The Emperor Star, Yuandu, the Yan Family Mansion.
Looking at the suddenly disconnected connection and the unreachable smart screen, Li Wanfang realized that her daughter was in trouble.
She vaguely recalled the sound she had only managed to hear at the beginning when the connection was lost, and a few seconds later she decisively requested a video call with Yan Chen.
Yan Chen had just received news of the energy fleet losing contact, and when he heard Li Wanfang's request, he simply nodded slightly, indicating that he would handle it.
Li Wanfang thought for a moment. If Xi'er's escort fleet was indeed hijacked this time, and the pirate leader was Yan Chen's daughter, then Yan Chen's attitude towards this matter would be hard to predict.
Just in case and to confirm Xi'er's safety, she hung up Yan Chen's video call and then requested a voice call from the other end.
A few seconds later, a lazy female voice came from the other side: "Oh, what happened to the mistress of the Yan family? You still remember me."
"The energy fleet that Xi'er was escorting has been hijacked. It was done by Yan Chaoge's group of space pirates. I don't care what methods you use, I need to ensure Xi'er's safety and... Yan Chaoge cannot be allowed to live." Delay could lead to complications. If it weren't for the special circumstances this time, Li Wanfang would never have used this connection.
The person who heard the news was stunned for a moment. "The Imperial Energy Fleet has been hijacked? I didn't receive this news." After a while, the person replied seriously, "I know. Yan Xi's safety is being confirmed. This matter will soon have a reaction in the military. I will propose to wipe out this force."
The highest level of the military technology research and development department of the military headquarters.
Yan Chen sat at his desk, looking at the latest news on the smart screen and below it, transmitted via an encrypted channel—Chao Ge's words after the emergency listening system was activated on the energy mainship.
They only exchanged a couple of sentences before Yaochen found the signal and cut it off.
But even this little bit of information was enough for Yan Chen to recognize the owner of the voice.
This daughter really didn't inherit his composure at all; she does things in such a dramatic and impulsive way, which was a characteristic she had back then.
Now Yan Chen only hoped to buy himself enough time. He rejected his subordinates' request to send a message to all members of the military. He turned to look at his adjutant who was waiting for instructions. Behind his glasses, his eyes were still as deep and unfathomable as ever, making it impossible for the adjutant to guess his thoughts.
"I will bring this up personally at the meeting, and no one is allowed to mention it."
"Yes, General!" The adjutant received the instruction, saluted, and left the office.
Chapter 67: The Third Evaluation of Subordinates
The Crystalless Empire's energy fleet was raided by an obscure interstellar pirate force!
The news spread like wildfire through the Red Cloud Galaxy, and within a week, the name 'Yin Yang Collection' had spread to every corner of the Red Cloud Galaxy.
The person who caused all this didn't care about the impact he had, and led fourteen energy ships directly towards the center of the wasteland, receiving a small 'surprise' along the way.
"Did I catch something from Yan Xi's subordinates and my eyesight deteriorated too? It just showed that a missile was launched." Chao Ge pulled up the launch record with a bewildered look.
Next to him, Mo Nian was crunching on some kind of candy, and Jiang Ningtao was propping his head up against the window, looking drowsy. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Mo Nian would crush the candy in his mouth, making a sound like teeth breaking right next to his ear, successfully driving away his drowsiness, but it wouldn't last long before he was back.
Finally, as if annoyed, she frowned, and without even opening her eyes, she reached out and snatched the new candy that Mo Nian had just tossed into her mouth. She tapped the side of the cabin wall, threw it into the extended space, and lazily cut off Mo Nian's impending complaint: "You've eaten enough today."
Mo Nian turned to look at Jiang Ningtao with a hint of resentment, just as he felt Chao Ge's gaze, so he had no choice but to turn back to deal with his boss: "I just casually gave those guys a New Year's firework."
Chaoge: "..." You're something else! This is really like something out of space pirates!
While passing by the planet, they didn't forget to take the opportunity to retaliate against the guy who destroyed their air shield and give him a big gift. Why are my subordinates more talented than me at doing bad things?
Chaoge felt he should reflect on his own awareness as the leader.
Sensing her thoughts, Mo Nian twitched her lips not far away. She no longer wanted to discuss with Chao Ge the issue of whether she should be concerned about her subordinate overstepping his authority rather than complaining about such a trivial matter.
Crystalless Empire.
The people of the Empire felt that ever since the war with the P4 Nebula began, it was as if the Empire's fortune had been brutally sucked away by some monster, and now even small space pirates dared to run wild on the Empire's head!
The Yan family was almost in the eye of the storm. Although the empire's high-level information blockade was very timely, the general public did not know that the escort was the eldest daughter of the Yan family, and naturally even less that the leader of the Yin-Yang Group was also from the Yan family. Otherwise, the Yan family's prestige would have been shaken. Even so, the Yan family's power in the military was greatly dealt a blow by the other two families, and it seemed that they had reached the point of decline overnight.
In the royal palace of Yuandu, Qin Muge, having received the news, was stroking a black box with his right hand. A hint of helplessness appeared on his face, but it quickly disappeared, and he returned to his usual nonchalant demeanor.
The barely audible sound of military boots hitting the stall appeared not far away. Qin Muge didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. He stopped touching the box and instead tapped the table with his index finger. The black gloves on his hands had become short, reaching his wrists, and the royal pattern on his little finger added a touch of allure. The gold cufflinks on his white military jacket still gleamed, and the dark blue gloves contrasted sharply with the snow-white uniform.
The person quickly entered the room and stood in front of her desk in an instant. The window behind Qin Muge was directly illuminated by the sunlight from the sky, casting a long shadow of the person standing in front of her on the ground.
"The Yin-Yang Gathering must be eliminated." The cold voice of the man, devoid of much human emotion, rang out, causing the king who heard it to narrow his eyes slightly. The emotions hidden in his deep red eyes became even more profound, and the upturned corners of his beautiful face were the color of a peach tip, with a long, thin strand of peach red that was tempting to the heart—unfortunately, the guy standing in front of him was not affected in the slightest.
"Kaiyang, do you know the recent analysis results of Toxin Zero?" As if she hadn't heard his words, the Queen spoke up about something else.
Zero toxin? When she asked, Min Kaiyang automatically activated the military information search and instantly obtained the latest analysis results: the components of zero toxin are related to the viral structure of the p4 nebula. The most reliable guess at present is that this toxin is a mutated form of the p4 virus.
This news was relayed directly to Qin Muge from the Technology R&D Department. Currently, apart from Qin Muge and Min Kaiyang, it's unlikely that anyone else in the entire empire would know about this.
"You suspect that the Yan family had connections with certain people in the Federation in that incident back then?" Min Kaiyang looked at Qin Muge with his golden eyes and stated his suspicions directly.
Qin Muge deepened his smile, half of his eye was partially hidden by his black hair, while a hint of amusement appeared in his other deep red eyes. He suddenly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Luo Qinghe's death is not simple. You have such a clear understanding of the space pirates' forces, so why haven't you provided any information about Si Zhongqi? This is not your efficiency, Kaiyang."
Min Kaiyang activated his thinking module and quickly grasped Qin Muge's logic—she suspected that the Yan family during the 'royal coup' was related to the P4 Nebula, and it seemed that the person who played an important role in this was most likely the current president of the Juecheng Federation, Si Zhongqi.
Even though he knew Qin Muge was using this to distract him from Yan Chaoge and the AI in her hands, Min Kaiyang still had no choice but to fall into the trap she had set, because it was the only thing he cared about.
His strong facial features made his already expressionless face appear even more cold, and despite the dazzling golden hair and eyes, they seemed to be frozen in place, exuding an intense chill. Then, he noticed the black box beside her and asked with slight confusion, "Energy converter? How did you get it?"
The smile on Qin Muge's face didn't reach her eyes, so her expression was rather flat, and her reply at this moment also had the same tone: "She gave it to me."
Before Min Kaiyang could say anything, Qin Muge suppressed the smile that had spread across her lips, and her deep red eyes lost all warmth. The once stunningly beautiful woman, who was captivating when she smiled, suddenly became as cold as ice when she was expressionless.
“Kaiyang, others may not understand, but you must understand—” Her voice was much colder, and she lowered her voice, making her words sound more like a warning as the tone of her voice dropped at the end: “Yan Chaoge is the only person I have protected in the last hundred years. You should know how important that is.”
The light in her red eyes was no less intense than the sunlight streaming through the window. The sunlight, shining from the side of the throne, accentuated her cold words amidst her black hair and red eyes, further highlighting her arrogance.
Min Kaiyang understood her warning, and he truly understood the meaning behind Qin Muge personally placing the royal insignia on Yan Chaoge. He took a deep look at her current appearance, extended his right hand to his heart, and bowed in a salute: "I will obey Your Majesty's will."
Because of this incident, the attitudes of various parties towards the event were quite ambiguous at the military meeting that afternoon.
Yan Zihe neither expressed support for cracking down on the Yin Yang Clan nor intended to protect Yan Xi. The Yan family members had already received the news, so few spoke up. Yan Chen, who should have said something about this matter the most, abstained from voting from the beginning and did not participate in this matter, which meant that he had no objection to the final outcome for Yan Xi and the Yin Yang Clan.
This was somewhat perplexing to others. Although the Yan family had participated in the crackdown on the Yan family's power, they showed absolutely no intention of protecting Yan Xi, which was already puzzling. Everyone knew how protective the three major families were of their own, so this was highly unusual. Even more unusual was Yan Chen; he showed no intention of protecting either of his daughters. This incident meant that the direct bloodline of the Yan family was completely cut off from political avenues. Had Yan Chen given up even the struggle? This caused the military forces that followed him to waver.
The Ling family was originally the least involved in this matter, but Ling Tianji, who was usually quiet in military meetings and whose family power was also weak, smiled gently and said that he was willing to lead troops to eliminate this rabble that dared to challenge the majesty of the empire.
Ling Tianchu frowned. The Ling family's overall attitude was not to directly intervene in this matter. After all, without understanding the situation of the other two families, it would be too easy for a direct descendant of such a family with a dual identity to be besieged.
Ling Tianquan, who usually doesn't say much at military meetings, received a look from his older brother and leaned back lazily in his chair, indicating that he wanted to meet these audacious cats.
It's better to keep the overall situation in their hands than to let Ling Tianji act recklessly without any sense of reason.
Yang Yuheng, who usually doesn't want to do anything except target the Yan family, is acting very out of character this time. He even seriously stated that the Yin Yang Group is too arrogant and that completely eliminating the Yin Yang Group would serve as a warning to other interstellar pirate groups. He also said that Yan Xi's dereliction of duty was due to the presence of P4 Nebula personnel on the other side, and that perhaps it was time for the AI system to be updated. His words were clearly meant to defend Yan Xi.
However, this act of protecting Yan Xi and criticizing Yan Chaoge should have been done by the Yan family.
Min Kaiyang sat there upright with his arms crossed, and after glancing at Yang Yuheng, he gave his opinion: "The Yin-Yang Group is still insignificant and should not have the audacity to touch the Empire's property. Captain Yan Xi's warship system is an updated system, and it is basically impossible for anyone other than a general of the Juecheng Federation to intrude into the AI. Therefore, this incident should be considered a failure of her escort, and she should be held accountable. The specific punishment should follow military regulations."
As for the truth behind the system being hacked, no one in the empire besides Min Kaiyang and Qin Muge knows. If Yan Xi were to learn that Min Kaiyang was the one who gave her military career a significant boost, one wonders what she would think.
As soon as Min Kaiyang said this, many eyes turned to Qin Muge, who was sitting in the superior position. In many cases, General Min's will represented her decision.
But no one understands why Min Kaiyang, who recently loudly proclaimed his intention to wipe out this pirate group, would change his mind so drastically in such a short time.
It's as if he wasn't the one who said he would destroy the Yin-Yang Group, this hybrid pirate group.
Yan Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Min Kaiyang was most likely acting on Qin Muge's orders. This meant that the most powerful figure in the empire had decided to protect Chaoge. The newly promoted officials might not yet understand the extent of Qin Muge's power, but as the head of one of the three major families, he knew better than anyone that every order issued by the Wujing Empire was the will of the king.
Yan Zihe frowned and gave Qin Muge a deep look. Someone behind her leaned in to say something, but she stopped them with a raised hand.
Ling Tianxuan glared fiercely at Ling Tianji, who was sitting diagonally opposite her, looking indignant with a hint of resentment in her eyes, but she didn't dare to look directly at Qin Muge.
If Qin Muge hadn't promoted Ling Tianji back then, the Ling family would be more united now. But everyone here knows perfectly well that if General Qin hadn't done that, the Ling family would have long since become the sole power controlling the military, instead of the current three-way power struggle.
The newly appointed military personnel, who hadn't yet had time to establish themselves, looked around in bewilderment, finding it extremely difficult to understand why the three major families' stances were completely different from what had been agreed upon. However, no one kind-hearted person was willing to explain the complex relationships involved behind the scenes to them.
No matter how confused everyone present was, the astute General Qin had already seen through everything.
He casually gave the order for this military meeting: "The First Squadron of the Third Fleet is in charge of Yin Yang Ji. Yan Xi will be dealt with according to military law."
Ling Tianji responded softly, "Yes, General." The sound of pearls falling onto a jade plate was extremely pleasant, instantly startling the group of newlyweds who lacked composure.
Yan Chen was the second to agree with her resolution.
The Yan and Ling families seconded the motion. Yang Yuheng, who rarely showed any seriousness, seemed to have only been there for a fleeting moment before leaning back in his chair like a boneless man. Seeing that he was the only one among the generals who had not yet expressed his opinion, he grinned wickedly, his silver tongue ring reflecting a glint of light. His eyes, which were fixed on Qin Muge, held an inscrutable smile as he spoke, his voice trailing off: "Yes, General."
☆ Chapter 68: The Second Evaluation of the Boss
After the royal palace meeting concluded.
The study in the main residence of the Ling family.
Unlike the Yan family, the Ling family's interior design doesn't fully utilize the functions of the AI. Apart from the fact that the room style can be changed at will by people who are extremely fond of AI technology, even the outdoor scenery at night doesn't use the smart projection system, not even the streetlights.
The study is the same—a circular layout with layers of books stacked on top of each other, each one as thick as a brick. The dark bookshelves and dark book covers, even when the room is bright during the day, do not convey any sense of ease. The dominant style here is rustic and somber, just like its owner.
The warm white light of the night emanated from the floor lamps extending from the ground. The man who usually worked here using his smart system seemed unusually tired today, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, as if he didn't even have the strength to take off his frameless glasses.
About half a minute later, the study door opened automatically, and the person who came in saw him at a glance. He raised his eyebrows slightly and walked in this direction without making a sound. Only the indigo coat draped over his shoulders stirred up wisps of air as he walked.
I stood firmly beside him and reached out to take off his glasses, but my hand was stopped halfway.
Ling Tianchu frowned and opened his eyes, just in time to hear a sneer from the person beside him that had an ambiguous meaning. He tilted his head slightly to look at the person and then loosened his grip.
Unexpectedly, the man took advantage of his momentary relaxation and forcefully pressed his hand down behind his head, leaning over and raising an eyebrow at him, as if taking the other man's previous action as a provocation. The sleeve of the indigo military uniform slid down to the legs of the person sitting down.
"Tianquan." The warning voice at the exit was slightly low.
He used a bit of force to hold his hand down, and knew that it was impossible to break free. In terms of individual combat strength, the entire guard was no match for Ling Tianquan, so he simply didn't bother with this futile effort.
He didn't seem to notice anything wrong with their current posture. Seeing that his prey had given up struggling, he lazily said what the other wanted to hear: "You really think that weirdo can reveal anything? Our men have checked, there's nothing special."
Ling Tianchu's eyes showed a hint of understanding. He raised an eyebrow slightly, not surprised by the result. Obtaining clues would be ideal, but they were well aware of Ling Tianji's methods; it was normal that they hadn't revealed any weaknesses.
Otherwise, how could someone who split up the family have the ability to stand in the same position as them?
"In short, the Ling family should keep their actions to a minimum. We should not interfere in anything that involves the two daughters of the Yan family. As for Tianji's plans, we can only wait and see." Ling Tianshu raised his free hand to press his temples, then closed his eyes again, thinking in his mind if there was anything he had overlooked in the recent situation.
The person staring at him clearly wasn't going to let him have his peace. They slapped away his hand that was pressing his temple with their other hand, and their tone was somewhat displeased: "You think about such trivial things every day? Are you planning to die sooner? If I had known you were this useless, I wouldn't have given you the position of family head in the first place."
Ling Tianchu was so angry he almost vomited blood.
Opening his eyes and glaring at the person with the bad temper and difficult to please, Ling Tianchu really wanted to break his bones and grind his teeth. Who asked you to give in?
If the guy in front of him had been willing to take on this mess and deal with the unpredictable Qin Muge every day, handling all sorts of trivial matters in the Ling family, Ling Tianshu would never have been so foolish as to accept this position!
The head of the Ling family felt very aggrieved. He was in the prime of his life, but he felt like he was about to enter old age. And one of the old men who was bothering him was actually angry with him despite his hard work.
So the head of the Ling family also got a little upset. He felt that he didn't want to clean up the messes of these shrewd old men in the short term. Whatever!
Even someone with a usually calm temperament would suddenly walk away, leaving Ling Tianquan standing there stunned for a while before he realized that his older brother was angry. He watched his departing figure while pondering for a long time, and the culprit chuckled, finding Ling Tianshu's behavior rather amusing.