"Hello, Secretary-Officer Bessie. Then we'll be in your hands from here on," Huaya Nini said politely.
"If you don't mind, I'll take a shuttle and come aboard the interstellar cruise liner you're on. Don't worry: only myself and a support team of eight. Mainly to register the arrangements for you and your colleagues going forward," Secretary-Officer Bessie said.
"Of course, no problem at all," Huaya Nini said at once.
Then, a dozen-odd minutes later, Secretary-Officer Bessie appeared before Huaya Nini.
Behind Secretary-Officer Bessie, as she had said, came eight secretary-officers: six of them succubi, and of the other two, one human and one of the Angel Race.
At the sight of the angel's pure-white wings, Huaya Nini could not help taking a second look.
"Hello. Once again, on behalf of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, I welcome you here," Secretary-Officer Bessie said again.
"We're honored too," Huaya Nini said.
"Then we'll deal with official business first, and arrange your welcome banquet afterward. How does that sound?" Secretary-Officer Bessie set out her arrangements.
"Of course, no problem at all. I never thought you'd work so efficiently," Huaya Nini said happily.
As an interstellar trader, she liked this kind of crisp, direct, efficient way of working far better than formal receptions full of pleasantries.
"You're too kind. It's mainly that this matter is very important to both of us. In the message Chief Secretary-Officer Lady Lilith sent, she stressed its importance too. So we dare not slacken in the least. We all hope to finish what we've been charged with in the shortest time," Secretary-Officer Bessie said sincerely.
Huaya Nini agreed: "Yes! This matter is very important to both of us. Rather than waste time on what isn't needed, better to make haste with the real business."
"Then let's not waste words. My people need to register the colleagues you've brought. What we register is mainly the arrangements for their work and study going forward: learning interstellar industrial ships, learning interstellar transports, learning the building technology for T2, T3 and T4 interstellar transports, and so on. They'll be divided into different groups, and afterward we'll arrange starships to take them to different places for study and training. Don't worry: throughout the whole process, their safety and daily lives are our responsibility." Secretary-Officer Bessie went through the work item by item.
Huaya Nini nodded again and again and said, "That's wonderful; I'll have my people cooperate with your registration."
After that, the work between the two sides went very smoothly.
In the meantime Secretary-Officer Bessie even found a little time to let Huaya Nini see those interstellar transports as they really were, with her own eyes.
She had seen the holograms, true.
But when a T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport truly appeared before her, the shock in Huaya Nini's heart was beyond any words to describe.
She had never seen so "beautiful" an interstellar transport.
She could not even imagine owning such an interstellar transport one day.
It made her all the more set on deepening the cooperation plan with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
For the first-phase cooperation plan before had not included any purchase of T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transports.
The reason was that the purchase price of a single T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport was still very dear, even after a discount.
And as things stood now with the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group, the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport was not an urgent need.
What it needed more was the mainstay of the T5 line, the Star-Kun-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport.
"Once the work's been arranged, if you like, I can take you aboard these starships too and show you round bit by bit." Secretary-Officer Bessie noticed Huaya Nini's expression, and said it with a smile.
Huaya Nini looked at Secretary-Officer Bessie in delight, then asked with some hesitation and worry, "Would… would that be quite proper?"
"There's nothing improper about it. Our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire and your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group are close partners now. Under that partnership, it isn't as if these things can't be seen." Secretary-Officer Bessie looked as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
"Then… then let me thank you here in advance, Your Excellency Secretary-Officer Bessie." Huaya Nini held back the delight in her heart, doing her best not to lose her composure.
Secretary-Officer Bessie smiled faintly.
At the same time, elsewhere, another team was acting on the orders Secretary-Officer Lilith had sent back,
urgently drawing together a batch of starships,
mainly interstellar mining ships of every type, Eden-class Starships, and interstellar warships of every type!
With starships of every kind gathered here, anyone who did not know would think the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire was holding a military exhibition.
It was all prepared very fast.
So fast that before Huaya Nini's people had all been placed,
this side was already getting ready to set out once more for the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' universe.
When Huaya Nini saw those neat, uniform rows of brand-new starships appear there,
the look on her face was a sight to behold.
She had truly never thought the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire would get things done this fast.
And she noticed too that the paint on those starships all seemed brand-new; it was plain these starships had been carefully chosen.
The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire took this chance very seriously.
Efficient procedures, a serious attitude:
it was simply the most perfect partner there could be.
Very soon this batch of starships passed through the white-jade gate they had come by, and set off for the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes.
"Miss Huaya Nini, we have a little time now. I've arranged an interstellar shuttle specially; we can go aboard a T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport and look round." Secretary-Officer Bessie's voice came from not far behind her.
The Stone Kingdom's universe
"Why is it Mr. Adil here today? The one we agreed would complete this transaction with us was Mr. Ahmed." Huaya Lanlan looked at the man before her, her expression somewhat complicated.
The other spoke, his voice dull and heavy: "Lord Ahmed was originally to complete this transaction with your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group. But I'm sorry: from this time on, all transactions with your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group will be in my charge. At the same time, the share of our trade orders will be cut somewhat."
At this, Huaya Lanlan's expression changed slightly, and she said in a low voice, "Mr. Adil, this goes against the contract we signed before! In our contract, a certain trade volume must be completed with our Bailan Interstellar Trade Group every year! The trade volume now is already the lowest it can be; cut it any further, and that breaks the terms of our contract."
Faced with Huaya Lanlan's challenge,
this Mr. Adil said coolly, "I know, but it's a decision we reached after consultation. We'll pay you the penalty for breaking the contract. As for our cutting the share of goods we trade with you, that isn't wholly our doing either. The prices in our trade with you have always been lower than with other Flower-Fairy interstellar traders. If this contract hadn't been signed so early, our cooperation would have ended long ago. And we value our past friendship with your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group too. Otherwise… we could perfectly well pay the whole penalty and end all our trade with you."
With that, this Mr. Adil stood up, ready to leave. "If there's nothing else, let's end this talk here."
"Wait." Huaya Lanlan called him back at once.
"Miss Lanlan, if you still want to talk about the contract, all I can say is that there's nothing for us to discuss," Mr. Adil said without turning his head.
Huaya Lanlan said at once, "It isn't about the contract; it's about another kind of cooperation. I have a partner here I want to introduce to Mr. Ahmed!"
Only at this did this Mr. Adil stop.
He turned his head and looked, plainly none too kindly, at the stranger standing beside Huaya Lanlan, who had been wearing a cloak that hid his face and had now taken it off, showing a man's face.
"Huaya Lanlan, you ought to know how rude it is to bring a stranger into a transaction with our Stone Kingdom!" Mr. Adil's tone was none too kind.
Huaya Lanlan said at once, "I know this isn't good behavior; by way of apology, I'm willing to forgo your penalty this time!"
At this, Mr. Adil looked at Huaya Lanlan in some surprise. "As far as I know, your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's finances should be in great trouble right now. This penalty can't solve that problem completely, but at least it could keep your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group going a while longer."
"I know all that. But this penalty is nothing at all next to what I want to talk about with Mr. Ahmed. The gentleman I've brought will bring Mr. Ahmed enormous profit, far beyond the profit any Flower-Fairy interstellar trader can bring you! So whatever it takes, please let us see Mr. Ahmed!" Huaya Lanlan said earnestly.
Mr. Adil went back to his seat; when he had sat down, he looked the man before him up and down. "If you want to see Mr. Ahmed, first you must let me know whether this man you speak of, and the transaction you mention, have any value."
"Hello. This sudden visit is indeed somewhat rude. Let me introduce myself first. I am Zhao Chen, the Owl Dragon Emperor of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. By way of apology for this rudeness, and as a gift on meeting Mr. Ahmed, I am willing to present, in person, a T5 Holy-Redeemer-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Heavy-Artillery Battleship built by our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire."