"Li Xiuxian?" Liu Hai stepped out of the hover car, looking at the man greeting guests at the hotel entrance before turning to Li Yali beside him with confusion. "This is the arrogant person you described?"
Li Yali, dressed in an elegant black evening gown, was equally stunned. The smiling, courteous gentleman standing not far away—the very picture of gentleness and humility—was this really the same person she knew?
Suppressing their doubts, they approached. Li Yali handed their invitation to the attendant and received two authentication codes in return.
Li Xiuxian stepped forward enthusiastically, extending his right hand to Liu Hai. "Mr. Liu Hai, welcome. Yali is my cousin—please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."
Liu Hai responded with a perfunctory smile. "Of course, of course. Don't let us keep you—we'll head inside now."
"Cousin, do make sure Mr. Liu Hai is well taken care of," Li Xiuxian said as he watched them enter the banquet hall, his gaze lingering on Liu Hai for just a second longer.
Once inside the grand hall and out of sight, Li Yali finally exhaled softly. "There's something... off about him."
Liu Hai nodded in agreement. "His face wears a warm smile, but his eyes are cold—like a child forced by his parents to socialize with relatives he dislikes."
"Hmm?" Li Yali found Liu Hai's peculiar analogy strangely accurate.
As they conversed, they passed through a decorative screen into the main hall where groups of Pioneers were already mingling.
Most of the seating areas in the several-thousand-square-meter hall were occupied. The two quietly found an out-of-the-way booth and settled in, eavesdropping to gather information not available on StarNet.
"Excuse us, sir and madam. May we join you?"
Just as they were engrossed in their covert listening, a voice interrupted them.
"Of course, please make yourselves comfortable," Liu Hai replied courteously, standing to gesture at the empty seats.
Irina Yermakova and her assistant Elena Kabunova introduced themselves briefly before sitting across from the pair.
"Mr. Liu, if you don't mind me asking," Irina inquired softly, "where is your Pioneer expedition headed?"
"No need for secrecy," Liu Hai replied. "I have no intention of staying in the fiercely competitive central regions. Instead, I plan to seek opportunities in the Third Spiral Arm of the Hera Star System."
"The Third Spiral Arm?" Irina looked momentarily confused until Elena quickly leaned in to whisper an explanation. After a minute of listening, Irina turned back to Liu Hai with renewed curiosity.
"Multiple explorations have shown the Third Spiral Arm contains no resource-rich star systems. It holds the lowest strategic and material value in the entire Hera system. Why would you choose it as your destination?"
Internally, Irina wondered if Liu Hai had discovered something about the Third Spiral Arm that others hadn't—why else would he head there on his first expedition? Otherwise, after years of exploration, he might not even gather enough resources to replenish his fleet's supplies.
Liu Hai shook his head with a smile. "The fleet's capabilities are limited, and we'd rather avoid too much entanglement with other teams. Staying farther from the central region gives us some peace. Besides, the Third Spiral Arm of the Hera Star System has plenty of star systems. With careful exploration, we can still find abundant resources."
Irina was certain he wasn't telling the whole truth. She quietly instructed Alina to gather information about the Third Spiral Arm, wondering if she had overlooked any critical details.
For most Pioneers, even the scarce resources along a star system's spiral arms were enough to turn a profit. However, the arms were simply too far from the wormhole zones—tens of thousands of light-years away. If a battle broke out, there would be virtually no chance of reinforcements arriving.
Moreover, a round trip would take at least three to four years—far too long for a private fleet, as it could easily lead to logistical issues.
With the central regions rich in mineral deposits, securing just one star system there could allow decades of mining, enough to build a Legion Fleet. Why bother venturing so far?
"Excuse me, may I interrupt?"
Just as Irina was pondering how to probe for more information, a man and his female companion abruptly cut into the conversation.
Irina, caught mid-thought, was visibly annoyed but maintained a cold expression as she stared at them.
"What can I do for you, sir?" Liu Hai turned to examine the man—a burly, resolute figure with piercing eyes, the very image of a tough man.
"My name is Xue Jiye. Apologies for the intrusion," Xue Jiye said as he and his companion took seats beside Liu Hai.
"I overheard Brother Liu mentioning plans to head for the Third Spiral Arm. I assume you've also received the news. Would you consider partnering up for the journey?"
"Huh?"
What did that mean?
Liu Hai was momentarily taken aback by Xue Jiye's words. Received news? Was something happening in the Third Spiral Arm?
Across from them, Irina and her companion exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up. So there was indeed undisclosed information. Silently, they began contacting their own channels, eager to uncover what was happening and whether there was profit to be made.
"Mr. Xue, have you received some kind of news?" Li Yali asked with a composed smile, as if she already knew the answer.
Xue Jiye had initially thought Liu Hai's silence meant reluctance to discuss the topic, but the woman beside him picked up the thread. He studied them thoughtfully before responding.
"Just a few days ago, I heard rumors of signs of life detected in the central sector of the Third Spiral Arm. Do you know if there's any truth to that?"
As he spoke, Xue Jiye scrutinized their expressions, but neither gave anything away.
Liu Hai remained impassive, showing no reaction, while Li Yali kept her calm smile, unfazed.
"There is indeed such a rumor, but we don't know if it's true. Our destination isn't the central sector—we're heading for the sparser tail end of the spiral arm," Li Yali replied smoothly, dismissing his speculation and implying they had heard similar but dismissed it as unreliable.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to have you all at my banquet. I hope you enjoy the evening." Li Xiuxian's voice suddenly rang out across the room, cutting short Xue Jiye's further probing and Irina's eavesdropping.
The dignified Li Xiuxian, accompanied by a female companion, walked straight toward a team of a dozen or so Pioneers. Many Pioneers from the outer circle raised their glasses and gathered around, their familiarity suggesting they had already met before.
"Mr. Liu, do you know the purpose behind Mr. Li hosting this banquet?" Xue Jiye, having had his previous topic interrupted, shifted the conversation to the reason for this gathering.