Su Yueming, dressed in a brand new secretary suit, pushed open the office door and brought a large stack of newspapers and printed web news, piling them on Jiang Ye’s desk, as high as study materials for a college entrance exam candidate.
Jiang Ye was sitting on the windowsill, holding a glass teapot, with green tea leaves unfurling inside.
Although he was drinking tea, Jiang Ye’s demeanor was like that of an alcoholic, his eyes hazy and unfocused.
“The matter of Quartz Star has made the news on over a hundred planets,” Su Yueming said. “I’ve gathered everything I could find. The ones worth reading are at the top.”
“Alright, I’ll read them when I rest,” Jiang Ye replied.
“Today there’s also…” Su Yueming began, but was interrupted.
“Enough, I know,” Jiang Ye said, his face etched with fatigue. He fiddled with the warm teapot in his hand, like someone cold holding a hand warmer. “Quartz Star makes me feel like I’m walking a tightrope.”
Su Yueming fell silent. She understood Jiang Ye’s predicament. Everyone was a powerful figure, and no one could afford to offend any of them. Quartz Star had become a briefcase filled with money and bombs.
“Prepare for a summit,” Jiang Ye looked up.
“A summit?” Su Yueming was taken aback.
“I’m not planning to sell Quartz Star anymore, and operating it myself is out of the question. I’ve decided to divide the land and lease it out,” Jiang Ye stated. “The planet will be divided into one hundred plots of equal size. Each plot will be leased for a term of one hundred years, with a starting lease fee of one trillion.”
“Hold a summit and invite all parties to decide who gets to lease each plot?” Su Yueming understood.
“Exactly,” Jiang Ye nodded. “Let them bid. Hold this summit as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications.”
“Okay, I’ll start preparing immediately,” Su Yueming replied. “Specifically, which parties should be invited to attend?”
“You still haven’t grasped my intention,” Jiang Ye smiled.
Su Yueming froze, feeling somewhat lost.
Hadn’t the leader just affirmed her statement?
Why did he say she didn’t understand?
“Why hold this summit? Isn’t it to shift the blame from me to everyone else?” Jiang Ye said earnestly. “If I make any decision privately, it will be my fault. But if a summit is held, and the influential figures who desire Quartz Star participate, their involvement will legitimize it. Afterward, they will fight amongst themselves, and the legality and authority of the matter will be established. Once the summit concludes, the dust will settle, and I won’t have to fear future troubles.”
“I understand your meaning. Invite everyone who has contacted us and wants Quartz Star to the summit?” Su Yueming asked.
“Yes. When inviting them, discreetly give each representative a small briefcase containing a map of the planet’s nuclear radiation zones, marked with a top-secret insignia. Say nothing, just give them a meaningful look,” Jiang Ye instructed. “This way, they will understand that I am holding the summit under pressure from multiple parties, and providing them with intelligence shows my inclination towards them.”
“Understood, leader. I will handle it,” Su Yueming nodded and left the office.
Jiang Ye sighed deeply, picked up the teapot, and drank it all down, even chewing and swallowing the tea leaves.
……
Just five days later, the summit began.
A grand total of 180 representatives attended, hailing from over fifty organizations.
These included military representatives from different Galactic Empire forces, Octopoid civilization delegates, interstellar merchant consortium representatives, and interstellar corporate representatives. Various powers converged on the summit stage, like a vortex in the ocean drawing in large fish from all directions.
Jiang Ye took the stage to deliver the opening remarks, a brief speech of just a few minutes:
“Distinguished guests, good day. I am the current legal owner of Quartz Star.”
As soon as the first sentence was uttered, a murmur began to spread through the audience.
Why emphasize being the legal owner?
Did Jiang Ye have someone behind him, and Quartz Star was merely under his management?
“This summit is a formal internal gathering, and no information will be released to the public. Only the attendees will know what has transpired. To save everyone time, we have omitted much of the usual protocol. We will quickly address an issue of common concern: the ownership of Quartz Star.”
“My personal stance on Quartz Star is that anything is acceptable. As I mentioned earlier, I am the legal owner of Quartz Star, and I am indifferent to the planet’s actual use.”
“Over the past period, several esteemed individuals have been discussing the issue of Quartz Star with me. I will not elaborate on the identities and names of these individuals, but each of them is highly respected, and they are all seniors whom I hold in high regard.”
Another wave of whispers swept through the hall.
Jiang Ye’s implication was clear.
He was merely a figurehead; the true owner of Quartz Star was his “highly respected seniors” behind him.
To be Jiang Ye’s senior meant a position of considerable influence. The attending representatives began to speculate, and rumors started to circulate, gradually gaining indirect support.
Jiang Ye continued his speech, but the gaze of the representatives towards him had changed. It was like a seemingly ordinary classmate in school suddenly revealing that his maternal uncle was the wealthiest man in the city. The classmates’ eyes would naturally shift.
“Initially, each of my seniors had different opinions on the future of Quartz Star. On several occasions, these seniors engaged in heated debates. As a junior, I found it inappropriate to interject and could only listen respectfully,” Jiang Ye continued. “A few days ago, my seniors reached a consensus.”
The representatives narrowed their eyes.
Jiang Ye had powerful backing, and not just one.
These backers had disagreements, but overall, they could reach a consensus.
“The seniors’ opinion is to convene this summit, invite everyone to attend, and vote on the ownership of Quartz Star. Everything will be brought out into the open, not operated behind a thick curtain,” Jiang Ye said. “As the host of this summit, I am only concerned with the votes in the ballot box. All outcomes will be decided by the vote count. Therefore, representatives can lobby other representatives, solicit votes, and do anything within legal bounds.”
“Those invited today are all distinguished guests whom I, Jiang, respect. A ten-day holiday, friends like clouds, a thousand-mile welcome, guests filling the hall. I hope everyone enjoys themselves during the summit and ultimately achieves a satisfactory outcome. I also hope to see all of you at similar summits in the future.”
“I wish this summit complete success!”
Jiang Ye bowed three times and stepped down.
Thunderous applause erupted from below. Various glances, notes, text messages, and gestures began to fly. The suited male and female representatives were like a pack of wolves before an attack, with wolves in different positions exchanging signals, awaiting the opportune moment to hunt.
The first item on the summit agenda: determining the general direction for Quartz Star’s ownership.
The following options were presented:
First, the entire planet would be sold to a single representative.
Second, Quartz Star would not be sold, and Jiang Ye would supply planetary resources to each representative.
Third, a rotational ownership system, where Quartz Star would belong to a different representative every two years. This summit would auction the rotation list for the next two hundred years in one go.
Fourth, a segmented sale system, where Quartz Star would be divided into one hundred different land plots, each sold individually. Representatives would bid for these plots, with each person’s success depending on their ability to acquire them.