“Where is Kele?”
In the first-class cabin of the starship, Ivan asked Hubaiguo, who was sitting opposite him and Tuoweisi.
Hubaiguo replied, “He is on Pute Star receiving treatment for his leg injury. You will see him when we arrive.”
Ivan nodded in understanding. He had only been casually curious; he had nothing to discuss with Hubaiguo, so he turned his attention to the beautiful and miraculous scenery outside the porthole.
His first experience traveling through interstellar space had been the trip to Pingzi Star, during which Ivan had suffered from severe space sickness and remained sluggish the entire time, missing out on the unique beauty of the cosmos. After his secondary awakening, however, he no longer felt dizzy.
Outside the porthole, the backdrop of space was pitch black, studded with stars of varying sizes and colors. Occasionally, debris zipped past, perhaps falling planetary fragments or lucky, shimmering meteor showers.
The starship traveled swiftly. Within the time it took to eat a meal, it had already begun its descent onto Pute Star.
After disembarking, a vehicle arranged by Hubaiguo was waiting outside the station. Ivan and Tuoweisi boarded and were driven away from the planet’s center toward the mining area Hubaiguo had mentioned, the place where jade could be excavated.
The mining area was vast; visible to the naked eye were several undulating mountain ranges. Ivan stepped out of the car and walked closer with Tuoweisi to inspect it. Hubaiguo arrived at the right moment, holding a stone he had previously dug up from this site.
It was a piece of raw ore with a bit of sand-skin polished away at one corner, revealing a faint violet hue.
Ivan took it to examine it closely. Tuoweisi shot Ivan an inquiring look, to which Ivan gave a subtle, composed nod.
Hubaiguo stood to the side. Seeing Ivan confirm the authenticity of the raw stone, he signaled to his attendant, who brought over a tray containing several other raw stones of various sizes.
“These were also dug up, but there was no time to process them yet,” Hubaiguo explained, pointing at the stones on the tray.
Ivan lowered his eyes toward the significant pile of stones, a trace of a smile appearing on his face. Hubaiguo had not “run out of time” to process them; he simply lacked the skill. From the tiny edge of the violet jade exposed, it was clear that the cutter’s technique was flawed.
Knowing he possessed absolute technical mastery, Ivan looked up and said, “Family Head Hubai, let us discuss this inside.”
Seeing that Ivan was interested, Hubaiguo was thrilled. “Please,” he said with a grin. Little did he know, he would not be laughing for much longer.
Hubaiguo had already negotiated the rights to this mining area; all that was needed was the funding to begin construction. Currently, he had built a dormitory on the outskirts of the mine for the working Zergs. A reception room was prepared on the first floor of the main building, where Ivan now sat.
“Family Head Hubai must know that our reason for coming here is our intent to cooperate. However, I am not sure how much you require us to invest, or how the profits will be divided.”
Hubaiguo thought carefully for a moment before replying, “We are currently short by half. Let us invest fifty-fifty, and we will split the profits thirty-seventy, seventy for me and thirty for you. After all, I negotiated the rights to this area. If you do not agree, I can find other partners.”
After finishing, Hubaiguo looked smug, certain that Ivan would agree. But his good mood did not last long, as Ivan spoke calmly.
“A fifty-fifty investment is fine, and a thirty-seventy split is also acceptable,” Ivan said, picking up a teacup and meeting Hubaiguo’s eyes with a smile. “However, it will be thirty percent for you and seventy percent for me.”
Hubaiguo, known for his hot temper, slammed the table and stood up. “Are you joking!”
Ivan’s expression remained unchanged as he sipped his tea, which was not particularly flavorful. Tuoweisi glared at Hubaiguo, his stance making his position clear.
Realizing that violence would get him nowhere, Hubaiguo paced angrily around the room. He suppressed his emotions, recalling Kele’s advice from before they arrived: Negotiate slowly. I like Ivan, so if you can make concessions, do so. Eventually, he persuaded himself to sit back down.
“We are investing the same amount, but you lack raw ore processing technology, and you have no channels for distribution, right?” Ivan asked coolly.
Hubaiguo was momentarily speechless.
Ivan added, “It just so happens that I possess both. You will not need to worry or strain yourself with anything after extraction, and I can provide technical training for workers you arrange. Viewed this way, a thirty-seventy split might actually be a loss for me.”
Hubaiguo frowned, considering Ivan’s words. It was true that they could extract jade but lacked the technology to process it. Ivan’s proposal seemed feasible, but a thirty-seventy split was too much. “Forty-sixty!” he insisted, unwilling to give up.
“No. Thirty-seventy.” Ivan stood up. “If Family Head Hubai is unwilling, you may consider other families.”
If he could cooperate with other families, would he be here asking them?! Hubaiguo gritted his teeth, stared at Ivan’s retreating back, and spat out three words: “I agree.”
Ivan stopped, turned around, and smiled. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
Once agreed upon, they moved quickly to finalize the deal. After signing the contract with Hubaiguo, Ivan did not linger and immediately returned to Hallye Star with Tuoweisi.
With everything in black and white, there was no need to worry about Hubaiguo reneging on the deal.
During the journey back, Ivan was in a wonderful mood. Tuoweisi was also brimming with irrepressible excitement; returning home meant seeing Airui again.
Ivan looked at the restless Tuoweisi beside him and found it amusing. Thinking of the soft, sweet-smelling little golden ball, Ivan felt a surge of longing to be home as well.
Three hours later, the starship landed on Hallye Star.
Seeing the familiar streets, Ivan let out a sigh of relief. He did not stop, catching a flying taxi straight to the villa. While Ivan was busy paying the fare, Tuoweisi had already sprinted to the entrance.
“Airui?”
As Ivan walked into the hall, he heard Tuoweisi’s slightly urgent voice and saw his silhouette disappearing into a room on the first floor.
He had not seen little Airui in a long time and missed him dearly. Ivan followed him, but before he could get close, he saw Tuoweisi walking back out, his expression somewhat somber.
“What is wrong?” Ivan asked.
Before Tuoweisi could speak, Lotte, who had rushed over from the backyard upon hearing the commotion, smiled. “Little Airui has gone to school. Tomorrow is Saturday, and you can pick him up at five in the evening.”
That was right; Airui was currently in preschool. In their eagerness, they had forgotten. Ivan chuckled and said to the dejected Tuoweisi, “We will pick up Airui tonight. Go rest first.”
Tuoweisi nodded and returned to his bedroom.
Ivan turned to Lotte. “We have signed the contract with Hubaiguo.” Lotte nodded in understanding, following Ivan to the study on the second floor to discuss the details.
“How much real estate does the Tuixiu family still have?” Ivan sat behind the desk, checking his account on his communicator. He had two hundred million stars left, which was eighteen billion short of the investment he had promised Hubaiguo.
Lotte brought over the list of businesses and properties the Tuixiu family had invested in over the years. He estimated the value and replied, “The real estate on Hallye Star is worth about one billion, but if we dump them all in a short time, we might not get eight hundred million.”
Ivan flipped through the contracts and property deeds, frowning. He had not expected that the family’s assets after all these years would total less than two billion. Although he knew before transmigrating into the book that the Tuixiu family had fallen on hard times, seeing that his account contained five hundred million stars so casually had led him to believe that a thin camel is still bigger than a horse. He had not expected less.
If he could not come up with those two billion, the cooperation with Hubaiguo would be void. Ivan sighed in frustration and asked, “How much could this villa sell for?”
Lotte could not help but laugh. “Young Master, it has not come to that yet.”
Ivan looked at him curiously, and Lotte continued, “Ten years ago, it was the peak era for exploring outer planets. Do you not remember, Young Master? The Old Master bought a small planet and gave it to you as a birthday gift.”
Ivan’s heart skipped a beat. He was not the real Ivan, so he naturally did not remember such things, but he put on a facade of just recalling it. “Oh, yes, yes, I almost forgot. How much is that planet worth now?”
Lotte replied, “It cost one billion to purchase back then. I do not know the current value, but it is certainly worth much more.”
“Good, good, good.” Ivan finally felt at ease. He stood up and handed the property deeds, shop contracts, and other documents to Lotte. “Sell everything, including that planet.”
“Understood,” Lotte replied.
After giving the instructions, Lotte went off to handle the paperwork, while Ivan returned to his room. He took out the jade bracelet, scheduled a courier pickup, and mailed it.
As soon as the logistics information updated, the buyer received it, transferred the remaining balance to the third-party account, and sent a smiley face.
Ivan thought for a moment and replied, “The bracelet has been mailed. Please handle it with care to avoid damage. If there are any issues, feel free to contact me again.”
[Beautiful Male Zerg Loves Fiercely: Got it. (Smile.jpg)]
Once everything was ready, it was 4:30 PM. Ivan knocked on Tuoweisi’s door.
The door opened, and Tuoweisi appeared, dressed neatly. Ivan smiled and said, “Shall we go pick up Airui together?”
Tuoweisi was surprised but seemed pleased. He nodded and started walking out. “Alright.”
Hallye Star, Preschool.
It was dismissal time, and the entrance was bustling with Zergs coming and going. Watching the cubs of various hair colors running around, Ivan felt quite happy. Most of the cubs in the preschool were Zergs; only a few male cubs were in a separate class.
Moments later, Ivan spotted the little golden ball, backpack strapped on, bouncing happily toward the exit. Tuoweisi clearly spotted him too, pushing through the crowd toward the gate.
When little Airui looked up, he saw the brothers he had not seen in ages. He shouted excitedly in his little milky voice, “Brother!”
Tuoweisi scooped up the little ball, a genuine smile breaking across his face.
“I missed you so much, Brother!” Airui clung to Tuoweisi’s neck, acting spoiled. Tuoweisi held him tightly; though he only responded briefly, the affection and joy were evident.
Ivan stepped forward and feigned anger. “Oh my, little Airui only misses Brother Tuoweisi? What about Brother Ivan?”
Airui treated them equally. He lifted his head from Tuoweisi’s arms, pressed close to Ivan, kissed his cheek, and said in a milky voice, “Misses Brother Ivan too!”
“Good boy!” Feeling the kiss from the little male Zerg, Ivan’s eyes curved into crescents.
Airui climbed down from Tuoweisi’s arms, took each of his brothers’ hands, and began skipping toward the exit, laughing.
“Going home!”