Dan Heng's speculation perfectly matched Belobog's current situation. After a moment of thought, Wende decided to head back first and ask Stelle and March for their thoughts, and also to inform Himeko and Mr. Yang about the matter.
At the very least, the Astral Express were the heroes who saved Belobog, and everyone in Belobog had a great relationship with them. But whether or not to help… was a decision for the whole crew to make.
"What? Belobog is being hounded by the Corporation for debts right now?"
March 7th, upon hearing the news, exclaimed in surprise to Wende and Dan Heng. Stelle, on the other hand, immediately sent a message to Bronya to confirm.
In Qlipoth Fort, Bronya was feeling utterly exhausted watching the officials below argue amongst themselves when she noticed the message from Stelle.
Trash Can War God: Bronya, is Belobog in some kind of trouble right now? (Pom-Pom confused)
I can't believe they found out about something so embarrassing…
A look of despair crossed Bronya's eyes.
Bronya: Yes, Belobog is currently struggling with how to repay its debt to the Corporation… How did you find out?
Bronya asked, a bit curious.
Trash Can War God: Wende told us. We're very close to you guys right now.
Bronya: I see… I'm sorry, this is quite embarrassing for you to see.
Trash Can War God: Bronya, if there's anything you need help with, we can come over and help you.
Bronya: We appreciate your kindness, but… we shouldn't trouble you any further. You've already done more than enough for Belobog. If we were to ask for your help again, we would owe you even more…
Trash Can War God: Don't say that. We know your situation now. We're just going to have a quick meeting, and then we'll come help you!
Bronya: Huh?
---o---
In the first-floor lobby of the miHoYo building, the entire crew of the Express was present, including Wendy.
They began their discussion on the matter of providing aid to Belobog. But before they started, Wende first mentioned the revenue generated by Honkai: Star Rail in the Honkai world. He still kept the revenue from Honkai Impact 3rd in the Star Rail world a secret. After all, Mr. Yang was getting on in years, and Wende was afraid he couldn't take the shock.
Even so, after Wende announced the figure, Welt's hand pushing up his glasses and Himeko's hand holding her coffee cup both trembled noticeably. As for Tingyun, she was so shocked her fur poofed straight up. Jingliu, however, remained perfectly calm, stroking Tingyun's fur to soothe her. To Jingliu, worldly wealth was indeed like dirt.
But for Tingyun, the seasoned merchant, this amount—which was practically a rounding error—was equivalent to a hundred years of her guild's revenue!
"This… I think I need a moment to process this…"
Himeko put down her coffee cup. Fortunately, Wende hadn't stocked the company with any coffee-related items, so the cup only contained water. Otherwise, the lobby floor… might have been corroded by now, right?
"Looking at it this way… we can actually help Belobog… as long as Wende doesn't mind."
Welt had also recovered from the shock. Such immense wealth… it was the first time he had ever seen anything like it!
"Me? Of course I don't mind."
Wende smiled and shook his head. He had just opened the panel for another look. It seemed he was hitting several small fortunes every single second… Was this the terrifying power of a universe-wide public beta? It was truly horrifying.
"Hmm… I was originally thinking we might need to contact the Corporation, but now… it seems that's no longer necessary."
Himeko shook her head with a wry smile. This feeling of reversal… how should she put it? Before, when their pocket money ran low, they had to work part-time jobs. Now… it turned out that being flush with cash could also leave you at a loss for what to do…
"But there's one point. We cannot just give Belobog a handout. This is very important, both for Belobog and for us."
Welt composed himself and then addressed the group.
"We can pay this sum for Belobog for the time being, which is equivalent to Belobog borrowing money from us in an emergency. Later, we can establish a fixed point and have Belobog repay us in installments over a period of time. This shows respect for Belobog, and it prevents us from being treated like suckers."
"Like a form of financial investment."
Wende nodded in agreement with Welt's point of view. Besides survival, the most important thing for a planet in the universe is its reputation.
If they really just handed this money over to Belobog as a gift from the heavens, then I'm afraid…
Most importantly, since this money couldn't be spent anyway, Wende could treat it as an investment project. Rather than letting it sit there, it was better to make it valuable.
"Won't this conflict with the Corporation's business?"
Stelle suddenly asked. After all, the IPC had these kinds of services too.
"No, the Corporation will probably be ecstatic."
Dan Heng shook his head.
"First, we are partners with the Corporation, not competitors. If we really open this line of business, the profits in this sector across the universe won't be overly divided. In fact, it might even become more profitable because of the presence of a partner."
"Second, from the Corporation's perspective, our investment is more like helping them clear a bad debt. They are the most direct beneficiaries. If we really do this, they'll be overjoyed."
"Indeed. For the Corporation, recovering a debt is sometimes more beneficial than directly turning a debtor planet into a vassal. After all, after turning a planet into a vassal, it takes a very long time to recoup the costs."
Dan Heng agreed with Welt's idea.
"Since that's the case, I'll draft the contract. But there's one thing I forgot to mention: the matter of collateral."
Wende said to the puzzled faces of the group.
"After all, we have to learn from Director Topaz's experience. Without collateral, if they really become deadbeats… then at least we won't be at a loss."
"As for what the collateral will be… let's just use their sun."
It was, after all, a good insurance policy.
With that, a contract concerning the aid for Belobog was quickly drafted. After adding a few more conditions to the original draft, the miHoYo Angel Investment Department was officially established along with the contract.
When Topaz and Bronya, who were in Qlipoth Fort, saw Stelle and March excitedly rush in and place the contract in front of them, it was safe to say that both of them were, in unison, utterly bewildered.