Yang Ying observed the battle unfolding below from the bridge of the Jushou. Information poured in, synthesized and summarized. Seeing his side inching toward victory brought him a quiet satisfaction.

Then, Yidini entered. “Master Yang Ying, I have good news.”

Yang Ying waved a hand, stopping her mid-sentence. “Let me guess. Did the three major resistance groups change their minds?”

Yidini raised an eyebrow, nodding in surprise. “Yes, the three major resistance groups besides the Fustro organization have sent communications conceding. They proposed that post-war issues can be decided later, hoping to receive munitions and grain just like Fustro immediately.” She paused. “How did you know?”

Before Yang Ying could answer, she seemed to realize it herself, stating with certainty, “Right, you are at the peak of the Third Level; you have some ability to foresee the future, don’t you?”

“If they receive weapons and grain by yielding, only fools wouldn't concede.”

Yang Ying smiled. He had developed three deep-cover agents within the resistance groups; getting this information was effortless. Furthermore, he had ordered those three agents to prompt the change of heart in the three organizations.

“That’s true. Fustro is stirring things up fiercely on the side, and their influence has soared. Only a fool would continue to oppose us now. The leadership of those three groups must be green with envy over Fustro’s achievements. With the strength of just one organization, they managed to ignite such a massive, sweeping riot—they’ve truly won the hearts of the people. If they didn't do something, after today, Fustro’s prestige would completely overshadow them, solidifying their position as the foremost resistance organization on Dorun Star. By then, shaking Fustro’s status would be incredibly difficult,” Yidini mused aloud.

Though Yidini could be a bit clumsy in execution, her placement within the Intelligence Department proved she wasn't lacking in intellect; her analysis of the three resistance leadership groups' thinking was almost spot on.

Yang Ying smiled. “Then tell me, should we agree to their request?”

Yidini considered this. “I think we should agree.”

“Why?”

“I don’t wish to say why,” Yidini replied, shaking her head.

“What if I insist on knowing?”

“This—alright. Because we also don't need a Fustro who has gained too much popular support.” As she spoke, Yidini’s expression soured, as if the words themselves were distasteful. “If Dorun Star were still the rebels’ armory, having one highly prestigious leader commanding all resistance groups to contend with the rebels would maximize resource conservation and achieve the best results. In that scenario, we should support Fustro. At least among the leaders of the four major groups, he is the most enthusiastic and certainly the most capable. But—”

At this point, Yidini broke off. She clenched her hand into a tight fist, as if wrestling with an internal conflict. Yang Ying had already guessed what she wanted to say and didn't rush her, simply watching to see if she would continue.

Yidini took several deep breaths and resumed, “But, now that the Tlan Mercenary Corps has destroyed all the factories, Dorun Star’s status as a rebel armory is gone. Going forward, this place will become insignificant, perhaps even requiring the rebels to expend resources to maintain it. Under these circumstances, I see no reason why the resistance needs a strong leader. A leader who is too dominant could become an intractable problem after the war ends. How would we then arrange a position for Fustro?”

“The three resistance groups were recently coveting the titles of nobility. If Fustro becomes overwhelmingly powerful, might he develop greater ambitions? Even if he doesn't, might his subordinates, from the perspective of the resistance’s self-interest, encourage him to seek a higher status? Would Fustro be influenced by those comrades who shared life-and-death struggles with him then? Fustro is not just one person. He represents an organization and must consider its interests. Placing the stability of Dorun Star on the personal virtue of Fustro and his followers is unfair to him, and unwise for us.”

“That’s quite a well-reasoned argument,” Yang Ying applauded lightly, smiling. “Why did you hesitate to say that earlier?”

“We haven't even eliminated the rebels yet, and we are already scheming against our own allies. No matter how many reasons there are, it’s still wrong,” Yidini’s tone was slightly agitated.

“But one must think that way,” Yang Ying’s words were flat, like a bucket of cold water dousing Yidini. “You were quite correct just now. Perhaps the war has forced you to grow, but saying, ‘No matter how many reasons there are, it’s still wrong’ sounds rather naive. For the sake of some idealized concept, wanting to believe your allies won't betray you based on sheer passion—unless you are unbelievably lucky and stumble upon an idealist exactly like yourself—you are doomed to fail. Remember, people's hearts are hidden. How long have you known Fustro? How well do you know him? How much do you know about his organization? What right do you have to claim he is trustworthy?”

Yidini made some muffled sounds, then shook her head.

Yang Ying laughed. “So, when calculating is necessary, we must calculate. It might seem cold-blooded, but it is the logic of the battlefield. Fustro is a Third Level expert who fights fiercely; he won't overthink things to the point of absurdity. He understands that accepting reality leads to a win-win situation with the Kingdom; only boundless ambition will ruin all of it. So, just proceed. Cut the weapons and grain requested by the three organizations in half for them.”

“Only half?”

“Of course. Those insatiably greedy fellows made shameless demands during negotiations, attempting to seize what wasn't theirs. How could we pretend that never happened?”

Yidini said, “Understood. I will handle it immediately.”

A hint of confusion still lingered on her face; she hadn't fully relinquished her stance. She took two steps away, then turned back to ask, “Master Yang Ying, using your logic just now—can I trust you? Can I scheme against you? Or are you scheming against us?”

Yang Ying reached out and tapped her lightly on the head.

“You are thinking too much now. After you finish your tasks, you will go into solitary confinement. You will be released only when we leave Dorun Star,” Yang Ying stated.

“Oh.” Yidini covered her head and left the bridge with a look of grievance.

After she left, Yang Ying pondered to himself. She learns fast; she’s already applying it. She was right—I am scheming, but not against the Kingdom’s interests. I am scheming for the machinery in those factories that is about to be annihilated by nuclear bombs. Those machines are treasures—three hundred warships daily, two million combat robots, countless other weapons and equipment.

Coincidentally, most of the structures in the Floating Continent’s Human territory were repurposed by me recently to build the framework for the mineral resource planets. That vast expanse of land is quite empty now. Once I transfer the production equipment from Dorun Star and make some minor modifications, we can quickly establish productivity. Since they are going to be blown to smithereens anyway, recycling them shouldn't cause any harm, right? I just can't let anyone know; I must act carefully.

During this period, the situation on the main battlefield was intensely volatile. The Flyn Kingdom and the Flyn Republic were both exerting their full strength, engaging in three major fleet battles. The Republic’s advantage stemmed from the support of the Kusta Star people, which allowed them to secure most of the territory early in the war. Although full consolidation would take time, restoring partial production capacity and meeting the requirements for troop replenishment and material supply meant the Flyn Republic had surpassed the Flyn Kingdom in logistics and manufacturing.

The Kingdom’s advantage, however, lay in its deep reserves—not just wealth, but connections. A thousand years of rule meant they had allies scattered everywhere nearby. By dispatching only seven princes and princesses, they managed to pull together a formidable allied fleet, and the number of allied ships continued to rise, gradually matching the Republic's overall strength.

Moreover, the Royal Family gained the support of the Ge Star people, offsetting the Republic’s Kusta Star support. Coupled with Yang Ying and the thirteen others storming the capital planet and rescuing the King and Queen—who had ruled for many years and possessed far greater appeal than other royal members—a single call from the King and Queen on Phinis Planet rallied many previously neutral factions.

In the three major battles, the Royal Army won two. Both sides were now regrouping, awaiting the next offensive. When Yang Ying communicated with the Phinis side, he heard from Xinnidi that the Royal Family’s next target was likely the Capital Star. Recapturing the Capital Star would allow them to rally even greater military superiority. However, the events on the main front were distant from Yang Ying. He was focused only on Dorun Star. The addition of the other three resistance organizations was met with little fuss; Fustro raised no objections. As for the reduced supplies, the three groups had to swallow their pride, as getting half was better than nothing.

The inclusion of the four largest resistance groups spurred smaller organizations to action. Under Yang Ying’s direction, the Tlan Mercenary Corps accepted everyone—as long as they fought the rebel troops in the cities or incited worker riots, they received support in weapons, ammunition, and grain.

Yang Ying had also captured a training camp far larger than the Hawke Base, along with over twenty military bases belonging to the Dorun Star ground defense forces. He seized another massive cache of grain and munitions: over twenty million laser rifles, nearly four million combat robots, countless types of light and heavy weaponry, and enough grain to feed the entire planet for a year.

This was enough to buy off every resistance organization on the planet. As more and more groups joined, the riots in every city entered a completely new phase. Garrison camps were uprooted one by one, cities were occupied, and nearly ten million workers were armed. Their morale was sky-high; after taking one city, they marched to the next, absorbing other armed workers along the way. The force grew larger and larger, eventually reaching a scale that even the great capitalists could not ignore.

At this point, Yang Ying received a message.

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