Chapter 468: The Vanishing Nanming Association
Aside from the heavy-assault cruisers, there was also a little thing called an interceptor. The last time Xia Fei and Thuram returned to Endaro from the Venal Galaxy, they had boarded this high-speed, lightweight warship.
Under normal circumstances, a warship could travel a distance of around fifty thousand lightyears with each warp, but an interceptor could reach a shocking one hundred thousand lightyears, almost double that of a regular warship. This meant that a journey that would normally take a month would only take half a month if an interceptor was used. The speed at which it moved was simply unimaginable.
Of course, the heavy-assault cruiser had also made many improvements to its warp engine, allowing it to reach sixty thousand lightyears. However, compared to the high-speed and agile interceptor, it was not that fast.
These two new second-generation warships would greatly change people's understanding of warships. The heavy-assault cruiser was known as the nightmare of ships below the battleship class, and even some battleships were no match for it.
Meanwhile, the interceptor would become an expert scout. Though it could not completely replace the position of electronic warships, it would at least become an unparalleled existence in terms of pursuit and capture.
In comparison, battleships had heavier armor and more powerful cannons, so it would be difficult to replace them in a short period of time. As for the traditional cruisers, frigates, destroyers, and even battlecruisers, their positions would be impacted by these two new warships. It would not be long before the new warships would completely replace the old warships and become the new darlings of space.
The information Nicole had given Xia Fei was undoubtedly first-hand and detailed. Aside from Gaian's two heavy-assault cruisers and interceptors, there were also detailed descriptions of the other three companies' products, even estimating their production costs.
Xia Fei did not find it strange. The four major warship companies were both partners and competitors, so they would not let go of any opportunity to investigate their competitors.
After looking through the information, Xia Fei said, "I really didn't expect that the Deimos-class warship you gave me a year ago, which was just a prototype, could now be mass-produced. The cost has also been reduced to a reasonable range. The strength of the four major warship companies is truly extraordinary." Nicole laughed.
"With tens of thousands of years of accumulation, the four major warship companies would've long been crushed by their competitors if they didn't have enough strength. How about it? What do you think of these two new warships? "
Xia Fei solemnly said, "It's an inevitable process for new warships to replace traditional warships. I'm considering if it's possible, I'll start with the new fleet that I've just built and upgrade."
Looking at Nicole, Xia Fei knew that the new product was not something that just anyone could buy. After all, the production was limited, and the military, the various corporations, and the Unions were all eyeing the new warships. No one was willing to fall behind in terms of armaments.
Nicole said in a relaxed manner, "I can sell you some of Gaia's products, but I don't have the ability to do so for the other three companies. However, I can introduce you to them. I believe that with your reputation and my reputation, you should be able to buy some goods."
Xia Fei smiled. "Nicole, you've done me such a huge favor. How should I thank you?"
The strong woman Nicole actually blushed, but she did not shy away from Xia Fei like a shy little girl. Instead, she met Xia Fei's gaze head-on, her eyes burning with passion.
"Let's have a meal together," Nicole said lightly.
Xia Fei suddenly had a bad feeling. Nicole's motive for giving him such confidential information and promising to help him purchase a batch of the latest warships was probably not as simple as a meal.
Actually, Xia Fei had long noticed that Nicole seemed to be treating him very well. He also knew that Nicole had been kidnapped when she was young, but she was not as lucky as Avrils, for Xia Fei was not by her side to protect her back then.
Nicole's wrist was as white as jade. Ever since Xia Fei advised her to get rid of the scars of her past and start anew, Nicole had actually done so. It must be said that Nicole was a stubborn person. Her father had hoped that she would get rid of the scars of her past many times, but she had never done so. Nicole had simply obeyed Xia Fei, whom she had only met by chance, and no one would believe that there was nothing ambiguous going on between them.
Nodding, Xia Fei smiled. "Your information is very useful to me. I'll look into it first. I'll be back in Sido in half a month, and I'll treat you to a big meal then."
Nicole laughed. "I'm going to have a private meal with you. Aren't you afraid that Avrils will get jealous?"
Xia Fei replied, "Avrils will understand. That's one of her strengths that moves me the most."
Xia Fei proudly raised his head at the mention of his woman. He believed that Avrils beauty, temperament, and personality were all comparable to any noble existence in the world, and he trusted his own choice even more.
Nicole felt very uncomfortable seeing how much Xia Fei doted on Avrils. She softly said, "I'll wait for you" before turning off the screen.
"I'll wait for you? Xia Fei, Nicole's words are very ambiguous, "Phantom teased.
Xia Fei shrugged helplessly, having nothing to say to that.
…
The journey was not an easy one. Xia Fei had to personally decide on some procurement matters for the vast Terminus Star Region's development and immigration work every day. He also took some time to study the formation of the fleet, continue his cultivation, and chat and drink tea with Avrils.
The closer he got to his home, the more worried Sun Zhan became. He had not been able to get in touch with his family for seven whole days. His phone line was working, but no one at home was picking up. This was definitely not normal.
Xia Fei could only try his best to console him, but it was not very effective.
Life in space was boring, and Avrils would play with Lil Pea and Furball when Xia Fei was busy. Lil Pea was a service robot, so talking to people, doing laundry, and cooking were his daily tasks, but Furball was different. Ever since Avrils forced him to feed Avrils pastries, he had always been afraid of her, even more afraid of her than Xia Fei.
Avrils just happened to like this furry little exotic beast very much. After Xia Fei's explanation, Avrils no longer fed him pastries, but she requested Furball to play games with her and listen to Lil Pea's stories.
Making the great Holy Beast Shatterstar play games and listen to stories? This in itself was an extremely bizarre story!
Helpless, under Xia Fei's strict orders, Furball could only let Avrils torment him, frowning and sighing every day, living a difficult life.
When she had time, Avrils would even learn how to do laundry and cook from Lil Pea, and the couple's days slowly became more presentable.
"This is the planet where Nanming Association is located?" Xia Fei frowned as he looked out the window at that strange planet.
The planet was very small, at most a quarter the size of Earth. Its front was always facing the sun, while its back was always dark and gloomy.
"Yes, this is Planet Nanming. Don't be fooled by the colorful front of the planet, but its back is full of danger. There are strange peaks and lofty ridges everywhere, and there are many rare plants and strange beasts. The planet's rotation time is twelve hours, and the sun never sets. We usually head out after breakfast, then come back for dinner and rest."
Xia Fei nodded. For some reason, most life-preserving planets had a rotation time of close to twenty-four hours, and a twelve-hour rotation time like this was very rare.
It was not suitable for Nirvana to dock here, so Xia Fei and Sun Zhan piloted Vampire and prepared to land.
"Lil Pea."
"Yes, master?" Lil Pea blinked its electronic eyes.
"Take care of Avrils."
* Whoosh! *
Xia Fei, Sun Zhan, Furball, and Phantom boarded Vampire and took off, landing on an open plain several minutes later. An imposing three-story building stood on the plain, surrounded by many single-story auxiliary buildings. It looked ancient, and whether it was the appearance of the building or the materials used, it was very unmodern, more like a place where the ancients lived.
"This is the Nanming Association, and it is also my home. My father and mother usually live in the three-story building at the very center, surrounded by the residences of the servants and senior brothers and sisters. Nanming is only a small association, with only seven hundred members," Sun Zhan said as he pointed to the front of the building.
As they walked, Xia Fei suddenly squatted down, using his hand to pick up a handful of sand on the ground and sniffed it.
"About a week ago, a spaceship approached this area, and the nearby grass is obviously slanted to one side, probably due to the wind generated by the warp engine. There's a burnt smell in the sand, but there's no trace of it, which means that the spaceship did not land but hovered about ten meters above the ground before someone jumped down from the landing pod. It just rained recently, so the smell is very faint. Let's hope we can find the footprints of the people who came," Xia Fei said with a dark expression.
Sun Zhan was nervous, his two hands rubbing together uneasily. A week ago was the time he had lost contact with his family!
Sure enough, not far from this patch of grass, Xia Fei found some footprints that had been washed clean by the rain.
"Seven people. The footprints are very deep, which means that they were carrying weapons or other heavy equipment. They're the Alliance's standard combat boots for outdoor trekking. The grain is clear, so they should be brand new."
Amidst Sun Zhan's astonishment, Xia Fei explained his analysis. Sun Zhan was only a newly promoted warrior, and he did not have the combat experience that Xia Fei had. If he had come alone, he would not have been able to discover these inconspicuous traces so quickly.
Raising his head, Xia Fei glanced at the Nanming Association not far away. The green gate was wide open, and it was quiet all around, as if there was no one in the yard.
"They're facing the gate, and they're so close too. That means that these people came prepared, completely unafraid of being discovered. Either that, or they had someone waiting for them, or they had an agreement with Nanming beforehand." Standing up, Xia Fei looked around.
"Impossible. Nanming Association has never been in contact with outsiders. Even if they need to sell the medicinal herbs they harvest, it's always my father who does it himself. Furthermore, he only goes out once a year, and there are very few visitors," Sun Zhan said.
"Hmm?" Xia Fei crouched down after taking a few steps. "These are brand new footprints, left after the heavy rain. They're deeply embedded in the ground. Someone else came after your parents went missing, and they came directly from your house, heading for the dark side of the planet. It's just one person."
Sun Zhan was already burning with anxiety. He recklessly charged in, shouting the names of his parents and fellow disciples, but there was nothing but empty echoes.
Sun Zhan ran into the illustrious three-story building, while Xia Fei followed the last set of footprints all the way to the backyard.
There were three frigates parked in the open space. Two of them had a green plant emblazoned on them, most likely belonging to Nanming Association, while the other, an Amarrian executioner-class frigate, had the emblem of the Adjudicator Union!
"Could the Adjudicator Union have something to do with the disappearance of Nanming Association?" Phantom asked with a frown.
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