Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 279 - 198: Prisoner’s Dilemma

Chapter 279: Chapter 198: Prisoner’s Dilemma

Jiuyue only knew that the atmosphere in the banquet hall was very oppressive, but she had no idea what was transpiring.

After observing for a while, she also discovered that the cherry tomatoes provided at the banquet were very sweet, seeming to be a new variety from another planet, with a taste that was a mix of watermelon and kiwi.

She picked up a cherry tomato and brought it to Duan Mingyuan’s lips, while attentively listening to Duan Mingyuan’s explanations, her sharp ears twitching.

This was what the Fox Demon looked like when she was concentrating.

"Mr. Mingyuan, could you explain the prisoner’s dilemma again?"

"Let’s use a comic you’ve read as an analogy. For example, three high school boys agree to visit one of their houses, and they accidentally find the sister’s clothes in the room, suddenly developing a strong interest in cross-dressing. But if one dresses up, it’s certain social suicide and will become a dark history in their life. However, if all three try it together, they gain courage from ’comradeship.’"

"Thus each one went into a changing room in a different place. All alone, they couldn’t be sure whether the others would betray them. If in the end, only one put on the dress, he would become the butt of the others’ jokes. What’s more terrifying is that if the sister discovered them, it was very likely they would be beaten on the spot."

With this explanation from Duan Mingyuan, Jiuyue suddenly saw the light and recalled the scene from the comic, "Later, the male protagonist’s classmates all betrayed him, he not only left behind a dark history but also got kicked by his sister!"

But at the time, she was too busy laughing to think so deeply.

"The current situation is the same. Although all the councilors claim they will vote against, the voting process is confidential. Until the votes are counted, they will never know the choices of the others."

Voting against would have much more severe consequences than leaving a dark history. Not only would they face danger on the return journey, but it was foreseeable that the Shanqi Commerce Association would definitely impose economic sanctions on their planets.

If all the councilors from each planet united, perhaps they could survive this crisis. But if any of them betrayed, or if the majority did, leaving only two or three "scapegoats", then not only would they themselves be in danger, but the planets they represented would be plunged into chaos.

The arrival of the head of the Silver Lotus Family crushed any slim hope they had.

They had fantasized that the Chamber of Commerce was too busy fighting the Iron Guard Consortium to focus on them for the moment, yet the family used this banquet to tell them that this was a major event for the Chamber of Commerce.

They would witness the completion of the summit and keep in mind all the councilors who voted against.

The arrival of the Commander from the Eastern Battlefront made matters even more precarious, with the entire fleet docked at Mechanical Star. Whether they could leave the Star Zone safely after the summit was now a big question.

"On the other hand, if they voted in favor, although they would be despised by others as traitors, their personal safety would be secured and the economy of their planets would continue to develop healthily. They might even receive special care from the Chamber of Commerce."

But from a long-term perspective, this undoubtedly meant handing over their fate to the Chamber of Commerce.

Once the Chamber of Commerce merged with the Company, no one could defy the decisions of the Shan Clan.

Perhaps there would never be another summit, or the next summit would just be a formality.

"Haven’t you been complaining lately about the rising prices at the nearby supermarkets?"

Duan Mingyuan explained the underlying principles to Jiuyue. Although he had never managed to earn money, he had gained a lot of knowledge. In this universe, no one understood all this better than the Shan Clan People. Most of the books he’d read were written based on observations of the actions of the Shanqi Commerce Association.

"It’s the same principle with the supermarket. Initially, they lower the prices of goods, provide quality door-to-door services, and frequently have promotional sales. These favorable policies attract a lot of customers until all nearby supermarkets go out of business due to not making money. When that time comes, even if they raise their prices or bundle products for a promotion, customers have no choice but to accept the terms because there are no other stores nearby."

For the Shanqi Commerce Association, the council nations behind the summit are the "small vendors" they want to control or even squash.

The Shan Clan People do not wish for anyone to interfere with their plans and decisions.

To cling to life or go down in flames.

That is the question.

Although every councilor knew what the future held, it was not an easy choice to make.

And the Chamber of Commerce didn’t need to do much. They didn’t even need to resort to any military measures to plunge the councilors into a whirlpool of mutual suspicion.

A moment later, Duan Mingyuan was able to meet the present head of the Silver Lotus Family—Morgan VII.

His entrance was somewhat peculiar.

Morgan VII’s butler placed a projection device on the chairman’s table, turned on the switch, and a handsome young man image appeared before everyone. He briefly gave a speech, on behalf of the family and the Chamber of Commerce, welcoming everyone and specifically mentioned that the birth of the Sixteen Star Summit was also closely related to the Shanqi Commerce Association.

He considered all those present as important partners and sincerely hoped that their cooperation could continue indefinitely.

But in reality, Morgan VII was already 247 years old.

His body had long been exhausted, but the technology of the Silver Lotus Family had granted him eternal life in the digital world.

All this was asked by the curious Jiuyue.

After Morgan VII finished his speech, she curiously raised her hand and asked if the video just now was a pre-recorded message from the family.

Morgan VII showed enough goodwill to the young Fox Demon, explaining some matters of the digital world to her.

After the dinner began, a familiar figure approached Duan Mingyuan’s table.

Despite being reluctant, Garoya had to obey the orders from his family.

Duan Mingyuan noticed that a personal consultant had arrived at each table of guests.

Once seated, Garoya took the initiative to reveal his purpose. "The Shanqi Commerce Association hopes to establish a long-term trade partnership with Blue Star, so I have been sent especially to serve as your advisor."

"Advisor? What are you advising on?"

Jiuyue asked.

"Everything related to wealth—our last evaluation was interrupted due to some unforeseen circumstances, but I believe you understand the current economic situation of Blue Star. After some ’diplomatic disputes’ with Universe Company, the Company pulled back a lot of investment, which to some extent has led to an economic downturn, with a large number of unemployed."

Garoya explained, "I have developed a trade scheme for Blue Star, to ensure that Blue Star becomes one of the wealthiest planets in the universe within the next decade."