"One day, I will own not just one, but multiple T5 warships," Feng Mo declared, staring obsessively at the massive ship in the distance.
He found himself lost in a fantasy, imagining what it would be like to command an entire fleet of T5 warships.
"Commander, we've arrived at Chaos Starport," Elpan's voice broke through Feng Mo's reverie.
Standing nearby, Elpan, the vice-captain, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her commander looking like a complete fanatic, his eyes filled with endless desire. It was the first time she had ever seen him so enraptured, and it amused her. Yet, it also left her feeling somewhat defeated; after all, she, Elpan of the royal succubus lineage, couldn't compete with the allure of a starship.
"Take care of refueling and resupplying the ships with Moxue's vice-captain. Since we're in Chaos, we might as well check out the slave market," Feng Mo suggested.
Everyone eagerly agreed. Since they were in Chaos, a visit to the North's largest slave market was a must. It was a perfect opportunity to unwind before the coming challenges.
"Yes! Let's hit the slave market!" Old Wang agreed enthusiastically.
Old Wang even called down twenty personal guards from the ship: ten men and ten women, all third-level genetic warriors, assigned as bodyguards by his family for him and Moxue. The large party boarded a driverless aerial shuttle that transported them to Chaos Planet's surface, heading for the Chaos Market, commonly referred to as the slave market.
Chaos Planet was a lush and habitable life planet, home to around 20 billion permanent residents. In the southern part of the planet stood a massive, modern complex of buildings, with the tallest reaching over 300 stories high—the headquarters of the slave market.
Here, with enough Yunshan credits, you could buy almost anything—though the T5 Lion King warship wasn't on that list.
As they entered the complex, a graceful human woman approached them. "Welcome, honored guests from afar, to Chaos Tower. I will be your host, Nini," she greeted.
Nini led them to a luxurious conference room and left briefly to prepare.
"Mo, look at the VIP treatment we're getting. A fancy conference room and personal service," Old Wang said smugly.
Feng Mo rolled his eyes. "Anyone would get this treatment if they showed up with twenty bodyguards. Stop bragging, Old Wang."
Soon, Nini returned, accompanied by several women in cheongsams, each carrying trays of exquisite desserts and fruit. Nini then pulled up a large holographic screen displaying detailed slave information.
"What species of slaves are you interested in, honored guests?" she asked.
Feng Mo first looked at Old Wang and Moxue. When they both shook their heads, he said, "I want female slaves who are at least second-level genetic warriors, not ugly, with the potential to become starship captains."
Nini nodded and brought up a list of suitable candidates. "Would you like me to provide recommendations?" she asked.
Feng Mo shook his head, so Nini stood quietly to the side, awaiting further instructions.
Browsing the extensive listings, Feng Mo was impressed by the variety available. The market truly lived up to its reputation as the North's largest slave trading hub, offering a range of species from dwarves, elves, and beastfolk to mechanical beings and treants.
After reviewing several pages, Feng Mo selected two slaves and examined their profiles.
The first was an elf named Huayin (her full name was too long and difficult to remember, so the market shortened it). She was a second-level genetic warrior and a former captain under the Elven Kingdom's Third Fleet. Standing 1.7 meters tall, she was beautiful but not as voluptuous as Elpan.
The second was a dwarf named Alisa, a member of a wandering star race captured by an exploration fleet in the Chaos Starsea. She was also a second-level genetic warrior and an accomplished starship engineer. Alisa had a petite, 1.3-meter-tall frame, twin ponytails, and a completely flat chest.
Both were adults, aged 33 and 49, respectively, though still considered young compared to their races' lifespans. Elpan, over a century old, had only just reached young adulthood.
"I'll take these two. How much?" Feng Mo asked.
Nini locked in the two selections on her terminal and replied, "Huayin is priced at 1.3 million Yunshan credits, and Alisa, being a special talent, is 3 million."
Feng Mo calculated quickly. The slave market was renowned for its variety, but the prices were steep. Still, these two were worth the investment.
"Deal. I'll take them now," he said, transferring 4.3 million Yunshan credits with a pang of financial pain. He couldn't help but think about how much he still needed to fund the T3 interstellar industrial ship, which required 30 million Yunshan credits.
"Old Wang, contact your aunt and offer her the T2 Black Bear-class frigate blueprints. Set the price at 3 million Yunshan credits. You know how well it performs; I think that's fair. She'll get the rights, but I need authorization to continue building it for our fleet without commercial distribution."
Old Wang grinned. He knew that Feng Mo's previous designs, like the T2 Zebra-class destroyer, had sold exceptionally well. His aunt had already recouped her investment and had even rewarded Old Wang with a million Yunshan credits as a referral bonus.
Eager to profit again, Old Wang quickly called his aunt, and within minutes, the deal was done. Feng Mo signed the contract, and 30 million Yunshan credits were deposited into his account, securing the funds for the industrial ship.
Just as the transaction concluded, Nini returned with the two slaves. Huayin wore a green combat uniform, while Alisa was dressed in red. The tall and short duo stood side by side, drawing a teasing look from Old Wang, who gave Feng Mo a knowing glance.
Feeling awkward under Old Wang's gaze, Feng Mo cleared his throat, prompting Moxue to intervene. She grabbed Old Wang's ear in a playful but firm grip, making him wince.
Meanwhile, Xiaomeng muttered quietly to herself, "Great, now we have two more beauties. What's left for me?"
With the purchase complete, Feng Mo handed Huayin and Alisa over to Elpan for management. He had plans for them: Alisa would captain the T3 industrial ship, while Huayin would serve as the Storm's vice-captain.
As they left the conference room, Alisa lingered for a moment, eyeing the remaining desserts. Unable to resist, she pulled a cloth pouch from her uniform and quickly p
acked her favorites before happily skipping off to catch up with Elpan.