62: Chapter 62 Negotiating Trade and Reaching Cooperation

As the morning light just began to filter through the window lattices of the Council Hall, Chen Wuwang was already seated in the primary chair, his fingertips lightly tapping on the edge of the stone table, once, and then again.

The rhythm was steady and unhurried, like some kind of countdown.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, light yet stable, without hesitation.

When Aelia pushed open the door and entered, she carried no documents or cases, wearing only a form-fitting silver-gray robe with star-track patterns embroidered on the cuffs.

She immediately saw the holographic projection floating in front of Chen Wuwang—three crimson-gold rules were slowly rotating, like iron laws branded into the air.

"You're up quite early." She stood three paces away, her tone relaxed, yet she didn't smile.

"The person I'm waiting for has arrived, so I can't sleep." Chen Wuwang looked up, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing with a faint light as it scanned her shoulder line. "Didn't you dismantle the token I gave you after you went back last night?"

"I did," she replied candidly. "That badge had a tracking code hidden inside, and it was connected to an encrypted Divine Sense circuit. It's a clever design—if I don't use it, you don't know where I am; if I do, you'll know what I'm planning."

"So you're still wearing it?" He pointed to the metal badge pinned to her chest.

"Of course." The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. "A merchant doesn't do losing business. Since you let me leave openly, I won't come back sneakily."

Chen Wuwang didn't respond. With a swipe of his finger, the projection enlarged, and the first rule emerged before them:

"One: Only finished products are exported; no sale of blueprints."

"This one is non-negotiable." His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight. "You can sell mechas, purifiers, and psionic modules, but you cannot take a single circuit board to replicate. I want cooperation, not to cultivate an opponent."

Aelia raised an eyebrow. "But there are already imitations circulating on the market. Can you stop them?"

"I can't stop them," he nodded. "But I can track them. Rule two—all transactions are recorded by the Family System, and their flow is traceable. Every item that goes out carries a hidden spirit pattern brand. If it appears in a place it shouldn't within three months, such as the Blood Demon Sect, a Zerg nest, or the massacre site of some small race..."

He paused. "I will stop supply, hold you accountable, and if necessary, come to collect the debt in person."

The air went silent for two breaths.

She slowly exhaled. "Aren't you truly afraid of pushing people to revolt?"

"I am." He looked directly at her. "So I've left a third way out."

The projection switched:

"Three: If technology is found to be used for the slaughter of weak races, cooperation will be immediately terminated and accountability pursued."

Aelia stared at this line for a long time, then suddenly laughed. "You're not doing business; you're setting rules."

"The Eastern Desolation had no rules before," he leaned back against the chair, his tone flat. "Now it does."

She fell silent for a moment, then took out a Jade Slip from her sleeve and placed it gently on the table. Star patterns flowed over it, emitting a faint blue glow.

"An overview of the trade routes for the Three Thousand Star Domains," she said. "It's not the full version, but it's enough for you to see which worlds lack energy cores and which planets urgently need water purification equipment. I can utilize the Angel Race's Warp Channels to prioritize the transport of your goods, bypassing ninety percent of the bandit forces."

"The conditions?" he asked.

"A forty-sixty profit split." She looked at him. "I take forty, you take sixty. I'll shoulder the rest of the risks—tariffs, blockades, diplomatic disputes, and pressure from hostile merchant guilds. All you have to do is deliver the goods on time."

Chen Wuwang narrowed his eyes. "How much did your previous partner give you?"

"Thirty percent," she confessed. "But he only sold ordinary Magic Treasures; no one traced their origins, and no one cared about their use. You're the first person who dares to write 'no killing' into a contract."

He chuckled lowly. "Then aren't you afraid of losing money?"

"I am," she met his gaze. "But I'm more afraid of missing out. This System of yours... it's not just machines; it's something that can turn ordinary people into warriors. I don't believe no one wants to seize it. But if I occupy the channels first, even if others manage to grab the goods, they won't be able to break into the market."

The two looked at each other, and neither backed down.

After a long while, Chen Wuwang reached out and tapped the air.

The projection shrank and rearranged into a contract template, with the three core rules highlighted and a signature area left blank at the bottom.

"Fine," he said. "Forty-sixty it is. But there's one more thing—" With a flick of his finger, he added a supplementary clause. "If you breach the contract, I won't just stop supply. I will make your trade route maps public and let every caravan you've ever cheated come knocking at your door."

Aelia's pupils contracted slightly, but then she broke into a smile. "Deal. I swear by the Heart of an Angel that I will never abuse this technology."

She placed her right hand over her chest, and the star-patterned Jade Slip floated up automatically, shooting a beam of light into the contract.

At the same time, a shallow cut appeared on Chen Wuwang's palm. A drop of blood fell, merging into the badge's mark and activating the Family Divine Sense brand.

The contract was sealed.

A very soft "click" came from the air, like a latch closing.

He put away the projection and took a bronze badge from under the table. The front was engraved with the Chen Family Ancestral Pattern, and the back was embedded with a microchip, flashing with a faint light.

"Take it," he handed it over. "This is your transit credential. All cargo handover points will recognize this signal."

Aelia took it; it felt heavy, and its temperature was just right.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"I don't." He stood up and walked toward the window. "But I believe interests last longer than loyalty. As long as you still want to make money, you have to follow my rules."

She didn't argue, looking down and stroking the edge of the badge. She suddenly asked, "The 'weak races' you mentioned... do they include those primitive tribes that haven't Awakening their intelligence yet?"

Chen Wuwang looked back at her. "They do."

She nodded, put away the badge, and turned to leave.

"Wait," he spoke from behind. "In three days, the first order begins. One hundred units of the portable purification Systems you wanted. Be ready to receive the cargo."

"Understood." Her pace didn't stop, but her voice softened slightly. "This cooperation... perhaps it really can change something."

The door closed.

Chen Wuwang stood where he was, looking out the window toward the workshop.

In the distance, the silhouettes of mechas stood silently in the morning light, like silent mountains.

He raised his hand, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye activated again, bringing up the System interface. Today's heavenly secret instruction had not yet refreshed, and the screen was pitch black.

But he knew that the wind had already begun to blow.

The star-patterned Jade Slip remained on the corner of the table, its glow not yet faded, reflecting a corner of the map on the wall—

Three red dots were marked there, located at the Northern Meteor Belt, the Sky-Rending Valley, and the as-yet-unnamed Desolate Planet No. 73.

His gaze lingered on the furthest point for a long time.

Footsteps came from outside, getting closer and closer.

He didn't look back, only saying in a low voice, "Come in."

The door opened a crack, and a young clansman peeked in:

"Family Head, the Artifact Refining group reports that the first batch of Modular Body Frames has finished pre-installation and is waiting for your order to enter the final assembly process."

"Approved," he answered decisively. "Follow the standard configuration and add a Remote Heartbeat Synchronization Detection Module."

"Yes!"

The door closed.

He finally picked up that Jade Slip, holding it in his hand; it was cold and smooth.

In three days, the first transaction would begin.

He wasn't just selling goods.

He was sowing seeds.

And these seeds had to grow in the soil of rules.

The sunlight slanted in, falling on the three claw marks on his right cheek, reflecting the dark luster unique to old wounds.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were completely clear.

Not a single thing that needed to be done had been missed.

Now, all that was left was the command.