Dean Liu rambled on for a while, with the main point being that the academy considered Feng Mo an exceptional talent, a high-value asset, unlike that troublemaker Jiang Wei. As for compensation, anything less than substantial wouldn't be considered.
Feng Mo felt immense gratitude toward Dean Liu, especially since the man had saved his life and was now fighting for his interests. Naturally, Feng Mo was fully supportive, nodding attentively to every statement the dean made, as if taking it all in with the utmost seriousness.
Catching a glimpse of Feng Mo's earnest expression out of the corner of his eye, Dean Liu was even more pleased, silently labeling him a modest genius worth nurturing.
For nearly ten minutes, the office was dominated by Dean Liu's continuous persuasion. Only when he finally took a sip of his tea did his relentless monologue come to an end.
The steward from the Jiang family, clearly relieved, paid no attention to Dean Liu. Instead, he addressed Feng Mo directly, saying, "Lord Feng, greetings. I am Jiang Tianran, the chief steward of the Jiang family. Let me outline the compensation Jiang family is offering: ten million Yunshan credits and one resource planet in the Xianyun system."
Hearing this, Feng Mo's brow furrowed slightly. It was obvious that this offer was inadequate. However, he didn't object immediately. Instead, he shot a discreet glance at Dean Liu.
Picking up on the silent cue, Dean Liu straightened, exclaiming, "Not enough! What do you think you're offering here? A mere ten million credits? It should be at least one hundred million credits, plus five resource planets!"
This was certainly a bold demand, practically extorting a small family's entire fortune. Even a family like the Jiangs would feel the sting.
Together, the resources were worth more than two hundred million Yunshan credits—enough to buy two T4-class starships. If Feng Mo built them himself, it could finance twenty Storm-class warships.
"Impossible! That compensation amount is beyond my authority. I don't even need to report it to the master of the house; it won't be approved!" Jiang Tianran refused outright.
Negotiations continued, with each side haggling fiercely until Dean Liu and Jiang Tianran finally reached an agreement: ten million Yunshan credits plus three resource planets in the Xianyun star system.
These three resource planets held particular significance. They were located right next to Feng Mo's territory, forming a line with the three planets already under the Feng family's domain. Once upon a time, these planets had also belonged to the Feng family, sold off by his parents. Reclaiming them now restored his realm's territorial integrity.
With the deal sealed, the steward led a dejected Jiang Wei out of the office. Jiang Wei hadn't uttered a single word, his head bowed, the slap mark still visible on his face.
Feng Mo sneered internally. What an act. This was the interstellar era! A slap mark? With modern medical advancements, even broken limbs could be seamlessly reattached, or prosthetics could be created from bio-synthetic materials.
Still, this incident served as a reminder. Silent threats are the most dangerous. The quieter Jiang Wei was, the more ferocious his eventual retaliation would likely be.
Under Dean Liu's guidance, Feng Mo escaped the office. Checking his smart terminal, he saw that the Jiang family had already completed the transfer of the three planets on the star network, and the credits had been deposited into his account.
Impressive efficiency! No wonder they were a powerful family.
Elated, Feng Mo returned to his dorm to pack his things, heading straight to the spaceport.
---
Bridge of the T3 Storm-class Starship
"The coordinates are set for Dock F001 in the Xianyun system. We'll first head to the star gate in the Yunshan system, use the gate to travel to the Xianyun star gate, and then proceed to Dock F001. Estimated travel time is two hours and forty minutes," Vice-Captain Elpan reported, standing beside him.
"Activate the Level Three warp engines. Preparing for warp travel. All crew, enter Deepsea Mode," Elpan commanded.
Technically, the Storm's structural integrity field and sealed bridge's subspace environment, combined with the crew's physical enhancements, meant they didn't need Deepsea Mode. But safety always came first. It was only a couple of hours, after all. Besides, Deepsea Mode allowed consciousness access to the StarNet for leisure.
"Course plotted. Initiating acceleration in three minutes. All crew, enter Deepsea Mode!"
Throughout the ship, a mechanical voice issued the alert, blue lights flashing. Next to each seat, hibernation pods emerged, ready to protect the crew from the rigors of warp travel and prepare them to resume their posts swiftly.
Ninety percent of the Storm's energy was being diverted to the warp engines, with only minimal power left to maintain ship functions.
Lying flat in his hibernation pod, Feng Mo felt a cool, blue liquid envelop him. Two floating icons appeared before his eyes: [StarNet] and [Hibernation].
Selecting [StarNet], Feng Mo materialized inside his virtual dorm room, a perfect replica of his real-world quarters in the academy, designed to accommodate him until graduation.
Instead of wandering, Feng Mo made himself comfortable on the soft couch, indulging in a movie, served by the ever-attentive virtual AI assistants.
Time flew by. When his vision flashed red, it was a reminder that they were nearing the star gate.
"Storm-class Starship systems report: Warp travel complete. Destination reached. Now in autopilot mode."
The hibernation pods in the bridge opened simultaneously, and Vice-Captain Elpan was the first to step out.
"All crew, return to your stations within one minute and run diagnostics on all ship systems," she commanded.
Feng Mo, while rich in theory, lacked practical experience and thus continued to observe Elpan, learning from her command.
"Request passage through the star gate to Xianyun system," Feng Mo instructed.
"Request sent. Usage fee is fifty thousand Yunshan credits, discounted to forty thousand for academy personnel. Fee paid."
"Permission granted."
Guided by instructions from the Yunshan Empire's gate authority, Elpan navigated the Storm to Gate Three, where several starships queued for passage.
Unlike warp travel, star gate jumps didn't require Deepsea Mode. Star gates enabled interstellar transit, shrinking the galaxy with near-instantaneous jumps.
In mere seconds, the ship was surrounded by dazzling colors before emerging into the dark expanse of space once more.
"Arrival in Xianyun system confirmed. Initiating warp travel to Dock F001. Estimated time: forty-five minutes," Elpan declared.
The bridge dimmed once more. Hibernation p
ods emerged. Feng Mo reclined, re-entering the StarNet. His movie was still waiting.