The Milky Way, White Orchid Star.
Among the more than one million inhabited planets of the Silver Blue Empire, White Orchid Star ranked near the very bottom in terms of living conditions.
As a result, the administrators assigned here generally had little influence or background within the empire.
Northern White Orchid Star, Extreme Cold Region.
Massive warehouse complexes were scattered across the frozen landscape, each one built with impressive design.
At this moment, a silver white spacecraft was parked outside one of the larger warehouse facilities.
“Director, when is that customer arriving? We’ve been waiting here for half the day already.”
Inside the spacecraft, more than a dozen officials sat together.
“Director, honestly, the contract is already signed and the payment has already been made. There’s no need for us personally to welcome him. Couldn’t we just send some junior staff? The entire department coming out here seems a bit excessive.”
A middle aged man holding a hot drink spoke lazily.
For this group to travel by spacecraft on White Orchid Star was already considered an extremely luxurious arrangement, demonstrating their high status.
As for the director, he was one of the most influential figures on the entire planet.
“What are you complaining about?”
The fat, large eared director barked.
Then he lowered his voice.
“You idiots. Before any of you cause trouble, let me make things clear. Do you know which bank the customer’s money came from when we signed the contract through the Virtual Universe Network?”
“Which bank?”
“Nott Bank?”
“Bula Galaxy Bank?”
The others named several well known banks within the Milky Way.
“It was the Universe Galaxy Bank!”
The director spoke quietly.
Silence.
The previously relaxed officials froze.
All stared at their director in shock.
Universe Galaxy Bank!
It exclusively served the upper classes of the universe and powerful cultivators.
The minimum requirement to open an account was a deposit of at least 100 million Black Dragon Coins.
Converted into Silver Blue Coins, that amounted to over one hundred billion.
The richest people on many ordinary planets possessed only around one hundred billion Silver Blue Coins.
White Orchid Star’s richest individual possessed only a little over sixty billion.
As a result, Universe Galaxy Bank branches generally existed only in the capital planets of primary universe civilisations, important planets such as Dragon Horn Star, and numerous planets belonging to universe nations.
“Universe Galaxy Bank?”
“My heavens.”
“Are you serious?”
The officials exchanged looks.
They were stunned.
Even White Orchid Star’s richest person did not qualify for the minimum requirement.
Yet that same rich man received endless flattery from many of the planet’s most powerful officials.
After all, no matter how much money administrators and military officers accumulated, they could not compare to the wealth of a planet’s richest citizen.
“So all of you had better be careful.”
The director spoke sternly.
“Understood.”
“Don’t worry, Director. We’ll make sure the guest is completely satisfied.”
“Absolutely no problem.”
The previously lazy group suddenly became highly energetic.
“Beep! Director Bart, the guest has arrived. Communication is being transferred.”
A voice sounded inside the spacecraft.
“Good.”
The fat director immediately stood up and adopted a formal expression.
“Director Bart of White Orchid Star, hello. This is Luo Feng.”
The communication came through.
“Hello, Mr Luo. I am Bart. We are currently outside the warehouse facility you purchased.”
The director smiled broadly.
“Also, Mr Luo, there’s no need to dock at the planetary port. As a property owner on this planet, you may fly directly to your warehouse facility.”
“I’ll be there shortly.”
The communication ended.
“Quick!”
The director turned sharply toward his subordinates.
“Everyone off the ship. We’re going to welcome Mr Luo.”
“Yes, Director!”
Whether pot bellied or elderly, every one of these usually relaxed officials suddenly became highly motivated.
…
On the open ground outside the warehouse complex.
Eighteen senior officials from the Planetary Commerce Department, including the director, deputy director, and sixteen key members, stood in the freezing weather wearing thick clothing while eagerly waiting.
The temperature here was roughly minus ninety degrees Celsius.
“It’s coming.”
Their eyes lit up.
In the distance, a black spacecraft appeared.
Almost instantly it arrived before the warehouse facility and slowly descended.
“The hull bears a Black Dragon emblem. Could it be a spacecraft produced by the Black Dragon Mountain Empire?”
As administrators of the backward world White Orchid Star, they naturally felt a sense of humility toward important figures from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.
“That’s a Black Dragon Mountain X Series vessel!”
“It’s pure black. Isn’t that the mark of the luxury model?”
One younger official exclaimed.
“The cheapest Black Dragon Mountain X Series ships cost over six hundred million Black Dragon Coins. The luxury versions are said to cost as much as ten billion Black Dragon Coins. Pure black. The noble pure black finish!”
This official was an enthusiast of spacecraft.
Although poor, he knew every famous model and luxury vessel.
“Ten billion Black Dragon Coins?”
“The spacecraft is worth ten billion?”
The others stared in shock.
“Ten billion? In Black Dragon Coins?”
Even Director Bart swallowed hard.
Good heavens.
Even on the Imperial Capital Planet, the wealthiest and most influential world of the Silver Blue Empire, only the most elite noble families or major interstellar merchants operating throughout the Black Dragon Mountain Empire could afford such a ship.
Any one of those individuals could easily remove the administration of a backward planet like White Orchid Star.
“Buzz.”
The outer hatch opened.
The eighteen officials immediately stood perfectly straight and put on their most enthusiastic smiles while looking toward the hatch.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Rows of personnel flew out in perfect formation.
An endless stream of powerful individuals emerged from the spacecraft.
“Th… this…”
“They’re all ninth level Planetary Grade spiritual masters.”
Looking down at the readings from their auxiliary optical computers, the officials were stunned.
A full one thousand ninth level Planetary Grade spiritual masters flew out.
“My heavens.”
“They could easily conquer White Orchid Star.”
The director and the others felt their legs shaking and their hearts trembling.
The strongest person on the planet was merely a first level Star Grade warrior.
Faced with one thousand ninth level Planetary Grade spiritual masters, he would undoubtedly die.
“First level Star Grade. One, two, three…”
“Look. Fifth level Star Grade.”
Another group emerged.
More than a thousand powerful individuals formed two neat lines like a ceremonial guard, waiting for their master.
Then…
Wearing simple clothes, Luo Feng emerged from the hatch.
Behind him followed three seventh level Star Grade bodyguards.
“Sev… seventh level?”
“Seventh level Star Grade spiritual masters?”
The officials checked their scanners again and again.
Their throats felt dry.
Three seventh level Star Grade spiritual masters serving as bodyguards.
What background could this young man, who was merely an eighth level Planetary Grade cultivator, possibly have?
…
Luo Feng descended from the spacecraft and looked toward the eighteen welcoming officials.
“Which one of you is Director Bart?”
“It’s me. I am Bart, Director of the White Orchid Star Commerce Department.”
The fat director hurried forward, his attitude extremely respectful.
Good heavens.
Someone travelling with such a terrifying escort force, especially three seventh level Star Grade spiritual masters.
Even the Silver Blue Imperial Family did not enjoy such treatment.
The one thousand Planetary Grade experts were shocking.
But the three seventh level Star Grade spiritual masters were even more terrifying.
After all, hiring a single one of them cost far more than employing one thousand Planetary Grade experts.
“Mr Luo, allow me to introduce some of the features of this warehouse facility.”
“Please look, Mr Luo. The entire warehouse complex is exceptionally sturdy, comparable to an interstellar warship’s defensive strength. Even earthquakes and other disasters could not damage it in the slightest.”
Director Bart enthusiastically introduced the facility.
Naturally, this made sense.
The warehouse complex had been constructed from enormous quantities of warship wreckage and metal remains.
Its durability was therefore exceptional.
…
The warehouse stretched ninety eight kilometres long and sixty one kilometres wide, covering nearly six thousand square kilometres.
The sheer scale was astonishing.
At the centre of the facility was a residential district approximately three kilometres long and wide.
“This is…”
Luo Feng’s eyes brightened.
“This is the residential zone. If workers are hired or personnel are stationed here, they can live in this area. The buildings are quite old, so you may demolish and rebuild them if you wish.”
Director Bart glanced behind him.
A fair skinned young man immediately stepped forward and activated his auxiliary optical computer.
Beep.
A virtual display appeared in the air, showing rows of villas.
“Mr Luo, you may choose any villa you like.”
Director Bart smiled.
“All these villas are modular and can be dismantled. They are sturdy and insulated. Once the components arrive, a complete villa can be assembled in a very short time.”
“Movable, dismantlable, and reassembled?”
Luo Feng felt interested.
Earth also had movable homes.
However, compared with advanced civilisation worlds, the difference was enormous.
“Do you have larger residences?”
Luo Feng looked at the display.
“Larger?”
The director hesitated.
The fair skinned young man quickly replied.
“There are estate series and even castle series. However, they would need to be transported from other planets, which would take additional time and cost more.”
“This is the estate series. Building footprints range from ten thousand to one hundred thousand square metres. The surrounding grounds can be expanded as much as desired.”
“And this is the castle series. These range from five hundred thousand to five million square metres.”
Looking at the castles, Luo Feng felt satisfied.
“Good.”
“I’ll take two castles.”
“This nine storey castle with a footprint of one million square metres. Give me two of them.”
His old villa on Earth was clearly no longer sufficient.
After all, he now had more than a thousand servants.
Constructing something comparable on Earth would take too long.
These modular castles, however, could be transported to Earth and assembled rapidly by his large workforce.
“White Orchid Star will serve as my future gateway to the universe, my second base. One castle should remain here.”
“Earth is my root and my home. Naturally, another castle belongs there.”
Luo Feng thought to himself.