Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 40

As soon as Pei An mentioned opening travel permits for the people he brought, Xie Yu became enthusiastic. Following the personal information provided by Pei An, he created high-end-looking travel permits for everyone, granting them the authority to mobilize manpower. His people were capable of handling various tasks, from running errands to miscellaneous duties.

 

Considering that Pei An and his team were raised alongside their parents from an early age, they were excellent in scientific research. Over the years, they had nurtured a large number of talents. These individuals, though not necessarily the most capable within the base, received special treatment once they entered the military.

 

“When you meet, call me ‘Mr. Gong.’ If you’re asked to serve tea, don’t offer water. If you’re asked to prepare a meal, don’t provide nutrient supplements. Treat the technicians who come for maintenance with the best attitude,” Xie Yu issued a stern command.

 

Technical workers were precious. On a main battleship, they could gather at most ten people, with three or four fewer than that. Many soldiers had acquired a second skill beyond fighting.

 

Pei An’s target for maintenance was the Moonlight-class battleship.

 

Upon arriving at ML001, he had only upgraded the central control system of the Moonlight-class battleship. As a massive main battleship, there were aspects that the central control system could manage and those it couldn’t. Every artillery barrel had to be checked, and even each small ship and fighter needed inspection.

 

This was an immensely huge undertaking.

 

“Lite Empire has been established for fifty years, and the Moonlight-class has been in service for twenty years. It’s an old warrior,” Xie Yu pulled up the basic parameters of the Moonlight-class battleship and held the light projection screen for Pei An to see. “Regardless of tonnage or combat performance, the Moonlight-class is already behind most of the Empire’s active main battleships.”

 

“A main battleship has a service life of thirty to fifty years. If a main battleship has suffered too much wear and tear, its service may end early. The Moonlight-class has experienced numerous wars, and being able to serve for twenty years is already quite good. However, the Moonlight-class can only serve for another ten years at most, even after upgrading the central control system and performing maintenance. If the Moonlight-class participates in too many battles in the future, it may not last even ten years,” Pei An pointed out the problem with the Moonlight-class accurately.

 

As a military man, Xie Yu also understood that the early retirement of the Moonlight-class battleship was an inevitable trend.

 

The Moonlight-class battleship could continue to serve, but facing powerful armed forces, it would always be at a disadvantage. If an enemy managed to damage a main battleship extensively, or even turn it into scrap metal, it would be detrimental to the military’s morale.

 

Therefore, although the main battleship could continue to serve, it was better for it to retire with honor.

 

Xie Yu understood this principle, and all military personnel understood it. However, after a main battleship was retired, where would they find another main battleship to replace it?

 

“Sānglóng-class, Báihǔ-class, Zhūquè-class, Xuánwǔ-class are also main battleships. Pei An, where are you going to find so much money?” Xie Yu leaned on the back of the chair, slowly approaching Pei An until they were almost entirely enclosed in an embrace.

 

This was once again an excessively close approach, close enough to smell the extremely faint pheromones from each other.

 

Pei An’s fingers, which were fluttering across the keyboard, stopped. He placed them on the keyboard and looked up. “What, do you want to learn how to make money from me?”

 

Xie Yu’s Adam’s apple rolled slightly. With Pei An’s upward tilt, the two faces got even closer, as if they were about to stick together in the next moment.

 

“Commander, General Pei…” Lika suddenly “clang” opened the door. She saw Xie Yu and Pei An in a position that she could not fully understand but interpreted quite well, as if they were about to do something.

 

It seemed she had come at a somewhat inappropriate time.

 

“I’m sorry! I’m leaving now!” Lika turned around and rushed out, thinking of closing the door behind her.

 

Interrupted by Lika in this way, all the ambiguous atmosphere disappeared. Xie Yu straightened up, adjusted his clothes, and said, “Why don’t you come in?”

 

Lika, feeling guilty, opened the door and walked in with a light screen in her arms.

 

If she didn’t see it wrong just now, Mr. Pei was pulling the collar of the commanding uniform?

 

Oh, is commanding not acceptable?

 

“What’s the matter?” Pei An remained calm, showing no signs of guilt for being caught.

 

His mind was also a bit muddled. He wanted to clarify the situation between him and Xie Yu here so that Xie Yu, this alpha who had never seen a plum blossom and didn’t know what a plum blossom was, could understand. But Lika had broken the atmosphere. If he had to say it now, he didn’t have the face for it.

 

“It’s like this. A dad, while inspecting the fighter planes, found that the damage rate of the km-008 fighter is the highest according to our checklist, and there are serious internal damage issues. He applied for a thorough inspection of all km-008 fighters,” Lika reported.

 

Pei An hesitated. What does “a dad” mean?

 

He looked at Xie Yu, full of suspicion. Do you guys in the 258th Legion casually call anyone dad?

 

“Cough, it’s like this. Due to the shortage of technical professions, everyone habitually regards technical personnel as their providers of food and clothing, commonly referred to as… dad and mom,” Xie Yu explained.

 

Yes, in the 258th Legion, calling male technicians dad and female technicians mom, once the order is given, even if you’re in the bathroom, you can hold it and rush to them immediately.

 

Pei An: “…” Well, with your filial piety, there should be more technical personnel willing to stay in the 258th Legion than in other legions.

 

“Let’s go and see the situation.” Pei An saved the command, encrypted it, and got up.

 

A fighter plane with the highest damage rate but always having internal problems is worth investigating.

 

“Xie Yu, show me the parameters of km-008.”

 

The military keeps detailed parameters of all armaments for emergencies. Xie Yu has the complete armament parameters of the Third Division, and km-008 is naturally among them.

 

“Take a look.” Xie Yu quickly found the parameters of km-008 and handed the light screen to Pei An.

 

Lika led the way, and with Xie Yu’s support, Pei An followed, looking at the data of km-008 while walking.

 

Although he didn’t need Xie Yu to watch, as his psychic power was not for show, and he could even make Xie Yu stumble in the warship, Pei An didn’t say anything.

 

Moonlight was an old flagship, and many new fighters were not suitable for use on the Moonlight due to their size. Therefore, small fighters like km-008 were one of the main types equipped on the Moonlight.

 

Although km-008 was paired with the Moonlight, a veteran flagship, its age wasn’t very old. It was a small fighter introduced four years ago. The main missile bay of the fighter could carry six missiles, and each side bay could carry three missiles, making it a popular choice as a wingman.

 

If km-008 really had a problem, Zhuge Yue would most likely explode in anger.

 

A flagship that was already old and paired with so many problematic fighter planes, wasn’t it like trying to kill the soldiers under her command? Zhuge Yue was not the type to settle scores face to face, but if she had a grudge with someone, she would make sure that person suffered before letting go.

 

Therefore, it was best to hope that km-008 had no issues.

 

After Pei An finished reviewing the data on km-008, Lika led them to the destination. Many people wearing leather aprons were dismantling a km-008.

 

As soon as Zhuge Yue received the report that km-008 might have problems, she rushed over even before Pei An and Xie Yu.

 

“Commander, General Pei,” Zhuge Yue’s face was stern. It was only after the two of them arrived that her mood eased slightly, and her complexion looked a bit better.

 

In this large repair room, there were many people, including officers and soldiers assigned to help, as well as the technicians brought by Pei An.

 

Currently, Akeli and Xuduoduo were dismantling km-008. They had already removed the wings, revealing a row of fuel tanks.

 

“What have you discovered?” Pei An walked up and communicated with Akeli and Xuduoduo.

 

Akeli wiped off some sweat, “Boss, me and Duoduo speculated that there might be an issue with the fuel tanks of this fighter, so we decided to dismantle the fuel tanks for inspection. We haven’t finished dismantling it yet.”

 

Pei An asked Zhuge Yue, “Captain Zhuge, I’ve reviewed the data on km-008. Several types of energy oils can be used, which one does km-008 use?”

 

Zhuge Yue frowned and replied, “Up until two years ago, it used energy oil produced by Huarong Corporation, labeled as No. 90. Later, because the price of No. 90 Huarong energy oil was too high, it was switched to No. 71 energy oil from Xilaihua Corporation.”

 

“Then, let’s compare the damage rates of km-008 during the use of No. 90 energy oil and No. 71 energy oil, and eliminate direct combat damage as a factor,” Pei An suggested.

 

Upon hearing Pei An’s words, Xie Yu, Lika, Zhuge Yue, and the officers and soldiers present became nervous. Many people clenched their fists.

 

Zhuge Yue said, “I’ll immediately have someone compile the statistics.”

 

Duoduo asked, “Boss, are you suspecting that the high damage rate of km-008 is caused by the energy oil?”

 

Pei An nodded. He directly dismantled the fuel tank from the aircraft, saying, “Arrange for an immediate inspection.”

 

Xie Yu gave the order, and since Pei An’s orders had to be followed, a military officer carefully carried the fuel tank and followed Akeli for testing.

 

“While reviewing the data, I found that the flame retardant used in km-008 has never been replaced, always the same. Various components have not undergone a change in manufacturers. Only the energy oil, which can be supplied by three companies, has changed. So, I suspect that the energy oil is highly likely to be the variable causing the high damage rate of km-008.” Not everyone understood why Pei An suddenly wanted to dismantle the fuel tank and suspected the energy oil, so Pei An explained it briefly.

 

After a moment of contemplation, Xie Yu said, “Lika, go check Xilaihua Corporation.”

 

In military-related collaborations, there are specialized departments for coordination, especially the Finance Department, which calculates the price for each military expenditure project.

 

It was normal to change the supplier of energy oil if the Finance Department gave the reason that the price requested by Huarong Corporation was too high. However, for km-008, besides Huarong Corporation and Xilaihua Corporation, there was obviously another company that could be chosen. According to normal business logic, if the Finance Department proposed that this company could provide the military with a lower price on energy, this company would not refuse. The military’s energy consumption was enormous, and even if they only became one-thousandth of the energy supplier, it would be a profitable business. More importantly, it was selling face to the military.

 

And why did the Finance Department choose energy oil produced by Xilaihua Corporation? The price difference between energy oils of similar quality wouldn’t be too significant, so how low could Xilaihua Corporation offer?

 

Normally, supplying the military falls under national procurement, and prices are usually negotiated downward. They certainly couldn’t be pushed below the cost line. Anyway, investigating Xilaihua Corporation would have some effect.

 

Duoduo went to monitor the testing results of the energy oil. Pei An, with Akeli, inspected other parts of km-008 but found no other issues.

 

The testing was quick, and as soon as km-008 was reassembled, Duoduo sent the testing results through the smart brain.

 

Xie Yu eagerly approached Pei An, “Are the testing results out? How is it?”

 

Pei An looked at Xie Yu with an indescribable pity in his eyes. He then turned to the soldiers waiting for the results, closed his eyes, unwilling to see the disappointment and anger that would soon appear in their eyes.

 

“According to the testing results, the No. 71 energy oil supplied by Xilaihua Corporation contains a high concentration of □□, making it prone to explosion.”

 

Pei An could smell Xie Yu’s pheromones. Even though Xie Yu was trying his best to restrain himself, the compatibility of their pheromones was too high. Pei An still sensed Xie Yu’s sorrow and indignation through the pheromones.

 

Sorrow for the soldiers indirectly harmed by the energy oil, and anger towards Xilaihua Corporation for selling substandard quality oil to the military.

 

Zhuge Yue was furious, and she punched the body of km-008, which was being used for dismantling and research. It made a “bang” sound, and the body was directly dented.

 

As military personnel, they could accept deaths in battle, but they could never accept betrayal from behind.

 

Xilaihua Corporation’s energy oil could only negotiate a deal with the Finance Department after passing quality inspections. Contracts were usually signed every five years, and whether it would be renewed afterward was another matter. At least in these five years, Xilaihua Corporation could earn a considerable profit by supplying energy oil to the military.

 

“I suggest immediately emptying the energy oil from all km-008 fuel tanks for recycling, cleaning the tanks, and replacing them with new energy oil,” Pei An said, opening his eyes again. He then asked, “Xie Yu, is there anything else produced by Xilaihua Corporation? Stop using it immediately.”

 

Given that the No. 71 energy oil produced by Xilaihua Corporation was highly dangerous, there were two main risks. One was that if the aircraft kept running continuously, the high temperature could easily cause an explosion. The other was that if the enemy knew that km-008 had this vulnerability in its energy oil, they would target the fuel tanks. Just hitting one or two would quickly trigger a chain explosion, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and loss of lives. There was no need to spend more effort dealing with the aircraft.

 

“Do as General Pei says,” Xie Yu ordered in a solemn tone, and immediately everyone started moving.

 

Lika needed some time to investigate the details of Xilaihua Corporation, and for now, all they could do was replace the energy oil and report this situation to the military.

 

Although the Finance Department’s deductions in military expenses were outrageous, they had never bought substandard products. If it weren’t for Pei An’s capable subordinates, this significant disaster might not have been discovered for who knows how long.

 

“Commander, where do we find the new energy oil? Before informing the Finance Department about this, we don’t have the funds to replace the energy,” a military officer hesitated.

 

Pei An tilted his head, indicating that Xie Yu should explain.

 

“This is Logistics Officer Haus. After Left Jiwen stepped down, he took over.” Xie Yu explained.

 

“I can solve the energy issue. Afterward, I will discuss with your commander.” Pei An didn’t have much in his hands, except for energy. The planet had a mass of 60 trillion trillion tons, and the reserves of Starfire Stones on it were frighteningly abundant. Pei An had taken the beautiful Starfire Stones and sold them as luxury gemstones, while the less attractive ones were refined into usable energy.

 

The energy contained in Starfire Stones was enormous. If refined with water into energy oil, it would be of a similar quality to the one circulating within the Lyte Empire. One ton of Starfire Stones could produce twenty tons of energy oil.

 

As long as the supply of energy oil could be resolved, the soldiers could be at ease. Even if they might secretly wish to take revenge on those behind the scenes, they wouldn’t openly protest.

 

Leaving Akeli and many others with the oil tank to handle things here, Pei An and Xie Yu left the repair room.

 

They were going to discuss the energy oil business.

 

Pei An had five main ships under his command, and the Liao Yuan was still a super-large main ship, undoubtedly consuming a significant amount of energy. Xie Yu estimated that Pei An had a source of energy that wasn’t publicly known.

 

“Pei An, what you said, that you can solve the energy oil problem.” Xie Yu’s eyes were sharp, seemingly piercing through Pei An.

 

“I can solve it, but I need you to sign a promissory note. After investigating Xilaihua Corporation, you can take the promissory note to the Finance Department to request funds. At the same time, help me negotiate a deal with the Finance Department after we finish investigating Xilaihua Corporation.” Pei An held his face in his hands. “I’ll teach you how to make money.”

 

Xie Yu’s eyelid twitched. “How to make money?”

 

He suspected that someone was in for big trouble.

 

How to make money? In fact, it wasn’t difficult.

 

Pei An explained, “I have the energy oil on hand, which can be used for km-008. However, we can’t let the Central Star know about this situation. So, you say that after discovering an issue with the supplied energy oil for km-008, in order not to delay the fighter, you had someone sign a promissory note to buy energy oil.”

 

The vast expanse of the Lyte Empire included planets unsuitable for human settlement, but they hid many non-renewable resources. Planets could be traded as private property, and thus, the resource market in the Lyte Empire was extensive. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of companies selling energy oil alone. Pressured by the situation, Xie Yu buying energy oil from a company was entirely normal.

 

However, Xie Yu couldn’t bear this expense himself. He needed the Finance Department to provide the money. Not only did he need the Finance Department to provide the money, but he also needed the Finance Department to see the energy oil from this company. The quality was good, the price was low, and there was a strong sense of patriotism. If Xie Yu mentioned that he planned to fight interstellar pirates, the Finance Department would willingly sign a promissory note. They would take the oil first and pay later. Pei An suggested even giving them a discount, rounding down the numbers, so that the Finance Department would see the shining points of this company and consider buying energy oil from it in the future.

 

In other words, Pei An was trying to make money from the Lyte Empire military.

 

The military could afford to lose a few fighters or reconnaissance ships, but energy was indispensable. Therefore, as long as they could do business with the military, it meant making money. Wealth would grow exponentially with interest.

 

“I can cooperate, but where do you get so much energy oil?” Xie Yu instantly imagined countless possibilities, even envisioning Pei An leading a team to raid the headquarters of interstellar pirates.

 

“I used to like traveling around in space, and later, I discovered a planet with a lot of energy. However, that planet is quite remote, almost leaving the scope of the Lyte Empire’s star domain. It’s near the Thorn Belt, and no one wants that planet. So, I claimed it as my own.” Pei An could earn so much money to support the organization’s operation and even develop military equipment, thanks to that planet full of energy.

 

Xie Yu: “…Why don’t I have such good luck? Well, as long as the energy oil supply is resolved.” 

Xie Yu exhaled sharply. “I’ll go check everyone’s mood.” After all, they had been using the 71st-grade energy oil for two full years, and during these two years, no one knew why those comrades who died on km-008 had met their end.

 

“Xie Yu,” Pei An stopped Xie Yu, “the necklace I gave you is also made of Starfire Stone. Starfire Stone is the main source of energy.” He was confessing to Xie Yu. The necklace that Xie Yu had bought at the black market for research, and now gifted to Pei An, was originally put out by Pei An himself?

 

Well, Xie Yu’s sadness was reduced quite a bit by the shock. He used something Pei An had in abundance as a gift for Pei An. Did Pei An think he looked like a fool receiving such a gift?

 

“Oh, I see…” Xie Yu struggled to find the right words temporarily. The language center of his brain was protesting and threatening to go on strike.

 

Pei An said, “The key point is that I can provide a lot of energy, so you can rest assured.”

 

Xie Yu covered his chest. “Give me a moment to catch my breath.”

 

Pei An thought, What’s there to catch your breath about? He began to unbutton his shirt.

 

Xie Yu suddenly retreated to the wall and hugged it back to back with the wall. “Pei An, what are you doing in broad daylight?” What was the point of undressing?

 

Pei An resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How did this guy get scared into this state? He just unbuttoned the top three buttons, then reached into his shirt and took out a necklace.

 

This necklace was identical to the one around Xie Yu’s neck, with the only difference being the pendant—a hexagonal snowflake.

 

Pei An pulled out the snowflake pendant and showed it to Xie Yu. “Xie Yu, the existence of Starfire Stone is highly confidential, and I even told you about it.”

 

Perfect, he could use this opportunity to get closer to Xie Yu.

 

Seeing that the snowflake was white, Xie Yu guessed that it was made from the Starfire Stone he had given to Pei An.

 

“I am revealing such a secret to you to demonstrate my trust in you,” Pei An said, putting the necklace back, buttoning up, and fastening the buttons. “Xie Yu, I know that you trust me as well. So, if you feel uncomfortable, you can talk to me at any time.”

 

As a commander, you have to be calm and steady in front of your subordinates, but I know that you also experience heartache and distress. I’m willing to listen to your confessions, Xie Yu.