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The current and future leader of the Aduc Family had not only studied terraforming, but also politics, business, administration and management.

They needed to develop competencies in many different fields in order to make sure the Aduc Family could continue to survive and make a living in a constantly changing galactic human community.

Tierna Aduc and Pesca Aduc did not possess the same broadened perspective. They had both devoted their lives to terraforming and exobiology with all of their hearts, so they were not exposed to the power plays that took place between different parties.

For this reason, they still had a lot of difficulty understanding why the Larkinsons, who the Aducs had approached with plenty of goodwill, could act so vilely all of a sudden!

"These scoundrels!"

"They\'re worse than scoundrels. They\'re hypocritical scum! I thought that they were honorable warriors and honest mech providers, but it turns out that they have no limits in what they are willing to do to get ahead!"

"That is not necessarily a bad trait to have these days." Kievenar noted.

"What did you say, brother?!"

"He is correct." Matriarch Erexi Aduc spoke. "What the Larkinsons have done is not unusual among the larger, more powerful and more successful human organizations. The reason why they have all grown considerably faster in size, wealth and power than us is because they are much more willing to make the expedient decisions even if they have to violate rules, conventions and even taboos in the process."

Her younger and more innocent daughters could not accept this kind of conduct. They never heard their mother speak so clearly about the reality of doing business at this level!

"Why did we never hear about this before?" Tierna Aduc asked.

"Because we previously maintained our distance from these ambitious parties. As long as we kept to ourselves and operated within our familiar territory, the chances of coming into conflict with dangerous groups was low. We managed to fly under most people\'s sensors for many years until we took the initiative to change our strategy. Ever since we entered the Red Ocean, we could no longer remain as uninvolved as before. When we were exposed to the Larkinson Clan, our chances of remaining in our comfort zone had dropped even more."

Kievenar Aduc shook his head in resignation. "To be honest, with the way that pioneers in the Red Ocean have operated, it was only a matter of time before we would attract the predatory gaze of a larger and more powerful group. We should be fairly lucky that we have only attracted the attention of the Larkinson Clan so far. As much as you object to their behavior, they do not fundamentally wish to exploit us or turn us into their vassals. There is still a measure of mutual benefit in their proposals."

Not every Aduc had good feelings about the likely culprits at the moment. There were even those that wished to burn all of their nascent ties with the Larkinson Clan due to this incident regardless of any directives of the Transhumanist Faction!

"The Larkinsons have brought death to the Old Lady! They have attempted to murder the heart of our family! It makes no sense to smile and shake their hands after what they have done! We should leave this cursed star system right away!"

"What would that solve for us?" Matriarch Erexi calmly shot back at the family elder who proposed this course of action. "Our Old Lady is almost terminally ill. We have already failed to reverse her decline when she was still in decent shape, and our chances of saving her have dropped even more since then. The only way we can save her is if we give in to the demands of the Larkinsons. Though they have acted with ill intent, I do not believe they have deliberately brought our living heirloom to the brink of death unless they have a countermeasure in their possession that can bring her back to life."

"We cannot allow our anger to lead us to a worse future. Saving the Old Lady is more important than spitting the Larkinsons in the face." Kievenar concurred. "Besides, if you think about it, the deal offered by the Larkinson Clan is not all that bad. While they are eager to pull us into a dangerous vortex, the payoff is much greater than the profit of completing ten terraforming projects. They have even promised that they can make the Old Lady evolve to a higher state."

"Do you actually believe that, brother?"

"Their work speaks for themselves."

As the higher ups of the Aduc Family evaluated their options and held discussions on how to move forward, most leaders recognized that they had lost this particular game.

When the Aducs next met with the Larkinsons in order to advance their negotiations, Minister Shederin Purnesse no longer encountered as many obstacles as before.

"My condolences to your family." The old man sympathetically said as his expression conveyed genuine sadness. "No group should suffer the pain of losing a beloved symbol and piece of heritage. We cannot imagine how much you and your fellow family members are fearing for the future of your Old Lady. Is she still able to persist for the time being?"

"Our Old Lady has always been resilient. She may surprise us in the future."

"We will be the first to offer our congratulations to your family if that happens." Shederin politely responded.

Kievenar Aduc, who led this round of negotiations on behalf of his mother, resisted the urge to punch the sincere-looking ambassador in the face.

No matter how pleasant and innocent the envoy acted, the Aduc scion knew quite well that the Larkinsons were the chief culprits of this entire calamity! They had by far the strongest motive as they clearly obtained an immense advantage after the change in circumstances.

.

Although the Aducs never found out how the Old Lady suffered such a great loss in vitality, they were near-certain that the Larkinson Clan secretly employed mysterious means to achieve this result.

The fantastical tales surrounding the Larkinson Clan and the astonishing combat footage circulating on the galactic net showed that these bastards had mastered a variety of strange methods, including a few that could directly affect living organisms while passing through many forms of obstacles!

In fact, the Aducs discovered that an alarming incident had taken place in the vicinity of the Larkinson fleet. The people of the clan had fired a strange and powerful energy beam into space!

Given that this incident only happened a short time before the Old Lady had such a great loss, Kievenar Aduc was 99.99 percent certain that the Larkinsons were the ultimate masterminds behind this sequence of events!

"Your kind words are appreciated, Mr. Purnesse. Shall we proceed with the main talks?"

There was no point in mentioning the obvious out loud. Even if both sides were aware of the actual truth, neither side would gain any advantage by bringing the issue out into the open.

The Aducs would only make it harder for themselves to accept any eventual deal while the Larkinsons could just categorically deny any allegations unless confronted by hard proof that didn\'t exist.

Kievenar Aduc had a responsibility to work towards the best possible outcome for his family, and if that meant signing a contract with a devil, then he would just have to do his best to forget about the unpleasant context!

As he put on a lower posture during the negotiations, the talks achieved meteoric progress.

The Aducs had an active interest in securing a deal as fast as possible now that the Old Lady visibly decayed with each passing day!

Unfortunately, despite Kievenar\'s best efforts, he could not hide the desperation from his side. Even if he put on the most convincing act possible, there was no way the Larkinsons would miss the opportunity to exploit their new advantage!

"I believe you are misunderstanding our position." Minister Shederin slightly frowned as he sat on the other side of the negotiating table. "The demands presented by our clan are not opening bids meant to give us more room for bargaining. They are ultimatums that clearly convey the price to obtain our cooperation. If other organizations fully understand what we are offering in return, then they would wholeheartedly accept our terms without hesitation."

Kievenar Aduc scoffed in response. "There are not that many organizations to begin with that can cooperate with you on the T Institute. Our family is the only possible partner that you can cooperate with. Your clan wouldn\'t even know where to go if we refuse your terms."

"Can you afford to reject our aid, Mr. Aduc? I wonder about that. While we may have a desire to partner with you, we will not suffer any losses if we fail to attain our goal. As for your family, the consequences of leaving without finding a cure for your dying tree are too dire to mention. Are you truly willing to risk this outcome just because you are unable to accept our generosity?"

Pff. Generosity, his butt! The Larkinsons knew they had the Aducs over a barrel and ruthlessly exploited their superior position!

After a few more exchanges that were filled with veiled threats and doomed attempts to shift the balance of power, both sides decided that they had enough of this theater performance.

"Tell it to me straight, Purnesse. If we proceed with the proposed agreement, will your clan be able to restore the Old Lady in full?" Kievenar asked with a serious expression. "We do not wish to play any further games and we will not accept any half-measures. If your clan is unable or unwilling to address the root of our problem, we would rather take our chances elsewhere."

Minister Shederin smiled. "Our patriarch has already made it clear that we can make your Old Lady better in a single session. We have no interest in stringing your family along. We do as we say and always abide by our promises. You can trust our reputation for honesty and integrity. Every business partner we have worked with has earned remarkable gains and have never regretted their decision. Your family shall not be an exception."

He knew that as long as he managed to rope in the Aducs, it would be nearly impossible for the latter to get out! The Larkinsons had mastered numerous different measures and strategies that strengthened their bonds with their various allies and partners.

The Aduc Family would have to give up a lot of benefits and pay an immense price to separate itself from the Larkinson Clan!

As long as the Aducs were rational enough, they should never think about divorcing themselves from the Larkinsons once they signed an agreement!

Therefore, Minister Shederin had no problem with promising the Aducs that their Old Lady would immediately become healthy again.

Ves had personally assured him that he and his clan possessed the power to accomplish this near-impossible feat!

At the end of the session, the two sides had yet to come to an agreement.

However, they moved so much closer to each other that a deal was already close at hand. They just needed to draft and agree on the final details of their extensive contract!

Shederin and Kievenar both stood up and shook hands with each other.

"You and your family will not regret your decision. Work with our clan, and we will protect you from the predators that roam the Red Ocean. We may not rank among the top, but that means you can get a great bargain by cooperating with us when we are still on the rise. Ten or twenty years from now, we would never agree to hand over 25 percent ownership of a revolutionary new research institution. You should feel lucky that we have granted you this honor."

"Yes… Lucky…"