Mecha Star Wars.

Chapter 1401 Returning to the Ship for Discussion

"Wouldn't instant settlement be better?" Lin Fan noticed that Rubelu's expression seemed a bit off.

“Well, how should I put it?” Ruberu sighed. “In the trading world, quick settlement is of course the best. But isn’t it said that the energy value of the Mok people is equal to their life value? Although they seem to have high technology, the biological differences… not every brain is particularly intelligent, and not everyone can do those high-precision jobs.”

Lin Fan nodded silently: "Indeed, all societies are structured like a pyramid. Most grassroots workers do ordinary jobs."

"The Mok people we see here are not ordinary people. The basic staff of Mok Star do not receive high salaries due to their basic work. Even the parts needed for the machine, such as lubricant, are not cheap. Most of them live a life of hardship due to energy shortages."

“Many people at the bottom of society even have to borrow energy from each other to survive. In the morning, I don’t have enough energy, so I borrow some from you to go to work. By the time I get paid after work, you don’t have much energy either, so I quickly return it to you…” Rubel sighed again. “This instant settlement is convenient for times like this. After all, energy is constantly being depleted, and if it’s not done in time, you might not make it in time.”

Lin Fan already had a picture in his mind.

"Do people really die because they don't get enough energy in time?" Wu Yi asked incredulously. "But they spend a lot of money replacing brains and other organs, right? If they die, wouldn't they end up with nothing, and from an economic perspective, they'd actually lose out?"

Ruberu shook his head: "As far as I know, the policy was originally intended to encourage the Mok people to rise in rank and earn more for their hard work. But something happened later, and there was a gap in the Mok people's social standing. The good ones remained good, while the bad ones lived even worse lives."

"The bodies of the dead can be reused, so it's not really a waste. It's just the current situation on Moke Star... It seems that once they lose their physical bodies, they no longer consider themselves human, they prioritize pragmatism, and they've completely lost their hearts." Rubel sighed again.

When they were still underground, they always thought that the bald-headed Moon people were no good.

Once you reach interstellar space and witness the diversity of species, you realize that the bald head caused by the physical severing of emotional nerves isn't so bad after all.

"Now that the rules are set, the upper class decides what's left, but the upper class has absolutely no empathy for the lower class. The only way for the lower class to improve their lives is to overthrow the laws and redistribute wages. But they don't even have the energy to live, let alone talk about anything else."

After Lubelu finished sighing, he saw that Lin Fan and the others looked very serious, and immediately laughed again.

"Look at me, why am I saying all this? Come on, look this way, this is where they sell energy jewelry. But this shop mainly sells designs, the energy is just a gimmick, they have it, but not much. And over there..."

The Star Ring is a place of perpetual daylight without night due to its unique trade nature.

Even if Wanxing Huishi only occupies a part of it, and you only take a quick tour, it's not something you can see in a day.

Lin Fan and the others were cultivators, so enduring a day or two was no big deal for them.

Rubel is different; he's an ordinary person who needs to eat, drink, and rest.

The group ate and drank on the flying carpet, and the food they brought out was highly praised by Rubel.

The atmosphere was just right, so when asked if he wanted to go on the Noah and rest for the night, Rubel agreed almost without hesitation.

Ruberu had a relatively high expectation for the Noah, and after entering it, he was not particularly amazed.

When he saw Qiu Yi, he was stunned for a long time.

I remember the last time we met, I was still a young man, and I was full of hostility towards Qiu Yi.

Time has passed, and he now has a full beard and has entered the next stage of his life; while Qiu Yi seems to still look the same as she did back then.

The resentment in his heart gradually transformed and dissipated with the passage of time...

Looking at Qiu Yi, who still had the same cold expression as before, Rubelu was even more amazed by her own changes.

Time! It truly is... the cruelest and most terrifying thing in the world...

Following orders, Qiu Yi, accompanied by Antonio and Jin Sichen, led Rubelu on a tour of the Noah, focusing on the places where Binze had stayed.

Lin Fan then returned to his office.

As soon as the door opened, a shadow darted out from the side. Lin Fan suppressed his body's reflexes and took a step back.

"Ah~" Old Dupu rushed in, only to find no one there. He stood inside the door, clutching his chubby hands and whimpering, "Lin Jian..."

"Shut up!" Before Lin Fan could speak, he heard Cui Yan's cold, dagger-like voice, "What did you promise just now? If you go crazy again, I'll come over and give you a sedative."

Lin Fan looked up. Cui Yan was actually pushing out a thin syringe, and the few drops of liquid coming out of the needle were not as cold as his eyes.

Old Dupu hugged himself tightly, his lips trembling as he pouted, feeling wronged but having nowhere to confide in.

Lin Fan patted the poor old man on the shoulder: "Want to go out?"

Old Dupp shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum: "I will control my emotions, I want to stay here."

Lin Fan didn't try to persuade him. He turned around, closed the door, and walked towards his seat.

"Lin Jian, you've worked hard," Cen Fangyuan said with a smile, placing the freshly brewed tea on Lin Fan's table before sitting down beside him. "The intelligence we've gathered so far is much faster than we anticipated."

Lin Fan nodded and picked up his teacup: "Let's go shopping again tomorrow and gather as much information as possible on the ground. Rubelu is a very useful person."

“Indeed.” Cen Fangyuan nodded. “He seemed very close to us and explained things in detail, but we still need to verify his information with the StarNet.”

Lin Fan put down his teacup: "It's nothing."

"Besides, parading around on the flying carpet with Rubelu attracted the attention of many aliens. According to Rubelu, clothing can represent power, so for now, we should be able to benefit from the influence of Lunar Star and create the impression that we have an unusual relationship with them..." Cen Fangyuan looked up from his tablet at Lin Fan, "I personally want to ask, was Lin Jian's action intentional? Choosing an unobstructed flying carpet to expose the characteristics of the Lunar People?"

“It wasn’t like that at first.” Lin Fan shook his head. “But after getting on the flying carpet, I realized it had this benefit. Rubel… he himself probably meant the same thing, to help us leverage this momentum, temporarily gain a foothold, and avoid being easily offended.”

"He does seem to be a good person so far," Cen Fangyuan continued to smile.

“So once this matter is settled, I plan to give him some gifts, or rather, some reward.” Lin Fan looked at Cen Fangyuan, then turned to Cui Yan, “When you have time, help me analyze what would be appropriate to give him.”

“Okay, Lin Jian,” Cen Fangyuan said with a smile as he recorded on his tablet, “I will analyze his words and actions and prepare the most suitable gift for him, which will be given to you before he departs tomorrow.”

Lin Fan nodded and suggested that more people be released to explore the star ring the next day.

Cen Fangyuan and others all agreed.

The Star Ring is so vast that it's impossible for Lin Fan and his group to explore it all. Furthermore, based on today's observations, the overall environment of the Star Ring is indeed relatively safe, so there's no need to be so timid now.

The group then discussed some further exploration measures.

Old Dupus dared not utter a sound, but in the end he couldn't help but groan.

“Silicon-based people, I know them.” Lin Fan looked at him helplessly.

"And it's not just silicon-based humans..." Old Dupu, seeing that Cui Yan didn't stop him, simply lay down on the table and began to speak at length, "There's also..."

There are so many new technologies in interstellar space. So many that old Drup suddenly felt melancholy—afraid that he was too old to unravel these mysteries.

"I know, I know!" Lin Fan nodded repeatedly. "I know all of that. But you can't eat one bite at a time, right? Your first priority is to go to the StarNet and understand the basic theories you can find. After all, our current identities are all self-created, just empty shells. We can't let your thirst for knowledge ruin them."

Having a thirst for knowledge is not a bad thing, but it depends on the context. Exposing one's own shortcomings is not pleasant.

People who do research are actually very intelligent, but they are mostly focused on research and rarely or never care about external interpersonal relationships.

In the event of an unexpected situation, they are not as adaptable as Lin Fan and his group, and they can tell lies without any flaws.

“I know this well,” Cui Yan tapped the table, speaking to Old Dupue in a tone that was unclear whether it was a notification or a threat. “I’ll help you plan out the process later, so you can have more time to do more research.”

Old Dupu choked. He knew that Cui Yan was originally the director of the research institute and was good at planning work in this area.

While I felt relieved, I also felt offended and uncomfortable. I didn't know whether to thank them or be angry.

Before Old Dupu could react, Lin Fan promised to buy some suitable items for them to study after understanding the overall market situation. He and Cen Fangyuan worked together, coaxing and cajoling the old man until he was satisfied.

Understanding is only the first step.

The residual power of Luna Star that Rubel managed to prop up was limited.

"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself!" They also needed to find a way to quickly establish their authority.