The Kustar people certainly are direct. The visiting delegation had only just returned when they deployed that harassing force. Long had returned willingly, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hadn't slighted him during his time on Earth.

Yang Ying said this to Kalia, who stood before him. If not for this mission surveying mineral-rich planets, this forward operating base might have been established in secret, unnoticed.

“For now, they’ve only established an outpost. Whether they’ll actually attack the Solar System is still uncertain. Perhaps they just want to use it to spy on our every move. If the Kustar people intended an attack, their warships would likely already be hovering over us. Why bother setting up an outpost? It’s an unnecessary complication!” Kalia argued.

“You have a point, but regardless of whether it’s an attack or reconnaissance, this base is dangerous. With it in place, if the Kustar people decide to act, they can strike instantly.”

Yang Ying walked to the window and looked out at the starscape. The eternal starlight was scattered silently across the inky black canvas, seemingly unconcerned with everything happening in the vast universe—the past, the present, and the future would all remain so.

Every time he gazed at the stars, no matter what turmoil he felt inside, Yang Ying would immediately calm down. He would think that this small concern of his was utterly insignificant beneath the boundless expanse of the heavens.

“We’ll wait and see how the Singer people react. And has there been any news from our scouting forces? We can’t let the Kustar outpost compromise our reconnaissance efforts,” Yang Ying said with his back to Kalia.

“Yes, Commander. Our scouting continues. In fact, we just received good news from Stellar System Number Fourteen—there are two planets there suitable for development into mineral worlds,” Kalia reported to Yang Ying’s back.

“That’s excellent news,” Yang Ying smiled, turning around. “If there’s nothing else from the remaining ten stellar systems, you can leave me. For now, go attend to your duties.”

“Yes,” Kalia acknowledged, saluted, and withdrew from the room.

Subsequently, reconnaissance reports trickled in from the other stellar systems, though none featured two mineral planets clustered in a single system again. After the final thirty reports were filed, the tally revealed a total of eight mineral worlds discovered—exceeding the projected figures!

Consider that the entire process, from the thirty scout cruisers departing to all reports being compiled, took only twelve hours. Discovering eight mineral worlds in half a day—this was the era of resource explosion for a higher civilization! An era where resource scarcity was not a worry!

The thirteenth battlecruiser, dragging its damaged hull, also returned to the Solar System. Repairs performed by onboard specialists had rendered it mostly functional along the way. The captain and crew provided the General Staff with a more detailed account of events and submitted the data saved on the ship’s main computer. After consolidation, the conclusion was that this outpost currently served solely for observing the Solar System.

Two days later, a series of brilliant, dazzling flashes streaked across Earth’s orbit. A Singer fleet, comprising two thousand warships, emerged from hyperspace into the Solar System.

This fleet had been dispatched to await Commander Xine's orders.

Although Long had departed, Xine remained in the Solar System. Yang Ying suspected she had deep ties to the Singer military, perhaps even being a high-ranking officer herself. The Singers were a race where female status superseded male; their supreme leader was an Empress, the cabinet was largely female-dominated, and women held absolute dominance in the upper echelons of society. This might also be connected to the fact that Yafei, the Singer’s Fourth-Level Master, was female.

Shortly after the Singer fleet arrived, Xine convened a virtual holographic conference at the Singer embassy. Kensler, Li Yoseph, and the two Masters Kong Litou Xin participated. Yang Ying also received an invitation.

“Everyone, my sincere thanks to Commander Yang Ying and the Terran Mercenary Corps. The Kustar outpost in Stellar System Number Thirteen has been discovered. I believe we should strike immediately while they are still establishing themselves, root them out completely!”

The Singers were a race that cherished peace and music—with one caveat: in the absence of the Kustar presence. The moment any matter concerning the Kustar arose, the Singers’ demeanor shifted instantly, becoming one of profound, ancient enmity.

“Based on the current situation, the Kustar people may not necessarily attack the Solar System; they might just be observing. Are such drastic measures necessary to eliminate them?” Marshal Randolph, the Chief of Staff for the New Earth Military, inquired.

Indeed, Randolph had achieved his military ambition and become a Marshal. Marshals Duncan and Schmidt had both perished in the former Earth Military Headquarters building. Alexander, who had been part of the Duncan faction, voluntarily requested retirement to the countryside after defecting during the transition period. Three of the four Marshals of the former special military force were gone, leaving only Li Yoseph isolated. Consequently, former Third Fleet Commander General Randolph was smoothly promoted to Marshal and took over as the Chief of Staff of the reorganized New Earth Military.

“Please rest assured. This operation will be swift. The initiative will be taken by us Singers, and the entire endeavor will be managed by the Singer people. The Earth Military need not contribute a single soldier. This announcement is merely a courtesy; the Earth government can simply pretend not to know about it,” Xine’s voice was crisp and melodious, yet her words were utterly decisive, carrying a faint trace of killing intent that sent a surge of ice up Randolph’s spine, straight to his skull, making him shiver involuntarily.

Jia Youna added fuel to the fire: “If the fleets of the Singers and the Kustar people meet anywhere, a battle will ensue. This is completely normal; there is nothing to hesitate about. Out in the distant void, many of our sisters fall in battle against the Kustar every day. We are merely collecting some interest here.”

With the matter pressed this far, what more could anyone say to persuade them otherwise?

After the conference concluded, Xine approached Yang Ying. “Master Yang Ying, could I speak with you privately?”

Yang Ying saw that Xine’s expression was serene, and he couldn't discern why she had stopped him, but he was curious to hear what she had to say, so he nodded.

The two moved to a small adjoining conference room. Xine walked through the doorway, while Yang Ying passed directly through the wall—it was all just a holographic projection.

“Master Yang Ying, as the leader of the Terran Mercenary Corps, have you ever considered what you might pursue in the future?” Xine asked him with utmost seriousness.

Frankly, Yang Ying had been wrestling with this question lately. Since the demise of the Ancient Legion, the Terran Mercenary Corps had no enemies left in the Solar System. There were still sporadic pirates in the Asteroid Belt, but they could be wiped out with a mere gesture, offering no challenge whatsoever.

Factions like the Directorate, the Caribbean, or the Baiyuan Cult, which might have drawn his attention before, had long since vanished without a trace. Even if found now, they wouldn't offer the intense challenge that existed when the Terran Mercenary Corps was weaker.

Yang Ying commanded a military force. A military force without an enemy might not be a good thing. Without conflict, the army’s development would slow down. Many tactics simply couldn't succeed on theory alone; they required practical verification, and the best verification was actual combat. To maintain the army’s fighting capability at all times, he needed to find an enemy for them, or at the very least, a simulated foe.

The Directorate, the Caribbean, and the Baiyuan Cult could no longer fulfill the role of a hypothetical enemy; new ones were needed.

Yang Ying fell into contemplation.

Seeing Yang Ying remain silent, Xine continued, “To my knowledge, the Terran Mercenary Corps is not part of the Earth’s regular military, but mercenaries, correct? Mercenaries who can be hired to participate in wars?”

“That’s right,” Yang Ying confirmed.

“In that case, Master Yang Ying, are you aware that the Orion Arm also has an industry for mercenaries, and quite a substantial one at that?” Xine smiled faintly.

“The Orion Arm has mercenaries?”

This was news to Yang Ying. His three exploration captains surely knew, but they had been recruited too recently for him to ask many detailed questions.

“Indeed. There are conflicts between higher civilizations; how could mercenaries be absent?” Xine stated slowly. “In fact, within the Orion Arm, the mercenary collective possesses immense power, even forming the Orion Arm Mercenary Guild—a powerful, inter-stellar organization not controlled by any single higher civilization.”

A flicker of interest sparked within Yang Ying. “I would be keen to hear more.”

Xine nodded; this was precisely why she had sought him out. “The Mercenary Guild accepts all manner of task commissions, most of which are related to warfare, or at least require adventurous work. Any higher civilization, regardless of race, can join. For instance, many of the Luo Ya people, a warrior race, become mercenaries to temper themselves by participating in wars everywhere. And the technologically most advanced Cycro people use mercenary channels to test their new weaponry. The Garlan people employ both methods.”

“Through mercenaries? Can’t their regular armies handle it?” Yang Ying asked.

“The regular armies of the Garlan, Cycro, and Luo Ya rarely engage in combat. At their level, those enemies have already been annexed or annihilated. Not every race has fought for a millennium against an equally matched foe like us Singers and the Kustar people without reaching a conclusion,” Xine shook her head. “The top three races of the Orion Arm no longer have equally powerful adversaries, nor do they bear grudges against each other, so they won't easily go to war. Therefore, the only arenas where they can cultivate themselves and test new weapons are in the mercenary sphere.”

“I see,” Yang Ying thought inwardly. The top three races of the Orion Arm faced a dilemma similar to his own, and Xine had laid out her intentions so clearly. “Master Xine, are you suggesting I should join the Mercenary Guild?”

“Master Yang Ying is correct,” Xine confirmed, glancing around and lowering her voice. “Of course, this is merely a suggestion. I hear Master Yang Ying aims beyond the Solar System, and I believe the Mercenary Guild offers an excellent stepping stone.”