(9,000 words already updated. Asking for monthly votes!)
Xia Fei finally understood why this cloaking device had been put up for auction last. It was because it was the one and only Estamel cloaking device!
As the most outstanding scientist of the ancient civilization, Estamel had designed many peerless genius products. Any piece of equipment bearing Estamel's name was priceless even in ancient times, let alone one that had been passed down through the endless passage of time.
Under normal circumstances, once a warship activated its cloaking device, its speed would plummet. The most commonly used cloaking devices required a speed of ninety to ninety-five percent.
In other words, while a warship would disappear into the vast sea of stars, it would also become like a snail, only able to crawl forward.
The Guristas cloaking device only reduced the ship's speed by seventy-five percent, far lower than ordinary cloaking devices. As for the best cloaking device in human history, the Estamel cloaking device, it could maintain seventy percent of its normal speed when activated.
If a warship's cruising speed was one hundred kilometers per second, then with an ordinary cloaking device activated, it would be reduced to a turtle speed of five kilometers per second. With the Guristas cloaking device activated, it would be slightly better, but it would still only reach twenty-five kilometers per second. However, with the top-notch Estamel cloaking device activated, it could maintain a speed of seventy kilometers per second! It would only be a tiny bit slower than when the cloaking device was not activated.
In a chaotic battle, the ability to escape at high speeds was especially important. With countless enemies and countless cannons around, the longer one stayed on the battlefield, the more disadvantageous it would be for one's survival. With the Estamel cloaking device, one could escape at the first sign of danger, greatly increasing the survivability of a warship.
Moreover, this device had the greatest, most inconceivable, advantage.
It could allow a warship to warp while cloaked!
Any warship equipped with a cloaking device would first have to remove its cloaking device before entering a wormhole and then open a warp passage.
This would make it very easy for the enemy to discover it and surround it.
The Estamel cloaking device did not need to do this. Through special energy channels and adjustments, it could warp away while cloaked. While the enemy was still blindly searching for it, it would already be tens of thousands of lightyears away from them!
This was a unique ability! Other than the Estamel cloaking device, there was no other cloaking device in the world that could do this!
Xia Fei did not know how Miss Estamel had managed to develop such an outstanding cloaking device, but the fact that this device's performance far surpassed humanity's understanding of technology was undeniable.
The crowd was excited.
It was shocking!
There was only one Estamel cloaking device in the world. No one was willing to let go of such a rare opportunity!
Xia Fei clenched his fists. It was obvious that this set of equipment would have an immeasurable impact on his trip to the insectoid territory. If he had the chance, he would do whatever it took to get his hands on this set of equipment. The only question he had was whether or not he had enough funds on hand.
The people present were all famous figures in the Alliance, and Xia Fei's net worth was not low, but it was still nothing compared to these top-tier tycoons.
Uncle Thuram, Xia Fei said in a deep voice.
"What's up?" Thuram asked curiously.
"I want this," Xia Fei said firmly.
Thuram stared at Xia Fei for a few moments. That serious look on his face made Thuram burst out laughing.
"I understand. Just go ahead and do what you need. I'll make up for the rest!"
Xia Fei nodded. "Thank you. This item is very important to me."
The middle-aged auctioneer deliberately did not say anything, allowing the auction house to become a boiling cauldron.
"There's no need for me to introduce this Estamel cloaking device. Everyone should be well aware of its value. Now, let us begin the auction of this unique and unparalleled Estamel cloaking device!" the auctioneer excitedly declared.
"The starting price of this item is five hundred billion star coins! Is there anyone willing to pay five hundred billion star coins for this top-tier cloaking system? Is there anyone? "
There was a fully automated bidding system in front of each seat. All one needed to do was insert their pass into the system to place a bid. There was also a large screen on the stage, indicating the current bid.
Xia Fei gripped the bidding device in his hand, but he did not immediately make a move. After all, the auction had only just begun. He first needed to eliminate the majority of the people, and the final competition was the most important.
The number continued to climb, quickly surpassing one dun!
Once the amount was calculated in duns, many people were powerless to do anything.
"One point two dun!" A dark-skinned man excitedly shouted. The veins on his neck were already bulging, and his breathing was getting heavier and heavier.
However, his bid was quickly overwhelmed. In just a few rounds, the price was already approaching the sky-high price of two dun!
Two duns, that was equivalent to two trillion star coins. It was enough to buy one of the Alliance's top tier super carriers! From this, one could see that these people were willing to throw caution to the wind in order to obtain the Estamel cloaking device!
Xia Fei was so nervous that his palms were sweating, for he only had a total of 2.5 duns on hand. The price was about to go beyond what he could afford, yet the auction showed no signs of stopping. At least a dozen or so people were still frantically bidding without a care in the world.
Finally, the scene that Xia Fei least wanted to see happened. Someone called out the price of three dun!
"Three points one dun!"
Xia Fei's heart sank. He would need to borrow 0.6 dun from Thuram to reach this price. Was it worth it for a one-of-a-kind cloaking system?
"Three points five dun!" Xia Fei clenched his teeth and yelled, raising the price to a crazed level! Quantum Corporation's entire year's worth of profit was tossed out just like that.
Thuram patted Xia Fei on the shoulder. "Don't worry! There's nothing that can compare to this thing. Using a price to measure it is an insult. If you want it, bid as high as you can. If anything happens, I'll bear the consequences! "
Xia Fei firmly nodded, no longer having any misgivings. He had made up his mind to get this cloaking system!
"Three points six dun!" A bespectacled middle-aged lady raised her hand and spoke in a refined manner. Her eyes glanced at Xia Fei as if she was complaining that he had raised the price so high in one go.
At this moment, Nicole and Williams looked at Xia Fei at the same time. Xia Fei only needed a little thought to understand Williams' meaning, but Nicole left him confused, not knowing what she meant.
"Four dun!" Williams sternly said. "This price isn't low. Does everyone really want to compete with the military for this thing?"
Everyone was stunned. No one had expected that Williams, who had been very quiet this entire time, would suddenly make a move! And he was even using the military's name!
"The military wants this cloaking system?"
"I think we should forget about it. One of the triumvirate, Williams, has already spoken. There's no need to fall out with the military over such a small matter."
"That makes sense. Four dun isn't a small sum. We can't afford to spend so much money and offend the military at the same time."
The status of the Alliance Military was self-evident. Even if there were people who dared to secretly compete with giants like the Adjudicator Union and the Monastic Order, very few people would dare to go against the military. It must be understood that these were the people in charge of the entire Alliance Military. Even the president would have to look at the faces of the triumvirate.
The auction hall suddenly fell silent. No one dared to challenge the military. The middle-aged auctioneer felt very depressed, but there was nothing he could do. The military's name had already been announced, and anyone else who tried to compete would only be asking for trouble.
This was when Xia Fei suddenly raised his right arm and unhurriedly said, "Four points one dun."
"Is he crazy?"
"He dares to challenge the military triumvirate? Just how many brains does this person have? "
"He's Xia Fei, the one who recently became an A-list supplier for the military."
"That means that the military is at least half his boss. Let's just wait and see how he'll explain himself to the triumvirate."
The crowd very easily went from shock to schadenfreude. Many pairs of malicious eyes looked at Xia Fei, but Xia Fei remained unmoved as if he had not noticed anything at all.
Nicole's expression shifted again and again. She shook her head at Xia Fei, seemingly warning him not to make an enemy of the military.
"Four points two dun!" Williams angrily glared at Xia Fei.
"Four points three dun!" Xia Fei unceremoniously returned the favor.
"Four points four dun!"
"Four points five dun!"
Xia Fei was beginning to panic. Williams gave Xia Fei a meaningful glance, indicating that he would help Xia Fei obtain the Estamel cloaking system, but no one else was bidding, so why was Williams still raising the price?!
It had to be understood that every time he raised his hand, he would lose a hundred billion star coins!
Finally, Williams stopped raising the price. He stood up and stared at Xia Fei for a long time before coldly saying, "Good, Xia Fei, very good!"
…
In Williams's room, Xia Fei was sitting on the sofa with a smile, a cup of tea in his hand. Williams preferred sweet grape juice.
"Are you very depressed today, blaming me for raising the price so high?" Williams asked.
Xia Fei hurriedly replied, "That's not what I meant. If not for your help, there's no way I would've been able to obtain this cloaking system with just four and a half dun."
Though Xia Fei had a smile on his face, he was feeling extremely bitter in his heart. Not only had he used up all his funds, he had also borrowed two duns from Thurams, and with the two duns he owed to the bank, he had a total debt of four duns. The money Quantum Holdings earned from not eating or drinking for a year was just enough to pay off this debt.
The remaining dun was an advance payment from the military. Half of it was to be used for the insectoid trip in a month, while the other half was to be used as liquidity for the company.
After thinking about it, Xia Fei suddenly realized that he was completely in debt. A normal person would have long since gone bankrupt.
However, with the several hundred tons of Purple Hearts of Spirit backing him, Xia Fei did not need to worry about going bankrupt. The only thing he needed to worry about was finding a powerful and tight-lipped merchant to cash out. It was not a good thing for others to know that he had so many precious ores, so Xia Fei had to take this matter seriously.
Williams smiled. "I don't care what you think. You'll understand once I'm done talking to you."
"The insectoids actually have spies in the Alliance," Williams sternly said.
Xia Fei was startled. "Are you sure?"
Williams replied, "I'm sure. There are some special members of the insectoid race who look almost identical to humans. It's very difficult to notice them unless you look carefully. Moreover, based on what we know, the insectoids have infiltrated the Pan-human Alliance far more than we expected."
Xia Fei said, "Now that you mention it, I suddenly recalled something. Several years ago, when I accidentally stumbled into the Wild Star Region, I discovered the insectoids' elite unit, the Blood Raiders, smuggling a batch of corpses out of the Alliance. These corpses were all Alliance criminals with extremely high cultivation. They seemed to be very concerned about these corpses during the transportation process, even more so than the lives of their own people, though I don't know why."
Williams deeply frowned. "I've also heard about this matter, but unfortunately, I've never been able to come to a conclusion. If the insectoids have already grasped the technology to use human corpses to infiltrate the Alliance, that's truly too frightening.
"The reason why I fell out with you in front of so many people today is actually because I'm putting on a show."
"A show?"
"That's right. I'm sure that someone will soon spread the news of your falling out with the military to the insectoids. Once you enter their territory, it might be of some help to you. Perhaps they'll even offer a high price to hire you."
Xia Fei helplessly shook his head. As expected, Williams's actions were not that simple. Everything he did was for the sake of the military's interests. Speaking of which, this was normal. As one of the military triumvirate, Williams had no reason to help him for no reason.
"I've already discussed this with Tai. The military's archives will be completely open to you," Williams said.
Xia Fei was startled. "Archives? Open to me? Why is that? "
Williams said, "The Black Bat radar you're currently researching will be very useful to the Alliance military. We hope that you can complete this epoch-making project as soon as possible. The military's archives are extraordinary and contain a large amount of precious information. All military secrets and technical data from ancient times to the present are stored there."
Xia Fei said, "I'll need to discuss this matter with my research team."
Williams lightly patted Xia Fei on the shoulder. "Stop pretending. We already know that both the energy-shield booster and the Black Bat radar came from you alone. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
Xia Fei could not help but bitterly smile. The military's strength was truly not for show. There was no way to hide this matter even if he wanted to. However, did the military also know about the wanted criminal Harris?
Seeing Williams's meaningful smile, Xia Fei could not help but break out in a cold sweat.
"The details of the trade with the insectoids will be announced in two days. What are you still lacking?" Williams asked.
"Money, people, and warships," Xia Fei straightforwardly said.
Williams said, "You don't need to worry about that. On the surface, you're going to trade with the insectoid territory, but in secret, you're working for the military. Once the details are announced, everything you need will be ready. When the time comes, I'll have someone send it to you in secret. This matter must be kept secret, and no one can know about it."
Xia Fei nodded. "That's the price, the price of madness."
Williams smiled and comforted Xia Fei. "Don't forget that you'll have a crazy reward after this is done."
…
The fifteen-day carnival of The Brotherhood came to an end, but Xia Fei was in no hurry to leave. He used the excuse of making adjustments to his warship to stay on Thousand Islands Planet.
Monkey, Bean, and the others reluctantly bid farewell to Xia Fei, agreeing to meet again in the capital ring. To Xia Fei, getting to know a bunch of high-ranking members of the Adjudicator Union was not a bad thing. While they did not have much power now, they would definitely become a force that could not be underestimated in the future. After all, the prestige of their elders was there for all to see. At the very least, they would be able to join the upper echelons of the Adjudicator Union and obtain a prominent position.
Sun Zhan also left with Bean and the others, preparing to join the Adjudicator Union once they reached the capital ring. Over the past few days, Sun Zhan had become very familiar with Monkey and the others. Xia Fei asked them to take care of this little brother, and Bean readily agreed, patting his chest and promising that no one would bully Sun Zhan.
At present, Sun Zhan was not of much use to Xia Fei, but he could not just look at the present. The mysterious Nanming Association had greatly piqued Xia Fei's interest. As the son of the Nanming Association's president, there would come a time when he would need Sun Zhan.
Of this group of youths, Mosquito was the strangest when he left, pursing his lips as if he was very unhappy. Xia Fei casually said that he would go to the capital in a few days to find him, which made him extremely happy, his face turning red for no reason.
After sending off Bean and the others, Xia Fei welcomed Thuram and Nicole.
"You really shouldn't have fought with General Williams over that Estamel cloaking device. Since he already said that the military wants it, most people will give him face. It's not worth becoming enemies with the military over a cloaking device." Nicole sighed.
Thuram also said, "That's right. Nicole's words aren't wrong. Williams rarely opens his mouth. You've really been too rash this time."
They did not know about Xia Fei's private deal with the military, so they all believed that Xia Fei had gone a little too far. Xia Fei smiled at this, saying nothing.
The journey to the insectoid territory would be extremely dangerous. With this cloaking device, he would at least have a sliver of hope of survival. Even without Williams's secret arrangements, he would still have spared no expense to obtain this device.
"Right, last time, you said that you wanted me to give you a discount. I've thought about it, and I'll give you a batch of warships at cost price," Nicole said. For some reason, this young lady had suddenly changed her mind and agreed to Xia Fei's request.
Xia Fei repeatedly agreed. He would be a fool not to take advantage of such an opportunity. No matter what her reason was, it was fine as long as it was beneficial to him.
…
The people participating in The Brotherhood's carnival began to leave, and Thousand Islands returned to its usual peace and quiet. Xia Fei piloted the Impaler to the designated location and picked up the little robot Pea and the large number of Purple Hearts of Spirit without anyone noticing.
The capital ring, Xia Fei's new home.
Avril had long been waiting outside when she heard that Xia Fei had returned. The moment she saw Xia Fei, she ran over and covered his eyes with her slender fingers.
"Don't look! I have a surprise for you!" Avril mischievously said.
The blindfolded Xia Fei walked into the room, and when Avril let go, a neatly decorated living room appeared in front of him.
The walls had been painted the ocean blue that Xia Fei liked, and the carpet was as soft as silk. The sofa and curtains were all exquisite, and the large crystal chandelier illuminated the room with a snowy white light.
"Did you do all this alone?" Xia Fei asked in pleasant surprise.
"How is it? Do you like it? "Avril asked coquettishly.
"I like it. I really like it. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't have decorated the house so meticulously."
"You're not allowed to belittle yourself. A man has to do big things, so how can you put your mind on these trivial matters? You just need to be yourself."
In truth, Avril did not say the second half: "I'll take care of the family."
Xia Fei's heart was brimming with happiness. Home. He had never felt this way before. Looking at the cozy room and the beautiful woman in front of him, Xia Fei suddenly felt extremely blessed.
What surprised Xia Fei even more was that Avril had somehow learned how to make zhajiang noodles.
Though the taste was not as authentic as the ones in old Beijing, it was Avril's sincerity. It was the hardest thing to accept a beauty's kindness. Xia Fei felt very upset when he thought about how he was about to leave.
Avril did not go home after dinner. Instead, she held onto Xia Fei's arm as they sat on the sofa and played a video.
"This is my cousin Witherspoon's wedding video. Look at how happy they are." Avril tilted her head and looked at Xia Fei, her eyes a little blurred.
Xia Fei suddenly felt a strong sense of unease. Avril's behavior today was clearly abnormal. Could it be?
"This is a video of my good friend Su Yun's wedding. I was even her bridesmaid. Their wedding was held in the romantic Yunhai City. The bride's name is Su Yun, and the groom's name is Bao Yihai. It matches their names."
"Right! Su Yun and I happened to be the same age when they got married. "Avril smiled at Xia Fei." They sure are happy. "
Xia Fei instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He understood. He really understood. His heart suddenly tightened, and an indescribable feeling of suffocation made it hard for Xia Fei to breathe.
For the entire night, Avril dragged Xia Fei to watch a video of her good friend's wedding, constantly praising how happy they were.
Xia Fei furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice, "Avril, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. Can you go home first?"
Avril was slightly stunned, and then she looked very disappointed.
"Okay. I'll come and find you tomorrow."
"I'm going to the military tomorrow to discuss some matters. I don't know when I'll be back."
"Oh, then I'll wait for your call at home." Avril pouted.
Looking at Avril's departing figure, Phantom sighed. "Why do you have to do this? Avril has already done the best a girl can do. How can you ignore her words?"
Xia Fei lit a cigarette and took a deep drag in the night. "You have to believe me. I know I'm not a good person, but everything I do is worthy of myself and the people I care about."
Xia Fei lowered his head and returned to his room, no longer paying attention to Phantom.
…
On the second day, Avril did not receive a call from Xia Fei, and she was very disappointed.
On the third day, Xia Fei simply said that he had something to do and did not have time to accompany her.
On the fourth day, there was no call.
On the ninth day, Avril received a call from Xia Fei. He had already left the capital ring.
Avril asked when Xia Fei would be back, and Xia Fei said that it might be a long time. Avril could not believe that Xia Fei had left just like that. He did not even let her see him one last time. This was the first time in her life that this little girl knew what it meant to be bitter.
On the thirteenth day, Avril suddenly received a call from a stranger.
"Miss Avril, I'm Xia Fei's lawyer, Fang Zhengdong. There are some things I need to verify with you. According to Mr. Xia's will, he listed you as the first heir to all his assets, but there's something I need to verify about your identity."
"What did you say? Xia Fei listed me as the first heir? "Avril asked in surprise.
"That's right. According to Mr. Xia, he's going to a very dangerous place, so he wrote his will just in case. Don't you know about this?"
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