Chapter 99

Chapter 99

Ximeno had certainly engaged in his share of strong-arm tactics, but none compared to this—those past dealings didn't involve Lu Cian.

Lu Cian was his brother!

"These are goods you painstakingly acquired. Selling them to me at such a low price would be a huge loss for you!" Ximeno shook his head repeatedly. "No, no…"

Ximeno still possessed a conscience, even though the potential profits were incredibly tempting.

Buying at three thousand credits and selling at ten thousand—that was a seven-thousand-credit profit in a single transaction.

Ximeno wasn't short on money, but a profit margin of over two hundred percent, possibly even three or four hundred percent…

Even with his limited business experience, Ximeno was stunned by the sheer scale of the profit.

A three hundred percent profit, with no initial investment and zero risk…

By the Insect God, the Empire actually had such a selflessly generous male!

Ximeno was astonished and even more moved: "My brother!"

He reached out to pat Lu Cian’s shoulder, his face filled with emotion. "Lu Cian, from today onward, you are my sworn brother!"

"One day, you must come back with me to meet my male parent. I'll tell him I've gained another excellent male offspring for him!"

"When my male parent sees you, he'll be overjoyed to have such an outstanding and promising male offspring!"

Lu Cian: "…"

That really wasn't necessary. He doubted Ximeno’s male parent wanted an extra son out of nowhere—what a filial son you are!

Then, Lu Cian smiled radiantly and said, "That sounds wonderful. From now on, we'll be true brothers."

Ximeno patted his shoulder again. "Exactly! With this, House Paen gains another male. Let those fair-weather families be green with envy."

"Hahaha, I can't wait to see the ugly expressions on their faces!"

Ximeno laughed heartily, hands on his hips. Watching this, Lu Cian couldn't help but think: that kind of laughter… really made him look like a cannon-fodder villain from a TV show.

Then, Lu Cian remembered something else—he still needed Ximeno’s help with one more thing.

Purchasing advanced experimental equipment.

This came about after they developed the aphrodisiac, when Joseph complained to Milo that he had countless brilliant ideas colliding in his mind, but without the necessary instruments, they were left to gather dust in his head!

Milo had no choice but to approach Lu Cian. He didn't mean anything by it—he just wanted to ask if His Excellency had any way to acquire some advanced instruments, even if it was just one.

"Some insects are highly capable, but without materials or lab equipment, research is impossible."

Lu Cian understood. Even the most skilled cook couldn't make a meal without ingredients.

"Can't males buy materials and equipment?"

Milo smiled bitterly. "Why would male gentlemen spend their credits on that? Their money goes toward limited-edition aircraft, flashy but useless gems, and all sorts of trendy items that signify male status… They couldn't care less about experimental research."

"Of course, some gentlemen do take an interest in research, but the things they’re interested in… Your Excellency Lu, you probably don’t want to know."

Lu Cian thought to himself that while he wasn’t entirely sure, he could guess.

It was nothing more than insect-body experiments, insect-wing experiments, or studying female insects’ abilities…

Males also craved power. Their research interests were obvious at a glance.

The Empire’s system was utterly rotten. Establishing a new nation was urgently needed.

Thus, Lu Cian decided that no matter what, he would help Milo and the others acquire advanced equipment.

But such high-end instruments weren’t easy to purchase.

Not only did the buyer need official certification, but the laboratory also had to be registered and graded.

Female slaves had no purchasing rights. Lu Cian, disguised as a male, could theoretically buy them given the privileged status of males—but identity verification was required.

Lu Cian’s identity was entirely fake. A single scan would expose him.

So, he still needed Ximeno’s help.

Ximeno said, "Buying a few metal casings? No problem. I'll authorize my empress consort—he can make the purchase."

Lu Cian’s heart stirred. So, it wasn't necessary for a male to handle it personally.

He suspected that Ximeno’s background might be more complex than it seemed.

Or perhaps his empress consort’s status was extraordinary.

Lu Cian sighed softly. It seemed the same everywhere—either money or power could pave the way. With either one, things became much easier.

Now that he was a "male," he was at least somewhat connected to power.

Ximeno tapped a few commands on his optical computer, then clapped his hands with a flourish. "Done. Once he’s off work, I’ll have him deliver those metal lumps to you."

Lu Cian nodded politely.

Though he wanted to correct Ximeno—those were high-end instruments, not metal lumps—he held back. After all, he wasn't that impulsive young man anymore.

Even if he despised this world, power was power.

As a "male," he stood at the top of the hierarchy. Even if he didn't want to oppress others, his very existence exerted pressure.

This kind of disingenuous life was something he used to scorn.

But people had to survive. When he first arrived, hadn't he sought out a powerful patron to avoid being forced into submission?

Fortunately, the one he met was Nair Inan.

…

After selling this batch of goods, Lu Cian planned to leave.

They had brought a large quantity of ramie, but Ximeno was buying tens of thousands of sets at a time, so their stock was running low.

On their way back, they would stop by Ramie Star and gather another round of freebies.

Once these products spread from Aputan Planet and their reputation grew, they would return for another sales push, employing scarcity marketing.

Of course, when it came to business, Timothy was likely more professional than Lu Cian, the novice. So, he could just sit back and wait for the profits.

"Brother Nan, we've been out for a while now, haven't we?"

Nair Inan nodded, "I've already had my subordinates purchase various supplies. We'll set sail back in three more days."

Lu Cian said, "Great, great. I think it's time for us to head back too."

East or west, home is best. No matter how nice it was outside, Lu Cian still felt most comfortable in their Central Star.

Nair Inan arched a brow, "Homesick?"

Lu Cian bobbed his head eagerly, "Yeah, I have to maintain appearances outside. It's exhausting."

Nair Inan shook his head helplessly. The other was clearly reveling in his role as a male, doing whatever he pleased—where was the need to "maintain appearances"? He was probably just being lazy.

Lu Cian, who had been lounging, suddenly bolted upright. Seeing this, Nair Inan asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Cian glanced at Nair Inan and then rubbed his nose, looking a bit embarrassed.

Nair Inan gently pressed again, "What is it?"

Lu Cian stammered, "...On the first day we arrived at Aputan, didn’t you want to go to Rainbow Island? But with everything that’s been going on, I completely forgot..."

Nair Inan went quiet. Could he explain that he had only suggested it because he saw how exhausted Lu Cian was and wanted him to relax?

"Actually, I didn’t really want to go that much..."

Lu Cian immediately said, "Good thing we've got three days to spare. No time like the present—let's go now!"

Nair Inan paused, then, seeing the stars in Lu Cian’s eager eyes, found himself nodding despite himself.

Lu Cian sprang up, "Great! Let’s go now. The earlier we leave, the more time we’ll have to enjoy ourselves!"

Nair Inan sighed inwardly. He was still such a child at heart, getting this excited over a trip.

As Lu Cian and Nair Inan stepped out, Timothy happened to see them and scampered over, "My lord, are you going out?"

Then he added, "If you’re going out, could I come along?"

Lu Cian figured since they were making a trip of it anyway, why not bring him along?

He nodded cheerfully, "Sure."

Nair Inan instinctively frowned but quickly relaxed. Timothy had pulled his weight on this trip—he'd earned some leisure time.

Besides, Lu Cian was still posing as a male. A male traveling with just one attendant would look rather shabby.

And so, when Lu Cian went to Rainbow Island, he ended up with a whole procession of over a dozen, practically a full family outing.

Because of this, Lu Cian muttered to Nair Inan, "With this whole crowd in tow, I won’t be able to enjoy myself properly."

Truthfully, Lu Cian had originally planned to go out in disguise.

Nair Inan shot him a look but said nothing, though his expression clearly conveyed: *Then why did you let Timothy come along?*

Lu Cian: "..."

He sulked a little—he just hadn’t thought it through at the time.

Well, in for a penny...

Rainbow Island was exactly as described—drenched in rainbows, even the fish food was rainbow-colored.

Robot insects with rainbow patterns, rainbow shops, rainbow-themed food, even the service insects wore rainbow makeup... and of course, the Rainbow Bridge.

The Rainbow Bridge was the island’s most famous attraction.

Spanning the Rainbow Lake in a crisscrossing network, the bridges crisscrossed above waters where rainbow fish would sometimes leap, as if welcoming the visitors.

"Look! A seven-colored rainbow fish just jumped out!"

"Where? Let me see!"

"It really is seven-colored!"

"Quick, move aside! Get out of my frame—I want to take a beautiful photo!"

"Not the legendary nine-colored one, but encountering a seven-colored rainbow fish is still great."

"That's true, but tell me, are there really nine-colored rainbow fish in Rainbow Lake?"

"How could I lie to you? Look, isn't there a real image posted on the Rainbow Lake sign?"

"Oh, come on, how can that be considered proof..."

The crowd was chattering, lively and bustling.

Lu Cian heard the tourists' words and, curious, said to Nair Inan, "Let's also pick a Rainbow Bridge and try our luck, see if we can encounter a nine-colored rainbow fish?"

Nair Inan replied, "Alright."

Timothy's eyes widened. He really wanted to tell His Excellency Lu that encountering a nine-colored rainbow fish wasn’t about luck—it required two insects whose hearts were in perfect sync, their love so profound it moved heaven and earth, only then would the nine-colored rainbow fish sense their intense emotions and appear.

But when he looked again, the two had already walked ahead, a swarm of others had already pushed between them. Then Damon and Wawen pulled him away.

Timothy could only let himself be swept along to a different bridge with those two.