“Principal Foster, you overpraise me. I, Emily Thompson, have only achieved what I have today thanks to the blessings of my predecessors. In terms of my own abilities, I am hardly worth mentioning.”

The woman in white, Emily Thompson, sat gracefully across from the desk. “But it is Principal Foster who is truly admirable! Whether it was the Yurik System encounter sixty years ago, or the southern New Zhengzhou defensive battle nine years ago, your abilities as principal have always been astonishing.”

“Oh, those are just old stories, not worth mentioning—”

James Foster smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and turned his gaze to the stern-faced middle-aged man beside Emily Thompson. “This must be your new HR director at Xueying Security, Mr. Paul Turner, correct? So, the two of you have come here specifically to recruit some staff for your security company from our Greenfield Military Academy?”

“Principal Foster, your guess is spot on. Emily is here for exactly that reason.”

Emily Thompson smiled and said, “I believe you’ve heard that today, the thirteen armed escort ships we ordered from the Brophy family’s shipyard have been delivered. Ten are destroyer-class, and three are cruiser-class. Our company is now short at least twelve hundred personnel.”

“But I’ve also heard that your security company is planning to organize a large-scale merchant convoy across the entire star domain in ten days?” James Foster’s lips curled up, revealing the look of a fox spotting its prey.

“That’s right! In fact, we are currently implementing this plan. We do need to find enough experienced personnel within ten days to crew these escort ships. And the Greenfield Federal Military Academy is one of our main targets.”

Emily Thompson did not deny it, nodding cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I know the rules. We’ll prepare the appropriate sponsorship fees for the academy. But my main purpose in coming here this time is actually for you, sir!”

“Oh? For an old man like me? Miss Thompson, you must be joking.” James Foster raised his eyelids in surprise, though his eyes showed little real astonishment.

Chapter Four: Negotiation

“I’m not joking—I am very sincere.”

Emily Thompson’s face was earnest. “As long as you are willing to join us, our Xueying Security Company will reserve the position of Chief Commander of the escort fleet for you.”

“I appreciate the offer.” James Foster’s expression grew serious, leaning back slightly and frowning. “But I’m curious, miss, why do you want an old man like me? I’ve heard your current chief commander, Samuel Brooks, is doing quite well. Your company’s recent prosperity is closely tied to him. Why are you suddenly considering a replacement, Miss Thompson?”

“Samuel Brooks is indeed a talented individual, but due to his experience and qualifications, he is better at drafting operational plans and commanding small fleets of under fifty ships. For our company’s next step, Samuel Brooks’s abilities are clearly no longer sufficient for Xueying Security’s future development. In fact, even he himself has said he is more suited to being a chief of staff than a commander of a medium-sized fleet. And it was he who personally recommended you to me, principal. He believes you are the most suitable candidate for that position.”

Emily Thompson shook her head and explained, “I’ve reviewed all six of the medium and small-scale battles you commanded, and nearly every victory could be called a textbook example. I also believe that, for our company, there is no one more suitable in the entire Yatrik Star Domain than you. Honestly, with your abilities, it’s a real pity you retired from the military so early! I believe that in the future, Xueying Company will be the best stage for you to showcase your talents.”

“Well—”

James Foster fell silent for a moment, and though Emily Thompson looked expectant, she said nothing more. She knew that some things did not need to be said; James Foster would surely understand.

For a security company to organize a merchant convoy for long-distance travel across the galaxy was nothing unusual. As humanity’s reach in the Milky Way expanded, piracy had become increasingly rampant. The safety of merchant convoys in each star domain had, as early as 2,400 years ago, been handed over from the government to escort fleets formed by security companies.

But what seemed like a routine business activity to others was, for Ethan, an ambitious large-scale project!

All along, Ethan Company had only been considered a second-tier security company within the Alec Federation. Its armed escort ships could only take on short-range escort missions between star systems and neighboring domains. Its profit margins were far behind those of the top-tier security companies.

But this time, organizing interstellar merchants across the entire Yatrik Star Domain for long-distance trade—if successful—would be a huge leap for her Ethan Company, instantly elevating it to the ranks of first-class escort companies.

With the current size of Ethan’s fleet, they were indeed qualified. Nearly five hundred warships—equivalent to a medium-sized fleet. All ships were less than forty years old, and all crew members were elite. The only thing not matching was their status and reputation—