Throughout the long flight, Fang Senyan hadn't been idle, instead taking the opportunity to bring up related matters, such as the controls for operating large Imperial starships, or necessary precautions for long-range voyages.

The lieutenant, clearly recognizing Fang Senyan as an honored guest and having heard tales of their intrusion into the planet Eplos in a Wasp-class skimmer, answered every question without hesitation.

Fang Senyan's inquiries were pointedly strategic. Before departing, he had learned from the Space that areas where the primary plane overlapped with subsidiary planes often experienced violent spacetime rifts... which meant astonishing accelerations and the need for frantic maneuvering skills. Given the current physical capabilities of Imperial pilots, even navigating the asteroid belt outside Eplos would be extremely challenging, let alone evading spacetime ruptures? This implied Fang Senyan would have to make the journey alone, piloting the craft himself.

Fang Senyan then inquired about the current state of Eplos, curious about any reaction the K'tharr would have regarding the death of their Arbitrator. The result was silence. This was because their combat had been recorded, and records similar to a black box had successfully transmitted back to the K'tharr homeworld.

The proud K'tharr reasoned that since the Arbitrator had fought to his full strength in close combat and died honorably, it had been a fair fight. As long as the death didn't result from something like being vaporized by a single particle beam, or being killed by a mine before even engaging, there was nothing to discuss.

As for the Arbitrator facing Fang Senyan and his companions alone, the K'tharr viewed this as entirely proper. Their warriors were expected to be that powerful; it would be abnormal if several Arbitrators were needed to fight one adversary. Thus, having died an honorable death, he had achieved his ultimate desire, leaving nothing further to say, and certainly no grounds for vengeance.

Next, Fang Senyan arrived again at Alps-7 Base. Compared to before, the base had become vastly more prosperous and immense. New sub-bases were visibly under construction adjacent to the old facility, being integrated into the existing structure. It looked like scattered foam in water constantly coalescing into a larger mass.

Since space bases were constructed in vacuum without resistance, they were built like interlocking building blocks, with numerous pre-designed interfaces allowing for arbitrary assembly and expansion, facilitating infinite scalability utilizing the vastness of space.

This also indicated another crucial matter: the Empire had evidently made a firm decision to develop Eplos at any cost.

Upon landing, Fang Senyan did not receive any extra discriminatory treatment this time, perhaps due to Archer’s increased authority or the awe inspired by his Commodore uniform. Nevertheless, the required, tedious immune screening was carried out as routine procedure. Fang Senyan didn't mind much, only finding the disinfectant sprayed on him utterly nauseating. He couldn't help but wonder: even with technology advanced by hundreds or thousands of years, why did disinfectant still smell the same? Couldn't they improve it to smell nicer?

At this moment, he recalled the parting gift promised so earnestly by that fellow, Gold Mine. Thinking of it brought a wry smile to Fang Senyan's face. He searched high and low but found no gift whatsoever. Finally, Fang Senyan discovered a messy inscription at the doorway, the content of which made him want to laugh and cry simultaneously...

"Ah, well, I seem to have forgotten one thing—I lost the gift I set aside for you. Okay, okay, I'll make it up next time... Forget it, take this instead."

Indeed, this stingy nature was perfectly consistent with Gold Mine's shifty personality. If he had given a generous gift, would he still be the great Gold Mine? Yet, Fang Senyan ultimately received the memento Gold Mine reluctantly parted with:

A small, ragged piece of plasticized burlap.

When Fang Senyan got his hands on the scrap, he pondered its origin for a long time, not daring to sniff it—it was entirely possible it had been ripped off Gold Mine's sock.

Then, he suddenly recalled one of Gold Mine's major habits: wherever it appeared, much like ladies carrying Louis Vuitton or Hermès handbags when going out, it would also carry a black, tattered sack for pig feed.

Clearly, this scrap was once part of that dilapidated pig feed sack, as the character 'Feed' (Sì) was still clearly visible on the ragged plastic cloth piece Fang Senyan held...

Though the gift was light—incredibly light!—the sentiment was heavy. Fang Senyan sighed and carefully put it away. Gold Mine certainly possessed a unique individuality; the gift left behind was indeed an extraordinary keepsake. Seeing it would immediately and distinctly remind him of the giver, ensuring he'd never mistake or forget it.

After the inspection, Fang Senyan officially entered the colossal space base. If it previously accommodated two hundred thousand people, it had now swelled to hold at least five hundred thousand. Observing the dense cluster of ongoing construction projects surrounding the base, it was clear that expansion to accommodate a million people was entirely feasible.

The lieutenant assigned to receive him made a call, politely asking him to wait, explaining that a high-ranking dignitary had unexpectedly arrived for an inspection, leaving both Archer and Vice Admiral Mongo tied up. Fang Senyan was asked to wait patiently for about three hours.

Naturally, Fang Senyan had no intention of staying put as instructed... even though that location offered ample reasons to remain—wine, fine food, and beautiful long-legged women. One must not forget that Fang Senyan had a perfect guide for this journey: his servant, Old Charlie.

Frankly, Fang Senyan had always been intensely curious about the people ruled by the Empire, and this was undeniably the perfect opportunity.

He firmly believed that the most interesting aspects of any place—including cuisine, art, scenery, customs, and local flavor—could never be experienced in lofty, luxurious restaurants and hotels. Instead, one must immerse oneself in the daily lives of the majority of the local populace. Even if this meant enduring minor hardships related to the environment or hygiene, it was entirely worthwhile... much like savoring the exquisite taste of squid ink pasta requires accepting the price of stained teeth.

The streets of Alps-7 Base were even more bustling now, suggesting a far greater influx of people, reminiscent of the mass migration during the American Gold Rush.

The element Xylium was evidently the primary driver behind this massive tide of immigration.

More critically, the planet Eplos possessed peculiar magnetic fields, terrifying behemoths, and deadly, unseen flora. Establishing fully automated mining operations would likely be exceedingly difficult. With the K'tharr present, the Empire’s development of Eplos would necessarily follow a predatory extraction model, rather than any path of sustainable development.

Therefore, even if Eplos were successfully exploited, the demand for human resources—such as pilots for various heavy machinery, along with maintenance and transport crews—would remain high. The population expansion of Alps-7 Base was clearly a form of indirect preparation for this.

Fang Senyan pondered for a moment, then said to Old Charlie:

"Let's go."

Old Charlie had kept his eyes half-closed, exhibiting a subtle sense of homesickness and perhaps trepidation upon nearing familiar ground. A strong aura of world-weariness radiated from him. Hearing Fang Senyan's address, Old Charlie replied in a raspy voice:

"Where shall we go, Master?"

Fang Senyan smiled:

"We have two or three hours to spare. Perhaps we can visit somewhere you are familiar with, and grab a bite to eat? I myself rose from the lower rungs of society, so I am more interested in the lives of commoners thousands of years from now."

Old Charlie stated calmly:

"If you insist, Master, I shall lead the way. However, perhaps my appearance might cause you some trouble."

Fang Senyan narrowed his eyes. He knew Old Charlie was a man with a history, and that history was surely no trivial matter, possibly entangled with internal Imperial affairs.

But Fang Senyan was not one to shy away from trouble. Since Old Charlie became his servant, he had effectively severed all ties with the Empire. In other words, behind them now stood the Nightmare Space, an entity capable of potentially confronting the entire Empire as an equal. Moreover, the local overlord of Alps-7 Base had maintained a cooperative relationship with him. With all these factors combined, did Fang Senyan have any reason for hesitation?

Of course, there was a deeper reason for Fang Senyan: the desire to secure Old Charlie's loyalty. This was an exceedingly shrewd and capable old fox who had gambled his life to earn Fang Senyan's specific attention. For such a servant, even if Old Charlie himself didn't mention it, Fang Senyan felt it necessary to pay a price and alleviate his potential worries.

Thus, led by Old Charlie, the two headed north. Just as many cities on Earth are divided into affluent and impoverished districts, the northern sector of Alps-7 Base served as the slums.

Damn it, I actually fell asleep with my face on the desk, drooling all over the keyboard... my beloved keyboard! It seems a few keys aren't working anymore. RQ