Decades have passed, and Sister Ma has grown tremendously in terms of combat skills, but when it comes to using her brain, she remains as consistent as ever, true to her original self, still the big-hearted, straightforward warrior she once was.
Ren Zhong was startled by her suggestion.
Unexpectedly, Ma Xiaolingâs proposal struck a chord with many of the pro-war faction, who felt that it made sense and saw it as a rare opportunity for someone to make a name for themselves.
Ren Zhong quickly cleared his throat to draw everyoneâs attention back, then started to pull them back, "No, this is too reckless. The Augustus family has been operating in the South Nine Star for years, with ties to various forces within the entire star cluster, and has the explicit support of Liu An. In terms of biotechnology, they have a unique advantage, and their military strength is not something a wandering, unsupported fourth-class Mother Empress can compare to. If we act rashly, weâll actually be giving the other side a legitimate reason to retaliate. While I personally am safe, the death and injury among you and other fleet members, who are all Empire civilians, could be unimaginably severe, and thereâs a significant risk of defeat."
Living through these times is different now; Ren Zhong once relied on the power of resurrection reset to trial and error, creating and executing various tactics with low losses and high returns.
Now, without resurrection, although he has foresight, he doesnât dare to recklessly gamble with the lives of those under his command for mere trial and error.
Itâs not worthwhile, nor does it hold much meaning; itâs better to lay low and strike when the opportunity is right.
"Forget it, I donât believe that Sosgate can do anything to me. Even if this is a Hongmen Banquet, I can still have a look. While Iâm out, carry on with the original plan, continue strengthening exploration, and prepare for landing. Qingmeng, you and Huo Donghua get ready to handle Source Starâs commercial operations."
Ren Zhong made his decision, and naturally, the others couldnât say much more.
Ren Zhong boarded an improved shuttle ship, planning to take only a small team and quickly head to South Nine b Star, leaving the fleet behind.
Before departing, he briefly reviewed the situation of the Augustus family within the fleet.
At one time, Ren Zhong had aggressively targeted the misdeeds of some in the Augustus family on Source Star, causing them heavy casualties. Currently, only a few hundred people in the fleet bear this surname, and most of them are quite ordinary.
Itâs no surprise, as few people can strive to improve in a life filled with perpetual fear.
Although Ren Zhong had clearly promised that as long as they committed no wrong, they wouldnât be implicated. In his rule, there was no customary punishment by association or extermination of entire families.
However, words aside, these formerly vested interest families of Source Star civilization were accustomed to their own way of doing things.
Their ancestors lied, stole, robbed, slaughtered, treated people as expendables. In their minds, there was only one mode of ruling a civilization, which everyone follows. They canât trust Ren Zhongâs promise and scare themselves instead.
Inside the shuttle ship, Ren Zhong instructed Ju Qingmeng, "After I leave, within no more than six hours, a delegation from the nine families will come to the fleet, according to Empire law, to invite fleet personnel for recruitment."
Ju Qingmeng, having already discussed with Xiao Xingyue and researched the Empire law herself, knew this would happen but didnât expect it to come so soon. She was stunned, "By then, you wouldnât be back, right? Should I block them first?"
Ren Zhong shook his head, "Of course, I wouldnât be back. Currently, within the whole Nanxiang Star Cluster, apart from Liu An, I hold the highest rank. If Iâm in the fleet, they canât maneuver freely. Theyâre taking advantage of this time gap. You need not block them; you canât block them anyway. Just let them in; they canât take much, of course. You should show yourself outraged and bullied on the surface, so it will be easier for me to make a move later."
Ju Qingmeng nodded, indicating she understood.
Just as she was about to disconnect, Ren Zhong quickly added, reminding Ju Qingmeng to hold Ma Xiaoling in check at that time. With Sister Maâs temperament, if truly provoked, she could very well explode in violence.
After making all the arrangements, Ren Zhong confidently set sail straight for South Nine b.
As he had anticipated, five and a half hours later, a medium-sized shuttle-shaped spaceship, bearing an ultra-modern design, approached the traveling Source Star Fleet. Without prior notification, it reached near the Tracker Spaceship and opened its landing doors from the outside, drifting inside.
The leader of this spaceship was Grue Augustus, the second son of Sosgate Augustus, accompanied by other members from eight different viscount families on board.