Ding Li’s efficiency was indeed remarkable. Two hours later, he had arranged a holographic video conference with the Bang Yi Si.

In a prepared conference room, Taro stood as the plenipotentiary representative of the Protos, meeting the holographic projection of Rio, the captain of the Kusta escort team and a Third-Level Limit expert, a direct descendant of Kalaguni. Ali was present as an observer, representing the Slave Trade Alliance.

Rio was a robust Kusta native. Standing over two meters tall, his body was a mass of sinewy muscle, like hard stone, with perfectly proportioned physique that seemed engineered solely for strength. Every movement was imbued with a sense of sheer power. Blood of a Fourth-Level existence flowed within him, granting Rio certain innate traits only possessed by Fourth-Level beings, such as precognition, which manifested more acutely in him than in a typical Third-Level Limit master. Due to his exceptional abilities among the Kusta, he had been dispatched by the royal family to oversee the task of selling the Singer-race slaves.

“Lord Taro, although we are currently negotiating with the Burke people, I understand the Protos have expressed interest in our merchandise, so I have made time to speak with you. What price does the Protos put on this?”

After a few initial pleasantries, Rio got straight to the point, clearly intending to leverage the competition from the Burke to drive up his asking price. The arrogance of the Kusta, the fourth-strongest race in the Orion Arm, still clung to him.

Regarding the Protos before him, Rio held little suspicion. He only knew them as a race that had exploded onto the galactic scene recently, earning startling acclaim. Their technology was incredibly advanced, their art brilliant, and they boasted three Fourth-Level entities backing them—an impossibly luxurious roster that only the Galan Republic and the Roa Empire could rival in the entire Orion Arm.

It was noteworthy that despite such a glorious civilization, this race had remained utterly obscure. Following the general developmental pattern of the races in the Orion Arm, they should have risen to prominence tens of thousands of years ago.

Yes.

Rio had no inkling that Taro, and indeed the entire Protos race, were merely subordinates of Yang Ying, the very architect of the Kusta Empire’s current predicament.

Taro did not answer Rio’s question directly. Instead, he stated, “Surely you are aware that the Burke people are currently at war with us, leaving them preoccupied. Once they acquire these Singer-race captives, what use will they have for them other than begging the Singers for mercy? That hardly serves your interests, does it?”

Rio maintained a casual demeanor, clearly having anticipated Taro’s reaction. “What you say holds merit, certainly, but the Burke people, or you, are not our only options. The Singers are famous throughout the galaxy for their song and dance; they are hot commodities in the slave market. However, due to the great power of the Singer Kingdom, Singer slaves on the market are scarce. Many have been dissatisfied for a long time. While my contingent numbers one hundred million, this vast market should still be able to absorb them, shouldn't it?”

Taro nodded. “That is indeed correct. However, for you Kusta people, the sooner you move this merchandise, the better. The internal strife in Flinn has ended, and the Singers are about to launch an offensive against your homeworld. One hundred million Singer slaves—even if the market can take them, how long will that take? A month, or perhaps a year?”

Rio’s brow furrowed. Time was a critically crucial factor for the Kusta.

Taro continued, “Furthermore, what you need most right now are military supplies, not currency. Looking at the Kusta situation, obtaining military aid must be exceedingly difficult—so difficult that you must resort to trading Singer captives on the slave market for resources. Clearly, you are in a rather tight spot.”

Rio’s frown deepened. “Do not underestimate us Kusta. Even having lost a Fourth-Level existence, the Kusta remain among the top-tier races in the Orion Arm.”

“Only for now,” Taro stated without mercy. “For over a thousand years, you have been fighting the Singers, resulting in a stalemate, a kind of equilibrium, like the two pans of a scale. Though there were minor fluctuations, the balance was largely maintained. But now, with the fall of your guardian deity, that balance is shattered. You have lost a crucial counterweight. The pan representing the Singers is sinking rapidly—it just hasn't hit bottom yet. When it does, it signifies your defeat. You are managing to cling to existence right now, but given some more time, when the Singers invade your territory, if you cannot replace that counterweight, the worst possible outcome awaits you.”

“Insolence!” Rio slammed his fist on the table, rising.

“Please, remain calm.” Taro’s voice was like an eons-old glacier, completely unmoved by the furious gaze Rio projected. “I merely wish to convey that we view matters not based on your current superficial strength, but with an eye toward the future development of things. Now, let us return to business.”

Through this verbal sparring, Taro had neutralized and suppressed Rio’s aggression.

Then, Taro presented their initial offer.

“Impossible. This price is too low. It’s not even different from what the Burke people—”

“Too low?” Taro shook his head. “I disagree. While the Burke people offer a higher price, their capacity to pay is highly questionable. We are about to launch an offensive against them soon. If their supply depots come under attack, who knows if they can still honor that commitment.”

“You!” Rio slammed the table again. “Do not push too far!”

“What pushing too far?” Taro was unconcerned. “We are currently engaged in active warfare with the Burke. Attacking their supply depots is a normal act of war. We will not halt our offensive against the Burke for the sake of this transaction; in fact, escalating the attack would be normal. Do not assume we are obligated to clear a path for your transactions!”

Rio’s eyes flashed with malevolence, but since both were using virtual projections, even his considerable mental strength could not transmit through the hardware. Besides, Taro was also a Third-Level Limit expert, not one whit inferior to him, and certainly not intimidated.

Taro paused, then added, “From what we know, the Kusta style of dealing leaves much to be desired. If we are talking about pushing limits, comparing us to you, we are novices compared to masters.”

At that moment, a fierce, fiery spark erupted above Rio’s head, seeming to writhe with a life of its own, ready to devour. Taro knew Rio’s patience was at its absolute limit, so he shifted his tone. “If you deem our offer too low, that is acceptable. I have prepared an alternative quote for you. Would you care to hear it?”

“Speak,” Rio growled, his eyes blazing like a demon, the fiery spark above his head still burning, exuding an endless aura of slaughter.

“I have a substantial number of Burke captives here—all regular army personnel, well-trained. The Slave Trade Alliance can vouch for that. And you hold Singer captives, which are the merchandise we desire. We can simply trade goods, exchanging what we each possess. What do you think of this proposal?”

“This…” Rio appeared considerably swayed. The Burke were considered one of the top nine strong races in the Orion Arm. Although they had lost seven hundred thousand fleet units and their military strength had definitely dropped out of the top ten, those captured Burke officers and soldiers were still a valuable fighting force.

At the very least, they were far superior to the newly recruited Kusta soldiers. Integrated into the newly formed Kusta fleet, they could quickly achieve combat readiness. Moreover, he had heard from the Slave Trade Alliance that the number of Burke military personnel captured by the Protos numbered in the hundreds of millions. Combined with several hundred million native soldiers, this force would be enough to form the backbone of a million-ship fleet, needing only a few fresh recruits to achieve some semblance of fighting strength.

But…

The fierce flame above Rio’s head gradually dimmed and vanished, though his expression remained intensely aggressive. Gritting his teeth, he said, “To be honest, I find your proposal intriguing. If you are willing to exchange all of your Burke captives, along with the native captives, for all of my Singer captives, I will agree. Those Singers all served in the Singer fleet, but their value lies more in their singing and dancing abilities, and certain races have a particular interest in their physical forms. Trading one Singer for ten Burke is not a loss for you.”

“You are correct in that assessment,” Taro conceded. He knew that besides their voices, the Singers’ appearance was considered quite striking among the various races of the Orion Arm, which often brought them great trouble, and for certain specific victims, outright disaster.

In this regard, due to the vast difference between Kusta aesthetics and the Singers’, the Singer captives in the Kusta concentration camps, while facing severe threats to their lives, were ironically less likely to face physical violation.

Looking purely at slave market prices, one Singer slave could indeed be worth ten Burke military slaves. With the imminent crusades of various races, the price for military slaves was rising, but trading all the Burke and native captives for one hundred million Singer captives—a ratio of one to seven, or perhaps one to eight—was still not a losing proposition.

“However, I can give you at most one-third of them. Thirty-five million Singers in exchange for two hundred and fifty million Burke,” Rio stated firmly. “There is no room for haggling here. His Majesty the Emperor believes that concentrating all the Singers in the hands of one race makes it too easy for the Singer Kingdom to buy them back. If that ferocious woman, Yafei, tracks you down, I imagine you would find it difficult to refuse her either.”

“If you trade them to the Burke, they are even more likely to return the Singers,” Taro countered.

“The Burke would receive at most one-tenth of them. The more likely they are to return the Singers, the less we can afford to give you!” It seemed that in Rio’s mind, the probability of the Protos returning the Singers was lower than that of the Burke doing so. “The specifics of distribution are premature to discuss now. In a few days, once the news spreads, many races will come calling. If we can’t sell them all immediately then, you can take the rest.”