Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 939 - 661: The Mine Star Dilemma

He looked at Xing Zhuo and said something similar to what he had told Catherine: "Captain Catherine and I have reached a consensus, we will attempt to apply for the restoration of sovereign state status based on the Bauhinia Republic's Mine Star."

Bai E hadn't considered keeping it a secret; once he and Catherine made any moves on the Mine Star, the three major hegemonies would surely know immediately.

Development is not something that can be achieved overnight, and dealing with these people will be unavoidable in the days to come.

Xing Zhuo was stunned. He never thought that Bai E would refuse the recruitment of the three major powers, and it was truly for that "extinct" Bauhinia Republic... was it because of Catherine?

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, such as pointing out how unrealistic this plan was and how many difficulties it would face.

But seeing the unwavering calm and determination in Bai E's eyes, he knew any amount of persuasion would be futile at this moment.

This was the first time the Business Alliance's chief, who had weathered the seas of commerce and politics for many years, sensed a kind of almost stubborn conviction in a young person that couldn't be swayed by interests.

He recalled Bai E's unwavering figure in front of the Bug Race mothership and the report's description of the god-like power saving people amidst the spiritual energy storm.

Perhaps such a person cannot be measured with common logic and interests.

Xing Zhuo finally took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his regret and confusion, and regained the calm demeanor of the Business Alliance's chief.

He stood up and extended his hand to Bai E again: "I understand. Although very regrettable, I respect your choice. The gates of the Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance are always open for you. If you encounter difficulties on the road to rebuilding Bauhinia..."

He paused, suddenly realizing he might not be able to make such a commitment from the perspective of his faction.

With Bai E not cooperating with their Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance, it would be good enough if the alliance didn't hinder him in the dark or even openly; offering help was out of the question.

"If you change your mind, please make sure to contact us."

This time, Bai E extended his hand and shook it.

Xing Zhuo withdrew his hand, and his tone turned businesslike: "Then, we must return to our respective headquarters and submit a detailed report on the interrupted event and the Bug Race incident. This report will be submitted to the Peak Alliance's highest council and relevant Star Alliance departments. Regarding the part about the Bug Race, we will focus on referencing your discoveries and contributions. As for the event result and Bauhinia's qualification issue..." He paused, "As Representative Lei Long said, that is the council's prerogative. We can only report truthfully, including your final decision."

His implication was clear: the recruitment by the three major powers was all rejected, so they might take a more neutral or even more inclined attitude towards acknowledging established facts in the report.

After all, forcibly erasing or belittling Bai E's achievements in the face of the Bug Race threat seemed foolish and unwise.

But ultimately, how it will be judged is beyond their control.

Bai E nodded: "It should be so."

The meeting ended.

Xing Zhuo left with complex feelings, knowing that although the Bug Race incident was a huge unexpected occurrence, not winning over Bai E might still be considered a failure in the eyes of the Business Alliance's upper echelons.

And he himself would need to pay the price for previous decisions.

The banquet ended shortly after.

Several legendary mechanics had varied reactions upon learning of Bai E's final choice.

Xing Hen and Iron Curtain felt regret, Remington silently raised a glass, while Dragon Roar muttered, "What a shame."

But they all understood that once someone as formidable as Bai E made a decision, it was hard to change.

Catherine came to Bai E's side and asked softly, "All refused?"

"Yes." Bai E looked at the various ships preparing for departure outside the window, "Next, it's up to us. Let's go 'home' and then start building our 'New Bauhinia'."

…

Three days later, the two stepped down from the spaceship.

The strong wind whipped iron-rust-colored sand against the drop pod's outer wall, making a sound like sudden rain.

Bai E looked up, seeing the world covered in chaos.

The sparse domed cities resembled rusted iron cans half-buried in the dunes, with the faint light from the energy towers flickering in the sandstorm.

"It's very bad, isn't it..." Catherine said with a wry smile beside him, "This mine star doesn't have many rare minerals, and the Republic has always been indifferent about it. Apart from two basic mining areas, the rest have all been subcontracted. If we hadn't decided to use this mine star as a starting point, I wouldn't have been very familiar with the situation here before.

From the information I gathered, the registered population on this planet currently totals just over a hundred million, almost all of whom are miners and their families. But this list is dubious, not updated often, and hasn't been thoroughly checked. According to Victor, at least half of it is inaccurate. The actual population is unknown, and it's one magnitude below the ten-billion population minimum requirement for a level one sovereign state.

Next is recognition... According to Victor's preliminary investigation, people here have almost no recognition of the name Bauhinia. In fact, the initial miners of the mining area were composed of some criminals and vagrants; they only cared about production and never enjoyed the Republic's benefits. To gain their recognition in Star Alliance's survey, we need to make an effort.

Then there are the cities... There's no cultural capital here, only two large agglomerations centered around the core mining areas. Spiritual and cultural activities, including guidance, are almost nonexistent, completely failing to meet the spiritual core required of a sovereign state.