Chapter 210 The Queen's Demand
New Hope, outside the 'Purgatory' gate.
"Two security brothers, I really have something very important to see the 'Queen' adult, please let me see her!"
The two bodyguards, both two meters tall and equipped with gorilla arm prosthetics, pursed their lips into an inverted V-shape and slowly shook their heads.
"No, only invited guests can enter."
Ran Ge couldn't remember how many times he had been turned away, but he wasn't angry.
It's okay, I'll try again tomorrow at a different time!
He felt there must be something fishy about this mission, either it had to be triggered at a specific time, or there was a hidden setting that required a certain number of failures before success.
None of that mattered. I can keep trying. The one thing I'm not short on is dedication!
"Thank you for your trouble, always accompanying me," Ran Ge said to his subordinate, Anton, expressing his apology.
Anton quickly waved his hand: "Please don't say that, this is what we should do. You don't have New Hope citizen status, so you can't come to the Lower City District by yourselves."
"Hmm—"
Ran Ge was about to turn and leave when his smart wristband suddenly vibrated.
In the 'Star Sea' player community, in a closed beta player permission section named "Instant Communication Isn't Cheating," posts were constantly refreshing.
【Old Man Emitting Black Smoke】: "Attention, all employees on New Hope, the Executive Officer has decided to publicly announce the existence of the Cangyuan branch. All personnel will subsequently conduct various activities as Cangyuan employees."
【Old Man Emitting Black Smoke】: "Qun Qing, please go to the Management Bureau as soon as possible to handle the foreign exchange business. Our faction's full name is 'Cangyuan Future Technology,' headquartered in the 'Li Star System,' Star Alliance code NSC-1104, and our currency is 'cangyuan coin,' currently only in electronic encrypted form, no physical coins."
【Qun Qing】: "Received~ Going now!"
【Old Man Emitting Black Smoke】: "The others go set up the branch company and offices. We're about to open for business."
"Received!"
With the continuous manufacturing of hibernation pods, the players on New Hope had unknowingly 'proliferated' to over 70 people. They had not only thoroughly investigated the local market but also long since figured out the process for establishing branch companies.
When it came to making money, New Hope was consistently lenient. Even without citizen status, outsiders could conduct business there, just not establish heavy industries. The relevant procedures could be completed in ten minutes.
"So I had to wait for the next stage of the main storyline to open!"
Ran Ge, who had just been turned away, understood.
He returned to the main entrance of 'Purgatory' and requested to see Anya again.
"I represent Cangyuan Future Technology, please inform Ms. Anya!"
This time, perhaps because of his persistence, or perhaps because the key word "Cangyuan" was heard, the bodyguard made a call, then nodded and let him in.
Pushing through the crowded dance floor, Ran Ge saw Anya's assistant, who had undergone full prosthetic body modification.
"Please follow me."
This mech girl, she's hot—Ran Ge really wanted to pull out his scanner and scan her from behind, but he was afraid of making her angry and failing the mission, so he thought about it and held back.
He arrived at a luxurious private room on the second floor and met the woman rumored to be "the true ruler of New Hope."
Anya was wearing a white evening gown today, her black hair pulled back in a bun.
She leaned lazily on the sofa and beckoned to Ran Ge, who was standing still.
"Come here, stranger, don't be shy. I know, not long after you arrived at New Hope, you've been wanting to see me. Introduce yourself first, who exactly are you?"
"A messenger from Cangyuan Future Technology," Ran Ge replied concisely.
"Haha..."
Anya smiled, showing her teeth.
"You know Purgatory is a lively place. I hear that kind of talk several times a month."
Oh, you don't believe me, huh? Watch me submit the mission item!
Ran Ge immediately handed over his pad. This action made the assistant tense for a moment, and a mantis blade zipped out from under her prosthetic forearm.
"It's okay, Tina."
Anya's own expression remained unchanged as she calmly took the pad.
What was playing on it was Cangyuan's corporate promotional video previously used to 'subvert' Oasis City.
Seeing the power armor in the video, Anya remained impassive, a polite smile on her face.
She recognized it as a relatively popular mid-to-low-end model in the Star Alliance, with limited performance but decent cost-effectiveness, widely equipped by Apollo for its security personnel.
If it was truly Cangyuan, would they bother with such power armor, which wasn't even considered high-end in the Star Alliance?
Don't be ridiculous.
Anya was about to lose interest, but her intuition as a top intelligence broker told her it was best to watch to the end before drawing conclusions.
So, she saw Cangyuan's industrial ship, saw the enthusiastic players, and then noticed the 'unusual' aspects within it.
The industrial ship's interior was spacious and the living environment luxurious. This was definitely not a product of the post-apocalyptic disaster.
What concerned her more was the mental state of the employees.
Those people, regardless of gender, showed no signs of the fatigue and struggle of the post-apocalyptic era; they genuinely loved their work.
Rather than working, it was more like playing.
This truly was the golden spirit that humanity had long lost!
Anya stared at Ran Ge, silent for a long time, and finally asked a seemingly unrelated but actually tricky question,
"I noticed you've been docked at New Hope for five weeks. Why are you only revealing your identity now?"
"Well..."
Ran Ge was about to reply when hurried footsteps came from the direction of the stairs.
A tall figure pushed open the door, a furry long snout entering the private room before the rest of his body.
"Oh, it's Mr. Hugh! Has the wealth key already docked?"
"Huh?"
Hugh looked at Ran Ge, who had asked the question, and froze.
"Um—do we know each other?"
At this moment, Anya understood.
The faction of this person who came to see her possessed superluminal communication technology, and it must be more advanced than communication base stations based on the zero element. It was an out-and-out 'black technology'!
The latter's equipment was bulky and could only be installed on space stations or large warships; it couldn't fit in the small shuttle they arrived in.
Could it really be Cangyuan...
"Can we talk privately?"
Hugh pulled Anya to her backstage office and used a portable projection device to display the footage he had captured.
The dual space dock building warships in orbit, the thriving city on the ground—Anya was shocked.
These were not left behind by Apollo!
These images, less than two months after the previous corporate promotional video, represented decades or even centuries of progress for a colony under normal circumstances.
"We cannot let Apollo and Galan do as they please with Li Star, especially Galan, those filthy maggots!"
After all, Hugh was a wild species whose abilities had been forcibly enhanced. At this moment, his pupils constricted with the killing intent he felt towards Galan.
"Anya! Wake up! They are not reckless pawns, nor are they barbarians! Their Executive Officer is one of the most excellent strategists I have ever met, a partner worthy of respect and unity!"
"I didn't mean to belittle them," Anya argued, "Looking at you, it seems you've been completely conquered by that Executive Officer? Tell me, what benefits did they give you?"
"Cough..."
Hugh touched his protruding snout, recalling the hot, satisfying hotpot meal.
"Well—they didn't give me any benefits! We're talking business here. In short, after discovering the vast market prospects there, I gambled my escort fleet and a portion of military goods to secure a good start to cooperation, plus 15 million tons of crude oil. The first batch of 8 million tons has already arrived at the port and hasn't been declared yet."
"8 million tons? Crude oil!?"
Anya's eyes lit up.
This was no small sum, enough to support the construction of a large space station the size of a stellar base. Extracting carbon from crude oil was also more convenient and cost-effective than extracting it from more common short-chain alkanes.
"What's the carbon content?"
"Very high, eighty-eight percent."
This meant that as long as the selling price of crude oil was below 880 credit points per ton, it would generate profit.
"How about it? If you want to take it, I'll sell it to you at a unit price of 770."
Anya smiled calmly.
For her, who was extremely skilled at hiding her true emotions, this was already the extent of her elation.
This was pure profit!
Who wouldn't be happy?
"I'll take it, all 15 million tons! Thanks, it seems you haven't forgotten me, your old business partner."
Hugh bowed slightly.
"Loyalty is deeply ingrained in Fenrir's genes and culture. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gone to Li Star. This small repayment is only right."
Anya never dreamed that such a windfall would fall from the sky, right into her lap.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then her mind raced, replaying the challenges Cangyuan would face.
There were two warships under construction in orbit around their home planet, and four more warships hidden in the shadows, currently tailing the Punishment Fleet—
If the Executive Officer was really as formidable as Hugh said, plus the advantages of superluminal communication and home-field advantage, 6 against 11, there was indeed a certain chance of winning...
Alright, then, let's gamble on the future!
Anya returned to the private room. This time, the smile on her face was no longer a fake, business-like smile; it conveyed sincerity.
"I've kept you waiting, Mr. Messenger! I speculate that the reason you're only revealing your identity now is because you were waiting for your crude oil to arrive at port. Then, by establishing a corporate branch and engaging in foreign trade, you can simultaneously activate the massive foreign exchange between the cangyuan coin and Star Alliance credit points.
'This will bring you profit. However, considering that your Cangyuan is hostile to Apollo, and New Hope is Apollo's headquarters with heavy military presence, revealing your identity will also lead to danger.
"So, you hope I will step forward and provide protection for your fledgling corporate branch, am I right?"
Mm-hmm-hmm—
Ran Ge nodded vigorously.
Big sister, you're saying all my lines!
Anya maintained her smile.
"I can do that. But the question is, what price is your esteemed Executive Officer willing to pay for it?"