398: 50 million star coins

Li Yang took the glass sphere, which felt cool to the touch.

Inside the sphere, the azure ocean flowed like silk, and the green land had distinct veins. What pleased him most was that there were no glowing dots representing intelligent civilizations on the surface—just as Chairman Zhang had said, apart from some birds and beasts that naturally arose during the modification project, there were no other intelligent beings.

"Three times the size..."

Li Yang murmured, his fingertips caressing the sphere's surface.

"It's enough, at least it can support a hundred years of population dispersal."

As the light and shadows within the sphere swirled in his eyes, Chairman Zhang added, "During the modification, we also reserved space for large-scale infrastructure. You see these grey plains? They're all prepared for future city clusters. Absolutely worry-free and effort-saving."

Li Yang held the glass sphere up to his eyes; sunlight passed through it, casting a flowing blue-green light and shadow on his face.

This planet, once considered a "wasteland," now carried new hope.

"Not bad. How many star coins is this planet?"

Li Yang's fingertips left the surface of the sphere, his gaze falling on Chairman Zhang, his tone calm but with an undeniable seriousness.

Chairman Zhang's smile deepened, and he quickly waved his hand.

"Secretary Li, you're being too formal! It's a tremendous honor for you to grace us with your presence. What's this planet? Consider it a welcome gift from us, a small token of our appreciation. Please don't decline."

He knew clearly in his heart that compared to the value of a single planet, building a good relationship with Li Yang, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee and supervision director, would make future operations in this region much smoother. This deal was profitable no matter how he calculated it.

Upon hearing this, Li Yang looked up at him, his gaze calm and unwavering, a faint, almost imperceptible curve even gracing his lips.

"You're mistaken. Who gives such an expensive gift upon a first meeting? If word gets out, uninformed people might misunderstand and say you're indirectly bribing me, wouldn't they?"

His tone wasn't heavy, but it carried an invisible pressure.

Chairman Zhang's smile froze for a moment, and he quickly explained.

"Secretary Li, you're joking. I absolutely had no such intention; it was purely... purely out of admiration for your character!"

Li Yang didn't respond, merely watching him silently, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate one's heart.

The atmosphere in the air subtly paused, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Chairman Zhang's forehead. He then truly realized the weight of the person before him—seemingly indifferent, yet possessing an inherent integrity and authority that could not be approached through ordinary means.

Upon hearing this, Chairman Zhang's smile instantly froze, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, even his palms becoming sticky.

Bribing the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee? If this charge were confirmed, not only would he lose his position as branch manager, but he might even lose his life here.

He suddenly remembered that a few years ago, during the Empire's strict crackdown, a branch merchant guild chairman was dragged to the interstellar execution ground by Imperial Soldiers and executed on the same day for attempting to bribe a supervision official. The memory of that scene still made his heart tremble.

Chairman Zhang hastily raised his sleeve, vigorously wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his Adam's apple bobbed several times before he managed to force out a smile uglier than a cry.

"Secretary Li, you really are... really good at joking."

His voice was tinged with an almost imperceptible tremor.

"Even if I had a hundred times the courage, I would never dare to have such thoughts!"

He quickly calculated in his mind: giving it as a gift was definitely out of the question; he had to find another way.

His eyes darted around, and he quickly moved two steps closer, lowering his voice, his tone a bit fawning.

"How about this, Secretary Li, on behalf of the Hope Merchant Guild branch in This Galaxy Cluster, I'll apply for the highest authorization discount for you! I'll specially approve this planet to be discounted to just 50 million star coins!"

As he said this, he nervously watched Li Yang's expression, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of his clothes.

This discount was far beyond the norm, almost equivalent to giving it away, but as long as it could satisfy Secretary Li, what was this small loss?

After all, in front of this Secretary who held great supervision authority, his limited authority and assets were truly insignificant.

"50 million? This offer indeed shows great sincerity."

Li Yang nodded slightly, his tone calm but with an undeniable decisiveness.

"I'll buy this planet."

He knew clearly that Chairman Zhang's ability to make such a significant concession in such a short time was both a reflection of his flexible handling of affairs and a hidden desire to build a good relationship.

As the Person in Charge of the Hope Merchant Guild branch, this ability to assess the situation was indeed worth including in his network of contacts—in the future, within This Galaxy Cluster, there might be opportunities for mutual assistance.

Pal, who was beside him, had already understood, and took out a star coins card, handing it to Chairman Zhang.

Chairman Zhang took the star coins card with both hands, his fingertips trembling slightly from tension and excitement.

He quickly walked to a nearby smart terminal, placed the card against the sensor area, and with a soft "beep," the terminal screen instantly displayed the details of the 50 million star coins deduction.

He quickly returned the card to Pal with both hands, a thoughtful smile on his face.

"Secretary Li, the transaction is complete. This planet is quite large. Do you plan to transport it yourself, or should our merchant guild arrange interstellar freight, a one-stop service to your designated coordinates? From disassembly and packaging to interstellar jump transport, we guarantee zero loss throughout the entire process."

Li Yang waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the brilliant star trails outside the window, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation for his return journey.

"Then I'll trouble you, but I hope the transport can be a bit faster."

After all, the technology used for this wasn't the Star Controller used by the Empire, so it wasn't as convenient as a Star Controller.

Naturally, it was better to let their Staff member transport and install it, bringing the planet back to the Solar System, while he personally supervised the placement process.

It had been a long time since he had returned to Blue Star, and it was time to go back and see, and also arrange the affairs between the three planets.

Seeing this, Chairman Zhang quickly instructed his subordinates to prepare, while leading Li Yang outside and diligently introducing the subsequent maintenance details, fearing any slight oversight in hospitality... After leaving the merchant guild, Li Yang boarded his fleet, and the merchant guild's starship, which was preparing to travel to the Solar System to install and place the planet, slowly departed.

The starship transformed into a faint blue light trail in the starry sky, eventually disappearing into the halo of the jump gate.

Chairman Zhang stood by the floor-to-ceiling viewport of the merchant guild's observation deck, gazing at the trajectory for a long time without moving, until a Staff member's voice came from beside him, and he slowly turned around.

The caution and reverence on his face receded, replaced by unconcealed excitement. His fingers unconsciously tapped the windowsill, and his eyes gleamed with calculation.

"Chairman, that planet is worth about 300 million. Will the higher-ups blame us?"

The Staff member beside him couldn't help but ask.

"Blame?"

Chairman Zhang scoffed, his voice filled with certainty.

"Who do you think Secretary Li is? He's the one who holds disciplinary supervision authority over This Galaxy Cluster. The fact that he accepted that 'discount' today, the weight behind it, how can it be measured by a mere few hundred million star coins?"