T6-grade interstellar transports!
To any Flower-Fairy interstellar trader, that was nothing short of a killing blow.
For they all knew very well how important and how valuable interstellar transports were to interstellar traders like them.
Before this, to buy a few T5-grade interstellar transports, they had even been willing to pay high prices.
But most of the time there had still been none to be had at any price.
Let alone T6-grade interstellar transports.
Lilith looked across at Huaya Lanlan, whose expression was complicated and somewhat irresolute.
She simply raised her hand and brought up a hologram of an interstellar transport.
It was the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport now in service with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
Once they saw the hologram of the interstellar transport, neither Huaya Lanlan nor Huaya Nini could take her eyes off it,
with the look of a man who has seen a peerless beauty.
"This is the most advanced interstellar transport now in service with our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport. We can say that among all known interstellar civilizations, if this T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport of ours called itself second among interstellar transports, no one would dare call itself first. It has an enormous load capacity, and at the same time its speed is no worse than an ordinary interstellar transport's. It also has good short-term acceleration, and the ability to enter warp quickly. Besides that, its hull armor is very hard as well. Taken as a whole design, this T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport can be called very perfect in every respect. As far as I know, against the most advanced T5 interstellar transport your Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes now have in service, this one T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport of mine sells for about two hundred times as much, but carries ten thousand times as much. Its whole shipping efficiency is ten thousand times as great! You could put it this way: this one T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport of mine can match five hundred thousand of your T5-grade interstellar transports! And now, so long as you agree, we're willing to open the right to buy this interstellar warship to your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group. Mind you, among the interstellar powers working with our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire now, no one has ever had the right to buy this interstellar warship from us. So long as you're willing, you'll be the only ones."
She paused.
Lilith went on, "Of course, we also know you may be worried about the high price, and that your capital chain may not be able to bear the cost of buying this interstellar warship for the time being. But so long as you agree to the alliance, all such things can be discussed between us. Low-interest loans, or putting up other things as collateral, would both do. Or else you could buy the T5 Star-Kun-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transports in our hands. The public price for a single ship is 2 trillion star coins. But if you're willing to ally with us and sign some cooperation agreements, you'll get the lowest price: five hundred billion star coins, three hundred billion star coins, even a hundred billion star coins is possible. So long as we're friends, anything can be discussed. As I understand it, the T5-grade interstellar transport you now have in service cost you five hundred billion star coins a ship when you bought it. And in overall performance it isn't a twentieth of this T5 Star-Kun-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport of ours! And there are only so many of them besides. But with us, so long as you're willing, you can have as many of this interstellar transport as you want. Besides that, we have cheap interstellar transports too. The T4 Giant Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transport sells for eight billion star coins a ship; of course, that's the price for outsiders; for our allies, that price can still be discussed."
Lilith fired off these words like a cannonade.
They fell on Huaya Lanlan and Huaya Nini like sugar-coated shells.
Even Huaya Lanlan began to waver inwardly.
And Huaya Nini looked even more wildly at the interstellar transports being shown one by one, and glanced urgently at her sister,
again and again on the point of opening her mouth to win her sister over.
The terms for these interstellar transports were simply too tempting.
"We have interstellar transports of lower grades too. The T3 Great White Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transport at eight hundred million star coins a ship, and the Moose-class Heavy Interstellar Transport at one million star coins a ship. But Owl Dragon military industry itself no longer builds interstellar transports of these grades; they're too backward. Of course, if you're willing, we can hand you the production technology for these interstellar transports. So long as we're friends, anything can be discussed!" Lilith said.[1]
To get the technology for T2- and T3-grade interstellar transports outright!
Huaya Nini drew in a cold breath; now she knew at last why the Owl Dragon Emperor and Secretary-Officer Lilith had been confident enough to say they could have the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group command over 51% of the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' market share in a short time.
With help like this, it was entirely possible.
With these trump cards, Huaya Nini alone could think of several ways to expand the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's power and market share in a short time.
As for Huaya Lanlan's expression now, it was as torn as could be.
She had thought before about what words to use in refusing, for she knew there were no pies falling from the sky, still less when dealing with something like the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire; that was asking a tiger for its skin.
But now……
she found it might not be beyond discussing after all.
The Owl Dragon Emperor was simply offering too much!
"Then do you mean to use this to control our Bailan Interstellar Trade Group? To make us puppets in your hands?" Huaya Lanlan held back her own thoughts for the moment and asked with a show of calm.
Lilith shook her head at once and said, "Puppets? No, no, no, we have no such idea. At least for now we have no such idea about your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group. Of course, we don't deny that in dealing with some disobedient interstellar powers we've backed puppets into power, but that was because we had no choice. Even in those cases we still gave those in power a great deal of freedom. If your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group chooses of its own will to work with us, we won't interfere with your freedom. First of all, your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group is still your Bailan; you're a wholly independent entity. How you do business and how much profit you make have nothing to do with us. We're only partners helping each other," Lilith said, all smiles.
Huaya Lanlan said seriously, "Then what exactly do you want from us? I don't believe you'd get up early without a profit in it."
Seeing Huaya Lanlan so blunt, Lilith answered just as plainly, "What we want is really very simple too. First: we need more raw materials and markets, because our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire is facing the Devourer Civilization's invasion. We need more money and supplies. And commanding interstellar trade across the universes is the best way to get them. But building a cross-universe trade system in a short time is something we can't do. The Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes have a ready-made trade system and platform. That way we can sell our products outward through the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes, create market demand, and earn the profits we want. Those profits can also be exchanged through the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' platform for the raw materials we need, and shipped to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire."
Hearing this, Huaya Lanlan nodded; that much she could understand.
"The other thing is the military side. To tell you the truth, this time we're not in contact only with you; we're in contact with other interstellar civilizations' universes too. We need to raise our influence, and going through your network of contacts and trade is a way to greatly speed that up. At the same time, your intelligence network is something we need as well. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle."
The intelligence network Huaya Lanlan could understand too.
Though the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes all declared to the outside that they kept fair and neutral, for their own safety and for advantage in interstellar trade
they gathered intelligence of every kind, and over time had naturally become very nearly the largest intelligence network there was.
"Third, if in the course of our growth we should come to stand on opposite sides: fighting you is something we don't want; among His Majesty the Emperor's principles, force is the worst of all means. If there's any other choice, using force is the outcome we least want to see. Of course, if it truly came to that, we might have no choice but to use force." Having said this much, Lilith shrugged.
There was a thread of threat in the words, but more of candor.
Huaya Lanlan fell into thought.
Lilith now pointed to the incense still burning to one side. "You have under ten minutes left. If you have any doubts at all, you can ask me now. I hope that before this stick of incense burns out and you leave, we'll have an answer that satisfies both sides."
T6- and T5-grade interstellar transports!
And even a chance of getting the manufacturing blueprints for T4- and T3-grade interstellar transports!
Besides that, the Owl Dragon line's military, civilian and technology products.
And the backing of a T6 technology civilization's interstellar empire!
This whole string of temptations was set before Huaya Lanlan now; so long as she nodded, all of it might become hers.
And with it, her Bailan Interstellar Trade Group would do far more than hold on as it was: it would become the first-ranked interstellar trader in the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes, and in the not-distant future even hold over 50% of the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' market share,
the first mighty presence ever truly to command everything in the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes.
But… all of this was beyond doubt asking a tiger for its skin.
Even if Zhao Chen promised now that in future he would not interfere in the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes directly, and would treat the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes and the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group as equals,
all that was a matter for the future; who knew whether Zhao Chen, this Owl Dragon Emperor, would keep those promises then?
Mind you, a royal house's promise was sometimes worth more than gold, and sometimes worth less than the paper in a latrine.
"Could we have a little time to think it over by ourselves?" Huaya Lanlan could not help standing up as she asked.
Lilith pointed to a side room off the hall. "You can rest in there. When there's one minute left, I'll remind you."
"Thank you," Huaya Lanlan said gratefully.
Then she walked to the side room.
Huaya Nini stood up too, nodded to Lilith and then to the Owl Dragon Emperor, and quickly followed her sister.
The two of them went into the side room.
There was no door between the side room and the hall, only a curtain.
Huaya Lanlan took out a device and switched it on.
A screen of light closed around her and her sister, Huaya Nini.
"Sister, don't hesitate. Terms this good. T6- and T5-grade interstellar transports, and we can even get the manufacturing technology for T4- and T3-grade interstellar transports," Huaya Nini said excitedly.
"Manufacturing technology alone is no use; our own industrial strength isn't great at present. And I expect the Owl Dragon Empire won't allow us to hand that manufacturing technology to other interstellar powers' factories to produce," Huaya Lanlan said with a frown.
Huaya Nini was so anxious she stamped her feet, and said, "Sister, you're usually so clever; how can you be so muddled right now? Our own industrial capacity isn't enough, true. But don't forget the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire! By the intelligence I've learned, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has a full set of industrial capacity; so long as they have the blueprints, there's nothing they can't produce. The T6-grade interstellar warships they have in service, for instance, were built in their own T6-grade factories. Since they already have T6-grade industrial capacity and the industrial facilities that go with it, tell me: if we asked them to sell us T3- or T4-grade interstellar industrial ships, or industrial facilities, would they really refuse? At worst, we'd promise a few more terms, or pay a bit of a purchase fee. Then not only could we buy T5- and T6-grade interstellar transports from the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, we could even build T4- and T3-grade interstellar transports ourselves. That way we could not only use them to win over other interstellar traders and expand our market, but even make our Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes stronger still in future. An interstellar trader of the universe who can build advanced interstellar transports herself: that's the way to create the greatest wealth! Not being bound hand and foot the way we are now."
Huaya Nini's words came like a cannonade; plainly she now stood wholly on the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's side.
There was no help for it.
The Owl Dragon Emperor of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire was simply offering too much.
And Huaya Nini's words now were beyond doubt the fatal blow to Huaya Lanlan's wavering.
Huaya Lanlan hesitated, bit her red lip lightly, and spoke her worry: "Right now everything we're told is good. But who knows whether the Owl Dragon Emperor will still treat us this way in future? Nini, you should know the greatest taboo for us interstellar traders is having a political stance. It would hold back our growth!"
Huaya Nini at once retorted, "Everything you say is right; it all makes sense. But let me ask you! What's the precondition for all of it? The precondition is that we first have to survive. Our Bailan Interstellar Trade Group has to survive first. This time our Gold-Mountain Shire order looks filled, and the payment we bring back can keep our Bailan Interstellar Trade Group limping along for another three months? Four months? Half a year? Then what about after half a year? And this Gold-Mountain Shire order of ours would in fact have failed long ago if His Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor hadn't stepped in. Our interstellar transport fleet had no way at all of getting the goods and supplies to the buyer within the order's deadline."
For the first time, Huaya Nini was shouting at her own sister; her face had even gone red.
It was plain she was truly anxious.
She did not have her sister's coolness, but she cared about the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's future more directly.
The reason Huaya Nini had taken the risk of escorting the cargo in person was, all of it, for the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group.
In Huaya Nini's heart, the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group came first.
Whoever could help the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group was her friend.
Whoever could make the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group strong and restore its former glory was her, Huaya Nini's, best ally!
Looking at her sister, so worked up she was nearly out of control,
Huaya Lanlan felt the string in her heart go wholly slack in that moment.
Her clenched fists had come open at some point too.
"I understand."
As though she had made some decision, Huaya Lanlan put away the shielding device and walked out of the side room.
As luck would have it, she ran right into Lilith coming over.
"It seems you've made your decision." Lilith looked at Huaya Lanlan and Huaya Nini with a smile.
The hanging incense far off was just about to burn out.
Huaya Lanlan walked straight to the Owl Dragon Emperor sitting in the seat of honor.
She laid her hand on her breast, bowed slightly, and said respectfully and gravely, "I, Huaya Lanlan, on behalf of the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group, am willing to work with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire."
Behind her, Huaya Nini made the same salute.
Zhao Chen stood up now with a faint smile on his face and held out his hand. "You'll be glad of this decision in the future. I promise I'll never let you regret today's decision. Before your very eyes, the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group will become the largest interstellar trade group in the known universe!"
From then on, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire and the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group could be called formal allies.
Huaya Lanlan and Huaya Nini sat down again, but this time the mood between the two sides was wholly different from before.
Huaya Lanlan said, "Your Majesty, considering the present situation, we may not be able to make our relationship with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire public right away. After all, if we Flower-Fairy interstellar traders are said to have some interstellar empire behind us, it's bound to affect our interstellar trade."
Zhao Chen nodded and said, "That I can understand completely. Rest assured: until you hold an absolute market share and position, I won't require you to stand openly on our side. Until then, our cooperation will be known only to the two of us. Even if someone may discover something in the meantime, so long as neither of us admits it in any official setting, no one will dare say anything."
Huaya Lanlan nodded gratefully.
Huaya Nini could not help speaking up beside her now: "Um… about the help you mentioned before, that you could give us once we're working together……"
Lilith stepped forward to speak now, and raised her hand.
Several files appeared before Huaya Nini and Huaya Lanlan.
They were the names of four interstellar groups:
the Rose-Red-Dragon Interstellar Group, the North-Dragon Interstellar Group, the Earth-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group, and the Northern Goose Group.
"These four interstellar trade groups are the four largest interstellar trade groups in our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire at present. They've made great achievements in every field, and have a great many fine goods. I can arrange afterward for you to connect with them, with you in charge of selling the Owl Dragon-line interstellar goods they produce," Lilith said.
Huaya Nini nodded happily, then asked at once, "And as for the interstellar transports?"
Lilith raised her hand again too,
and opened another document page.
On it were written clearly the interstellar transports the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire had in service now and had had before, with descriptions of them.
At the same time, the normal market price was marked after each.
For example, the T2 Moose-class Heavy Interstellar Transport's public price was 1 million star coins a ship;
the T3 Great White Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transport's public price was 80 million star coins a ship;
the T4 Giant Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transport's public price was 8 billion star coins a ship;
the T5 Star-Kun-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport's public price was 2 trillion star coins a ship;
the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport……
After the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport, no public price for a single ship was marked.
"Because the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport has never been sold outside before, there's no exact figure for the price of a single ship. The figure I can give you roughly is somewhere around 500 trillion star coins," Lilith said.
500 trillion star coins.
To the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group, that was beyond doubt an astronomical figure.
Mind you, by her reckoning the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's whole year of net earnings could only just buy one such T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport.
"Of course, considering the relationship between allies, if you buy these interstellar transports we can give you a preferential price of 20% off," Lilith added.
A 20% discount.
In interstellar trade, that could certainly be called a large discount.
But for the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group as it stood, having the discount or not came to much the same thing, for even with it they could not afford them at all.
They wanted these interstellar transports very much, but though they were allies now, they could hardly have the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire hand these interstellar transports over to them for nothing.
Lilith paused, noting the change in Huaya Lanlan's and Huaya Nini's expressions.
Feeling the groundwork laid before was about enough, she too began to cast out her hook.