Caterina was fully aware of the importance of silicon ore. For the Yang Ying Jianli Te! Company, gathering resources and traveling beyond the solar system to trade on various planetary markets for minerals were all about resources. However, no matter how rare those resources were, they paled in comparison to the silicon ore found on the Floating Continent.

Silicon ore was the crystallization of matter, which both the Human and God races could transmute into various known substances using their unique technologies. Yet, this process was irreversible; other materials could not be turned into silicon ore.

This fact alone underscored the importance of silicon ore. Although the deposits on the Floating Continent were not meager—and as Yang Ying’s cultivation progressed, new sources could be found on newly expanded lands at the continent's edges—they were ultimately finite. Silicon ore was a non-renewable resource.

Yang Ying collected resources everywhere precisely to replace the use of sand ore. Natural silicon ore had never appeared in the solar system, leading Yang Ying to always believe that sand ore existed only on the Floating Continent. Seeing it now on Planet Falu, how could he not be excited!

"Congratulations, Officer," Caterina chuckled lightly.

Yang Ying approached a nearby stall, found a blue-skinned Heya shopkeeper, and asked directly, "That pile of ore in the outer corner. Where did it come from?"

The shopkeeper had already seen Yang Ying and his entourage sweep in with clear purpose, and his mind immediately began calculating a business opportunity. Rubbing his hands, he flashed a professional smile: "Sir, that pile of stones has been sitting out there for ages; I hardly remember. However, you might want to look at our specialty items. If you purchase a few things, perhaps in my excitement, I might recall!" He punctuated this with a highly obvious wink. An undeniable air of a shrewd merchant instantly arose.

"They say Heyans value money over life, but to dare extort even advanced civilizations—they truly live up to their galaxy-renowned reputation for being utterly obsessed with money."

Seeing his demeanor, Yang Ying understood immediately. His gaze sharpened, and he launched a Charm spell while asking again, "Tell me immediately, Li Xuan, where did that pile of ore outside originate?"

"Perhaps you should examine our merchandise first, sir. I truly cannot recall." The shopkeeper showed no sign of yielding.

Yang Zhen cast the Charm spell again: "Tell me what you already know quickly."

"No, no, no, I don't remember." The shopkeeper shook his head like a rattle drum. "I've answered many times. Why won't you believe me, sir? No matter how many times you ask, the answer remains the same. Even if you are one of those beings who command psychic power—Level One, Two, Three, I don't care—and know a few little tricks to influence the mind, they won't work on me. Look here."

He pointed to his head: "Every Heya merchant undergoes cerebral implantation surgery. We have a thought-protection chip in our brains, invented by the Galans, ranked first in the Orion Arm. It’s a bit expensive, but it exempts us from mental control spells. Otherwise, how could we dare do business with so many diverse advanced civilizations without being ruined?"

Yang Ying was not angry. He dismissed the minor obstruction from a small shopkeeper as easily as a breeze sweeping over a hill, finding it amusing rather than worthy of a fuss. He thought to himself, Interesting, truly interesting. The universe is full of wonders. When the books described the customs and culture of Planet Falu, they specifically mentioned this group, the Heyans. I didn't pay much attention then, but encountering them firsthand confirms the texts are not exaggerated. It's not surprising that an individual within the group could achieve this, but for the entire group to be like this is truly astonishing. The Heyans' extreme fixation on money is certainly a cosmic oddity.

It occurred to him that his own combat clones had a similar setup; the intelligence unit in their brains helped them resist the influence of Charm spells. He hadn't expected the Galans to possess similar technology, but he quickly corrected himself: that was normal. Technology is objective; there's no rule stating only he can research it and no one else can.

Although Yang Ying believed that even the strongest thought-protection chip couldn't withstand the coercive force of true mental domination, he speculated that such chips, like his intelligence units, might self-destruct upon detecting an inability to resist external mental intrusion.

Given the Heyan custom of valuing money over life, this was quite likely. A race willing to die rather than incur a financial loss—what a perfect breed for the merchant profession!

In the end, Yang Ying spent one million Singer Coins in the shopkeeper's store, purchasing several medium and small mechanical devices. One of these was the shopkeeper's special recommendation: a highly intelligent translation robot capable of translating over one hundred thousand languages.

Only after the exchange was complete did the shopkeeper beam: "Sir, you see, my memory is truly atrocious. I only just remembered what you asked about now. I apologize for making you spend your money unnecessarily."

Yang Ying said, "Enough pleasantries, tell me directly: where did that pile of ore come from?"

The shopkeeper nodded. "That pile of stones outside? It was actually consigned to me by a Xinbu captain. If you need it, I can contact him for you; he shouldn't have left Falu yet."

"Good, I need to see him as soon as possible." Yang Ying recalled briefly that the Xinbu were a relatively low-ranking race among the advanced civilizations of the Orion Arm, controlling only a few systems. At the advanced civilization level, they held little status, though they were still giants compared to lesser civilizations.

The group waited in the shop for about half an hour before a figure rushed in, mumbling a series of unintelligible words that none of them understood.

Yang Ying sized up the newcomer. The figure's skin was covered in wrinkles, and his face resembled that of a donkey, yet his physique was extremely robust—the standard build for a Xinbu.

The shopkeeper stepped forward, exchanged a few words with the Xinbu, and then they both approached.

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Sir, you don't understand Xinbu, which is excellent—oh, I mean, I don't intend to offend you, sir. I mean that this is the perfect opportunity for the translation robot you just bought to prove its worth! You see, our shop sincerely serves its customers, anticipating even what you haven't thought of!"

There was a reality to consider here: a translation robot cost three hundred thousand Singer Coins, whereas on Planet Falu, one could hire a translator fluent in Singerese and Xinbu for a mere thirty Singer Coins for three full days.

Yang Ying offered no comment on the shopkeeper's thick skin. He gave a subtle nod to a Ghost Agent, who acknowledged it, walked over to the newly purchased translation robot, flipped the switch on its back panel, and fully activated it.

The robot was humanoid, possessing only two arms and two legs, encased entirely in silver plating. It raised its head, its eyes lit up, and it turned. A holographic projection head popped out of its chest, casting a holographic control panel listing dozens of common languages.

Yang Ying stepped forward and tapped Singerese.

The robot retracted the holographic projection and asked in Singerese, "Who is my Master?"

"I am," Yang Ying replied.

The robot surveyed the room. Seeing no objections, it nodded. "Greetings, Master. Please assign me a designation."

"40."

Seeing the translation robot reminded Yang Ying of the protocol droid 3PO from Star Wars. This new unit bore a striking resemblance to 3PO, so he named it 40, following the sequence.

"Yes, Master. Translation Unit 40 stands ready to serve you at all times." 40's voice was a synthetic electronic monotone, sounding hollow and entirely unlike the voice of an intelligent being.

The Xinbu man had been watching nearby. Seeing the translation robot’s initialization complete, he stepped forward, approached Yang Ying, and spoke a string of guttural sounds. 40 translated: "This Xinbu states his name is Captain Rarr. He asks if you are the Master who intends to purchase his cargo—the pile of ore by the outer wall?"

"Tell him I need to know where his ore was collected. If his answer satisfies me, I will buy the entire pile." Yang Ying did not immediately reveal his true interest was silicon ore, instead counting the whole pile as his target.

40 turned and questioned Captain Rarr in guttural sounds. Rarr replied with a few phrases, and 40 turned back to translate: "Captain Rarr says he is an interstellar explorer, and he and his crew collected these mineral specimens by risking their lives on a beautiful and dangerous planet during their exploration. That planet has a complete atmosphere, land, and oceans, is covered in green vegetation and all manner of beasts, and no one has set foot there to this day."

"Oh dear, Captain Rarr is spinning his fantastical tales again," the shopkeeper murmured, stroking his head.

"In that case, it sounds like a very habitable planet. As the first discoverer, Captain Rarr should already be highly rewarded by now. Any advanced civilization offers the highest-level rewards to explorers who discover habitable worlds—enough to ensure fame, lasting glory, and the most luxurious life for their descendants."

Yang Ying didn't need to scrutinize; he could see that Captain Rarr looked extremely haggard and exuded an air of defeat, utterly unlike the discoverer of a habitable world.

40 relayed Yang Ying’s words to Captain Rarr. The captain immediately became agitated and spoke at length in guttural sounds. After he finished, 40 turned back to translate: "Captain Rarr says the beasts on that planet were extremely dangerous. While collecting the mineral samples, they were fiercely attacked, resulting in the death of half his crew. When the ship ascended, airborne beasts joined the attack, damaging the ship's communication and navigation systems. Although he barely escaped into hyperspace, he became lost, drifting in the cosmos for two years before being discovered by another vessel and returned to the civilized world. However, the coordinates of that planet have been lost."

This is the only chapter for today; the second chapter will be supplied tomorrow. My apologies regarding the diamonds; I have been staying up very late these past two months, often until two or three in the morning. Perhaps due to this, my body is suffering. It seems I must prioritize sleep going forward, as health is most important. Please forgive me. Furthermore, update times may change in the future and might be earlier. I promise this book will only get better as I write it. Thank you all for your support.