I, on the Starry Sky Railway, change everything

Chapter 264 Shifting the Focus

The underground air lacks circulation and is murky, unlike anything found in the upper levels.

The sky is replaced by a rocky ceiling, devoid of sunlight, easily creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere.

In addition, the clothes of the miners coming and going were stained with the kind of dirt that is common in heavy industry, which is quite similar to the hometown that Toppa remembers from his childhood.

"Including automated machine soldiers, all kinds of machinery in Belloberg rely on the earth marrow for power. Mining is undoubtedly the pillar industry. If we want to improve the environment of the lower zone, we need to change our perspective."

The CEO has management experience, and as a senior executive of the company, her knowledge and vision are not limited to one planet.

"In such a closed environment, mechanical, electrical, filtration, and scrubbing dust collectors are not very suitable. They are either not efficient enough or not suitable for underground operation environments. Charged bag filters or charged droplet scrubbers, combined with a fresh air system, are necessary to meet the needs of particulate capture."

The buildings in the town are covered in rust. Which rust remover from the company would be suitable?

The fresh vegetables in the lower layer mainly come from the ground; otherwise, only moss will remain. We measure air temperature and humidity, light intensity, and search the stars for fruits and vegetables that are easier to grow under the same conditions.

Interstellar Peace Corporation was able to handle all the troubles Bellober encountered, becoming the largest manufacturer, seller, and logistics provider.

Having personally witnessed the collapse and restoration of his homeland's ecosystem, and seen the plight of many planets that failed to repay their debts in time, Toppa no longer simply grieves for the suffering of people, or rejoices that civilization has barely emerged from the crisis.

Identify problems, provide solutions, and bring about change as a senior company executive.

This is her way of working.

Rivet Town, Rocky Town, Mechanical Graveyard, and Armory.

"With this signal distribution, could it be that when Yalilo-VI and the Legion fought seven hundred years ago, they didn't even use the weapons left behind by the company?... The legends of this planet are becoming more and more fascinating."

How many people still know the original site of the weapons testing ground that the company's specialists built in cooperation with Yalilo-VI? And how many people can guess that countless mechs and weapons are hidden in the seemingly ordinary rocky mountain in front of them?

Although the company's technology from seven hundred years ago was far weaker than the company's current military force, in terms of both quantity and quality, it was still a robot army capable of fighting against the legion's expendable troops.

Toppa's eyes lit up as he tentatively entered commands remotely.

"It can even receive orders; it is indeed a standardized weapon produced in accordance with regulations."

"It looks like you've found something the company left behind back then."

A second voice rang out from the deserted area that no one had set foot in for years. Without turning around, Toppa could tell who it was just by the tone of the voice.

"Miss Natasha has also returned to the lower districts. Is there something she needs to do?"

"Lord Hua Yi sent me here to act as your guide and introduce you to the stories of the underground world."

At the same time, I'm taking this opportunity to give myself a break and go back to the lower levels to take a look.

There's no need to tell Toppa the second half of what Hua Yi said; he can keep Hua Yi's concern to himself.

Natasha followed the president's gaze and looked at Yanshan.

“If you plan to take the company’s legacy back with you, I can gather people to help with the moving.”

"No need to move them. I see the mechs inside the rock wall that were shut down can still move and walk on their own—you all knew this was an old armory all along? The rift erosion had already spread to the town, and monster attacks were becoming more and more frequent, so why didn't you see any of the mechs left behind by the company?"

"I don't know, Hua Yi told me."

He already knew what Topa would ask, and Natasha only needed to repeat what he said.

"More than seven hundred years ago, after the company's employees evacuated this planet, no one knew how to activate these weapons."

"So what are your automatons?"

"Based on the design blueprints left by the company, the builders constructed the first batch of replica mechs, but the main force in the resistance of the first Great Guardian, Alisarand, was still human beings of flesh and blood."

"Tsk, the company regulations must not have been strictly followed when the employees left back then. Even if they had to leave in a short time, they should have left the keys to control the mechs behind instead of leaving them idle for so long."

"The automatons use the underlying code left by the company and should be paid accordingly, but Belloberg has stored the company's mechs for seven hundred years, and the storage fees are also considerable. They should be offset against each other."

Topa was amused by Natasha's words.

"Are you just repeating Hua Yi's original words? He's quite thoughtful."

"Yes."

"Alright, let's cancel it out then. I can handle that."

The combined combat power of the mechs waiting in the rock wall is still less than that of Toppa using [Demand Topaz].

The CEO was just there to take a look, but her attention was already focused on Natasha.

“I didn’t expect that Belloberg would record something from so many years ago so clearly. During the Star Core Crisis, the responsibility of the Great Guardians was passed down from generation to generation, and the will to protect them was also passed down from generation to generation without interruption. This is the legacy—you guys are really amazing.”

“He’s the one who’s better. Me, Seele, and even Bronya and Cocolia, we were all caught in the crossfire of the crisis.”

"Tell me more about it. Don't worry about the debt, and don't treat me like one of the company's employees. Ultimately, Hua Yi and I are both from outer space."

You are a guest, but he is not.

Hua Yi is now the king of Bellberg, and we are trying to keep him here, at least for a while.

If Topa were also from Winter City, Natasha would have to have an open and honest conversation with her to discuss countermeasures. However, the girl represents the Interstellar Peace Corporation.

According to the information Bronya secretly shared with everyone last night, this director is trying to poach Hua Yi from the company, inviting him to join the Interstellar Peace Corporation. He is another competitor after the Starry Sky Train.

Although, strictly speaking, the company did lend money and leave behind mecha blueprints and underlying code, indirectly facilitating the birth of the automaton and thus doing a favor for Belloberg, this favor should not become an excuse for Toppa to coerce Hua Yi.

Suppressing her distracting thoughts, Natasha began to recount Belloberg's past and present.

Furthermore, it subtly emphasizes just how much Winter City has changed because of Hua Yi's arrival, and that they will never let go.

Toppa understood her subtext, blinked twice, thought for a moment, and decided to give up explaining to Natasha how many resources the company had. If Hua Yi could become her colleague, the future of Ariello-VI would only be better.

Well, the focus of our work should shift from this planet to him from now on.

Chapter 265 Negotiation

"Has the site visit been completed and are you ready to begin formal negotiations? Miss Topa's efficiency is truly astonishing."

In the conference room of Cripperburg, Hua Yi sat on one side of the long table, with the High Guardian Bronya beside him, representing Beloberg. Toppa sat on the other side, attending as a senior executive of the Interstellar Peace Corporation.

Belloberg's future will be decided here.

Hiluva, Natasha, and others were qualified to participate in the meeting and express their opinions, but they felt they hadn't come up with any good ideas.

When two forces are negotiating, if one side has a large number of people while the other side is alone, the other side will be suppressed in terms of momentum and will have to gain the initiative in the negotiations.

Hua Yi was well aware of the techniques involved, but he simply had Bronya appear with him, abandoning any unnecessary calculations.

As the company director, Toppa has a considerable number of people at his disposal. His solo trip was not only due to his close personal relationship with Esther, but also because he wanted to express goodwill without compromising his work requirements after learning that Hua Yi had saved Belloberg.

Gaining the upper hand in negotiations by relying on trivial details is nothing more than taking advantage of the other party's goodwill to play mind games.

Intelligent people can understand each other with just a glance or a subtle detail.

Toppa understood Hua Yi's attitude, and a smile appeared on her pretty face.

"I prefer to call this a problem-solving exchange conference rather than a negotiation. Let me first present my own ideas: Yalilo-VI alone cannot pay off its debts. If Miss Bronya does not want the heroes to have to spend huge amounts of credits on Belloberg after saving the world, accepting the company's management is a good choice."

"I lack a long-term and concrete action plan... Can I share my thoughts?"

"of course."

"While the first High Guardian, Alisarand, led her warriors in a bloody battle on the front lines, the engineers worked day and night in the rear to design automatons, hoping to contribute their wisdom to the preservation of civilization."

I am not a girl who is rational enough or has a broad enough perspective.

Bronya is self-aware.

She will show joy when the Star Train arrives in Beloborg and Hua Yi demonstrates his ability to suppress the rift, and she will easily develop trust in him; she will yearn for the new possibility he describes, and begin to question her mother's decision, pleading for the lifting of the blockade order.

It was quite impulsive of him to trust the visitor from outer space and fail to stand firmly by the side of the mother who raised him and taught him how to manage the city.

If Bronya is deceived by someone wearing a mask of hypocrisy, leading to an even greater tragedy, she will fall into extreme pain, and then grow through suffering to become a qualified Great Guardian.

If Belloberg had still existed at that time.

Fortunately, Hua Yi had no ill intentions whatsoever, and he created a miracle that exceeded everyone's expectations.

It spared the slightly naive heart of the young girl from sorrow.

"The true crystallization of wisdom, the most powerful war machine, is not the automaton, but the Creation Engine. To resist the invasion of the Legion, the Creation Engine was put into battle in its early stages and made great contributions. However, the code name given to it by Lady Alisa is [Geological Modification Engineering Unit]. Its true mission is to help people rebuild their homes after driving out all enemies who attempt to invade the world."

"The concept of long-term development transcends time and even life itself. That Ms. Rand was truly remarkable."

"...Now that people finally have the opportunity to rebuild their homes, and Lord Hua Yi has inspired everyone's enthusiasm during his speech in the square, at this time when everyone is united, I do not want to sell Belloberg to the company in exchange for a future that will be bought out."

Bronya cautiously revealed her true feelings.

She worried that such a statement would anger Toppa, and she also knew that when the other party was being rational and reasonable, her adherence to the human nature of Beloborg and the expectations of the first Great Protector for the future seven hundred years ago was not very convincing.

It's like playing the emotional card; it requires Toppa to be empathetic and compassionate.

But what if she treats Belloberg preferentially because of this and gets held accountable by higher management? Should she then play the emotional card?

Sitting almost shoulder to shoulder with the girl, Hua Yi could see her clenched hands hidden under the table.

Each of them grasped Bronya's fingers and gently stretched them. The new High Guardian demonstrated a clear ideology, and that was enough. Next, it was the Philosopher King's turn.

"Bronya is speaking from an emotional perspective, so let me talk about practical benefits—selling the entire Belloberg to the company wouldn't be enough to pay off the debts; a planetary sum like that requires a planetary return."

"Yes."

"Therefore, if the company brings this city under its management, it will definitely carry out a major overhaul of the planet's ecology, quickly end the cold wave, restore a warm climate, and then use the entire Yalilo-VI as a farm, industrial manufacturing center, and office building to create value worthy of the investment."

"This is indeed the plan of the strategic investment department."

"However, there is a more than 50% chance of failure in large-scale manipulation of the planet's ecology. The company's expected returns cannot be equated with the value that can be generated by successfully transforming Yalilo-VI. Instead, it must be multiplied by the limited success rate. The resulting figure will not be too impressive. A sufficiently long time span must be added to break even."

Hua Yi used the company's most familiar method to explain the effort and reward to Toppa.

“Transforming the ecosystem is another huge expense, increasing the investment.”

“Before I came here, I did the calculations and found that the return on investment was greater than letting Belloberg develop on his own.”

"What if the renovation fails?"

"The company is not an antimatter legion and will not destroy civilizations without authorization. If the environment of Yalilo-VI completely collapses, the Beloborg people can be transferred to other planets. The population of a 1.0 city-level city, even with personal property, would not require many transport ships."

Leaving one's homeland is certainly not a happy thing, but if this is the worst outcome, and the new planet is more habitable than Yalilo-VI, then it becomes a blessing in disguise.

“It seems Miss Topa is well aware of the potential gains the company could make, as well as the losses that would occur if the risks were triggered. In that case, I’d like to point out another attribute of Belloborg: it is a city of preservation, which has withstood the onslaught of the antimatter legion and the star core for seven hundred years. The company once invested in credits, and the mechs it left behind became the prototypes for automatons.”

"what do you mean……"

"Brand, image, reputation—the Antimatter Legion doesn't need these things; they're already infamous. But I think the company needs them, and Belloberg is ready-made publicity material."

Chapter 266 Both sides were very satisfied

Does having credit points mean you can do whatever you want?

The company has established a credit point system, has absolute control over wealth, sets trade rules, and acts as a player within the system itself; its actions are often traceable.

Even though this behemoth harbors black blood within its body, it remains a colossus of the Order side, fundamentally different from the antimatter legion that only knows destruction.

Toppa's mind was racing.

"If the company takes over Belloborg, it won't stop at just one city. It will definitely transform the planet. The price of failure will be the destruction of a defensive city that the legion and the star core failed to conquer. The reputation and benefits that can only be obtained after success, can Belloborg provide that now?"

“Miss Topa should have verified during her investigation that the role of the earth’s core heating is limited. It is [preservation] that is protecting Beloborg. In the vast universe, this should be considered a rare case.”

“Bronya showed me the Beroberg people’s enthusiasm for self-rescue, while you explained the benefits of letting the Beroberg people develop on their own. It’s a two-pronged approach.”

"It's just a simple statement of the pros and cons."

The Star Peace Corporation, which believes in preservation, will not lack propaganda material. The size of Belleburg, a city, is truly as insignificant as dust in the universe.

However, the dimension being discussed is not the vast galaxy, but only the Arillow-VI.

Hua Yi's proposed solution certainly had enough value to entice Topa.

"Defining past investments as timely assistance demonstrates the company's long-term commitment to preservation, making it a natural partner for planets that sincerely worship the King of Amber. If the Strategic Investment Department could incorporate the theme of Bellberg ending the past seven centuries and ushering in a new era into its speech at the Amber Age summary conference, it would serve as a bridge between the past and the future, looking towards the department's future..."

The female director became more and more insightful as she spoke.