The Lunar New Year celebration this year was particularly grand, largely due to the return of the Eight Maidens. The Village Chief already lived in the same building as us, and with the addition of Zhu Da, Xia Huren, and several of the wives who hadn't returned to their hometowns—since we hadn't held proper wedding ceremonies, they were still technically considered prospective brides—it was quite lively. Those like Su Xue and Ouyang Qing still needed to go home for the holiday, while Xu Chen and Xu Jing’s families were staying with us, so having everyone together made for a festive atmosphere.

Even though the New Year was celebrated grandly, it didn't necessarily mean spirits were high. There were no more issues brewing within the Earth's interior; after several years under Li Qi's governance, the M-Empire had completely submitted to the Federal Government. Now, the problem posed by the U-Star people was what kept us unsettled. Based on the intelligence gathered, the U-Star system was a vast empire, boasting a population of around fifty billion, with the production capacity of a single planet rivaling Earth's. Although our invincible fleet had been completely annihilated, the Skaji Empire might not yet know what transpired here. However, the war on Twin Star couldn't be hidden forever. Once they realized their fleet had been gone for too long without returning, they would undoubtedly dispatch reinforcements.

Whether out of a promise made long ago, personal sentiment, or indeed, for the long-term benefit of Earth, I felt an obligation to protect Twin Star from invasion. Yet, how to defeat the powerful Skaji Empire was a formidable challenge. Judging by sheer population numbers and societal productivity, Earth’s chances of victory were slim.

For several consecutive days, I subjected Simugu to exhausting interrogations. Truthfully, I knew it was futile to extract further intelligence from him, but I intended to deliver a strong warning. This old man had maintained an insolent attitude ever since his capture. I decided to strike at his arrogance first; otherwise, sending him as an envoy to the Skaji Empire might fail to instill any necessary sense of dread.

After the interrogation period, I planned to present him with a demonstration of stellar warfare, featuring our primary weapon against their heavy warships: the Energy Devouring Bomb. As far as we knew, the U-Star people had not yet grasped the secrets behind the Energy Devouring Bomb—this was one of our distinct advantages, and it was crucial that the U-Star people became aware of it. They needed to know that engaging in a fight to the death with Earth, despite their immense wealth and power, might not result in an easy victory.

The Energy Devouring Bomb, strictly speaking, wasn't considered a purely offensive weapon. The Black Hole Bomb, which we had begun researching years prior, possessed true devastating power. Back then, to suppress the nuclear capabilities of other nations, we had developed and deployed miniature Black Hole Bombs, achieving moderate success. The theoretical basis for the Black Hole Bomb originated from Earth's knowledge one million years in the future. Although Xiaohui's database held limited records, we managed to extrapolate and develop the principles significantly using that scant foundation. Coupled with the in-depth research conducted by Long Nü and others over the past few years, creating an effect mimicking a black hole spanning a thousand square kilometers was entirely achievable. However, our true goal was a Black Hole Bomb with an effect radius spanning ten thousand kilometers. Within its range, all matter would be sucked in, even time and light unable to escape. Furthermore, the duration of the black hole could be controlled, mitigating the negative consequences for future interstellar travel posed by deploying such a weapon.

After rigorous verification, I concluded that these two weapons were our ultimate leverage against the U-Star people. Therefore, I needed to show Simugu the maximum destructive potential of these armaments to dispel any notion of confronting Earth. Moreover, I needed him to transmit the terror inspired by these two weapons back to the U-Star system, thereby increasing our bargaining chips in future negotiations. Perhaps after some time, as we develop more allied star systems, working together, that massive U-Star system might cease to be a threat.

Another point I wished to probe from Simugu was the origin of the human genes on Twin Star. Although the U-Star people were considered their progenitors, it was clear from the data extracted from Simugu’s brain that none of the twelve civilized planets in the U-Star system bore any resemblance to Terran humans. If they intended to create life, why not use their own morphology as a template?

Unfortunately, Simugu, being a commander rather than a researcher or a computer, held no records concerning this matter in his mind. Perhaps this secret will be uncovered someday, or perhaps it will remain unknown forever. Based on my analysis of the Twin Star human genome, it differs completely from our current genes but bears some similarity to human genetics from six thousand years ago. It’s not impossible that they are descendants of an ancient Earth civilization, but given the vast passage of time, the true circumstances are obscured. I will revisit this question when the opportunity arises.

Shortly after the second day of the New Year, all the family members had gathered, and thus, the normal routine resumed: applying mental pressure on Simugu, initiating the aid program for Twin Star, and enhancing the destructive capability of the Black Hole Bomb... One task after another unfolded methodically.

I had entirely forgotten the incident at the spicy street stall before the New Year. But that day, Xia Huren came to Li Qi's office to report on his work and happened to find me. The very first words out of his mouth were, "Old Qian, do you still remember Miss Xiaowan?"

I replied, "Of course, didn't we have dinner together before the year ended?"

Xia Huren hesitated slightly. "Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. According to the tradition from previous years, I know Auntie will expect us to celebrate together again. You know, Xiaowan's parents are also gone; she's all alone..."

I smiled. "Tiger, you must have developed genuine feelings this time. I'm truly happy for you. I’ve been so busy these past few days that I completely forgot about you and Xiaowan. Of course, we must invite her over for dinner during the Lantern Festival. After the holiday, why don't we arrange your wedding? Then you two can live together openly. Don't be like me this year, paying respects to my father-in-law only to be scolded until I couldn't hold my head up, especially by Qiqi. She even bore my child, yet I haven't been able to give her a proper title."

Xia Huren laughed in return. "I can't emulate your style, Old Qian. Having Xiaowan is enough for me. I know Commander Zhu and the other are getting quite close to those twin sisters lately. Why don't we invite them for a meal too? It might help them strengthen their bond with the two big lads."

I mused, "That bond is a good thing. If Commander Zhu genuinely has feelings, we should certainly encourage it. I just worry the twin sisters might not agree to come, as everyone hopes to spend the holidays with their parents."

Xia Huren said, "Leave this to me. If they truly don't wish to come, then we'll drop it."

After discussing personal matters, I casually inquired, "What’s the status of that stubborn mule, Simugu?"

Xia Huren was the primary supervisor of the interrogation plan. He replied, "We've tormented him enough these past few days; he’s lost weight. He sleeps poorly and is under immense mental stress, often screaming in his sleep at night. I don't think he can hold out much longer."

"That's good. After the holiday, we'll stage another performance for him. It’ll coincide perfectly with testing the power of our new Black Hole Bomb. We'll bring him along—a mixture of truth and illusion to truly frighten him."

Xia Huren looked worried. "Old Qian, do you think we truly have a chance against the U-Star people?"

I replied, "Tiger, even if we aren't certain, we have no choice but to proceed. I know how ruthless the U-Star people are. If we want to negotiate peace, we must possess leverage; otherwise, those brutes won't even pay us any mind."

Xia Huren sighed. "That’s right. There will never be a truly peaceful day in this world. Whoever holds the greater power dictates the peace. As long as human desires cannot be eliminated, the universe will never know tranquility."

I countered, "When I was on Twin Star, the Dual Citizens were a group with very few desires, but what did that matter? They nearly suffered total annihilation in the end. External forces played a role, as did internal ones. This notion of having 'no desires' is merely a matter of timing. Therefore, true peace does not exist in this world."

Xia Huren left to carry out his tasks. I sat bored in Li Qi’s private lounge, watching television for a while. I laid out the general theoretical framework for the Black Hole Bomb; the actual development was currently being handled by Long Nü, Little Raindrop, and Xiaohui. Meanwhile, Yi Xiaorou, Zhao Fen, and Zhao Fang were focused on improving the defensive capabilities of our warships. Ship safety is paramount during stellar combat; space is not land, and a damaged warship means a total loss of fighting capability. In addition to reinforcing the armor material of the frigates, preparations were underway to install energy shields on all of them.

Although heavy warships possess immense firepower, their maneuverability always lags behind the frigates. Therefore, even if our production capacity increased, we couldn't abandon the manufacturing of frigates; their ratio in the fleet must remain higher than that of heavy warships to enhance the overall maneuverability of our forces during combat. Equipping them with energy shields would surely prove highly effective when engaging the enemy’s heavy battleships.

Li Qi had no time for me, but He Yuqing, serving as her secretary and assistant, did manage to spare a moment to accompany me. She gently placed a cup of hot tea on my desk. "Husband, are you feeling bored? You get another day off tomorrow, and then the sisters will keep you company."

I shrugged. "I’m used to being bored; I don't feel anything is amiss. Wife, shouldn't we be attending to some serious business now?"

He Yuqing looked puzzled. "Our serious business? What do you mean?"

I stated, "Getting into bed. Do I really need to remind you? You are my twenty-fifth wife in the truest sense."

He Yuqing’s face flushed. She certainly knew how long we had been intimate, yet she remained technically untouched. However, given our current relationship status, she showed little shyness, instead sitting down squarely on my lap. "Husband, I don't like the number twenty-five. Let me wait a little longer. Aren't there still the twin sisters, Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui?"

"They are still young," I replied. "I want to wait. As the former Chairman of the Federation, I have a responsibility to protect underage girls."

He Yuqing pursed her lips and chuckled. "Then Linglong isn't young anymore, yet you didn't hesitate to take her, did you?"

I argued, "The circumstances were different. That was on Twin Star, where tradition prevailed. At her age there, she could already be having children. Now that we are back on Earth, we must adhere to local customs."

He Yuqing countered, "Earth doesn't seem to permit polygamy, does it? What are you planning to do then? Continue like this, perpetually in an undefined relationship?"