue listening.
"According to the data provided by the Navy's technical department, we have reason to believe that the reason for this major malfunction is that the radar system used by the Navy for long-distance transmission was interfered with by some unknown radio waves in the universe, causing the signal to be distorted and combining the military signal with the civilian signal. Also, according to the report from the Alliance Academy of Science's Electronics Laboratory, this is a very special case. It won't affect the Alliance's normal communications, so please don't panic. The Alliance's military is powerful and will continue to protect the Alliance."
Xia Fei furrowed his eyebrows. The official statements were always so cliché that it sounded like a heavenly book.
As expected, an impatient reporter could no longer sit still. He immediately stood up and asked about the authenticity of the star map.
Nie Peiyuan wiped the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief and said shakily, "What we can confirm so far is that this star map was provided by those unknown humans who claim to be from the Garden of Eden exploration team. As for its authenticity, the Alliance Geography Society is still studying it."
Phantom appeared to be very excited, while Xia Fei stroked his chin with one hand, deep in thought.
The press conference was in chaos. Countless people were fighting to ask questions. The situation was almost out of control.
The restaurant where Xia Fei was at was also in a jubilant mood. It seemed that the star map could really lead people to the legendary Lost World. The manager of the restaurant even brought out a box of beer for everyone to toast.
Xia Fei did not like the noise, nor did he like being blinded. He stood up and was ready to leave.
This was when Constantine came in from outside, looking pensive. He nodded at Xia Fei and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Back." Xia Fei's answer was very simple.
Constantine smiled. "Wait a little longer. Maybe there'll be something you're interested in."
Xia Fei did not understand. "I'm indeed interested in the Garden of Eden, but I already know what I want to know. There's no point in staying here."
Constantine took a bottle of beer and handed it to Xia Fei. "Trust me. You'll be interested."
Suddenly, the image of the Alliance's press conference was paused, and the image was cut back to the television station's news broadcast room. A middle-aged female anchor in her thirties was looking at the news report she had just received in shock. Her expression was slightly panicked.
Moreover, she was only wearing one earring and her makeup was uneven. It was obvious that she was called to the live broadcast room at the last minute.
The people in the restaurant voiced their dissatisfaction. The sudden interruption of the live broadcast of the press conference had aroused their dissatisfaction.
The female news anchor took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, "SSNB's temporary news broadcast. According to the news we've just received, the Death Trio Star Region has officially entered a state of war at 11: 06 PM Venal time!"
Xia Fei was slightly taken aback. The standoff in the Death Trio Star Region had already gone on for several months. He did not think that they would actually start fighting. However, the timing was too coincidental. It happened to overlap with the Garden of Eden Star Map incident.
He glanced at Constantine out of the corner of his eye. Constantine adjusted his glasses with his hand. His face was as calm as ever, and he did not seem to be shocked.
"So this is what he told me to wait for, but how did he know about it in advance? Does he have the ability to predict the future? "Xia Fei wondered in his heart.
The female news anchor gulped and tried her best to speak in a calm tone. "According to the news from the frontline reporters, the war did not develop in the direction we originally expected. Military analysts generally believe that the war should be a three-way battle, but the actual situation is that the armed forces of Terminus and Evil Gulfstream Star Region have joined forces to fight against Black Abyss.
"Also, according to the latest news we received, the leaders of Terminus and Evil Gulfstream Star Region have officially declared independence from the Pan-human Alliance and formed the Neohuman Alliance. They will no longer accept the leadership of the Pan-human Alliance. We still don't know if Black Abyss will declare independence as well.
"At the moment, the information we have is still very limited. We'll immediately report it to our audience via live broadcast once we have new information. That's all for the temporary news broadcast. Let's switch back to the Alliance's press conference."
The cafeteria was silent. Everything had happened so suddenly. First, the star map leading to Eden had turned the entire Alliance upside down. A few hours later, the war in the Death Trio Star Region had attracted everyone's attention to that barren piece of space. In just twelve hours, two major pieces of news had struck the fragile nerves of the people. The people could not help but ask, "What is going on?"
The Pan-human Alliance's press conference became even more chaotic. The reporters who received the news all sought confirmation from the government about the war in the Death Trio Star Region and the government's stance on the matter, but there were still some reporters who were asking about the star map of Eden.
The situation was out of control, and a large number of armed guards had entered the scene to put an end to the most chaotic press conference in history.
Constantine shrugged and stood up, ready to leave. Xia Fei lit a cigarette and followed behind him.
There was no one in the corridor when they walked out of the cafeteria. Everyone was frantically searching for the latest news in their rooms.
"You seem to already know?" Xia Fei asked with a frown.
Constantine smiled and shook his head. "Although my kingdom is near the Death Trio Star Region, I have no way of contacting them from such a distance. To be honest, I've only just found out, just like you."
"He's lying! He clearly knows, or else he wouldn't have asked you to wait any longer, "Phantom whispered into Xia Fei's ear.
Xia Fei said calmly, "I don't believe you."
Constantine laughed. "It's your right not to believe me. I don't want to explain anything, either."
Constantine left confidently after that, leaving Xia Fei with a stomach full of questions.
…
Back in the dormitory, Xia Fei received a call from old man Qin Mangs.
"Old man, I can see that you've pretty much recovered. You look like you did back then," Xia Fei said with a smile.
Qin Mangs lips twitched. "Don't think I can't tell; you're calling me fat. Didn't I just eat your food for a few months? I'll return it to you later."
Xia Fei hurriedly said, "Please don't misunderstand; I didn't mean it that way. It's fine as long as you're happy on Earth. As for the expenses, I can still afford it. As long as you're willing, I'll provide for you even if you have to stay on Earth for a few hundred years."
Qin Mangs pointed at Xia Fei's nose. "Kid, you're back to being glib again. Live for a few hundred years? Do you think I'm some old monster? Honestly, what do you think of the two things that happened today? "
Qin Mangs changed the topic and asked for Xia Fei's opinion. It was like he was testing Xia Fei's homework. Every once in a while, Qin Mangs would ask Xia Fei to analyze something. It had been like this ever since Xia Fei knew the man, and Xia Fei was already used to it.
"I just don't think the Garden of Eden's star map is reliable. It seems like it's obviously manipulated. Take the press conference just now for example. According to the government, the star map's signal got scattered during the long-distance transmission and ended up in the computers of ordinary people."
"That's what I don't understand. The military's long-distance communicators are all custom-made and protected by a super encryption system. Even if some unexplainable natural phenomenon caused the signal to be scattered, ordinary computers should've received a password that can't be deciphered. Unless the natural phenomenon is so special that not only did it disrupt the military's transmission sequence, but it also deciphered the super encryption system. Otherwise, how could it have been spied on by ordinary people and even uploaded to the interplanetary internet?"
"Taking a step back, even if this was done by some mysterious natural force that we don't understand, it shouldn't have just been a map. There should've been plenty of other military documents mixed in. Besides, I've searched the interplanetary internet server, but I couldn't find out when the first star map was released or where it was released. Within a minute, the entire interplanetary internet was flooded with articles about the star map. This situation is very different from the Alliance's explanation."
Qin Mang nodded, seemingly satisfied with Xia Fei's analysis. He then asked, "Then what do you think about the war in the Death Trio Star Region?"
Xia Fei thought about it and said, "Actually, the war is already expected. The only thing that I don't understand is the declaration of independence from Terminus and Evil Gulfstream. On the surface, it looks like an unequal war, with the leaders of the two star regions working together to fight against the military power of Black Abyss. If I'm not wrong, the early stages of the war will start with Black Abyss retreating one after another.
"The only variable in the war is the Pan-human Alliance's attitude toward the Death Trio Star Region. They're far away, barren, and inhospitable. If the Alliance controls those three star regions, not only will there be no profits, but they'll also have to spend a lot of military funds to maintain the local peace, but that doesn't mean that the Alliance will let them go free. You should know that this is a blatant betrayal of the Pan-human Alliance. If I were the president of the Alliance, I wouldn't allow the Death Trio Star Region to leave the Alliance no matter what.
"From this point of view, the decision of Terminus and Evil Gulfstream to form the Neohuman Alliance is extremely foolish. Even if they can defeat Black Abyss, they'll still have to face the wrath of the Pan-human Alliance.
"In comparison, the leaders of Black Abyss are much smarter. They're betting on the fact that the Alliance won't let the Death Trio Star Region go free. Once the Alliance fleets cross the No Man's Zone and attack the Death Trio Star Region, the quality of their military and equipment won't be able to hold them off.
"Considering that the Alliance has no intention of strengthening the management of the Death Trio Star Region and only hopes that they won't leave the Alliance, there's a high chance that they'll send the leaders of Black Abyss to reorganize their military. If that's really the case, it'll mean that the leaders of Black Abyss have obtained actual control over the three star regions without much effort. They'll be no different from local tyrants, just that they'll still be called the Pan-human Alliance."
Qin Mang laughed happily. "Very good. You've actually managed to see the development path of the Death Trio Star Region for the next few decades from this war. From what I know, your Quantum Holdings has a new factory going into operation almost every two weeks and an old factory being renovated every three weeks. Quantum Holdings' production capacity is no longer what it used to be, and its huge capacity has yet to be unleashed. If it goes into full production, it'll be able to produce at least five thousand energy-shield boosters every twenty-four hours. "
Xia Fei nodded. "You're right. I'm preparing for the future. These factories are only a small part of my plan. In the future, I'll increase the production of energy-shield boosters to more than thirty thousand per day."
Qin Mang said, "We already have the production capacity, so the next step is to get orders and customers. If I'm not mistaken, this war will eventually promote an Alliance-level military upgrade. Once the military decides to use your energy-shield boosters, Quantum Holdings' current production capacity won't be enough."
Xia Fei chuckled. "Old man, I've long known that you're a divine strategist. You're right; this war is an opportunity for me, and success hinges on this one move. Do you have any connections that you'd like to introduce to me?"
Qin Mang shook his head. "I can't interfere with the military's affairs for now. They have their own independent system. Even if I have the power to mobilize the Adjudicator Union, I won't be able to influence the military."
Xia Fei suddenly asked, "Old man, do you think you can rely on your disciple Yawei in the Death Trio Star Region? He does have some power in Black Abyss, and if you take advantage of the chaos there to sell a large number of energy-shield boosters, you should be able to make a fortune. "
Qin Mang was slightly stunned as he stared at Xia Fei. "The Alliance's attitude toward the Death Trio Star Region hasn't been made clear yet. Aren't you afraid of the risk of setting your sights there?"
Xia Fei answered honestly, "I'll have to take on the biggest risk if I want to reap the most benefits. According to my calculations, the final victor of this war will surely be the Black Abyss's lords, and it's precisely because the Alliance hasn't decided to help them that this is my chance. As the saying goes, it's easy to hit someone when they're down, but it's hard to send charcoal in snowy weather. I'm going to be that charcoal in snowy weather, so I'm going to be that charcoal in snowy weather, taking advantage of the fact that the Alliance hasn't made their stance clear yet to establish a relationship with them."
Qin Mang laughed heartily as he shook his head. "I've long known that you're someone who won't do anything without benefits, but taking such a huge risk to smuggle weapons into the Death Trio Star Region, I'm afraid that the profit you're after won't be small. I can help you get in touch with Yawei; I even know a few of the other powerful lords in Black Abyss, but you'll have to tell me everything you're thinking of first."
Xia Fei said in a deep voice, "I've been thinking about something. If the Alliance really thinks highly of the energy-shield boosters, I'll be able to make an unimaginable amount of money by equipping them in bulk, but what exactly am I going to do with all that money? Isn't it to expand my own strength? What counts as strength? He had money? Does having enough warships make you strong? "
Qin Mang's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He could vaguely guess what Xia Fei was thinking, but he could not believe that Xia Fei's ambition was that big.
"Aside from money and warships, I also need territory," Xia Fei said in a low voice.
Qin Mang was completely shocked. "Territory? What you want from the Death Trio Star Region is territory?! That's a lot of money. What do you plan to do? "
Xia Fei said, "Based on the situation of the war, the final outcome will be the Black Abyss's faction winning, while Terminus and Evil Gulfstream will be wiped out by the Alliance Navy. Due to reasons that everyone knows, the Alliance isn't willing to invest much in these three desolate lands. The best way is to let them manage it themselves, keeping it under the Alliance's jurisdiction in name.
"Currently, it's two star regions versus one star region. I believe that the Black Abyss will be losing in the early stages of the war. If I come to them with my energy-shield boosters and help them fend off the attack, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help. I don't plan on taking money for this equipment. Given their financial strength, I won't be able to get much from them. In exchange, I can ask for territory. Once we win, I want to take over a piece of territory to govern myself."
Qin Mang subconsciously rubbed his chin as he fell into deep thought.
"That's a good idea. What the Death Trio Star Region lacks is equipment and people. They don't really need a lot of territory. After all, those are all barren lands with little to show for it. As long as the place you ask for isn't one of those rich planets, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to oblige."
"But why do you want to take over these barren planets?" Qin Mang asked.
Xia Fei replied, "Didn't you tell me time and time again that building a Titan is the biggest mission of my life? I can't possibly build such a colossus in the Alliance, right? That would be too obvious a target, so I can only find a place far away from the emperor."
"Are you confident that you can build a Titan-class warship?" Qin Mang was shocked.
Xia Fei shook his head. "No, but I know that I have to work hard in the right direction. At least I haven't given up hope yet. It's like playing chess. A chess player who only sees three moves in front of him will never become a master. This is a rare opportunity. Although taking over a territory doesn't seem to be of much use in the short term, what about ten years later or a hundred years later? If I don't take advantage of the civil war in the Death Trio Star Region to snatch territory today, I'm afraid I won't have the chance in the future, so I must do it no matter how difficult it is. "
Qin Mang let out a long sigh. "You're gambling. You're betting everything before everything is clear." Xia Fei smiled.
Xia Fei smiled. "Old man, this is indeed a gamble. The key lies in the ratio of investment to income. I'm very tempted. Look, I'm giving an energy-shield booster worth hundreds of millions to the lord of the Black Abyss. If I lose, all I'll lose is some money, but if I win, I'll get a few galaxies, or even dozens of galaxies, a place that truly belongs to me. I can develop freely there without anyone restraining me."
"I've read the Alliance's basic laws. As long as I can fulfill the requirements, I can even establish a country with my own army and flagship. Compared to that, what's a few hundred million worth of investment? "
…
Old man Qin Mang promised to personally talk to his disciple, Yawei. As for the outcome, he would tell Xia Fei later.
Phantom rubbed his eyes as if he could not believe what had just happened.
"Xia Fei? When did you start planning this trade of equipment for territory? Did you already know that the Death Trio Star Region would go to war? You've been building a new factory before, but you've been controlling the sales of the energy-shield boosters, only selling them to big customers. Was that all in preparation for today? "
Xia Fei did not answer Phantom. He sniffed the air in the room and said mysteriously, "Do you smell a conspiracy and war?"
"No, I only smell your stinky socks," Phantom grumbled.
Xia Fei smiled. "Do you know when someone is most likely to succeed?"
"When?"
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