A storage chip was slotted into the communicator, and a torrent of data provided by Gu Xiechen surged outward. (Read the full novel at Shiliu Literature Net) Among this vast data were records from the exploration team dispatched by Siren, all now expertly doctored by Gu Xiechen, some of the figures reaching unbelievable proportions. For instance, Gu Xiechen had inserted a record stating that the energy conversion rate of Zakkra crystal ore reached ninety-three percent!

The implication of this figure was staggering: if a piece of Zakkra energy crystal weighed one hundred pounds, ninety-three pounds of its mass could be converted into the purest energy, leaving behind only seven pounds of impurities after full extraction! Currently, the highest quality Zakkra crystal energy ratio discovered by humanity was merely seven percent!

Golden flames of fervor erupted simultaneously from the eyes of every Roman on the holographic screen, and they roared in unison: "This is the homeland planet bestowed upon us Romans by the great deities!"

The direct descendants of the Nine Great Elector Families knelt on one knee, offering fervent praise to the gods they worshipped. The Romans possessed an extremely vast and complex system of deities, personifying everything from star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, stars, and planets, down to black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, and even various flora, fauna, birds, and beasts into tangible objects of their faith. Even the Black Hole God was represented by over a hundred different entities within Roman temples; the Holsohm family alone worshipped seven distinct Black Hole Gods.

For a time, the Romans on the screen praised countless divine names; the chaotic adoration lasted for a full quarter of an hour before their emotions gradually settled.

The data fabricated by Gu Xiechen was simply too outrageous; it was akin to throwing over a dozen completely nude, stunningly beautiful women before a group of lecherous men hopped up on aphrodisiacs—it was impossible for the Romans not to go mad.

When avarice ignites the emotions, actions inevitably become somewhat unreliable. Gu Xiechen had calculated these Romans down to the very bone.

Yakin violently shoved Polukin aside, demanding urgently, "How strong are the Terran forces there?"

Three Romans cried out simultaneously, "Esteemed Highness, this is the second matter we must report. The Terrans are engaged in a war of mutual annihilation there!"

The Roman battlefield recorders flying above the plains transmitted live footage of the scene, which the three Romans directly linked to the communicator.

The carnage of roaring artillery fire and flying flesh instantly appeared on the command screens of every warship in the Roman fleet. Every Roman who witnessed the sight gasped sharply.

After a long, long pause, Bolbot Holsohm murmured to himself, "Terrans killing Terrans? With such intensity? Hey, these are the Holy Unicorn and Hell Angels mercenary groups engaging each other!"

The corners of every Roman’s eye twitched; the soldiers fighting with such disregard for their own lives shocked them deeply. Polukin shrieked in astonishment, "Are these Terrans insane? Heavens above, their artillery barrage is slaughtering their own people too! Oh, to kill thirty enemies, they are blowing one hundred of their own comrades into ribbons!"

Bolbot Holsohm, however, burst into vigorous applause: "This is excellent news! The Terran Federation Army has fallen behind us, and the Terrans on Paradise Star are locked in fratricide. Once we land, we can smoothly annihilate all Terran influence on Paradise Star. We can easily establish our forward base and construct our defensive system!"

Bolbot Holsohm exclaimed excitedly, "Imagine it—using the abundant resources on Paradise Star, especially those Zakkra energy crystals, we can construct a veritable abattoir upon it! Every Terran who dares to covet this marvelous planet will become a testament to our military achievements!"

The fanatical golden flames once again erupted from the eyes of every Roman; everyone breathed in short, sharp gasps, utterly electrified by the glorious prospect painted by Bolbot Holsohm. According to intelligence just received from the rear, the Terrans had assembled a massive army to seize Paradise Star. If they could crush a Terran force comprising thousands of warships and millions of soldiers on Paradise Star, the resulting glory would be enough for everyone present to secure their inheritance rights within their families; no other competitor would stand a chance!

Gu Xiechen lightly tapped his finger, sending a delicate gust of wind that stung the buttock of a Roman standing before him.

The Roman jolted, quickly transmitting the second packet of intelligence.

"To all you noble Lords, here is the terrain and geography we surveyed within the first half hour of our arrival. Centered on the largest Terran base here, our unmanned reconnaissance drones surveyed the topography within a five-thousand-kilometer radius. We have also marked thirty-five locations suitable for establishing forward bases."

A colossal three-dimensional map file was sent to the Roman fleet. The various markings on the map were explicit: mountains, canyons, rivers, and lakes were all present. The thirty-five designated locations for forward bases were not only strategically superior but also boasted exceptionally beautiful surrounding scenery. The peculiar obsession of the Romans was sometimes unbearable; they pursued beauty with a fanaticism that demanded their forward bases be established only in places of supreme scenic value to feel comfortable.

Hidden beneath seven of these thirty-five meticulously selected, most aesthetically pleasing locations—which also contained the richest deposits of energy crystal ore—were more than ten thousand tons of high explosives. According to computer simulations, there was an eighty-five percent probability that these Romans would choose these seven sites for base construction.

Standing behind Gu Xiechen, Siren and Aredia silently inhaled a sharp breath. When Gu Xiechen possessed sufficient power, his talent for manipulation was indeed formidable.

Another storage chip was inserted into the communicator, and new data began to transmit.

This time, the transmission was a panoramic view of the forward base constructed by the Hell Angels mercenary group. The base, over five kilometers long and wide, was densely packed with barracks and warehouses. Dozens of integrated mining vehicles were lumbering slowly into the facility, where great piles of Zakkra energy crystal raw stones, shimmering with a kaleidoscope of bizarre lights, were being dumped from the haulers. The ground was instantly covered with mountains of raw energy crystal ore.

Nearly another hundred large integrated mining vehicles entered the base. This time, what spilled out were already smelted metal ingots. Gold, silver, violet, crimson-gold, crimson-silver, ice-white, and ghostly blue hues sparkled on the ingots. All this communicated to the Romans that these were all extremely rare metallic ores! Whether manufacturing devastating energy weapons, powerful plasma engines, or any other high-tech apparatus, none could be accomplished without these rare metals.

Bolbot Holsohm and the others made a rough estimate: the energy crystals piled in the open space amounted to at least thirty to fifty thousand cubic meters, equating to thirty to fifty trillion Federation Credits in value. The rare metal ingots added up to at least one hundred thousand cubic meters, which were also worth trillions of Federation Credits.

"A mercenary group unearthed this much wealth in just a few days?" Every Roman simultaneously wiped their mouths; their drool was nearly spilling out.

Gu Xiechen nodded with satisfaction; he saw one thing clearly in the eyes of these Romans—greed!

An integrated mining vehicle seemed to tilt accidentally, its ten-meter-high tire smashing against the outer wall of a warehouse. A cascade of metal ingots crashed out, 'clattering' onto the ground. Refined copper ingots glowed with an enchanting red light in the sunlight. This warehouse, over two hundred meters long, thirty meters high, and wide, was obviously stuffed to capacity. A rough estimate suggested millions of cubic meters of copper ingots—what did that concept even imply? Though not a rare metal, copper was a universally applicable metal with vast usage, and its consumption rate was terrifyingly high. The Romans secretly smuggled massive quantities of metallic copper off-world every year, spending enormous wealth just to meet their entire nation's consumption needs.

Yakin shrieked hoarsely, "At least a million cubic meters of metallic copper! As the glorious, great, and sacred First Elector Family of the Romans, the arduous task of conquering the largest Terran forward base on Paradise Star must fall to us! This is the undeniable duty of our First Elector Family!"

"No!" Bolbot Holsohm howled madly, "My father, the great Lord Nanket Holsohm, commands the military might of the Romans! Such a difficult task of siege and conquest should be accomplished by the Holsohm family fleet!"

Members of the other seven Elector Families clamored fiercely to take charge of conquering this Terran forward base, willing to die for Roman honor and the honor of their respective families. The communicator descended into chaos as all the Romans argued frantically, their minds fixated only on those mesmerizing colors.

Gu Xiechen pursed his lips and smiled; a scenario where the Romans nearly erupted into open combat in subspace had been narrowly avoided.

Dozens of magnetic levitation chariots escorted a small transport ship flying just above the treetops, entering the base. The chariots and the small transport vessel settled down slowly, and Gu Xiechen, clad in a Daoist robe, was seen stepping out of the warship. Behind him, a dozen burly, stout men carefully carried several pitch-black stone tablets from the transport vessel.

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Ugh, I drank too much yesterday, and today my head is pounding. Plus, my phone started acting up—the one I just bought is having a spectacular crash...

Depressing, I didn't buy a knock-off phone, did I? Why is my luck so terrible?

Sigh, comrades, please comfort my wounded soul with a flood of recommendation votes... Recommend, recommend, recommend!