Chapter 201: Division

“What?” Upon hearing the broadcast, Xiao Yu froze for a moment, stunned.

“How is that possible? I’m still twenty light-years away from them, and this is deep in the void, there isn’t even a single star within one light-year of here. How did they detect me? Could their capabilities really be so powerful that they’ve deployed detection devices across a twenty-light-year radius? If they’re really that formidable, then it seems my strategy needs some adjustments.”

Xiao Yu quickly began thinking things through and relayed the situation to the Luka scientists.

“There’s no need for us to hide our strength anymore. We don’t know what methods they used, but judging from this message, they’ve already detected us.” Luka Three shook his head bitterly and said, “Is this what a Level 5 Civilization is like? Truly overwhelming…”

This single piece of information completely disrupted all of Xiao Yu’s preparations. He had originally intended to conceal part of his fleet and display only strength slightly exceeding that of a typical Level 4 Civilization in order to negotiate with this Level 5 Civilization. Xiao Yu never imagined that the moment he exited Faster-Than-Light travel, he would be fully discovered by the other party.

“No, under these circumstances, I think we need to carefully reconsider whether we should even conduct this transaction with the Level 5 Civilization. After all, if their strength is overwhelmingly superior, we might just end up as a fat lamb, stripped of all our precious resources.” Xiao Yu said.

The conference room fell silent.

Just then, another broadcast came through.

“Welcome to the Azure Market! This market follows a principle of fair trade. Here, regardless of what level your civilization is, you can engage in transactions in a secure and equitable environment! For detailed information, please explore the market, you’ll find dedicated personnel ready to assist you!”

A strange thought suddenly arose in Xiao Yu’s mind.

“This broadcast… why does it sound so familiar…” Xiao Yu murmured, trying hard to recall.

All of a sudden, realization dawned on him. An expression of amused exasperation welled up from within him.

“This kind of broadcast was extremely common back on Earth, wasn’t it? Just walk down any pedestrian street and you’d hear broadcasts like this: ‘Clearance sale!’, or ‘Huge discounts!’ and the like… This is clearly just an advertising broadcast, a wide-area transmission not specifically directed at me. How ridiculous, I actually thought they had discovered me. If they truly had such powerful intelligence-gathering capabilities, then a Level 5 Civilization would be downright terrifying.”

Having figured this out, Xiao Yu relaxed.

“All plans will proceed as scheduled.”

After stating his deductions, Xiao Yu gave the command.

“So it was just an advertisement. An advertisement, huh…” The expressions on the Luka scientists’ faces were still a bit uncertain.

“It’s not a mistake,” Xiao Yu said with certainty. “To monitor an entire twenty-light-year radius and do so without us detecting it…it doesn’t match my assessment of Level 5 Civilization capabilities. In other words, a Level 5 Civilization shouldn’t be that powerful. Maybe a Level 6 Civilization could manage that, but a Level 5 Civilization definitely can’t.”

“Well, that’s the only explanation left,” said the Luka scientists, their expressions somewhat peculiar.

“We now possess detailed geographical data of the coordinates, so it’s time to work out the specifics of contact,” Xiao Yu said. “Here’s my plan: we’ll divide the fleet into two groups. One group, led by two Province-Class starships, consisting of fifty thousand ships, will head to the trading site. The rest of the fleet will enter radio silence mode and lie in wait three light-months outside the target star system. That distance is the safest, it lies beyond the intelligence-gathering range of this Level 5 Civilization, and if anything happens to the trading fleet, our main fleet can still arrive to support them within twenty days.”

“I agree with this plan,” Luka Two was the first to stand and speak. “However, there’s one more point. During the course of this transaction with the Level 5 Civilization, we absolutely must not reveal our secrets. Specifically, any information regarding your form of existence, Master. Therefore, it is essential that we present ourselves as a technological civilization. I request to personally lead a trade delegation composed of one to two thousand Luka personnel to handle this operation. Of course, during the transaction, I will carry specialized communication equipment and remain at your command at all times.”

This request was reasonable and, given the current situation, the best possible option. So Xiao Yu agreed immediately. However, a thought surfaced in his mind: “Luka Two seems a little impatient… Hmm… Nominally, it’s still the supreme leader of the Luka society, but over the past few centuries, its glory has been overshadowed by Luka Three and Luka Four, the two technology-driven leaders. It’s understandable that it’s eager to prove itself.”

Rather than suppress this competitive mentality, Xiao Yu planned to actively encourage it. This kind of competition was healthy, the more intense the rivalry, the more advantageous it would be for him.

“Very well. You may select your personnel at your own discretion. I am entrusting you with full authority over this matter. Shortly, I will provide you with a list of materials. Your task will be to exchange those items for as many resources and pieces of intelligence as possible.”

“I will carry out your instructions,” Luka Two responded.

Xiao Yu was certain that across the Milky Way, no unified currency system existed among the various civilizations. While the Guardian Alliance had once implemented a contribution-point-based system, that system collapsed with the Alliance’s decline.

Thus, the most likely form of trade in this market would be the most primitive: barter. In such a scenario, much flexibility was possible, as prices for goods weren’t fixed. This required a skilled negotiator to handle the trades. Without a doubt, Luka Two, the political leader of Luka society, was the most suitable person for the job.

Once all planning was complete, Xiao Yu’s fleet once again entered Faster-Than-Light travel. This FTL jump lasted less than four years. When they returned to conventional navigation, the fleet had reached a distance of three light-months from the target star system.

Three light-months equaled approximately 2.3 trillion kilometers. At this distance, the star remained dim and space remained vast and empty. Xiao Yu’s fleet could stay well hidden here. As long as they didn’t make any major disturbances, he didn’t have to worry about being discovered.

After removing all the Four-Dimensional Shield Generators from the fifty thousand ships selected for the trade mission, those vessels set off on a new journey. Without their four-dimensional shields, these ships no longer had distinctive signatures. However, since they were constructed using the flesh of the White Dwarf Alien Beast and Swarm limbs, they still possessed combat strength far beyond that of typical Level 4 Civilization starships.

According to Xiao Yu’s predictions, in order to avoid being wiped out by other high-level civilizations, the Level 5 Civilization overseeing this trade market likely would not maintain a strong presence here. Thus, these fifty thousand ships would serve as the most powerful guarantee ensuring a fair and just trading environment for Xiao Yu.

The two fleets maintained constant contact via superluminal communication technology. Xiao Yu could receive real-time updates on the fifty thousand ships at any moment.

After more than ten days of FTL travel, the trading fleet returned to conventional speed. At this point, they were less than 30 billion kilometers away from the star. And for the first time, Xiao Yu saw the ships of this Level 5 Civilization.

Several hundred thousand kilometers ahead of Xiao Yu’s fleet, a small streamlined vessel suddenly appeared. It was roughly a few dozen meters in length. As soon as it materialized, it immediately sent a message to Xiao Yu’s fleet.

“Welcome, travelers from afar. May I ask the purpose of your visit?”

“Our civilization received your broadcast. We’ve come to sell some of our surplus materials and to purchase urgently needed technologies and information,” Xiao Yu replied.

“Oh, please forgive my caution. In the several centuries since we established this market, we’ve almost never had a fleet of such scale visit. Are you concerned about receiving unfair treatment? There’s no need to worry. Our Molian Civilization possesses ample strength to ensure fairness and justice in all transactions.”

There was a subtle warning hidden in those words. Xiao Yu ignored it entirely and instead responded, “We trust in the strength of your Level 5 Civilization. That is precisely why we chose to come here and trade with you.”

Upon receiving Xiao Yu’s reply, the voice became noticeably friendlier. “Travelers from afar, welcome to the Azure Market. To preserve order within the market, your fleet will not be permitted to enter the inner star system. Please follow our arrangements and keep your ships stationed outside the system. Rest assured, your safety within the trading market is guaranteed.”

Xiao Yu responded, “Understood. Please lead the way.”

After this brief exchange, the small ship ahead changed course and began flying toward the inner star system at sub-light speed. Under Xiao Yu’s command, his fleet followed closely behind.

As if to display its strength, the small ship performed a series of high-difficulty maneuvers during flight. Xiao Yu offered no comment, but the Luka scientists became excited, eagerly recording a series of technical parameters in an attempt to deduce the ship’s performance data.

Sub-light-speed travel continued for more than two days. The closer they got to the star, the more ships of various types Xiao Yu observed. These vessels varied in design, style, and size, appearing to belong to different civilizations.

“This place… it really does have the feel of a marketplace,” Xiao Yu thought.