With a little curiosity, I took Pandora to the mysterious headquarters of Fairy Void Consortium, which had only recently appeared in front of the people of the shadow city. I wanted to see what the strange queen was up to.
Not only did she apply for a business license here with the help of Emperor Schilling, but she also seemed to be planning to build a commercial Empire here — Void Consortium. Listen to this name! Cool, mighty, and domineering. I could smell the smell of unifying the business world from these three words. Do you know that a good name can sometimes save the world? The first step in doing business is to learn how to name your company. If you named your company Wang Tiezhu Oil Factory, even if you were dealing in oil in the Middle East, you would not be able to call it that. When I was a child, there was a big company on the street. The owner of the company knew this very well. He named his company Nelford Alloy Processing and Refinement Company. The name was well-known in the local area. Although they sold kitchen knives, and later their license was revoked by the Bureau of Industry and Commerce for false advertising …
Judging from Phyllis's behavior, if she continued to sell stones and pretend to be high-energy minerals from another world, her license would be revoked sooner or later …
"The facade is not bad." I looked up at the huge building in front of me. This building should have been custom built by Fairy Void Consortium with the Ministry of Urban Construction. Its style was a little different from the standard houses in the shadow city. The lines were rigid and strictly symmetrical. It had an imposing front door and a landing platform for the city's aircraft on the upper floor, unlike other buildings here, which put the landing platform on the roof. This might be the architectural feature of the Fairy Empire. It looked good.
The City of Shadows allowed custom-made buildings. When Bubbles had nothing better to do, she would give birth to children. When her daughters had nothing better to do, they would create a large number of Splits of Builders. The Builders were idle during the war, so I sent them out to assist in the construction of the City of Shadows. Anyway, the speed of construction of such civilian buildings was very fast. An ordinary Builder would be able to build an entire street in three days. Phyllis's grand building only took about two hours to build. She was just a newcomer who had only been in the City of Shadows for a few days, and yet she knew how to complete the construction procedures so quickly... The survival and adaptability of some strange queen was off the charts. Did she finish studying the MDT I gave her in two days?
I was very curious about what the Fairy Void Consortium did, but I couldn't find any relevant information on the information projection and signboard in front of its door. The projection device in front of the door displayed a very domineering message: Fairy Void Consortium does all business that can make money without being shot by His Majesty the Emperor. Interested parties, please come here in two days for a detailed discussion. I'll take this time to think about what to sell.
... It was as clever as that scoundrel Ciccolo's advertisement.
At this moment, the door of the magnificent building suddenly slid open, and a tall figure dressed in black appeared at the door. "Ah! It was His Majesty Schilling! Looks like a big business has come knocking on my door! "
I only had time to raise my hand and say, "Wait, we're not here..." before I was dragged to the headquarters of the consortium. When I came to my senses, I was already in Phyllis's temporary office. The office was very spacious, and the interior was decorated like the captain's command room of a starship. There were large screens, consoles, and shelves with spacecraft models everywhere. This was probably Phyllis's personal habit. Looking at her spirit of leading a group of people to explore the world, she was also a master who ran around with the warship all day long.
The short female adjutant prepared drinks for me and Pandora like a senior secretary. Phyllis came over excitedly with a large pile of brochures in her hands. "You've finally made up your mind to buy my adjutant?"
The female adjutant put a cup of hot … unknown drink in front of Phyllis. "Your Majesty, please behave yourself!"
Phyllis didn't even look at it. She picked up the cup and put it to her mouth. The next second, she rolled on the sofa, screaming. She still had a cat's tongue. Of course, according to the fact that the drink was bubbling just a second ago, Phyllis couldn't stand it even if she didn't have a cat's tongue.
Sure enough, like master, like servant. The group of Fairy Void Leigh scientists who were still investigating the city were definitely not Phyllis's direct subordinates. They were too normal.
I waved my hand. "Ahem, I'm just passing by. Seeing that you've made such a big scene, I came to have a look."
Phyllis was a little frustrated when she heard that I was not here to do business. But she quickly recovered. She first tried to slow down her tongue, and then proudly pointed to the office. "What do you think? I designed it myself, from the building to the decoration in the room. I designed it myself, from the architecture to the decor in the room. I'm very good at designing. The spaceship model on the table over there is the Fairy Queen. Even that spaceship was designed by me, but I didn't bring it with me when I came out. It's too big, and we can't send such a large object out into space … "
Phyllis was in high spirits, and I happened to be interested in her business plan, so I casually talked about it. The first thing I was confused about was the location of her financial group's headquarters. This problem was the most obvious because she chose the first commercial street as the starting point. In reality … this commercial street with the name "first" was not the most prosperous place.
There were many civilian areas in Shadow City, as well as many commercial streets. Many commercial streets were more prosperous due to their proximity to the more densely populated residential areas of the Macro World. This "First Commercial Street" was only the earliest commercial street in Shadow City, which was why it had a special significance. In terms of prosperity, this place was far inferior to its newer brethren.
"I don't want prosperity," Phyllis immediately replied when she heard my confusion. "Well, it seems that you're not a professional businessman …"
I was speechless.
You're a queen, but you're a professional businessman? That's weird! Do you think all the rulers of the world know how to invest and manage money?
"I've investigated the background of the first commercial street." Phyllis leaned on the sofa and didn't hide her plan at all. She probably felt that she had nothing to hide in front of the supreme ruler of the Schilling Empire. "This place is adjacent to the imperial capital … Oh, I mean the Shadow City. This place is adjacent to the earliest civilian area of the Shadow City, and 99% of the people in this civilian area are the spawn of the Empire. The spawn of the Empire are the race of the servant army. They are half military and half civilian, and are very different from the residents of the macro world. Their residential areas are also relatively independent. I've researched the difference between the spawn of the Empire and the people of the macro world, and I've found the only truth … "
Phyllis's eyes became serious, and she leaned her upper body towards me, as if she was about to announce the truth of this world. "The spawn are all biological sons, and the people of the macro world are raised by their stepmothers …"
I was speechless.
Actually, my first reaction was to point to the sky and tell the strange queen in front of me that the Schilling Empire had always implemented a policy of great unity among the people of the world, and that the descendants of all races were fair, just, and loving. But then I thought about it and realized that she definitely didn't mean that …
"The spawn are a race that completely accepts the rule of the Empire, and their entire civilization is dependent on the Empire. They are the most favored race," Phyllis began to list with her fingers. "In the macro world, they are second only to the Shiring Apostles in the Shiring Apostles. Because they are responsible for helping the Empire guard such a vast territory, their influence can spread across the entire macro world, and they have priority in the technology of the Empire, as well as access to information from other worlds. Furthermore, their territories are vast. In comparison, although the ordinary citizens from the macro world make up the majority of the population in the City of Shadows, that is entirely due to the huge population in the universe. Every force in the macro world is very small in scale, and almost none of them have a 'stronghold' outside of their own universe. They are true 'citizens', and their social circle or network is limited to the level of 'citizens'. That is why I want to put the financial group's headquarters here, so that we can avoid a lot of detours when doing business with the spawn. Their connections will always be useful. "
I finally understood. In fact, Phyllis's goal was quite easy to understand. To do business, there must be a sufficiently wide and large network in order to expand the market. Although the macro world was a super large network, it was controlled by the Imperial Army. What she could directly access was the knots of the network, which were not very useful. The only people that she could find who were powerful enough to be her business partner were the spawn. The spawn were also an ordinary race. They had not reached the level of the Empire, where they had almost no need for business, so doing business with them would be very profitable. Of course, what I wanted to say was, how did these people from Fairy Void Tribe have so much confidence?
"There are also trade organizations similar to yours within the borders of the Empire." I glanced at Phyllis. "They started earlier than you, have more influence than you, and two or three of them are more technologically advanced than you. Where did your confidence come from?"
"The people from Fairy Void Tribe are good at doing business," Phyllis said proudly. "They are also good at developing technology, exploring, and meeting challenges. I have never been slower than anyone in the unknown field …"
I gawked at her, wondering why she wasn't even blushing.
I wasn't really interested in doing business. I was just curious about what Phyllis intended to sell. Currently, I had seen Phyllis trying to sell something other than rocks and her adjutant. Of these two things, the former had already been proven to have no future, while the latter was a non-renewable resource … But when I asked this question, Phyllis had a surprised expression. "Is this question really that important?"
"Of course!" The corner of my mouth twitched. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about what you are going to sell?"
Phyllis was quite open-minded. "Well, let's talk about it later. I will sell whatever makes money. Anyway, the probability of losing money in cross-world trade is very small. The people from Fairy Void Tribe dare to sell anything. By the way, do you catch people who sell arms?"
"You are asking me this question directly?!" I was speechless.
"Well, you have to be honest when doing business. Are you selling your spaceship …"
I was almost dumbfounded by this guy who jumped the line. "… You're lucky that you met me. Do you know that the Empire strictly forbids the smuggling of armaments? Do you know that the No.5 Battery that we usually use can cause the end of the world if it falls into another world? You should know that if you read the information, we are busy collecting the relics left behind by the Old Empire all over the world, and you still want to sell them?
Phyllis pouted in frustration. "What about the weapons of the servant army? What about the civilian weapons? And the ones below … "
"Do you have to sell arms?!"
"That's exciting …"
In the end, I had no choice but to give Phyllis a list of "emasculated versions of imperial weapons" that were allowed to be circulated among the people. These weapons were for the low-level servant army, and their power was controllable. If an advanced civilization like Fairy Void Empire put enough effort into researching them, they could also copy them. Phyllis could consider putting these things on her shelves, and then she could look for excitement …
"Remember, the circulation of these things is strictly limited. Although you can buy them, you can only sell them in 10% of the macro world. That is to say, the race that uses these weapons must be a civilized species. All the weapons have monitoring devices on them. If you sell them outside the range, they will self-destruct. The power is enough to blow up your sturdiest merchant ship into plasma … "
Phyllis nodded and then asked the second question. "By the way, selling intelligence is not a problem, right? What about smuggling relics? What about mercenary business? Smuggling … "
I banged my head on the table. "Can't you do some serious business?! Do you have to challenge the average moral index? "
The adjutant next to her looked at Phyllis silently. "Your Majesty, please be more dignified …"
"Oh, then let me think about what else can make more money." Phyllis was lost in thought. "It's not right to make money from war …"
I was speechless.
Time passed quickly. After chatting for a while, it was already evening. According to my strange biological clock that Sandora had cultivated, I judged that it was ten minutes before dinner. So, I pulled Pandora up and said goodbye to Phyllis. This strange queen was in a state of ambition for her own business. She didn't seem to notice what I said to her. She just stood up to greet me and Pandora before asking her adjutant to send us off.
"Your queen is a very interesting person." After we left Phyllis's office, I couldn't help but say to the adjutant next to me. This female adjutant was Phyllis's absolute confidante. It seemed that she would follow Phyllis no matter what the situation was. Even when the strange queen had the ambition to abandon her job to do business, this adjutant did not hesitate to become her personal secretary. From this short, short-haired woman, I seemed to see the shadow of Sives. They were both serious in speech and manner, and when their boss was unreliable, they would resolutely play the role that they were not good at. Just like how Sives disguised himself as a teacher to sneak into the school. "I've seen many race leaders, but she's the one that doesn't look like a leader the most …"
I didn't finish my sentence. Phyllis was the only one who seemed to have something in common with me. Because I'm also quite unreliable …
"Her Majesty the Queen carries a heavy burden on her shoulders. Thus, when she does what she likes to do, we will all support her." The aide-de-camp said softly. I could hear the absolute loyalty and respect hidden beneath her calm tone. I have seen many examples of people who are filled with longing for someone and are determined to follow them. "She also has an empire to take care of. Although this empire may seem as weak as a candle to you, it is the Queen's blood and sweat. The Queen has already made plans to return home at any time. Thus, before she leaves this place, let her do what she wants to do."
I replied with an 'oh' and didn't say anything else. Behind Phyllis was the Fairy Void Empire. Although people often forgot that she looked like a professional businesswoman, she did bear the heavy burden of her people and country. So, although she was enjoying herself in the City of Shadows, it would not be long before she returned to the Fairy Void Empire.
"Then what about the consortium? It seems that it only has a cool name now … Is it really just a joke? "
"No, none of the Queen's actions is a joke," the adjutant retorted seriously. "She really wants to let the Fairy Void's trade routes spread all over the void. Now that we have finally jumped out of our homeworld, the Queen will not let this opportunity slip away. The consortium will really develop. The Queen has contacted the Empire these two days. She wants some real business talents to come over and take over the activities of the consortium after she leaves the City of Shadows. Although she really hasn't figured out what kind of business to do … "
"Arms … I'm afraid it's not just for business that she insists on the license to sell arms, right?"
I suddenly looked at the adjutant with a smile. The adjutant nodded frankly and said, "Yes, we are facing a strong enemy in our homeworld. The so-called arms business is just an excuse. The Queen just wants to create a trump card for the Fairy Void people as far as possible within the scope of the Schilling Code. But as expected, you have long thought of the consequences of your unprecedented weapons falling into the hands of mortals, so the Queen's plan has been greatly discounted. "
"… By the way, aren't you afraid of spoiling the plan by telling me, a key person, so blatantly?"
"You won't do anything to our tricks," the adjutant said confidently. I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Why are you so confident?"
"It's a waste of time," the woman in front of me said indifferently. "You have ruled thousands of universes, but the Fairy Void people haven't even unified their own galaxy. Under such a gap, any action you take against the Fairy Void people is a waste of time. You won't help us, you won't stop us, and I'm afraid you won't even bother to send a few probes to our homeworld. The Queen has long seen this, so she …"
"So she always seems to be very heartless," I laughed, a little embarrassed by the adjutant's bluntness. "Well, as long as you don't mess around, I really won't interfere in your own affairs, but I really don't … Forget it, this topic will be awkward no matter how I explain it. By the way, since all of you know it, why didn't Phyllis tell me? She could have just asked me for a batch of non-prohibited weapons and equipment. Don't forget, your three ships of ores are piled up in the warehouse of the Empire, and I haven't paid for them yet. "
The adjutant thought for a while and said, "Because the Queen really wants to do arms business. It's too profitable …"
I was speechless. She really has the nature of a peddler, right?!
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