Ever since the news of the Fia Queen's indisposition spread, Fia had descended into a complete mess; those who usually kept their ambitions hidden, dreaming of usurpation, had now drawn their weapons. The Queen’s loyalists formed one faction, Ivan colluded with the foreign relatives forming another, the Queen's husband constituted a third, Iilya made up a fourth, and that was not even counting the high-ranking officials of the Legions, each preparing to carve out their own kingdom.

Among all the powers, Iilya’s faction was the strongest. Karu deployed troops to surround the Crystal Palace; the mutants, led by Peizhe, protected Iilya, while the mutant plush beasts lurked menacingly across various star systems.

However, none of this affected Tang Wen and Bran's moods. Upon arriving in the Niya Star System, Tang Wen settled into a luxurious hotel near the Crystal Palace, spending his days watching the drama unfold from his balcony.

Bran wasn't as entertained as Tang Wen. “When do we make a move to capture those mutants?” He hadn't forgotten his mission in the slightest.

Tang Wen slowly shook his head. “The timing isn't optimal yet.” Bran nodded, then shook his head again.

“It should be soon; these people must settle their scores before the Legion Assembly.” The turmoil in the Fia court had begun, but it hadn't reached the point of complete disintegration. No one knew the actual condition of the Fia Queen, who was only nominally unwell.

True collapse would only begin with the Queen's death. Less than two weeks remained until the Unity Headquarters' Legion Assembly, and whoever secured the qualification to attend that assembly would gain the most benefits from this coup.

Tang Wen smiled without speaking, flicking his fingertips to open the star map above the table. Gazing at Fia’s territory, he mused, “If we wish to expand our domain, preparations to act must start now.” Bran’s eyes suddenly widened.

Was Tang Men preparing to devour Fia? The four largest Legions in the galaxy by territory were the Angelic Domain, the Interstellar Federation, Fia, and the Huaxia Legion; Tang Men was comparatively weaker, ranking down in the teens.

Of course, this was partly due to Tang Men's policies. Tang Men had always prioritized commerce.

Whether it was strategic weaponry or infrastructure, in Tang Men’s view, everything was just a means to make money. To protect their commerce from disruption, Tang Men had always been reluctant to engage in war, making them one of the wealthiest Legions in the galaxy.

As Bran marveled at Tang Wen preparing to take charge of Tang Men, he couldn't help but feel some worry—was it really wise to rashly involve themselves in war? Every Legion’s history was a chronicle of war, yet the reality was clear: Legions that participated in wars ultimately ended up destitute.

Watching wars from the sidelines was the true path to wealth. Bran silently calculated the costs and returns of war, preparing to conduct a feasibility analysis based on facts.

Whether war was beneficial or not, he couldn't say yet; he could only advise Tang Wen on the course of action once he had the conclusion. Tang Wen turned his head to glance at Bran, seeing his deep contemplation, and chuckled.

“This piece of Fia is too large; we can’t swallow it in one go, and even if we did, we wouldn't be able to digest it. Besides, it’s inconvenient for Tang Men to make a move.” Bran’s highly strung heart finally settled, and he asked, “Then who is convenient to act?” Tang Wen smiled and didn't answer.

“Guess?” Bran pondered carefully. The Wolf's Den?

Unlikely. The Wolf's Den was currently preoccupied, needing a long time to digest the Hope Legion after taking it.

Moreover, the Wolf's Den didn't border Tang Men, making it difficult to extend its claws that way. Who else was there?

Bran looked at the star map; the Legions bordering Tang Men and Fia were the Moko Legion. The Moko Legion’s current strength was comparable to Tang Men’s; both were considered among the Four Great Family Legions.

They had the power, but they wouldn't help Tang Men act; instead, they’d prefer to seize a piece of the spoils themselves. Tang Men had a small Legion behind them, but that small Legion couldn't amount to much, so Bran decisively crossed it out mentally.

When Bran snapped back to reality from his thoughts, he found Tang Wen had already pushed away the light screen and was rolling on the table. The tabletop was made of pure crystal, extremely smooth, so rolling his face on it posed no risk of ending up with a grid-patterned face like one who rolled on a piano.

Thus, Bran calmly stated, “I can’t guess.” Tang Wen paused his face-rolling momentarily, then sat up straight. “Idiot.

The Teutonic Mercenary Corps.” Bran was momentarily stunned, then understood. Truly brilliant!

The Teutonic Mercenary Corps was one of the largest mercenary corps in the entire galaxy, maintaining outposts in major star systems across every star domain. It would be entirely logical for them to seize one or two star systems on the border while Fia was in chaos.

A mercenary corps wasn't a Legion; it didn't require territory, nor did it have much incentive to defend fixed territory. When the time, opportunity, and personnel were right, the Teutonic Mercenary Corps could simply trade star system sovereignty with Tang Men.

Bran knew a little about the history between Tang Wen and the Teutonic. Tang Wen had once saved the Mercenary Corps’ life and provided the initial funding for their rise.

The Teutonic were sentimental people; even in a trade for a star system, they wouldn't make things difficult for Tang Wen. Bran couldn't help but give Tang Wen a thumbs-up.

The Young Master was smart, and that made him happy too! Bran considered for a moment.

“Shall I arrange it now?” Tang Wen nodded. Bran added, “And should I also arrange for some people to stir up even more chaos in the Crystal Palace?” Tang Wen smiled faintly.

“You read my mind.” Bran opened his optical computer, preparing to get to work, when he suddenly remembered something and asked, “Then what gift are you preparing for Ziye?” Tang Wen wouldn't say directly, being mysterious. “There will be one.” This was a period rife with discord: interstellar war, Fia’s internal conflict, and the Unity Headquarters convening the Legion Assembly—every one of these events was capable of radically altering the interstellar political landscape.

Amidst this chaos, perhaps only the Siyatu Star System remained unaffected. As the top tourist destination in the galaxy, Siyatu saw its number of visitors only increase, with those escaping reality, the disgraced, and those seeking profit flocking there, further boosting Siyatu's development.

Currently, on Siyatu’s famous Ten-Mile Corridor attraction, a four-person band was performing, drawing a massive crowd of onlookers. Every member of the band was handsome, especially the drummer, whose movements were cool and whose aura was excellent, instantly catching the eye.

When the song ended, after the audience dropped some banknotes, they dispersed. As the drummer stood up to stretch his limbs, he suddenly spotted a woman standing on the corridor, watching him.

She was dressed in simple casual wear, standing still, her eyes showing neither joy nor sorrow. Yet, that calm expression sent a chill down his spine.

His face instantly paled, and he told his companions, “I’ll be gone for a moment.” Seeing him leave, the person slowly followed him to a less crowded garden. The woman stopped in her tracks and said coldly, “** (placeholder for name), what exactly are you running from?” ’s fingertips trembled, reminiscent of the resonance when striking the drums.

He slowly turned around to face the woman. “Secretary Bai, long time no see.” Bai Lanxue’s sigh carried a hint of sternness, like that of an elder in the family.

“How long are you going to be willful?” ** stubbornly turned his face away. The moment he saw Karu and Iilya walking down the aisle to their wedding, he could no longer ignore things.

Sometimes ** hated himself for being powerless. Yet, he could do nothing.

After "losing" his father, gaining a stepmother, and then losing his girlfriend, he couldn't bear it all and fled to Siyatu alone to clear his head. He had learned several instruments in his youth.

In Siyatu, he met a few like-minded friends and simply formed a band, staying in Siyatu ever since, earning enough to support his life there through performances. He had half-hoped that he could continue escaping like this forever.

However, Bai Lanxue suddenly stood before him. At that moment, he knew his time in Siyatu had reached its end.

** managed a bitter smile, musing quietly that this day had actually arrived later than he had expected. Bai Lanxue softened her voice.

“, look at what the Interstellar Federation has become. Can you really sit still here?” ** stubbornly kept his face turned away, refusing to look at her.

“I haven't looked; I don't know.” Bai Lanxue frowned, instinctively wanting to scold him, but ** was, after all, not one of her core confidantes. She hesitated for a long moment.

“Stop messing around and come back to the Interstellar Federation with me.” ** glared at her. “What am I going back for?

To watch them flaunt their affection in front of me? I can't!” Bai Lanxue took two steps forward and patted his shoulder.

“You child. Actually, the situation now is vastly different.

The war is over, and your father has gone to Fia with Iilya.” ** was thunderstruck. “What did you say?

My father married into Fia?” Bai Lanxue shook her head. “No.

But sending troops to Fia while abandoning so many people in the Interstellar Federation is hard to justify. If anything were to happen to Fia, he would become the target of public criticism.

Furthermore, the Interstellar Federation needs him badly now. I came here to ask you to go back and persuade him, **, stop being willful, alright?” ** spoke stubbornly.

“I’ve severed ties with him; I have nothing to do with him now. It’s useless for you to look for me.” Bai Lanxue chided him.

“How can you speak like that? You share the same blood; that can never be denied.

**, if even you can’t persuade him, who can? You are his dearest son.” ** looked into the distance silently, unsure how to respond.

The word "father" sometimes sounded like a joke. Seeing that his expression was less hardened than before, Bai Lanxue knew her words had an effect.

She sighed again. “We’ve worked together for so many years; I understand his character.

He wasn't reckless before; he's just been blinded by Iilya lately. As his son, you are in the best position to advise him.

Do it for the good of the Interstellar Federation, won't you? Karu is the supreme commander of the Interstellar Federation; the Federation cannot be without him.” By the end of her speech, Bai Lanxue’s tone carried a note of entreaty.

** drew his gaze back from the distance, his expression still rigid. “I’ll consider it.” -RL