The assassination attempt on the Minister of the Ministry of Security had passed for half a month. The top brass of the Security Ministry had been purged in two batches, leaving the department's leadership position a white-hot potato—whoever took it was destined for misfortune.

As the public outcry faded across society, the case was shelved in the archives of the Security Bureau, beginning its long, dusty retirement.

With the storm having passed, many matters returned to normal, free from the constraints of the Ministerial Council. The authority to launch frontline campaigns was now entirely in the hands of Earth Military Headquarters. Based on intelligence received from Ghost Agents, the projected timing for initiating these offensives was roughly six months out.

Although the specific date remained unfixed, a synthesis of factors—including resource mobilization, new recruit training, and equipment distribution—suggested that the Saturn Campaign would likely provide an opportunity for the behemoth-class battlecruisers to finally make their debut.

Relieved, Yang Ying let go of his concerns. The plan formulated by the General Staff for the future development of the Trant Mercenary Group was comprehensive. The personnel responsible for each segment were trustworthy, leaving Yang Ying with relatively little to manage. It was akin to the governance of Emperor Taizong of Tang, reigning from behind a curtain, granting Yang Ying an abundance of free time.

What Yang Ying needed to do was review and approve documents, and occasionally send clones to tour the various resources owned by the Trant Company to assess their development. Simultaneously, he directed his other clones to focus on mastering the Grandmaster level of cultivation; although this training lacked a definitive path, having more people generally expedited any process.

In his spare hours, Yang Ying and Katerina would sometimes venture out. After all, remaining confined to a single base for too long grew tiresome. Even the soldiers at the base were granted vacations, able to visit Gray Port or other cities. Meanwhile, soldiers representing the Trant Mercenary Group on missions traveled even farther afield.

When they went out, Yang Ying and Katerina often brought Baibai along. This little girl was remarkably well-behaved within the base, never straying near any restricted areas. She rarely even left the residential sector, living a life largely confined to the route between her room and the training grounds.

Even Yang Yang and Katerina found Baibai's behavior somewhat abnormal.

"Perhaps Baibai is just too afraid of losing her current life, that's why she is so obedient, daring not to try anything new for fear of making a mistake," Katerina speculated.

"This child truly tugs at the heartstrings. It seems we need to take her out more often to see the world," Yang Ying remarked.

Consequently, when they left, the pair frequently took Baibai with them. After several outings, the smiles on Baibai's face genuinely increased, and her training simultaneously became more rigorous.

During this period, the matter of supplying the Neneng Temple with Grandmaster-level Ghost Fighters was finally settled. The Neneng Temple traded 2.4% of its shares in Singer and Earth United Industrial Group for a supply of 500 Grandmaster-level Ghost Fighters, complete with comprehensive after-sales service.

For both Yang Ying and the Neneng Temple, this was a win-win proposition.

Yang Ying had already begun researching the fourth-generation Ghost Fighter. With complete access to technical documentation, the pace of technological upgrades on the Floating Continent was far quicker than if he had researched it independently.

According to the analysis report from Vice-Admiral Bor, the head of the research department, the fourth-generation Ghost Fighters would be operational before the Saturn Campaign began. Their performance would significantly surpass the third-generation Ghost Fighters that served as the blueprint for the Grandmaster version. By that time, the specialized fourth-generation Ghost Fighters produced might even rival peak Grandmaster-level craft, capable of mounting numerous new weapons and systems, such as a single-unit spatial jump engine!

What's more, the shares in Singer and Earth United Industrial Group—where even one percent was worth trillions and none were listed on any stock exchange—were utterly unobtainable with mere money.

These 2.4% shares were less about financial equity and more a symbol of status and standing. With these shares, the Trant Company ascended another tier within the entire human industrial system, achieving what some major conglomerates might take centuries, even millennia, of effort to attain.

In future business dealings, the Trant Company could leverage the resources and channels of Singer and Earth United Industrial Group to interact with other large entities, making their entry seamless. Many precious resources controlled by governments, difficult to acquire on the open market, were needed on the Floating Continent. Previously, these could only be converted via ore mining, but now, under this massive umbrella, they could be obtained effortlessly.

For the Neneng Temple, the transaction was equally worthwhile.

The performance demonstrated by these Grandmaster-level Ghost Fighters during the Jupiter Campaign clearly showed they could be piloted by Quasi-Masters. Equipped with Funnel Arrays and stealth systems, they were superior to most standard Master-level fighters.

During negotiations, the Neneng Temple had sent personnel to test-fly several units, including both Masters and Quasi-Masters. Based on the feedback from these test pilots, they generally agreed that given the characteristics of these Ghost Fighters, three to five Quasi-Masters could gang up on an Ape Master in an aerial battle, and even if they couldn't win, they could certainly tie down the superior opponent.

The number of Ape Masters in the Neneng Temple forces was roughly ten times that of their Masters. Even after distributing the 500 fighters, there would still be enough for elite units, and some Master-level experts might even prefer piloting the Grandmaster-level Ghost Fighters over their original Master-level aircraft.

Once all 500 fighters were equipped in the hands of the Quasi-Masters, the Earth side's fighter fleet would completely suppress the Ancient Legion's fighter forces in the battlefield. On the Jupiter front, the Ancient Legion's Viper fighters had already been overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Earth Army's first-generation Ghost Fighters. Gaining an edge at the Master-level fighter tier meant that the outcome of most aerial engagements would no longer be in doubt.

The Trant Company also secured a massive gain in this negotiation: officially entering the energy sector. The external connection devices compatible with the Energy Cities were connected to the Trant Energy City for the first time and put into use. The resulting colossal energy flow nearly collapsed the collection system. The energy ingot production lines ran at maximum speed, spitting out ingot after ingot that dropped into the collection bins at the end of the line. This scene left the observing technical personnel dumbfounded.

Because of the Silver Crystals, Singer and Earth United Industrial Group still owed the Trant Company several Energy Cities. Once all these cities were connected to the external devices, their total energy output would only be surpassed by Singer and Earth United Industrial Group itself, effectively pushing all other energy magnates into the background.

For at least the next few billion years, the sun was an inexhaustible treasure trove of energy. Thus, owning an Energy City was an enterprise of infinite returns. Competition in the energy sector was fierce, but now, with the channels provided by Singer and Earth United Industrial Group, coupled with control over the patents for the Energy City external devices, the Trant Company inserted itself into the industry with ease.

All related terms were settled; it was merely a matter of waiting for the Energy Cities to be delivered. After meeting the Floating Continent's needs, the remaining massive energy surplus could be injected into market operations. Ultimately, all these operations would convert into various resources, bolstering the development of the Floating Continent itself.

One day, Yang Ying received an invitation letter. It was written in an extremely polite and formal tone, inviting him to a space station at a specific coordinate within the Asteroid Belt to meet with his family.

Yang Ying glanced at it and decided to go immediately.

The reason for his swift acceptance was that the sender of the invitation—this so-called "family"—was no minor figure. It was Nab, the Pirate King who had struck terror throughout the Asteroid Belt for decades. The coordinate specified in the letter pointed to the Second Paradise City.

"Sir, how many personnel will you be taking with you?" Karia asked in the command room upon learning of Yang Ying’s intention to visit Paradise City.

"Not many. Take one squadron of Ghost Agents and two squadrons of Marines. Enough to make an impression, nothing more. I am not going to war. From any perspective, there is no benefit for Nab in trying to kill me. I am simply going to meet him, to see what the Pirate King, famous throughout the Asteroid Belt for decades, is truly like."

Yang Ying was long past being someone who could be easily manipulated. At this point, within the Earth system, only a complete fool would casually make a move against him.

Karia immediately arranged the escort. Yang Ying left Katerina on the Floating Continent and boarded the spacecraft with the three squadrons, setting a course for the designated coordinates.

After more than thirty hours, the spacecraft arrived near the coordinates. Yang Ying inserted an identification chip, which had arrived with the invitation letter, into the ship's computer system. The spacecraft then began emitting a unique recognition signal.

They were now surrounded by a dense field of meteoroids, thousands upon thousands of rocks tumbling through the void as far as the eye could see—a spectacle grand enough to inspire human awe at the universe's majesty. Yet, this was merely a corner of space that barely qualified as cosmic dust.

A short while later, a small shuttle emerged from the debris field and sent an incoming contact request.

"Put it through."

Yang Ying, seated in the passenger cabin, spoke, and the holographic screen before him illuminated, showing a middle-aged man dressed as a butler and a youth who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old.

The butler bowed respectfully. "Greetings to our esteemed guest. I am Yengus, the butler to His Greatness, the Pirate King." He gestured toward the youth. "And this is His Majesty's grandson, Young Master Apollo."

Apollo smiled slightly and added, "Grandfather learned of your distinguished visit and specifically sent us to guide you in, sir. Please."

Yang Ying nodded. "Lead the way."

The Pirate King clearly had made preparations by sending these two ahead, and judging by their deferential language—where they deliberately placed the Pirate King above him—this meeting was unlikely to be entirely peaceful; ripples might emerge. However, Yang Ying felt no concern. In the Solar System, he truly had nothing left to fear.