165: Chapter 164 Deception

Xia Xingchen saw everyone making solemn promises to stabilize prices.

Only after they made their promises did Xia Xingchen let them leave.

"Archon, do you really believe their promises?"

Ma Pingliang did not trust these merchants.

Ma Pingliang knew clearly that these merchants lived for profit; as long as there was enough profit, they would not care about any laws at all.

They dared to disobey even the commands of the Imperium of Man, so it was likely the same for us.

"I only hope they do not force my hand."

Xia Xingchen sighed; he had anticipated this, but there was no better alternative.

He only hoped that these people would not force him to start a massacre.

After saying goodbye to Ma Pingliang, Xia Xingchen immediately came to the Department of Military Affairs.

He sat among the generals and staff officers of the Department of Military Affairs, listening to them explain the upcoming defense plan.

Xia Xingchen flipped through the plan report; the overall strategy remained anchored in holding firm with defense platforms while relying on the dream star to maneuver and harass in space.

In the positioning of the Department of Military Affairs, the dream star was an existence that transcended all combat sequences.

What it needed to do was maintain high-speed mobility; as long as it remained in a state of motion, the dream star would be an unstoppable war machine.

Xia Xingchen turned to the next page, and the Chief of Staff beside him began to explain the equipment supply situation:

"First, the Triplex Phall Forge World has responded to our plea for help and agreed to urgently manufacture a batch of military equipment to support us."

"It is said that the Tech-Priest of the Forge World will also send a detachment of Skitarii to participate in the war."

Hearing this news, the heart Xia Xingchen had been holding finally relaxed.

Just as he was preparing to discuss the subsequent details with the generals, Cassandra suddenly knocked on the door and walked in.

Cassandra took small, hurried steps to Xia Xingchen's side and whispered in his ear:

"My lord, prices are out of control. Some military supplies and civilian goods have increased tenfold. Now the people in the Hive City are complaining, and protests have broken out in many places. Do we need to dispatch enforcement troops to suppress them?"

Xia Xingchen stopped his hand that was pointing at the report; he felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind.

First he was stunned, then a surge of humiliation and anger from the bottom of his heart rushed straight to his head.

"They treated my words as wind passing by their ears."

"They didn't take my advice seriously at all."

Xia Xingchen's gaze shifted from initial shock to cold rage in an instant.

Xia Xingchen looked at the officers in front of him who were looking at each other in dismay; they seemed to have realized that something terrible had happened.

Xia Xingchen calmed his mood and said to the generals present in as steady a tone as possible:

"Discuss the remaining details, summarize a complete report, and deliver it to my study."

After giving the instructions, the officers immediately nodded in agreement.

Xia Xingchen stood up and walked out quickly.

At this time, the Planetary Defense Force had already been urgently deployed, forming queues on the streets, holding riot shields, and surrounding the agitated crowd.

Seeing this, Xia Xingchen walked straight into a grain store and looked up at the grain price board on the wall.

The common currency of the Daxia Star System was always the throne gelt, and the staple food for the residents of Lanshan Planet was compressed wheat blocks.

The wheat grown locally on Lanshan Planet was dehydrated and compressed, significantly reducing its volume, which also facilitated large-scale transportation and storage for Xia Xingchen.

"Good heavens."

Xia Xingchen looked at the price tag; originally, one throne gelt could buy one kilogram of wheat, but now it was marked at a full ten.

And in the short ten minutes he stood there, the owner hurriedly picked up an ink pen, crossed out the original number, and heavily increased the price again.

The price of grain had actually risen again right under Xia Xingchen's nose.

Xia Xingchen felt a rush of blood instantly surge to his head.

It was obvious that these people really did not know how to write the word "death."

"Where are those merchants? Call them here; I want to ask them what exactly is going on."

Xia Xingchen almost blurted out.

Cassandra had anticipated this and replied in a low voice beside him: "My lord, Hecuba has already gone to bring them, and we expect results soon."

Xia Xingchen simultaneously connected to his highest-level communication channel:

"Have the Star Guard assemble here immediately."

Not long after, Hecuba dragged a sharp-featured, rat-faced fellow who had been beaten beyond recognition to Xia Xingchen.

Xia Xingchen took one look and recognized him; this person seemed to be the butler of some free merchant.

Upon seeing Xia Xingchen, the butler's first reaction was to apologize repeatedly.

It turned out that when Hecuba arrived, those free merchants had already mostly fled, and the remaining people refused to reveal the whereabouts of their masters no matter what.

Hecuba did not stand on ceremony; she severely dealt with those who refused to cooperate, leaving only this key survivor to bring before Xia Xingchen to finish the job.

Xia Xingchen looked at the person in front of him without speaking.

Xia Xingchen grabbed the other party by the collar, his eyes staring at him as sharp as cold ice:

"You can still speak, right?"

Unlike Hecuba's brutality, the pressure on Xia Xingchen was such that just standing in front of him made one clearly feel the oppressive sense of approaching death.

The butler nodded fearfully immediately.

"You do not keep your word, which makes me very angry."

Looking at the trembling butler in front of him, Xia Xingchen only found it ridiculous.

Previously, when this person followed his master to meet him, he did not have this cowering appearance.

"The monk can run, but he cannot run away from the temple."

As Xia Xingchen spoke, he immediately issued an order to the Star Guard:

"Go and seal all their warehouses. Since they have run away, we will take their supplies to settle the account."

"My lord, there is one thing I must report to you."

Hecuba interrupted Xia Xingchen at this moment, signaling that she had a situation to report.

"Their supplies have long been moved away. I checked several of their warehouses, and only empty rooms remain; nothing is left."

Upon hearing this, the rage in Xia Xingchen's eyes could barely be suppressed.

It could be said that all of this was premeditated; they had calculated everything and moved all the supplies in advance.

"I will skin them alive!"

"Where did your master hide? Tell me, I still have words to discuss with them."

Xia Xingchen stared at the butler, his eyes so fierce that it was as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Facing the Archon who was truly enraged, the butler was already scared out of his wits and dared not say a single extra word.

In the end, he could only stammer and beg for mercy, trying his best to save his own life.

"It... it's useless. They were afraid of your retaliation and hid long ago. I don't know where they are either..."

Hearing this, Xia Xingchen gave a casual push, and the butler collapsed on the ground like a pile of rotten meat.

Just at this moment, the sound of rhythmic marching steps rang out behind Xia Xingchen; the Star Guard had arrived.

"I don't care what method you use; even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must find all those merchants."

Xia Xingchen turned around and gave the order to the company commander of the Star Guard.

"After you find them, I want to give them a big gift."

"Understood, Archon!"

A batch of the Planetary Defense Force was mobilized, and they began to search house by house.

At all costs, even if they had to turn the entire Hive City upside down, they had to ferret out that group of merchants who were profiting from the national crisis.