"But, why Hal?" Tylon asked, somewhat perplexed. "He is one of your kind, don't you worry about the Guardians of the Universe targeting him?"
Shiller gave Hal a glance and said: "Commander Tylenol, what do you think is the relationship between the Guardians of the Universe and the green lantern energy? Did the guardians create the Emotional Spectrum?"
When this question was raised, Tylon hesitated for a moment, then said: "We say to the public that the entire Green Lantern Corps was created by the Guardians of the Universe. However, based on the information I've come across, the Emotional Spectrum should be something that naturally arises in the universe. The Guardians just crafted the Lantern Furnace and rings to harness this energy."
As he spoke, he and Shiller both turned to look at Hal, then said, "Wait a minute. If you can now communicate with the green lantern energy without the aid of a ring, then you really don't need to fear the Guardians of the Universe..."
"Correct," Shiller nodded, "The Lantern Beast Ion Shark of the Green Lantern is naturally born, representing the willpower of the cosmos. Now, the Ion Shark has chosen Hal, which means that Hal is closer to the true essence of the Green Lantern than the Guardians of the Universe, and there is no need to fear the guardians."
"That's exactly why, as long as he can lead a team, occupying the powers of the Constabulary first, then if the Guardians of the Universe want to establish a Constabulary, they'll need to consider whether the Constabulary they create can stand against the Ion Lantern and his team."
"At the same time, we hold the moral high ground. The creation of a Constabulary by the Guardians of the Universe inevitably raises suspicions of 'purging dissidents', whereas our initiative to establish a Supervision Organization displays our integrity, doesn't it?"
Tylon and Hal exchanged glances, then simultaneously turned to look at Shiller. Shiller looked up, noticing the quiet atmosphere, and found the green light shining in Tylon's and Hal's eyes wasn't an illusion.
"All right, now that we've finished the formalities, let's talk about the practical aspect," Shiller skillfully changed the subject again.
Tylon, who had initially stood up to leave, sat back down. He stared at Shiller with confused eyes and asked: "The practical aspect? Which one is that?"
"Hal, didn't you tell me you and the commander had reached an agreement?" Shiller turned to Hal. Hal gave Tylon a look, and Tylon realized they were about to discuss kickbacks.
A green crystal materialized in Shiller's hand. After he placed the crystal on the table, the gaze of both Tylon and Hal fell upon it. "In here is green lantern energy…" said Tylon, familiar with the energy contained within the crystal.
"Yes, and without any safety lock."
Half in doubt, Tylon reached out, and the moment he touched the crystal, his eyes widened - he could indeed freely extract the green lantern energy it held.
"Is this..." Tylon hesitated, then turned to Hal, asking, "Is this the method you mentioned that allows ordinary people to harness the green lantern energy?"
"Exactly," Hal nodded.
"So, you want to expand the Green Lantern Corps, extract more energy from the Total Furnace by doing so, infuse this energy into these crystals, and then... and then… let us take them away?" Tylon asked, not quite used to this idea.
"The first part is correct. As long as we have enough pretexts, we can openly draw energy from the Total Furnace." Shiller explained.
In fact, even without these pretexts, Shiller, who had colluded with the commander, could directly extract energy from the Total Furnace. However, considering that they needed to continue this practice sustainably, establishing a perfect ghost worker system seemed more convenient.
"So the first part is correct, but what about the second part?" Hal also asked.
"What would you do with these crystals if I were to give them to you directly?" Shiller asked Hal.
"Err, for the advancement of Earth's civilization, I would hand them over to scientists for research. Who knows, they might be used as a new form of energy?"
"That choice cannot be said to be wrong, only that its efficiency is not high." Shiller replied fairly diplomatically. "With the current level of human technological development, leveraging this energy would require some time for research, and understanding the secret of this energy may be even more challenging..."
"And have you considered that research doesn't require much energy? The energy stored in this piece of crystal alone would be sufficient for all the scientists in the human race for several years."
"That's true..." Hal stroked his chin, thinking. Shiller was right. Although the crystal looked small, it contained an incredible amount of energy - enough to fuel an entire local cosmic war. And under Shiller's plan, they were not only eyeing a single crystal. Their aim was to start with a four-digit number, and they wanted it on a regular basis.
"If that's the case, it seems we really should reconsider how to best utilize such a vast amount of green lantern energy."
"I've heard that many interstellar civilizations are quite interested in the identity of the Green Lantern and in green lantern energy?" Shiller looked at Tylon and asked.
"Yes, of course. After all, you know how powerful this energy is. Not to mention, the reputation of the Green Lantern Corps has always been excellent. Becoming a Green Lantern is considered a great honor in many civilizations."
"But, becoming part of the Green Lantern Corps is quite difficult, isn't it?"
Tylenol nodded again, saying, "The use of the Green Lantern Ring has a threshold. If your willpower is not strong enough, it won't matter how outstanding you are in other areas."
Shiller picked up the green crystal on the table again, looking at it and said, "But there is no threshold for using this thing."
Tylenol's eyes widened gradually. He looked at Shiller in shock and said, "You don't plan to resell the green lantern energy, do you?"
"No way!" Tylenol instantly refuted, saying, "This is too dangerous. If people with malicious intentions get hold of this, it could lead to interstellar wars!"
"So we just make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, right?"
"But there is no safety lock on it. Anyone who gets it can use it. What if it's resold?"
"There may not be a safety lock on it now, but it doesn't mean there won't be in the future. An army commander from the Green Lantern Corps and a future director of the Corps' CIA can surely secure this technology, right?"
Tylenol and Hal exchanged glances. Hal said, "Enough suspense, let's hear the specific plan."
"Actually, we're simply doing the same thing as the Guardians of the Universe. Green lantern energy is a gift from nature, but they constructed the Lantern Furnace, made the rings, harnessed the energy thereafter, and established the Green Lantern Corps for their own use."
"The Green Lanterns need to wear their rings, recharge at the Lantern Furnace and use it under the restraint of the safety lock to utilize the green lantern energy."
"We can do the same, find something, add a safety lock to it, infuse the green lantern energy into it, and sell it to civilizations interested in it within the cosmos."
"We can limit the object users with the safety lock. At the same time, we can sign agreements with them stating these crystals are simply borrowed. Once the energy within is exhausted, a fee must be paid for recharging."
"Fees can either be monthly or yearly, with a set monthly rent. No matter if it's used or not, there will be deductions. If payment is not made, the safety lock will lock."
"In addition to the rental cost, there is a subscription fee providing a certain amount of green lantern energy each month, included within the subscription. If further usage is needed after the limit is reached, additional charges will be incurred or extra packages will need to be purchased."
"The subscription will also include certain perks, like Green Lantern Corps security service or transmission service, etc. Of course, to enjoy more advanced benefits, an upgrade is required, increasing the monthly rental fee. We also offer a '120 Membership Level'..."
"Most importantly, each crystal will have a unique code which links to the civilization's credit level within the Green Lantern Corps. The credit level will drop if they lose control of the green lantern energy within their crystals. Similarly, it'll also drop if they don't repay their debt or revamp their subscription."
"Afterwards, we can develop a third-party cosmic credit platform, bringing all civilizations using green lantern energy into a credit system. Those on the blacklist will lose the protection of the interstellar society..."
"The Green Lantern Corps is great, but I prefer the Green Lantern industry. It's time to set industry standards, so why not?"
Tylenol and Hal looked at Shiller. They saw that Shiller wasn't grinning anymore. Instead, his eyes were filled with mockery. They heard Shiller say:
"With all this powerful energy, the Guardians of the Universe have only built a Green Lantern Corps so far. I must admit, they are true lovers of peace."
Neither of them heard any praise in Shiller's tone. Just as Tylenol was about to speak, Shiller added:
"But you don't need to feel sorry for them. They are not doing this because they genuinely want to do something good for the cosmos. They are just too greedy, wanting to have both fame and profit."
"The good reputation of the Green Lantern Corps is just their strategy. They will gradually tighten the noose until the Corps they have created obeys their commands. The Constabulary is just the first step..."
"And we must show them..." Shiller flashed a smile that sent chills down the spines of Tylenol and Hal.
"The duck you've cooked is very tasty. Now it's mine."
Before Tylenol and Hal could comment on this plan, Shiller placed the crystal back in the center of the table, saying:
"Of course, this is a long-term plan. It might take hundreds of years to fully realize it. But neither your civilization nor mine can wait that long."
"We urgently need a leap in quality. Researching this thing is not the best method."
"So, what do you plan to do?" asked Tylenol.
"Now, this thing is here. If you were a leader of a star civilization, would you be interested in it?"
On this subject, Tylenol was very confident. He said, "If you take this thing out, it will really cause a war. I'm not joking. There are too many people in the cosmos coveting green lantern energy. There isn't a civilization that wouldn't want this powerful and convenient power."
"Good, so now, we have encountered some difficulties in the research of this technology. Of course, what the specific difficulties are depends on what technology Earth and your civilization need. Would you be willing to make a reasonable investment in this?"
Hal's eyes widened at Shiller, "Scamming investments?? Isn't that bad?!"
"What do you mean by scam! What scam!" Shiller vociferously protested, "Now, isn't the actual product right in front of you? We've even independently completed most of the development, just missing that last little bit..."
"We strive for innovation in such a challenging environment, against the odds. We wouldn't expose such a precious opportunity to the public if it wasn't for a financial crisis."
Hal had already closed his mouth and stopped talking because Shiller's tone reminded him of some unpleasant industries back on Earth. However, Tylenol was amazed by this thinking, saying:
"That's right, we don't even need to pour such abundant energy into it. We just need to put in a little bit for them to feel it's real. As long as they find out about this technology, they'll undoubtedly try to obtain it by any means necessary..."
"And we have the Green Lantern Corps at our back, so they wouldn't dare rob openly." Shiller chuckled, looking at Hal and said:
"Under such circumstances, it's time for our powerful Ion Lantern to step up."