"You've got the first capital?"
Li Yao knew that something was going to happen the moment he heard Long Yangjun's frivolous chuckle.
"Yes. It went very well."
Long Yangjun's voice was shaking Li Yao's eardrums. "As it turns out, Fish Dragon City has been holding an 'ace game', a golden arena that is held once every three years. The games are colorful, and the stakes are unlimited. The magnates around the Dragon Snake Space Zone and even from Firefly and the Xing Yao Federation are betting their money. It is the best opportunity to make a fortune. We've already made some gains."
Li Yao smiled. "With 'Sword Maniac' Yan Liren on the field, there won't be any problem."
Long Yangjun coughed and said, "Then, your guess is wrong. Although Yan Liren's sword is sharp, he does not know how to disguise himself at all. Although he has suppressed his capability to the Core Formation Stage, the aura of 'slaughtering gods, Buddhas, and everything' cannot be concealed at all! The people here were all knowledgeable. After seeing him like this and seeing his two fights, how could they still bet on him to lose? As it turned out, he soon became the favorite in the 'ace game'. The odds were rising again and again. There were not many advantages to be gained at all!
"Fellow Cultivator Ba Xiaoyu the Beggar, on the other hand, was a natural-born actor. He pretended that he was trembling in fear and barely passed every match. He also took part in a game that required him to win nine matches in a row.
"Naturally, we bet with all our belongings that he could win nine matches in a row since the very beginning. The bet alone was enough to make a couple of advanced Crystal Suits. Ha!
"It's a pity that Ba Xiaoyu's real capability was exposed after he won nine matches in a row. Right now, his odds have been raised to the highest point. There is not much left for him to gain.
"Thankfully, I've made a thorough investigation on my side and locked onto a few wealthy magnates. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity to take action tonight.
"Send me the account number of your anonymous crystal card. I'll transfer the first sum of money to you. You can prepare the Crystal Suit and the magical equipment first and wait for our second harvest."
Li Yao nodded. "Okay."
He took out the anonymous crystal card issued by the underground bank of the Dragon Snake Space Zone and inputted a stream of feeble spiritual energy into it. The glamorous surface of the crystal card immediately glittered, and a series of more than twenty random numbers that were changing nonstop popped up.
In such a foul place as the Dragon Snake Space Zone, many people did not want to be traced back to the sources and whereabouts of their funds. Therefore, the commonly used 'anonymous crystal cards' did not require their real name or even a fixed account number. Otherwise, if they had a fixed account number, wouldn't they be leaving traces behind, and it would be easy for their enemies or the headhunters of the Federation to lock onto them?
This kind of anonymous crystal card adopted a rather advanced dynamic account technology. Every crystal card could generate a brand-new account that was only valid for one minute at any time, which was equivalent to unconditionally applying for a brand-new card at any time, anywhere, without the slightest trace of a previous card.
The transaction of funds through the new card naturally had to be handed over to the underground bank that grasped the dynamic account algorithm. There would be a high service fee, but the advantage was that it was safe, inconspicuous, and convenient enough. It was the best tool for robberies and robberies.
As it turned out, hardly had Li Yao sent the randomly generated account number when the anonymous Crystal Suit shivered slightly. A number that was enough to make anyone whistle softly immediately popped up.
There are indeed a lot of rich people in the Dragon Snake Space Zone!
Li Yao remarked casually in his heart.
For him right now, however much money was, it was really just a series of numbers even if two or three zeros were added behind it.
"Right. Keep a low profile in the magical equipment store and be careful when you go out," Long Yangjun suddenly reminded him in the communication channel.
"When we were scouting just now, we felt that the atmosphere was not quite right. It was like a storm was brewing. It seems that other than us, a few other forces are planning something in secret, too.
"I've learned that such a situation has happened before. This is a super game that is held once every three years. All the experts and a lot of funds in the Dragon Snake Space Zone will be gathered here. It is perfectly normal for trouble to happen, and it will be abnormal if everything is peaceful.
"However, how should I put it? I still don't feel very good. The forces lurking in darkness seem to be here for more than just money.
"All in all, just be careful and keep a low profile."
"Understood."
Li Yao said, "So far, I've been keeping a very low profile."
He cut off the communication and waved his hands at a staff member who was standing on his tiptoes and craning his neck to watch the mysterious' Master Tang 'from Firefly in a daze. "I'd like to see the special materials and components at the top of your product catalog. However, in order to examine the goods, I seem to have to transfer a deposit to the account of your magical equipment center first. Can you arrange that for me?"
The staff member was already dumbfounded by the marvelous operations of 'Master Tang' on the 'Azure Thunder' not far away. He did not notice that Li Yao was waving his hands at all.
"Hey!"
Frowning, Li Yao snapped his fingers three times in a row on the tip of the staff member's nose before he was brought back to himself. "Did you hear what I said?"
"Huh?"
In a trance, the staff member wiped his saliva, not entirely back to himself from the shocking, unparalleled, and unimaginable adjustments of 'Master Tang'.
Li Yao sighed. "I need to pay a deposit to check a few pieces of magical equipment and some materials in your warehouse."
"Now … Now?" the staff member asked.
"Yes. Now. Is there a problem?" Li Yao asked.
…
Half a day later, in a refining workshop for VIPs in the magical equipment center of the Four Sectors …
Chu Chongjiu was talking to the mysterious girl 'Master Tang'.
In a place where nobody was around, Chu Chongjiu's attitude turned even more respectful, and he addressed the mysterious girl in a different way. "… Miss, why are you here? The Dragon Snake Space Zone is quite a mess. I — cough, cough — shouldn't have pointed out your identity just now!"
"It's alright, Uncle Chu."
The mysterious girl smiled. "I never intended to hide my identity when I came out this time. I was going to join the 'Election Observation Delegation' under a public name and observe the election of the Xing Yao Federation through the Dragon Snake Space Zone. It's best that we leave traces wherever we go so that … those people won't have anything to do with us. That's why I volunteered to stand out. It has little to do with you, Uncle Chu."
"That explains a lot."
Chu Chongjiu was relieved. Thinking for a moment, he lowered his voice and asked, "Election Observation Delegation? It's your father's idea, isn't it? So to speak, he has made up his mind to get closer and closer to the Xing Yao Federation? "
"It is indeed my father's idea, but he is not getting closer and closer."
The girl's voice had been very gentle at the beginning, but when it came to the topic, she suddenly became firm and resolute. "He is going to join the Federation and be completely integrated!"
Chu Chongjiu was slightly dazed. With a bitter smile, he said, "I didn't know that you were even more radical than Captain Tang!"
"This is not radical but the last chance of survival when we are caught in desperation. We have no other choice except to join the Xing Yao Federation!"
Deep sorrow was beaming out of the girl's face that was hidden behind the mask of light and shadow. "Uncle Chu, you know very well what Firefly has been like in the past thousand years!
"For a thousand years, we have been drifting and drifting in the sea of stars. In the beginning, we were supplied by the Sectors that were unwilling to bend to the Imperium's tyranny. Many warships of the Sectors were even connected to Firefly. The resistance warriors and the elite Cultivators of countless Sectors joined us, turning Firefly into a 'collection of super enormous warships'. A lot of fresh blood was brought in, too!
"But … this is something that happened hundreds of years ago!"
"In the past few hundred years, the Imperium of True Human Beings and the Alliance of the Holy Covenant have occupied all the prosperous areas of the civilization of mankind. They have also extended their tentacles and claws from the heartland of the civilization to all directions. One Sector after another has fallen into their hands. The remaining Sectors are all shuddering and shutting themselves off. Even if they are discovered by us, they do not dare to get in touch with us because of the horror of the Imperium and the Holy Covenant!
"We have completely become orphans in the sea of stars. We are an insignificant and lonely civilization of starships!
"If you want to support a civilization, or even allow the civilization to continue making great strides forward, you need a certain population base!"
"The shortage of resources, the shortage of energy, the harsh environment, and other problems on Firefly can perhaps be overcome. But we only have a population of 150 million in total, which is already the limit of what Firefly can support. How can such a small population support the continuation of a great civilization?
"Uncle Chu, you and I are both refiners. Let's take the arts of refining that we are most familiar with as an example. Because of the shortage of population, we can't find any good seedlings with enough potential. How many of our techniques have been lost in the past thousand years?
"Many heritages were grasped by only one refiner in the beginning, but he could not find a suitable disciple among the hundred million people. After he died, the heritages were completely cut off! Even though the heritages can be preserved in jade chips and other forms, many of the skills and approaches that require hands-on teaching cannot be reproduced!
"It is exactly because of that that our technological level, our civilization level, and our reserve of techniques have been in fact declining slowly in the past thousand years. We are a civilization of starships that is slowly declining and walking toward destruction because of the limitation of 'population'. Nobody can deny that!"
Chu Chongjiu's dry smile was frozen in his wrinkles. His face suddenly turned extremely gloomy as he said helplessly, "We can preserve the specialists and masters of various fields with the 'hibernation technology'. They are the greatest wealth of the 'Star Ocean Republic' and the seeds of our civilization!"
"It is indeed possible. But leaving the side effects of long-term hibernation aside, such an approach is very risky, too."
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