Chapter 135

Chapter 135

The law enforcement officers swiftly escorted the boisterous, yellow-haired male and his enslaved females away.

Before their departure, Lu Cian claimed the fallen female as his own. The officers, deferring to the three traffickers, extended a courtesy—after all, she was merely a female slave.

The disturbance erupted swiftly and vanished even more strangely.

…

“Have you heard?”

“Word is, the black market has a new inhibitor called a ‘soothing agent.’ They say it works wonders on the Mental Sea. As long as it’s not a severe Mental Riot, it can gradually improve the condition.”

“That’s bogus, right? Regular inhibitors can barely suppress moderate riots. How could this so-called soothing agent actually improve anything?”

“It’s true! A friend of a friend told me they analyzed its components—it really does have that function. But this soothing agent is a bit low-grade. The ones behind it must have something even better!”

“I’ve heard about it too, but your news is old! I’ve got something even more explosive!”

“What is it? Stop holding out—spill it!”

“They say this soothing agent was developed by an organization called the Federation. If you’re willing to join and become a Federation citizen, they promise unlimited purchases of the soothing agent!”

“The Federation? What kind of organization is that? Never heard of it!”

“Hold on, I’m not finished! There’s also the Gamete Institute. If you want offspring, artificial gametes are available. The Federation offers a full-service package—they say it’s ‘no risk, all reward, truly worth every penny!’”

“I’ve heard a bit about that too. Apparently, the Federation advocates for equality between males and females. What a joke—how can males and females ever be equal?”

“Who cares about equality? The real focus is the soothing agent!”

“Is this soothing agent really as effective as they claim?”

“The Federation doesn’t restrict sales of the soothing agent—is that true or false?”

“They really provide gametes? Are they just tricking females into becoming test subjects?”

“I doubt it. If it were fake, would the black market allow the rumors to spread so widely?”

“This sounds unusual. Why haven’t I heard of the Federation before?”

The rumor spread like wildfire, rapidly reaching every corner of the black market.

And those who knew about it discreetly ensured it circulated only among females.

They didn’t know what the Federation truly was, but they clearly understood the immense value of the words “soothing agent.”

…

“So, after hearing my pitch, are you convinced?” Lu Cian asked the rescued female.

After she awoke, Lu Cian learned that this female was a researcher who had been framed for leaking lab secrets by a senior colleague, turning her into a criminal.

The Federation’s labs had only a dozen or so researchers—they could never have too many.

“Cross my heart, everything I’ve said is true. If there’s even a single lie, you can come find me.”

Of course, if the female later discovered that reality was completely different from Lu Cian’s claims, she wouldn’t be able to find him—because Lu Cian wasn’t even an insectoid, but an alien species.

“Sir, the rumors have been spread. When will you fulfill your promise and give us our share?” the thin trafficker asked.

The fat trafficker shoved the thin one aside. “Sir, we put in a lot of effort too! The rumors started with us—we should be the first to exchange!”

The tall trafficker interjected, “Boss knows exactly how well you’ve performed. Stop jostling each other like this.”

Then, with a flattering smile, the tall trafficker approached Lu Cian and handed him a spatial button. “Sir, wouldn’t you agree?”

The thin trafficker: “…”

The fat trafficker: “…”

Both cursed inwardly in unison: *Damn kiss-ass!*

Lu Cian accepted the spatial button with a shit-eating grin. “Easy now. Everyone will get their fair share—no more, no less.”

He directed the three traffickers to line up in an orderly fashion, exchanging their chits one by one—a straightforward transaction, no tricks.

At the same time, Lu Cian promised, “We’re short-staffed. If any of you are willing to join us, meet here tomorrow at the same time. We’ll pick you up.”

Of course, they weren’t accepting just anyone. The criteria didn’t need to be disclosed—they had their own methods of selection.

Later, representatives from several other factions arrived. Given their respectful attitudes, Lu Cian sold them the soothing agents as long as their demands weren’t excessive.

Despite being in the lawless black market, Lu Cian somehow turned the scene into something resembling a job fair.

These hardened females, upon hearing the name “soothing agent,” didn’t even think of robbing Lu Cian—instead, they played along nicely and conducted business properly.

Even Nair Inan found it unbelievable.

A confident individual always shone brighter. Lu Cian’s confident, radiant smile seemed to glow.

Nair Inan had to admit that his previous biases against males had been wrong.

Males had their merits too—like this young male before him.

Only now did Nair Inan realize what that fleeting thought from that night had been.

He—must have liked Lu Cian too.

…

Lu Cian’s massive sale of soothing agents in the black market should have drawn suspicion from certain parties. Yet, strangely, even after he and Nair Inan finished vetting volunteers, no one came to cause trouble.

“Brother Nan, doesn’t this feel a bit… off?”

The lack of trouble unsettled Lu Cian. He worried someone might be plotting something worse behind the scenes.

Nair Inan glanced at him and sighed. “They *do* want to target you. But recently, something major happened—they’ve got a bigger deal now, so the soothing agent was small potatoes.”

Lu Cian was puzzled. What deal could be more important than the soothing agent?

Nair Inan sat beside him and continued, “News from the northern border—the Star Beast army launched a surprise attack. Several legions suffered heavy casualties. The front might not hold.”

Lu Cian flinched, looking up to gauge Nair Inan’s expression, but his face gave nothing away.

Nair Inan reassured, “Don’t worry. The Empire won’t fall.”

Lu Cian nodded, lowering his head slightly. He had no particular allegiance to the Empire and wasn’t concerned about its fate—he only worried that Nair Inan might take it hard.

Wait, that doesn't make sense?

What does going to war with the Star Beasts have to do with their business of selling soothing agents?

Lu Cian asked, and Nair Inan explained, "The news has gone viral on the Star Network. The Empire’s citizens are panicking, and many male nobles are planning to relocate south."

Lu Cian nodded. So, it's the male nobles relocating south...

Lu Cian was startled again: "Are they planning to kidnap male nobles?"

Nair Inan shook his head. "Of course not. Male nobles can't just be taken so easily. The law might overlook smuggling, but kidnapping male nobles is a serious crime."

"Many male nobles are afraid the Star Beasts will move south and are preparing to migrate to the southern regions. But there are also male nobles unwilling to leave, wanting to hire large numbers of military females as bodyguards to protect their planets."

Lu Cian suddenly understood: "I never thought these military females would be willing to sign up for guard duty... Did the male nobles offer very favorable terms? Like helping the military females soothe their mental states?"

Nair Inan nodded.

Lu Cian was puzzled: "Would male nobles be so kind?"

Nair Inan: "If they didn't offer incentives, how could they attract so many high-ranking females?"

Lu Cian nodded. "That makes sense."

Before they left, Nair Inan had said the empire would soon be in turmoil, and indeed, his words hit the mark.

On the Star Network, news of the empire losing ground in the battle against the Star Beasts was spreading rapidly.

This made Lu Cian realize why, on their way back, the security checks were tight at first but became increasingly lax the further south they went.

The empire's military defeat had likely happened some time ago, but the authorities had censored the news to prevent panic and instability among the citizens.

However, the northern border troops all had male nobles. It was possible that one of the male nobles learned the news and spread it to others, and from there, word spread quickly.

…

Although the news leaked, the royal family immediately issued denials, but it couldn't stop some male nobles from moving south.

Male nobles never go anywhere alone, let alone move their households, so their groups were quite large.

Used to getting their way, the male nobles didn’t even bother hiding their tracks along the way, and the news quickly reached the capital planet.

In the imperial palace.

The Emperor frowned. "Many male nobles are migrating south?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor recalled the recent uproar over military reports. The battle against the Star Beasts had caused heavy casualties for the empire's forces, but they still maintained the advantage in the war.

Most only heard fragments of the story and assumed the worst, leading to widespread speculation on the Star Network.

"Are there any from the capital planet?" The Emperor wondered if some male nobles, seeing the unfavorable war situation, were fleeing south to save themselves.

The attendant shook their head. "Not from here. They're all lower-ranking males."

The Emperor relaxed and waved his hand dismissively. "Just a bunch of mindless fools, easily swayed by others. Log their names. From now on, even if these male nobles qualify to enter the capital planet, they won’t be allowed passage."

The attendant recorded the Emperor's words and dutifully recorded the names of those male nobles.

Little did they know, those who left had no intention of returning.

The Star Beasts were terrifying, and even though the capital planet was at the center, it wasn’t completely safe. If every war with the Star Beasts was this devastating, even if the Emperor invited them back, they’d have to think twice.

With the male nobles' migration occupying everyone's attention, Lu Cian and his group's large-scale distribution of soothing agents went largely unnoticed.

Despite their high-profile actions along the way, they returned safely to the Federation.

"Chairman, you're finally back!"

Wawen was as excited to see Nair Inan as if he were seeing his own father.

How could he not be? If they hadn’t returned soon, his brain cells would have died out from exhaustion—handling political affairs was too taxing!

Honestly, these matters should have been left to Damon. Damon was the real expert at administrative work.

"Chairman, the individuals brought back from the Dothas planet have been settled, but the male nobles among them..."

Nair Inan paused. "What about the male nobles?"

"Most of the male nobles are older and are just happy to have a stable life now. But some of the underage male nobles... are rather pampered."