Chapter 190: The City Dwellers' Scheme

For any human faction that has regained spaceflight capabilities through their own efforts, what they choose to do after reaching space is entirely up to them.

They can become pirates, or they can quietly focus on development.

But if they want to engage in trade and earn money or foreign exchange from other Star Alliance factions, foreign exchange is always an unavoidable issue.

To solve this problem, under the leadership of Lao Yu, Xian Yu and Qun Qing arrived at the New Hope Space Station's administrative ring and entered the "Elevation Management Bureau" building.

This is an agency under the Star Alliance Council, whose main function is to "help human compatriots returning to the star sea integrate into the Star Alliance more quickly."

The "return" of human ethnic groups is not uncommon.

As jump points whose coordinates were lost during the apocalypse were rediscovered, interstellar routes continuously expanded, and the territory controlled by the Star Alliance also grew, with new survivors found on average every week.

Along with them, the homes where survivors had lived for generations were also found.

These were usually desolate planets with fragmented and nearly collapsed ecological environments. Although the environment was not great, they had value for mineral development.

If a planet happened to have a large population and backward technology, it would also be an excellent source of labor and a dumping ground for goods in the future.

Once low-tech natives were found by the Star Alliance, whether or not to integrate into the Star Alliance and how to integrate was no longer something they could decide on their own.

More or less, it was somewhat compulsory, just like the Li Star Desert people who were found by Apollo.

On the way, after listening to Lao Yu's popular science explanations, Xian Yu realized that the "help" and "human compatriots" proclaimed by the Elevation Management Bureau were all lies.

There's nothing new under the sun.

Isn't this just colonization?

This grand and imposing Management Bureau building, like a Star Alliance East India Company, probably served primarily to sign unequal treaties.

Entering the Management Bureau hall, the process of submitting a trade application was still incredibly smooth. New Hope placed extreme importance on business opportunities; for them, not earning money was simply a crime.

This was reflected in the administrative process, which had fewer rules and higher efficiency.

This point was worth commending.

"Esteemed guests, please follow me."

Led by a staff member, Xian Yu and his party of three took the elevator to the upper floors of the building and entered a luxuriously decorated office.

"Welcome!"

The liaison officer was quite enthusiastic.

"What esteemed guests! It's rare for returnees like yourselves to come knocking; sometimes we don't see one for years. Please, have a seat!"

Xian Yu nodded in greeting, leading Qun Qing and Lao Yu to their seats.

"How did you find this place? I was curious and looked up your ship docked at the port earlier; it doesn't seem like a Star Alliance product. Did you salvage and repair it? Or did you build it yourselves?"

"That's not important. We're not here to tell stories today; we're here to make money."

Xian Yu was direct.

Although the tone of this sentence was not friendly, the officer, who had seen much, showed no offense, instead grinning.

"Of course, of course! Who isn't? So, how can I help facilitate this goal of making money?"

"We need to exchange money, our own money, for Star Alliance credits," Qun Qing said.

She deliberately used very layman's terms.

"Hmph—"

The officer wiped his face with a pained expression.

Damn it, I got my hopes up for nothing! I thought they were a high-level faction with interstellar travel capabilities, but it turns out they're just a bunch of country bumpkins!

His smile immediately vanished, like a face-changing act.

"It's like this: foreign exchange transactions, or 'exchanging money' as you call it, are first and foremost a type of transaction, and the basis of a transaction is that both parties recognize the content of the transaction."

Xian Yu: "Don't understand, don't understand! I just want to exchange some money, why are you talking so much nonsense?"

He pretended to be extremely rude, maintaining his "barbarian" persona.

Perhaps out of fear of being beaten, the officer, though quite impatient, continued to explain.

"What I mean is, let's try to keep it simple: if you want to get Star Alliance credits, then someone in the Star Alliance must first be willing to buy the money you print yourselves.

"Why would he dare to buy the currency of an unfamiliar faction? Isn't he afraid of buying a pile of waste paper? This requires your faction to have sufficient credit, to have export trade routes that match foreign exchange transactions, to have tangible goods for sale, and to have a reliable monetary authority, as well as a relatively stable political situation."

"That's simple! We have goods, we just didn't bring them this time!"

Xian Yu handed his pad to the officer, opening the video album he had prepared earlier.

It showed asteroids reflecting iron light in space, the underground mines of Red Iron Town, and oil wells in the Great River Valley oil field.

The filming angles of these videos were very careful, not exposing the distinctive Desert terrain on Li Star.

"This—"

The officer's eyes immediately lit up.

Professional experience told him that the video showed no signs of falsification; it was genuine!

Damn it, why didn't you show it earlier!

Metals, and carbon-containing substances like coal, oil, and natural alkanes, are all important strategic resources!

Admittedly, in the universe after the apocalyptic catastrophe, these substances are not scarce.

Taking metals as an example, a large number of human ships were completely vaporized by the "Great Enemy" during the apocalyptic wars, leading to significantly higher concentrations of metal particles in ancient battlefield star systems, with a large number of "metal clouds."

But how do you collect these metal clouds and re-forge them into military-grade titanium alloy plates?

With the current Star Alliance technology, they can only fly back and forth in a ship equipped with a giant magnetic field generator, continuously sucking in surrounding metal particles through induction, and then transporting them back to factories for re-casting.

The cost is high, the output is low, and the profit generated daily isn't even enough to buy fuel.

Therefore, the most commercially promising mineral resources are always rich asteroid mines and large mineral deposits on habitable planets.

As long as the price is low enough and the quality is good enough, metals and carbon will always be in demand!

"Good... very good! Where is your planet? I'll send an investigation team there right away!"

"It's not convenient to disclose yet," Xian Yu said.

"Completely understandable, then let's start with the supply!" The officer's smile returned.

"So we want to exchange money! Your port services require credits!" Qun Qing, seeing that the atmosphere was about right, added a hint of anger to her tone, "Why is it so difficult to discuss things with you? Can't you just set the exchange rate quickly?"

The officer smiled awkwardly.

"I cannot yet confirm whether the mining resources you displayed are truly under your control." In other words, I cannot yet confirm your credit, so I apologize, but we cannot temporarily provide credit exchange services."

Qun Qing was not surprised.

If he could agree to that, it would be too absurd, meaning anyone could come to the bureau and trick them out of a large sum of credits.

The officer changed the subject.

"However, as long as your goods arrive at the port, foreign exchange transaction authority will be fully opened! Therefore, I can represent the New Hope Space Station and discuss the initial exchange rate with you, and I can even give you the lead!"

This was somewhat unexpected for Qun Qing.

"We set the exchange rate ourselves?"

"Only the very initial exchange rate!" the officer emphasized, "You can name any number, it's fine! I guarantee this foreign exchange rate will appear on the trading market, but I don't guarantee the transaction will be successfully completed.

"You can firmly believe that your one unit of money can be exchanged for 100,000 Star Alliance credits, and set the price of goods accordingly, no problem! But if no one in the Star Alliance buys it, it's useless; similarly, conversely, if we ask you to exchange your 100,000 units of money for 1 Star Alliance credit, you certainly wouldn't be willing, right?"

The officer spoke faster and faster as he talked, seeing that Qun Qing and Xian Yu were both deep in thought.

This meant the other party was stumped, and he was quickly gaining the upper hand in negotiations with his professional knowledge!

Country bumpkins with mines are still country bumpkins, haha!

"If you find it difficult to decide, how about I propose an absolutely fair pricing plan?"

Hearing him say this, Qun Qing was filled with curiosity.

"What plan?"

"What's the average hourly wage on your side?" the officer asked in return.

"About 15 units of money per hour," Qun Qing randomly stated a number.

The officer's lips curled upward.

"Hmm—we'll need to verify this number later, but let's assume it's true for now. Coincidentally, here at New Hope, the average hourly wage is also 15 Star Alliance credits, and other major factions don't exceed this number. You can certainly check; it's absolutely genuine!"

"So?"

"So, I suggest we determine the exchange rate based on average labor compensation! Everyone is born equal, and professions have no high or low status. The value of the labor put in should also be equal!

"New Hope is the faction in the Star Alliance that values human rights and equality the most, and also has the highest average income level. Now, we are willing to accept you with a completely equal attitude! Our 20 units of money should be equivalent to your 15 units of money. Isn't this the fairest, most humane, and most mutually respectful solution?"

Qun Qing smiled faintly after listening.

"Please allow us to consider this carefully."

"Of course!"

Qun Qing said no more, stood up first, and led the Cangyuan trio out of the building.

"Sister Qing, I don't quite understand—"

Coming to a quiet part of the building corridor, Xian Yu caught up to Qun Qing from behind.

"Do we really need to be so fixated on the exchange rate? Can't we just bring out the goods first, then sell them directly at local prices and earn Star Alliance credits?"

Qun Qing looked at him, her gaze calm, appearing to have everything under control.

"We can."

"Then—why aren't we doing that?"

"Because doing that would be boring! I'm fighting for the maximum benefit for Cangyuan through the exchange rate. You, kid, it seems you don't know much about international trade, do you?"

"Indeed, I'm quite ignorant in that area."

Xian Yu nodded in admission.

"Then I, your elder sister, must teach you well, and let you see how to get rich overnight!"

Qun Qing declared boldly while logging onto the player community and posting.

“Do you think the initial exchange rate proposed by New Hope is fair? Let's see who can be the first to see through the truth!”