Trouble at the Trade Fair
"The war has begun! The Alliance has finally decided to make a move against the Death Trio Star Region! "Xia Fei waved his fist excitedly.
Thuram could not help but frown. "I say, Xia Fei, just what are you thinking? The Alliance's decision to make a move against the Death Trio Star Region isn't entirely a good thing. Though we don't wish for the Alliance to split, war will always result in a lot of casualties. "
Xia Fei lit a cigarette and regained his composure. "Uncle, thank you for telling me this news in advance. It's very important to me. The Alliance will go to war with the Death Trio Star Region sooner or later. I just came back from there and saw with my own eyes the plight of the people there. Since we're going to fight sooner or later, the sooner we start the war, the sooner the people can return to their peaceful lives."
Thuram sighed. "That's true, but it's still a civil war. If the insectoids start moving again, I'll be more than happy to entertain them."
Xia Fei smiled and asked, "Uncle, where did you get this news from? How many troops does the military plan to send? "
Thuram puffed up his chest and proudly said, "That's nothing to me. The president's cabinet meeting just ended thirty minutes ago. The military, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, the Alliance's Security Department, and the twelve chairmen of the upper house have all voted in favor of the war. As usual, it'll be submitted to the House of Representatives and the upper house for a decision tomorrow.
"According to our sources, the military's six-star general, Tai, and the hawks are leading the charge to pacify the Death Trio Star Region. Though the president and the conservatives are still hesitant, they haven't raised any objections to the war itself. After all, reclaiming the Death Trio Star Region is what everyone wants, and the politicians won't oppose the war. Both sides are focused on the post-war reconstruction. The reconstruction of three star regions will cost a lot of money, and the distance is long and difficult to transport, so it'll be a heavy burden on the Alliance's finances."
Xia Fei nodded. Everything was going according to plan. Compared to the funds needed to reclaim the Death Trio Star Region by force, the post-war reconstruction was a bigger part. The Alliance's finances might not be able to afford it, so it would be time for the Black Abyss and the other pro-Alliance tycoons to make their appearance.
As long as they still belonged to the Alliance on the surface and were willing to give up part of their military power to undertake the post-disaster reconstruction work, the crafty politicians would definitely acquiesce to their ruling rights in the Death Trio Star Region. At most, they would maintain a deterrent force in the region.
This was the chance Xia Fei had been waiting for. As long as the Alliance allowed the tycoons to continue ruling the Death Trio Star Region, Xia Fei would become one of them and obtain a large territory for himself.
Thuram paused for a moment before continuing, "The military plans to dispatch forty regular fleets, thirty integrated fleets, and thirty logistical support fleets. From what I know, Tai has already ordered five advance fleets to set off twenty-four hours ago before suddenly proposing the battle plan in the cabinet meeting."
After some thought, Xia Fei began to clap his hands. "General Tai is truly the leader of the Hawks. He's acting first and reporting later, clearly telling the cabinet that the battle plan must be carried out. You have to agree whether you agree or not!"
"That's right!" Thuram said in a deep voice. "Tai is a very tough man, worthy of his title as the top general of the military. After joining the cabinet for more than a decade, Tai has always maintained the qualities of a soldier. It's still a man like him who has the courage to raise his arms and call for help at crucial times. It's just that he's sending quite a number of fleets this time. The total number of fleets in the Death Trio Star Region won't exceed forty, and they're all from different factions and poorly equipped. Once Tai's fleet reaches the Death Trio Star Region, they'll surely be invincible. "
Xia Fei replied, "That's precisely General Tai's brilliance. By using a powerful fleet to crush the enemy, I'm afraid that the enemy will be scared out of their wits before the battle even begins. I estimate that Tai's fleet will be able to sweep through the Death Trio Star Region in six months at most. This will not only increase the prestige of the Alliance, but it will also reduce the war time and military losses. It's the most efficient and economical combat plan, far better than a small fleet fighting the enemy."
Thuram was enlightened. He stroked the stubble on his chin with his right hand. "Indeed, this will minimize the losses suffered by the military and the local civilians. General Tai is truly thoughtful and decisive. Speaking of which, do you know why he's in such a hurry to make a move? "
Xia Fei shook his head, indicating that he did not understand. Thuram laughed heartily. "Because of you.
"You sent ten thousand energy-shield boosters to the Black Abyss, which directly changed the course of the battle a few days ago. In that battle where tens of thousands of warships bombarded each other, the Terminus and Evil Gulfstream armies were ambushed and lost more than half of their main fleet!"
"That's why both sides are now in a delicate balance. Neither side is willing to make a move. Tai doesn't want to see the situation remain in a stalemate, so he resolutely chose to take the initiative."
Xia Fei did not say anything. He had unintentionally sped up the pace of the Alliance sending troops to the Death Trio Star Region, which was an unexpected surprise. This way, he would be able to obtain a large piece of space in the Terminus Star Region earlier than he had planned.
"Uncle Thuram, when are you heading to The Brotherhood's Trade Carnival? Will the old man be going? "Xia Fei asked.
"The old thing won't be going. There are people he doesn't want to see there. The carnival lasts for half a month, and the good stuff usually comes out last. Only a newcomer like you will be able to get there so early. I'll finish up my work first and head there in about a week."
"Before that, you must be more cautious. Don't provoke those old demons. If you really get into trouble, Qin Mangs and I might not be able to protect you," Thuram said shockingly.
Xia Fei nodded. "I understand. This time, I'm mainly going to broaden my horizons, so I'll definitely keep a low profile."
Turning off the screen, Phantom smirked. "Don't get into trouble? Why do I feel that this isn't your style? "
…
After sixteen hours of flight, the Impaler arrived at an azure planet, the Thousand Islands Planet. Xia Fei estimated that the ocean made up at least ninety-five percent of the planet.
Countless islands floated on the surface of the ocean like candies falling into the water. Each island was connected to the other by sea bridges. Aside from that, there were also sea routes, air express planes, and dazzling ancient submarines as transportation. There were so many different types of transportation that it was a feast for the eyes.
Xia Fei parked the Impaler on an island specially used for docking warships before making his way to the seaside to take in a deep breath of fresh air.
"The Brotherhood is supposed to be an extremely secretive existence in the Alliance. Why would they arrange for their trade carnival to be held in such an obvious place?" Phantom asked with furrowed brows. Due to the mindset of an assassin, Phantom believed that anything that was secretive should be kept as low profile as possible, so he was very puzzled by the Brotherhood's actions.
Xia Fei smiled. "Qin Mang once defined the meaning of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is the most ancient warrior organization in the Alliance, and its symbolic significance far surpasses its own strength. In terms of strength, The Brotherhood might not be able to compare to the Adjudicator Union, but the Adjudicator Union is an extension of The Brotherhood. From a certain perspective, The Brotherhood is like a father, while the Adjudicator Union and the Monastic Order are his sons.
"Now, this father, who has so many sons and grandchildren, wants to hold a trade carnival. Though the sons don't get along with each other, they still have to give face to the father. Think about it; if someone has hundreds of sons as powerful as the Adjudicator Union, it'll be hard for them not to be in the limelight."
"This is what they call a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. If anything happens to the Brotherhood, the Adjudicator Union, the Monastic Order, and the other top existences in the Alliance will all contribute whatever they need to. Everyone will temporarily put aside their daily grudges and get along with each other peacefully for the next half a month. It's a miracle in itself that we're able to get these behemoths of the Alliance to work for us." "That's right.
Xia Fei nodded. "That's right. Furthermore, the sons of The Brotherhood who can't see eye to eye will compete with each other to see who can fork out more money and bring out better items. That's how The Brotherhood's triennial trade carnival turns out to be like this."
Xia Fei walked along the beach, marveling at the scale of the trade carnival and the local scenery. The day after tomorrow was the official opening of the carnival, but there were already quite a few people here. Xia Fei observed that most of these people who had arrived early were youths from various warrior organizations. They were all just as curious about The Brotherhood's trade carnival as he was, and it appeared that this was their first time participating as well.
There were not many truly big shots here. After all, this event would last for fifteen days, and it would only get more lively the closer it was to the end. The big shots were mostly busy with work, so they would only show their faces during the most crucial days.
Suddenly, there was a burst of cursing in the distance. Xia Fei saw about thirty to forty youths divided into two groups, confronting each other. One group wore the insignia of the Adjudicator Union while the other wore the insignia of the Monastic Order.
Xia Fei pursed his lips. It was not the first or second day that the two largest warrior organizations in the Alliance were not on good terms with each other, and it was not a good sign for them to go against each other with such great fanfare the moment they arrived. Who knew if something big would happen in the next ten days or so?
"People of the Adjudicator Union, you beat up my brother! How are you going to settle this debt?!" A stocky young man loudly demanded as he supported a pale-faced youth with a nosebleed.
"This kid is slandering our Adjudicator Union. He deserves it!" A young man with a full beard stood up and said, unwilling to be outdone.
"Xiao San, are they telling the truth?" the stocky young man asked.
The pale-faced youth, who was covering his nose, was furious. He hurriedly explained, "Sect brother, there's absolutely no such thing. I'm just saying that the Adjudicator Union was the one who chose the location for the carnival. It's as if they're afraid that others won't know how rich they are, so they purposely picked such an extravagant planet to flaunt their extravagance. How are they any different from those ignorant and incompetent fools?"
Xia Fei secretly studied the situation and realized that the young man's words seemed to make some sense. The youths on the Monastic Order's side were all wearing ordinary training clothes, and they had very few decorations on them, appearing very plain and simple. Meanwhile, the people on the Adjudicator Union's side appeared to be much more extravagant and casual. There was even a young man with a sharp chin who wore a large string of golden pearls around his neck, each one the size of an egg. They looked like a bunch of good-for-nothings who had nothing better to do.
Speaking of which, this was also the tradition of the two large organizations. The Adjudicator Union had never looked down on wealth, and they would do everything in their power to create wealth. Meanwhile, the Monastic Order kept a low profile in the world, relying on their employers' missions to gather funds.
"You still dare to speak? Say another word and I'll smash your mouth! Our Adjudicator Union is willing to pay a large sum to rent this planet so that the carnival can be held smoothly. It's fine if you Monastics aren't paying, but what right do you have to pick on three and four?! "a young Adjudicator dressed in luxurious clothing angrily demanded.
The stocky youth across from him furrowed his brows and sternly said, "What my sect brother said is the truth. There's nothing wrong with it. Besides, he's a member of our Monastic Order. Even if he did something wrong, it's none of your Adjudicators' business!"
Both sides were very aggressive, with quite a few people rolling up their sleeves in preparation for a big fight. Xia Fei and the others watched from the sidelines, not stepping forward to stop them. Which of these top-class warrior organizations in the Alliance did not have conflicts with each other? Quite a few people were here to watch the show, hoping that the Adjudicators and the Monastics would fight.
Xia Fei looked around and felt that there was something fishy about the situation. Logically speaking, security for a top-class event like this should not have been sloppy. There should have been a powerful defense team, but these fellows had been arguing for so long, yet no one had come out to mediate. What was the reason for this?
"Brothers, let's go!"
No one knew who shouted in the chaos. Dozens of young members of the two big guilds swarmed over and started fighting. In the beginning, they were still able to control themselves and not use their abilities, relying on their fists and feet to see who was the real deal.
Alas, there would always be injuries in a fight. Those who were beaten up could not hold back their anger and secretly used their special abilities to fight back. Once this opening was opened, there was no way to close it. For a moment, lightning, rocks, and icicles flew everywhere. Someone even released a rhinoceros exotic beast that looked like a small pig, and it rampaged through the crowd.
The onlookers dodged, and Xia Fei retreated about twenty steps with a light tap of his foot. He crossed his arms and began to evaluate these people's martial arts techniques with Phantom.
Those who had the right to participate in The Brotherhood's carnival were all people with some status in their respective organizations, but these youths from the Adjudicator Union were truly too weak. All they did was talk and fight, but when it came to actual fighting, there was no technique at all.
Xia Fei could not help but furrow his brows. "These fellows' martial arts techniques are very sloppy and ordinary. I wonder how they managed to get a ticket. Look, the three of them ganged up on a Monastic, yet they ended up getting burned to a pig's head with a flame technique. Isn't that just embarrassing?"
Phantom could not bear to watch any longer. "Showy but impractical moves. It's not like they're selling their skills. Who are they trying to trick with so many flashy moves? Even the weakest disciple of the Assassin Sect can easily take on this bunch. "
This was when a youth from the Monastic Order was punched in the chest and stumbled over to Xia Fei's side.
Xia Fei did not think too much about it. He instinctively reached out to help the youth, for he looked down on those good-for-nothings from the Adjudicator Union from the bottom of his heart, hoping that the Monastic Order would win.
Who would have thought that this youth might have been beaten senseless? Xia Fei reached out to help him, but the youth misunderstood him as having bad intentions, and he spat out a green fireball from his mouth.
* Bang! *
The fireball landed squarely on Xia Fei's chest, burning his newly bought sportswear to ash. Fortunately, he had the protection of the Bloodthirsty Ice God combat suit, so he did not suffer any damage. However, his face was charred black as if he had just climbed down from a mine, and his eyebrows were charred.
* Shing! *
Xia Fei could not help but feel vexed, a nameless fire burning in his chest!
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