Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 252 Creditor, Clan Chief, Go Quickly! (4.2K)

The air in the meditation room seemed to freeze for a moment, with only the wisps of steam from the Qingxin Tea swirling silently.

Lin Yi stared at Irelia, a sudden realization dawning on him.

He had to admit that Irelia's thoughts were far deeper and bolder than he had imagined.

"I understand." Lin Yi nodded slowly, accepting Irelia's overall suggestion regarding the planetary allocation method.

"So, regarding the portion you mentioned that was sold at a discount to the Sheena family, what kind of discount do you think would be appropriate?"

Lin Yi's original idea was to symbolically charge a 10% or 20% discount, just to make a token gesture.

After all, the Hina family had almost emptied their resources to support him, and they were still in a recovery period with no income and no expenditure, so their finances were bound to be very tight.

Charging excessively high prices does not align with his original intention of rewarding his allies.

Upon hearing this, Irelia tapped the rim of her teacup lightly with her slender fingers, lost in thought.

She frowned slightly, as if she were having a fierce internal struggle.

A few seconds later, Irelia looked up and tentatively asked, "Half price?"

Before Lin Yi could even respond, she immediately shook her head in self-contradiction: "No, 50% off is still a bit too low, it seems too easy. Let's go with 60% off!"

Lin Yi was both amused and exasperated by her reverse bargaining tactic.

He was initially worried that the price would be too high for the other party to afford, but the other party took the initiative to raise the price instead.

"60% off?"

Lin Yi asked with some doubt, "Ellie, isn't this discount a bit too little? As far as I know, your Sheena family's finances are currently quite tight. At a 60% discount, you probably can't afford a life-sustaining planet enough to house your entire clan, can you?"

He thought Irelia was being overly considerate of him, wanting to secure a "relatively reasonable" price for the Sheena family rather than a "purely advantageous" one.

However, Irelia's answer surprised him.

She nodded without hesitation, her tone even carrying a hint of determination: "Of course I can't afford it. What I want is something I can't afford."

Lin Yi was taken aback at first, and then a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

He was not a dull man. Combining this with Irelia's previous hints about possible disagreements within the family, Lin Yi instantly understood her true intentions.

"Ellie, what do you want...?"

Lin Yi didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes conveyed the complete question.

Irelia met Lin Yi's gaze and readily admitted, "That's right, Captain. Although we can't afford it, we can incur debt. I hope you can become the biggest creditor of our Sheena family."

She smiled and lowered her voice, as if she were discussing some unspeakable conspiracy with Lin Yi. "As I mentioned before, there have always been some old-fashioned people in the family who objected to leaving the clan land they had cultivated for countless years, migrating the entire clan to the human territory, and placing almost all their hopes on you. It was only because of the circumstances that it was possible to go ahead, and because my grandmother overruled the objections."

"Even if you sell the planet to us at the lowest price now, in the eyes of these old fogies, this is just our 'due return' for your previous investment, a favor you 'owe' us. They may accept it, but they may not feel much genuine gratitude in their hearts, and may even feel that it is their due. In the future, they may still rely on their seniority and make unreasonable demands in certain decisions."

As she spoke, Irelia's eyes sharpened: "But if the price is set higher, so high that we simply cannot pay in full at this stage and need to borrow from you, then the situation is completely different. We will not only get the planet and solve our immediate problem, but more importantly, we will incur a huge debt."

"Faced with someone with immense potential who is also our family's biggest creditor, those old-fashioned people can no longer say 'no' with a clear conscience or make excessive demands. This debt will become one of the strongest bonds that maintain our relationship."

"At the same time, it will probably become the most powerful tool for your grandmother Liyue to suppress dissenting voices within the organization," Lin Yi added silently to himself.

He looked at Irelia again, as if trying to get to know his comrade-in-arms all over again.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yi picked up the slightly cooled teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

Lin Yi then made a decision.

“Alright.” He said in a deep voice, “Then we’ll do it your way. 40% off, and some payments can be deferred. I need to finalize the specific details with the Liyue Clan Chief in person.”

Lin Yi looked at Irelia and said, "Inform the Liyue Clan Chief of this news and ask her to discuss it in the virtual network. Some things are clearer when discussed face to face."

“Yes, Commander.” Irelia stood up and bowed solemnly to Lin Yi. “On behalf of the Sheena family, I thank you for your understanding and support.”

Irelia disappeared at the entrance of the training room to arrange a virtual meeting with the Liyue clan leader.
-
at the same time.

In the central conference room of the "Star Chaser," the flagship of the Sheena family's giant ecological fleet, which floats quietly in the dark universe near Blue Star, the atmosphere is completely different from the "planning for the future" on Lin Yi's side.

Seated around the long wooden conference table were the current core members of the Sheena family.

Clan Chief Li Yue sat in the main seat. To her left, first in line, was Elder Li Shan, who was in charge of resources and finances. Opposite her was Elder Tie Yan, who was in charge of clan discipline and security. His lips were pressed into a hard line, and he exuded a low-pressure aura.

Beside her was Elder Yunzhi, a woman with a gentle demeanor but a furrowed brow at the moment, who was in charge of education and the cultivation of the younger generation. The light screen in front of her displayed a comparison chart of the recent cultivation progress of the young clansmen, and the glaring negative growth marks made her very worried.

The other elders and deacons in charge of commerce, logistics, and technology all had solemn expressions.

At the front of the conference room, on a huge light screen, the family's intelligent life form "Orlan" was reading out a series of cold data in a calm, even voice. Each number felt like a whip lashing at the hearts of the attendees.

"The family's general-purpose energy reserves have decreased by 12.3 percent from their pre-migration peak. The main consumption items are fleet maintenance, ecosystem circulation, and power supply for basic training formations. Based on the current minimum guaranteed consumption rate, the reserves can only maintain standard operation for about 13,000 standard years. If an emergency occurs requiring an upgrade to the energy level, this time will be significantly shortened."

"The source energy crystal inventory has triggered an alarm. The monthly quota for non-combat personnel and core R&D personnel has been reduced by 7%. Seventeen clansmen who are on the verge of breakthrough have been forced to postpone their advancement process, and three of them have shown slight signs of instability in their realm."

"The family's special resources, 'Moonlight Moss', 'Starry Grass', and 'Ethereal Wood Core', are all in stock, with only 83.7% remaining. These resources are the core auxiliary materials for the family's inherited cultivation technique, 'Xina's Moonlit Record,' as well as various unique medicines and formations. It is expected that the supply will be completely discontinued in 8,000 years."

"Monitoring report on the cultivation efficiency of the entire tribe over the past three standard months: The average cultivation efficiency has decreased by 15.4% compared to before the migration. The decline is particularly significant among the younger generation under 5,000 years old, with an average decrease of 22%. The main reasons are: environmental adaptation pressure, shortage of energy and special resources. Some traditional cultivation practices cannot be carried out due to resource issues, and there is a general sense of anxiety and uncertainty among the tribe members."

Each piece of data read aloud seemed to lower the temperature in the conference room by a fraction. Each piece of data felt like a heavy boulder weighing on the hearts of all the attendees.

The elders' expressions grew increasingly grim; some frowned, some sighed silently, and others had shifty eyes, hesitant to speak.

Although no one has directly questioned the decision of Clan Chief Liyue to "leave the clan territory and fully invest in Lin Yi," Lin Yi's talent and his sect's background still make him a promising candidate in the long run.

But the harsh reality is like a cold tide, constantly eroding everyone's confidence.

"Chief."

Elder Lishan, with his gray hair and serious face, couldn't help but speak up: "Resources are only going out and not coming in. We're just sitting around and eating our own stock. This is not a long-term solution. Commander Lin Yi is indeed a hidden dragon with a promising future, but that is, after all, the 'future.' The daily consumption of our entire clan is very real."

"Should we consider, without affecting our alliance with Commander Lin Yi, trying to contact other forces within the human race, or looking for ways to acquire resources in the short term? Even if it's just to alleviate the immediate pressure."

Elder Tieyan replied in a deep voice, "Elder Lishan is right. To live off one's resources is a path to certain death. Although the fleet's defense is not a concern for the time being, the scarcity of resources is causing unrest among the troops, and internal problems are brewing. Recently, the number of minor incidents of violating the ban has increased significantly compared to the same period last year. The pressure on discipline is immense."

Elder Yunzhi sighed, “What I’m worried about is the morale of the younger generation. Seeing their peers’ cultivation slow down due to limited resources, and hearing the rumors about us being ‘homeless dogs,’ their eyes are losing their light.”

“A few days ago, a very talented child secretly asked me, ‘Elder Yunzhi, is it really the right thing for us to leave our hometown?’ I didn’t know how to answer without hurting his feelings, while also upholding the family’s decision.”

A somber atmosphere permeated the meeting room.

The scarcity of resources and the uncertainty of the future cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.

Even Li Yue, who had been sitting firmly in the main seat, unconsciously clenched her hands slightly under the table.

How could she not know about her family's predicament?
However, rashly contacting other forces could not only lead to misunderstandings with Lin Yi, but also easily cause him to fall into a more complex vortex in the relatively unfamiliar environment of the human territory.

Just as the debate was gaining momentum and the gloomy atmosphere in the conference room seemed to solidify, the unique voice of the intelligent life form "Oran" rang out again, calmly drowning out all the noise:

"Received a high-priority encrypted message from Miss Irelia. Lord Lin Yi, leader of the Dongfeng Mercenary Group, invites Clan Chief Liyue to meet at a designated encrypted virtual network node after three standard divisions."

The argument abruptly stopped. Everyone looked at Li Yue.

Li Yue rubbed her temples, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and prepared to fulfill her duties as clan leader: "Since it was Commander Lin Yi who invited me, there must be something he needs to discuss. The meeting is adjourned, I..."

She was preparing to temporarily leave her seat and connect to the virtual network when Elder Lishan, who had previously expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the current situation, spoke up with barely suppressed anger:

"Clan leader!"

"What could be more important than the crucial matter concerning the survival of our clan? There are only a few items left on the agenda, and the meeting will be over in no time. Why not send a message to Irelia first, asking Commander Lin Yi to wait a moment? To abruptly interrupt the meeting is rather impolite and makes it seem as if my Sheena family is too hasty."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the life form "Oran" floating in the air, his tone pleading: "Lord Oran, please also persuade the clan leader. There are countless clan affairs to attend to right now, and it is precisely the time when the clan leader needs to take charge and make decisions."

Within the Hina family, the intelligent life form "Oran" holds a transcendent position, and its advice often carries significant weight.

However, this time, Oran's reaction surprised everyone.

The soft orb of light flickered slightly, mimicking a highly anthropomorphic "twitching of the corners of the mouth" expression, as if it had heard something utterly absurd.

Instead of responding directly to Elder Lishan, it read aloud the core information attached to Irelia's message in an almost "playful" tone, word for word.

"Message Attachment Note: During a gathering of his sect, Leader Lin Yi received 100,000 Life Planets from his third senior sister, the Eternal Goddess, Her Majesty Qianhuan. He has now invited the Liyue Clan Chief to discuss the specific details of 'selling' a portion of these Life Planets to my Xina Clan."

"Auran" paused, then turned his gaze to Elder Lishan, who had just spoken.

"Elder Lishan, are you sure you want to ask Commander Lin Yi to 'wait a moment'?"

But Elder Lishan did not answer him. Instead, he stood up abruptly, and the chair slid back with a screeching sound because of the sudden movement, but he didn't care at all.

He turned urgently to Li Yue, who was still sitting in the main seat, equally shocked by the news and struggling to calm her breathing, and almost shouted:

"Clan Chief! What are you standing there for?!"

As he spoke, he even made urgent gestures to urge him on, as if the great opportunity would vanish if Liyue delayed even a second.

"Go now! Immediately! Right now!"

His shout seemed to awaken someone from a dream.

The other elders also realized what was happening and no longer cared about decorum or restraint.

"Yes, yes, yes! Chieftain, go quickly!"

"This matter is our clan's top priority, no, its only priority! The meeting is adjourned! Adjourned indefinitely!"

"Hurry! Don't keep Commander Lin Yi waiting!"

The overwhelming joy washed away all the anxiety and gloom. In an instant, the conference room was filled with eager voices urging them on, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere just minutes before.

Looking at the crowd below who had instantly "changed their expressions," Li Yue felt both amused and moved.

Compared to the other elders, Li Yue was more familiar with Lin Yi, so at this moment, she was not as anxious as the other elders.

Therefore, she took a deep breath, suppressed her turbulent emotions, stood up, looked around at everyone, and her voice regained its usual calmness.

"Gentlemen, I understand. The meeting is adjourned, and everything will be discussed again after I meet with Head of Delegation Lin Yi."

She said no more, turned around, and walked faster than usual, yet still maintained the demeanor of a clan leader, toward the dedicated virtual network connection pod.

(End of this chapter)