"There is still a difference."
The old man sitting in the boss chair closed his eyes, leaning back and holding an unlit cigar in his fingers. He swayed slightly before speaking leisurely: "Interstellar pirates are illegal, while we are legal."
"At its core, a merchant is simply a legal interstellar pirate."
"There is no need to investigate them further. If they can suddenly raise the price, someone must be interfering behind the scenes, maybe it's the people from Shark Company."
"That batch of One-Star Items is stored in a warehouse on Matthew Star. The whole planet is a regulated area, so taking action would basically turn us into a rebel army."
"Unless... we make them leave Matthew Star voluntarily. Let me think."
"Hmmm..."
The old man never opened his eyes, swaying gently in the boss chair.
Jonas Grey stayed silent as well, busily browsing the Star System Forum while waiting patiently.
About twenty minutes passed.
His father hadn't spoken yet.