124: Need more money (3.1K, please support!)

"That one." Jiang Feng's voice rang out.

The surroundings immediately went quiet, and pairs of large eyes, filled with adoration, listened intently.

He raised his hand and pointed at the Centaur-class projection, his movements crisp: "Are there really in-stock units?"

In an instant, all the saleswomen smiled even more deeply, their eyes flashing with a tacit light of "target locked."

The circle of encirclement tightened once more.

It was like a noose, a noose that made one willingly hang themselves.

"Sir, you truly have an eye for quality!" They said almost in unison.

"Yes! In-stock! A one-of-a-kind exhibit ship, currently docked at the Lunar Port shipyard!"

The saleswoman closest to him spoke at lightning speed, leaning forward, her ample bosom almost pressing against Jiang Feng's arm.

"The performance is super awesome!" Another immediately chimed in, her voice crisp.

"Look at its armament!" She extended a finger painted with transparent nail polish.

Her fingertip pointed precisely at the holographic projection, on the raised platforms on both sides of the hull.

"6 small weapon slots!" Her fingertip swept across the bow and the area below the Bridge.

"6 medium weapon slots!" Finally, it landed on several hidden launch ports on the ship's belly.

"And 4 dedicated slots for guided weapons! Firepower coverage with no blind spots!"

"You can choose any weapons we provide, all included in the original price!"

Her fingertip seemed to possess magic; wherever she pointed, that part of the ship's structure instantly highlighted in the projection, and a detailed data table popped up.

Another saleswoman seamlessly continued: "The most amazing part is here!"

Her fingertip pointed toward a massive structure at the rear of the hull.

"Built-in hangar! The standard configuration can accommodate 48 'Wasp'-class advanced unmanned carrier-based attack aircraft!"

"Just think, sir, 48 of them! A swarm deployment, tearing apart any Alien Species trash that dares to target you!"

Her body swayed gently with her words, her shoulder once again "accidentally" brushing against Jiang Feng's arm.

Jiang Feng could no longer remain unmoved. His gaze followed those parameter charts intently; an engineer's instinct had him rapidly calculating the tactical advantages that this configuration combination could form.

Unmanned carrier-based aircraft swarm... This could greatly compensate for the freighter's inherent lack of maneuverability, providing both offense and defense.

Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes slightly. "Power?" He pressed, his voice steady, with no detectable emotional fluctuations.

"The core is an 'Apollo-class cold fusion reactor array'! Top-tier stuff from federal military industry!"

Another beautiful face leaned in, her breath like orchids, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance: "Efficient, stable, ultra-long endurance!"

"Coupled with the latest generation of plasma vector thruster arrays, acceleration and steering responses are top-notch!"

Her fingers elegantly drew circles over the light clusters representing the reactor and thrusters.

"What about navigation and sensors?" Jiang Feng continued to ask.

"Gravity sensor arrays cover the full frequency band! Deep space scanning precision is first-class!"

Another saleswoman rushed to answer, speaking at a rapid pace: "The edge of a black hole, the core of an asteroid belt, or even a nebula region shrouded in electromagnetic storms—it can clearly 'map' it out for you! Absolutely guaranteeing navigation safety!"

As she spoke, her fingers rested lightly on Jiang Feng's wrist, as if to emphasize safety, lingering just a bit too long.

Jiang Feng shifted slightly, composed, avoiding the continuous physical contact.

His attention was already completely captured by the ship's data.

A 380-meter-long hull, 95 meters in diameter, with a dry weight of 3 million tons.

A sturdy and massive mobile fortress capable of accommodating hundreds of crew members or a large amount of cargo.

An endurance of 1 to 3 years, sufficient to support long-distance exploration or trade deep into the star sea frontiers.

The cargo hold space was unimaginably huge, and the staggering volume figures scrolling next to the projection were exactly what he needed.

The foundation for a "Free Captain," a mobile base capable of carrying ambition and the unknown. Perfect... at least on paper, it was impeccable.

"Price." Jiang Feng finally asked the most crucial question.

His voice remained steady, but deep in his eyes, the calm assessment of an engineer was being replaced by another, stronger light called "desire."

The Clone saleswomen surrounding him exchanged a knowing look.

"It only costs 4.2 billion earth federation coins!"

The first saleswoman spoke, her voice's sweetness practically off the charts, carrying an exaggerated joy as if to say, "You've found a huge bargain."

"But..." another next to her immediately chimed in, her tone becoming subtle.

"We only accept payment in equivalent 'Rare Crystals' or 'Explosive Particles'. This is the seller's... er, special financial requirement." She blinked those beautiful, large eyes.

"And..." the third saleswoman seamlessly added, with a sense of intimacy as if sharing a secret.

"The delivery location can be flexibly chosen, sir."

"Lunar Port, Ceres transit station, or even... some less 'official' deep space anchor points can be arranged."

"Very convenient, very... free." She deliberately emphasized the word "free," and her fingertip lightly tapped Jiang Feng's palm again.

'So that's it. With these payment terms, no wonder it's hard to sell.'

Jiang Feng understood in an instant. The reason this armed freighter, with its excellent performance and reasonable price, had become an unsellable "exhibit ship" was due to the huge risks brought about by the payment method.

Or rather, every massive profit comes with massive risks and a complex background.

This payment method itself was a screening threshold.

4.2 billion earth federation coins... equivalent in crystals or particles. This number felt like a cold meteorite, smashing heavily into Jiang Feng's heart.

He needed money, far more money than the pitiful number currently lying in his account.

The surrounding chirping voices, the subtle touches, and the pervasive scent of perfume seemed to be instantly separated by an invisible barrier.

Jiang Feng's mind began to race, his pupils reflecting the slowly rotating Centaur-class projection.

His gaze seemed to have pierced through the expo's dome, seeing it quietly docked under the massive shadow of the Lunar Port.

Every weld point, every energy conduit, was silently calling to him.

'Money!' 'More money.' In Jiang Feng's eyes, the longing in his heart echoed.

"Sir? What do you think? This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" A saleswoman's voice pulled him back to reality from his rapid calculations.

Jiang Feng did not answer immediately. He remained silent, his gaze sweeping over these faces before him, all nearly identical and filled with expectation.

That uniform beauty now faded in his eyes, losing its allure, leaving only a cold, inhuman sense of order.

This feeling caused the last trace of hesitation in his heart to dissipate.

He needed to leave, to leave this place wrapped in layers of rules and false prosperity.

"I need to think about it." Jiang Feng's voice returned to its usual flatness.

He did not look at those Clone saleswomen again, nor did he look at that enticing Centaur-class projection.

He turned around, without the slightest reluctance. For a poor person without money, just looking was committing an unforgivable sin against oneself.

'Make money! Buy the ship!' In Jiang Feng's heart, the goal was incomparably clear.

"Ah, sir! Leave your contact information!" "We have detailed information we can send you!" "The price can really be negotiated..."

The sweet calls of the Clone saleswomen came from behind, carrying a hint of frustration and urgency. But Jiang Feng's footsteps did not pause in the slightest.

Only after walking far away did Jiang Feng's heartbeat truly calm down.

"Buy that ship." He murmured to himself, which sounded more like a promise to himself and to Cyberlex.

"We will be able to return to the stars."

Jiang Feng strode forward, passing through the exhibition areas of several top Terran Union starship manufacturers.

Everything displayed on those booths was nothing but "art pieces" with smooth lines, glittering chrome decorations, holographic advertisements desperately rendering luxurious interiors, and frantically emphasizing the interstellar travel experience.

The streamlined hulls flowed with dazzling light under the spotlights, and the details of expensive wood and leather interiors were infinitely magnified.

In the projections, scenes of well-dressed men and women elegantly raising glasses on observation decks played on a loop.

"The ultimate luxury experience in space..." "An interstellar palace tailored for you..." "Highlighting your unique and noble status..."

Hollow slogans and soft jazz music floated together in the air.

Jiang Feng's gaze swept over those flashy but impractical parameters and the staggering price tags.

Often tens of billions of earth federation coins, just for some gold-plated toilet bowls and so-called "master designs."

"Trash." A cold word rolled off his tongue.

These floating coffins, besides consuming resources and satisfying vanity, were fragile in the face of real challenges.

No sufficient firepower, no redundant safety designs, no redundant systems to cope with extreme environments...

Only ostentatious styling and fragile structures, only the "peace" that the Terran Union insisted on in this cruel universe.

These so-called top brands of the Terran Union seemed to have long forgotten what starships were originally created for.

'It was for protection! For battle! For conquest!' 'For true peace!'

Yet Jiang Feng remembered that answer, an answer that every human being knew clearly in their bones.

Even if you asked a ten-minute-old baby, you could hear that roar from their "goo-goo ga-ga."

"Born as humans, proud, self-reliant!" "Peace comes from strength!"

Passing through the last iridescent archway, the noise and dazzling lights were suddenly left behind.

At the entrance of the expo, a relatively quiet passageway appeared before his eyes, connecting to the transportation hub deeper within the lunar city.

Jiang Feng stopped, leaning against the cold, smooth metal wall of the passageway, letting out a long, silent breath.

The stuffy air inside the expo, mixed with the stench of aliens, the worship of luxury, and fanatical desire, was replaced by the cold airflow with a faint metallic taste sent by the circulation system here.

He needed to clear his head. "Let's go." "We have to get to work."

Jiang Feng said calmly, his voice like a tempered sword, emitting a crisp chime. "Understood." Little Handsome bowed slightly.