The Qiao'an family was truly an imposing power, boasting over twenty direct descendants and in-laws in the Federal Lower House, with more than half of them holding positions in key federal departments, such as the Director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation—a man who struck fear into the hearts of countless federal gangs and violent organizations—who hailed from the Qiao'an family. Compared to the Qiao'an family, the Federation’s largest arms conglomerate, the Gu Clan Group, was little more than a humble second-tier player scrambling for labor profits.

Around the circular conference table in the meeting hall, the generals displayed on the other thirty-six light screens comprised the entire membership of the Federation Military Council’s highest echelon: twelve Field Marshals, twelve Lieutenant Generals, and twelve Major Generals, representing the tens of millions of officers and enlisted personnel of the massive Federal Army.

Gu Xiechen sat up straight, his peripheral vision constantly flicking towards a light screen to his left, where a handsome, imposing, and extraordinarily distinguished young Lieutenant General was displayed. Perhaps it was psychological, but Gu Xiechen kept feeling as if a vibrant, luminous green light was emanating from the young Lieutenant General’s head—a truly magnificent green glow.

“Lieutenant General Tartarus! You wretched fellow, should I tell Siren that you’re actually more manly than he is?”

Gu Xiechen, sitting rigidly at attention, let his thoughts drift, musing, Maybe Yulice really dislikes you for being too manly? If Yulice is a siren, then a siren naturally deserves a demonic man! Ah, Yulice and Siren are a perfect match! I wouldn’t think you’d fancy a woman whose skin turns purple from constantly experimenting on herself, would you?

“As the youngest, most powerful Lieutenant General in the Federation, you must be lacking for women?”

“Mmm, you must be worried sick over Yulice’s peculiar temper. Siren actually did you a huge favor! He helped you take care of Yulice!”

“Of course, I don’t expect you to be grateful for Siren’s assistance. Well, Yulice is your fiancée after all… But what are you going to do? Duel Siren?”

Lost in this cascade of internal chatter, Gu Xiechen was jolted back to reality when someone called his name. He instantly sprang to his feet, snapped to attention, and shouted a crisp, “Yes!”

Field Marshal Poison Wolf glared fiercely at Gu Xiechen. Even though he was just an image on the screen, Gu Xiechen felt the Marshal's gaze as sharp as a blade, stinging his face. Stunned by Poison Wolf’s suffocating, overwhelming presence, Gu Xiechen respectfully puffed out his chest. This colossal figure was not someone Gu Xiechen could easily afford to offend at his current standing.

After scrutinizing Gu Xiechen for a long, long moment, Poison Wolf finally chuckled lightly. “Indeed, a young hero. It’s no wonder you achieved such a feat. To destroy dozens of Roman first-class warships in one go, you remind me of my younger days… Hmm, does anyone here have a granddaughter of a suitable age? I see this young man as a potential investment worth cultivating!”

Following this remark, Qiao'an and the thirty-six Federal Generals burst into hearty laughter, with several Major Generals laughing until tears streamed down their faces. The oldest Field Marshals humorously recounted Poison Wolf’s most celebrated wartime achievements, and after an exchange of banter, everyone settled on one undeniable truth: While Gu Xiechen was talented, he still fell far short when compared to Field Marshal Poison Wolf!

Gu Xiechen secretly pursed his lips. These generals, holding the highest military power in the Federation, seemed remarkably skilled at flattery. Were they made members of the Supreme Military Council precisely because they were so adept at sucking up?

Gu Xiechen also noticed that the way several Field Marshals were looking at him felt different, as if Poison Wolf’s words had genuinely piqued their interest. They scrutinized him from head to toe, their gazes making Gu Xiechen feel like a slab of pork on a cutting board, with these Field Marshals playing the role of housewives coming to buy meat.

A Field Marshal with a full head of white hair suddenly interjected with a laugh. “His Excellency the Marshal speaks the truth. To achieve such merit at such a young age, and now to gain development rights for one-tenth of Paradise Star—hehe. It’s a pity I only have a few unruly grandsons; otherwise, I’d truly be interested in making a match.”

Another Field Marshal slowly stroked his meticulously clean beard, drawing out his words as he chuckled, “Indeed, to build a mercenary group to this level entirely through his own efforts is no small feat. Especially… ha, ha, ha. Young men like this are who we must diligently nurture; they are the future of the Federation!”

Listening to this meaningless stream of nonsense, Gu Xiechen rolled his eyes as the old generals spat out platitudes. He was beginning to lose patience.

Suddenly, Poison Wolf’s face hardened, and he barked sternly, “Gu Xiechen, is the recent nuclear missile attack related to you?”

Poison Wolf’s voice was incredibly resonant, exploding in the conference room like a thunderclap. Had it been an ordinary person, dazed by the preceding stream of nonsense and then startled by Poison Wolf’s loud shout—coupled with the undeniable intimidation of the Marshal’s status—they would likely have immediately blurted out every single thought swirling in their minds.

But what kind of person was Gu Xiechen? Hidden within his heart was an unprecedented Primordial Chaos Embryo, an aberrant artifact crafted from the core of a Prince-level vampire. Poison Wolf’s roar merely caused Gu Xiechen’s heart to tremble slightly; its rhythm didn't even skip a beat. He raised his head confidently to look at Poison Wolf and stated loudly, “It has nothing to do with me, Your Excellency Marshal! I suspect the attackers were targeting the Knights of the Sacred Blood Order! Because it is well known that the existence of the Sacred Blood Order is incompatible with…”

“Enough!” Qiao'an interrupted Gu Xiechen, rubbing his palms with a wry smile, shaking his head, and saying lightly, “The details of the incident require thorough investigation and deliberation. Of course, attacking with nuclear weapons is excessive. According to Federal Law, private possession of nuclear missiles is strictly forbidden, punishable by permanent exile. While the nature of this incident is extremely grave, we cannot rush to a conclusion. What do you think, Mr. Gu?”

Qiao'an looked at Gu Xiechen with a beaming smile, and Gu Xiechen returned the gaze with an equally cheerful grin.

Another light screen descended from the ceiling, displaying Major General Dori, an acquaintance of Gu Xiechen. He executed a crisp salute and stated gravely, “We have captured the submarine that launched the missiles. The submarine’s hull material is the special alloy used in Roman warship shells, and all components originated from Roman military factories. Tracing the background of the attackers is impossible.”

Poison Wolf and Hechomes exchanged a look, both turning their attention to Qiao'an.

Qiao'an blinked, then stated with gravity, “Then the matter is quite clear. Because Mr. Gu Xiechen caused heavy losses to the Romans on Paradise Star, the Romans retaliated against Mr. Gu Xiechen, simultaneously attempting to annihilate the assembled Federal elites. This blatant act of provocation requires a counterattack from the Federation.”

Tapping his fingers on the table before him, Qiao'an asked Poison Wolf in a measured tone, “Your Excellency Marshal, the Federal Council has decided to pass the Federal Wartime Act, placing the Federation on full mobilization to counter the Roman’s aggressive provocation. What is your opinion on this resolution?”

Poison Wolf nodded readily and smiled. “This is appropriate. Originally, I was only willing to confine the battlefield to Paradise Star, but since the Romans dared to tear up the previous ceasefire agreement and attack Earth Prime, full mobilization is necessary. This resolution should be broadcast to the Federal populace as soon as possible.”

Hechomes also nodded repeatedly in praise. “Indeed, the Romans actually deployed a nuclear weapon this time—it’s insane, completely violating the ceasefire agreement between us. Such behavior cannot be tolerated. I believe we should expand the scale of the new recruit training camps being prepared on Paradise Star and rapidly deploy reinforcements and transport new personnel there.”

Gu Xiechen vaguely began to understand; it seemed Hechomes had some connection to the Alps Comprehensive Defense Corporation. Poison Wolf chuckled, “This is necessary. We need to maintain our advantage in ground forces on Paradise Star. I believe the Federation’s immigration efforts should also commence.”

Qiao'an smiled, “That is certain, but the most crucial factor for the immigration process is whether the military can guarantee that the transport ships will not be attacked while passing through the wormholes. Your Excellency Marshal, do you believe this problem can be resolved?”

Poison Wolf beamed, “Yes. The military is currently preparing to propose a new shipbuilding plan—an entirely new, large-scale shipbuilding project. The foundation of this plan lies in the alloy formula Gu Xiechen obtained from Paradise Star. This formula will facilitate the construction of larger, more powerful main battleships with superior firepower, as well as larger immigration vessels with greater transport capacity. All of this needs to be put on the agenda urgently.”

Qiao'an immediately declared his position, “The Federal Council unconditionally supports the military’s shipbuilding proposal. Mmm, hurry up and draft a plan and submit it.”

In a few short sentences, the blame was firmly pinned on the Romans. The Earth Federation, using the excuse of Gu Xiechen and other Federal elites being attacked by nuclear weapons, was preparing to push through the proposal for full-scale war against the Romans—along with a package of proposals for developing new engines and constructing new giant warships—all at once.

As a reward for Gu Xiechen, Poison Wolf casually proposed conferring upon him the rank of Federal Reserve Major General! As the Operations Director of the Hardline Defense Company, possessing a Federal military rank was both natural and completely warranted.

Finally, Poison Wolf announced, “All conspiracies stem from the Romans. As members of the Federation, we must stand united to thoroughly defeat the Romans and restore clarity to the Solar System.”

Clearing his throat, Poison Wolf glanced left and right and smiled, “I believe that concludes today’s business. What does everyone think? Does anyone have any objections?”

Poison Wolf, Qiao'an, and Hechomes stared intently at the others. Everyone simultaneously shook their heads, confirming they had no objections.

The trio smiled and closed the light screens. This was the final investigative result of the nuclear missile incident—this was an open-and-shut case!

Gu Xiechen, who had inexplicably become a Federal Reserve Major General, shook his head. He looked back at Siren behind him and said with a bitter smile, “If they wanted to attack the Federal elites, why didn’t they just bomb Easter Island? The elites there are at least a thousand times greater in number than those on Triangle Hell Island, right?”

Siren’s icy silver eyes revealed a hint of deep emotion—if gloating counted as deep emotion, Siren’s current passion was as fiery as an erupting volcano.

“It absolutely cannot be wrong! I believe it must be the Romans taking revenge on you!”

Counting on his fingers, Siren coldly sneered, “You have too many enemies, Gu Xiechen, Pol Pot, Polukin, and the Yakim brothers, two other Roman Elector Families, even the Forbidden Moon Sect and the Alliance of Gods—they all have sufficient reason to attack you with nuclear missiles… and they definitely have the capability to attack you with nuclear weapons!”

Shaking his head, Siren sighed lightly, “Hoping to find the mastermind is futile, I think. We might as well follow the opinions of the three elders.”

Gu Xiechen lowered his head in deep thought for a long while, then suddenly raised his head, looking at Siren with the same intense, passionate gaze.

“Lieutenant General Tartarus, you truly have the scent of a man about you.”

Siren’s complexion suddenly turned ashen, matching the hue of the green light radiating from Tartarus’s head.

Tartarus, truly possessed of the scent of a man...