The scenery of the Star Clan remained as beautiful as ever, lifting one's spirits.
Upon landing, Lin Feng walked directly towards Xi Xing's small hut.
Along the way, he was greeted with pleasant surprises by young ladies of the Star Clan who appeared from time to time.
Among them were some new young ladies who didn't recognize Lin Feng, regarding him with curious gazes.
Thanks to the aura Lin Feng had left within the earth veins, these newcomers, though unfamiliar with him, could feel an extremely亲切 (qīnqiè - amiable/familiar) aura emanating from him, thus having no defenses against him.
Introduced by their elders and understanding Lin Feng's identity, their curiosity only deepened.
Lin Feng paid no mind to these gazes and proceeded towards the residential area.
From afar, he could already see significant changes in the living quarters.
One-third of the temporary shelters had been replaced with wooden houses.
At Xi Xing's request, Tony had not used modern materials like cement for construction. Instead, he had harvested wood from a tree called Gugu Wood, in accordance with the Star Clan's preferences and customs, to build the houses.
Indeed, the Star Clan were a race who lived in relatively green and primitive environments. Building cement houses would have felt out of place. This way was better.
Good, seeing this vibrant and thriving scene filled Lin Feng with immense satisfaction.
Xi Xing, busy in the residential area, soon noticed Lin Feng's arrival and invited him into her new house.
As an elder, she was naturally among the first to have a wooden house.
This was not due to Xi Xing deliberately using her elder privileges.
The Star Clan was a race that heavily relied on their leader.
If Xi Xing hadn't moved into a wooden house, the remaining clansmen would have felt uneasy.
Entering the wooden house, Lin Feng curiously examined the facilities inside.
Although called a wooden house, it lacked nothing. It was evident that the construction was based on experience and cultural foundations.
While not as square and simple as cement houses, it exuded a natural charm.
This unique, race-specific architecture was novel and fascinating.
"How is it? Decent, right!"
The speaker was Natasha, who was also in Xi Xing's house.
After attending Tony's wedding last time, Lin Feng had sent her back.
"You're here too, Natasha," Lin Feng greeted her with a smile.
Now that Natasha was one of "his people," Lin Feng certainly wouldn't put on a cold face for her.
"Yes! I'm reviewing the previous transactions with Xi Xing," Natasha replied with a smile.
She was radiant and full of energy.
It seemed she was very satisfied with the job Lin Feng had found for her and was quite dedicated.
"Trading has already begun?" Lin Feng asked curiously.
Natasha nodded, producing a list. "That's right, we've already conducted three transactions!"
"Here are some lists of exchanged goods and the trading partners!"
With that, Natasha handed the list to Lin Feng.
Xi Xing, standing nearby, brought over a delicate wooden teacup.
"Here, have some Star Clan tea!" Xi Xing said.
Lin Feng thanked her and took the cup, taking a small sip.
He raised an eyebrow; the taste was surprisingly good.
Furthermore, Lin Feng immediately analyzed that this tea had the effect of relieving fatigue and calming the mind.
While its efficacy wasn't comparable to Lin Feng's Life Tree tea, the taste was no less impressive.
"The taste is excellent! Is this item also on the trading list?"
Xi Xing smiled and shook her head. "This isn't for trade."
"We don't produce much of it; it's reserved for our own consumption!"
Lin Feng's praise made Xi Xing smile even more brightly.
Lin Feng nodded with a smile and then began to peruse the list in his hand.
He merely skimmed through it before setting it down.
There were no issues. The exchanged goods had been discussed by Xi Xing and Lin Feng more than once before Natasha arrived at the Star Clan.
"Did you encounter any foolish trading partners?" Lin Feng inquired.
This was what he truly cared about.
Why had the Star Clan been destroyed in the past? It was because their possessions had attracted unwanted attention.
As the saying goes: "A man is innocent until he possesses wealth, and wealth is the cause of trouble."
"No, we haven't."
"The Symbiote team accompanied us on all three trades, and Xi Xing was present as well."
"Although we didn't encounter any foolish trading partners, we believe we've been targeted."
Natasha pursed her lips, exchanged a glance with Xi Xing, and then took a sip of the tea Xi Xing had served.
This tea, from the first taste, had made her irresistibly fond of it.
The taste was exceptional, and it also calmed the nerves and relieved fatigue. Natasha, not possessing Lin Feng's constitution, felt the benefits of the tea more profoundly.
"Targeted? Tell me more," Lin Feng's eyebrows rose slightly as he continued to inquire with great interest.
He hadn't expected to be targeted so quickly just by trading some ordinary Star Clan specialties.
However, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
If you have something good, someone is bound to covet it.
The competition in the black market was always like this: they'd target you, gather information.
If you were strong enough, then everyone would cooperate.
If you weren't strong enough, then I'm sorry, you either submit or die.
This was the sorrow of insufficient strength.
However, there was no trace of worry on Natasha and Xi Xing's faces, suggesting the matter wasn't overly complicated.
The Star Clan of the past might have worried about impending war.
But now, the Star Clan had latched onto Lin Feng, a powerful patron whose influence was immeasurable.
If the Star Clan didn't go out and stir up trouble, those troublemakers should be grateful.
"The ones targeting us are a race called the Ket Divine Clan." Natasha stated.
"The Ket Divine Clan?"
"Yes, their racial characteristics are very distinct: large ears and silver skin."
"Although they call themselves a 'Divine Clan,' they seem more like simple-minded greedy monsters."
"As for their combat power, we don't know yet."
"However, we've left twenty Symbiotes at the intermediary star used for trade."
"These young women will continuously gather information we need and report back."
"And I've already rented a shop on the intermediary star to serve as a temporary base and a trading post for minor items."
Hearing Natasha's arrangements, Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction.
Excellent. Having a smart agent managing the trade truly saved him a lot of trouble.
"You've done well. If you encounter any insurmountable problems or enemies, inform me directly."
"The Star Clan is currently in its nascent stage. Anyone who dares to cause trouble should be dealt a painful, decisive blow the first time. This will be more beneficial for our future development!"
Lin Feng was no longer the young man he was a few years ago.
He understood that concealing one's strength was not always appropriate.
When necessary, one must bare their fangs to avoid further trouble.
Natasha, having spent many years in the intelligence world, certainly understood this principle and nodded earnestly, "I understand!"