Chapter 335: Tech-for-Equity! Innet Trade Network! Cosmic Storm!
"With your current qualifications, capabilities, and the resources under your control, you already surpass Megatronus."
"As long as you're willing to invest those resources into the Universal Megacorp , I can assure you—within a year, you'll start seeing substantial returns."
Lucius spoke patiently and thoroughly as he broke down the current market conditions of the Transformers universe for Quintessa.
At present, excluding the old-timers like Primus and Unicron who kept secret inheritances for themselves, the individuals with the most resources were Quintessa and the Creator Civilization.
But ever since the Creator Civilization began its rapid expansion and took over galactic affairs, Quintessa's holdings had started to dwindle.
Her influence and practical authority had also taken a sharp nosedive.
The real reason she left the Creator Civilization to establish her own independent workshop was to prevent the top brass from continuing to strip her of power.
If the universe could return to the era of Primus's rule, then Quintessa, who had earned great merit during that time, could reclaim her position as a true second-in-command.
Unfortunately, all of her efforts over the years had failed to halt the Creator Civilization's growing dominance, and her own assets continued to shrink.
Worse still, her conflict with the Universal Megacorp had cost her a large and expensive bounty hunter army—not only a loss of profit but also forcing her to owe the Creator Civilization a favor.
If she returned in disgrace, her fate would be nothing more than that of a glorified employee—stripped of her identity as one of the original creators.
But if she were to pivot—if she were to collaborate with the Universal Megacorp and join them via a tech-for-equity agreement—the outcome would be entirely different.
The Universal Megacorp had a mighty interstellar fleet, a fully developed trade system across galaxies, and booming markets in every industry. It was a blue ocean economy in its prime.
Anything Quintessa needed—manpower, resources—the Megacorp could provide with ease. In return, her technological breakthroughs would earn her the rewards and authority she sought.
In the Transformers universe, all it would take was her nod of agreement, and she'd immediately be granted a status on par with an Interstellar Governor.
That was a far better outcome than playing second fiddle to Primal Primus, or returning to the Creator Civilization just to become another cog in the machine.
She could keep her personal workshop, rise to a higher position, team up with a powerful force, and operate free of Creator Civilization restrictions—all while her wealth steadily increased.
In short, joining the Universal Megacorp would yield far greater advantages than pledging loyalty to either Primus or the Creator Civilization.
Thinking of all this, the resistance that had lingered in Quintessa's heart suddenly dissipated into silence.
She realized—Lucius wasn't entirely wrong.
All these years, hadn't everything she done been in pursuit of formal recognition under Primus?
Now she had a high-value opportunity to cash out and reinvest into a "superstock." Why would she turn that down?
As Quintessa weighed her decision, Alt Cunningham received an update from the tech validation team.
[Report, Director. We've verified Quintessa's technology at the Science Nexus—everything checks out, and her explanations were extremely thorough!]
There was a trace of excitement in Zuma's voice. With this tech in hand, they were one step away from creating fully transformable architecture.
"Great work," Alt nodded. With the tech validated, it was time to move the negotiations forward.
"Quintessa, we can now proceed with the next stage of our deal—"
Before he could finish, Quintessa interrupted, her decision already made:
"During the last battle, I saw your Executive Director in action. For the rest of these talks, I want to speak to him directly."
Alt and Lucius exchanged a glance. Clearly, they were surprised—Quintessa was now actively seeking collaboration.
After relaying her request to Li Ang and receiving the go-ahead, they activated the holoscreen connected to Night City's headquarters.
A moment later, Li Ang 's figure materialized in front of Quintessa.
[Quintessa, it looks like you've made the right decision.]
---
---
Two Years Later – Night City, Moro Rock Airport
[Oasis Game Update: Issue #777's Top Player has emerged! The winner is Panam Wells from Night City's Heywood District!]
The airport's baggage claim echoed with the automated announcement.
The space was bright and expansive, with holographic wayfinding displays placed in all key locations to help travelers navigate the terminal.
Down the hall connecting to the arrivals lounge, full-scale holographic ads cycled through every sector of the Universal Megacorp —films, electronics, immersive games, even its cultural IPs.
One standout ad promoted Oasis, a game developed by the Corp's IOI division. It combined ultra-dream technology with the Death Lottery Fund and was a household favorite among the youth of the new generation.
Each season of Oasis presented a new mystery challenge. The prize vault might include anything from real-world cash and collector's editions to exclusive access to megastructures and other high-tier privileges.
It was, without a doubt, the most popular full-immersion game in the Corp's younger demographic.
"Haha! Finally, it's my time to shine!"
A young man beamed as he spotted the broadcast on the screen—it was none other than the lucky winner, Panam Wells.
But he wasn't just some random gamer—he was also the eldest son of Jack Wells, commander of the Steel Hand battle regiment.
Panam had just returned from the Pacific Rim universe to enlist in the army under his father's command.
"What kind of treasure did you get this round?"
The question came from Sam Witwicky—the protagonist of the Transformers universe, who had also come to enlist.
The two had hit it off quickly during their journey to military headquarters and had become fast friends.
"Hmm... a lifetime SVIP membership at Lizzie's Bar. Three top-tier 'services' per day. Pfft! If my old man finds out, he'll skin me alive."
Panam laughed and shook his head. Sure, his father was the legendary Jack Wells, but he hadn't been raised like some spoiled second-gen heir.
Far from it—Panam had spent years building himself up in other universes, studying hard at Arasaka Academy, and preparing for military service.
Given his background, even a bit of effort yielded him tenfold results, so he pushed himself harder than most—whether in academics or combat training.
"Sam, why'd you enlist? You're a hero back on Earth! With President Galloway backing you, your life's already set."
Panam grinned teasingly.
Sam had become a household name back on his Earth in the Transformers universe—a savior of the planet. He could've raked in money through ads and acting alone.
There was really no need to grind it out as a soldier in Ideal City—especially since the Pioneer Corps had insane standards, accepting only those who could basically defy the laws of physics.
"Why else? To grow," Sam replied with a smile.
Whether it was due to residual energy from the Original Primes or some other awakening, Sam had changed since that final battle—his mind sharpened, his body enhanced.
Passing the Pioneer Corps entry test had been almost too easy.
But he wasn't joining just for personal advancement. Sam also wanted to reunite with old allies—Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the Autobots. Fighting alongside them again was the life he truly wanted—not lounging in luxury.
"Hah! Same here. I just wanna prove to my mom that I'm not living in my dad's shadow."
Their friendship ran deep enough that they could share even their most personal thoughts.
Now that they were back in Night City, Panam planned to invite Sam over to Heywood to try his mom Misty's cooking—corn cakes and steamed pork, recipes passed down from his grandmother.
Jack Wells' favorite dishes.
Soon, the two stepped out of the corridor and into the vast, luminous main terminal.
Futuristic open-frame architecture, glowing holoscreens, and tens of thousands of interstellar travelers created a unique vibrance that defined Night City.
"Sam Witwicky, Panam Wells—I'm under orders from Pioneer Corps HQ to escort both of you."
A familiar voice called out.
"No way—Uncle David?! You came to pick us up yourself?"
Seeing David Martinez dressed in civilian attire made their jaws drop. This officer was a legend in the Pioneer Corps—his fame rivaled even V back in the day.
"I told you, I'm here under HQ orders. Now get in the car."
David's tone stayed stern and no-nonsense, hurrying the two young recruits out of the terminal without delay.
Having grown up around influential people, Panam quickly realized this must've been a personal arrangement from his father.
David was Jack Wells' protégé, while Panam was essentially David's godson—the ties ran deep.
He also realized that David would likely be a guest at their family dinner tonight.
"Yes, sir!" Panam replied with a quick nod.
Not long after, a state-of-the-art Excalibur hovercar left the airport and merged onto the main road—before veering off into the military's express lanes.
Gazing out at the sparkling skyline of Night City, Panam couldn't help but sigh:
"Last time I saw Night City was three years ago. Can't believe it's changed so much since then."
With the Universal Megacorp rapidly consolidating its hold across the universe, the capital hub of Night City was naturally evolving with the influx of new powers and constant transformation.
These days, psychedelic holographic installations had long since become commonplace and affordable. In the most prosperous districts, they'd already been replaced by more efficient hard-light screens.
Various lightweight AI drones had completely taken over logistics and transportation in the food and retail sectors. Fortunately, Night City's traffic infrastructure was robust enough to prevent the chaos and gridlock that might otherwise have occurred.
Looking out the window at the other lanes, where vehicles moved in orderly formation at a slow, steady pace, while his own car raced forward through the express lane without interruption—
For the first time, Pani—fresh out of the academy—clearly felt the perks of privilege.
Then again, that was to be expected. The academy was always meant to bring people of different classes under one roof for management and education. But once you graduated, everyone simply returned to their rightful place. That's all there was to it.
"Uncle David, will my uncle be home tonight?"
The "uncle" Pani referred to, of course, was V.
As the half-brother of Jack, V had been a regular visitor to Jack's household long before becoming the Governor of the Stars. Naturally, Pani had grown up seeing V visit their home frequently.
"Governor V is busy right now. There's a lot to handle in the Transformers universe. He only gets a few days off a year."
"But from what I've seen of the situation over there, things should be wrapping up soon."
David finally dropped his usual serious demeanor and spoke to his young relative in a more casual tone.
"Oh? That side of things is almost done?"
Pani asked, probing with interest. Though he'd been born into the upper crust and constantly heard insider information, he had always harbored a strong curiosity about such affairs.
After all, whenever he wished, he had direct access to firsthand intelligence.
"Yeah. The Innet Trade Bloc that Quintessa and the boss put together is basically finalized now."
"It's opened up broader, faster, and more stable trade routes. With resource exchanges becoming less risky and far more efficient."
David glanced out the window as he spoke. Over the past two years, the number of Transformers roaming around had exploded—alongside those brutish Covenant Elites and other towering machines.
The diversity of species in Night City was growing by the day.
"Innet Trade Bloc? What's that?"
Pani pressed further. He'd heard the term back at Arasaka Academy, but never really understood what it meant.
"That's not something I can explain to you. You'll have to ask your father," David replied with a smile. Technically, he was high enough in rank to discuss it.
But for someone like Pani, freshly graduated and still starting from the bottom, knowing about top-level strategies wouldn't be of any real use. In fact, knowing too much might only foster unrealistic ambition.
"…Okay."
Pani pouted slightly in disappointment.
David and Pani, joined by Sam, continued to chat on and off about their future plans and amusing incidents from the academy.
Before long, the Excalibur hovercar arrived at the military compound of the Multiverse Base branch.
After passing security and completing identity verification, the armed guards finally cleared them to proceed into the depths of the camp.
---
Meanwhile, in Watson District, Night City — Headquarters of Universal Megacorp!
"Boss, here's a report on cosmic storm activity across the universes over the past two years. Compared to the earlier period, the frequency has clearly dropped significantly."
At the moment, Lucy—uncharacteristically dressed out of uniform—was wearing a form-fitting gray turtleneck and light-wash jeans that accentuated her curves.
She stood beside Li Ang , giving her report with focused professionalism.
"Got it."
Li Ang gave a soft reply from behind his desk. His eyes never left the hard-light screen in front of him.
What he was studying was the dashboard of the Innet Trade System—Universal Megacorp's latest interstellar economic initiative.
The so-called Innet Trade System was an upgrade proposal put forth by the Innet Civilization of the Prime Universe, aimed at improving the entire trade network of the Megacorp.
Its core goals were: optimizing material storage routes, establishing more trade hubs, safeguarding supply lines, and dealing with the troublesome issue of cosmic storms.
As the Megacorp's galactic integration efforts expanded, Li Ang 's elaborate trade network had become increasingly bloated and inefficient.
To better leverage their industrial output and more effectively mobilize their enormous material reserves—thus ensuring the social welfare of Megacorp's many civilizations—an overhaul of the trade system was urgently needed.
The hardest part to tackle? Cosmic storms.
These storms had complex causes, but one of the key triggers was the inevitable consequences of advanced civilization's progress.
Faster-than-light vessels and warships dashing back and forth for extended periods would gradually destabilize spatial dimensions. Eventually, this could cause spatial nodes to collapse and unleash unstable energies into physical space.
Likewise, excessive resource extraction disrupted the delicate balance of the cosmos. Combined with various other high-impact factors, these issues led to increasingly frequent cosmic storms.
To put it simply—the universe couldn't take the constant abuse from so many high-tech civilizations.
Fancy star-busting mining, FTL drag races, harvesting materials from the insides of black holes…
All of it contributed to the growing rate of natural disasters, with cosmic storms being the most common result.
And these storms were just like galactic-scale tornadoes, tearing through celestial bodies, stations, and trade routes in their path.
Over the years, Universal Megacorp had suffered countless losses due to these cosmic tempests—lost cargo, damaged infrastructure, crippled profits.
Fortunately, with Quintessa's arrival, Megacorp teamed up with the engineers of the Innet and Creator Civilizations to co-develop a Localized Disturbance Suppressor.
This suppressor could redirect the path of a cosmic storm—steering it away toward other sectors.
In a sense, it was a kind of cosmic-law-level weapon developed by the Megacorp.
After all, cosmic storms never vanish—they can only be relocated. And where they get relocated depends entirely on the Megacorp's will.
If any civilization dared betray the trade system, Li Ang could simply reroute a storm and wipe their entire species off the map.
It's worth noting: even an average storm could affect dozens—or even hundreds—of star systems in a single sweep.
Even an entity as powerful as Universal Megacorp had to flee and steer clear when one of those irrational storms came barreling through.
"Quintessa hasn't been stirring up trouble again lately, has she?"
Li Ang asked casually, though with intent.
Two years ago, under the persuasion of Lucius, Quintessa had agreed to collaborate with the Megacorp.
The Creator Civilization—utterly blindsided by this betrayal—had no choice but to join the trade network themselves.
Just like that, control of the Transformers universe fell jointly to Li Ang and Quintessa.
On the surface, they were co-leaders. But in reality, Quintessa had little interest in power.
Had she wanted it, she could have seized total control of the Transformers universe long ago.
Instead, she stuck to her core research interests after joining Megacorp, while executive authority fell squarely into Li Ang 's hands.
The Creators—burned by Quintessa's double-dealing and repeatedly played for fools—were left fuming.
First, they were duped into assembling an expensive invasion fleet… then stabbed in the back and lost all their hard-won assets.
Now they could only mutter bitter curses like "Aminos!" under their breath.
They had no leverage. They weren't even a threat.
When their fleet reached the edge of the Milky Way, they were greeted by Megacorp-aligned bounty hunter legions, lurking nearby with predatory intent.
There was no war to be fought.
After recruiting Quintessa, Li Ang even built her a Science Nexus megastructure, dedicated to her own research.
And as one of Megacorp's few true tech-investment partners, she delivered genuine technological breakthroughs in return.
One of them? An enhanced version of the Seed technology. The resulting Transformium could now be used to forge an entire fleet of Transformer-style Moons of War.
Mass-producing these war-moon megastructures—a concept that would've sounded insane just years ago—had now become easily achievable.
"Quintessa's operations are stable. Though she keeps inviting you to meet privately—I've declined every time."
Lucy's tone shifted subtly as she mentioned this, her brows furrowing faintly as though recalling something unpleasant.
Her sixth sense told her: Quintessa was definitely up to something.
Li Ang hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
He had spoken with Quintessa in private before, but mostly about Megacorp's strategic decisions and top-level secrets.
Quintessa was deeply curious about the mysteries surrounding Li Ang —constantly asking about the Matrix, or how the Stargates were constructed.
Li Ang dodged every question.
He understood her intense curiosity. As a godlike being, Quintessa only felt fulfillment through the pursuit of truth and the unraveling of cosmic mysteries.
As for money, romance, or dopamine-fueled indulgence—they held no appeal for her.
Of course, if she ever discovered that humans had a legally sanctioned method of splitting assets and stealing secrets called marriage…
She'd probably fall madly in love with Li Ang and race to the altar, just to gain access to all his secrets.
But Li Ang would never give her that chance.
In truth, with Li Ang 's current standing, no one could truly be his equal. He could have countless women if he wished—but there would never be a First Lady of Universal Megacorp.
Absolute power brooked no intrusion. Any attempt to claim it—by anyone but Li Ang —would mean death.
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