This was a large commercial planet located in the Dawn Star Cluster. Anti-gravity flying vehicles shuttled back and forth in the sky like rivers of steel hanging diagonally in the air.
In the center of the planet's core city, there were many tall buildings. One of them was very eye-catching, towering into the clouds and standing out from the crowd. The entire structure was like a vertical gene chain, resembling a twisted '8'. The outer wall of the building was pure white, and the corners would flash with a blue light every once in a while. It had a certain technological and artistic feel to it.
At the top of the building were eight anti-gravity hovering aprons that formed a circle, like floating islands, surrounding the '∞' building sign in the middle. This was the emblem of the Limitless Financial Group. The entire building was a branch of the Limitless Financial Group. Without special circumstances, commercial organizations would not build armed bases everywhere like warlords.
A small aircraft in the atmosphere slowly landed on the apron at the top of the Limitless Financial Group's branch. Han Xiao walked out of the cabin and stepped onto the platform.
"Welcome, Your Excellency Black Star."
The receptionist who had been waiting for a long time immediately welcomed him. Black Star had already informed the Limitless Financial Group about his visit, and the financial group had already arranged for the receptionist.
Han Xiao nodded and said expressionlessly, "Where's Sorokin?"
"Your Excellency Sorokin is already waiting in the reception room. Please follow me."
The receptionist respectfully replied and led the way.
Han Xiao followed him into the Limitless Financial Group's branch, took a private elevator, and stopped on a floor.
The elevator door opened, and a spacious space appeared in front of them. There was a sofa and table in the center of the room, and there were unknown species of blue and green plants in the four corners. The surrounding walls were all floor-to-ceiling windows, and there was no extra furniture. The entire floor was a reception room.
Sorokin was waiting on the sofa. At this moment, he stood up and welcomed Han Xiao with a face full of smiles. "Your Excellency Black Star, please take a seat."
The elevator door closed, and only the two of them were left in the room.
Han Xiao sat opposite Sorokin, and only then did Sorokin sit down again. He smiled and said, "What a rare guest. When you said that you were visiting me, I didn't believe it. Why would a busy person like you suddenly come to my place?"
"Why? Don't you welcome me?" Han Xiao tilted his head.
"Haha, you must be joking. Of course, I welcome you." Sorokin maintained his smile as he secretly sized up Han Xiao. Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything.
On the surface, Sorokin appeared to be hospitable, but in fact, he was full of doubts. He was secretly guessing the reason why Black Star had come to visit without warning.
Recently, the news of the Empire giving in to Black Star had spread like wildfire. Sorokin had naturally heard of it. Although he was surprised, he wasn't shocked. After all, when Han Xiao had just finished the rescue of Hella, he had already guessed this possibility. His surprise came more from the fact that the Empire had really done so.
Now that Black Star was in the limelight in the universe, at such a crucial moment, this guy suddenly came looking for him. Who knew what he was planning? Could it be that he wanted to cooperate on the Evolutionary Totem?
Hmm, that didn't seem likely. The Empire had no reason to let an outsider interfere. Furthermore, the Limitless Financial Group and the Black Star Corps had always had a business conflict. Although he did not mention it, he did not forget about it in his heart.
Sorokin was secretly very vigilant at this time.
Han Xiao appeared very relaxed, as if he was just here to catch up. He smiled and said, "This is the first time I'm here as a guest. It's really prosperous. It seems that the Limitless Financial Group is developing very well in the Flickering World."
"This is all thanks to our partners." Sorokin picked up the wine bottle on the table, opened the cap, and personally poured a glass for Han Xiao.
"Hmm, good wine. This seems to be a premium product from Radiance." Han Xiao picked up the glass, swirled the amber wine inside, and listened to the crisp clinking sound of ice cubes hitting the glass. He smiled and casually said, "Speaking of which, we are also partners in certain fields."
"That's right." Sorokin nodded.
Han Xiao did not go straight to the point but started to chat. Sorokin could not figure out his intentions, so he could only go along with the conversation.
After taking a sip of the wine, the clear and fragrant wine flowed down his throat. Han Xiao smacked his lips, reminisced about the taste, and suddenly sighed.
"Sigh, until today, I still feel regret. Back then, the Limitless Financial Group almost became closer partners with us. It's a pity that you chose the Bloodshed Land in the end."
"Hehe, business matters are always unpredictable. Compared to the Black Star Corps, the Limitless Financial Group is more willing to invest in an organization that has a huge size but is unable to materialize it. It's not that the Black Star Corps is not good but that the Bloodshed Land needs us more. I also feel deeply regretful that we were unable to reach an agreement back then."
Sorokin said a bunch of polite words, but he was secretly muttering in his heart.
He had invested in the Bloodshed Land in order to support the Black Star Army's competitor in the business sector and steal the army's business. There was no reason for Black Star to not know about this. Now that this matter was brought up, yet he did not mention anything about the business war, who knew what he was up to.
Let this old man pretend to be polite with this person again … Sorokin thought to himself.
However, at this moment, Han Xiao looked up at him and smiled. "In fact, this is the purpose of my visit today. Today is different from the past. I want to represent the army and provide an opportunity for the Limitless Financial Group to cooperate."
Hearing this, Sorokin narrowed his eyes and quickly calculated. Suddenly, he came to a realization.
I understand now. So this is Black Star's plan.
After the release of the Evolutionary Totem, the Limitless Financial Group did not need to continue pressuring the Black Star Corps. The obstacle between the two parties had disappeared, and they could now carry out business cooperation normally. With the size of the Limitless Financial Group and the Black Star Corps, if they cooperated, it would indeed be a win-win situation.
For this reason, Black Star no longer pursued the past twenty years of business conflicts and took the initiative to propose the vision of cooperation.
Such an approach of abandoning the past and making money together was very much to Sorokin's liking. He thought that he had guessed the purpose of Han Xiao's visit and immediately relaxed a lot. The smile on his face was no longer a formal one, and there was finally a hint of a genuine smile.
"Your Excellency Black Star's proposal is exactly what I want. Now that the Flickering World is filled with opportunities, if the two of us work together, we will be invincible and occupy the majority of the Flickering World's market!"
"Since Your Excellency Sorokin also thinks so, this matter will be easy to handle!" Han Xiao slapped his thigh and said, "Then, let's set the date for me to officially become a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group."
As his voice sounded, the air in the room froze.
Sorokin's smile froze on his face.
What, shareholder position? Aren't we talking about a normal business cooperation between the two of us? Why are we talking about this?
However, seeing the playful look in Han Xiao's eyes, Sorokin's heart skipped a beat. He realized that he seemed to have misunderstood the purpose of Han Xiao's visit.
"Your Excellency Black Star, forgive me for being presumptuous, but the cooperation you are talking about is …"
"The cooperation opportunity I provided to the Limitless Financial Group is for me to become a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group. Don't you happen to have an empty seat?" Han Xiao smiled meaningfully. This was his real purpose for coming.
Sorokin's eyes narrowed slightly. He finally confirmed that Han Xiao did not come with good intentions.
Taking advantage of the fact that Gorután's seat is empty, Black Star wants to replace him? Heh, do you really think that the position of a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group is a trophy? Whether I can take it or not still depends on me!
Around this shareholder position, Sorokin had already formulated a detailed strategy to enter the Galactic Black Market. This was the bargaining chip of the deal with Secret Master, so he naturally would not give this position to anyone else. This was related to the blueprint of his business empire in his heart. Becoming the protector of the Galactic Black Market was an extremely crucial step.
Sorokin's smile faded, and he slowly said, "Then I'm sorry. Although Gorután met with an accident, since he's still alive, he's still a shareholder. If he dies in an accident, according to the contract he signed with me, his shares will be taken back by the consortium. I have no plans to establish a new shareholder for the time being. If you want to talk about other cooperation, I'm happy to accompany you, but there's no need to talk about the shareholder position."
Han Xiao did not mind and chuckled. "If I remember correctly, this is the second time you have rejected my request to become a shareholder."
Hearing this, Sorokin could not help but think back. It seemed that more than twenty years ago, when the two of them first met, Black Star had proposed once.
"That's right, I rejected you back then. Today, my answer is still the same." Sorokin calmly said, "The foundation of the consortium is huge. Any change in any shareholder requires the consent of all shareholders. At the same time, each of the three Universal Civilizations only has one shareholder in the Limitless Financial Group. The three parties are in balance. Kant is already one of the shareholders, so Radiance and Ethereal will not allow a second dynasty ally to enter the shareholders' meeting."
Han Xiao blinked and said meaningfully, "Sorokin, twenty years have passed. Times have changed. I will give you an offer that you can't refuse."
"Oh?"
"Hehe, first of all, I'll ask for the consent of all shareholders … Do you think the others will support me or reject me?"
Sorokin was slightly stunned, and his brows furrowed.
He suddenly realized that this problem did not seem to be an obstacle to Black Star.
Black Star was no longer the same as before. His position in the universe was far higher than twenty years ago. He was also in charge of building the communication platform for the Beyond Grade A united front. Just based on this, he could obtain the support of Manison and Kasuyi. As Black Star's colleague, Kant would not object.
Sorokin suddenly had a bad feeling.
This time, Han Xiao smiled and slowly said, "As for the three Universal Civilizations' checks and balances … Do you think that Radiance and Ethereal will make an exception and allow a second dynasty ally to become a shareholder because of the Evolutionary Totem? Or do you think that at this point, they will openly oppose me?"
The dagger is revealed!
This was Sorokin's only thought at this moment.
His expression completely darkened.
That's right, the dynasty's opening of the Evolutionary Totem temporarily resolved the hostility between Radiance and Ethereal. Furthermore, in order to ensure the dynasty's smooth implementation of this decree, Radiance and Ethereal might even turn into bootlickers. Not only would they try to ease their relationship with the dynasty, but they would also try to curry favor with Black Star, who had the Evolution Cube.
Furthermore, Black Star had their captives in his hands, so he had more than enough bargaining chips to make Radiance and Ethereal compromise. If he insisted on including the condition of becoming a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group in the ransom clause, not only would Radiance and Ethereal not stop him, they would even help Black Star become a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group!
At this moment, Sorokin finally noticed a detail that made him faintly uneasy. Once the issue of the Evolutionary Totem was resolved, although he had completed the transaction between Radiance and Ethereal and obtained the benefits he wanted, he had also lost these two protective talismans.
This meant that if Black Star wanted to become a shareholder, as the head of the financial group, he did not have the right to refuse!
He could either pinch his nose and let Black Star become a shareholder and let this guy eat an astronomical amount of dividends for free, or wait for the three Universal Civilizations to help Black Star and punish the Limitless Financial Group in the commercial field, forcing him to submit.
He had no choice but to give it up!
Thinking of this, Sorokin took a deep look at Han Xiao.
What a good move, completely using his own 'influence'. Could it be that Black Star had already predicted this?
Han Xiao only smiled and slowly sipped his drink, looking fearless as he waited for the answer.
Seeing this, Sorokin's expression kept changing. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke again.
"Black Star, this move of yours … is quite beautiful."
"Then, what do you plan to choose?" Han Xiao's expression was playful.
"… Do I have a choice?"
Hearing this, Han Xiao smiled, put down his glass, and extended his hand to Sorokin.
"Then … I wish us a happy cooperation?"
Looking at Han Xiao's hand, Sorokin took a deep breath, suppressed his feelings, and squeezed out a smile. He reached out and shook Han Xiao's hand.
"Happy cooperation."
Clenching their fists tightly, their gazes collided in mid-air, as if sparks were about to fly.
Seeing the playful look in Han Xiao's eyes, Sorokin could not help but have the urge to attack. However, this thought was extinguished as soon as it appeared.
He recognized the reality. Since he could not resist, he could only enjoy it. Even if it hurt, he decisively compromised and gave in to Han Xiao.
"Hmm?"
Han Xiao was keenly aware of Sorokin's killing intent. At this moment, he felt as if he had seen a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. His killing intent was even stronger than Hella's. He did not believe that he did not have tens of billions of lives in his hands.
This old guy really used to kill without batting an eyelid …
However, Han Xiao did not care. He smiled and withdrew his hand. He knew that Sorokin was used to pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger. He was bullying the other party because they did not dare to attack.
After all these years, Han Xiao had a good understanding of Sorokin's style. This person did not care about personal reputation at all.
If he took the initiative to attack and dared to attack, Sorokin would dare to pretend to be defeated and let him beat him up. Then, he would use propaganda tools to make the whole universe know. That way, he would not be in the right, and his position as a shareholder would be ruined. His positive reputation would plummet, and he would lose a lot of financial groups. Although he did not have the support of Radiance and Ethereal, the identity of the head of the Limitless Financial Group was also a protective talisman. This was not some random gray organization but the head of a legal galactic business organization. Using violence against such a person would have a huge negative impact. It was like a person with the surname Ma beating up another person with the surname Ma. Whether it would make the headlines or not, it was obvious.
After getting what he wanted, Han Xiao stopped teasing Sorokin. He put away his smile and said, "Since we have reached a consensus, please announce this to the outside world as soon as possible. I won't disturb you anymore."
"Okay, take care." Sorokin forced a smile and sent him off.
After Han Xiao left the room, Sorokin's face turned completely sour.
This time, he had screwed up!
Although it seemed like the shareholder had changed from Gorután to Black Star, this had destroyed Sorokin's business strategy and missed a great opportunity to enter the galactic black market.
As a businessman, watching an important business opportunity slip through his fingers, the pain could not be described with words. It was unforgettable.
Furthermore, with Black Star's vigilance against him, he would not sincerely cooperate with the Limitless Financial Group. Therefore, the Limitless Financial Group would probably not be able to get any benefits from this shareholder. They could only give Black Star dividends for free and might even have to deal with Black Star's reverse infiltration.
Just thinking about it made Sorokin feel terrible.
All along, the Limitless Financial Group had been using commercial means to hinder the development of the Black Star Corps. They had only stopped recently. However, this time, Han Xiao had turned the tables on them.
Kacha!
The wine glass was crushed, and the shards fell to the ground.
Sorokin did not wipe his hands and allowed the amber wine to drip from the gaps of his fists.
His expression was extremely ugly as he muttered to himself,
"I hate Beyond Grade As …"
—
(PY Push Book "This Number Is Toxic", by the Kindergarten Leader)
(Introduction: Lu Xun, who had just created a smurf account, transmigrated to the Xianxia genre game 'Heavenly Dust'. He's clearly a player, but for some reason, he has an NPC model. As for the real players, they will descend in three years.
Now, the first thing he has to face is … a demoness who wants to capture him and use him as a sex slave.)
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