Chapter 943: Gratitude and Statement

Chapter 943: Favors and Stances

When Han Xiao arrived at the Aenia Nexus Prison leading a group of dejected captives, guards like Gabla and Hadaway had been waiting for quite some time.

"Lord Black Star!" Gabla stepped forward twice and bowed respectfully.

Han Xiao was on the same level as his boss. Representing his own faction in receiving him, he was highly mindful of his attitude, keeping his posture deliberately low.

"Greetings." Han Xiao nodded, flicking his finger. The containment devices carried the captives over to the wardens, handing them over for custody.

Hadaway and the others naturally fell in behind Han Xiao, with Gabla leading the way. The group made their way to the interrogation room, where the wardens separated the captives, each assigned a luxurious private cell.

"Will you be presiding over the interrogation?" Gabla turned to ask Han Xiao.

"No need, you handle it. Let me see your craftsmanship," Han Xiao shook his head.

He had long since subjected the two masterminds to Han-style electrotherapy, extracting the intelligence he desired; this was merely a formality.

These two masterminds were indeed undercover operatives of the Shining Federation and the Virtual Spirit Cult, serving the pressure campaign against the Crimson Dynasty as members of one of its cells. From their lips, Han Xiao had glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of this colossal scheme.

The pressure campaign targeted multiple domains of the Dynasty, divided into numerous cells, each responsible for a different sector. The cell these two belonged to specialized in inciting chaos related to the Evolver Totem within the Dynasty's borders, issuing contracts on the black market through shell companies, and using pawns to disrupt public order... while also carrying out special operations on the side.

For instance, the assassination of Ludwell's descendants this time was meant to stage an accidental death of a high official's offspring caused by the Evolver Totem's chaos, aiming to undermine internal unity and increase domestic pressure.

Notably, their targets were not chosen manually, but through intelligent computation, identifying which targets might impact the Dynasty's interior and prioritizing those with the highest probability.

Ludwell's grandson was selected in this very manner. The intelligent computation concluded that eliminating this individual had a considerable chance of shifting Ludwell's stance—for a massive plan spanning dozens of domains, where pulling one hair affects the whole body, the efficiency of using intelligent computation to select targets far surpassed manual deliberation.

The Shining Federation and the Virtual Spirit were targeting the Dynasty everywhere, but as long as their covert conspiracies remained unexposed and off the table, everyone adhered to the unspoken rules, competing only in the shadows.

But now, with witnesses in hand, the situation was entirely different. These two held little value for Han Xiao, yet they were quite useful to the Dynasty. Even if the Shining and the Virtual Spirit stubbornly denied these two were their people, the Dynasty could still make them serve a purpose in certain fields, repurposing waste.

Watching the prisoners being interrogated, Han Xiao pondered the matter in silence.

He had originally thought it was just a bunch of third-rate factions causing trouble, never expecting to be entangled in such an incident, stumbling upon saving Ludwell's kin...

Fordin's luck was truly unmatched. Had he not discovered Ludwell's grandson in advance, he might not have arrived in time to save him.

"He is truly a general blessed by fortune."

Han Xiao shook his head in sigh, stroking his chin as he murmured in thought:

"As for Ludwell..."

He was no stranger to the name, knowing him to be a high-ranking Dynasty official with considerable achievements in the economic sector... yet in his eyes, Ludwell and he had no intersection.

Han Xiao only knew of the existence of the Surrender Faction within the Dynasty, but had no idea who specifically belonged to it.

After all, Ludwell held high office and great power, and as a neutral, he had few political enemies. As fellow members of the Dynasty, other officials would not reveal too much to Han Xiao, and Ulanruiel and Talrokov were even less likely to speak. Strictly speaking, allies were still outsiders, while Dynasty high officials were insiders. Everyone navigated the Dynasty's officialdom, crossing paths constantly; no one wished to make enemies out of thin air. It was a harsh reality.

Halfway through the interrogation, the scene grew slightly discordant, so Han Xiao prepared to leave. Gabla immediately abandoned the interrogation and personally escorted him to the prison gates.

"Thanks to Lord Black Star's intervention, those two spies would have escaped." Gabla beamed, his ugly face making his smile look rather ferocious.

"It was a trivial matter."

"Will Lord Black Star be staying at the Aenia Nexus any longer? Please grant me the opportunity to host you..."

"No need, we are preparing to depart," Han Xiao waved his hand.

After this incident, his identity exposed, he feared he would be swarmed by onlookers again, so he had no intention of lingering on this planet.

Conveniently, Fordin had successfully infiltrated the Punisher Alliance. Han Xiao planned to have the fleet follow quietly behind, honing their final reserves of strength while waiting for Fordin to find the relic that triggered the hidden boss.

Under the respectful gazes of the Aenia Nexus members, Han Xiao and his guards took to the sky, returning to the starship docked at the spaceport.

No sooner had he returned to his quarters than his communicator began to beep. Glancing at it, he saw an unfamiliar number.

Upon connecting, an old face appeared on the virtual screen, his demeanor composed, his tone carrying a steady weight:

"I am Ludwell. Black Star, thank you for saving my child."

"It was merely a lifting of a hand." Han Xiao replied politely upon hearing this, casually looking the high official up and down. "This is our first meeting, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Ludwell nodded. "I have long heard of your great name."

"You flatter me, the feeling is mutual," Han Xiao smiled faintly.

Seeing Han Xiao's so amiable attitude, Ludwell's impression of him improved slightly. He was no stranger to dealing with other Beyond Grade As. Cold and aloof types like the Dark Emperor clearly preferred to press their cold backsides against others' warm faces. Even Old Dragon would carry the arrogance of a Beyond Grade A, his attitude indifferent. A Beyond Grade A as approachable as Han Xiao was a rare sight in the universe.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ludwell formally expressed his gratitude. Someone had saved his grandson; at the very least, he had to take the initiative to thank him. To act as if nothing had happened would show a lack of emotional intelligence, a mistake he naturally would not make.

"We are all colleagues of the Dynasty. I help where I can; I cannot simply sit by and watch others cause trouble within the Dynasty's borders," Han Xiao said dismissively.

A smile flashed across Ludwell's aged face. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly narrowed his eyes, asking as if casually:

"I hear... the Infinite Consortium is investing heavily in the Broken Star Ring?"

"Indeed, they are preparing to expand their industries there. With their deep pockets, I've felt some impact myself. That fellow Overlord is quite adept at seizing business opportunities," Han Xiao said, catching the other's subtext and raising an eyebrow.

"Mm, I see," Ludwell smiled faintly. "Next time you visit my domain, I'll treat you to a meal. I still have some work on my hands, so I'll hang up now."

"Until next time."

Ending the call, Han Xiao toyed with the communicator, a playful expression crossing his face.

The Crimson Dynasty had long known of the competition between the Black Star Army and the War Domain. Since favoring either side was unwise, and they couldn't simply designate the Black Star Army as the leader while denying Overlord the chance to develop, they chose to remain neutral, watching their two allies compete for business.

However, judging by Ludwell's subtext, it seemed he wanted to make some gesture in this regard?

Ludwell hadn't spoken plainly, so Han Xiao didn't know how he would help, nor could he be certain the man truly intended to. Speaking ambiguously and liking to make others guess was a common trait among officials of this type.

Others might lack such influence, but conveniently... Ludwell was precisely in charge of the Dynasty's economic and trade sector. This matter fell squarely within his sphere of authority!

"If he lends a hand, it could provide tremendous assistance," Han Xiao mused.

Imperial resource support was one aspect, and economic cooperation another. The difference between the two was somewhat akin to giving a man a fish versus teaching him to fish, leaving ample room for maneuvering. After the distribution of interests in the Glorious World, the Crimson Dynasty, for the sake of balance, would not have new support projects for a long time. But now, that was uncertain.

Fordin's move had connected me with high officials in this sector, perfectly positioned to deal with the Infinite Consortium. Is this the legendary 'eating meat by following the protagonist'? Han Xiao couldn't help but complain inwardly.

"Beep... beep..."

Just then, the communicator rang again. This time, the caller was an acquaintance—Gabla's superior, a Beyond Grade A Imperial ally who possessed the Aenia Nexus.

Years ago, during the meeting to deal with the Other God, Han Xiao had met this man and exchanged contact information. This was the first time the man had taken the initiative to reach out.

The Beyond Grade A's intentions were clear enough: to thank Han Xiao for helping maintain security in his territory and to invite him as a guest. They exchanged a few polite words before hanging up. As for what use this call was... don't ask. If you ask, it's just for the prestige.

...

In his office, Ludwell set down the communicator, pondered for a moment, and opened an internal channel.

"Connect me with Bekelodi."

Bekelodi, a high official with real power, was also a steadfast supporter of the Surrender Faction, but the two belonged to different political factions. Ludwell was a neutral, while Bekelodi was a key figure in the hardline faction. Although both supported the Surrender Faction on the issue of the Evolution Cube, their methods differed.

As a neutral, Ludwell could at most offer suggestions to the Sovereign Ulanruiel and express his stance, whereas Bekelodi leaned towards taking action.

Ludwell oversaw the economic sector, and the movements of the Infinite Consortium fell within his scope of observation. His experience told him that behind the Consortium's schemes might lie the support of certain Dynasty factions, and Bekelodi was highly suspect.

As a half-insider, Ludwell had previously had no intention of intervening, as this also aligned with his stance. Thus, though not the mastermind, he had turned a blind eye.

But now, having incurred a debt to Black Star, Ludwell decided to step in. His stance supporting the Surrender Faction would not change, but his methods could be subtly adjusted. For officials within the system, the exercise of power often manifested in such places; mysteries were revealed within the square inch.

The first step was to have a talk with Bekelodi, sound a warning, and make the man rein it in a bit, thereby influencing his behind-the-scenes dealings with the Infinite Consortium.

Due to his status, Bekelodi might not fear Black Star, but the opinion of another head of a Dynasty political faction was something he could not afford to ignore!

...

The turmoil at the Aenia Hub has finally subsided, leaving behind a heavy toll of casualties and considerable property damage; the transit station's commerce will inevitably suffer, requiring time to rebuild its former bustling vitality.

Having claimed a handsome bounty, the Punisher Alliance had no desire to linger and prepared to depart this place.

Forged in the crucible of that battle, Fodin and Aurora had fully integrated into the fold, boarding the vessel to depart alongside the rest.

"Where are we headed now?" Aurora asked, her curiosity piqued.

"You're still rookies, so we'll take you back to headquarters first."

Raymond flashed what he deemed a genial smile, though Aurora could have sworn he was pulling a ridiculous face.

Hearing this, Fodin gave a slight nod.

The very artifact Old Black had tasked him to find was likely hidden away in the Punisher Alliance's headquarters.

Alas, it was a rare chance to finally be of use, yet he wondered if he would actually be able to track it down...