Chapter 1197: Chapter 613: Monopolizing an Evolution Path
Li Ming, dressed as a Tank Guard, walked in. In their eyes, this was the Azure Dragon.
"Lord Azure Dragon..." Carter was the first to greet, standing quietly in the corner, her presence barely noticeable.
Benito fled, Sven betrayed, yet she did nothing, which ironically made her the biggest winner.
Others also spoke one after another, their gazes landing briefly on the Kashmirâs Spear in his hand before quickly shifting away.
Li Ming nodded casually, addressing Mikhail, "Iâm still counting on you two to keep an eye on Gaius and the others."
He didnât have the corresponding monitoring measures in hand, so he could only ask them to do it for him temporarily.
"Itâs a small matter..." Reynolds said nonchalantly.
However, Mikhail seemed a bit hesitant and asked, "How does Your Excellency plan to deal with these people?"
He seemed somewhat worried and added, "I personally suggest itâs best not to kill anyone; otherwise, this could only provoke the Three Great Civilizations to start a war."
He feared the Azure Dragon might act impulsively and seek revenge against the Three Great Civilizations.
In his eyes, war wasnât that simple. It wasnât that the Azure Dragon would lose, but the costs during that period were too high, and the benefits werenât that great.
Itâs not like killing Adam or Malcolm would enable regime change or stop countless battles across the universe forever.
The Empireâs strength crushed the Holy Revolution Army, yet they remained active for thousands of years.
Recently suppressed to near extinction by the High-level Life Form Union, they now showed signs of resurgence.
The interstellar space was so vast that the high-ranking individuals couldnât possibly Rush around everywhere.
"Of course, I wonât kill them." Li Ming shook his head, "Trading prisoners gives me the greatest benefits. Plus, Iâm not a war maniac; starting a war doesnât benefit me either."
He still needed these guys to fill the massive gap in controlling Kashmirâs Spear.
Hearing this, not only Mikhail but the others also sighed in relief, relaxing once more.
"Indeed..." Mikhail agreed, "We Mechanics are businessmen. A stable interstellar environment allows us to thrive."
He gave a subtle glance towards Anduin and the others and said, "I have a plan that Iâve been pondering for some time; I feel now is the best time to implement it."
"Oh." Li Ming perked up, curious about what new wonders Mikhail might come up with.
"Mechanical Revival..." Mikhail uttered the words, capturing everyoneâs attention.
He explained, "Thanks to the prototype of the Mechanical Seed supplied by Your Excellency, the research by Reynolds and I has progressed rapidly. I estimate it will take at most another six months to fully replicate it."
"The Mechanical Seed has immense value; it is the legitimate path of mechanical evolution, and I plan to thoroughly spread it across the interstellar space to honor the original intent of establishing the Mechanic Association."
Mechanical Seed, mechanical evolution path?
Anduin and Sheffield exchanged bewildered glances, realizing they were hearing about something significant enough to influence the interstellar landscape.
The emergence of such a widely applicable evolution path was bound to cause a huge sensation.
"Indeed." Li Ming nodded, understanding Mikhailâs thought process.
The technology surrounding the Mechanical Seed was something nearly only the three of them possessed, or to be more precise, only Reynolds and Mikhail.
Li Mingâs control ability allowed him to own it indirectly. The advantage was that the mechanical bodies he controlled completely followed his orders; the disadvantage was that this method couldnât be widely implemented.
Isnât it obvious how great the benefits are from monopolizing an evolution path?
Seeing the Azure Dragon nod, Mikhail continued, "Thus, I plan to establish a company co-owned by the three of us, with Your Excellency holding a 50% stake, Reynolds and I holding 25% each, and selling the Mechanical Seed externally."
"The first batch of Mechanical Seeds will be offered to the advanced mechanical bodies within the Association, since they have been with us for a long time and contributed quite a bit internally."
Hearing this profit distribution, Reynolds showed no reaction.
However, Anduin couldnât help but feel a bit disdainful, noting how skilled they were at currying favor.
Mikhail giving 50% to the Azure Dragon wasnât just about flattering.
This endeavor couldnât succeed without the Azure Dragon backing it; the Three Great Civilizations would undoubtedly try every means to meddle in a new evolutionary path.
Li Mingâs eyes glinted, marveling at Mikhailâs adeptness in cutting deals, suspecting it wasnât his first time doing so.
Those advanced Mechanics were all affluent, promising a substantial gain.
Li Ming nodded, "This matter should indeed be prioritized; a new evolution path offers more choices for interstellar citizens."
He had no objections to this profit-sharing approach. In the end, it was likely Reynolds and Mikhail who would do all the work, while he waited behind the scenes to collect the money.
"However, thereâs one matter we need your help with beforehand," Mikhail said, "The Mechanician Association needs to be untethered."
"Untethered..." Li Ming mused.
The Mechanician Association was to be their best channel for selling the Mechanical Seed, and having chains around their necks wasnât quite appropriate; this could lead to problems at the grassroots level.
With the universe so vast, they couldnât address problems in each small civilization one by one; it was better to eliminate issues at the root.
"It might have been troublesome before, but now it shouldnât be an issue..." Li Ming nodded casually.
The evolution path hadnât reached its end, and an Eternal Abyss hung above his head, making Li Ming still somewhat resistant to the term "invincible."
But many things he couldnât accomplish before werenât problems now.
Everything was different now.
Anduin couldnât help but feel emotional; the Mechanician Association had been under surveillance for only a few years before it was to be liberated again.
Unfortunately, he wasnât a Mechanic; otherwise, he could have gotten a share of the profits.
Perhaps he could arrange for a few Mechanics to handle these matters upon returning.
Sheffield also realized that they were the first to learn about this, and with the existing relationship, having some leftovers shouldnât be an issue.
Finalizing this matter, Li Ming felt quite content.
They chatted casually, and from Anduin, he learned an unexpected piece of news.
"Rebuilding the Chaos Core near the Mechanical Court?" Li Ming was rather surprised.
Anduin nodded, "Correct, a few of us have discussed it. The Chaotic Star Gap holds a geographical advantage; actively or passively, after this period, more life forms than before will undoubtedly come here, so there must be a landmark structure."
"So, we decided to rebuild it together."
Rebuilding together... meaning I donât have to do anything, right?
Li Ming certainly wouldnât refuse, as this brought benefits without drawbacks for him.
They casually chatted, maintaining a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere until Sheffieldâs wristwatch-style smart terminal suddenly vibrated continuously.
He wore a faint smile, setting his wine glass on the bar casually before pressing it, which triggered a small virtual screen to pop up.
With just one glance, his face drastically changed, exclaiming in shock, "My company has been attacked!"
Hmm?
Li Mingâs eyes instantly focused, and with a flash, he appeared beside Sheffield.
"Attacked?" Anduin asked, his tone peculiar since Sheffieldâs biotech company mainly focused on selling Gene Seeds externally.
Being a businessman who treated others well daily, it was unlikely he had antagonized anyone.
Moreover, even if someone raided his company, all theyâd acquire would be a bunch of useless Gene Seeds since x-level Gene Seeds required customization.
Wait... Anduin suddenly remembered something. Hemod had bizarrely staged a scene earlier, not only trying to capture Sheffield but even intending to kill him ultimately.
Li Ming even spoke up, trying to prevent Sheffield from being taken away.
Seeing the Azure Dragonâs current attitude, he realized it was of significant concern to him.
What could the reason be?
He couldnât help but speculate, his expression changing slightly, and soon he thought of one possibility.
Could it be... the Ultimate Gene Seed?
"...The attack happened sixteen hours ago?" Li Ming looked at the report from Sheffieldâs subordinate on the screen, "The entire company was washed clean..."
This coincided almost exactly with the time they entered the core node, and the Star Beasts he gave Sheffield to concoct the Gene Seeds were most likely sacked.