Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Liam rolled his eyes, not wanting to argue with the idiot. "How many do you want?"

Ximeno's eyes darted around. "All of them."

Liam bristled, "All of them? Are you robbing me?"

Ximeno declared loudly, "Robbing you? I'll pay you double the credits!"

Liam frowned, eyeing him suspiciously. "What do you need so many enslaved females for?"

Ximeno shrugged. "Harper Clan insectoids are good-looking. Can't I just enjoy the view while eating?"

Liam was displeased, sensing Ximeno was hiding something and just stringing him along. "Fine, if you don’t want to say, forget it. But I’m not giving you all of them. Maybe two as a gift."

Ximeno wagged a finger. "No, all means all!"

Seeing Liam genuinely about to get angry, Ximeno quickly said, "Don’t be mad. I’ve got a premium product here—already tested, absolutely incredible."

"It’s a trade: female slaves for merchandise. Give me however many female slaves, and I’ll give you that many sets in return."

Liam was indeed intrigued. If Ximeno praised it so highly, it must be something special.

But he didn’t show it, feigning disinterest. "I haven’t even seen the thing. How do I know it’s as good as you say?"

Seeing Liam’s obvious disbelief, Ximeno was provoked. He immediately pulled out a set from his Space Button.

He meticulously explained the use of each item.

"This vial holds an ingestible formula. Don’t be put off by oral administration—I’ve had it tested. No harmful substances... and the experience? Absolutely unparalleled!"

"And this arousal gel, paired with the alternating hot/cold sensations... exceptionally potent!"

"As for the pheromone diffuser, it’s good too, but compared to the first two, it’s just the icing on the cake."

Ximeno gushed, recounting his night of pleasing seven females, making it sound so exaggerated that Liam couldn't help but doubt him.

Male insectoids were virile, sure, but seven females completely subdued under his charm? That was pushing it!

Liam clearly didn't believe him, and Ximeno grew anxious. "What kind of look is that? You don’t believe me?"

Liam shook his head. "I don’t doubt that the product is good. I just doubt your ability to pull that off."

Ximeno: "..."

Ximeno was fuming. This insectoid was as infuriating as ever!

Seeing Ximeno’s face flush with anger, Liam realized what he’d said but didn’t bother apologizing.

"If this thing is really as good as you claim, then fine, I’ll give you those female slaves. But..."

Ximeno quickly interjected, "Don’t worry. If it doesn’t work, I’ll compensate you tenfold."

Liam shook his head. "I don’t need tenfold reimbursement. Just give me ten times the number of seduction kits."

Ten times the number?

Ximeno did the math. Liam had bought eighty female slaves and reportedly had friends ship in another twenty or thirty from the home planet—at least a hundred in total.

Ten times a hundred... that was a thousand sets!

Ximeno exploded. "A thousand sets?! You might as well rob me! Liam, you ruthless profiteer!"

Liam’s expression turned icy as he stared Ximeno down.

Under that cold gaze, Ximeno instantly flinched but still stubbornly refused to back down.

After a long standoff, Liam finally said, "Fine, how about this: we calculate it in credits. Whatever you spent, deduct the price of these female slaves, and I’ll pay you triple the difference."

Hearing this, Ximeno’s eyes darted away, suddenly guilty.

A thousand sets... that would be about three million credits.

Three million... how many high-grade female slaves could that buy again?

Ximeno stayed silent.

But the next second, he straightened up indignantly.

How could they compare like this? The seduction kits were priceless!

Still, fearing Liam’s retaliation if he found out the truth later, Ximeno reluctantly conceded. "Fine, a thousand sets it is."

Liam narrowed his eyes, having clearly noticed the change in Ximeno’s expression before he agreed.

He knew there was something dubious, but since Ximeno was the only one with the product for now... he’d let it slide.

Once the female slaves were handed over, Ximeno exhaled in triumph. With the toughest negotiator dealt with, the other male insectoids were pushovers.

Soon, Ximeno had secured all the Harper Clan insectoids on Apban for Lu Cian, along with a few hundred worker slaves he’d haggled for as extras.

With a flourish, he presented them to Lu Cian, beaming. "All done. You can trust me to handle things."

But thinking of the kits he’d traded away, his heart ached. He’d given out over a thousand seduction kits to those male insectoids!

Worse, some male insectoids who’d caught wind of it audaciously propositioned him, offering credits to buy more.

Ximeno ejected them summarily. As if he needed their paltry sums!

He had no qualms about rejecting them, but their influential backers forced him to show some courtesy.

Grudgingly, despite his reluctance, he sold another two thousand sets.

He protectively gripped his Space Button. If the elders got wind of this...

His vision darkened. Forget half—his remaining sixteen thousand sets would be confiscated entirely!

Turning to Lu Cian, Ximeno implored with desperate urgency, "My friend, I helped you with such a colossal undertaking. Do you have any more kits? Sell me some more, please?"

"I’ll pay five thousand credits per set—no, ten thousand!"

Lu Cian: "..."

Are you aware how much you sound like a horny devil right now?

Ximeno was indeed a devil—though his hunger was for sensation, not aesthetics.

Lu Cian masked his amusement with a cough. "There are reserves, though..."

Ximeno quickly said, "Credits are no issue, I'll buy it even at 100,000 credits a set!"

Lu Cian: "..."

This isn't how you're supposed to waste money, is it?

Lu Cian shook his head. "It's not about the credits. As you said, we're good brothers—how could I raise the price on you? We agreed on 3,000 credits per set, and that won’t change."

"What I meant is that I do have another batch available, but this one is a bit different from the last..."

Ximeno’s expression shifted slightly, thinking the new batch might be less effective. But then Lu Cian continued, "The last one was the basic version. This is the upgraded edition—some style modifications and a few new scents added. I was just worried you might not like it."

Originally, they had planned to prepare multiple flavor options for the first batch, but time was tight. Plus, each variant required packaging design and production line adjustments, so they prioritized releasing the original version first.

It was also a test to see how well the male insectoids would receive the product.

Judging by the results, the reception had been excellent.

Hearing this, Ximeno’s eyes lit up—what was this if not an unexpected windfall?

Truth be told, he had started feeling that the three variants in the previous set were getting stale after repeated use. Now, with new designs, he was thrilled!

Ximeno: "No problem at all! This is no big deal. Hurry and give me a set—I can’t wait to see what the upgraded version looks like!"

Seeing Ximeno’s enthusiasm, Lu Cian gave himself a mental high-five and considered having Joseph and the team work overtime to develop new courting products.

Lu Cian took out the upgraded set.

The moment it was revealed, the difference was obvious. The box was black and gold, adorned with intricate patterns that were mysterious yet stunning.

Of course, there were other premium packaging designs, but this was Lu Cian’s favorite, so he chose it.

Ximeno let out an impressed whistle. "This box alone looks extraordinary!"

Lifting the lid, three products lay inside.

The ingestible courting product had been upgraded from a simple vial to a decorative vessel, the liquid inside glistening like liquid gemstones.

The cream had been refined into a smooth, translucent oil, now in a pump dispenser that released just the right amount with a gentle push. The container held plenty, but it wouldn’t last long if used extravagantly.

The incense had also been upgraded to a programmable diffuser, with multiple scent options available. It could even be used as regular incense, with each fragrance lasting all night.

The other color-themed sets had their own unique features, including one with a wood-grain box containing traditional burnable incense.

The insect race had its own ancient traditions, and the Empire had no shortage of discerning aesthetes.

This set was crafted to perfection—so much so that, if marketed separately, it could easily become an Empire-wide sensation. After all, the scents didn't need to serve only one purpose, opening up an entirely new production line.

Lu Cian stopped himself before his thoughts ran wild. If he kept going, he’d drown in projects.

Timothy, rolling up his sleeves, would probably say: "Not busy at all! We can handle more!"

Lu Cian didn’t point out every feature to Ximeno, preferring to let him discover the surprises himself later.

"Incredible! This premium version is outstanding!"

But then Ximeno added, "This is so valuable—it’d be taking advantage to pay just 3,000 credits per set. How about 10,000 instead..."

Lu Cian raised a hand to stop him. "No need. Actually, I plan to turn this into a business, but I don’t want to be the public face. So, I’d like your help, Ximeno."

Ximeno’s attention immediately shifted. "What kind of help? As long as I can do it, I’ll move heaven and earth for you!"

Lu Cian didn’t need him to move heaven and earth—Ximeno’s delicate build wouldn’t handle much anyway.

Lu Cian chuckled. "Nothing that extreme. I just want to launch this product line, but I don’t have connections on Apban Prime. So, I’d like you to handle the reselling."

"I’ll sell it to you for 3,000 credits per set. You’ll purchase from me and then distribute it—just one condition: don’t reveal that I’m the one behind it."

"As for the resale price, I won’t dictate."

"This..." Ximeno was momentarily speechless.

He wanted to say—this wasn’t just help, this was handing him a golden opportunity!

How could he do something so unscrupulous?