The Butcher Takes Action
Regardless of whether people were fearful or expectant, all signs pointed to the fact that a chaotic era was approaching.
Qin Mangs communication with his disciple, Yawei, went smoothly. Yawei was very interested in the energy-shield booster, which could greatly increase a warship's defense. When he learned that Xia Fei's warship had achieved nine consecutive victories in the Golden Finger Cup after being equipped with the energy-shield booster, Yawei could hardly contain his excitement. As a professional soldier, he would be extremely interested in any product that could increase the combat power of his troops.
The interplanetary internet had been surprisingly good for the past few days. The connection from the Alliance to the Death Trio Star Region was unusually smooth. Yawei personally gave Xia Fei a call and asked about the energy-shield booster.
The old man told me all about it. Though you urgently need to increase your combat power, you can't come up with enough funds at the moment. That's going to be a little difficult. Xia Fei lit a cigarette and pretended to be deep in thought.
Yawei looked a little awkward. As a warlord, he did not actually have much money on hand. What he did have had already been paid to the arms smugglers. After all, they were at war, and the first thing he needed to do was to increase the combat power of his troops.
Arms had always been a money-burning business, and buying the necessary ammunition and spare parts was already too much for him.
"I'm a man of my word. If you can give me some time, I'll give you the money even if I have to sell everything I have. My teacher knows how I am; you can trust him on that," Yawei said in a deep voice.
Xia Fei nodded. "Brother Yawei, you're the old man's disciple, and I'm his subordinate. We're all family, so of course I trust you. The old man must have sent you the video of the tournament. What do you think of the energy-shield booster?"
Yawei replied, "Based on the technical parameters and the performance during the tournament, I think the defense of a warship will increase by thirty percent if it's equipped with the system. It's a rare weapon of war."
Xia Fei smiled. "Thirty percent? That's just a theoretical figure. I'm not trying to brag, but I'm afraid that the actual effect will be much better than the theoretical figure. "
"What do you mean?" Yawei asked.
Xia Fei replied, "You should know that the thirty percent increase in defense is when I only have one energy-shield booster installed. Guess how many sets of equipment I installed in that match?"
Yawei was shocked. "Don't tell me this energy-shield booster can be used in an array?"
Xia Fei stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and said seriously, Thats right! It can indeed be combined into a defensive array, but the second energy-shield booster will be less effective than the first one. It will only be able to unleash 75% of its effectiveness, while the third one will unleash 50%. "
"Depending on the energy output of a warship and the computing power of the system, a warship can theoretically install up to four energy-shield boosters to form a shield enhancement array. Calculate it yourself. How much can a set of such an array increase the defense of a warship?"
Yawei was shocked. It was already miraculous to be able to increase one's defense by thirty percent, not to mention that it could be combined into four shields! In that case, it would not be an exaggeration to call it a Super Divine Artifact!
"70%!" Yawei said through clenched teeth.
With just four energy-shield boosters, they could increase the defense of the warship by seventy percent! Since ancient times, no one had been able to do it! Yawei was deeply shocked by its super effects!
"I know that warships aren't the most important thing in the Black Abyss Star Region. Well-trained soldiers are scarce, too. A better defense will help your soldiers survive in the heat of battle. You've spent years training these soldiers, and if anything goes wrong, the newly recruited soldiers won't be able to match the combat power of the veterans.
"Furthermore, a strong defense will help you achieve the final victory. Right now, the armies of Terminus and Evil Gulfstream Star Region are fighting against Black Abyss together. I'm sure you're under a lot of pressure."
Xia Fei quietly explained the various benefits of the energy-shield boosters to Yawei. As a military commander, Yawei of course understood all of this. Truth be told, he very much wanted these energy-shield boosters that could greatly increase the defense of a warship, but he was so tight on money that he did not know how to ask Xia Fei.
Xia Fei carefully observed the changes on Yawei's face. He felt that the time was right, so he threw out his bait.
"We're friends, but I'm also a businessman. I won't do anything that will make me lose money. I'm sure you've already contacted the other arms suppliers in the Alliance, right?"
Yawei replied, "That's indeed the case. Due to the lack of cash, the Alliance's policy toward the Death Trio Star Region has yet to be announced. Furthermore, the journey is too long, and the risk is too high. Only a few arms suppliers are willing to provide us with a batch of weapons first and pay us later."
Xia Fei laughed. "Brother Yawei, are there really only a few who have agreed to supply you?"
Xia Fei purposely emphasized the word 'a few'. Yawei's face paled as he whispered, "You're right. At this stage, aside from smugglers, no one is willing to provide arms to the Death Trio Star Region."
Xia Fei smiled. "Actually, I can give you a batch of energy-shield boosters. Your fleet's combat power will greatly increase after equipping them, but my asking price won't be cheap."
Yawei's eyes lit up. "What's your condition? Our military is under a lot of pressure right now. As long as you're willing to supply us first, any condition is negotiable. "
Xia Fei shook his head and sighed. "Brother Yawei, everything must be built on the foundation that Black Abyss will be able to emerge victorious in the end. If you can't emerge victorious, no matter how good the condition is, won't it?
"Everyone knows that it's two star regions attacking one star region. You're at an absolute disadvantage. Even an idiot should be able to figure out that Terminus and Evil Gulfstream have a higher chance of winning. I believe that those arms suppliers aren't willing to do business with you partly because of the risk involved and partly because they don't trust you.
"At a time like this, of course, selling things to your enemies is more profitable. Do you really think that I'm willing to help you for the sake of profit? Isn't it all because of the help you and the old man have given me?
"I'm a grateful person. I'll definitely repay the old man's favor with you, so no matter how big the risk is, I, Xia Fei, am willing to bear it all! Even if I have to go bankrupt in the future, I won't hesitate! "
Phantom covered his mouth and snickered. It was very amusing to hear such righteous words coming out of Xia Fei's mouth. Even if he had to go bankrupt in the future? It was likely that Xia Fei would not stop until he made a huge profit.
Xia Fei then changed the topic and said, "But, it's best if there's a corresponding return for my efforts."
Yawei was a sentimental person, and he was somewhat moved by Xia Fei's unreasonable and generous speech.
* Pa! * Yawei slammed the table and said, "Brother Xia Fei, just tell me if you need anything! As long as it's something I can do, I won't hesitate! "
Xia Fei said, "Since you've said it, I won't beat around the bush. My home planet, Earth, has a lot of people, but the planet is very small, so it's already overcrowded. You should know how difficult it is to find a habitable planet in the Alliance. Earth is my home, after all, so I have to think about the people there."
Phantom could no longer hold it in. Xia Fei had just pushed his good friend Wu Long to the position of the Federation president, and now he was saying that Earth needed to find a few habitable planets for the sake of its continued development so that it would be easier for them to migrate. What a dignified reason.
Yawei was far from Earth, so how could he know the real situation on Earth? Thus, he chose to believe Xia Fei.
Secretly building a Titan was no small matter. Even if Yawei was Qin Mangs disciple, Xia Fei would not tell him anything about it.
"This …" Yawei was a little troubled. There were only a few good habitable planets in the entire Death Trio Star Region. If not for the fact that these few places were not enough for the three star regions to fight each other, Xia Fei's request was truly asking for too much.
That was when Xia Fei said, "I know that there aren't many habitable planets in the Death Trio Star Region, and I'm not talking about the beautiful green fields. It's fine as long as it's barely habitable. Earthlings are still very hardworking."
Yawei heaved a sigh of relief. It would be fine as long as they did not fight for those green planets. He did not care about planets with harsh climates. There were plenty of such places in the Death Trio Star Region, and keeping them would not bring him any benefits and would instead be a burden.
"It's not that we can't talk about it, but I'm not the only one who has the final say in Black Abyss. I'll need to discuss it with the other forces. May I know how many star systems you need?" Yawei asked.
Xia Fei replied, "The more, the better. Earthlings reproduce very quickly, and I want to reserve more places for my descendants to live."
Yawei nodded. "It's rare for you to be thinking about your descendants at such a young age. I'm sure your people will be very grateful if they know about this. How about this? I'll call for a meeting right away, and I'll inform you once the discussion is over. It's a long journey from the Alliance to Black Abyss, so … "
Xia Fei, of course, understood what Yawei meant. He said in a deep voice, "Alright. As long as you give me the information, I'll immediately make the shipment. I guarantee that it'll be delivered within two months. I'll even bear all the risks along the way."
…
Turning off the screen, Phantom shook his head and asked, "Two months? Are you out of your mind? We've been to the Death Trio Star Region before, and there's no way we can reach it without at least three months. "
Xia Fei smiled and called Charlie, who was back on Earth.
"Charlie, are the energy-shield boosters I told you to store on the outskirts of the capital ring ready? I might need them very soon," Xia Fei said.
"Yeah." Charlie nodded. "The transport fleet has already delivered the ten thousand units you requested while they were transporting the equipment back. They even left a small transport team there. Is there a customer who wants the goods?"
Xia Fei smiled. "Maybe, but there won't be any cash coming in this time. Hurry up with the company. This business is very important, and we mustn't delay it."
Phantom was speechless. It turned out that Xia Fei had already made preparations, using the time when the second-hand machine tools were being shipped back from the capital ring to set up a temporary reserve.
Charlie said, "Qin Mangs introduced a new raw material supplier to us. They promised to pay us in batches. As long as we don't lose our capital for too long, we should be able to hold on."
Xia Fei said, "Then I'll leave it to you. You must hold on for the time being. As long as we get through this, we'll have a bright future ahead of us."
Charlie's expression was solemn. "Don't worry. The company is doing very well right now. The workers will be willing to work for the company even if we don't pay them."
Xia Fei shook his head. "Not paying them will affect the workers' enthusiasm, which will lower the quality of the products. That's not appropriate. Let's look at other aspects, such as increasing our income and reducing our expenditure, and controlling where every penny goes."
Charlie laughed and pointed at his head. "Brother Xia Fei, you have to believe me. My ability is math. You might be good at fighting, but when it comes to numbers and finance, I'm not any worse than you."
Xia Fei laughed. "I underestimated you. Anyway, I'll leave the company to you. I'll look for Thuram again and try to get some advance payment from him."
…
After hanging up, Xia Fei lit another cigarette. Sending out ten thousand energy-shield boosters would be a huge burden to Quantum Holdings, and it might even cause the company's capital chain to collapse. Xia Fei had no choice but to do so in order to successfully obtain territory in the Death Trio Star Region.
Risks and benefits would always coexist. Xia Fei knew very well that he would not be able to reap the greatest benefits if he was not willing to take risks.
Not far from the capital ring, a small fleet consisting of ten thousand energy-shield boosters, four industrial ships, and four frigates was on standby. It would be extremely difficult to cross the desolate No Man's Land and reach the Black Abyss Star Region with just these people.
Aside from the pirates, the Death Trio Star Region was already in a state of war, and the situation was unimaginably complicated. If they wanted to safely deliver the goods, they would probably need a reliable escort fleet.
After some thought, Xia Fei dialed another number. This was a trump card that he had prepared, and he had no idea if it would work.
"Brother Butcher, long time no see," Xia Fei said with a smile.
In the scene, the butcher was in a lively bar, hugging two foxy girls and gulping down wine.
Butcher was a little embarrassed as he chased the two ladies away, found a quiet room, and locked the door.
It had been a few days since Xia Fei last saw Butcher, and his face looked a lot rosier. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol or because he had overindulged in debauchery, but he looked much more spirited than before.
"How have you been these days?" Xia Fei asked.
Butcher scratched his head. "Not too bad. The brothers have been depressed for so many years, and now that they finally have a chance to relax, I've been a little indulgent lately."
Xia Fei frowned. "Brothers?"
Butcher said, "It's like this: Most of the brothers who came out of the Blood Matrix have returned home, leaving only a few of us homeless. After being locked together in a cage for so long, we've all developed some trust. We've fought and killed each other before, but that's all in the past, and it's all in the past if we don't think about it.
"We robbed some money from Hook, and we each took a portion. We're planning to pool the rest and do something together. We can't just sit around and do nothing."
Xia Fei smiled. "That's a good thing. I'll get someone to send some gifts to congratulate you."
Butcher hurriedly waved his hand. "That won't do. It's all thanks to you that we're able to return to the world. We should be the ones giving you gifts. How can we accept your gifts?"
Xia Fei smiled. "Courtesy demands reciprocity. That's the custom of my hometown. I wonder what you're planning to do in the future?"
Butcher said solemnly, "We've had enough of fighting and killing in the Blood Matrix, so we always want to do something meaningful. Didn't we discover a star map that leads to the Garden of Eden recently? We're planning to establish an exploration company to explore that route."
"Once we find a way to get to Eden from the Alliance, we'll use warships to escort the people who want to migrate to and from each other. We can also bring some goods. The brothers are very supportive of this idea. We don't have to be restrained by others, and we can do something meaningful. You haven't been in the Blood Matrix for long, so you don't understand. We're scared of being locked up, and we don't want to be restrained anymore. We want to live freely."
Xia Fei frowned. He had always felt that Eden was a little unreliable, but he could not tell what was wrong with it.
He wanted to persuade them, but on second thought, it was not easy for these people to live. Since it was their own decision, it was best not to interfere. After all, he had no evidence to prove that there was anything wrong with the Garden of Eden.
Thinking of this, Xia Fei asked, "Brother Butcher, do you have your own warship?"
Butcher said, "Hehe, I snatched two Gaian Catalyst-class destroyers from Hook. Now it's coming in handy."
Xia Fei rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. Butcher asked curiously, "Brother Xia Fei, is there something you need?"
Xia Fei smiled. "There's something I need to do. I have a batch of goods that I need to transport from the Alliance to the Black Abyss Star Region. Considering how skilled you are in martial arts, I was planning to trouble you to make the trip so that you can look after me, but since you already have something else to do, I won't bother you. I'll think of something else."
* Whoosh! *
Butcher's expression suddenly changed, and he glared at Xia Fei.
"Brother Xia Fei! You're looking down on me! I'm not the kind of person you think I am! Wait for me! "
After saying that, Butcher grabbed the microcomputer and went to the bar. He saw dozens of drunk men with some scantily dressed women. The scene was very unbearable.
* Whoosh! *
Butcher leaped onto the bar counter and shouted, "Brothers, quiet down!"
He enlarged the screen of the microcomputer, and Xia Fei's appearance was displayed in front of everyone. Everyone had a deep impression of Xia Fei, and they all happily greeted him.
"Brother Xia Fei, you all know him, right? If not for him, we'd still be in that cage!" Butcher yelled.
Everyone raised their glasses and toasted Xia Fei through the screen. Xia Fei could only say some polite words.
"Now that Brother Xia Fei is in trouble, he needs someone to help him make a trip to Black Abyss. Brothers, are you willing to help?"
"Yes!"
"What's there to say? Brother Xia Fei's problem is our problem! "
"Brothers, are you afraid?" Butcher asked again.
"Afraid? I came out of the Blood Matrix! What's there to be afraid of? "
"Brother Xia Fei, just hold on! We'll do it for you! "
Butcher smiled at Xia Fei. "Did you hear that?"
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