The words from Hua Qingqing stunned me. Given the rapid advancement of our technology, Earth's species gene bank was already quite comprehensive; to a certain extent, no unknown genetic species should exist. However, Hua Qingqing was never one for idle chatter, so if she said this, it must be true.

I asked, perplexed, "How could that be? We even have human genes dating back six thousand years. How could we lack the genetic data for this mutated individual?"

Hua Qingqing shrugged, "How should I know? You always manage to run into strange things. His genetic sequencing is different from any species on Earth. To be bold, I suspect he’s an alien—and definitely not from the Gemini system, nor Planet U."

Alien? I couldn't agree with that. There seemed to be too many aliens lately. But thinking about how An Jie and An Ming were both Federation officials who likely interacted with high-ranking Federation brass, and considering many of my wives worked within the Federation government, allowing this unknown danger to linger was not a good thing. I stated, "Investigate this thoroughly. This matter must be brought to light. An Ming works at the Federation Tourism Bureau and wants to invite Liu Xue to the Gemini system for a trip. Meanwhile, his brother An Jie is persistently pestering Li Qi. If there's a conspiracy brewing, the trouble will be immense."

Hua Qingqing replied, "Then send someone to retrieve DNA samples from An Jie and his family. Only by tracing the entire direct bloodline of their family can we further confirm the findings. Certain genetic anomalies might fall outside our predicted scope; perhaps An Ming is just an exception, and the alien talk was just my wild guess."

I couldn't even think about sleeping until this issue was resolved. I went out to gather Xia Huren and Zhu Da to figure out how to obtain the DNA samples, while simultaneously running a detailed background check on the An family. An Ming had already mutated once in front of me, and judging by his actions, his strength was considerable. If his family members shared this mutation, their power should not be underestimated. Sending ordinary people to discreetly collect DNA samples would be difficult.

Ultimately, Xia Huren took on the task. Although Zhu Da was keen to get involved—everyone was too idle, and the boredom of having nothing to do was something few could bear—I rejected him, considering his overweight physique made him too noticeable.

Zhu Da grumbled sullenly, "Commander Zhao, you have to assign me something to do, or I'll die of boredom. It was much livelier back when we ran the Iron Bull Tofu Company. Even switching to running the Brotherhood Alliance later would be more fun than this."

I countered, "Aren't you dating right now? How can someone in love be depressed?"

Zhu Da chuckled, "That’s true, but for a man who has already tasted the fruit of love, he should pursue some career development alongside romance. Otherwise, I fear Bai Jie will look down on me."

I asked, "Commander Zhu, have you two already made things official? You didn't forcefully take advantage of Xiao Ba, did you?"

"Pah!" Zhu Da shot me a look. "Do you think I have no charm, Commander Zhao? She threw herself at me! We’ve already merged like fish and water and are discussing marriage. By the way, Bai Jie and her sister want to invite you and Li Qi and the others out for dinner."

I hadn't expected Zhu Da’s romance to progress so quickly. Judging by his tone, he wasn't joking. Haha, I was genuinely happy that everyone seemed to be settling down. "Invite us to dinner? When you two have time, go warm your own nest; why drag us into it?"

Zhu Da sat up straight and told me seriously, "Commander Zhao, to tell you the truth, Cai Baozi and I have been completely honest with the Bai sisters. They know you are the former Federation Chairman, and they insist on formally inviting you again—and that includes all your wives."

I knew it wouldn't take long for Zhu Da and Cai Baozi to reveal the truth. Given their intelligence, discerning the Bai sisters' true intentions should have been easy. Since they dared to be upfront, they must have complete faith in them. I didn't immediately agree to Zhu Da's request, but turned to Xia Huren, "Tiger, tell me about your situation. Does Xiao Wan know your true identity?"

Xia Huren nodded. "I felt the time was right. I confessed to her not long ago. Fortunately, she wasn't angry, nor did she show excessive joy."

"That's good," I said. "It means she likes you as a person, not your status."

Xia Huren's face beamed with happiness at my words. "Yes, it’s my fortune to know Xiao Wan. I must thank the Village Chief properly. But it’s not Xiao Wan who’s acting strangely; it's her classmate, Xiao Ru, who contacts me daily."

Zhu Da and I exchanged a look of surprise. "Tiger, you can't possibly be making advances on your comrade's classmate!"

Xia Huren quickly defended himself, "What are you thinking? Xiao Ru only contacts me because she wants me to arrange another meeting so she can see you all again. She regrets not having a proper chance to converse with famous figures like you that day."

I said, "If that's the case, let's find a time for everyone to gather again. But this gathering needs to be grand and formal."

Zhu Da and Xia Huren looked confused. "Grand? How grand? Just you, Li Qi, Xu Jing, and the others should suffice. They just want to see you all."

I explained, "Cai Baozi isn't here, so Zhu Da, you'll be responsible for passing the message to him. By 'grand,' I mean all our friends should attend—including my parents, Cai Baozi’s parents, and the Bai parents."

Zhu Da grimaced. "Why invite so many people? That's a bit too formal, isn't it?"

I continued, "You are all getting on in years. Even if you aren't getting married yet, settling the engagement should be achievable. Don't follow my example, forcing those wives to follow me in an ambiguous status—it makes me uncomfortable too. But Li Qi and many others have special statuses, preventing them from breaking Federation rules, so this matter has been perpetually shelved. You, however, are wholeheartedly dedicated to just one girl, and you mentioned being ready to marry. Therefore, I believe we should formalize your engagements."

Xia Huren actually became shy, like a woman—the first time I’d ever seen him act that way. He said, "Lao Qian, I actually wanted to discuss this with you for a long time. Since you brought it up today, I’ll submit to the organization’s arrangements."

Zhu Da chimed in, "I also obey the leadership's command, and I promise you, Cai Baozi will only be delighted and won't have a single objection. He was even discussing with me recently about approaching his mother about this matter. You know Elder Cai is very strict about his daughters-in-law, and the Bai family are mere vendors; Cai Baozi worries his parents won't agree."

I assured him, "That's nothing. If necessary, I can have Li Qi officially recognize Bai Jie and Bai Bing as sworn sisters. That status should certainly suffice for the Cai family, right?"

Just as we were discussing this, Li Qi, Yi Xiaorou, Fang Yanmeng, and Xiao Chuchu walked into the living room. "What are you all discussing?"

Their arrival was perfectly timed. I explained the plan for the three brothers' engagement ceremonies to the women. Li Qi exclaimed happily, "This is wonderful news! Sisters, even though we can't marry our husbands openly right now, seeing them complete this major life event makes us incredibly happy. Let us handle the arrangements; we promise not to disappoint you."

Zhu Da was equally excited. "Great! Cai Baozi will be ecstatic when he hears Qi Qi is helping organize our engagement ceremony. It also gives face to Elder Cai. But Qi Qi and the others don't need to rush things. Once we sort out Earth affairs, we’re all moving to the Gemini system. Then we’ll organize your weddings there, haha, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."

The women were naturally thrilled. Being able to marry openly was everyone's dream, but on Earth, given their current special statuses, it was impossible. However, once they moved to the Gemini system, Earthlings wouldn't be able to gossip. Even if some of the women's parents objected, the resistance wouldn't be as strong given their current standing.

After finalizing the discussion about the engagement ceremonies for the three brothers, Xia Huren took his leave. "Lao Qian, I'm going to figure out how to get the An family's DNA samples. I'll get them to you by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

Zhu Da also stood up. "It's getting late; I won't disturb your loving exchange. I'm heading out too."

Li Qi asked me, confused, "What's going on? The An family? Which An family?"

I recounted to Li Qi and the others the unexpected sight of An Ming transforming earlier that evening, and I also shared Hua Qingqing's test results from just now. Yi Xiaorou was the first to speak, "The DNA samples of Federation officials are definitely logged in the database. If Qingqing couldn't find a match for An Ming in our gene bank, it only means the An family tampered with their records when we established the database sampling."

Li Qi added, "It's entirely possible for a family with the An family's power to falsify records. Many subordinates are still intimidated by them, and since my father has excellent relations with their family, many people give them deference. But why would they need to do this? The Federation high command is aware of superpowered individuals, and the Federation government adopts a protective and confidential attitude toward them. They shouldn't have needed to evade the gene bank sampling."

I concluded, "Who knows what they are up to? We’ll reach a final conclusion once we retrieve their actual DNA samples and Qingqing researches them thoroughly. What about the selection of your successors? Frankly, I really want to relocate to the Gemini system soon because I feel I’ve made you all suffer too much, hiding from the world like thieves every day. I am truly sorry."

Fang Yanmeng sat beside me. "Brother Zhao Qian, we’re used to it. We’ve been discussing this matter these past few days. Sister Qi Qi mentioned that in a while, some directives regarding enhanced communication and cooperation with the Gemini system will be issued. At that time, the Gemini system and Earth will become one family. Then, we can transfer all our household registrations to the Gemini system, and everyone can get married there, while still working on Earth. That way, neither love nor career will be neglected."

Li Qi confirmed, "Yes, we've selected a portion of potential successors for the Federation, but they aren't up to the task. If we truly handed the management of Federation affairs over to them, Earth would likely descend back into chaos quickly. We sisters had no choice but to research this alternative approach."