Chapter 16: Nightmare, Section 8

Ambition—extremely inflated ambition.
Black Hair had never desired power as much as he did now. Though his goal was merely to face a challenge, for someone who craved battle from the bottom of his heart, that was enough.
Justice? Mercy? Go to hell. Those were just lies to fool children. Such things never truly existed in this world. Everything had a purpose, and that purpose could be described in the simplest terms: profit.
Humans needed profit, so they developed military strength and colonized other stars. The so-called greatest acts of exploration were actually outright invasions.
Alien races also needed profit, which is why they reached agreements with Black Hair—finding their place in the Death Stars he created and contributing their strength to him.
Even the five major families nowadays, like the Pirate Alliance or the Warrior Guild, did it all for profit. The immense energy and unique properties of Cemxi ore made it the most coveted thing in this universe. People would lose their minds and kill each other for it—all just to live better and prevent others from surpassing them.
Watching the dense cluster of dots on the map, Black Hair wasn’t annoyed at all; instead, he felt a sense of pleasure. It was human nature to seek profit. But profits varied in size. For Black Hair, this was precisely what he needed to control.
Like Cemxi ore? Fine, then let them exchange their most precious things for it—things that could interest me.
“Koko!” Black Hair turned abruptly, a cold glint in his eyes. This made the short Ganluo alien sitting quietly in the armchair jump up instantly, shouting reflexively.
“Here!”
“Send out a message. Say the real owner of Cemxi ore has arrived on Silver Star. He’s very dissatisfied with the current chaos. He thinks this market doesn’t match his expectations at all. So he plans to hold an auction—to auction the ownership of five tons of Cemxi ore! The time… let’s set it for the night after tomorrow. You arrange the location.”
“Understood,” Koko replied cheerfully, excitement shining in his small eyes.

Isn’t that right? For a Ganluo Xing native who has been trained in business since childhood, is there anything more interesting than an auction? And this time, it’s Centimxi ore being auctioned—one of the most precious things in the universe. Five tons, nothing less than five tons… Koko could almost imagine the uproar this news would cause on Silver Star and how many factions would become eager for it!

In the past, he would have been terrified, trembling with fear. But now, there’s no need for that. Ever since meeting Black Hair, this young man has never disappointed him. Though his actions are always unexpected, the outcomes have invariably proven him right.

Let the storm intensify… An endless sense of anticipation surged in Koko’s heart.

“Oh, right!” As if suddenly remembering something, the petite Ganluo Xing native jumped up from his chair. He rummaged around in a corner of the room for a while before slapping his head and pressing a small button on the table.

Almost as soon as he pressed the button, the door to the room opened.

An elderly Ganluo Xing native dressed in a black tuxedo stood there respectfully, head slightly bowed, with a dedicated attitude.

“Sir, how may I assist you?”

“Oh, my butler Uk, you’ve come at just the right time. I need your help. Quickly, help me remember where I put those concert tickets I had last time. You know, they’re my treasures!” As soon as Koko saw the old butler, he felt as if he’d found a savior and rushed at him.

“Oh, sir, are you referring to the concert on Rainbow Star in the 28th star region?” The old butler replied calmly, without rushing.

“Yes, that’s right.” Koko nodded his head like a bug bowing.

“You asked me to store them. I’ll bring them to you right away.”

“Oh, wonderful.” Koko watched the old butler leave quickly, then jumped high with satisfaction. He rolled over like a ball to Black Hair’s side and grabbed his right hand.

“Mr. Black Hair, do you know? I’ve been preparing for your arrival for a long time. Believe me, there’s nothing more precious in this universe than this gift—even Centimxi ore can’t compare.”

“The concert on Rainbow Star?” Seeing Koko’s playful behavior, Black Hair’s eyes were filled with laughter.

“Yes, yes. The Rainbow Star Concert! It’s the greatest event in the universe. All the stars—oh, no, all living beings—look forward to it. There, you can find any star or idol you like. They’ll sing and dance for you. Oh, believe me, if you pay a small price, you can even have dinner with them. It’s absolutely wonderful.” Koko’s big eyes blinked eagerly, full of longing.

“It’s said that among the stars at this Rainbow Star Concert is the most beautiful princess of the elves, Princess Veil. Ah, she’s literally my dream girl. If I can, I must ask her to sing a song just for me. Yes, definitely.”

“The elves? Aren’t they that race that has fallen so low as to sell their bodies? What’s there to be proud of?” Lily was upset to hear Koko praising another woman so enthusiastically in front of Black Hair and muttered with a pouted lip.

“How can they be the same? Oh, no, that’s definitely not the case. The ordinary elves might be as you say, but that’s just the surface. Among their people, there’s still a small group who maintain an ancient, elegant way of life. Princess Veil is the purest and most beautiful among them. Mr. Black Hair, you must believe me!” Koko became anxious and immediately argued loudly.

“Alright, alright. I believe you.” Seeing Koko’s urgency, Black Hair nodded helplessly.

“But we still have some things to take care of first. Koko, you understand what I mean.”

“Of course, don’t worry, Mr. Black Hair. I’ll definitely arrange everything for the auction the day after tomorrow.” Koko proudly nodded at Lily and took charge of everything.

Some might think this petite Dryo Star is a bit frivolous, and some might think Koko isn’t steady enough. But facts have shown that when it comes to doing serious work, he often performs better than anyone else.

In less than half a day, news of the auction spread throughout the entire Silver Star. Almost all factions received invitations to the auction. Moreover, even Black Hair’s dissatisfaction was conveyed to them without any error. It’s strange—although they had been fighting fiercely at first, once they heard about the ore owner’s displeasure, Silver Star seemed to change completely. Almost all factions issued urgent orders to their subordinates, forbidding them from any further provocations. In no time, order was restored to Silver Star, and no chaos was seen anymore.

Hearing this news, the black-haired man smiled in satisfaction.
This was actually a reflection of human nature—infighting, desire, greed. These determined their actions. But once they realized their actions would affect their vested interests, they often went to extremes.
The black-haired man was smart and perceptive, so he quickly identified the weaknesses of these major forces.
Blood Pupil and Baroka had also returned long ago. They brought back not much information, but enough to be significant.
A rough investigation showed that Silver Star had now become a battleground for various forces. Besides the ones visible on the surface, Blood Pupil also detected the presence of the Assassin Guild. Baroka, on the other hand, encountered members of the Hunter Guild. From their inquiries, it seemed these forces still hadn’t found any weaknesses in the Creek Merchant Guild, but they already had suspicions. Cmexi ore had now become a target for everyone; whoever got it would face widespread condemnation. Outside Silver Star, over 600 warships had gathered, serving as the last resort for various forces.
600 warships—this far exceeded the strength of the Interstellar Fleet Expeditionary Force. Moreover, it was said that all of these warships were of class above Battle Spear, their power almost terrifying. It was no exaggeration to say that, if things went wrong, Silver Star could be erased from existence in an instant.
“Boss, this time it’s like walking on a tightrope. I hope nothing goes wrong,” Blood Pupil said, unusually worried, even losing interest in drinking.
On the other hand, Baroka seemed carefree, hugging a seductive elven girl and touching her inappropriately, with a lecherous smile on his face. Hearing Blood Pupil’s worried words, he disdainfully curled his lips.
“Brother Blood Pupil, stop worrying needlessly. Can’t you see our captain has already planned everything? Just wait; we won’t lose. No matter how strong those forces are, what’s the use? The goods are still in our hands. At worst, I’ll detonate the prepared explosive crystals and send them all to meet God!”
To have a backup plan, Baroka carefully selected two Salmon-class ships this time, filling them with explosive crystals equivalent to dynamite. When they docked, he placed them in the center of the airport, similar to the tactic used by the black-haired man last time. If an explosion occurred, Silver Star’s largest airport would become a nightmare—giant spires piercing the surface could shift the planet’s center of gravity and destroy this greatest commercial planet. That’s why he was so confident now.
Disaster and prosperity are often just the whims of madmen.

“It’s really exciting, the night after tomorrow…” With black hair, he leaned lazily on the sofa, ignoring the argument between the two. He simply took a gentle sip of the red wine in his glass, then closed his eyes in satisfaction, as if… he had fallen asleep.