After temporarily shelving their disputes, the human trade negotiation team continued with the rest of the negotiations.
First was the second trade item previously proposed by Mr. Ga, which the human side formally agreed to: exchanging 1 million Ascension Coins for 1 unit of purified chaos energy.
Next came the trade items proposed by the human side.
What humanity wanted was simple, just two things: technology and information.
On the technology front, Mr. Ga's Yinluo Civilization, as a mid-level civilization, possessed technology far beyond that of Tianshui Star's civilization.
Moreover, since the Yinluo Civilization, like Tianshui Star's civilization, was composed of carbon-based lifeforms, this gave their technology a certain degree of universality.
Otherwise, if a silicon-based civilization or some other form of existence had come, no matter how advanced their technology, it would have been very difficult for humans to learn and apply.
On the information front, it was mainly divided into the Doomsday Rules and the Star Sea Court.
If the Yinluo Civilization passed the Doomsday Rules' test, what would happen afterward? What exactly were the "truth" and "Doomsday Operations" that the Fire Thief had mentioned?
Also, as an organization, what exactly was the Star Sea Court's specific structure? How were the various civilizations under it distributed? Was there an integrated communication channel... Humanity was eager to know all this information.
When the human side raised these trade demands, Mr. Ga indicated that paid instruction in certain technologies could be negotiated, but information was absolutely off the table.
This made the human side find it very strange.
"To be honest, we thought technology would be the most restricted area, but it turns out information is what's most tightly controlled."
Under the influence of countless sci-fi stories throughout history, humanity generally held a certain understanding:
If an organization formed by multiple civilizations existed in the universe, that organization would surely have regulations similar to "advanced civilizations must not interfere with the development of less advanced civilizations."
Judging from the contents of the Convention, such regulations did exist, but they mainly constrained destruction.
In other words, the Star Sea Court prohibited advanced civilizations from attacking less advanced native civilizations and prohibited the looting of less advanced civilizations' planetary resources. However, it did not prohibit advanced civilizations from spreading advanced technology to less advanced civilizations.
Logically speaking, whether destruction or assistance, both counted as interference in a native civilization's natural development course.
But the Star Sea Court only prohibited the former and not the latter, which was somewhat thought-provoking.
Mr. Ga's explanation for this was: "To use your human terminology, the productive forces determine the relations of production. Even if a less advanced civilization obtains advanced technology, it requires a long time to digest it.
Furthermore, the Star Sea Court hopes that all native civilizations will develop as quickly as possible and raise their civilization level, so that the Star Sea as a whole can become more prosperous."
Someone from the human side asked: "Since the Star Sea Court has this intention, why doesn't it actively provide technological assistance to less advanced civilizations?"
"It's not that simple. There are many issues such as cost and culture, and direct assistance would cause a civilization to become foolish."
Mr. Ga gave an example: "In the Star Sea Court's historical records, there was once an advanced civilization that helped a less advanced, low-level civilization develop in all aspects comprehensively. The result was that the civilization became lazy and highly dependent on the advanced civilization."
"And in the end?" Zhao Ming couldn't help asking.
"In the end, the advanced civilization stopped its assistance, and in less than a thousand standard years, that less advanced civilization completely vanished into the Star Sea."
"..."
Mr. Ga spoke lightly, but the human side felt a chill run down their spines.
Because Tianshui Star's civilization currently had not even one foot planted at the edge of a cliff.
With only a few hundred million people, it could withstand very few upheavals. One misstep, and the entire civilization could vanish into the Star Sea.
At this moment, among the human negotiation team, someone couldn't resist proposing a trade item beyond technology and information.
"How much would it cost to emigrate one human to Mr. Ga's Yinluo Civilization's Mother Planet?"
The moment this interstellar immigration trade proposal came out, the entire globe erupted.
People watching the live stream were stunned. They hadn't expected anyone on the delegation to propose such a trade demand.
What followed immediately was a flood of curses filling the screen, even fiercer than when they had previously blasted Mr. Ga for only signing contracts with Ascendants.
"What does proposing this trade mean? Some big shot wants to emigrate to the Yinluo Civilization?"
"Holy crap! Is this because they heard Mr. Ga say the Yinluo Civilization's Doomsday Rules have ended, so they want to hide from the disaster through interstellar immigration?!"
"Which big shot is this question for? Trying to run away on their own, huh."
"The massive amount of Ascension Coins in the big shots' hands was taken from ordinary Ascendants in the first place. What gives certain people the right to use them for immigration trade!"
"Absolutely opposed! Drag out whoever asked that question and shoot them!!!"
The reason people reacted so strongly and so furiously was simple.
If interstellar immigration trade was opened, the price would definitely be extremely high. Only the wealthy and powerful could leave, and ordinary people would have a hundred percent chance of any opportunity,
A question like that, which exposed true intentions on live stream, was bound to attract endless condemnation.
The questioner clearly also knew how much backlash their question would draw, and a thin layer of sweat had already emerged on their forehead.
The other members of the negotiation team kept their eyes lowered and expressionless. Actually, everyone had this thought and wanted to know the feasibility of using interstellar immigration to escape the Doomsday Rules disaster.
This didn't mean everyone wanted to leave, they just wanted to know whether this possibility existed.
But under the full live stream, no one wanted to be the one to ask and draw the concentrated fire of the entire global populace.
Now that someone had taken the initiative to ask, the others naturally all kept silent.
"Luo, cough cough..."
Hearing this question, Mr. Ga was silent for a few seconds before actually opening its mouth and letting out a strange-toned laugh. Its two long arms with multiple elbow joints also kept swaying on the tabletop, as if convulsing.
It was the human side's first time seeing Mr. Ga laugh in its own civilization's language. Seeing its swaying arms and the several sharp fangs revealed beneath its lip plates, completely different from humans, they inexplicably felt a chill in their bodies.
Mr. Ga seemed to realize its own loss of composure as well, and quickly composed itself.
"Apologies. Interstellar immigration is a special category of trade with relatively high entry requirements, and is not included in these negotiations."
"Could you explain the requirements in detail?" The earlier questioner, having already burned their bridges, decided to go all the way. They had already offended the global public by asking, so they might as well get to the bottom of it.
"Certainly. Interstellar immigration trade can only be conducted when both civilizations involved in the trade possess the capability for intergalactic travel."
The moment Mr. Ga's explanation came out, the questioner's head drooped in disappointment.
Humanity currently had trouble even reaching other planets within its own star system, let alone intergalactic travel.
But the questioner still refused to give up and raised their head again: "Then what about smuggling?"
The moment these words came out, the other members of the human negotiation team could no longer hold it together.
This negotiation was being live streamed globally. Discussing smuggling openly on such an occasion meant social death was the least of the questioner's problems.
"What nonsense are you talking!" the negotiation team representative scolded, but then looked toward Mr. Ga.
Clearly, the representative also wanted to know the answer to that question.
Or rather, humanity's higher-ups were very eager to know whether the Star Scar Merchant Group that Mr. Ga represented only engaged in legal trade.
Humanity was not a rigid race. From the very first day legal trade was born, illegal trade had followed like a shadow to the bone.
Just as the human world could never completely eradicate smuggling and other illegal activities, in the larger world, could the Star Sea Court really control all smuggling or other illegal trade between civilizations?
Impossible.
The Convention mentioned severe penalties for using illegal trade channels, which indirectly proved the existence of illegal trade channels.
Now humanity wanted to know: would the Mr. Ga before them, or rather the Star Scar Merchant Group it represented, strictly abide by the Star Sea Court's regulations, or would it bend the rules at certain times for profit?
Mr. Ga revealed a smiling expression. Though that face appeared horrifying to humans, it was indeed a smile.
"There are indeed many merchant groups in the Star Sea that conduct intergalactic smuggling and other illegal trade. But the price of such trade, you humans simply cannot afford."
"..."
The human side exchanged glances.
Everyone had similar thoughts: Mr. Ga had not directly said that its own merchant group didn't engage in illegal trade.
The phrasing about "some merchant groups" and "cannot afford the price" both seemed like smokescreens.
The true meaning hidden in those words was more like: "Having the Star Scar Merchant Group smuggle humans across galaxies is not impossible, but humanity cannot afford the price of such trade."