Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 176 - 96: The Birth of the Chief

Chapter 176: Chapter 96: The Birth of the Chief

This night, the Prime Monarch had exhausted himself, single-handedly bringing down the company’s flagship.

It was foreseeable that this story would evolve into countless versions widely circulated on this planet; although Heaven’s Punishment failed to destroy it, the people of the planet found themselves engulfed in unprecedented confusion.

When Duan Mingyuan returned to the back hall, the device that had been sustaining the Prime Monarch’s vital signs had already ceased to operate.

This ruler, it seemed, had quietly completed his final journey, just as the stories had said.

"The Prime Monarch asked me to thank you on his behalf,"

Jiuyue’s voice came from the darkness, "Oh, and he also told you not to reconstruct him with your ability."

This was both to bear the sin of drawing the sword against the company and a form of liberation.

To be liberated in such a way was far more dignified than dying in the power struggles designed by the company.

"His vitality had long been exhausted; it was this device that had been keeping him alive."

Duan Mingyuan had never intended to reconstruct the Prime Monarch; he found it hard to imagine how the Prime Monarch had spent hundreds of years in this cultivation vessel, merely observing the world’s changes as a bystander, this golden age, ostensibly founded by him, was in fact not much connected to him.

Duan Mingyuan speculated that this also had to do with the treaty the Prime Monarch had initially signed with the company.

He had offered his body and life energy, thus giving birth to Black Steel Armor.

"Mr. Mingyuan, what do we do next?"

Jiuyue had also witnessed that sword that spanned the sky, and even now, the fissure remained undissipated.

What a stirring strike it had been.

It also announced that Mr. Mingyuan had officially become "the most notorious fugitive in the universe"; at least in Jiuyue’s experience, she had never heard of any civilization daring to wage such a war against the company and taking down an entire flagship.

Using one’s toes to think, with an entire department missing, especially the crucial Cosmic Relations Coordination Department, Universe Company would definitely not let this go easily.

Perhaps in just a few days, the company’s fleet of battleships would descend upon Blue Star.

The era of the great interstellar war was about to begin!

"Are we going to war in space? Is there still time to learn space combat maneuvers?"

Jiuyue asked.

She had already figured out her future path; even if the destruction of Blue Star was inevitable, they could still snatch a Universe Company flagship and become the cosmos pirates that strike fear into everyone’s heart.

"Do you know how to operate a spaceship?"

Duan Mingyuan found it rather amusing; this little fox had quite a few schemings up her sleeve, and was indeed an optimist. While everyone on this planet felt uncertain about the future, she had already thought of becoming a cosmic pirate.

"No, but we are cosmic pirates."

Jiuyue asserted confidently.

"What about being cosmic pirates?"

"We don’t know how, but surely many people do, we just need to snatch them away."

Where there is a lack, take from there—that was her romantic vision of the life of a cosmic pirate. Once they had settled down, the first to be snatched would be the Eco-Ship from the Universe Company’s Life Science Department.

"You should save your energy."

At least in the short term, Duan Mingyuan had no plans of changing careers to become a cosmic pirate nor did he aspire to become a pirate king. During his encounter with Western Wind, he had extracted some intriguing parts from the other’s memories. He felt that sooner or later he would use this knowledge from the universe; he just didn’t expect to have the opportunity to put it into practice so soon.

"Then what do you plan to do?"

"Ask the company to do us a favor."

"Ah? But you slashed their flagship, they must be furious."

"Being angry never solves problems."

Everything they had witnessed along the way proved this truth, even though the people of Blue Star held a multitude of grievances against the Company, they couldn’t shake the heavens.

Only now, it was the Company’s turn to be angry.

There was an old saying that goes, since we’re here, these four words contain the wisdom of the ancients. If applied to the current situation...

The flagship has sunk; no matter how angry they are, time can’t be turned back, and there won’t be another "five minutes" for Qing Hua to make a choice.

Duan Mingyuan wasn’t without empathy; until the end, he still left a way out for the Company.

"This is called sunk cost. If the Company brings their battleship here, not only can’t they recover the losses, but they will also continue to incur more sunk costs. In the end, even if they blow up this planet, it will bring many new troubles."

"What troubles?"

"If a home is destroyed, you just have to find a new one."

Duan Mingyuan never intended to become a cosmic terrorist, but in such an environment, he had to make Universe Company realize that such a possibility existed.

If a force appeared in this star system that constantly tried to infiltrate the Company’s flagship, capable of bombing one "terrorist" after another, it would be quite a headache.

"I knew it, Mr. Mingyuan, you’re a natural-born ogre!"

Jiuyue clapped her hands; she felt that from this point forward, Mr. Mingyuan had been officially promoted from an ogre mage to a Great Chieftain.

"It’s precisely because of the lessons learned that Universe Company has set up another way to solve the problem, to avoid the possibility of maximizing losses."

While Duan Mingyuan examined the memories of Western Wind, he did not forget to pinch the fluffy tail of the little fox, and with her "lifeline" in his control, Jiuyue suddenly became a lot more quiet and obedient, no longer bringing up the ogre matter.

"This is the famous Sixteen Star Treaty."

"The Sixteen Star Treaty?"

"Among the star systems known to Universe Company, they have signed a trade treaty based on the principle of non-interference with sixteen civilizations, and the civilization that Western Wind belongs to is one of them."

These sixteen civilizations are not under the jurisdiction of the Cosmic Relations Coordination Department, and they don’t give the department the authority to provide "suggestions."

The Company regards them as independent civilizations, not as resource sites that should be under the Company’s control. Any decisions must be made through negotiations with the Sixteen Star Summit.

"So, how can one sign the treaty?"

"At least one or more ’Long Branch’ Imperial Guards must have emerged from that civilization."

"Long Branch" Imperial Guards represent the highest personal combat ability of Universe Company, but they also each have their own hometowns. After gaining the title of Imperial Guard, the Guardian Committee used their influence to drive the realization of the Sixteen Star Treaty.

Duan Mingyuan saw this as a good opportunity, "Before long, the Company’s patrol cruisers will reach this planet, by then, it will be decided whether to become the seventeenth civilization or cosmic pirates."

"No, that’s not right!"

Jiuyue suddenly became agitated, even with her tail pinched, she had to firmly express her opposition, "Mr. Mingyuan, how can you become a ’Long Branch’ Imperial Guard, it’s no different from joining the Company!"

"When did I say I was going to become a ’Long Branch’ Imperial Guard?"

"Didn’t you say that only civilizations that have produced one or more Imperial Guards can possibly sign the non-interference treaty?"

"Although I won’t become an Imperial Guard, I can give them back three guards."

Duan Mingyuan said, "And it’s a buy three get one free deal, with an additional guard apprentice included. I’m very optimistic about that young man named Tian Yun; maybe before long, he will be able to turn official. That way, our planet will have contributed four guards."

Duan Mingyuan didn’t know what Universe Company would think, but he believed it was definitely a profitable deal.