Chapter 118: Consultation

"What's the other party's background?" Harvey asked, noticing that Sonia hadn't volunteered the information and that the person wanted to approach him directly. His eyes flickered with curiosity.

"The person is Norman Halls, an elite officer in the Nova Corps with significant authority within the new regiment," Sonia revealed.

Harvey pondered this. An elite officer in the new regiment was a high rank, just one level below a commanding officer. It seemed more likely that Norman Halls was interested in probing Harvey's background rather than just purchasing the gravity devices. He might even be trying to use money to persuade Harvey to allow members of the new regiment to join the Void Church.

Harvey wasn't keen on dealing with military personnel. Darm, coming from a lower-class background, was straightforward and had remained that way even after rising to a high position. Military officers, however, often came with years of political maneuvering and could be quite ruthless.

"Are there any others?" Harvey asked after a moment's consideration.

"There are eight others who have expressed interest and will be available to meet within the next week," Sonia responded. "If things go well, each initial deal could be worth over a billion."

Sonia pulled up a list of names, showing influential figures from other planets who had established branches on Xandar. Provided the product quality was up to standard, these deals could bring even more benefits in the future.

"Eight people already?" Harvey was impressed. "You've done well. Go ahead and negotiate with them."

Harvey then decided he would talk to Norman Halls at a later time. If the discussion was friendly, they could have a productive conversation; if not, he wouldn't be shy about setting firm boundaries.

"Understood. I'll follow up on this," Sonia said, acknowledging Harvey's response. She didn't press further about Harvey's reluctance to meet with Norman Halls and simply agreed.

Norman Halls was well-known on Xandar, and although there were no leaks about Harvey's operations, the power of the Void Church had certainly attracted the attention of high-ranking officials in the Nova Corps.

Sonia hoped the deal would fall through because it implied that Norman was not genuinely interested in the gravity devices but rather trying to use an exorbitant offer to secure a meeting with Harvey. She knew Harvey didn't want to prioritize such offers over those from wealthy individuals.

Despite Sonia's reservations, she needed to consult Harvey about the billion-dollar deal. She didn't want to refuse it unilaterally and risk Norman Halls coming back to complain, potentially causing Harvey to distrust her.

"Go ahead," Harvey said, giving her the go-ahead.

After Sonia left, Harvey looked up at the star-filled night sky, sipping his tea and contemplating. Ideally, Harvey would prefer not to clash with the new regiment. Eliminating the Nova Corps was one thing, but dealing with the aftermath of the new regiment taking over Xandar was another.

With fewer than 300 members in the Void Church, even though there was a lot of talent, managing Xandar with so few personnel would be challenging. Defeating the new regiment could disrupt plans, especially if it affected the delivery of the Power Stone.

If the new regiment became aggressively confrontational, Harvey would need to strategize on how to deter them without starting an all-out war. He'd wait for the Power Stone to be delivered and then let Darm rise to a higher position. This would allow him to align the Void Church with Xandar gradually, minimizing casualties.

Using the label of "god" rather than "demon" or "monster" had its advantages. While demons inspired fear and reluctance to follow, gods attracted worship and offerings.

Harvey glanced at his Void energy reserves, which had grown to 5.86 million with the influx of new members. With 100 million Void energy needed to exchange for the Hero Origin of Kha'Zix, the Void Harbinger, he decided to tighten the recruitment limits.

He planned to recruit just 1,000 more members, a manageable number for now. Recruiting too many could lead to issues with members violating the rules and spreading problems like a virus, potentially leading to conflicts with entities like Odin or Zeus.

Thinking about managing so many people was giving Harvey a headache. He wondered how Odin managed such a large population in Asgard.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Harvey retreated to the main hall to unwind and play some games. Sonia had already made progress, and as long as the potential buyers were willing to inspect the samples, Harvey wasn't worried about the advanced gravity devices failing to attract them.

Sonia had diplomatically declined Norman Halls' condition on behalf of Kassadin and began contacting other interested parties. After a day of outreach, she had managed to connect with over 200 people, with 16 showing interest.

Though only 16, this was still a significant number. Given that, Tony's reputation was not widely known yet and Kassadin's name wasn't being used for leverage, having 16 out of over 100 prospects willing to inspect the samples was impressive.

Securing deals with these prospects could result in at least 800 million in returns after costs. Once Tony's technology was more widely recognized, more orders would come in automatically.

Bounty hunting was profitable and flexible, but not everyone could achieve legendary status like Kassadin. Most bounty hunters worked for the wealthy, completing tasks for pay. The real money came from starting businesses.

Tony specialized in military technology, and with constant wars and monsters across the cosmos, there would always be a demand for arms.

Sonia smiled at the thought of future financial stability. While Kassadin wouldn't give her all the money, he had provided her with a considerable amount to manage.

Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 150 at patreon.com/MythicForge11.