Chapter 825: Chapter 695: Throwing Stones, Fearing the Vase

The moment the two sides made contact, the air was thick with gunpowder; you could instantly see how crucial Wanmi Mining’s role as mediator was.

Gottle, however, stayed silent instead. His thinking was more business-like, not very much like a pure Superpower Warrior.

From his point of view, as long as people were still talking, it wasn’t a bad thing. Both sides were just trying to seize the initiative.

When Qu Jianlei heard what the Military A-level said, his face soured. "What do you mean, ’openly attacking the Customs Enforcement Division’s fleet’?"

"You really don’t know who sent those people? Playing dumb when you know perfectly well... what exactly are you trying to pull here?"

The Military A-level shut his mouth. He also knew perfectly well what was going on with the Customs Enforcement Division.

With something this big, if it didn’t involve the Customs Enforcement Division abusing public power for private ends, the Military would never be this calm.

Strictly speaking, the fact that the Military even bothered to show up this time was already them doing the Customs Enforcement Division a favor.

On this kind of topic, the Military absolutely wouldn’t take the initiative to wade in. Even wiping someone’s ass has its limits.

Sheriff felt his face heat up a bit, but he still had to answer. "Putting aside who ordered them, your side did open fire first, that’s not wrong, is it?"

Qu Jianlei’s face darkened slightly. "Why put it aside? Talking result while ignoring cause... you think we’re easy to bully?"

Sheriff’s face went black as he enunciated each word. "Your ship took the initiative to attack Imperial Customs Enforcement personnel. That’s correct, isn’t it?"

"Have a little shame, will you?" Qu Jianlei shot back casually. "Were those even regular Customs Enforcement Team members?"

Sheriff froze for a moment. He really hadn’t expected the other side to even know that, to the point he forgot to be angry.

But thinking about it, a force this overbearing having good intel was perfectly normal.

He answered solemnly, "Most of them were temporary hires, but just like full staff, they had law-enforcement authority."

Qu Jianlei waved a hand, losing interest. "If that’s your attitude, we’re done here."

"We repeatedly emphasized, and also showed the duty-free pass, but they insisted on forcing an inspection."

Sheriff knew that detail, and he also understood the mentality of those crew members—since they’d already decided to pick a fight, who cared what papers you had!

He hesitated a moment before answering, "There was an emergency at the time. They had authority to make on-the-spot decisions."

Qu Jianlei gave him a sidelong glance. "What emergency, exactly? Spell it out for me."

Sheriff replied in a deep voice, "There are too many starships taking off and landing at the Transfer Star, with huge cargo throughput and countless contingencies."

Qu Jianlei frowned and spoke, displeased. "You’re just twisting words. At least bother to make up a halfway decent reason."

"I really don’t get it—being this unreasonable... you trying to take the feud onto yourself?"

Sheriff fell silent with a dry, humorless look. He had zero intention of taking that feud on himself; otherwise he really would have made up a reason.

The other side had the guts to fire directly on a Customs Enforcement warship. Even if he, a Supreme, teamed up with the Norton Family, odds were they still couldn’t handle it.

Not to mention, the other side also had ties with the Haiyin Clan.

So all he could say was, "I’m here as a representative of the Customs Enforcement Division. This isn’t personal... a duty-free pass isn’t omnipotent."

Qu Jianlei fell silent and, whether consciously or not, glanced at Gottle—he wasn’t sure if it was convenient to say certain things himself.

Gottle had been happily watching the show; at those words he froze: How the hell did this get dragged onto me?

Rhodiola rosea didn’t say anything, but that look made it clear: see, that pass was issued through you.

Gottle frowned and spoke, unhappy. "Your Excellency Sheriff, temporary Customs Enforcement Team members aren’t qualified to inspect a duty-free starship, are they?"

Sheriff shot him a surprised look, full of confusion: Weren’t you the one who said you’d stay neutral? Why are you jumping in?

Gottle steeled himself. "We’re the ones who helped get that pass issued. It’s not omnipotent, sure, but it’s not something just anyone gets to check, right?"

Seeing this, Qu Jianlei couldn’t help sighing inwardly. A major power really was hard-edged; they could just say this kind of thing outright.

Honestly, because he hadn’t integrated into Imperial society, he was really bad at grasping this sort of nuance.

The Military A-level’s mouth twitched twice; it looked like he was forcing down a laugh.

Sheriff drummed his fingers on the table a few times; it was obvious he was in a bit of a bind too.

After seven or eight seconds, he finally spoke. "Then let’s drop that topic. As for those casualties..."

"Take it up with the Norton Family," Qu Jianlei cut him off without hesitation. "None of that has anything to do with us."

"And I’ll spell it out for you: the cost of our ammunition and other expenses is also going on their tab. You’d better speed things up."

You’d better speed things up... Sheriff could hear the subtext: if they moved too slowly, the Norton Family might not even be around by then.

That was a bit too damn murderous, wasn’t it? He gave the Norton Family a moment of silent condolence—they really were unlucky.

So he decisively dropped that topic. "Whatever the case, your side took one of my Customs Enforcement Division’s warships."

"It was decommissioned!" Qu Jianlei corrected him. "That’s our war trophy. Talk about something else."

"This has to be discussed," Sheriff said without hesitation. "Customs Enforcement Division warships are not allowed to end up in outside hands!"

"Let me be blunt: this is our bottom line. Everything else is negotiable, but that warship must be returned."

The Military A-level couldn’t be bothered to keep watching the joke anymore and spoke up, "My lord, this concerns the face of the Customs Enforcement Division."

Qu Jianlei didn’t respond immediately, instead he stayed silent for a few seconds.

Noticing that Little Lake, that little money-grubber, hadn’t said a word, he finally spoke lightly, "What if I don’t give it back?"

Sheriff kept a cold face and said nothing, instead lighting a cigarette.

After two drags, he finally spoke slowly, "You can certainly try... We’ve already made the biggest concession we can."

Qu Jianlei froze for a moment, then also lit a cigarette, took two drags, and smiled as he replied, "Then let’s try."

"Enough, it’s not that big a deal," the Military A-level came out to smooth things over.

"If you don’t return it, fine, then destroy it... just send us the holo recording. This thing can’t be left out there, it’s a matter of principle."

"How can you destroy it?" Sheriff rejected outright. "A Warship with Customs Enforcement Division livery gets destroyed, and you still film it? Who are you trying to humiliate?"

Gottle also stepped in to smooth things over. "Sheriff, let’s talk this through properly. If you two start fighting, the Norton Family will be delighted."

"Return the Warship and it’s over," Sheriff still insisted. "We’re already not pursuing compensation for such heavy losses. Isn’t that enough?"

Then he glanced at Qu Jianlei. "If the Customs Enforcement Division really goes head‑to‑head with you, who do you think the Norton Family will side with?"

"Heh," Qu Jianlei gave an unconcerned laugh. "How many Supremes can the Norton Family even field?"

"If you insist on fighting me, do you know who’s standing behind me? Be careful the Customs Enforcement Division doesn’t push you out as the scapegoat when the time comes."

Hearing this, Sheriff’s expression changed. He had advanced to Supreme a hundred years ago; when had he ever heard a threat like this—me, the scapegoat?

Yet he couldn’t explode, because that possibility did objectively exist. Compared to the massive Customs Enforcement Division, what’s one or two Supremes worth?

What was especially key was, he’d done his homework beforehand and knew the other side was close to the Haiyin Clan—and with the Sixth Young Lady, no less!

For the vast majority of people, Rhine was just an A-level Awakened with huge potential, but at the Supremes’ level of information, it was a different story.

He forced down his anger and said, "I have no intention of provoking a conflict, but we must take the Warship back. That’s the bottom line!"

The Military A-level and Gottle couldn’t really say much more either. When it involved departmental honor, it really wasn’t something you could meddle in casually.

Qu Jianlei was a bit speechless as well. "What if I’ve already dismantled it?"

Dismantling a Warship was something people really did, and the profit wasn’t bad—he himself had bought weapon systems taken from dismantled ships.

Especially when it was loot taken by force, you didn’t even have to pay procurement costs.

"Dismantled..." Hearing this, Sheriff’s head started to ache. He knew the other side had already damaged the Warship at the time.

"I think the odds of it being dismantled are low. According to the damage‑control crew, only the power transmission system was destroyed."

"What if it’s already been repaired?" Qu Jianlei asked lightly. "And I send you back a fully intact one?"

Hearing that, Sheriff’s expression changed again. "Then what do you want? Don’t tell me you still want repair fees?"

Qu Jianlei nodded. "That can be arranged. The repair fee isn’t high, fifty million will do."

"Impossible." Sheriff shook his head decisively; this was a matter of principle. "We pay money to redeem our own Warship?"

Gottle spoke up. "It’s the Customs Enforcement Division paying, not you personally... Why make things so rigid?"

How fat the Customs Enforcement Division was—who didn’t know? Wanmi Mining might act like they didn’t care about them, but they still paid them benefits every year.

"That’s not how it works," Sheriff said with a troubled shake of his head. "If I go back having agreed to these terms, won’t they laugh their heads off?"

"Three Warships lost and all those casualties, with zero compensation—and we still have to cough up fifty million!"

"A brand‑new one only costs seven or eight hundred million. I’m a dignified Supreme; do I not need any face?"

Qu Jianlei snorted coldly. "Only your face counts as face? We don’t need face?"

"How about I change the condition: you hand over the Customs Enforcement personnel involved in the incident, as well as the Norton Family’s related personnel, and I’ll return you an intact one."

Sheriff’s head shook like a rattle. "That’s impossible. Hand over Customs Enforcement personnel to you? You’re dreaming!"

"Then there’s nothing to talk about," Qu Jianlei said solemnly.

"Then we’re done talking!" Sheriff slammed the table and stood up. "I came with sincerity, but I can’t see any sincerity from your side at all!"

Qu Jianlei also slammed the table and stood up. "If it wasn’t your side that deliberately picked a fight, would any of this have happened? And now somehow we’re the ones in the wrong?"

"Out of humanitarian considerations, we left you an Attack Ship to house your wounded. That’s still not enough?"

"I stressed to your people that this matter was never over. We weren’t just going after the Norton Family; we were going after the people directly involved as well!"

"If it weren’t for the agreement with Wanmi Mining, and the worry that a fight would affect cooperation, we’d have come looking for you long ago!"

Fuck me... The corner of Sheriff’s mouth twitched. Because of commercial cooperation, they’d temporarily shelved their retaliation?

Why did that sound so unreal?

Gottle spoke with a squinty smile. "All right then, the first round of talks is over. I hereby announce that both sides have engaged in a thorough and comprehensive exchange."