The Almighty Ring

It was important to bring one’s ‘A’ game when socializing with elites. Jiang Fei did not think that bringing a female companion to such a gathering would do him any favors. That being said, if he were to bring along a female whose combat level exceeded eight million, it would speak volumes about his own position.

This sort of move applied to social gatherings on Earth as well as on other planets with various alien races. A real gentleman and a pretentious snob could never stand on the same stage.

A gentleman did not need to brag. He would let his surroundings do the talking. The best example was a cliche frequently used in dramas. A pretentious snob would try and participate in a conversation with other gentlemen, only to be cast aside when he had no idea what they were talking about.

While others talked about aged X.O, a pretentious snob would think that they were talking about a certain dirty, adult-related activity. Such a scene would immediately give away his true position.

Hence, if Jiang Fei wanted to establish himself as one of the elites, bringing Kaa’lna to the gathering would get him halfway there. With her at his side, everyone would surely have a better impression of him.

Once his social status was established and acknowledged, pitching his products would be easier, and others would doubt him less. It was the same tactic that insurance salesmen used to sell their policies. They dressed like successful businessmen, clad in branded suits and apparel, instead of dressing like they were going to buy groceries.

After giving it some thought, Jiang Fei said, “I’m sold. I’ll take Kaa’lna with me.”

When the sun set upon the horizon, Jiang Fei and Kaa’lna got dressed and headed to the location Lucius sent to them. It was a private mansion not far from the city, a place called the Red Mansion.

“My master, what are your commands for me this evening?” asked Kaa’lna playfully, as she wrapped her long, slender arms around his.

“No commands. Just stay by my side throughout the evening. We are here to get to know a few people. That is all,” said Jiang Fei.

Though Jiang Fei was in dire need of a large fortune, he did not want to pitch to just any random rich folk. If possible, he would like to connect with a few more people and organize an auction instead.

An auction would help him get the highest price possible, which he could then use to lay the foundation to sell the other ships that 0541 would build. Braveheart was a one-thousand-kilometer long spaceship, and as per 0541’s suggestions, they would not build a second one.

The price of any Namekian spaceship would be pushed to the highest possible point at an auction. Once the notion of Namekian spaceships being extremely valuable was set, Jiang Fei would be able to sell other smaller spaceships for quite a sum, even though they may not fetch as high a price as Braveheart would.

“And that, my dear master, is your wish, and it is my command,” said Kaa’lna, slipping her slender hands closer, into a more intimate position.

In a flash, the two arrived at the entrance of the oversized mansion known as the Red Mansion.

Lucius spotted Jiang Fei as soon as he walked through the lavish gate. “Boss! Over here!”

“Hmm? Just you? Where is Rais?” asked Jiang Fei.

From what he could remember, those two were never apart.

“Rais is away, dealing with a family problem. See, his second brother brought up an unpleasant fight to compete with him over the family inheritance,” Lucius explained.

So was the fate of rich folks. They were blessed to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth, and only had to stress about inheriting their family’s fortune.

“I see,” said Jiang Fei nonchalantly.

He had zero interest in other people’s problems, especially if they had never been close to him.

Lucius gestured towards the lower floor of the massive multi-story mansion. “Come, let us retreat into the mansion.”

As Jiang Fei and Kaa’Ina walked past him, Lucius jerked slightly at the sight of Kaa’Ina. Obviously, he recalled how the woman had almost killed him during their first encounter.

On Earth, gold was once a sought after metal that was used to decorate the homes of the rich. That was, of course, human behavior. Here on Hyur, rare metals and exotic materials were used to decorate the interior of the Red Mansion.

Jiang Fei could only discern something that looked like diamonds, that is, if diamonds had ever been as large as 6 meters. Everything else, decoration or not, was nothing but grand, posh beyond all reason.

“My apologies, sir Jiang Fei. It would seem that there are still a few gentlemen who are running a little late. Can I interest you in something to do for the moment?” asked Lucius.

“No. I’m good for now. Take me somewhere quiet, please. I do not like to be in such a noisy place,” said Jiang Fei.

He was standing in the center of the lower floor where there were too many glasses clinking, mouths chattering, and unnecessary loud music playing.

“Very well. To the garden then!” replied Lucius, gesturing to the left side of the mansion.

He led Jiang Fei through the small crowd and into a well-maintained garden, the kind that was only fit for kings and queens. It was dark outside as the ‘sun’ had already set quite some time ago. The wide, beautiful garden was gently illuminated by glowing yellow stones that sat elegantly on tall pillars made of a marble-like mineral.

The glow was faint, yet it was enough for Jiang Fei to see the stone pavements that were deliberately placed sparsely across the garden. In the center of the garden was a gazebo with a roof shaped like a spiral. This was where Jiang Fei chose to sit.

“I’ll wait here,” said Jiang Fei, satisfied with the condition of the garden.

“Can I interest you in any hors d’oeuvres? Or beverages of any kind?” asked Lucius. Before Jiang Fei could answer, he hurriedly continued, “You know what, I’ll fetch you some. Please enjoy the scenery while you wait.”

He was not the kind who could sit quietly while there was something going on in his mind.

As Lucius scurried away, leaving Jiang Fei and Kaa’lna alone, silence swept in and continued to drown the atmosphere as they both remained quiet. Jiang Fei was deep in thought, thinking six to seven steps ahead, while Kaa’lna could not tear her eyes away from him.

After some time, someone approached from behind the gazebo and coughed. Jiang Fei, who had been lost in his thoughts, jerked violently, which in turn caused Kaa’Ina to be surprised by his sudden movement.

Turning around, Jiang Fei yelled, “Who goes there?”

Kaa’Ina’s face went bright red. She could not believe how deeply engrossed she had been in staring at Jiang Fei, to the point that she had completely disconnected from her surroundings.

It was inevitable. The two had been in constant danger for too long. Hyur was such a safe place to be that after spending some time on the planet, they had completely lowered their guards.

The person bowed elegantly as he introduced himself, “My apologies. It would seem that I may have interrupted something between the two of you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wagner.”

He was an Alderaanian, an alien race that looked exactly like a human. The only difference was the eyes. While human eyes had irises, Alderaanians didn’t—their eyes were completely white. While they excelled in psychic manipulation, they lacked brute strength.

It was not surprising to see an Alderaanian on Hyur, as it was part of the Trade Federation’s territory. As its name implied, there were other races who took part in trading within the Trade Federation. It was also common to see Valsalrians walking the streets of Hyur.

While rare, there were still some Valsalrians who prioritized trading goods and merchandise, instead of caring more about throwing fists at faces. The entire Trade Federation had started with just a few hundred merchants trying to develop their own domain. When more joined their cause, the Trade Federation was born.

Jiang Fei introduced himself too, “A pleasure to meet you. A surprise, if I might add. My name is Jiang Fei.”

One look was all it took for Jiang Fei to judge the man’s character. Wagner was dressed to impress. Be it his shoes or his gloves, the man exuded wealth like the sun exudes warmth.

Through the scope, Jiang Fei found that Wagner’s combat level was as high as 2,500,000. If he was part of the Valsalrian Army, he might be suitable to lead the younger generation.

Noticing that Jiang Fei was examining him, Wagner commented, “That’s an impressive scope you’ve got there.”

He took no offense since he was doing the same thing to Jiang Fei. The difference between Jiang Fei’s scope and Wagner’s was the extra information that Wagner could read.