Chapter 111: Private Army 1

Chapter 111: Private Army (1)

Liu Shaoyu looked at the holographic figure before him and smiled. "I was wondering who could still come and go as they pleased at a time like this. I should have guessed it was you."

The hologram was none other than the "fatty" Liu Shaoyu had just mentioned: Du Yue.

"Hahaha! What? No welcome for me?" After several dealings, Liu Shaoyu and Du Yue had found that their personalities aligned well. Naturally, their relationship was no longer as tense as it had been during their first meeting.

Moreover, Liu Shaoyu possessed the resources Du Yue craved, while Du Yue held the capital Liu Shaoyu desperately needed. Consequently, their relationship was now as harmonious as a pair of newlyweds on their honeymoon.

"How could I not welcome you? I’ve been waiting for my great god of wealth to come and deliver my funds." Seeing Du Yue at this moment put Liu Shaoyu in a very good mood, and he couldn't help but crack a joke.

"Since I’m welcome, tell your targeting system to stop locking onto me. Having a gun pointed at me isn't exactly comfortable!" Du Yue took the opportunity to complain.

Due to the current chaotic situation and the strategic location of Young Dragon Star, Liu Shaoyu had set EVA to lock onto all ships entering the star system.

"Thomas, disengage the lock."

A short while later, Du Yue arrived on the planet via a landing craft.

Du Yue was cautious enough not to dock his main ship on the planet, and Liu Shaoyu was quite happy with that arrangement. After all, their relationship hadn't reached a level of absolute trust yet.

"What wind blew you here?" Liu Shaoyu asked as soon as he saw Du Yue.

Du Yue walked in as if returning to his own home—which, in a way, it once was—but as he observed the changes, he couldn't help but look around.

"I keep getting the feeling you aren't happy to see me. I miscalculated the timing and came early, but don't tell me the goods aren't ready yet." Du Yue was under pressure; although he had sensed the shift in the market early on, once the war broke out, his inventory had become highly sought after. Even long-hoarded goods were being snapped up. To accelerate his accumulation of wealth during this period, he was in a rush.

"They arrived just moments ago. Do you want to rest for a bit before checking them, or shall we start now?" Liu Shaoyu had guessed as much, though he didn't quite believe Du Yue's claim about miscalculating the time.

"Let’s look at the goods first. We can rest after the deal is done." Du Yue didn't care for pleasantries. Through their previous interactions, he knew Liu Shaoyu wasn't the type to spend days wining and dining before getting down to business.

"Very well, please come in." Liu Shaoyu invited Du Yue inside and followed him in.

The house was situated on a cliff overlooking the sea that Liu Shaoyu had mentioned earlier. Young Dragon Star no longer showed any signs of its former dilapidation, all thanks to EVA.

The mining ships escorted by Xu Meng had arrived on the planet shortly before, and unloading would take some time. However, the deal didn't require inspecting every single piece of cargo, so a sample was soon presented to Du Yue.

"As agreed: Kighton Rock," Liu Shaoyu introduced.

Du Yue’s personal computer scanned and analyzed the sample the moment it appeared.

"I honestly don't know where you manage to get these minerals at a time like this," Du Yue exclaimed after seeing the results.

This was due to the rarity of Kighton Rock and the elements it contained. This rock could be broken down into thirteen raw materials, the most abundant being super-titanium alloy. This high-strength, low-weight alloy had always been a hot commodity in starship manufacturing.

Beyond the super-titanium, Kighton Rock also yielded the even rarer Hex-Star Quark Rock and small amounts of crystalline ore—both vital elements for weapon manufacturing. By comparison, the yield from a given volume of Kighton Rock was three to four times that of similar minerals. For Du Yue, he would take as much of this rock as Liu Shaoyu could provide.

"There are 2,000 ship-loads of ore for you this time," Liu Shaoyu said, seeing Du Yue's satisfaction.

Du Yue understood the unit of measurement Liu Shaoyu used, as these mining ships had also been purchased from him. They were the "Lilac-class" mining barges, known as "mining whales," each with a cargo capacity of 8,500 cubic meters. It didn't mean Liu Shaoyu had two thousand mining vessels; rather, his mining fleet was composed of both transport freighters and mining ships. Even with only two hundred actual mining vessels, as long as there were enough freighters to load the output, it was just a matter of time.

"Understood. My freighters are still on the way. You know that transport hasn't been as smooth lately." Du Yue calculated how many ships he would need. His largest freighters were the "Creator-class" vessels manufactured by United Heavy Industries, with a cargo hold of one million cubic meters. Even so, he would need seventeen of them to carry this haul.

These freighters were large enough to transport even the aircraft carriers of the Huaxia military. One could imagine the sacrifices and costs required to achieve such massive volume. However, this was Du Yue's line of work, so transport was not something he needed to worry about.

"How shall we settle the payment this time?" Most transactions were cash on delivery, but after several dealings, Du Yue knew Liu Shaoyu would immediately use the funds to procure something—something that happened to be available only through him.

"This time, I need a set of ship-manufacturing equipment," Liu Shaoyu said, confirming that he didn't want money, but equipment instead.

"Ship manufacturing? You’re going to build ships?" Du Yue was startled by the news. "If you need ships, I can get them for you. There’s no need to build them yourself, is there?"

Seeing Du Yue's reaction, Liu Shaoyu realized he hadn't been clear. He continued, "Not battleship manufacturing. Just general-purpose equipment, and only one set. I’m not doing mass production."

Du Yue breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me for a second. General-purpose equipment is easy to handle. And for just one set, I can arrange transport immediately. Tell me the specifications."

"I'll send the specific models to your computer."

"Alright, Brother Liu. Even though I’m in this line of business, there are some things I have to say. There are lines we shouldn't cross." Du Yue felt a vague sense of worry, compounded by what Liu Shaoyu had been requesting. It wasn't that Du Yue was particularly sentimental, but Liu Shaoyu held many valuable assets, and because of their previous dealings, Du Yue had regained a significant standing within his own faction, which had fostered a sense of personal connection.

Regardless of the motive, Liu Shaoyu was touched by Du Yue’s words. In this era, people's hearts had become increasingly restless. The infinite universe seemed to provide modern humanity with infinite drive, yet many sacrificed everything for profit.

In Liu Shaoyu's eyes, Du Yue was far more noble than those engaged in so-called "legitimate" businesses. Because both he and Du Yue understood deep down that they were Huaxia, they would never do anything to harm their own people. It was this realization that made the black-market merchant appear quite honorable to Liu Shaoyu.