The man from Shi Nian made sounds of assent, his heart deeply wary of Yang Ying, this mysterious figure who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Operating under the guise of sending a troublesome guest away, he thumped his chest and guaranteed that the identity cards would be ready within three days.

Yang Ying quickly settled the details with him in just a few words, arranging to meet back at the bar in three days to exchange the payment for the completed documents. Having said his piece, Yang Ying had no desire to remain in the gloomy bar any longer and stood up to leave.

As Yang Ying walked out the door, the middle-aged man finally let out a breath he seemed to have been holding. He went to the bar counter and asked the bartender for a strong drink. The bartender had already noticed the conversation between the manager and the mysterious visitor. Seeing the manager’s expression of lingering fear, he quietly asked, “Boss, what was that person about? I’ve never seen anyone like him around here before. Is he a foreigner?”

“Less gossip!” the manager growled sternly. “That man is absolutely not simple. Go. Tell Xiao Bo Gen to get three genuine identity cards made. Deliver them in three days.” He shoved the documents Yang Ying had written into the bartender’s hand. “Take this. You know what to do with it.”

The bartender unfolded the papers, glanced at them, and nodded. “Understood, Boss.”

Three weeks had passed since Yang Ying entered the Stargate on Planet Po Han.

During this time on Po Han, Dao Feng and Lanton had taken residence in a villa situated above the dimensional space. As for the family who originally lived in the villa, they had all been placed under mental control and now served as the pair’s cover. They publicly claimed that Dao Feng and Lanton were distant relatives who would be staying with them for a long time.

This arrangement was necessary because Yang Ying could send back a return signal at any moment, at which time Lanton would need to open the Stargate for their reception. For the time being, only Lanton possessed the ability to open the gate, as her octagonal noble crest was the only key to activating the massive portal, and the crest was psychically bound to her person, making it unusable by anyone else.

On the second floor of the villa, in the best room on the east side, Dao Feng and Lanton sat opposite each other at a small table, conversing over afternoon tea.

Each held a cup of a beverage unique to Planet Po Han, colored a pale violet. It carried a rich fragrance and tasted similar to coffee, yet subtly different, coupled with a texture as smooth as silk on the palate, lending it a distinctive flavor.

Lanton set down her cup and cast a cool, dismissive glance at Dao Feng. Ever since Dao Feng had frightened her once with his mind control technique, her gaze toward him had remained unchanged. “Your research department seems to have proposed sending some researchers into the dimensional space to study the structure and principles of the Stargate, with the goal of cracking the control technology. If successful, they could control it without relying on my crest. Is that true?”

“Where did you hear that? Never mind, it doesn’t matter where you heard it from.” Dao Feng smiled. “You have excellent hearing; it is true. But I must admit, that is a long-term objective, not something achievable in the short term. Besides, the researchers lack the ability of Earth-Treading. To reach the dimensional space, they would need a massive drill to bore a hundred meters underground to transport the personnel.”

Lanton turned her gaze toward the window. Outside lay endless rows of buildings, and not far off, a bustling, flowing market could be seen. Turning back, she remarked, “That’s no small undertaking, is it?”

Dao Feng nodded. “The excavation required to create such a deep shaft would cause enough commotion to affect everyone in the entire town, and the subsequent repercussions could be even more far-reaching. Although all the inhabitants of Planet Po Bo combined are no match for the Jushou Hao, we do not wish to interfere with the natural development of humanity on this planet. Therefore, this matter requires prolonged consideration.”

“So, have you devised any solutions yet?” Lanton asked, seemingly unconcerned.

Dao Feng pondered for a moment, then held up two fingers. “For now, there are two options. The first is to use gold to buy out every surrounding property. We would make the entire area ours. After all, this planet still operates on a gold-backed monetary system, whereas for us, gold has become largely an industrial raw material, its value significantly diminished.”

Lanton nodded, then shook her head. “There are always those who value their homeland more than gold. This method might not be effective; in the end, you can’t forcibly evict the holdouts, can you? What’s the second option?”

Dao Feng chuckled. “The second is a bit more mischievous. A phantom operative suggested using holographic projection technology to create an illusion of hauntings throughout the town, scaring everyone into moving out of this area. Fear would drive the townsfolk to relocate, not just the immediate surroundings, but the entire town would quickly fall into disuse, giving us the space to operate.”

Lanton snorted coldly. “What if there are those who aren’t afraid of ghosts?”

This idea caused her opinion of Dao Feng to drop another notch. Dao Feng had once used his mental control to come frighteningly close to her soul’s core, effectively laying her entire being bare before him without reservation. Recalling it now was more humiliating to her than being completely naked. As time passed, this feeling had not faded; instead, it seemed to deepen like a fine, aged wine. The mere thought of it made her feel uneasy.

Dao Feng shrugged, ignoring the glare she shot him. “Indeed, both methods have their merits and their drawbacks. Therefore, the current decision is to proceed on both fronts simultaneously, using both plans together. Scaring them with ghosts on one side, and offering high-price acquisitions on the other. Under such circumstances—gold on one side, terror on the other—I imagine the townsfolk will make the wise choice.”

Upon hearing this, Lanton turned her face away, offering no comment. In her heart, however, she knew this was clearly a highly effective strategy.

After leaving the bar, Yang Ying found a public information terminal on the street corner and pulled up the city map. After committing the entire layout to memory, he switched to the public information channel.

One of his primary objectives for this trip was to inquire about something Lanton had asked him to research: What reaction did the Imperial Royal Family have eight years ago after Grand Duke Sandower orchestrated the assassination attempt on the Second Imperial Princess, Bai Bai? In Yang Ying’s estimation, an event as far-reaching and significant as the murder attempt on the Emperor's daughter should leave at least some subtle traces in the public media.

Yang Ying used the methods Lanton had taught him to navigate the various information streams on the public information platform. His hands moved rapidly across the virtual screen. At first, his movements were slightly awkward, but as he grew more familiar with the operation techniques, they became increasingly fluid.

Conversely, Yang Ying’s expression gradually darkened.

The True Human Empire had stretched across hundreds of thousands of years. In its history, it had seen many dynasties, as well as various forms of governance such as republics, alliances, and federations. It had endured countless splits and unifications, birthing countless heroes and luminaries.

According to Lanton, the current dynasty was the most stable in history, having endured for nearly one hundred thousand years. Over sixty-five thousand years ago, the Empire unified the galaxy, ushering in humanity’s most brilliant era. However, this good fortune did not last; ten thousand years ago, the Empire inexplicably abandoned half of its domain, a fact that remained a cause for deep regret.

To this day, the power of the Grand Aristocracy continued to swell, while the authority of the Imperial Family dimmed into obscurity. Yet, even a starved camel is larger than a horse; regardless of the circumstances, the Imperial Family remained the most powerful lineage in the entire galaxy. Grand Duke Sandower, even with his peak Level Four strength and dominion over a thousand planets, could not openly defy the Royal Authority.

However, Lanton’s assumptions were incorrect; they were vastly different from the reality. The information Yang Ying gathered from the public information terminal far exceeded what he had anticipated. Lanton had greatly overestimated the capabilities of Grand Duke Sandower.

The terminal displayed that on a certain day eight years prior, the Second Princess, shortly after her birth, suddenly disappeared. In the following days, the Emperor of the Empire died suddenly in his sleep. Since the Emperor had no sons, his only direct descendant was the First Princess. After deliberation by the Council of Elder Nobles, it was decided to crown the First Princess as Empress to inherit the throne.

“The Emperor of the True Human Empire is already dead? Could Grand Duke Sandower be responsible...?”

Yang Ying frowned deeply, racking his brain, yet finding no clear answer. Although he had received Lanton’s knowledge transfer, he remained partially ignorant of the complex relationships at the apex of the Empire’s power structure.

He pushed the immediate contemplation aside and continued his search, inputting the term “Imperial Second Princess” into the index engine. After a long search, he only learned that after the First Princess ascended the throne, she dispatched vast resources and manpower to search for the Second Princess, but to this day, there had been no response.

Next, Yang Ying searched for “Duke Sandower,” which yielded a flood of results. Clearly, this Sandower was a public figure.

Yang Ying scanned the entries on the virtual screen and sighed quietly. He did not open any of the individual files, as it was unnecessary; Sandower was obviously alive and well, and far better off than he had been eight years ago.

Because, he was no longer merely a Duke—he had become a Regent!

Regent—just the title implied he was no easy adversary. His power and status had grown considerably since eight years ago. To suggest that the Emperor’s sudden death, coupled with Lanton and Bai Bai being hunted, had nothing to do with him would be sheer folly!

Yang Ying continued his retrieval, focusing his target on political news: reports of a cabinet minister’s resignation, a proposal put forth by an Elder in the Senate, the Empress’s latest decree, the Empress Dowager making a public statement somewhere, and so on.

An hour passed, and Yang Ying remained standing before the public information terminal. People bustled past on the street, yet no one paid him any mind.

Finally, Yang Ying withdrew his hands.

While the intelligence he uncovered on the public information terminal was not enough to paint a complete picture of the Empire’s hierarchy, it had already yielded some valuable intelligence within the specific details uncovered.

In Yang Ying’s estimation, this gathered intelligence was now sufficient to trade for the formula of the top-tier gene activation serum with Lanton.