In the span of three hours, the research staff of the whole room went from initial bafflement to shock, and then to delight.
"Director Li, where in the world did you come by this ship technology? Granted, there's only 80% of the data here — the important ship-tech particulars have been trimmed away. But this ship technology is, beyond all doubt, viable! And this T1 Wolf-Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer is extraordinarily good value for money; never once did I imagine a ship of such low build cost could carry such high performance! Put this on the market, and it would, without question, be a hot-selling ship product!" The research room's chief engineer, a white-haired old man, stood before Li Yaqi in his excitement.
Li Yaqi held the data disk — and to her eyes, this data disk was, now, sheer treasure.
If before she had tumbled into the abyss, then this data disk was a rope let down from heaven.
"Set aside every research task you have in hand, and conduct a deep study of this ship technology!" Li Yaqi handed the data disk to the chief engineer.
"Director Li, where on earth did this ship tech come from—" Before the old chief engineer could finish, Li Yaqi had already run out of the research room.
Seated in her aircar, Li Yaqi at once set about contacting her brother.
First call… cut off…
Li Yaqi was puzzled.
Second call… cut off again…
A faint unease stirred in her.
Third call… cut off yet again…
But this time Li Wei sent back a text: Sis, I'm in the shower. Whatever it is, can it wait till I'm done?
Several black lines crawled across Li Yaqi's face. She sent back a message through gritted teeth.
If you don't want to die, pick up right this instant. Hang up on me once more, and the day you come home will be next year's memorial day for you.
Li Yaqi put in a fourth comm request. This time it wasn't cut off; after a wait of about half a minute, the far side at last, belatedly, connected.
And there was Li Wei, wrapped in a bath towel, looking every bit a man freshly hauled out of the shower.
"Sis… what is it, that it's so urgent." Li Wei wore the aggrieved look of a man interrupted mid-something-important.
"Who gave you that ship-blueprint technology?" Li Yaqi asked outright.
"Oh, that — it's…" Li Wei stopped short, remembering the charge Zhao Chen had laid on him. He gave a cough. "Sis, this friend of mine keeps a low profile; it isn't convenient to give out his identity. Just tell me straight — how's the ship tech, do you want it or not? If not, I'll give my friend a reply."
"You can't even tell your own sister?" Li Yaqi eyed her brother, then said temptingly, "Just tell me who he is, and I'll triple your allowance next term!"
Li Wei hesitated. After a spell of inner struggle, he said all the same, firmly, "No. I gave him my word. And besides, sis, think about it — if he finds out I leaked his identity, and he takes offense and won't deal with you, what then?"
At the thought of that, Li Yaqi found the reasoning sound enough, and had to swallow down the curiosity within her.
She guessed it was likely some starship-engineering mentor at the Northstar Starship Military Academy showing off a "work" of his.
"Then help me get in touch with this gentleman. I'm extremely interested in this ship technology of his. Might we set a time to speak in person?" Li Yaqi asked.
"Huh? You're interested?" Li Wei was a little surprised. "You mean you didn't read what's inside?"
"I didn't. I'm not like you, sis — I'm not in starship engineering; I wouldn't make head or tail of a thing like that even if I looked." Li Wei waved a hand.
His sister, Li Yaqi, was a graduate of starship engineering, and so she was keenly interested in the whole business of ship R&D and manufacture — and she had besides been born into a family of the starship trade; the two together had left her wanting to go into the starship-arms trade.
"Go quick, then… the moment there's word… never mind, don't hang up. I'll wait right here for your news." Li Yaqi urged him on. Until she had the authorization for that ship technology in hand, she couldn't rest a moment easy.
It was her one and only lifeline now!
Under Li Yaqi's urging, Li Wei went off to contact Zhao Chen.
A dozen-odd minutes later, Li Wei reappeared in the video comm window. "Sis, my friend says this — skip the in-person meeting. If you have a mind to talk, then come into this network room to do it."
With that, Li Wei sent Li Yaqi a link.
"Talk in a network room?" Li Yaqi was somewhat taken aback — that a matter this important should be conducted, of all things, in a setting like this.
Never mind. The pressing thing was to lay hold of this ship technology.
"Understood." Li Yaqi tapped the room link, and before long a new window opened up before her — not a video comm, but a text chat.
Li Yaqi drew a deep breath and sent the first message. "Hello. I'm Li Wei's sister — Li Yaqi, head of the starship-arms division at the Northern Goose Interstellar Trade Group."
The message sent, half a minute passed.
At last there came a reply.
"Hello."
Two simple characters — and they left Li Yaqi with the feeling of something caught in her throat. This was the first time she'd ever done business in a setting like this.
"I'm extremely interested in your T1 Wolf-Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer technology; I hope the two of us might set a time to discuss a cooperation plan in detail!"
"No need to set any time. If you're certain you want this ship technology, name a price. If I'm satisfied with it, you transfer the money, and I'll have the complete T1 Wolf-Louse technical materials sent to you."
Li Yaqi was struck all over again — so blunt?
Name a price…
At this, Li Yaqi found herself somewhat at a loss for what figure to name — for this turn of things had caught her wholly off guard, without the least preparation, and it was nothing whatever like the business model she was used to.
The man played by no rules at all!
She thought it over, and sent a message.
"What price do you think would be fair?"
The far side fell silent for a few minutes, then sent back a number.
"3 million star coins."
3 million star coins? That was rather too steep a licensing fee. This was, after all, only a T1 ship; its market price was 20 or 30,000 star coins at the very most.
Just then the other party sent two more words.
"Bought outright."
At the sight of those two characters, Li Yaqi's heart gave a sudden leap.
"You're certain it's 3 million star coins to buy out this ship technology outright?" Li Yaqi sent the message at once. To buy outright meant that, once this sum was paid, the ship technology was Li Yaqi's from then on.
Whereas what Li Yaqi had wanted before was no more than a license.
"Yes. Do you agree to this price?"
Li Yaqi took one look at that line, and at once sent back two characters.
"I agree!"
On the far side of the comm window, Zhao Chen stared dumbly at those two characters, clutching at his own chest, and said in bitter anguish, "Damn it! I named the price too low!"
For a moment ago, Zhao Chen had in fact been about to add that there was still room to talk on the price.
He'd assumed his figure ran a touch inflated.
And against all expectation, Li Yaqi had, of all things, agreed to it outright!