Chapter 204

The elf merchant Elwen smiled and continued speaking.

"I'm very curious about your civilization, so after you stabilized the Mo Yun Star System, I rushed over. By the way, I wanted to see if you could become my new trading partner."

"To be able to completely wipe out the Mo Yun Empire in such a short time and even reshape this place into its current state……"

"Your strength and efficiency truly surprise us! It seems I won't have made this trip for nothing."

Elwen finished speaking and then said nothing more, merely keeping his smile and silently waiting for the human side's reply.

His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, courteous and thorough, completely unlike that of an enemy with ulterior motives.

The command room was utterly silent.

Qin Hao, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Lao and others who observed the entire encounter via remote communication were all quickly digesting the information brought by the other side.

The amount of information was huge.

First, the other party's purpose seems genuinely just trade.

Second, our civilization has long been exposed, and with the mother brain's 'death beacon,' many civilizations have likely already noticed the Human Federal.

This confirmed Qin Hao's worst guess.

Finally, and most importantly, the other party seems to know all about humanity's annihilation of the Mo Yun Empire.

This shows they had already conducted a detailed investigation before coming.

No doubt, they certainly possess an intelligence-gathering ability beyond human comprehension.

"Xiao Qin, what do you think?"

Zhang Xianzhong asked in a low voice.

His heart was still full of vigilance.

"Those not of our kind must have different hearts."

This old saying is even more true in the dark cosmic forest.

Who knows whether this bunch of good-looking fellows are hiding knives behind their smiles, harboring some ill intent.

"For now, I see no hostility."

Qin Hao's reply was also cautious.

"However, there's something they said that I'm particularly concerned about."

"What is it?"

"He said we are an up-and-coming civilization."

Qin Hao's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That term suggests there may be a set of standards for classifying civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy."

"And we have just barely reached a certain threshold."

This discovery made Zhang Xianzhong and the others feel a chill in their hearts.

They had had similar speculations before, but never obtained confirmation.

Now, hearing it from a genuine alien civilization, its weight is completely different.

"Let's agree for now."

Luo Lao's voice came through over the encrypted channel.

"No matter what they're selling in their gourd, this is an excellent opportunity for us to learn the true nature of other civilizations."

"We are now like players just leaving the novice village, completely clueless about the outside world."

"We need intelligence, lots of intelligence!"

"Moreover, if we can really trade with them, that would also be a good thing for us."

"Our technology is developing quickly, but we certainly have many shortcomings. Using our surplus resources to exchange for what we need—why not?"

Luo Lao's thinking is always so clear and far-sighted.

Qin Hao nodded.

"I understand."

He cleared his throat, stepped forward, and replaced Zhang Xianzhong as the one speaking with the elf merchant.

"Hello, Mr. Elwen of your esteemed civilization."

"I am Qin Hao, advisor to the Human Federal Expeditionary Legion."

"We are very interested in your proposal."

"The Human Federal has always upheld the principles of peace, openness, and cooperation; we welcome any friends bearing goodwill."

"However, before formally beginning trade, we hope to hold a more detailed face-to-face meeting in an environment where both sides feel safe."

"After all, trust is the foundation of cooperation, isn't it?"

Upon hearing Qin Hao's words, the elf merchant Elwen's jade-green eyes flashed with a hint of approval.

"Of course."

He smiled and nodded.

"Caution is a necessary skill for intelligent life to survive in the universe."

"I fully understand and completely agree with your proposal."

"Then, regarding the location and manner of the meeting, do you have any suggestions?"

He tossed the ball back to Qin Hao.

Qin Hao thought briefly and then said, "Within our Yanhuang Star System, I will designate a safe coordinate."

"We can each send an unarmed shuttle to that coordinate."

"The meeting will take place between the two ships via holographic projection."

"This way, we can guarantee distance between the parties while also demonstrating our sincerity."

This proposal can be said to be watertight.

Setting the meeting site on their own home turf makes it easy to lend support whenever needed.

It also limited both parties' forces, avoiding direct physical contact.

"A very steady plan."

Ai'erwen nodded again, seeming to have no objections to Qin Hao's arrangements.

"I agree! Then, let's set the time for three hours from now, how about that?"

"Okay." Qin Hao nodded.

Communication cut off.

The main screen once again displayed the star map.

Inside the command room, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

The pressure brought by that brief conversation just now was no less than that of a small-scale battle.

"Get ready immediately!"

Zhang Xianzhong turned and issued orders to his subordinates.

"First, order the star port to prepare a diplomatic shuttle of the highest specification, with all weapon systems removed."

"Second, order the Ghost Fleet to immediately enter stealth mode and proceed to the vicinity of the meeting coordinates for covert deployment! Remember, absolutely no exposure!"

"Third, order the Star-Annihilating Main Cannon of the star port fortress to lock onto the coordinates of the Elf Fleet; if they attack us, fire immediately without waiting for orders."

"Yes!"

Orders were swiftly carried out.

The entire war machine of the Human Federal once again entered a state of high alert.

"Xiao Qin, will you personally attend this meeting?"

Zhang Xianzhong looked at Qin Hao with some concern.

Although it was merely a holographic projection talk, after all it was contact with an unknown, powerful alien civilization, so the risk still existed.

"Hmm."

Qin Hao nodded.

"My strength is enough for self-defense, and I also have protective measures."

"Against an opponent of this level, only I stepping forward can hold the situation and prevent them from looking down on us humans."

His words carried strong confidence.

This confidence stemmed from his power after his breakthrough.

Zhang Xianzhong, hearing this, said no more.

He knew that no one could change Qin Hao's decision.

……

Three hours later, the Elf Civilization's convoy crossed a distance of 0.2 light-years, this speed again surprised Qin Hao and the others.

You should know that the Federal's fastest warp engine now only reaches 180 times the speed of light.

Meanwhile, they have reached over 500 times the speed of light.

Within the Yanhuang Star System, beside a barren asteroid of no value.

A silvery-white human shuttle and a streamlined Elf shuttle hovered silently in the void, about ten kilometers apart.

Both ships had their shields deactivated and showed no energy response from any weapon systems.

Qin Hao, Zhang Xianzhong, and the projection of Han Ge, who handles diplomatic affairs, three people stood on the shuttle's bridge.

Meanwhile, facing them, the Elf merchant Ai'erwen, accompanied by two assistants, appeared on their bridge.

"Qin Consultant, we meet again."

Ai'erwen's holographic projection appeared before Qin Hao, he still had that gentle and refined appearance.

"Hello, Mr. Ai'erwen."

Qin Hao nodded and got straight to the point.

"Let's skip the pleasantries."

"You say you're a merchant and want to trade with us."

"Then I want to know what you can offer us, and what you hope to gain from us."

Facing Qin Hao's directness, Ai'erwen seemed to have anticipated it.

He smiled slightly and snapped his fingers.

Instantly, over a hundred three-dimensional item projections appeared, hovering in the air beside him.

There were peculiarly shaped weapons, warp engines, various strange metals never heard of before, and even some blue data crystals storing vast amounts of information.

"Our Moon Spirit Commerce Association is one of the largest comprehensive commercial organizations in this star region."

Ai'erwen's voice carried a hint of pride.

"Our goods cover energy, materials, weapons, biotechnology, information services, and so on—almost every field."

"As long as you can afford the price, whether it's a quark reactor that can boost a warship's engine efficiency by fifty percent, or a life fluid that can regenerate severed limbs in three minutes, we can provide it."

"We even offer information trading services."

Ai'erwen's gaze, with a hidden meaning, turned toward Qin Hao.

"For example, regarding the strength divisions of the various civilizations we know, the power distribution in the star region, and……some unspoken rules that could pose a huge threat to emerging civilizations."

The last few words he spoke very softly, but to Qin Hao and the others' ears, it was no different from a thunderclap.