Chapter 1057: 577_2

Chapter 1057: Chapter 577_2

He chuckled softly, as expected.

Because he’d already anticipated this, Gu Hang didn’t let anyone make a fuss over it.

As for himself, after some brief pleasantries and probing, he quickly cut to the point:

“I hope the Blood Shark Battle Group and the Alliance can form a much closer alliance.”

“Not just for this war, but also for the future after the war ends.”

“I understand Blood Shark traditions, as well as the existence of gray tax and blood tax. None of this is a problem; I fully acknowledge them. But I must say, the Alliance cannot allow the Blood Sharks to collect gray tax and blood tax through violent and unilateral means without consultation. Moreover, I believe such methods are highly inefficient and wasteful.”

At this point, Gu Hang paused momentarily to observe Youwin’s expression, uncovered by a helmet.

There was no expression.

Interstellar Warriors have always been like this, not to mention the Blood Sharks, who are notorious for their reserved, non-expressive demeanor within various battle groups.

But the fact that Youwin didn’t storm out in anger upon hearing this from Gu Hang—that was already a positive outcome.

After all, the Blood Sharks had a history. Their conflict with the Ironclads had sprouted from this very issue.

Even if there was a risk of offending the Blood Sharks, Gu Hang had to draw a clear line from the outset.

“Very well, it seems we’ve reached a basic consensus on this principle.”

“I recognize the Blood Sharks’ right to collect blood tax and gray tax. These are your rightful rewards for fighting side-by-side with the Alliance and achieving war victories. You also recognize that collecting these taxes requires the Alliance’s facilitation, rather than unilateral violence. With mutual respect, we now establish the foundation for cooperation.”

“Based on the victories secured by the Blood Sharks, the Blood Sharks have the right to present a series of supply and personnel demands to us. Starting with the gray tax according to Blood Shark tradition: In the past, when trading with the Sect of Mechanics, what was the price? The price the Alliance offers for recovering technology and equipment from the Blood Sharks will always exceed theirs by at least 20%.”

“As for the blood tax, it can be discussed in two parts. Blood Sharks need excellent reserve personnel as a source of new blood for the development of their battle group. I promise, whenever the Blood Sharks have a need, regardless of war merits or victories, if you require new recruits, all you need to do is tell the Alliance a number, and the Alliance will provide that number of outstanding young people.”

“The second part of the blood tax: Blood Sharks need ordinary humans to serve as auxiliary forces, battle group fleet crew, and subordinate personnel for the group. The Alliance can also provide this, entirely free of charge. However, under this premise, the Blood Sharks must agree to a series of conditions: the ordinary humans provided by the Alliance will have service terms, basic treatment, and the right to fundamental protections. Their lives must not be casually disregarded; they should be treated with a basic level of respect.”

“Wait…” At this point, Youwin couldn’t help but interrupt Gu Hang’s speech.

He stared at Gu Hang, without even asking a question.

He trusted that Gu Hang understood what he meant.

The Blood Sharks have never regarded ordinary humans as people.

Not the enemy, not allied forces, and certainly not their own auxiliary troops or human subordinates.

This isn’t just a matter of tradition; it’s a matter of ideology. They don’t care, and they believe that only those who survive the trials of blood and fire are worthy of serving as their auxiliary forces, which essentially means becoming high-level cannon fodder. If one doesn’t survive the trials, then so be it. Sacrificing oneself in the glorious cannon fodder duties is their best possible end.

And now, Gu Hang was saying they should respect those ordinary humans?

Even pay them wages? With service terms and the chance to retire?

Youwin hoped his gaze could convey to Gu Hang just how ridiculous this sounded.

But Gu Hang didn’t back down on this issue.

“If you want the traditional blood tax, it’s not impossible. I can provide it from the prisoner-of-war camps; however, no world declared as Alliance territory will provide such rights-deprived ‘slaves.'”

“But hear me out; this arrangement also has its advantages. Wages won’t come out of your pocket; the Alliance will pay. But precisely because of this, they will remain part of the Alliance, so you cannot trample on their lives and dignity. Moreover, I’m confident that during this time, you’ve seen the heroic demeanor of the Alliance’s ordinary warriors. Allow me to brag for a moment: many of their elites, though they haven’t had the opportunity to be implanted with Genetic Seeds and don’t possess superhuman physiques, are technically skilled and mentally resilient on par with any Interstellar Warrior.”

“Like your Glory Guards, perhaps?”

“Precisely. Of course, I cannot guarantee that among the tens of thousands you’re provided, every single one will reach that level. But I will guarantee that among them, there will be such elites, and their average level will not be inferior to the Star Realm Army of the Empire. You should understand how valuable this is.”

Youwin once again fell into silence.

This time, he was truly thinking.

He absolutely understood what such value meant.

For years, the Blood Shark Battle Group’s blood tax collections had taught them many lessons. Among the ‘slaves’ forcefully seized, those who truly survived their so-called ‘blood and fire trials’ to reach the auxiliary force standards they accepted were fewer than one in ten, possibly fewer than one in a hundred.

Therefore, they needed to constantly collect blood tax. On one hand, they do require an enormous amount of cannon fodder. On the other hand, they need large numbers of cannon fodder from which to eventually refine enough auxiliary troops.

But if the Alliance directly provided them, why would they need that much cannon fodder anymore?

Moreover, low-quality cannon fodder actually doesn’t align well with their combat style. They specialize in rapid responses and swift strikes; what use is cannon fodder? For direct engagement and mutual attrition?

More elite auxiliary forces would evidently better assist them in battle.

Even if there are times when they need ordinary infantry to hold the enemy’s attention on the front lines, creating opportunities and space for rear assaults, using cannon fodder wouldn’t be as effective as elite auxiliary troops holding the enemy in place on the front lines.

It sounds quite beneficial.

The only problem is that the battle group would need to alter their traditions, their beliefs, and their mindset.

That’s a challenging proposition.

“Let’s set that aside for now.” Youwin chose to pause this particular dispute and said, “From start to finish, your terms sound excellent. More gray tax transactions, blood tax freely provided by the Alliance. So, what’s the price?”

“What does the Alliance want from the Blood Sharks?”

Gu Hang displayed a broad smile, nearly blurting out ‘everything.’

But he held back.

He replied, “Allies. We need long-term, dependable allies who will establish a unified command structure and act toward unified objectives.”

“Just allies?”

Gu Hang’s smile remained unchanged: “Indeed, just allies. These are the Alliance’s only terms. Do you have any further questions after hearing them?”