Chapter 117: Request for Instructions

"What is the identity of this person?"

Harvey's eyes flickered when he heard that the individual had proactively sought him out, rather than Sonia bringing him up herself. He asked, "What is his status?"

"Norman Howells, an elite officer of the Nova Corps. He holds significant authority within the organization," Sonia replied.

Harvey became thoughtful upon hearing this. An elite officer of the Nova Corps was a high-ranking position, just one level below a commander. It was likely that the man wasn't just interested in purchasing gravity devices; he was more likely probing Harvey's background. He might even be hoping to bribe Harvey into allowing members of the Nova Corps to join the Void Sect.

Harvey himself was not keen on dealing with military personnel. Drax came from humble origins and was relatively honest; even if he had attained a high position, his fundamental nature remained unchanged. He was not as cunning as these officers who had spent years in high-ranking positions, navigating endless power struggles.

"Are there others besides him?" Harvey asked after considering the situation.

"Aside from him, there are eight others who have expressed interest. They will make time to come and take a look within the next week," Sonia said, pulling up a list after hearing Mr. Kassadin's inquiry. "If things go well, each of them should be able to negotiate a deal worth over 100 million."

These were prominent figures from other planets who had established branch offices on Xandar. As long as the product quality was sufficient, they would bring in even greater profits in the future.

"Eight people already?" Harvey said, praising her. "You've done a great job. Go ahead and negotiate with those people."

As for Norman Howells, he would find a time to speak with him personally. If the man was friendly, they could talk; if he was hostile, Harvey would not be polite.

"Understood. I will continue to make inquiries," Sonia said. She didn't ask why Mr. Kassadin seemed unwilling to accept Norman Howells' terms.

Mr. Kassadin's reputation on Xandar could be described as illustrious. Although no specific news had leaked from within the Void Sect, the power Mr. Kassadin had built would inevitably attract the attention of some important figures within the Nova Corps. Personally, she hoped this deal would not go through, as it implied the man wasn't genuinely interested in the gravity devices but was instead using a sky-high price to buy an opportunity for a conversation with Mr. Kassadin. She knew Mr. Kassadin did not want to prioritize such people over wealthy businessmen. Regardless of her personal feelings, however, a billion-credit deal was something she had to bring to Mr. Kassadin for his opinion. She wanted to avoid any potential distrust if Norman Howells were to show up after she had made an unauthorized refusal.

"Go ahead," Harvey replied.

After Sonia left, Harvey watched the stars scattered across the night sky, sipping his tea in deep thought. If possible, he did not want to clash with the Nova Corps. It wouldn't be difficult for him to destroy them, but the aftermath of taking over Xandar would be problematic. The Void Sect currently had fewer than three hundred members; while many were talented, he did not have enough manpower to manage Xandar properly. Furthermore, destroying the Nova Corps might interfere with Star-Lord's future actions, and he couldn't have the Power Stone delivered to his doorstep.

Therefore, if the Nova Corps truly came knocking aggressively, he would have to consider how to intimidate them without triggering an all-out war. If he could just wait for the Power Stone to arrive and let Drax gradually rise through the ranks, he could unite with the Void Sect to slowly influence Xandar without causing too many casualties.

Titles like "demon" or "monster" were not as useful as being called a "god." The former instilled fear, making people unwilling to follow you, but a god was different. People were not only willing to follow and believe in you, but they were also willing to offer tributes and sacrifices voluntarily.

Harvey checked his Void Energy. With so many new members joining, he now had 5.86 million. To exchange for the hero essence of Kha'Zix, the Voidreaver—specifically the Mecha skin—would only require 100 million Void Energy. Because the number of members wasn't massive yet, he decided to tighten the restrictions on bringing new people into the Void. He intended to cap the membership at around one thousand for now, which would be manageable. If he gave out too many blessings to people scattered across the universe, it would be easy for some to secretly violate the commandments. If he couldn't catch and judge them immediately, they could spread like a virus, potentially infecting other members of the Void Sect, leading to factions that advocated cannibalizing their own kind, or even causing them to clash with the All-Father Odin.

The thought of clashing with Odin—and the potential trouble if he failed to defeat him or if Odin escaped, only to bring Zeus into the fray—was a headache. Harvey didn't know how Odin managed the vast population of Asgard, so he decided to stop thinking about it for now and returned to the hall to play games.

Since Sonia had already made some progress, he wasn't worried that the more advanced gravity devices Tony had crafted would fail to attract buyers.

Meanwhile, Sonia politely declined Norman Howells' terms on Mr. Kassadin's behalf and began contacting others. After a day of outreach, she had contacted over two hundred people, with fourteen responding. While it was only fourteen, it was already a significant number. Given that Tony's reputation hadn't been fully established and she hadn't relied on Mr. Kassadin's name, having sixteen people out of a hundred willing to send representatives to check samples and learn the details was a sign of great respect.

Each of these deals would essentially be worth hundreds of millions. If they all went through, even after accounting for costs, there would be at least 800 million in returns. Once Tony’s technological products were officially released and more people became aware of them, the orders would come in automatically.

Bounty hunting was a quick way to make money with the freedom to work, but not everyone could become a legend like Mr. Kassadin. Most bounty hunters essentially worked for the wealthy, completing tasks for money and leaving. To truly make money, one had to start a business. Since Tony was skilled in military technology, and the universe was full of wars and monsters—not to mention many underdeveloped planets—there would never be a shortage of buyers for arms.

Thinking about the future financial security, a smile appeared on Sonia's face. Although Mr. Kassadin wouldn't give her all the money, he still provided her with plenty of funds to manage at her own discretion.