Whenever a war erupted between two races, they were considered alien species by the other. Because the minds of different species are inherently divergent—unlike in a civil war where the enemy can potentially be converted to your side—the handling of alien prisoners always posed a considerable issue.

Interstellar slave trade consequently developed under these circumstances, serving as an effective means of dealing with alien captives, a practice welcomed by many races.

In fact, among the major advanced civilizations in the Orion Arm, some races still maintained the institution of slavery. The most powerful among them were the Loya people. The Loya revered individual martial prowess, and their most common daily activities involved physical training and combat against others; production tasks were delegated to robots and slaves. Thanks to them, the slave trade flourished even more vigorously.

The so-called Orion Arm Slave Trade Coalition was an alliance formed by several large slave-trading organizations. Their sphere of influence was vast, commanding seventy percent of the slave trade in the Orion Arm, making them a significant interstellar entity, comparable in stature to the Mercenary Guild.

Yang Ying was not at all surprised that they had learned of the Burkes' defeat and arrived so quickly. If they lacked even this level of intelligence, they would hardly deserve the prestigious reputation of the Slave Trade Coalition.

A Protoss vessel guided the Coalition’s official craft to land on Planet Aer. A group of impeccably dressed slave merchants disembarked, escorted by a squad of zealots to meet Taryoth.

“State your purpose,” Taryoth asked bluntly.

“I am an executive officer of the Orion Arm Slave Trade Coalition; my name is Ali. These gentlemen are my assistants.” A slender slave merchant, whose face was as long and thin as a mosquito’s, appeared to be the leader of the group. He stepped forward and introduced himself.

He continued, “We came here because we heard about the space battle that took place here a few days ago. The Burkes deployed the majority of their first and second-line fleets, yet they were still defeated by the Nobles. I presume the Nobles have taken a large number of prisoners. Our objective concerns those captives.”

“Slave trading? You wish to purchase those prisoners from us,” Taryoth stated.

“Precisely so,” Ali nodded. “We believe the conclusion of this transaction will benefit both the Nobles and us. The Burkes and the Nobles differ fundamentally in appearance, customs, culture, and history—they are fundamentally incapable of sincerely serving the Nobles, and they consume significant living resources. Selling them off is not only shedding a burden for the Nobles but also netting a considerable income. For us, however, it secures a large batch of merchandise. Is that not a win-win situation?”

“That sounds quite favorable,” Taryoth replied. “How much are you prepared to offer for them?”

“Regarding that, please allow me to explain,” Ali transmitted his offer to Taryoth via telepathy.

“Absolutely not, no, no,” Taryoth shook his head. While speaking, he had already used his mental link to instruct his subordinates to quickly gather all available information regarding the slave trade, lest he be fleeced like an ignorant newcomer.

The Protoss and the Humans had always shared information, making such research swift. Over two years ago, Yang Ying had seized control of an assassin organization known as the Shadowblades. In the intervening time, this organization had pivoted into intelligence gathering, extending its tentacles across various races in the Orion Arm. Researching information on the slave trade was child’s play for them.

Taryoth had just received a reply from his subordinates through the mental link, giving him a relatively clear understanding of the market conditions for slaves in the Orion Arm. He turned to Ali and said, “Don't assume I know nothing. Your offer is frankly too low. Top-quality slaves—these are all war assets rigorously trained by the Burkes themselves—they are hot commodities on the market. Furthermore, the steps toward the Perseus Arm’s great development are imminent, and various factions are preparing expeditionary forces. Slaves with military expertise can fetch a price a whole tier higher. Against this backdrop, the price you offer utterly dismisses our worth.” He added, “Show them out.”

“Wait, wait… esteemed Lord of the Protoss.”

Ali immediately grew flustered. He couldn't understand why this race, the Protoss, whom he had never heard of before and who clearly seemed uninitiated, knew so much about the current affairs of the Orion Arm and possessed considerable knowledge of the slave trade.

He was certain this was the first time the official had met someone of his stature—this wasn't just a feeling conveyed through psychic energy, but an instinct honed by years of dealing with people, a secret weapon in his commercial victories.

“Lord Protoss, I was mistaken just now, I miscalculated the offer. How about this?” For Ali, the priority wasn't figuring out how they knew these things, but stabilizing the Protoss official before him. If his error caused this monumental business deal—one that only appeared once a decade—to collapse, his prospects within the Slave Trade Coalition would immediately dim.

Taryoth listened to Ali’s revised price and nodded slightly. This new figure was nearly reasonable. Although still somewhat distant from the actual market rate, once this massive influx of trained Burke captives—shān xú shāi shū suì shē xiǎo ā yuē xùn shān bù yīyàng de tǐ hé lǔ—hit the slave market, prices would inevitably drop. Closing the deal at Ali's new figure meant at least breaking even.

“That is acceptable. We can find a place to sit down and discuss the details,” Taryoth said, gesturing to his zealots to escort the merchants to the conference room.

When the slave merchants saw the Protoss city, they were astonished. What kind of city was that? It was entirely beyond their expectations. Golden exterior walls were inlaid with shimmering crystallized stone; graceful curves exuded a rich sense of artistry, and the intricate patterns covering every structure served as a magnificent enhancement, amplifying the architecture's grandeur and artistic merit tenfold.

A single structure like this, resembling a work of art, was rare enough; yet, an entire city was built this way!

A radiant aura of civilization, imbued with the sedimentation of history, a city seemingly condensed from the contemplation of countless wise beings!

“It’s too beautiful.” Ali considered himself well-traveled, having witnessed no less than a hundred civilizations, but a city this exquisite still brought him boundless awe.

Were these the Protoss who annihilated the Burke army? Such an artistic race possessed such formidable military might. A perfect fusion of power and beauty, practically impregnable!

Unconsciously, Ali placed the Protoss on par with the strongest clients in the Orion Arm, the Garlan Star people. Of course, the Garlan Republic forbade the slave trade and had never been their clientele; expanding their business to Garlan was a prospect past generations of the Slave Trade Coalition could only dream of.

Arriving at Taryoth’s office within the conference room, Taryoth and the merchants took their seats, host and guests arranged.

“Now let us discuss the substantive issues,” Taryoth began. “These Burkes attacked us with clear malice. If we release them, it might embolden their desires, leading them to launch retaliatory attacks. While we do not fear them, we prefer not to manufacture unnecessary trouble.”

“That is simple. We can draw up an agreement. We will not sell Burke slaves back to the Burkes or their allies. Furthermore, we will stipulate in the purchase contract that the acquired Burke slaves cannot be resold for a period of several years. We have the capacity for this; believe me, this regulation has been in effect for millennia, established since the Coalition’s founding. It is protected by the various pacts of the Orion Arm and is the cornerstone of our success. No one will violate it, as that would mean making an enemy of the Slave Trade Coalition,” Ali guaranteed.

“Hmm, that sounds acceptable,” Taryoth nodded. “Next, there are some other minor details.”

The discussion continued for half the afternoon. Both parties were generally satisfied, sensing the possibility of reaching an agreement, though minor disagreements on specific details remained.

At this point, Ali let out a couple of sharp laughs. “Lord Taryoth, you seem to know a great deal about what lies beyond this planet.”

“That is nothing,” Taryoth replied, offering no further explanation. The Protoss mental link granted him considerable convenience, but there was no need to disclose that to Ali.

Ali lowered his voice, his expression shifting to one of subtle mystery. “Lord Taryoth, do you know the Kestar people?”

“Oh?” Taryoth glanced at him and inquired, “Why bring up the Kestar people now?” As he spoke, he secretly sent a message to Cass: Speaker, the slave merchant Ali mentioned the Kestar people. The purpose is unknown.

“Oh, let me see,” Cass’s consciousness silently descended into the conference room, invisible and intangible, undiscovered by anyone.

Ali continued, “The Kestar people are the most musically and dance-inclined race in the Orion Arm. Their civilization is also highly advanced, and they are overseen by a single Fourth-level existence. Of course, compared to the Nobles—the Protoss, who boast three Fourth-level beings—they are far inferior.”

“Get to the point,” Taryoth interrupted.

“Right, right,” Ali nodded repeatedly. “The truth is, we recently acquired a very large batch of Kestar people. Not only are their singing abilities top-notch, but they also share the Nobles’ love for the arts. If Lord Taryoth is interested, perhaps we could offer a few beautiful Kestar maidens to perform for you? What do you say?”

Both Cass and Taryoth recognized Ali’s intention: he was attempting to bribe Taryoth, hoping to secure leniency on certain details while simultaneously attempting to open a new market. In Ali’s view, Taryoth was clearly a high-ranking Protoss official; if a 'commodity' like the Kestar people could gain Taryoth’s approval, it might gain the approval of other Protoss as well, allowing the Slave Trade Coalition to penetrate the Protoss market and establish a new revenue stream.

Cass pondered for a moment and gave Taryoth a few whispered instructions.

Taryoth, having received his directive, turned back to Ali. “You mentioned you recently acquired a batch of Kestar people. How did you come by them?”

Alas, it seems to be late again today. The next chapter will follow tomorrow; everyone should get some sleep early.