Zhang Qiongshi glanced around, seeing no one paying attention, and suddenly rolled her eyes at Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye was taken aback, then amused. After last night's events, the psychological distance between him and Zhang Qiongshi had likely narrowed considerably, transforming their relationship from a purely professional one to that of acquaintances, perhaps even friends.
"When my troops are stationed here, I can help you train your own forces," Jiang Ye boasted. "Many years ago, I established a military academy on Jiang Ye Star, staffing it with veteran soldiers from my own forces and recruiting veteran soldiers from alien armies as instructors. It has since become a renowned institution, with many alien generals and our own renowned generals graduating from it."
Zhang Qiongshi averted her gaze, staring at the window in silence, seemingly lost in thought.
Jiang Ye continued, "Regarding Hodgkinson, once the situation stabilizes, you can arrest him and interrogate him thoroughly. He might know something. A person like him is certainly unsuitable for such a crucial position. After the interrogation, execute him and be done with it."
"Brother Jiang, you're so ruthless," Zhang Qiongshi said.
"If you were smarter in your daily life, these bloody incidents wouldn't have happened," Jiang Ye replied. "Your mistakes were too basic, forcing you to resort to extreme measures in the end. On that note, how are your studies for the planetary leader's course going?"
"Not much," Zhang Qiongshi replied, blushing slightly.
"What do you mean, 'not much'?" Jiang Ye was bewildered. "With so many planets under your administration, you must attend training classes!"
"I pulled some strings and got a passing grade, that's all," Zhang Qiongshi sighed. "I was too busy during that period and didn't study. I thought I could study after I finished my work, that a month wouldn't make a difference. But then I remained busy, and never found the time to settle down and study."
"Foolish! You only know how to work blindly without looking ahead, always busy, always going in circles," Jiang Ye reprimanded. "How can you achieve long-term success without knowledge?"
"Alright, alright, I'll go study as soon as possible," Zhang Qiongshi nodded. Despite being scolded, she wasn't angry.
"You can enroll in my course," Jiang Ye said with a serious expression. "I'll be offering a course in a few months."
"You're a teacher?" Zhang Qiongshi stared in disbelief. "How can you be a teacher at such a young age?"
"There are many teachers younger than me," Jiang Ye said with a sly smile. "People truly have talent. In most fields, whether it's mathematics or art, those who excel show signs in their teens. By their twenties or thirties, if there are no signs, they are almost certainly dullards."
"Alright then, Teacher Jiang," Zhang Qiongshi nodded. "I consider you a friend, and you want to be my teacher. When I attend your class, could you be lenient with my grades?"
"For your own good, I'll tell you that you'll pass if you enroll, to trick you into signing up for my class. Once you're actually there, I'll assign an overwhelming amount of homework and study materials, making you study to death. If you don't learn, I'll fail you, pushing you to improve," Jiang Ye said.
"Are you joking?"
"Just kidding, don't take it seriously," Jiang Ye nodded.
Zhang Qiongshi's brow furrowed into a deep frown, clearly struggling to discern whether Jiang Ye was speaking the truth or not.
...
The next morning.
Jiang Ye and the delegates went to the dining hall for breakfast.
The dining hall was sparkling clean, adorned with potted plants. The windows were open, letting in fresh air. It was impossible to tell that the atmosphere here last night had been so oppressive it felt like blood would seep out. It was as if those events were a nightmare, and waking up had brought relief.
After breakfast, Jiang Ye went downstairs to be interviewed by reporters from Rongping Star.
He accepted the interviews, firstly for his own benefit, to make an appearance in the Rongping Star media and say some pleasant things, such as "I really like the people of Rongping Star" and "The natural scenery of Rongping Star captivates me," thereby gaining some favor with the local populace.
Secondly, it was also to help Zhang Qiongshi. The major events of last night had spread online, leaving many with doubts. However, Jiang Ye's continued presence here was undoubtedly proof, implying, "See, no malicious incidents occurred. If something had happened, I would have fled long ago, not stayed here."
The media outlets were also very savvy, unsparingly promoting Jiang Ye's interviews across the board, portraying Jiang Ye's arrival as a grand event beneficial to multiple planets. The interstellar cooperation agreements reached yesterday were also publicized and heavily hyped, casting Jiang Ye in the image of a savior or a god of wealth.
Netizens overwhelmingly flooded the comment sections of various news articles with platitudes like "Welcome Jiang Ye," "Hello Mr. Jiang," and "Planetary cooperation for mutual benefit," creating a lively atmosphere.
After the interviews, Jiang Ye returned to continue negotiations.
The negotiations were divided into two types of sessions: large-scale and small-scale.
The large-scale negotiations were similar to yesterday, with a large group of people from both sides gathered to discuss. The content primarily revolved around the dispute over Pingdao Star's sovereignty. When discussions became tense, they would sign some generic cooperation agreements to ease the atmosphere.
The small-scale negotiations, however, took place in another small conference room, with all extraneous personnel dismissed. Only five or six people from each side were present, with most of the negotiation representatives unable to enter.
As the saying goes, major issues are discussed in small meetings, and minor issues in large ones. Matters of life and death are not discussed at all. Meetings with many people are not important; important meetings have few attendees.
The small-scale negotiations were similar, focusing on Jiang Ye's proposal: Jiang Ye's fleet would provide military protection to eliminate the mercenary groups under Zhang Qiongshi's command.
Such matters could only be known to a very small number of people on both sides. Any leak of information could potentially cost Zhang Qiongshi her life. Therefore, only the most trusted confidantes could engage in secret discussions.
The progress of the large-scale negotiations accelerated significantly today. Yesterday it was like a snail's crawl; today it was like a bullet train. In just four hours, all the contracts concerning Pingdao Star were signed.
The main points of agreement between the two sides included:
1. Immediate transfer of Pingdao Star's sovereignty and ownership to Jiang Ye Star for the price of one trillion.
2. Rongping Star would retain the mining rights of Pingdao Star, but the sale of mined ore should prioritize supplying Jiang Ye's army at market prices.
3. The military expenses for Jiang Ye's army to open up territory and combat giant lizards on Pingdao Star would be reimbursed by Rongping Star at 70%, with Jiang Ye's army bearing the remaining 30%.
4. Upon the large-scale introduction of immigrants to Pingdao Star, both sides could send immigrants.
The remaining over one hundred and twenty clauses dealt with minor details, such as respecting religious and cultural customs, jointly building commercial markets, and mutual assistance in major disasters. These were matters that would be similar regardless of which planet signed them, and both sides had a clear understanding of them before the negotiations began.
The small-scale negotiations became the main battlefield for the discussions.
A total of about ten people engaged in a strenuous tug-of-war around a conference table.
During the large-scale negotiations, both Jiang Ye and Zhang Qiongshi observed leisurely, coasting through the process. However, in the small-scale negotiations, Jiang Ye and Zhang Qiongshi became the main players, their lips moving incessantly, employing various tactics of bluster mixed with appeals for sympathy, shifting from a purely professional demeanor to personal camaraderie.
Jiang Ye felt that Zhang Qiongshi still had some substance; her eloquence was two levels above his. However, his superior hard power allowed him to maintain a certain degree of initiative throughout the negotiations.