Chapter 241: Exploration Company

Most members of the Bounty Hunter Guild felt a chill in their hearts. Many of them in illegal organizations are disguised, as it makes them less likely to be exposed during missions.

Of course, if they get caught, it doesn’t matter since they’ve already been captured.

While the members of the Bounty Hunter Guild were worried, a voice came through the public channel.

“From now on, none of you are allowed to enter the mine.” A voice echoed through the public channel, and everyone’s attention turned towards the third-party force.

Initially, this force seemed quite strong, with small modified spaceships, but they were destroyed by the Anti-Government Fighters’ large warships.

Currently on the planet, there were three major groups: the Fat Boss’s five small teams, the Bounty Hunter Guild, and this third party.

The third-party group had the most people. At this time, as they spoke up, someone from the Bounty Hunter Guild asked in the channel, “What do you mean by that?”

“Yes, we’ll enter the mine if we want to. What’s the problem?” The people of the Bounty Hunter Guild weren’t saints; after all, good people wouldn’t join such illegal organizations.

“This mine now belongs to our company. The two newly arrived warships above belong to our company too. Feel free to try entering.” The third-party members spoke, and their words surprised everyone present.

“Gather all your men in the mine and get them out. No one is allowed to remain inside, or our company will take necessary action to protect our legitimate rights.” The third-party commander spoke very seriously, as this was a legal notification.

The third-party commander’s warning served as a form of notice to the people of the Bounty Hunter Guild, a clear warning.

If something happens later and the Bounty Hunter Guild ignores it, resulting in conflict and casualties.

All the third-party commander would need to do is present the evidence, proving they had fulfilled their duty to notify, making it the other party’s fault.

“What proof do you have that this belongs to your company? We haven’t received any such notice.” The members of the Bounty Hunter Guild were reckless and asked irritably.

“We have two modified armed warships as proof. You’ll see the legal documentation soon. Right now, I’m just fulfilling my duty to inform. If you ignore it, whatever happens next is on you.” The third-party commander continued.

“What kind of company is yours?” The President of the Bounty Hunter Guild asked curiously.

“The 3-1 Exploration Company!” The third-party commander revealed the name.

Upon hearing this, the President of the Bounty Hunter Guild immediately issued an order through the communications channel: “Hurry and notify the people inside the mine. Get them all out, and bring out the mechas too. There shouldn’t be any danger!”

The Bounty Hunter Guild quickly made their way to the mine to notify those inside.

Meanwhile, someone from the Fat Boss’s side was stationed as a lookout, so when the Bounty Hunter Guild arrived, they were immediately spotted.

After delivering the message, they headed deeper into the mine.

“Let’s go, we don’t want trouble!” The Fat Boss, after hearing the news, called for the group to leave.

The others had no objections. Zhou Zheng spoke up, “So it turns out it’s 3-1 Company.”

“We should’ve guessed. Only a massive company like that would have this level of power.” The Fat Boss sounded a bit frustrated. After all, now was the perfect time to strike it rich. Finding just one Energy Stone was worth at least a billion. Given Yang Bo’s luck, staying a day or two and finding a few more wasn’t impossible.

Yang Bo was curious. “Boss, what kind of company has such power?”

Yang Bo really didn’t understand what kind of company could compel the Alliance’s warships to take action.

“Yang Bo, whenever you hear the words ‘Exploration Company’ in the future, stay far away. Exploration Companies have their own armed forces. Though their warships may not compare to Alliance warships, they are far superior to most other modified warships.”

“These warships come from legitimate manufacturers that build warships for the Alliance military.”

“As the name suggests, Exploration Companies are focused on exploring the void. Once they find habitable planets, they have first rights to develop them. Similarly, they have priority over any valuable discoveries.”

“These companies explore the unknown reaches of the void and often face dangers, like pirates or even encountering other companies from rival nations.”

“Exploration Companies are controlled by the Alliance, but they’re private companies. In fact, they’re owned by the top families within the Alliance.”

“These Exploration Companies are far more powerful than pirates. Their logistics and equipment are at least on par with pirates. Some of these companies, while legitimate within their home countries, act like pirates outside Alliance jurisdiction. Exploration Companies are sometimes referred to as plundering companies.”

After this explanation, Yang Bo more or less understood. It was similar to Earth’s East India Company, where such development rights resembled colonial administration.

“Got it.” Yang Bo nodded, signaling he understood after the Fat Boss finished talking.

The Fat Boss led his group out of the cave. Looking up at the starry sky again, they saw Anti-Government Fighters’ warships fleeing, with the Alliance warships close behind.

“Do you think something’s going to happen?” Yang Bo glanced at the dark void and had a bad feeling about the situation. The Anti-Government Fighters’ commander wasn’t an idiot, so why would he set such a small trap?

But Yang Bo wasn’t familiar with the Anti-Government Fighters’ strength. What if they weren’t as strong as expected?

As Yang Bo’s five-man team just exited the cave, the third-party commander announced on the public channel, “On behalf of the 3-1 Exploration Company, I formally inform you all that we now hold the rights to explore and develop this planet. Every stone here belongs to 3-1 Company. Do not enter the mine again, or we will pursue the matter to the fullest extent of the law!”

The Fat Boss responded over the public channel, “Our An Zhijie Corporation is a responsible and law-abiding company. On behalf of our company, I guarantee that no one from our side will enter the mine.”

Hearing these words, the President of the Bounty Hunter Guild thought, “I wonder how many benefits this guy received. What a polished speech.”

The Bounty Hunter Guild then retrieved their three mechas, bringing out the captured Anti-Government Fighters prisoners as well.

A modified warship slowly started to descend. As it got closer, people saw it was likely a transport ship turned warship, about 1,000 meters long, 300 meters wide at its widest point, and around 50 meters high.

Generally, warships capable of landing on planets aren’t too large. While anti-gravity technology is already mature, its energy consumption is high. Additionally, if a warship this massive wanted to land on a planet, it would require a stronger structure to handle the weight.

The increased weight further escalates energy consumption. These Exploration Company-modified ships are armed transport ships, but they prioritize weapons equipment.

An armed transport ship is, at its core, still a transport ship. However, these modified ships lean more towards being warships, with weaponry being their primary focus.

“Boss, something feels off. The Anti-Government Fighters’ commander knew this was a trap. Why are they running away now?” Yang Bo asked the Fat Boss in their team’s private channel.

“I feel the same. Since they hid so many aircraft here, the Anti-Government Fighters must have anticipated this outcome,” the Fat Boss replied, clearly impressed by Yang Bo’s analytical skills.

Zhou Zheng also added, “I think something’s up. The Anti-Government Fighters must have a backup plan.”

“The Anti-Government Fighters always fight to the death when battling the Alliance, only retreating when absolutely necessary. But this time, their retreat feels strange.”

“The Alliance warship commander must also be aware of this. Since they’re chasing after them, they might have their own backup plan,” Wu Bing contributed a different perspective.

“That’s not necessarily true. Many of the Alliance’s so-called commanders are all theory with no real battle experience. They’ve never fought a real war in decades, and these ships don’t look like part of the main fleet.”

“We know too little. But if the Alliance is setting up a trap, hopefully nothing goes wrong!”

“Let’s not even get into the Alliance. Over the years, they haven’t managed to resolve the Anti-Government Fighters. In fact, it feels like they’re getting harsher towards us civilians. Planetary defense systems are getting stronger, but they target the planet’s residents rather than any threats from outer space.”

“There’s a joke that says by the time a meeting ends in the Alliance Parliament, the journalists have already written their articles.” Yang Bo listened to his team and felt more uneasy.

“Let’s back off a bit.” The Fat Boss seemed to lose confidence and instructed everyone to move further away.

The Fat Boss’s five-man team backed off, while others watching 3-1 Company’s ship descend felt a bit puzzled.

Some members of the Bounty Hunter Guild also felt something was off, so they quickly backed away as well.

Part of the reason was the poor reputation of Exploration Companies. Once outside the Alliance’s control, they essentially become pirates.

At that moment, another voice came over the public channel: “We are 3-1 Exploration Company. Our company has acquired the development rights to this planet. Please leave immediately.”

“We will charge 1 million credits per person to transport you to the nearest administrative planet or the closest starroad to await a transport ship.”

“If you choose not to leave, it’ll be at your own risk!”

Next, the second chapter will be written.