Xunying Company, he had a pretty good impression of them; their last collaboration was quite enjoyable, with mutual benefits.
After representing them last time, Li Ming had followed up on them.
Xunying Company successfully obtained the mining rights for crystal metal ore and had started to build momentum, launching a significant public relations campaign against Star Creation Company.
It seemed they intended to completely oust Star Creation Company, but it didn’t have much effect.
Although he had a good impression, Li Ming wasn’t fool enough to genuinely harbor any fondness for them. Large interstellar corporations changing faces were second to none.
He believed if Xunying Company wielded power on Silver Grey Star, then Star Creation Company would court him just the same.
"What are they doing here?" Li Ming asked. Their last contact was due to the crystal metal ore, but this time, he hadn’t heard of any competition between the two companies.
Luo Chuan was reclining with a leg crossed over the other, slapping his thigh, seemingly in a good mood. He looked down at his smart terminal and replied, "When they came, I asked a few friends, both companies have been very quiet recently."
Then, Luo Chuan turned off his smart terminal. That afternoon alone, many people had said Wu Yanqing had an eye for talent for discovering Li Ming.
Turning to look at Li Ming, Luo Chuan smiled and said, "You don’t need to overthink it, they might purely be here to invest, given your current reputation. If you wanted to endorse something, the endorsement fee would certainly not be light."
"Oh." Li Ming’s eyes lit up, almost forgetting this matter.
"What, are you really considering endorsements? Are you that short of money?" Luo Chuan originally mentioned it casually, but seeing Li Ming seemed intrigued, he advised:
"Blue Star’s advertising laws are based on responsibility. If there’s a problem with the product, both the manufacturer and the endorser each bear a part of the liability."
"Unless it’s your own product, you better not get involved." Luo Chuan said casually, "Besides, you just got so much prize money, how could you be short of money."
"That was so little, it’s gone just buying some materials." Li Ming was helpless.
Luo Chuan’s eyelid twitched, "You bought so much metal material, what exactly are you building? I glanced at the record earlier, not to mention one interstellar spaceship, you have enough for two."
"Building everything, it’s a personal hobby." Li Ming remembered something, "The dean gave me an extra five million as an encouragement."
Luo Chuan felt a pain in his teeth, ignoring the look Li Ming was giving him, and turned his head toward the window.
"Elder brother?" Li Ming tried calling out.
"Younger brother..." Luo Chuan rubbed his temples, sighed and said, "The authorities are investigating us; the lab can’t even pay out this month’s salary."
Li Ming lost interest at once, also looked out the window, and didn’t feel like talking anymore.
Luo Chuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Back at the lab, many staff members were still awake. Xu Pinghu came over as soon as he heard, his eyes fervent, incessantly asking how Li Ming had managed it.
Li Ruoning looked at Li Ming, who was covered in bandages, and felt distressed, telling Xu Pinghu to ask less.
After talking with several people, he went straight into the conference room, Luo Chuan didn’t follow.
Several people were waiting inside the room, not appearing impatient, leisurely enjoying their tea.
They were quite familiar, including Deng Bo who came last time. His assistant Deng, sitting next to a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes, slightly leaned over, with half his buttocks off the chair, showing respectful etiquette.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
As he stepped into the room, Li Ming apologized, and several seated people stood up, Deng Bo’s face blooming with a smile, quickly responding, "Not at all, today you are the hero of Blue Star Civilization, and you’ve been so severely injured."
"Just being able to meet with us tonight is an honor for us."
After brief pleasantries, he introduced Li Ming, "This is our director of the regional board for Xunying Company within the Blue Star Civilization territory—Huang Jianzhong."
"Director Huang, it’s good to meet you. I heard about you from Assistant Deng last time," Li Ming extended his uninjured left hand, and Huang Jianzhong grasped it firmly, his face full of emotion:
"I watched your battle this afternoon, it was truly stirring, made me feel years younger."
Brief compliments were exchanged between them.
After sitting down, Huang Jianzhong signaled with his eyes, and Deng Bo took a metal box from the person beside him, placing it on the table and slowly opening it.
Inside it was a dull yellow irregular ore, only the size of a fist, appearing quite ordinary, unlike the Mother Ore Li Ming had seen before.
"Heavy earth Mother Ore," Deng Bo explained, reaching out, "from Kedora Mine Star, its hardness even surpasses advanced alloy."
"What do you mean by this?" Li Ming looked puzzled.
"Consider it a small personal gesture," Huang Jianzhong said with a smile.
"This gift is too precious, I can’t accept unearned rewards," Li Ming waved his hands continuously, still unclear about the other party’s intentions, he couldn’t possibly accept it.
Huang Jianzhong and Deng Bo exchanged subtle looks, with Deng Bo explaining, "It’s nothing else at all, you fought a tough battle to uphold the dignity of Blue Star, and you indeed deserve acknowledgment."
"Really?" Li Ming stressed, then playfully said, "Then I really will accept it, and just so you know, I won’t do any favors."
After a couple of refusals, if the other party kept hiding their intentions, he wasn’t going to bother anymore; if it’s acceptable, then accept.
"Of course, it’s true," Deng Bo nodded.
"Then I won’t be polite." Li Ming closed the briefcase, remarking, "Not to hide it from you, I indeed have a genuine interest in these ores and mechanical stuff."
Deng Bo inwardly chuckled, after Xunying Company involved itself with Silver Grey Star, he had thoroughly investigated Li Ming.
The past decade had nothing of value, making him doubt his life.