Chapter 299: Butcher on the Move
Either the people were in fear or had some kind of expectations; these were indications that a world was slowly becoming chaotic.
Qin Mang successfully contacted his disciple, Yawei. The man was very interested in the device capable of bringing a significant improvement to the defensive capabilities of a wars.h.i.+p. When he learned that Xia Fei’s wars.h.i.+p had defeated nine enemy wars.h.i.+ps during the Golden Finger Cup with the help of the energy-s.h.i.+eld booster, he could no longer contain his excitement. As a soldier, he was very pa.s.sionate about every product that might improve the strength of his army.
The interplanetary internet was surprisingly smooth these past few days, especially the connection between the Death Trio Star Region and the Alliance. Yawei personally gave Xia Fei a call to ask about the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters.
“The old man told me everything. You are trying to increase your army’s strength desperately, yet you don’t really have the funds for it now. That’s going to be a little tricky,” Xia Fei lit a cigarette and said thoughtfully.
Yawei wore an awkward face. He did not have many funds in his hands despite being a warlord. He had paid the weapon smugglers with the remaining funds. After all, the region was at war, so he had to improve his army’s strength first.
Buying weapons had always been money-burning; the ammo and spare parts alone had already cost him a fortune.
“I’m a man of my word. If you can give me some time, I promise I’ll do everything to get the money to pay you. Master knows me well. He can be my guarantor,” Yawei said.
Xia Fei nodded. “Brother Yawei, you are the old man’s disciple, and I’m his subordinate. We are basically one family, so I definitely trust you. The old man must have shown you the clip about the event. What do you think about the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters?”
Yawei said, “According to the data collected and how the match went, I believe that the system can improve a wars.h.i.+p’s defense by around thirty percent. It’s a must-have during a war.”
Xia Fei smiled. “Thirty percent? That’s only a theoretical value. I’m not trying to boast, but its practical effects are better than the theoretical value.”
“Why so?” Yawei asked.
Xia Fei said, “You should know that the thirty percent increase is only when a single energy-s.h.i.+eld booster is installed. Try guessing the number of energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters I installed during the event.”
Yawei was shocked. “Are you saying that it’s possible to use the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters in combination?”
Xia Fei pressed the cigarette on the ashtray to put it out and said seriously, “Exactly, you can combine the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters into a defensive array, but the second energy-s.h.i.+eld booster is less effective than the first. The second one only has a seventy-five percent efficiency, and the third one only has a fifty percent efficiency compared to the first.”
“A wars.h.i.+p can have at most four energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters and form a s.h.i.+eld depending on the wars.h.i.+p’s energy output and its computation power. Try to calculate how much is that going to improve the wars.h.i.+p’s defense by?”
Yawei was shocked. The possibility to improve a wars.h.i.+p’s defense by thirty percent was already insane. If four of the devices could be combined to improve the energy s.h.i.+eld further, it was not even exaggerating to refer to it as a G.o.dly device.
“Seventy percent,” Yawei said through clenched teeth.
Having four of the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters was enough to improve a wars.h.i.+p’s defense by seventy percent. No one had ever achieved such a great feat before. Yawei was deeply shocked by how useful the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters were.
“I know wars.h.i.+ps aren’t the only thing lacking in the Black Abyss but well-trained soldiers, too. With a better defense, the survivability of your soldiers is going to increase. You’ve spent years on training these soldiers. If anything happens, the new recruits clearly won’t be as reliable and strong as the old soldiers.
“A greater defense will even help you to secure the final victory. Terminus and Evil Gulfstream have teamed up against the Black Abyss. I bet that you and your men are under great pressure.”
Xia Fei calmly hinted at the benefits of the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters. As a commander, Yawei easily figured out the benefits of the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters. The truth was that he was very fond of the energy-s.h.i.+eld booster, which was capable of increasing a wars.h.i.+p’s defense, but he had been short on funds lately. He was wondering how he should tell Xia Fei about it.
Xia Fei was observing Yawei’s expression carefully. He believed that it was almost time for him to toss out the bait.
“We might be friends, but I’m a businessman still. I won’t do anything that is going to make me lose money. I believe you’ve already contacted other firearms suppliers?”
Yawei replied, “It’s just as you said; since we are lacking in cash and the Alliance has yet to reveal their plan on the Death Trio Star Region, not to mention the high risks involved due to the long journey, only a few arms dealers are willing to provide us with some goods first and let us pay at a later time.”
Xia Fei smiledm “Brother Yawei, how many arms dealers have agreed to provide you with supplies?”
Xia Fei purposely emphasized on the words ‘how many’. Yawei’s face turned pale and he said softly, “You’re right again. No arms dealer is willing to supply us apart from the smugglers.”
Xia Fei smiled and said, “Actually, I can give you a batch of energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters. Your fleet will be a lot stronger after installing them, but the price won’t be cheap, either.”
Yawei’s eyes glittered. “What’s your condition? Our army is currently under huge pressure. We can negotiate if you’re willing to give us the supply first.”
Xia Fei shook his head. He let out a sigh. “Brother Yawei, it’s only valid if the Black Abyss is going to win the war at the end. You won’t be able to fulfill any condition if you lose the war, right?
“Everyone knows that the two regions have teamed up against yours, placing you at a disadvantage. The people don’t even need to think to realize that Evil Gulfstream Star and Terminus have the upper hands in the war. I believe it’s part of the reasons why the arms dealers aren’t willing to make a deal with you. The other reason is they don’t trust you.
“It’s obviously more profitable for me to sell my goods to your enemy. Do you really think I’m helping you because of the benefits you can promise me? I’m only doing this because of the old man and your help in the past.
“I am a grateful person. I will definitely repay the kindness I owe you and the old man, so I’m willing to take the risks, even if I will go bankrupt because of it.”
Phantom was giggling at the side. It was quite amusing to hear Xia Fei giving such a righteous speech. He was willing to take the risks even if he had a chance to go bankrupt because of it? It was more like he was not going to give up until he got a huge bargain out of it.
Xia Fei switched his tone and said, “However, it’s better if my sacrifice has its return.”
Yawei had always been sentimental. He was utterly touched by Xia Fei’s generous speech.
Yawei slammed his hand on the table and said, “Brother Xia Fei, feel free to state your conditions. I won’t say no if it’s within my capabilities.”
Xia Fei said, “If you say so, I shall cut to the chase then. My home planet Earth has a high population but is very small. It’s already overpopulated, and you know how difficult it is to find a habitable planet in the Alliance. However, Earth is my hometown, so I feel obliged to think for my people.”
Phantom could not stand it any longer. Did Xia Fei really just bring up the welfare of the people on Earth? He had just arranged his good friend Wu Long to be the president of the Earth Federation, and now he was claiming to be looking for a new habitable planet for the people on Earth? Such a high-sounding excuse he came up with!
Yawei was so far away from Earth. How could he possibly know the exact situation on the planet? He did not even doubt Xia Fei’s words.
Building a t.i.tan was a serious matter. Xia Fei did not want to tell Yawei about it even though he was Qin Mang’s disciple.
“About that…” Yawei seemed a little troubled. The whole Death Trio Star Region only had a few habitable planets in good condition. Xia Fei would seriously be asking a lot if these planets were good enough for the Death Trio Star Region to fight one another over them.
Xia Fei said, “I know the Death Trio Star Region doesn’t have a lot of habitable planets. I’m not asking for a delicate planet with elegant sceneries. I’m happy with planets that humans can barely live on. The people on Earth are better at enduring hards.h.i.+ps than you think.”
Yawei let out a relieved sigh. It was still possible if Xia Fei was not asking for those green planets. He would not mind giving away the planets with terrible weather conditions. There were a whole lot of them in the Death Trio Star Region, anyway. Not only did those planets lack any benefits, they were a burden to look after, too.
“That’s doable, but I alone can’t make the call. I will have to discuss it with the other factions, but how many planets are we talking about?” Yawei asked.
Xia Fei said, “The more the better; of course, the humans on Earth reproduce very quickly. I would like to save some land for my future generations, too.”
Yawei nodded, “It’s impressive how you’re already thinking for the future generations of your hometown at such a young age. Your people will be very grateful if they know. I’ll hold a meeting right away and notify you of the outcome as soon as we are done. The journey from the Alliance to the Black Abyss is quite far, so…”
Xia Fei obviously knew what Yawei meant. He said with a deep voice, “Alright, I’ll immediately arrange the transportation once I receive the news from you. I guarantee they’ll be delivered in two months. I’ll bear the risks along the journey, too.”
…
The screen closed. Phantom shook his head and asked, “Two months? Are you crazy? We’ve been to the Death Trio Star Region. There’s no way the journey will take less than three months.”
Xia Fei smiled. He gave Charlie a call.
“Charlie, are you done with the energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters which I asked you to handle close to the capital ring? I might need them soon,” Xia Fei said.
“Mm.” Charlie nodded. “Our transportation fleets finished delivering ten thousand units when we went to pick up some devices. We also left a small transportation fleet there, too. Is a client asking for them?”
Xia Fei smiled. “Maybe, but there won’t be any cash coming in this time. The company might struggle a little. This business is very important, so you must treat it seriously.”
Phantom was left speechless. It turned out that Xia Fei was already prepared for it. He had brought some spares to the capital ring with the transportation fleets that came to take the second-hand machine tools to Earth.
Charlie said, “Qin Mang also introduced a raw material supplier to us. They allowed us to pay in installments. As long as the supply chains don’t freeze for too long, we should be able to hang in there.”
Xia Fei said, “I’ll leave it in your hands. The company must stand. If we can make it through, it’s going to be a clear path ahead.”
Charlie wore a stern look. “Don’t you worry; the company has a bright future. People are willing to work for the company even if they aren’t getting paid.”
Xia Fei shook his head. “Not paying them is going to affect their enthusiasm, which will affect the quality of the products. That’s inappropriate. We should think of other ways to preserve the funds and control where we spend them.”
Charlie smiled. He pointed at his head and said, “Brother Xia Fei, believe me; my ability is related to maths. Indeed, you’re better at fighting, but when it comes to numbers and finance, I won’t lose to you.”
Xia Fei smiled. “It seems that I’ve underestimated you. Either way, you will be fully in charge of the company. I’ll ask Thuram and see if he can pay in advance.”
…
Xia Fei lit another cigarette after hanging up the call. Giving out ten thousand energy-s.h.i.+eld boosters was obviously a huge burden to Quantum Holdings under the current circ.u.mstances. It might even cause the company to run out of funds, but Xia Fei had no other choice in order to secure a territory in the Death Trio Star Region.
Risks and benefits would forever coexist. A person who was unwilling to take risks would never acquire the biggest gain. Xia Fei was well aware of it.
A small fleet consisting of four industrial s.h.i.+ps and four frigates were on standby not far away from the capital ring. It was quite difficult for the fleet to pa.s.s through the No Man’s Zone and reach the Black Abyss.
The Death Trio Star Region was currently at war; thus, it was unimaginable how complicated the situation would be. They might need a more reliable fleet to protect the goods.
After giving it some consideration, Xia Fei called another person. It was a backup plan he had prepared beforehand, but he was not too sure if it was going to work.
“Butcher, it’s been a while,” Xia Fei said with a smile.
Butcher was currently in a nightclub. He was hugging two alluring women while drinking.
Butcher embarra.s.sedly dismissed the two women beside him. He found a quiet room and locked it from inside.
Butcher’s face seemed more energetic after some days. He seemed to be in a good mood, probably because of the alcohol or having been in debauchery.
“How have you been these days?” Xia Fei asked.
Butcher scratched his head. “Not too bad. Those brothers have been miserable for so many years. They finally had a chance to relax, so we’ve been indulging in our pleasures for the past few days.”
Xia Fei frowned. “Brothers?”
Butcher said, “Basically, half of the people who escaped the Blood Matrix went home, but a few dozens of us, who no longer have a home to go back to, chose to stay. We have developed a certain level of trust between us after being locked up for so long. Even though we did fight one another in the past, it’s all in the past, anyway, so there’s no point dwelling on it.
“We found some of Hook’s money, so we split a part of it among us and keep the rest as the funds to jumpstart some business we are planning to do together. We can’t just do nothing all day, can we?”
Xia Fei smiled. “That’s wonderful. I’ll ask someone to send some gifts over to congratulate you.”
Butcher quickly waved his hand and said, “No way. We are only free now because of you. We should be the ones giving you gifts. How can we take your gifts, instead?”
Xia Fei smiled. “It’s called reciprocity, it’s a tradition in my hometown, too, but what business are you planning on doing?”
Butcher straightened his face and said, “We have had enough of violence and killing in the Blood Matrix. We decide to do something meaningful. Hasn’t the map to a place called Eden getting a lot of attention lately? We are thinking of setting up an exploration team to see what’s all that about.
“Once we confirm the route between the Alliance and Eden, we’ll escort civilians journeying between the two places with wars.h.i.+ps. We can also transport some goods. The others are quite fond of the idea. We won’t be restricted by anyone, but we are still doing something productive. You’ve only spent a short time in the Blood Matrix, so you won’t understand, but we were traumatized after being locked up for so long. We just want to live a free and relaxing life.”
Xia Fei frowned. He always felt that something was off about Eden, yet he could not explain it clearly.
He was thinking of advising against it, but on second thought, these people had been through tough times, indeed. He should not intervene with their decision. After all, he did not have any evidence to prove that something was right about Eden.
Having this thought, Xie Fei asked, “Butcher, do you have your own wars.h.i.+ps?”
Butcher replied, “Hehe, we stole two Gaian Catalyst-cla.s.s destroyers from Hook. They’re going to come in handy now.”
Xia Fei fell into deep thoughts while rubbing his chin. Butcher asked curiously, “Xia Fei, is there something you want to say?”
Xia Fei smiled. “I do have something to ask; I have some goods that I want to transport from the Alliance to Black Abyss. I’m thinking of letting you handle it knowing how strong of a fighter you are, but I believe that I shouldn’t trouble you again since you have other plans in mind. I’ll figure out another way.”
Butcher’s expression suddenly s.h.i.+fted, then he glared at Xia Fei.
“Xia Fei, are you looking down on me? I, Butcher, am not the kind of person you think I am. Give me a second.”
Butcher took the microcomputer into a bar, where a few dozen drunk blokes were enjoying their time with some women in revealing clothes. The place was a complete mess.
Butcher jumped onto the bar and yelled, “Everyone, be quiet!”
Butcher projected the screen of the microcomputer onto the screen in the bar to put Xia Fei’s face up. Everyone had a strong impression of Xia Fei. They immediately greeted him.
“I believe everyone should recognize Xia Fei. If not for him, we’d still be stuck in that cage right now,” Butcher said.
The others raised their cups to pay Xia fei their respects. Xia Fei had no choice but to say some words out of politeness in return.
“Now, our brother Xia Fei has a favor to ask. He needs someone to deliver some goods to Black Abyss. Are you willing to do it?”
“Of course!”
“Why do you even ask? Brother Xia Fei’s trouble is my trouble, too!”
“Brothers, are you afraid?” Butcher asked.
“Afraid? I just came out of the Blood Matrix! Is there anything else I should be afraid of?”
“Brother Xia Fei, don’t you worry; we’ll handle it for you!”
Butcher smiled at Xia Fei. “Hear them?”
Xia Fei nodded and said, “Thank you, everyone.”