[Author Note: 2nd of the 5 bonus chapters.]
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"So what are these conditions then?" Celeste asked.
"First, is that all your company will just be responsible for the production and distribution of the earring, all ownership rights will remain with Adam," Rowena stated.
"That's standard, my company isn't equipped to sell the earrings to the populace, our expertise lies in manufacture and distribution," Celeste replied.
"Next is that although we are giving you the plans to make them today, you need to stay quiet about the earring for the next fifteen years."
"Fifteen years?" Celeste replied in shock before asking, "Why?"
"Because the tech to produce the earring doesn't exist yet and won't be for fifteen years, according to the AI on Adam's ship."
"Fuck, really?" Celeste complained before saying in a grumble, "You couldn't have come and told me about these earrings in like fourteen years instead?"
"First off, I have already told you that we didn't travel back in time on purpose and secondly, if we did that, I couldn't give you this," Rowena replied while pulling out something that vaguely resembled a data drive to show Celeste.
"Is that a data drive?" Adam asked as he looked at the device curiously.
The device looked like a bigger version of a data drive. It was more square than the data drives Adam knew and its access point was a larger shape.
"Yes, it's the type that was used during this time, I asked Spector to manufacture me one since Celeste wouldn't be able to access a data drive from our time," Rowena explained while taking hold of the section that was the access point and pulling it causing it to come away from the data drive but still be attached by some kind of retractable cable.
[RealOtaku (Earth): Jack in Megaman, power up!]
[HackerSu (Trillion): Huh?]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Yeah, even I'm not sure about this one. 🫤]
[RealOtaku (Earth): Oh come on, seriously? It's Megaman.]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Mega what?]
[RealOtaku (Earth): Megaman. It's a famous computer game character that also had a cartoon.]
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): Riiiggghhhtttt. Damn Otaku.]
"What's on that?" Celeste asked curiously while eyeing the data drive.
"Information," Rowena replied.
"What kind?" Celeste replied.
"The profitable kind," Rowena said as her smirk increased.
"Stop beating around the bush and tell me already," Celeste snapped as she finally lost her cool.
"Haha, you really need to work on that temper of yours, little Celeste," Rowena said with a chuckle.
"She's not wrong," Vlad stated.
"Hmph," Celeste pouted before saying, "Just answer me already."
"Fine, fine. This data drive," Rowena said as she waved the data drive teasingly before continuing, "contains information on every successful manufacturing business venture for the next eighteen years."
"Say what?" Celeste asked in shock while Vlad's eyes once again widened in surprise.
[CEOHopkins (Earth): Seriously?]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): If that's true, it means that she will never lose out on a business venture if she follows the ones stipulated on that drive.]
[Sparesomechangebro (Earth): That's like knowing the lottery results ahead of the draw. Why can't I get that sort of luck so I can win some change?]
[OfficialMuriel (Aqua Primus): It's like knowing who will win the water sphere universe cup.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): It's like knowing who will win the World Cup.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Or the grand national.]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Or the Super Bowl.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Is this the secret behind Horn Manufacturing's success?]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): What do you mean?]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): People have always been curious about Horn Manufacturing's sudden rise to prominence. At the time they are in now, the company is still relatively new and while it managed to acquire a few contracts, there was nothing substantial.
Then one day, they suddenly decided to acquire a contract with a failing company that everyone thought would soon go out of business. Instead, however, that company's latest product became a huge hit in the universe, saving the company and allowing both it and Horn Manufacturing to make huge profits.
After that, Horn Manufacturing went on to acquire one successful business contract after another. It was eventually said that if Horn Manufacturing agreed to work with you, then you were guaranteed success.
Because of this, companies started to approach Horn Manufacturing instead of vice versa in hopes of doing business with them. Horn Manufacturing, however, was very picky about its business partners. Sometimes they worked with big well well-known companies, other times they worked with companies that were completely new and unheard of.
Nobody could understand or follow how they picked who to work with and why. One day, a USNN reporter managed to ask Horn Manufacturing's owner, Celeste, about the secret to her success. Celeste responded that her company owed its success to a close friend.
Nobody could figure out what she meant by that and some people even assumed she made it up to hide the real reason.
It seems, however, that she was being honest and that the secret to Horn Manufacturing's success is that old data drive and the contents it holds.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): I guess Celeste knew that Erkath Fashion would succeed then, since they partnered with them.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Was there any doubt my company would succeed?]
"There's a catch if you want this, however," Rowena said as she waved the data drive again while looking Celeste in the eyes.
"I'm afraid I have no interest in dating a pedo, so if the catch is dating him," Celeste nodded towards Adam before finishing, "then forget it."
[Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): Hahaha, I love this girl.]
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): She really thinks the streamer is a pedo, doesn't she. Kekeke.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): She doesn't seem to be able to grasp that Diva Lorelie isn't a little girl anymore.]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): …]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Well, to be fair, she did just see Lorelie performing on Star of the Universe as a 7-year-old girl. Lol.]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): đź«Ł]
Adams's eye twitched as he heard Celestes's comment before he sighed and said, "I'm not a pedo."
"That's exactly what a pedo would say," Celeste responded.
Rowena smirked before saying, "I hate to disappoint you, but that's not what I was talking about."Â
"What would give you the idea that I was disappointed about that?" Celeste replied before asking, "What is the catch then?"
"It's pretty simple. You just have to stick to the agreement and not attempt to claim the earring as your own invention, thereby claiming all the profits," Rowena replied seriously.
"What makes you think I would even consider doing that?" Celeste asked with a frown before continuing, "First off, it would damage my company's reputation if I did that and second, why would I scam a friend?"
"People get greedy when money is involved," Adam remarked.
"Money?" Celeste asked.
"Oh, sorry. That's what we call currency or credits on my world, though there are many different variations."
"A different name for credits I can understand, but why would one planet have more than one variation of currency?" Celeste asked.
"Probably because his planet is not united," Vlad stated.
"Not united?" Celeste asked with a confused expression.
"You have never travelled outside the known universe, so you are probably unaware that many of the inhabited planets that those who explore the unknown regions encounter come from worlds that are not united under one banner and instead have two or more factions that are warring with each other. These factions tend to have their own currency.
It isn't until the inhabitants of those planets learn that they are, in fact, not the only race in the universe that most of them manage to put their petty differences aside and adopt the credit system once they become members of the Universal Senate."
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Kind of sounds like Earth.]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): Except for the fact that Earth's leaders are trying to cover up the fact that there are other races in the universe and it's been proven.]
[Justiceistruth (Earth): They can't seriously hope to keep this a secret, can they? I mean, the streaming platforms can't stop the streamers' streams.]
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): Maybe they will force the streaming platforms to shut down. Kekeke.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Are you seriously laughing at that, you idiot? What are you gonna do if they shut down the streaming platforms?]
[Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): Can they get away with shutting them down?]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): Well, it is the 5 families and the other rich and powerful that are trying to cover up that other races exist. They do have connections and influence with the streaming platforms, so it's not impossible that they won't close them down if they have to.]
[HackerSu (Trillion): That would totally piss people off.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): I guess they're afraid of losing their positions of power and would rather have piss people off.]Â
"What happens to the races of planets that don't manage to put their petty differences aside? Are they allowed to join the Universal Senate?" Adam asked curiously.
"Curious because of your home planet?" Vlad asked curiously.
"Not particularly. Earth is so far away that it's unlikely that any race will come into contact with it in my lifetime. I was simply curious is all," Adam replied.
"It's still a silly name for a planet," Celeste replied before asking, "How far away is it?"Â
"I'm not entirely certain, however, I spent almost three years in stasis while my ship travelled from Earth to the Sandanar Galaxy through subspace."
"Three years!" Celeste exclaimed in surprise.
"My, my. That is indeed a great distance away," Vlad replied before he continued. "To answer your questions. A planet that is discovered by an exploration ship can only apply to join the Universal Senate if it is unified, meaning that any planet that still has factions of a race warring with each other will not be admitted."
"But what about individuals of a race attacking their own planet or that planet's ships or outposts, pirates, for example?" Adam asked.
"Pirate groups in general are a coalition of multiple races that do not serve any one race and only their own interests; they therefore do not affect a race's admittance into the Universal Senate," Vlad replied before adding. "Should a race that is already part of the Universal Senate become split and factions of that race start warring against one another, then that race will be removed from the Universal Senate until said internal conflict is resolved."
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): Whelp, we're screwed. Our race is never joining the Universal Senate.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Are there that many wars taking place on Earth?]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): While I can't give you an exact number. A quick internet search says that around 50-60 conflicts are happening on our planet right now.]
[Prestigious3horns (Vinox 2): Holy fuck.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Wow. That's kind of crazy.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Right? Our planet is totally on course to enter a third World War.]