Chapter 378: Chance Encounter
How strong is the purchasing power of one hundred million Galactic Credits? Let's put it this way: the value of an ordinary Habitable Planet, depending on its resources and population size, is around seven or eight hundred million to several tens of billions of Galactic Credits.
Galactic Credits are a form of credit currency introduced by the Universal Bank, and one of the few credit currencies in the Universe, besides energy, recognized by numerous civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Many Tier 1 and Tier 2 civilizations, when making purchases, will exchange their local currency at the Universal Bank for the corresponding Galactic Credits or Cosmic Credits.
The Universal Bank has branches in every civilization above Tier 1, so they have no worries about their exchanged local currency depreciating.
The reason the Universal Bank is recognized by so many civilizations is that backing it are the three top civilizations of the Universe: the Skrull Empire, the Shi'ar Empire, and the Kree Empire. Additionally, over a dozen Category Four civilizations, including the Nova Empire, are its Shareholders.
Since its creation, the Universal Bank has been expanding its share base. Once a Tier 3 civilization achieves a breakthrough to a Category Four civilization, the Universal Bank will step forward and grant them Bank Shares, binding them to itself.
It is precisely through this model that the Universal Bank, after millions of years of development, has become a true colossus.
The scale of the East Galaxy Company, compared to the Universal Bank, is like the difference between a street vendor exchanging small change and Citigroup. Of course, wealthy people are everywhere, but it has nothing to do with him.
Drax, who has been running with the Marauders and working for so many years, yet only has a five-figure deposit in his pocket, stood in the elevator with his arms crossed, muttering incessantly.
Ever since learning that Thanos was missing and his influence had collapsed, the usually tough Drax temporarily lost his purpose. The entire person was abnormally listless. A cold-blooded strong man, somehow inexplicably gained some goofy traits.
"I am Groot!"
The Treant, with his dark, round eyes, looked at the Elder in luxurious clothes not far away. As a Space Pirate who had partnered with Rocket Raccoon for a long time and was on the Nova Empire's wanted list,
Unlike Drax, although few people could understand his words, his initiative was excellent. From the sole of his foot, a thin branch grew along the smooth floor towards the feet of the Elder named Ego, attempting to steal the crystal card on his body.
*Snap!*
The robot elevator operator, who had been standing near the control panel, wearing a silver uniform, walked up to Groot at this moment. Its heavy metal limbs instantly stepped on the growing branches of Groot.
"Guest, this is Galaxy World City. Please retract your limbs!"
The robot spoke to the Treant Groot in extremely gentle Galactic Common Tongue, but a red light faintly flickered in its crimson eyes.
"I am Groot!" The Treant had an innocent expression, but he was sensible enough to retract the branches he had extended after the robot lifted its foot.
Only after seeing Groot retract his branches did the robot walk back to the elevator entrance, continuing to act as a harmless elevator operator.
The elevator descended rapidly yet very smoothly. Perhaps because of the small incident that just occurred, none of the few people inside the elevator made a sound.
Drax had been standing there with his arms crossed, trying to look cool, but after seeing Groot's action, he complained in an extremely low voice: "Idiot Groot, we're in Galaxy World City. I don't want to be thrown out. Even if you want to steal things, do it after we've finished our business!"
The Treant Groot grumbled and grumbled, glaring defiantly at the robot not far away, and demonstratively flexed his arm branches, seemingly showing off his strength.
"How many can you fight?" Drax gave a cold laugh, raised his chin, and gestured for Groot to look at the firing port above the elevator.
"Do you believe that if you actually make a move, you'll immediately be beaten into a pile of burning dry firewood!"
"I am Groot!"
"Before leaving Fallen Star, you'd better listen to everything I say! Don't cause trouble!"
"I am Groot!"
Drax and the Treant Groot started arguing softly in a corner of the elevator.
Ego, at this moment, walked up to the two of them. Ignoring their wary gazes, he scanned Drax and the Treant Groot with great interest, his gaze focusing particularly on Groot's body.
"Treant Leader from Planet Z, it's been many years since I last saw your tribe!"
"I am Groot?" Groot stared at Ego curiously.
"Of course I know your tribe, but it's been two hundred years since I last saw a Treant..."
The smiling Elder's hair was somewhat gray, but his smile seemed full of deep meaning.
"I am Groot?" The Treant Groot said with doubt.
Ego laughed: "Of course, of course, I can understand your words. I once tried to invite a Treant tribe to the planet where I live, but unfortunately, they all perished later..."
Ego looked at Groot and couldn't help but recall the group of Treants who lived on his body thousands of years ago. At that time, the surface of his body wasn't so desolate. Watching those Treants live added a bit of fun to his monotonous life.
But that group of Treants kept pushing their luck. He provided them with a place to live, but that group of Treants wanted to graze forests on his body and compete with him for energy. In the end, the entire Treant tribe was turned into ash by him.
"I really miss those little guys!"
"I am Groot!" After hearing that Ego could really understand his words, Groot danced with excitement, and even the tender leaf branches on his head couldn't help but sway.
Besides Rocket, this Elder in front of him was one of the few people, other than his own kind, who could understand his words. "I am Groot."
"You're here looking for companions. What a coincidence, I'm here looking for my Child."
"I am Groot."
"I fostered my Child on another Planet, but when I paid a group of Marauders to pick up my Child, he kidnapped him!"
"I am Groot!"
"You're right, that Marauder is indeed a scoundrel. He betrayed my trust. I'm here to settle the score with him!"
"I am Groot!"
"Who am I? Where am I? What are they talking about?" Drax looked at the two people chatting happily, one word after another. His eyes were full of confusion, completely unable to understand what the two were saying.
"Three Guests, the thirty-sixth floor has arrived!"
"Ten million Galactic Credits? Why don't they just rob us!"
The thirty-sixth underground floor of Galaxy World City is a huge Square covering tens of kilometers. Projection equipment embedded in the roots of the jade-like giant tree overhead projects a scene of Outer Space. Behind the transparent crystal walls embedded around the Square is an underground Ocean, where various kinds of aquatic life are visible to the naked eye swimming behind the walls, presenting a magnificent and fantastical scene.
Numerous Bars and taverns are scattered across the Square. The hundreds of Bars located here represent hundreds of intelligence exchange centers. Of course, these intelligence taverns are not all businesses of the East Galaxy Company. The East Galaxy Company merely provides necessary security guarantees for these intelligence brokers. In return, the East Galaxy Company takes a certain percentage as a service fee from the money they earn selling intelligence.
As for the issue of private transactions, there's no need to worry at all. Transactions in Galaxy World City require a crystal card to operate, and every single transaction will have transaction details in the East Galaxy Company's backend. Drax and Groot walked out of a mushroom-shaped tavern, cursing. They had just inquired with an intelligence broker.
A piece of intelligence about Yondu actually cost ten million Galactic Credits.
"What do we do now? How about going back to find Gamora? She should have money!"
"I am Groot!"
"Robbing people? Are you crazy!" Drax looked at Groot, who was making a fierce expression at the people around him. Before he attracted the attention of the surrounding robot guards, Drax quickly grabbed him.
"Let's go back to the Spaceship first. If Gamora doesn't have enough money, we'll go rob a few Space Pirates. Don't make a move on Fallen Star. This place gives me a bad feeling!"
Drax pulled the reluctant Groot and walked outside.
Compared to Drax and Groot, those two poor devils, Ego also found a Bar. At this time, there were also some scattered Guests in the Bar.
Seeing someone walk into the Bar, the "people" gathered together drinking couldn't help but look up at him wary. After seeing that Ego had no weapons on his body and had a harmless face, the crowd immediately lost interest.
"Guest, what would you like?"
The Bartender, whose body size was slender like a bamboo pole, had six arms, and green skin, was wiping a metal cup stained with oil in his hands with one pair of arms, while another pair of arms was distracted mixing some strange liquids.
When Ego arrived at the Bar Counter, he raised his oval head. His black bean-like eyes observed Ego while he introduced:
"We have the purest oil here, and the strongest alcohol. If you like energy liquids, we can also mix them here!"
"A piece of intelligence!" Ego placed his palm on the Bar Counter, raised a finger, and lightly tapped the Bar Counter's surface.
"Most Guests who come here are for intelligence. What kind of intelligence do you want to buy?"
The Bartender narrowed his eyes, skillfully mixed a cup of alcohol in his hands, and pushed it in front of Ego. "Seeing that you are a first-time Guest here, let me treat you to a glass of Explosive Flame! This is the Kree's favorite alcohol. After drinking it, there's a stimulating sensation like flames exploding in your mouth!"
Ego picked up the wine glass and toyed with it, but didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he looked up at the Bartender: "I want a piece of intelligence on the Marauder Yondu. I heard he's been active around here in recent years!"
"Yondu!"
After hearing Ego's words, the Bartender's action of wiping the wine glass immediately stopped. He looked at Ego: "Intelligence on Yondu isn't cheap!"
Ego directly took out the exchanged transparent crystal card and placed it on the Bar Counter surface.
Looking at the faint golden dragon pattern flickering on the transparent crystal card, a smile immediately appeared on the Bartender's green face: "It seems the price is no problem for you, Guest!"
"What aspect of intelligence do you need?"
"I need to know his current position, and the information of his Subordinates around him?"
Ego picked up the wine glass and took a sip of the so-called Explosive Flame. As the light red alcohol entered his mouth, it immediately felt like flames were rising inside. "Gulp!"
Ego swallowed the alcohol in his mouth and silently placed the wine glass back on the Bar Counter. From then on, he didn't touch it again.
"If you want to buy the information of the people around Yondu, this money is not enough!"
After hearing Ego's words, the Bartender calmly pushed his crystal card back.
"Not enough? There's one hundred million Galactic Credits stored in here!" Ego clasped his hands together and looked at the Bartender with a smile. Thinking this guy was trying to inflate the price, a cold light flashed in his eyes.
The Bartender extended a hand and touched the golden earring on his ear: "It seems you don't know Yondu's current identity!"
"Yondu's current identity? Isn't he just a Marauder?" Ego asked with doubt.
The Bartender just smiled and didn't respond.
Ego directly pushed the crystal card over: "Then I'll take a piece of intelligence on Yondu first!"
The Bartender took out an instrument from under the Bar Counter, scanned the crystal card: "That will be ten million Galactic Credits!"
After confirming receipt of ten million, the Bartender transmitted a piece of information to Ego's communicator.
After receiving the information transmitted by the Bartender, Ego immediately accessed and read through it on the spot.
"Yondu is now the Cobra Commander of this Planet!?" Ego read through the information, and his eyebrow immediately furrowed.
He knew Yondu had been active on this Planet in recent years, but he didn't expect that Yondu had actually changed careers and joined the East Galaxy Company.
Ego looked up at the Bartender, and his gaze immediately began to flicker with dangerous radiance.
"Achoo!"
At the East Galaxy Company Headquarters, Yondu, who was explaining the configuration of the East Galaxy Company's warships to Kane and his group, suddenly inexplicably sneezed. He rubbed his nose and continued to tell Kane and the others about the situation of his fleet.
"Don't worry, Guest. We do intelligence business and have our professional ethics. We won't casually sell a Guest's intelligence!"
The Bartender wiped the wine glass. Seeing Ego's unfriendly gaze after reading the intelligence, he put down the wine glass and half-explained, half-threatened: "Although this Galaxy World City belongs to the East Galaxy Company, we are not the same entity as the East Galaxy Company! Of course, if someone here wants to use force, I think there's a high probability they won't be able to leave this floor!"
"That would be best!"
Ego gave the Bartender a deep look, picked up the crystal card on the desktop, and got up to leave the Bar. The seeds he had sown were about to mature. He needed to find Yondu as soon as possible and retrieve that Child.
The Bartender watched Ego's figure leave the Bar. The two arms hidden under the Bar Counter stuffed two thick energy guns back under the table.
"Supervisor Paul, I have a piece of intelligence that I want to sell to your East Galaxy Company. It's about your Company. Would you like me to come to you, or would you like to come to the Bar? Alright, I'll mix your drink and wait for you!"
The Bartender hung up the communicator, narrowed his eyes, and smiled very comfortably: "Professional ethics? Intelligence is something with a time limit. An intelligence broker with professional ethics can't make big money!"
On the other side, Paul, who had just received calls from two people wanting to sell him intelligence, hurriedly rushed towards the thirty-sixth floor with several Security Personnel.
In the elevator leading from the thirty-sixth floor to the Upper layer space, the elevator stopped at the thirty-third floor area. The elevator door opened, and Adam and Black Bolt walked in, bringing Lu Jia and Lu Na.
Out of curiosity about Ego's appearance, which was almost identical to Earthlings, the few people took a few extra glances, then started chatting among themselves.
"The immersive game simulating warship command and combat is very good. I believe Big Brother Kane will like it! Oh, right, I saw Yondu's name on the leaderboard for this game, ranked fifty-ninth!"
(end of chapter)
i think there only one preson reading this novel even so i will still uplad until he stop reading .