Chapter Ten: The Journey of the Roaming Wind (Part Two)

Hearing Li Bing’s words, Kuang Chi couldn’t help but be taken aback. Once he regained his composure, he hurriedly asked, “Miss Li, do you have a way to send us back to the Caro Empire?”

Li Bing smiled, glanced around, then leaned close to Kuang Chi’s ear and whispered, “Before I went to the Sea of Death Stars, I heard some news. It’s said that the Emperor of the Caro Empire sent a delegation to our Gale Empire, hoping to purchase a batch of blueprints and related technology for our new generation of armaments.”

She smiled again, watching Kuang Chi’s astonished face, and continued, “If you could gain recognition from this delegation, wouldn’t you be able to return to the Caro Empire with them?”

Kuang Chi nodded repeatedly, but pressed further, “Miss Li, are you certain that this is really a delegation from our Caro Empire?”

Li Bing smiled and nodded. “Of course. They wanted to buy blueprints for a new medium-class space battleship from our group, and they approached me directly.”

At this point, Mo Dao, who had been listening quietly, interjected, “Miss Li, is that delegation still here in the Gale Empire?”

“They’re definitely here,” Li Bing replied. “Before I left for the Sea of Death Stars, I had a secret meeting with their leader. We agreed to discuss the sale of the battleship blueprints after my return. I’m sure he’ll be waiting for me on Gale Star.”

“Excellent, Miss Li. Can we hurry over to Gale Star? Could you arrange for me to meet the leader of our Caro Empire’s delegation?” Kuang Chi asked eagerly.

Li Bing thought for a moment before answering, “Of course, that’s not a problem. When I meet with Captain Sirk, you can come along as my attendant.”

Kuang Chi thanked her profusely, overjoyed.

During the auction event that followed, Kuang Chi broadened his horizons considerably. He saw several items he desperately wanted, but in the end, Mo Dao always advised against buying them, arguing that the journey back to Caro Star was too long to make such purchases practical. Ultimately, they left empty-handed.

As soon as they returned to the transport ship, Kuang Chi pulled Mo Dao into his cabin.

No sooner had they entered than Kuang Chi spoke up, “Old Ghost, do you think what Miss Li said is true? Is she possibly lying to us? Given the distance between the Caro Empire and the Gale Empire, it seems unlikely that His Majesty would send a delegation all the way here. After all, between our Caro Empire and the Gale Empire lies that Democratic Alliance, our sworn enemy. Even if we did manage to purchase advanced technology from the Gale Empire, getting those blueprints back would be incredibly difficult. If the Democratic Alliance discovered us on the way home, they’d almost certainly seize the materials.”

He paused, then continued, “Besides, we don’t even share a border with the Gale Empire. The Democratic Alliance stands in between, so we haven’t had any trade with the Gale Empire for thousands of years. What could we possibly offer them in exchange for their technology?”

The more Mo Dao listened, the more puzzled he became. By the end, he looked at Kuang Chi in astonishment. “Kid, I never knew you were this sharp. How did you come up with all that?”

Kuang Chi bristled at the comment. “Old Ghost, do you think I’m stupid? Of course I know these things. One of my teachers is the Caro Empire’s most famous statesman—he’s been teaching me this kind of knowledge for years.”

Li Bing attended a total of ten auctions, each featuring different items. She had extremely discerning taste; though she occasionally joined in the bidding, strangely, she never ended up buying anything. Both Kuang Chi and Mo Dao were left utterly confused.

They lingered in Blue Moon City for nearly twenty standard days before Li Bing finally gave the order to depart.

The Gale Empire’s star sector was truly vast; it took another three months of travel before they finally arrived at Gale Star. As Mo Dao put it, there was nothing to be done—after all, this was just a transport ship.

Upon entering Gale Star, Kuang Chi finally understood what it meant to be one of humanity’s three great powers. He gazed in awe at the sprawling city that covered half the planet, at the towering buildings everywhere, and at the countless space stations dotting the skies around Gale Star. He couldn’t help but feel a hint of reverence.

Mo Dao, after watching for a long while, let out a sigh and said, “Now that I’m back, with so many more people around, my business here will be even better than in the Sea of Death Stars. Kid, tonight let’s look around and see if we can find a few more opportunities… ha ha…”

It’s just too cold… my fingers are frozen, I can’t type anymore… I’m dizzy… I’ll update again tonight…