Chapter 516: Lily's Discovery |
Prince Mond paced restlessly in his room. The news of Prince Hewlett's successful destruction of the Ghost Clan's major stronghold had reached him not long ago, and the moment he received the message, he even suspected it was a false report!
He knew Hewlett very well; after all, Hewlett had been one of the Princes he looked down upon the most. All he seemed to do back then was indulge in pleasure, without a thought for the future.
As for Mond, he ranked among the top three of all the Princes, and after the deaths of those two Princes, he had become the presumed next king. Many Base Commanders and faction leaders had extended an olive branch to him, willing to support his claim to the throne if he agreed to certain conditions.
But he had rejected them all. Prince Mond was exceedingly self-assured, believing he could become king solely on his own merits.
However, reality had dealt him a harsh blow. Losing the protection of the king, his identity as a Prince had become virtually meaningless. Were it not for some connections he still had, he might have lost even his place to stay.
Even so, he could only barely maintain his Prince's identity, and his daily life could no longer compare to what it once was.
"Your Highness, are you satisfied with the recent meals?" At that moment, a deep and respectful voice came from outside the door.
"Steward Zhang, the recent meals have been quite satisfactory. Is there something you need?" Prince Mond opened the door to find a plump man standing there, known to him as Steward Zhang.
"Your Highness, the master has asked me to come and discuss an important matter with you. He wishes for you to accompany me." Steward Zhang's demeanor was impeccable, and Prince Mond was quite pleased.
Before long, Prince Mond met the "master" mentioned by Steward Zhang, the person who had arranged his stay here.
"Uncle Zhang, it's been a while," Prince Mond greeted him with the usual pleasantries.
The man addressed as Uncle Zhang appeared to be only slightly older than Prince Mond. His face bore a perpetual smile that immediately created a favorable impression.
"Your Highness, indeed it has been a while. We last met two months ago, if I recall correctly. If it weren't for my pressing engagements, I would be delighted to catch up with Your Highness every day," Uncle Zhang said, sounding somewhat apologetic.
Sly fox!
Prince Mond knew very well that this was just an excuse. He understood what the other party had in mind. He was investing in him. If he had any hope of becoming king, Uncle Zhang probably couldn't wait to serve him every day.
From what he knew, Uncle Zhang was concurrently supporting several Princes. He understood a fundamental principle: don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Nevertheless, Uncle Zhang had indeed provided him with a stable place to stay. He had heard that many Princes had lost their support and seen their status plummet, with some even reduced to begging.
"I wonder what business brings Uncle Zhang here to see me?" Prince Mond got straight to the point.
Upon discussing business matters, Uncle Zhang's smile became even more radiant. "Your Highness, I wonder how familiar you are with Prince Hewlett? For instance, his interests and hobbies?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Mond almost failed to maintain the smile on his face. What did this mean? Inquire about Hewlett's interests and hobbies and then continue to sponsor him? In the past, he would have definitely kicked this guy out immediately. But things had changed; he had to bow down under someone else's roof. He knew that the comfortable life he now enjoyed was all thanks to Uncle Zhang.
However, he had absolutely no connection with Prince Hewlett. The only place they might have interacted was during the birthday banquet held when their father was still alive. The total number of words they had exchanged up to now might not even reach ten. How was he supposed to know Hewlett's interests and hobbies?
Of course, he couldn't tell Uncle Zhang that. He needed Uncle Zhang to believe that he and Hewlett had a good relationship; this might just earn him Uncle Zhang's favor.
"Uncle Zhang, you've asked the right person. Hewlett and I had the closest relationship when we were at the Royal Palace. Hewlett had many things he never told anyone but me," Prince Mond proudly declared.
"That's wonderful. Do you happen to know what Prince Hewlett likes?" Uncle Zhang's face lit up with anticipation.
"He likes..." At that moment, Prince Mond's mind raced as he thought of many things. "Beautiful women and exquisite food!"
Uncle Zhang's eyes gleamed. He liked these two things. Well, he didn't have much else, but he had plenty of beautiful women and gourmet dishes.
"Is there anything else?"
Prince Mond pretended to think hard and finally came up with something. "Oh yes, Hewlett also admires our late father's calligraphy and paintings. He once said he aspired to reach the same level as our father."
Uncle Zhang's eyes shone even brighter. This was good news, as he happened to have many of the king's calligraphy and paintings. It seemed to be in line with his preferences.
After a brief chat with Prince Mond, Uncle Zhang took his leave.
Once he was certain that everyone else had left, Prince Mond returned to his room and could no longer contain his anger. He threw some things around the room.
"Hewlett, only I can become king. What are you?"
Meanwhile, far away, Hewlett remained oblivious to this. He had gained the attention of numerous brothers and sisters due to his recent accomplishments. After all, what he had achieved had quickly spread his reputation throughout Yan Yun Star.
Many saw him as Yan Yun Star's last hope. Some City Lord-level Experts even expressed their willingness to join the Restoration Army if Prince Hewlett brought it to their City Lord's domain.
This time, Prince Hewlett had truly become famous, while the Red Alert Base, which had always been in the background, was hardly mentioned at all. This was precisely the scenario Su Chen had hoped to see.
Just then, Lily's voice reached Su Chen's mind. "Commander, I've made a discovery."
Su Chen's eyes lit up. He had sent Lily to establish mining operations on other planets outside of Planet. He hadn't expected her to make a discovery so quickly.
"What have you found?"
"On the largest satellite orbiting Yan Yun Star, we've discovered a mine that's about halfway excavated. It contains a significant amount of known and unknown minerals. Using Scanning Simulation Imaging Technology, we've made a preliminary estimate that the deposits inside are extremely rich, occupying one-third of the satellite's volume."
Incredible! So abundant?
Su Chen had previously noticed that there were dozens of satellites orbiting Yan Yun Star. Each of these satellites, chosen at random, was larger than the moon. If one-third of a satellite was filled with mineral deposits, it was undoubtedly a treasure trove.
"Full-scale extraction, don't worry about waste. Once the base is established, prioritize mining, and let the warships handle defense."
"Yes, Commander, I have one more piece of information to report."
Su Chen, still elated, casually replied, "Go ahead."
"It seems there are quite a few humans here. How should we handle this?" (To be continued...)
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