Qu Jianlei constructed such a stone cave, clearly intending not to let the other party discover the method of his cultivation.

However, the other party had no intention of spying, nor were they worried that he would mine the minerals privately.

There was only such a big starship, even if he mined privately, how much ore could he extract?

Qu Jianlei spent three days thoroughly building the hangar, and also set up monitoring and warning devices around it.

The Mine agreed to share intelligence with him, but how could he give up autonomy? At critical moments, one still has to rely on oneself.

Then he cultivated for another five days, and after completely adjusting his condition, he piloted an attack ship out of the hangar.

Indulging in cultivation is certainly not advisable, and the Sail Consortium is a major force, so perhaps he can gain some information?

Qu Jianlei first piloted the attack ship to survey the surrounding area, then parked the ship outside the living area.

The living area was built against the mountain, somewhat similar to the cave dwellings on Blue Star.

He chose the office area, indicating that he wanted to learn about the situation.

The other party warmly received him, led by a B-level Warrior with a Gold Attribute named Dark.

This time, Qu Jianlei didn’t act too aloof, but he didn’t speak much, mainly asking various questions.

Dark did not conceal the relevant information, as it was necessary to communicate more since it was their own guard.

This Mine is being exploited by "Wanmi Mining," and the main mineral is platinum.

Platinum holds an important position in the Imperial industrial system, with a large demand.

The Sail Consortium doesn’t hold all the shares, but is a major shareholder in Wanmi Mining, with some other forces holding shares.

Originally, a force was stationed here, but that shareholder encountered some issues and withdrew their defensive force.

The Sail Consortium found it inconvenient for a shareholder to station forces again—primarily due to mutual trust issues.

Dark did not hide this because such situations are common, especially in precious metal mines.

They are responsible for mining and are unwilling to get involved in such matters, as human nature cannot withstand tests.

Thus, the Sail Consortium sought out outsourcing teams to get through this period.

Upon hearing this, Qu Jianlei couldn’t help but ask, "How is this period defined, has something occurred?"

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it a bit, feeling it might be his responsibility.

Sure enough, including the shareholder encountering issues, it was all due to the significant loss of the Star Thief Influence, causing temporary chaos.

Qu Jianlei only knew to cultivate and remodel in secluded areas, occasionally visiting the Lanyun Market, and rarely communicating with others.

Thus, he really didn’t know that the Asteroid Belt had become much more chaotic than before.

Dark wasn’t very surprised by his ignorance, as there were rumors that this force was relatively isolated, rarely interacting with outsiders.

For Wanmi Mining, this was one of the important reasons they chose to invite Qu Jianlei to guard the Mine.

Dark and others welcomed such a person, as dealing with forces coveting the platinum mine was the most troubling.

However, the other party was not just generally isolated; coming here and constructing his own residence first left them both amused and exasperated.

Due to this, Dark was very enthusiastic towards Qu Jianlei; otherwise, they would have been cautious about maintaining distance.

Qu Jianlei found it amusing and exasperating, "Will everything be fine after two years?"

"All turmoil must come to an end," Dark casually replied, "just one or two years, the old won’t return, and the new will be born."

This indeed matched Qu Jianlei’s understanding, that the grey areas could not remain a vacuum forever.

Then he asked whether he needed to be wary of threats from space or the two Mines nearby.

Dark straightforwardly stated that in such a location, any possibility could exist.

The first communication ended like this, and after knowing the situation, Qu Jianlei was not in a hurry to become familiar with the other party.

In the following time, he came out to patrol approximately every ten days, and then chatted with the other party for a while.

In fact, he didn’t need to patrol specifically, as the Mine’s various monitoring systems were comprehensive, observing both ground and sky.

But since he accepted the job, he felt he needed to occasionally show his presence, presenting himself as dedicated.

The second time, he met the Mine’s manager, a middle-aged man named Li Ang, with a Water Attribute at A-level.

Li Ang had a slight sense of estrangement towards him, but Qu Jianlei could understand that maintaining distance is crucial to not testing human nature.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

Every time Qu Jianlei came out, he didn’t chat with the other party for long and declined several invitations.

He wasn’t very interested in meeting outsiders, and the thought of drinking at banquets dampened his enthusiasm further.

After all, he had become Supreme; how could others casually associate with him? A simple work relationship was sufficient.

This attitude, in turn, gained Li Ang’s trust, as disguise is most vulnerable to the test of time.

Therefore, people at the Mine were interested in answering his questions, even if some information was somewhat confidential.

On this day, Qu Jianlei was cultivating inside the hangar when an alarm suddenly sounded.

He opened the monitoring to see Li Ang standing outside the hangar, pressing an alarm device, looking anxious.

He released his Perception, gaining a bit of insight, and then checked his hand-held device, which unsurprisingly was out of power.

He opened the small door of the hangar and walked out, asking indifferently, "What’s going on?"

It was not only cold here, but the air was also thin. However, A-level Awakened ones could still stay for a short period.

"There are intruders," Li Ang said anxiously, "Can your forces hold off a Supreme?"

Qu Jianlei sighed softly, "This really doesn’t give one any peace of mind... Tell me in detail."

"Someone has come to collect protection fees," Li Ang replied gravely, "There are three armed merchant ships currently hovering over Gedel."

The visitors did not land but transmitted the information from the air.

Usually, Wanmi Mining does not reject paying protection fees, but this time, the visitor’s asking price was a bit aggressive.

Apart from the protection fee, they also demanded to purchase ten percent of the platinum output at half price.

At the same time, the starship released a Supreme’s pressure, indicating we have a Supreme.

This means the other party possesses capabilities both in air and ground combat.

Technically, ten percent of the output is not too much, but Qu Jianlei had already found out that Wanmi Mining’s platinum output accounts for eighty percent of the surrounding star realm’s production.

Eighty percent is an absolute monopoly, so the loss is not just about money.

Qu Jianlei was a bit surprised, "They dare to ignore the Sail Consortium?"

Sail is not just about having one or two Supremes, but can call upon a few Supremes to participate in battle at any time.

Li Ang had a troubled expression, indicating difficulty, "We have already reported to the consortium, but due to the joint-stock system... it’s not a controlling stake."

Apart from not having a controlling stake, the Sail Consortium also has other considerations, such as maintenance issues.

It’s not hard for the consortium to send a few Supremes over, but the hard part is solving the immediate crisis, what to do afterward?

The higher-ups believe that the other party dares to speak so boldly, ignoring their strength, likely involves avoiding direct conflict.

The Gedel star body is fixed, at least with a stable orbit, but the force collecting protection fees is flexible.

Wanmi Mining must mine on the star body, while the opposing force can come and go as they please.

The consortium-sent Supremes can’t possibly stay at Gedel indefinitely.

This desolate place—wrong, a place without even birds, no matter how many Supremes at home, they wouldn’t be wasted like this.

Previously mentioned, guerrilla warfare is quite common within the Imperial domain.

That’s precisely why major forces are willing to pay protection fees, it’s just a small cost to rid themselves of the barefooted ones.

As for a few Supremes setting a trap and waiting... that’s possible, but how are the costs calculated?

To repeat, the Sail Consortium does not hold a controlling stake in Wanmi Mining, just a major shareholder!

So the consortium’s reaction is: "Isn’t our defense outsourced? Can you hold off a Supreme?"

"Hold off..." Qu Jianlei pondered for a moment, "If we hold off a Supreme, can you take out three warships?"

Li Ang straightforwardly answered, "No, but they’ve made similar demands on other Mines, we can join forces."

The other two Mines do not get along with Wanmi Mining, but under these circumstances, forming an alliance is also normal.

Qu Jianlei considered for a moment and asked, "Is it possible that one of those two is behind this?"

"Ah," Li Ang chuckled bitterly, "Very likely, these major forces, often do things quite dirtily."

Qu Jianlei was dumbfounded, "Aren’t you even cursing the Sail Consortium?"

However, he quickly realized, "Won’t those two also see Wanmi in this light?"

Li Ang could only continue with a bitter smile, "Exactly, no one is going to give up resistance, even a fake fight has to be fought."

Qu Jianlei shook his head, they say in the martial world, people cannot help themselves, even powerful forces have times when they can’t help it.

But that’s actually good news, at least during the fight, the other two won’t be holding back.

So this battle might indeed be fought; the only question is what level of strength should be displayed.

However, he had one last question, "Does ten percent of production really affect the situation?"

The Sail Consortium indeed forms a factual monopoly, but Gedel is just one of the many platinum Mines of the consortium.

Li Ang was clearly prepared, immediately responding, "They don’t need to affect the entire situation."

"Storing these Mines is quite normal, they just need to cause trouble at key moments!"

"Moreover, since ten percent is already in hand, who can ensure there’s not another ten percent?"

Is it like slowly cutting piece by piece? Qu Jianlei frowned, feeling this explanation was somewhat flawed.

"If another ten percent does occur, can the Sail Consortium still endure?"

Li Ang shook his head, his expression filled with conflict.

"I dare not speak rashly, but Sail’s intention is clear, since the guard is outsourced, why not give it a try first?"

Qu Jianlei pondered and spoke, "The previous agreement did not include fighting Supremes, nor any related clauses."

"If we hold them off, or even win... what’s the reward?"

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