Time slipped by like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, defeating the U-Stars felt like half a year ago. Although they hadn't reappeared during this period, I knew clearly that half a year was nothing in the grand expanse of the universe. Perhaps they had returned to their home planet, perhaps a new invasion fleet was en route, or maybe they were still on their way back—in any case, they wouldn't simply abandon Gemini. My earlier assertion that they'd resort to mining elsewhere if thwarted was merely meant to comfort the women.

Although the new radiation-proof spacecraft were long complete, capable of piercing the atmosphere without the risk of loss of control, we still hadn't attempted a wormhole transit for various reasons. This was partly due to the reluctance felt by Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui, but also due to a subtle, shared apprehension among us all. If navigating the wormhole only required radiation shielding, I was certain the Dragon Girl and Little Raindrop would have found us by now. It has been nearly two years since the Eight Women vanished through the wormhole. That is long enough for Little Raindrop and the others to have discovered a great deal. The only reason they haven't appeared now is surely because the wormhole holds secrets beyond mere radiation.

I attempted to send an intelligent robot piloting an experimental vessel through the wormhole, but none returned according to the planned trajectory. This made us even more hesitant about traversing the wormhole, leaving us watching the days tick by in mounting anxiety. He Yuqing and Hua Qingqing were easier to manage, as they could remain with me daily. But my other wives, and even my son—I didn't even know his name yet—I...

"Brother Zhao, thinking about our son again?" A pair of small hands encircled my waist from behind. Smelling the familiar scent, I knew it was Xu Chen without even looking; her memory had fully recovered.

"Yes, Chenchen. I truly regret not giving him a name back on Earth. What name do you think Qiqi would have chosen for him?" To better observe the cosmos and enjoy the view, we had constructed a massive fiberglass shield on Moon Base One, allowing people to move freely on the surface within its protection, provided they didn't venture outside the enclosure. We also erected a 'Longing Pavilion' on a small hundred-meter hill, and whenever I had time, I would stand there gazing toward the far side of the wormhole.

Xu Chen pressed her face against my back, gently rubbing it. "Brother Zhao, I really wish I could have a baby for you too. Then you wouldn't miss home so much."

I turned and embraced her, capturing her lips and murmuring indistinctly, "Alright then, let's get to work now."

Xu Chen hastily pushed me away, biting her lip. "There are many people watching here, Brother Zhao. They'll laugh at us. Actually, I came to tell you that production on the Mako light frigate is starting; everyone is waiting for you to cut the ribbon."

I laughed, "What's so special about cutting a ribbon? It's just the lightest class of warship. Compared to the U-Stars' massive carriers, our technology is still far behind."

Xu Chen said seriously, "But this is huge progress compared to our previous technology! If you hadn't deciphered the U-Stars' language in just one month, we still wouldn't be able to utilize their production lines or activate those intelligent robots. Brother Zhao, I truly admire you."

I stroked Xu Chen's smooth chin. "Are you planning on offering yourself in marriage?"

Xu Chen gently pulled my hand away. "Not serious at all! I'm already your wife. Come on, hurry up. They said if they sent me to call you, I wouldn't cause trouble, so don't let them make fun of me."

The production workshop in the Moon Base Two underground facility was buzzing. Not only were the Emperors and chief ministers of the Fishmen Kingdom and the Dwarven Kingdom present, but the Emperors of the Twin Cities, the Ten Thousand Horse Nation, and the Jin Nation were also honored guests for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In truth, the Falcon light scout ship had been in service for several months, but producing the light Mako-class fighter caused us many difficulties, delaying the first batch of ten ships until now, half a year later. However, once the practical performance of this batch is approved, the second batch will increase production to five hundred vessels. Moreover, with the integration of intelligent production robots, manufacturing time will be significantly reduced. While we still can't achieve the hundreds per day seen on Earth, a monthly output of a thousand ships is certainly achievable.

The production intelligent robots were created by modifying a large number of robots found in the U-Stars' base warehouses. Their original intelligence chips were already very advanced; I only needed to slightly alter the intelligence program Little Raindrop brought back from ten million years in the future. Overall, however, their performance still lags behind Earth's intelligent production robots, but compared to manual production, the difference is still night and day.

My arrival was met with enthusiastic welcomes. Even those like the Fishmen King, who had to wear specialized spacesuits filled with seawater (designed to help them adapt to this environment), clapped their hands furiously. It is no exaggeration to say that although I am not their Emperor, they revere me even more than their own rulers. I led them out of Gemini and into space; without me, they might truly have been annihilated by the U-Stars. My status, therefore, is considerable.

Without preamble, I cut the ribbon for the massive warship, following Earth customs. Then, of course, I gave a rousing speech. "Comrades, we have finally passed through the harsh winter and welcomed the bright spring. With the successive production of our fleet, I believe that even if the U-Stars return, we will not fear them. This is the result of everyone uniting and fighting together. I hope that in the future, we can continue to uphold this fine tradition. We must set our sights on building large carriers, competing with the U-Stars!"

"Energy crystals are the resource of our Gemini people; we absolutely will not allow those bandits to repeatedly raid and plunder us! To resist them, we must build more advanced weaponry. Thus, the road ahead is long—as the saying goes, the revolution is not yet complete, and comrades must still strive!"

In reality, few understood the essence of my simple talk, but everyone was nevertheless fired up and full of drive. The next items on the agenda were speeches from representatives of each nation, followed by live-fire testing of the Mako-class light frigates—first, to showcase our strength, and second, to identify any shortcomings in this class of vessel.

Since the successful production of radiation-proof materials, passing through the atmosphere is no longer a major hurdle. The problem is that I cannot replicate anti-gravity devices here, so every transit consumes a portion of the energy crystals. Fortunately, Gemini is not short of energy crystals; the Dwarven Nation's primary current mission is mining. Under my guidance, their mining machinery and automation have vastly improved, causing output to skyrocket.

Besides energy crystals, the Dwarven Nation mines iron ore, copper ore, and other minerals absent on the surface. Initially, steel and other materials for Moon Base Two had to be transported from Gemini. Later, we discovered that the asteroid belt outside Gemini was rich in iron ore—a treasure trove inexhaustible. Thus, we constructed advanced smelting furnaces on Moon Base Two to mine and refine iron ore on-site for our steel needs.

The Fishmen Nation is responsible for continental security and also handles ocean development. However, I no longer oversee these matters, nor do I interfere much with Ma Xiaoda's agricultural production. The emperor who once desperately wanted to become the Great Martial Emperor, expanding his territory through conquest, is now constantly engrossed in games, forcing Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui to stay by his side to supervise. Children will always be children; I shouldn't have written those game programs for him in retrospect.

Everyone sat under the fiberglass shield, sipping tea and nibbling on pastries while watching the ten Mako-class light frigates conduct various tactical experiments in space. Due to their relatively low tonnage, the Mako-class is classified only as a light warship. I based its design on the production blueprints Xiaoyudi and the Dragon Girl brought back; I imagine they are capable now of producing medium-sized or even larger warships, whereas the production line on Moon Base Two can currently only manage light vessels.

This light warship lacks an energy shield, and its Mako-class protective armor is not particularly thick. However, its reaction speed is excellent for close-quarters space combat. Its armament consists of two automated turret cannons and one small laser cannon, the latter having a fifty-centimeter aperture. Compared to previous laser technology, this is mid-to-high grade, but laser technology has advanced significantly, rendering a fifty-centimeter bore unremarkable now. The two automatic turrets are equipped with standard energy warheads, whose power has been greatly enhanced by improvements in detonation technology; one is enough to destroy an enemy vessel of comparable size.

I intend for the Mako-class light frigate to serve as the main attacker, specifically engaging U-Star fighters and small warships. Furthermore, the next step is to produce the Tiger Shark light frigate, characterized by thick armor and high durability, designed to serve as escorts and to defend Moon Bases One and Two. Both light warship classes will carry identical weaponry.

Also already scheduled for production is the Beluga light bomber. Its role is to deploy larger and more powerful energy bombs, capable of bombing enemy bases or even carriers. It will also be tasked with laying space mines. According to the original design, mine-layers were a subclass of light escort vessels, but our current capabilities only suffice for light warships; we likely won't possess the capacity to build escort-grade vessels for another six months.

"Brother-in-law, these warships are amazing. I think you should pull some strings and let me pilot one too," Ma Xiaoda said to me while eating a delicate little pastry.

I drew my gaze away from space. "Fine. If your two older sisters agree, I have no objection."

Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui were seated on Ma Xiaoda's other side. Ma Xiaoda asked cautiously, "Senior Sisters, you know I’ve played enough Need for Speed lately. How about letting me switch it up?"

Ma Xiaorui looked at him with disappointment. "Ma Xiaoda! Can't you two—my Fifteenth Sister and I—ever feel secure about you? If we both go back to Earth with Brother-in-law, are you planning a coup? Play, play, play, all day long! You are to remove the computer from your room immediately! Otherwise, if you have any problems in the future, don't come looking for me or Fifteenth Sister."

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