Chapter 9: Conquering the Dome

Facing the pressure from the Arbiter, Ninglu's expression remained calm.

"I brought the Magnieto Steel Mill under my command not for myself, but for the Hantemansi Dome, and even more so for you, Arbiter."

The young master of the Fender family showed a look of keen interest, while the Arbiter was so angered he laughed.

"Don't talk nonsense, kid. You clearly seized the steel mill for yourself; how could it be for me?"

"Vostonia has been loyal to Mars for thousands of years. What do the followers of the Omnissiah value? Efficiency is their priority. Am I wrong?"

Listening to Ninglu's calm and steady voice, Dimitrov's irritable mood gradually settled, though he still did not understand what the other's words had to do with him.

The Arbiter's tone softened slightly as he asked.

"You are right, but what does that have to do with you forcibly occupying the steel mill? And how is it for me?"

"The steel industry where the Magnieto Steel Mill is located is upstream of the D-46 Foundry. As the Old Terra management theorist Chandler once said, controlling upstream enterprises can achieve optimal resource allocation and improve resource utilization."

"Once my foundry controls the steel mill, efficiency will be significantly improved. The Hantemansi Dome will stand out among the many domes, and you will also enter the sight of the Tech-Priests."

Hearing this, Dimitrov fell into deep thought. The entirety of Vostonia was ruled by nobles and Tech-Priests originating from Mars; even if he only gained the favor of one Tech-Priest, he could ascend to the Upper Hive.

He was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Why you? Wouldn't it be better if I controlled it myself?"

Ninglu smiled confidently and said.

"If the Arbiter were to act personally, it would inevitably provoke strong resistance from many factories, and you would lose a large number of men."

"If I annex the factories, they will not immediately form an alliance. They will not imagine I have such a large appetite. By the time they react, the situation will already be settled."

"I have the ability to swallow all the factories, and only I can improve the efficiency of the entire dome."

Dimitrov looked at Ninglu. He was persuaded by the other's logic, and he felt an even stronger sense of confidence, as if the boy would do exactly what he said. However, thinking of Howard's instructions, he still forcibly found a reason.

"The rules cannot be broken."

"Not necessarily."

Ninglu instantly recalled the legal knowledge he had gained when drinking the Potion and found a precedent from Teziwoke that he could cite.

"As far as I know, thirty-eight years ago, the Kurnikova Family, without any precedent, launched a surprise attack and seized fifty-two chemical plants in the Upper Hive within nineteen work cycles. They ultimately won in a ruling assembly composed of nobles and the Adeptus Mechanicus, monopolizing the chemical industry from then on."

"Furthermore, according to the 'Omnissiah's Guidance' written by Sage Kivior, Chapter 11, 'Tezwok Governance Regulations', Article 11 of the Factory Management Rules, Subsection 11: 'Past precedents of this Hive City may all be cited as a basis for judgment.'"

Although Vostonia had not yet joined the Imperium and the Adeptus Arbites had not entered Teziwoke Hive City, a unique decision-making body had formed locally due to the special diarchy.

They inherited the arbitration system of Old Terra and established an arbitration body with the same name as the Adeptus Arbites' ruling body—the Arbitration Court.

The members of the Arbitration Court were composed of nobles and Tech-Priests, who made decisions on major matters, which also gave rise to special groups like Lawyers.

This system extended to the Lower Hive, where it was simplified into the Arbiter ruling alone.

The blonde noble stared fixedly at Ninglu upon hearing this. The precedents and subsections cited by the other were things only a Hive Lawyer would likely master, yet he was just a boy from the Lower Hive—how could he possibly know them?

【Looking at his appearance, he doesn't look like a Lower Hiver at all, but he is still just a boy. Even for a great lawyer in the Upper Hive, at this age, one is still learning basic knowledge; it is impossible to master the laws to this extent.】

Dimitrov's gaze was blank; he wasn't even sure if that subsection existed in the 'Omnissiah's Guidance'. As an independent Arbiter, he only needed to grasp the rules at a surface level.

Just as he was pondering, he heard Ninglu speak.

"I think this noble from the Upper Hive must know this regulation."

"Bold! How dare you address the lord by his name? You should address him as 'My Lord'!"

"No matter," the young noble said, clapping while admiringly watching Ninglu, "A brilliant argument, just as brilliant as the arguments of the great lawyers I have heard in the ruling hall."

"You have already persuaded me. The steel mill you seized originally supplied raw materials to the Fender family; this is also the purpose of my visit."

"When I heard that a boy ten years younger than me had achieved such results in a short time, I decided to meet you in person."

"Now, your performance amazes me."

He turned his head and said to the Arbiter, "Dimitrov, give him a chance. I want to see how far he can go."

"As you command, my lord."

Seeing Ninglu gain the favor of Lord Howard, the Arbiter's eyes were filled with envy.

Howard Fender turned back, "But I have one condition. I want to send an observer to be by your side."

"Don't be in a hurry to refuse. He will not restrict any of your actions; he will only observe your abilities. If you perform well enough, I will support your expansion in the Lower Hive, or even help you go to the Upper Hive."

Ninglu pondered for a moment. He thought of scarce materials like Psionic Crystals; besides Psionic Artisans, only nobles and the tech-priests were likely to possess them.

"That is acceptable, but I want a Psionic Crystal."

"You certainly drive a hard bargain," Howard was silent for a moment, "No problem, but you must control all the factories in the Hantemansi Dome within one month and increase production capacity by more than ten percent. Can you do it?"

"Of course."

Seeing Ninglu so confident, Howard became even more curious. He said to a subordinate holding a Plasma Gun beside him.

"Yasin, you follow him."

"As you command, young master."

Dimitrov said to Ninglu: "Congratulations, Ninglu. The Magnieto Steel Mill is yours, and you are authorized to annex all factories in the Hantemansi Dome."

At the same time Ninglu heard these words, he felt his Spirituality become much more lively.

【Hmm, by playing the role of a "Lawyer," I gained benefits and received recognition from others. The digestion rate is better than simply seizing benefits.】

Sixteen work cycles later, Upper Hive.

Howard Fender sat in his office, his brow furrowed.

Just as he was deep in thought, the audio-intercom system inside his Precision Power Armor beeped. After he connected, the voice of his private butler came through.

"Master, Yasin has returned."

Hearing this, Howard's brow furrowed even tighter. The order he gave Yasin was that he should return to report only when there was a result to Ninglu's actions.

【Could it be that he has already controlled all the factories in the dome? How is that possible?

It couldn't be that he died. Impossible. With the abilities he displayed, it is impossible for him not to succeed, but how could it be so fast?】

"Tell him to come in."

A moment later, Yasin walked in hurriedly.

"My lord, Ninglu has already seized control of all sixty-three factories in the Hantemanxi Dome, and he has increased production capacity by fifteen percent."

Howard was stunned, only coming back to his senses after several seconds.

"How did he do it?"

"My lord, his combat power can only be described as terrifying; even if all of us whom you have trained were to attack together, we would be no match for him."

"I suspect he is a product of genetic agents, perhaps even cultivated in the genetic laboratories of the Adeptus Mechanicus; in just over ten days, he has grown significantly taller, and his combat style can simply be described as art—precise, efficient, and lethal in a single strike..."

Yasin spoke incessantly, vividly recounting the entire process of how Ninglu conquered the Dome.

Howard, who had been reclining in his leather chair, gradually sat upright, finally resting his chin on his hand to listen earnestly to his confidant's report.

"He possesses certain other traits; his speeches are highly inflammatory. Those listless workers seem as if they have been brainwashed by him, full of drive, and there are even gang leaders who, after hearing his speech, brought their subordinates to pledge loyalty to him along with their factories."

"However, he truly did it; he standardized factory management, improved the efficiency of the entire production chain, and he even ensured that the workers and thugs were well-fed."

"It is not just the workers; even those former gang scum are strictly following his regulations, acting as if..."

Yasin thought for a moment before finding an appropriate term from the vocabulary the lord had used before.

"Those scum seem to have been reborn; I dare say the combat effectiveness of the Arbiter's men can no longer compare to Ninglu's subordinates."

"He really did it."

Howard sat stunned for a dozen seconds, suddenly thinking of the difficult problem he was currently facing.

【Perhaps he can help me solve the current trouble.】

He stood up abruptly and used his Family Emblem—a red background with a golden lightning bolt pattern—to open the secret chamber, taking the largest piece from among a dozen Psionic Crystals; it was one meter long with a cross-sectional diameter of ninety centimeters.

Howard Fender is the future First Captain of the Eleventh Legion and a character created by the group member "I Love Eating Hot Pot and I Love Drinking Cold Drinks."

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(End of this chapter)