“What are the odds of something good like this happening to us?” Jiang Ye asked.
“Very high, because there aren't many planets producing mutated clouds right now, and everyone thinks this is a difficult thing to profit from.” Hua Qing raised an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. “I think it’s worth a gamble. Even if the major business of the purification cloud experiment doesn't fall to us, it definitely will when the market recovers. The military spent trillions on research and development for mutated clouds and purification clouds over a long period, so they shouldn't let these things become a complete loss.”
“Alright, then let’s take the gamble.” Jiang Ye nodded in agreement.
Hua Qing was delighted.
Next were several small individual weapons, not particularly advanced, and requiring very little investment. Jiang Ye approved all of them.
“Okay, since you’ve approved it, I’ll start arranging for people to get it done.” Hua Qing stood up. “I’ll report any major progress to you immediately.”
“Thank you for your hard work.” Jiang Ye said, “Secretary Su mentioned that you work fourteen hours a day?”
“About that.” Hua Qing thought for a moment.
“Take care of yourself and maintain a balance between work and rest.” Jiang Ye’s gaze was filled with concern. “Drinking, staying up late, and working yourself to the bone. Even though your body is made of iron, metal can still fatigue.”
“It’s alright, Chief. I’ve had mitochondrial surgery, so my fatigue resistance is now like a child’s.” Hua Qing smiled. “In the military labs, this was my usual work schedule, I’m used to it, and it’s not tiring. Tens of thousands of people are waiting for the weapon projects to get started; I can’t delay their time because of me!”
Hua Qing saluted and hurried out of the office.
Jiang Ye turned his gaze to Su Yueming, who was eating nearby.
Su Yueming blinked, as if asking why he was looking at her.
“Arrange a small task for the agents.” Jiang Ye said, “Go to alien planets to find rare wines, whether ancient or with limited production, and buy some. When Hua Qing’s work yields significant results, I’ll give her some good wine to celebrate.”
“For good wine… you don’t actually need to go to alien planets.” Su Yueming said, “Ju Lanlan should have some.”
“Ju Lanlan?” Jiang Ye frowned. “It’s been a while since I heard from her. How is she now?”
“She’s still in her original position, working steadily, and there haven’t been any problems with her subordinates.” Su Yueming said. “Besides the work you assigned her, she’s also acting as an intermediary.”
“What kind of intermediary?”
“More and more alien companies and merchant groups are coming to Jiang Ye Star to do business. Many alien companies want to establish connections on Jiang Ye Star before they arrive. This means fostering good relationships with local counterparts, or trying to curry favor with local dignitaries. Many of these alien companies use Ju Lanlan to expand their networks.”
“How did this develop?” Jiang Ye asked, puzzled.
“It probably developed organically. Ju Lanlan holds a prestigious position in Jiang Ye Star’s business circles. Ordinary people may not recognize her anymore, but the upper echelons have all heard of Ju Lanlan. After all, she was once at the pinnacle of Jiang Ye Star’s business world, she has a personal connection with you, and she has experienced ups and downs. She’s like an ancient monster from a fantasy novel, born in a bygone era and surviving great calamities. While her financial strength might not be the strongest, her network and experience are abundant.” Su Yueming explained. “Some people have tried to approach Feng Zhishuang, but Sister Feng is too busy and doesn’t bother with them.”
Su Yueming paused, then added, “Ju Lanlan also participates in the Binhai City Rich Club. She deliberately maintains a low profile and doesn’t want to take the top seat at the club. During each gathering, she sits in a corner, quietly eating. However, halfway through the gathering, she becomes the center of attention, with many business tycoons surrounding her in a room, discussing the situation.”
“I imagine those tycoons must give Ju Lanlan gifts.” Su Yueming’s expression was meaningful. “Giving money is not an option; any unusual account balance would immediately trigger an alert from Feng Zhishuang’s system. Giving gifts still has loopholes. Precious items smuggled from alien planets, and rare wines, must be among them.”
“Does she have any intention of making a comeback?” Jiang Ye asked.
“Who knows?” Su Yueming shrugged. “From the current situation, she’s quite low-key. Whether this low profile is for self-preservation or to accumulate strength, it’s unclear.”
“Send her a message and ask her to come see me in the next couple of days when she has time.” Jiang Ye thought for a moment. “In the Binhai City Rich Club, Isabella was originally the one in the top seat. Who is it now?”
“Who else could it be but Tian Rao!” Su Yueming smiled.
“She’s that influential now?” Jiang Ye was surprised.
“Everyone elected her. They know she has a personal connection with you and a good relationship, so she can speak to you.” Su Yueming said. “However, Tian Rao is very discreet. She either doesn’t attend club gatherings, or if she does, she just quietly eats and ignores everyone. If someone tries to pass a message to you through her, she pretends not to hear.”
“She doesn’t do anything, and they still let her stay in the top seat?” Jiang Ye chuckled, picturing Tian Rao eating with complete focus.
“It’s about prestige.” Su Yueming said. “She’s like a mascot or a guardian deity. With her in the top seat, the Rich Club seems more legitimate and secure. You don’t know those wealthy individuals, but they often try to guess your thoughts.”
“Ridiculous.” Jiang Ye shrugged. “Alright, you can go now.”
Su Yueming tidied up the desk and left the office. Jiang Ye continued his work.
As the frontier expanded, Jiang Ye’s workload also grew, with working over ten hours a day becoming the norm.
Fortunately, the hardships of earlier years had given him a robust body, and the advanced physical enhancement drugs of this era provided assistance. Otherwise, the high-intensity, non-stop work would have long since crushed him.
Jiang Ye worked straight through to 1 AM, rested for half an hour, then got up and worked until 4 AM before finally lying down on the small bed in his office and falling into a deep sleep.
After sleeping for three hours, at 7 AM, Su Yueming knocked on the door and woke Jiang Ye.
“Ju Lanlan is here. She’s waiting in the reception room.” Su Yueming said.
Jiang Ye opened his eyes, reached under the bed for a box, opened it, and took out a syringe, handing it to Su Yueming.
Su Yueming glanced at the label on the syringe: Stamina Replenisher. She skillfully removed the needle cap, grabbed Jiang Ye’s forearm, and administered the injection.
Jiang Ye’s groggy eyes gradually regained their clarity. He sat up and nimbly put on his jacket. “Ask her to come up, and bring breakfast over. I’ll eat with her.”
“Okay.” Su Yueming nodded. “Um…”
“What?” Jiang Ye asked.
“I sent Ju Lanlan a message last night at 10 PM. She was in the Southern Hemisphere at the time. She used her connections to delay a passenger ship at the starport by half an hour, then she rushed to the starport and got on board. She arrived in a hurry in just two hours and was waiting in the reception room by a little past midnight. My junior secretary received her and wanted to inform you, but Ju Lanlan stopped her, saying that you might be resting late at night, so she would just wait in the reception room and inform you in the morning.” Su Yueming said.