Chapter 15 Chairman

Chapter 15: The Chairman

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Donne Sharpe's daily work consisted of meeting merchant representatives from different worlds, signing contracts that were largely the same, and attending endless meetings.

Even though he had only been in office for a few years, he already felt a sense of fatigue—the weariness of a life that's always the same.

He came from a nothing world in the Inner Ring, and a single transfer order had propelled him from an ordinary administrative official directly to the position of Chairman of the Oceanus Chamber of Commerce.

Everyone knew that the Chairman of the Oceanus Chamber of Commerce was virtually the governor of the planet. This sudden promotion had plenty of his colleagues jealous.

He used to be proud of it too. However, when he actually set foot on this agricultural planet named Oceanus and sat down in this spacious office, he realized he was basically a general with no army.

The locals couldn't care less about business. They held onto the land their families had farmed forever, living off the earth's bounty. The ones actually running the Chamber day-to-day were outsiders, same as him.

Back when he was a mid-level officer in the Space Force, he didn't have a standout look or strong connections. His features, while not striking, were nonetheless decent. His eyes, nothing special, but they came across as honest and warm.

Since arriving on Oceanus, he often felt a loneliness he couldn't put into words. The various alien merchants came with their own agendas, exchanging polite pleasantries before diving straight into negotiations. No one ever lingered to chat with him. As for the natives, they seemed as distant to Sharpe as his homeworld. Apart from the officials working at the Chamber, he had never met another Oceanian. These people deliberately drew a clear line between themselves and the outsiders.

Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to this loneliness. Loneliness was just part of life. When it got too tough, he'd take a Soothing Tablet, and his heart would feel whole again.

He was meticulous and hated surprises, but that didn't stop them from finding him.

Sharpe looked at the latest quarterly report. The figures and trends looked fine at first—export volumes and sales figures remained stable.

Yet, as he scrutinized the subtle changes, those almost negligible fluctuations, a knot of unease settled in his stomach. He felt something brewing under the calm surface—a crisis he hadn't fully figured out yet.

No report spelled it out; he'd found it by comparing data from years back. He wasn't a business guy, but he was great with math. That's probably why the Prime Minister picked him.

He hadn't mentioned it to anyone. He knew it would cause a panic. Synthetic fat had always been Oceanus's bread and butter. Their technology was unmatched, and the quality of their products remained consistent.

He needed to find a way to turn things around, even if just for himself.

Yesterday, after hearing that someone had visited the Chamber building, he contacted his secretary, Asea—the only person on this planet he could truly talk to.

Asea was an Oceanian, an old man stuck with Alzheimer's. It was a disease that had long been overlooked; the Empire's resources weren't meant for old-age diseases.

Fortunately, Alzheimer's had stripped Asea of his "normal" attributes, getting rid of his natural discomfort with talking to people.

After the call, Sharpe felt that Asea's condition had worsened. He must've been scammed—where in the galaxy would you even find obsidian anymore?

When he woke up in the morning, he felt a hollow emptiness inside. He opened his nightstand, pulled out a small bottle, and tipped a tablet into his palm. After taking it, the crushing emptiness ebbed away like a tide. Looking at the morning sun, a small smile crept across his face.

He gazed out the window at the factories and farmland. This was Oceanus's pride, and also his responsibility as Chairman of the Chamber. Though nominally the chairman, he was more like a repairman for a giant machine—ensuring it ran smoothly, fixing minor glitches, but never allowed to change the machine itself.

What a beautiful world.

He got to the building like always to start the same grind. Just as he opened his personal terminal, he saw a communication request from Asea.

"A guy saying he's a traveling merchant from Eros is asking to see you."

Sharpe paused at the name Eros, taking a moment to place the planet, then said flatly, "I'm swamped today, Mr. Asea."

Sharpe patiently listened to Asea's rambling voice, mechanically responding. Just as he was about to politely hang up, Asea suddenly blurted out "crisis."

"Crisis? What crisis?" Sharpe nearly jumped out of his chair.

"Oh, they said our planet's in for something big, something about the synthetic fat we make."

These Oceanians were completely in the dark about business!

Although Asea's words were very vague, the keywords "crisis" and "fat" hit Sharpe like a flash of lightning, jolting his dulled senses.

"Are you still there, Chairman? A man named Konsu, an Eros traveling merchant, is requesting to see you."

"Asea, thank you for telling me this." Sharpe kept his voice steady, hiding the storm inside. "Let him come."

***

When the chime rang, his eager anticipation turned to anxiety. Sharpe felt uneasy. It had been so long since he had spoken face-to-face with anyone that he'd almost forgotten how to have a normal conversation.

The door slid open. The man in front wore a sharp black trench coat. He was holding the hand of a woman in a dark brown robe with patterns Sharpe had never seen.

The man's eyes quickly swept every corner of the room and finally landed on Sharpe.

"Greetings, Mr. Chairman."

Years of ingrained social habits were like second nature. Sharpe stepped forward to greet them.

He mustered a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and this lovely young lady." With that, he extended his hand in an inviting gesture.

In most Inner Ring worlds, you greeted someone by kissing the back of their hand, so he did it on autopilot.

But the woman before him was clearly taken aback. She had very distinctive eyes. When she looked at Sharpe, he felt no sense of being seen—her gaze seemed to go right through his skin to something deep inside him.

The man in black stepped forward, stepping sideways to block her. "Apologies, Mr. Chairman. My wife is shy and not used to such a warm greeting."

Sharpe then noticed the large hood on her robe and realized he might have violated some alien etiquette.

While there were differences among the Inner Ring worlds, they existed within certain limits.

He didn't want to use the word "stale and outdated"; "traditional" might be more appropriate. He vaguely recalled reading that in some more closed and conservative worlds, customs and rules like this did exist—for example, a wife maintaining a certain distance from other men in public.

How selfish.

Sharpe smiled and lowered his hand. He was quite sincere, so the gesture didn't seem awkward or ridiculous. "Sorry, that was too forward. I didn't mean to startle her."

He led them to the sofa in the corner of the office. On the small coffee table sat two glasses filled with a light pink liquid.

"You've come from afar. Please, try Oceanus's most popular beverage." Sharpe enthusiastically introduced it. "This is made from hundreds of different flowers, carefully blended and processed using a secret method to achieve the best flavor. It's very sweet and fragrant; I'm sure you'll both enjoy it."

Sharpe then sat back behind his desk, leaning slightly forward, elegantly picking up his own glass. "We love food as much as we love life. As you can see, Oceanus has a high degree of mechanization, but our people still cultivate a vegetable patch in front of their homes. Our ancestors taught us to respect food. Oceanians only eat what they grow themselves."

When he spoke of Oceanus, it was as if he himself had become an Oceanian, feeling proud of this planet. "We are the hardest-working people in the Inner Ring, even though we possess boundless wealth."

The merchant named Konsu merely tasted the drink out of politeness, but the woman beside him seemed to really enjoy it.

A small sense of pride welled up in Sharpe's heart.

This was one of Oceanus's treasures—the most prized drink in the Inner Ring. Most of it was sent directly to the royal family as tribute, leaving only a tiny fraction to enter the market, and its exorbitant price was far beyond what ordinary people could afford.

A professional smile lingered on Konsu's face, his tone concise and direct, as if he didn't care for lengthy pleasantries. "Mr. Chairman, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to see us."

"Let's get down to business, Mr. Konsu. What is this crisis you mentioned?" Sharpe's voice carried a hint of urgency, his hand tightening slightly around the glass.

"Chairman, Oceanus is facing a turning point. The sales of this planet's economic pillar are quietly declining, aren't they?" His words hit like a rock in a still pond.

Sharpe's heart tightened, and his words came faster. "That's impossible!"

Konsu leaned back slightly on the sofa, composed. "Though those subtle fluctuations might be overlooked by most, to us traveling merchants who closely monitor market changes, they are the clearest signals. Consumer behavior is quietly shifting, and I happen to know the reason behind it."

"I'm all ears." Sharpe motioned for him to continue.

Konsu began to talk about changes in restaurant menus and mentioned emerging entertainment venues, which on the surface seemed unrelated to synthetic fats, but a sense of unease spread through Sharpe.

They had no market research department at all, because previously, Oceanus had almost monopolized the entire market.

"Many restaurants market themselves as offering 'traditional' and 'authentic' dining experiences, and some emerging entertainment venues have begun offering highly simulated crisis experience programs, allowing participants to experience the fear of near-death and the ecstasy of survival in an absolutely safe environment."

When he mentioned "sensory stimulation," a terrible thought formed in Sharpe's mind.

Recently, there had been rumors that non-synthetic meat products were served at private gatherings of certain officials. Those rumors sounded too heretical, and Sharpe had always dismissed them as politicians spreading slander against their colleagues, never taking them seriously.

Konsu looked at him and said, "Humans essentially seek novelty, and it has always been so throughout history. Whether you believe it or not, time will tell. If you are wise enough to plan ahead, you should consider other options."

As he met those blue eyes, Sharpe's heart raced. His college classmate, Major General Yu Jun of the Space Force, also had such sharp eyes.

Sharpe's hand gripped the bottle of soothing tablets tightly. He seemed to need to go to the hospital to consult about his dosage, or replace it with a stronger, upgraded version.

Only after taking the soothing tablet could he calmly say, "It seems you already have a plan. Why not tell me about it?"

"Chairman, what you need to do is expand your business vision and turn your gaze toward those emerging markets. They crave high-quality products, but their own production capacity cannot meet the demand."

He continued, "Clinging to a few existing mature markets will only cause the industry to shrink in an increasingly saturated environment. The Central Ring and Outer Ring still have seventy percent of the Empire's population. They are like hungry infants, with a huge demand for high-quality products."

"It sounds reasonable, but we lack information on those regions." Establishing new trade channels requires a lot of resources and time, and the board has become increasingly conservative.

Konsu smiled, "That is precisely where I can help. I have all the information on the major trade centers in the outer worlds."

The offer came too opportune, almost making one question his motives.

But his next words clarified everything: "In exchange, I hope your chamber of commerce can help me distribute a special commodity."

Isn't the essence of business the exchange of benefits? The traveling merchant's frankness in presenting his conditions actually calmed Sharpe's initial anxiety a little.

"What commodity?" Sharpe asked.

"Obsidian. As for its authenticity, Chairman, you need not worry; I will prove it to you."

A wave of shock coursed through Sharpe again. Obsidian! This mineral that had almost become a legend still existed!

He truly knew nothing about these outer worlds; he had almost forgotten that they were also members of the Empire.

"I need time to assess the potential risks and opportunities involved. Please allow me to consider." Sharpe could not take any more of the soothing tablets; he needed time to think carefully.

Since they had entered the office, that traveling merchant's companion had not spoken a single word.

At that moment, she suddenly lifted her head slightly, her hood falling back a bit to reveal part of the bridge of her nose. Sharpe noticed this gesture and said, "This beautiful lady seems to have something to say. Why don't we listen, unless there's some... etiquette preventing it."

"Chairman, you may have misunderstood. Although Eros is not as civilized as the Inner Ring, we are still an egalitarian society and do not have those damned rules."

Sharpe laughed as well, "I greatly respect differences. I have met merchants from many worlds and know a bit about the customs of each place. This lady, what would you like to say?"

Those words flowed like a mountain spring, each word striking the heart like cool jade chimes, one by one. She said, "Chairman, your planet has such vast land. Can you accept that one day the crops people plant will wither and die in the fields, unpicked? That is an insult to nature. The earth nurtures those plants for us, yet we let them wither upon it. Everything becomes meaningless."

Sharpe felt a deep sorrow. He could almost see that scene. He could never allow the rice in the fields to go unpicked, the fruit in the orchards to rot, and the fish and shrimp in the rivers to decay and stink.

This was the scene he least wanted to see.

What terrified him most was a sense of fear, and the face of the Prime Minister, majestic and stern, appeared in his mind.

He could almost hear the Prime Minister's unwavering voice, like a heavy alarm bell ringing in his ears: "Oceanus's trade volume must never be allowed to decline!"

This pressure, like a boulder, weighed heavily on Sharpe's shoulders.

After saying this, the woman seemed very tired, her eyelids drooping, her body swaying slightly, barely able to maintain an upright posture. Seeing this, her partner gently and carefully supported her.

Sharpe couldn't help but glance at them a few more times.

He had no partner. His child had just turned sixteen, and after he left the home planet, the child had been living in the local life base. Apart from occasional check-in messages, they had no communication.

Perhaps he should not call her his own child; that would be impolite, after all, she belongs to the Empire. Sharpe said, "You two are quite affectionate."

The man's deep eyes were full of love, and he smiled, "Indeed, she is very clingy."

After they left, Sharpe opened his communicator: "Notify the committee to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow morning."