Chapter 323
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Chapter 323: Collecting Interest
In the blink of an eye, a day had passed.
In the Main Hall, Yi Chen was still studying and observing, helping the swamp crocodile and the fierce beasts continuously adjust their methods of absorbing spirit energy.
The Political Council issued the latest announcement.
The announcement revealed a list of individuals who had secretly learned Yi Chen’s new skills that he had not yet taught, along with their punishments.
At the same time, it warned those who had not yet been discovered to quickly turn themselves in to the Political Council, giving them the choice to accept punishment or be expelled from the Great Flame Kingdom.
Upon the release of this announcement, the entire Great Flame Kingdom plunged into intense chaos.
No one expected that a group of people could use special methods to steal the new skills that Yi Chen had not yet shared.
What shocked everyone the most was that almost all the Political Council members were caught, with only the infamous high priest left off the list.
On the side of the four armies, only four leaders and a small number of middle and upper ranks were not included in the list.
Moreover, based on the punishment results, nearly half who were unwilling to be demoted to second-class citizens chose to be expelled from the Great Flame Kingdom.
This meant that both the Political Council and the four armies would lose half of their middle and upper ranks.
The entire power structure of the Great Flame Kingdom would face a major test in its operations.
Various negative impacts would follow rapidly, leaving the people feeling anxious.
They worried that the good situation would become uncertain.
Of course, for some ambitious individuals, the vacancies in middle and upper ranks presented a significant opportunity.
The entire Great Flame Kingdom was in turmoil.
Yi Chen, however, remained indifferent. He believed that with the Political Council’s operational capabilities, even if they lost half of their middle and upper ranks, they could stabilize the Great Flame Kingdom quickly.
What he considered an urgent priority was to research a suitable cultivation method for the fierce beasts as soon as possible.
Only then could they quickly produce a large number of demons that surpassed the maximum level.
And only with a large number of such high-level demons could they truly advance into the Fengmang planet.
“Country Lord, the chairman of the Federal Parliament, Lu Qingxian, has come to seek an audience outside the large defensive formation. He says he wants to discuss reconciliation with you.”
Bai Ruo Xin arrived outside the Main Hall.
“Let him come in!”
Yi Chen understood. His series of actions had likely alerted the Federal Parliament and the Military, prompting them to restart negotiations.
This was exactly what he wanted.
At this moment, he had already arranged his fallback plan.
It was also time to reach out to the human federation’s logistical department for supplies.
Even if Lu Qingxian did not come to find him, he would make time to initiate new negotiations himself.
“Alright!”
Bai Ruo Xin turned to leave.
Yi Chen decided to have the swamp crocodile and the fierce beasts involved in research continue in a more hidden location.
About half an hour later, Bai Ruo Xin entered the Main Hall with Lu Qingxian’s virtual image.
“Country Lord!”
Lu Qingxian bowed slightly.
“Speak! Have you accepted my condition of not signing any contracts?”
Yi Chen temporarily paused his research and testing, maintaining his usual strong demeanor.
“Signing relevant contracts remains a bottom line for our human federation.”
Lu Qingxian shook his head slightly.
“In that case, there seems to be no need to continue this discussion. Not signing any contracts is also my bottom line.”
Yi Chen responded clearly and decisively.
Now, even without a contract, he would not agree to a verbal reconciliation with the human federation.
With a fallback plan in place, he could simply ask for whatever he wanted without making any promises.
“No, perhaps we can both take a step back. We can sign a contract, but we can slightly adjust the content of the contract.”
Lu Qingxian continued to try to persuade Yi Chen.
“No matter how you adjust it, my stance is that I will not sign any contracts.”
Yi Chen’s answer remained the same.
“Alright!”
Lu Qingxian felt somewhat helpless.
It seemed that once again, there would be no results from this meeting.
He hesitated about whether to try intimidation tactics or to take his leave.
Suddenly, Yi Chen spoke up, “Since the negotiation has yielded no results, let’s talk about the matter of interest next!”
“Interest?”
Lu Qingxian looked at Yi Chen in confusion, struggling to understand the meaning of his words.
“The entire human federation has secretly learned the skills I created without my consent and gained tremendous benefits like a sudden increase in average strength and rapid progress.”
Yi Chen said calmly, “The chairman wouldn’t think it excessive for me to charge a tuition fee, would you?”
“Of course not. In fact, I remember stating during our first negotiation that the Federation Military had already invested quite a bit of spirit materials and resources on the exile planet as tuition.”
Lu Qingxian shook his head.
“That little bit of spirit materials and resources does not count as tuition in my eyes.”
Yi Chen scoffed lightly.
Lu Qingxian couldn’t help but retort, “Then how much resource does the Country Lord think would count as tuition?”
Yi Chen simply shook his head and replied, “The human federation cannot afford it, so it’s better if we discuss the interest on the tuition instead.”
Lu Qingxian felt a mix of amusement and frustration.
The statement that the human federation could not afford it seemed quite absurd…
“Alright! Then how much resources does the Country Lord think would count as interest?”
He was too tired to argue and decided to continue with Yi Chen’s topic.
“Not much!”
Yi Chen handed over a list he had prepared earlier to Lu Qingxian.
Lu Qingxian took it and gave it a quick glance.
Instantly, he was left speechless.
The first item was one hundred thousand fifth-grade Comprehension Stones.
The second item was one million Space Stones.
The third item was three hundred thousand spirit mine materials called Five Elements Stones.
The most outrageous was the twenty-sixth item, which was also the last one.
It asked for three hundred thousand orphans under three years old.
Lu Qingxian thought Yi Chen had lost his mind.
The quantities of these materials were not insignificant, but they included many Comprehension Stones and rare materials for crafting Enhancement Pills.
If he truly gave these to Yi Chen, while it wouldn’t severely harm the human federation’s reserves, it would still sting quite a bit.
After all, the wealth of the human federation was not concentrated in the hands of the Federal Parliament or the Federation Military.
Instead, it lay in the hands of corporations and wealthy individuals.
And the most outrageous was the last item, asking for three hundred thousand infants.
“If the Country Lord is willing to sign a contract with our human federation, I can agree to this condition. In fact, even if we multiply it ten times, that can work too.”
Lu Qingxian spoke with a glimmer of hope.
This condition was still insignificant compared to the reconciliation terms proposed by the human federation.
In comparison to the benefits gained by the human federation, it was hardly worth mentioning.
“This is just the interest.”
Yi Chen shook his head.
He could have asked for more, but too much would be unnecessary.
With various spirit mine materials, he could create a Cave Paradise that would last him for a long time and produce enough spirit pills like Enhancement Pills and Boundary-Breaking Pills.
Three hundred thousand infants was also the limit that the Great Flame Kingdom could currently raise and care for.
Asking for too many would only hinder the short-term development speed of the Great Flame Kingdom due to insufficient manpower.
Fortunately, interest wasn’t a one-time payment.
If they lacked any resources or treasures, they could simply notify the human federation.
“That’s impossible!”
Lu Qingxian’s rejection was resolute.
In his eyes, Yi Chen was simply joking.
Once a contract was signed, they could fulfill any request.
Refusing to sign a contract made these conditions extremely unreasonable, even beyond the range of “asking for too much.”
“Theoretically, once something has been learned, charging tuition is entirely dependent on the attitude of the learner. The human federation is far more powerful than the Great Flame Kingdom, and calling it a crushing difference would not be an exaggeration. Whether the human federation is willing to pay the tuition or its interest should be determined by them.”
Yi Chen said calmly, his demeanor peaceful.
“However, cultivating to improve personal strength realms is something that goes against the laws of heaven as well as aligning with them.”
“Aligning with the laws of heaven means that in situations with abundant resources, the laws of heaven welcome powerful individuals or races to consume resources more quickly.”
“Going against the laws of heaven refers to times when resources are scarce, or when individual strength realms are so powerful that they are nearly uncontrollable. In such cases, the laws of heaven tend to suppress these strong individuals to slow down resource consumption.”
Lu Qingxian’s expression turned serious, and he felt a vague sense of unease.
Yi Chen continued, “With the galaxy’s abundant resources, and the average strength of the populace increasing, resource consumption accelerates, which aligns with the laws of heaven.
“In this scenario, the entire human federation has been making rapid progress by secretly learning the skills I created. If you don’t pay me tuition or show me the respect I deserve, do you think the laws of heaven will be on your side?”
“Heaven and earth are indifferent, treating all beings as mere livestock. In the eyes of the laws of heaven, all beings are equal.”
“With the average strength of the human federation greatly increasing, they have accelerated the consumption of resources in the galaxy, so the laws of heaven will certainly grant them benefits and rewards.”
“Conversely, the greatest contributor to this should be me. Yet the human federation hasn’t even paid tuition and has stolen my skills without my consent.”
“Chairman Lu, do you think the laws of heaven in the galaxy will impose corresponding punishment on the human federation?”
Lu Qingxian’s face turned pale in shock.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the parliament and military watching on the screen also changed their expressions dramatically.
