Yang Ying returned to the Julis Calendar's core district for the final purge; every name that had been on the list among the Zong Xian and Gan Mu Li factions was now removed.

After recalling his Ghost Agents from the core zone, Yang Ying evacuated the Fortress.

Soon, the news that the Julis Calendar Fortress had been breached by a mysterious force spread like wildfire across the globe. The fact that the head of the Caesar family and the entire Elder Council had been annihilated plunged the entire world into a state of panic.

Just as Gaius had predicted, the major stock markets plummeted across the board, as if a new round of economic crisis was sweeping the world.

After an entire night of emergency discussions, the Earth United Government presented a resolution the next day: they decided to invest a massive sum to support the Caesar Group. After all, this was a time when the Earth Forces were recovering their strength; troops rotated back from the front lines needed rest, new forces needed to be established in the rear, and there was a constant demand for ample supplies for conscription, training, equipment repair, and replenishment—without the Caesar Group, the efficiency of this entire process would inevitably drop by more than twenty percent.

Fortunately, the Ancient Legion, after suffering a major loss, also seemed to require time to consolidate control over Jupiter and Saturn. The Apes contracted their forces, appearing ready to divide the territory with the Terrans, using the Asteroid Belt as the demarcation line.

The major intelligence agencies within the Earth Government and the military racked their brains trying to locate the force that had breached the Julis Calendar Fortress, but after exhaustive searching, they found absolutely no leads.

This was only natural; if the actions of the Bao Ghost Agents could be traced by ordinary operatives, they wouldn't have been called Ghost Agents in the first place.

As the intelligence departments conceded defeat, the number of people taking the matter seriously grew.

Aside from the Temple of Nian Neng, the defensive capabilities of the Julis Calendar Fortress were second to none on Earth. If some mysterious force possessed the strength to breach that Fortress, perhaps attacking certain government departments might even prove easier for them.

The agents sent to reconnoiter the Julis Calendar Fortress became increasingly senior. Eventually, the government even commissioned the Temple of Nian Neng to dispatch Master-level experts for the investigation.

Although they eventually uncovered some minute traces, these only confirmed the mysterious force possessed high military quality, offering no further actionable intelligence.

High-ranking figures across all sectors of society paid intense attention to the Julis Calendar Fortress incident. There were numerous suspicions, and even Yang Ying's Talan Mercenary Corps fell under scrutiny. However, without any concrete evidence, taking action against these entities with worldwide influence was completely impossible. In the end, there was no resolution other than letting the matter drop.

Following the annihilation of the Caesar high command, many previously stalled investigations were fast-tracked. The secrets of the Santos Secret Research Institute were finally uncovered, cementing the fact that the Caesar Group had been conducting human experimentation.

Time passed, and society became agitated. People had genuinely believed that with social development and technological advancement, barbaric practices like human experimentation should have been eradicated long ago.

But reality delivered a harsh blow. Even a super-enterprise like the Caesar Group, which had always enjoyed immense prestige in human society, could engage in such profound wickedness.

The government’s prior support had to cease under the fierce opposition of the public outcry.

The "Judgement Plan" did not completely uproot the entire Caesar family. Some moderate members, led by Andre, were spared. They took over the remnants of the Caesar Group and endured a difficult existence under the condemnation of human society, forced to abandon vast peripheral and even core industries just to preserve the most essential departments.

The Talan Company managed to snatch a piece of this cake as well.

Much of the essence of the Gaius era within the Caesar Group was not inherited, such as certain extremely confidential research findings and their influence within the Military-Industrial Council.

Consequently, for a considerable period afterward, the Caesar Group languished in a state of collapse.

Of course, all that was a matter for the future.

After leaving the Julis Calendar Fortress, Yang Ying found a secret location arranged by the Talan Company, where he stored his clone body, allowing his soul to return to his main body at the secret base in the Asteroid Belt.

Two days later, Yang Ying received a communication from Randolph at the base.

“Yang Ying, did Colonel Blade tell you about that matter? I asked him during the morale performance…”

Randolph stood in a crisp, perfectly tailored military uniform, his chest adorned with numerous medals. He wore no cap, revealing neatly combed, salt-and-pepper hair. His stern expression seemed to emphasize to Yang Ying that he was engaged in serious business.

“General Randolph,” Yang Ying omitted the familiar 'Uncle' address, “Regarding how our missiles managed to strike the Ancient Legion—that question is proving quite difficult for me.”

“Difficult? What’s difficult about that?” Randolph frowned, his good humor visibly fading. “For so long, your Talan Mercenaries have stonewalled all inquiries by citing 'trade secrets,' leading to the current situation where we know almost nothing about your combat doctrine, tactics, or equipment—our data scarcity is appalling. What kind of trade secret requires that level of secrecy?”

“To my knowledge, your parent company hasn't produced a single piece of equipment from the Ge era, even though I’m well aware you must have it. I even asked the procurement official at the Military Affairs Bureau, and they all told me the Talan Company has never once tried to market anything to them.”

Yang Ying nodded as he listened; he was aware of this. The Talan Company made its high profits by manufacturing crucial core components with patented technology for various military factories.

Some chips looked tiny—like matches, or even thumbnail-sized—but their technological complexity and the profit margins they generated were far greater than those from larger products.

The chips produced by Talan Company were always superior to similar products made by other military enterprises. Although their price tag was significantly higher, when factoring in cost-effectiveness, they were a worthwhile investment.

All along, the Talan Company was known in military circles for producing small-scale components. As for large weaponry, the Talan Company seemed to have entirely avoided that sector.

“Look at your Talan Mercenaries: every soldier seems to have a full set of powered armor—it makes me intensely envious. The designs of your tanks, motorcycles, and fighters are also different from the current mainstream. I read a report from a while back; just looking at the fighters, your Ghost Fighters are no less capable than the Ancient Legion’s Viper Fighters. So why haven't we seen the Ghost Fighter shadow in the global arms market? Isn't the Talan Company an arms dealer? What kind of arms dealer doesn't sell arms?”

Randolph looked genuinely perplexed, spreading his hands and speaking with a tone of frustrated disappointment.

“Indeed, we have fallen short in many areas,” Yang Ying apologized sincerely. “Setting aside other matters, I believe a solution regarding the Ghost Fighter issue will be forthcoming soon.”

“What do you mean?” Randolph’s energy spiked as he leaned forward, cracking his knuckles. “Is the Ghost Fighter finally ready to hit the market?”

If the Ghost Fighter became available on the market, Randolph could at least offer an explanation to his superiors, even if the issue of the Peng missile remained unresolved for the time being.

“Precisely. The head office has plans to scale up production of the Ghost Fighter and introduce it to the market. I believe this equipment will be available soon.”

Yang Ying understood that constant resistance only intensified conflict and led to worse outcomes. If he could resolve a demand requiring ten units of effort by offering one unit of compromise, why not do it?

The reason for releasing the Ghost Fighter was that the Earth Forces were currently in a period of replenishment and expansion, creating extremely high demand for all types of advanced weaponry, especially superior models. Even without stealth capabilities, the Ghost Fighter could be considered the most perfect mass-produced machine in the Solar System—the desperately needed warmth in this blizzard of need.

For both the military and Yang Ying, this transaction was perfectly timed.

The Research Institute had already mastered higher-level technology and was capable of fully upgrading the Ghost Fighter. The models sold externally would be the previous generation, significantly inferior in performance to the new iteration.

Furthermore, the exported Ghost Fighters would not include the stealth system; compared to ordinary fighters, they would only offer advantages in higher performance and better cost-effectiveness—this was precisely what the military valued.

Of course, there was another reason: the Ghost Fighter was designed specifically for pilots who were Ghost Fighter specialists. Without the aid of an advanced Neural Computer, an ordinary pilot could not realize the fighter's full potential.

“If the Ghost Fighter is really going onto the arms market, you absolutely must reserve a batch for our Thirteenth Legion first, or else…” Randolph adopted a stubborn, determined air, suggesting he wouldn't back down until his demand was met.

“That is a given,” Yang Ying replied with a smile.

Randolph’s eyes darted, wanting to press further but hesitating slightly. Having already secured a promise of benefit from Yang Ying, making another demand felt somewhat unwarranted.

It was a clear case of being restrained by what one had accepted.

However, after a moment of hesitation, Randolph lowered his voice and asked cautiously, “Could you perhaps give even a small hint about what exactly fired those Gang missiles?” He paused, then added conspiratorially, “I’ll let you in on something from higher up; just don’t tell anyone else.”

Yang Ying nodded.

“The higher-ups suspect that your possession of stealth technology is what allowed you to approach the Ancient Legion fleet undetected to launch the Peng missiles.” After saying this, Randolph watched Yang Ying’s expression intently, trying to discern something.

But he quickly abandoned the useless effort. He suddenly remembered that Yang Ying was an Awakened one; his facial muscles could be controlled perfectly by psychic power, allowing him to project whatever expression he desired. He was even harder to read than some seasoned old foxes.