Chapter 5.2A: To sit under a tree

Trade Era 1235, Day 159, 10:34 AM - Local time.

Solaris, Verdura's atmosphere, Zyronis system
The Solaris descended gracefully through the wispy clouds that veiled the azure skies of Verdura. Jil, at the helm, guided the sleek starship with practiced ease, her hands deftly manipulating the controls as she navigated through the planet's atmosphere. Hank stood at her side, while Mariella, Emily, Mercer, and Peter were in the passenger seats, their eyes fixed on the mesmerizing sight unfolding below them.

As they broke through the cloud cover, the Celestial Gate sprawled beneath them, a bustling nexus of activity amidst verdant landscapes. Though starships dotted the sky, it was the swarm of flyers and the constant flow of gravcars and gravtrains that gave the starport its lively appearance.

"Wow," Mariella breathed, her gaze darting from one end of the starport to the other. "It's even more magnificent than I imagined."



Jil guided the Solaris towards a designated landing pad, expertly maneuvering the ship amidst the sea of incoming and outgoing vehicles. As they descended towards the landing zone, the intricate carvings adorning the structures of the Celestial Gate came into sharper focus, depicting celestial beings and mythical creatures from Chinese folklore. With a soft thud, the Solaris touched down on the landing pad, its engines humming contentedly as they powered down. Jil released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her shoulders relaxing as she leaned back in her seat.

But their journey was far from over. Stepping out onto the landing pad, they approached a small duracreet building of sturdy construction. Inside, customs and border control checkpoints awaited. After a few minutes, they found themselves in a modest space filled with a line of people awaiting inspection. At the head of the line stood Inspector Lin Xia, her stern demeanor softened by a hint of curiosity as she scrutinized each traveler.

"Welcome to the Celestial Gate," Lin Xia greeted them, "Are you here for business or pleasure"?

Business brings us, but there's no better place to do it. Visiting the Celestial Gate is always a pleasure. Mercer smiles at the inspector.

Hank follows up with a smile, "Mostly business, but hopefully some of both. Where do we go to register for trading?"

Lin Xia returns Mercer's smile with a nod of acknowledgment before addressing Hank's inquiry. "You're in the right place," she replies, her tone businesslike yet welcoming. "You can register for trading right here with me. Simply provide me with the necessary documentation, and I'll ensure everything is processed efficiently."

Handing over their identification documents and Celestial Voyager permits, they watched as Lin Xia meticulously examined the documents, her keen eye ensuring everything was in order. After a thorough inspection, she nodded in approval, returning the paperwork.

"Your documentation appears to be in order," Lin Xia announced, her voice firm but fair. "You may proceed"

With her permission, they passed through the customs and immigration checkpoint, emerging into the bustling heart of the starport. As they navigated through the crowds of travelers, Mariella felt a surge of excitement building within her. They had arrived at Meixian, marking the beginning of their latest adventure.

Okey Doke!

Pulling the lever ... watching the wheels spin ...

I will trade my clothes (consumer goods?) for credit for this transaction. Should be worth 1000+ some, either my trade or Hanks.
Will be rolling Talk to assist for both.
If we do the starfire citrus Mercer will go in on split cost of a ton, if Hank is willing, if not I will buy what I can of Bliss Blossom.

Morgan knows that all the negotiations and bargaining talks going on right beside him are going straight over his head, but when hearing the value he gets interested.

"Hank, I’m also interested in getting in on the action, remind me what’s the going freight value for 1ton in the Celestial Voyager again please"

If the the prices are ok he will buy 1 ton of Starfire Citrus, I assume he would have needed to register as an Importer. He will wait until all the other negotiations are done until doing his own.

The amount of funds we have is 45K. Hank is reticent to use all of it because we might need some petty cash for any fees both here and on Zyronis Prime. He wants to keep a reasonable reserve (and I am not sure what that would constitute) and use the rest of buy as much
Starfire Citrus as they can. So, if only 5K is a reasonable reserve, he'll get 40 tons. If 10K is the needed reserve, he'll get 35 tons. But he wants to get absolutely as much as he can. We only need to get to Zyronis Prime before we get paid for our freight, so 5K is probably sufficient. (If he could have, he would have bought the whole 89 tons.)

Depending on the complexity of the situation, Hank is willing to buy everything as one big transaction, and just have everyone pay into the reserve when we get back to the ship. If for paperwork reasons we need the transactions to be separate, then we will have them be separate. He is more than willing to do whatever works best.

1 ton

.
This seems like the best plan.

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Mercer will buy a few tons. To be determined by a Talk with Xiao Chen about a loan.
After that He also plans to mention that there is more that Xiao Chen can purchase, that the Celestial Voyager would be willing to transport, for market price, to Zyronis. and Mercer would sell on his behalf for a small fee (something like 5% of the gross profit depending on how the Trade/Talk roll goes).
I will mention these plans to Hank, together an OK for potential transporting deal.