Chapter 99 (1/2)

“President Luthor, you have a call from Fleet Commander Joanne.”

Luthor raised his head. A miniature holographic secretary was standing on the corner of his desk, holding onto a small holographic phone. “Answer it,” Luthor said, leaning back in his seat, turning off the monitor of his computer. On the walls beside him, dozens of screens were displayed. As a nascent-soul cultivator, it wasn’t difficult to absorb and process information.

“Yes, sir,” the holographic secretary said and picked up the phone. “You’re connected now.”

“Fleet Commander Joanne,” Luthor said with a smile. Joanne was actually one of his acquaintances, and he had pulled a few strings to get her the mission. It was an easy one, and with the merit Joanne would gain from subduing a planet, she might even be promoted to a BAR pilot. “Tell me some good news.”

“We’re connected,” Joanne said. “President Luthor, the sect leader of the Moon Lotus Sect wants to speak with you. The Moon Lotus Sect is the strongest power in the continent, and basically, they defeated me.”

“Hello,” a feminine voice said, causing Luthor to furrow his brow. “I just speak into it, and my words are transmitted to him in real time? This is much more useful than a communication token. There’s no reply. Is this thing working?”

“Hello,” Luthor said and cleared his throat. “This is President Luthor of the Federation of Bread. Who am I speaking with?”

“I’m Elder, no, I’m Sect Leader Michelle,” Michelle said. “I heard you’re lacking nascent-soul and soul-seed cultivators. Coincidentally, we have quite a few of those here. I think we can cut a deal, don’t you?”

Luthor furrowed his brow. “Is the delegation I sent you unharmed?” What happened? It would’ve been nice if Joanne had sent him a warning first. Now, the Moon Lotus Sect had the upper hand in these negotiations. Weren’t they supposed to be an uncivilized society? It should’ve been impossible for them to bring down the fleet.

“They’re fine,” Michelle said. “Not a single hair on their heads were hurt. Isn’t that right, Joanne?”

“We’re unharmed,” Joanne said. “I suggest you sincerely try to recruit these people, President Luthor. They might be behind us technologically, but their individual strengths are nothing to scoff at. One nascent-soul cultivator brought down the whole fleet with a single gravity-based technique, and I was defeated in my battlesuit while my opponent limited her strength to my level.”

Luthor’s eyes narrowed at his holographic secretary. “Is that so,” he said after a short pause. “Are they interested in joining the federation?”

“Of course,” Michelle said. “It would’ve been fine if we hadn’t witnessed these things, but after seeing them, how can we not want them? Joanne said you’ll give us battlesuits, BARs, communication devices, access to a intergalactic hub, and much more.”

Luthor’s expression darkened. It was true that he could give the Moon Lotus Sect all these things, but did Joanne really have to lay out all the benefits like that? How was he supposed to negotiate when the other party already knew his cards? “It’s quite easy to join the federation,” Luthor said. “There’s a one-time membership fee, and there’s a few annual payments to retain your membership.”

“Is it really that simple?” Michelle asked. “It sounds like we’re signing up for a membership at a martial-arts dojo.”

“I assume you know about the coalition?” Luthor asked. If they could figure out the benefits of joining the federation from Joanne, those Moon Lotus Sect people would also learn about the intergalactic situation. “If you want to join them, it’s roughly the same process. As for joining the empire, you’ll have to become a vassal. Not only will you be forced to pay annual fees, you’ll have to contribute soldiers as well. I’ll send you a book of rules and regulations of the federation, and if you’re fine with them, we’re willing to accept you anytime.”

“Are these rules and regulations that everyone has to follow?”

“Of course,” Luthor said. Did they think they’d obtain special privileges for whatever reason? “Everyone, even I, have to follow the rules. Without them, it’ll be impossible for us to stand united against the empire and coalition.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll join,” Michelle said. “Since everyone is following the same set of rules, they must be reasonable. How are we going to do this?”

“We’ll send some construction ships over, and we’ll build a teleportation gate by your planet,” Luthor said. “Afterwards, your planet’s technological improvement will have to depend on what you can purchase. If you find you’re unable to make much money from selling the things you have, you can always find work as mercenaries. The federation regularly issues missions; in fact, it’s our main way of mobilizing our combat forces.”

“Are there missions related to war?” a different voice asked.

Luthor raised an eyebrow. “Yes, the war-related missions reward the most credits.”