Liu Hui was overjoyed when he saw that the large bag was filled entirely with God-level Monster Cores. He counted them and found there were an astonishing one hundred and twenty-five God-level Monster Cores inside.

Seeing so many God-level Monster Cores, Liu Hui's mood soared, and he smiled as he asked, "My dear Alexander, where did you find such an abundance of God-level Monster Cores?"

Alexander replied, "Most of these God-level Monster Cores were found in the residences of nobles within the Gilv Kingdom. The remainder were purchased for me by the Pompeii Kingdom from other Elven vassal states."

Liu Hui chuckled, "My dear Alexander, your teacher thanks you profoundly this time; you have brought me an extremely fine gift."

Previously, Liu Hui had used eighty-one God-level Monster Cores to construct a massive energy gathering formation. This setup now provided more energy annually than the entire planet Earth consumed in a year, and this energy source would never be depleted. In essence, the 'Starry Sky City' would never have to worry about energy issues again.

Upon realizing the profound utility of the God-level Monster Cores, Liu Hui had subsequently saved sixty more, intending to build another colossal energy gathering formation at the future Mars Base to supply it with vast, inexhaustible, and utterly secure power. He never anticipated the immense surprise Alexander brought, gifting him one hundred and twenty-five God-level Monster Cores all at once. This meant he could now deploy at least two more massive energy gathering formations, guaranteeing that the development of 'Starry Sky City' would forever be free from energy concerns, and significantly accelerating the Mars terraforming project.

Alexander was delighted to see how much Liu Hui cherished the gift. He declared, "Respected Teacher, over this past year, we have received an additional thirty million human compatriots and ten million members of enslaved races. Our total population has now surpassed the one-hundred-million mark, and we are on the verge of possessing an entire Elven nation. The method I previously used to manage our human population through the Church of Light now seems somewhat outdated. Therefore, I earnestly seek your guidance on how to govern such a nation."

Liu Hui felt a measure of satisfaction seeing that Alexander had recognized the administrative challenges. It proved Alexander possessed ambition and wasn't content to rest on his laurels after achieving success. The more ambitious Alexander was, the greater the returns he would bring to Liu Hui, necessitating his full support.

Thus, Liu Hui smiled, "My dear Alexander, I can certainly teach you the methods of governing a nation. However, I need some time to prepare. I will contact you again once I am ready."

, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, ~, ~~~, , ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liu Hui concluded his call with Alexander and immediately sought out the department he had specifically established years ago—the one overseen by Yang Xiao and Yang Dong, a department with a peculiar mission: exclusively dedicated to setting the background lore for their boss's novels.

This eccentric department had persisted throughout the years, their sole task being the continuous refinement of background materials for their boss's fiction. The scripture of the Church of Light alone had been revised numerous times. In their view, the background setting was already exceptionally comprehensive, yet what puzzled them was that despite submitting all these materials to their boss, they had never once seen him actually write a novel.

Regardless, this department dared not slacken in the duties assigned by Liu Hui. They executed every task diligently. Nor did Liu Hui treat them poorly; over the years, the personnel in this department had achieved very high ranks within the entire Starry Sky Group, enjoying excellent benefits. Liu Hui had even brought in experienced sociologists, psychologists, and religious experts to ensure that their output was flawless, leaving no room for error.

Liu Hui's investment yielded excellent returns. The current scripture of the Church of Light was extraordinarily perfect, possessing a formidable capacity for indoctrination and fostering immense cohesion. It was precisely this high level of unity that allowed Alexander in the magic plane to forge the Church of Light into an ironclad entity so quickly and seize the territory of an Elven vassal state, ascending to become the exalted Pontiff of the Church of Light himself.

This peculiar department received its latest assignment from the boss today: to research methods for infiltrating the Church of Light into the entire structure of national governance. Upon receiving this task, Yang Xiao and his team immediately drew parallels to contemporary Islamic nations, where some Middle Eastern countries practiced a system of theocracy, merging state and religion. They immediately began analyzing the political systems of these theocratic states, integrating them with the tenets of the virtual Church of Light they had created. Amazingly, they devised a highly actionable plan for governing through the union of church and state.

After reading the governance plan, Liu Hui strongly endorsed its contents and immediately transmitted it to Alexander. Alexander, who always treated knowledge imparted by Liu Hui as sacred decree, accepted the plan without reservation and immediately applied it to administer the nation under his control.

After Liu Hui resolved Alexander's administrative crisis, he returned to Earth. Hu Xianni and Shu Yan, who had been away for two months, also returned to 'Starry Sky City.' Upon her return, Shu Yan appeared deeply dejected.

Liu Hui learned from Hu Xian'er that Shu Yan had gone back to her home era to find her father, only to discover that no such person existed in her hometown. No matter what method Shu Yan used to search, she could not find any trace of her father, as if he had never existed in this world. Curiously, all of Shu Yan's relatives and friends were present, yet none of them remembered that a person named Shu Yan's father had ever existed.

Unable to locate her father, Shu Yan reluctantly returned to 'Starry Sky City.' Learning of this, Liu Hui suspected that Shu Yan’s father might have vanished due to his own butterfly effect. He felt profound sympathy for Shu Yan's plight and wished to offer comfort.

However, Shu Yan felt she had deceived Liu Hui previously and dared not hope for his forgiveness, causing her to actively avoid him. Liu Hui was at a temporary loss and could only instruct Hu Xian'er to look after Shu Yan and ensure she didn't succumb to despair. After all, Liu Hui owed his current standing entirely to Shu Yan, and seeing her—who carried the memories from the true Shu Yan’s diary—always reminded him of the Shu Yan from Chuzhou.

Thus, following the establishment of the Earth Alliance led by 'Starry Sky City,' the planet quickly entered a new order. Vitality bloomed across the globe, ushering in a long-awaited Golden Age of development for human society.

Time sped by quickly, and soon it was 2019.

Throughout 2018, 'Starry Sky City' achieved monumental success once more. Its GDP soared to fifteen trillion Starry Sky Dollars, instantly surpassing the United States to become the world's undisputed economic powerhouse. Meanwhile, the US suffered a severe setback in 2018 due to a massive super-tsunami and a subsequent viral crisis, compounded by the destruction of two cities by the 'Professor's' gorillas. Consequently, its GDP sharply declined to just under twelve trillion Starry Sky Dollars, finally relinquishing the position of the world's number one economy, a title it had held for decades.

For Liu Hui to elevate 'Starry Sky City' to the world's leading economy, starting from running the Han Tang Hospital, took less than eight years. In this span, he propelled 'Starry Sky City' to the apex of global economic power. Such an achievement was not only unprecedented but also a height unlikely ever to be matched.

In 2018, 'Starry Sky City' not only demonstrated outstanding economic performance but also reached a zenith in international stature. Under its guidance, the established Earth Alliance made 'Starry Sky City' the nominal leader of Earth, granting it significant clout in handling international affairs.

Although some nations harbored lingering resentment towards 'Starry Sky City,' for the time being, they were compelled to rely on its goodwill. 'Starry Sky City,' much like the United States in its prime, offered rapid development to any nation that fostered good relations, constantly waving its checkbook for massive global procurement.

The pace of construction in 'Starry Sky City' accelerated sharply in 2018. By the end of the year, the total completed area reached three thousand square kilometers. If development continued at this rate, 'Starry Sky City' would be fully completed in three more years, reaching the planned scope of ten thousand square kilometers, transforming it into an unimaginably vast metropolis.

In terms of immigration, since 'Starry Sky City' became the de facto leader of Earth, its formidable military and economic strength, coupled with the superior welfare benefits afforded to its citizens, led to a significant surge in longing for the city. The number of people intending to immigrate grew constantly.

Unfortunately, the rather vexing immigration rule established by 'Starry Sky City' caused immense frustration for many. The wealthy and powerful found that their money and influence counted for nothing in securing a path to residency. There was only one route to immigrate to 'Starry Sky City': passing the Huaxia Knowledge Examination. To clear this rigorous test, one had to study Huaxia knowledge diligently, with zero tolerance for falsehoods.

In 2018, among the five thousand individuals who successfully immigrated to 'Starry Sky City,' there were virtually no prominent figures from the elite classes. Foreigners accounted for only about a hundred people; the vast majority were pure Han Chinese. The immigration policy Liu Hui set years ago was finally showing its intended effect: 'Starry Sky City' was built for the common Huaxia populace, not for the privileged—the fundamental basis for establishing his ideal society.

Of course, once the direct immigration route was completely sealed, another avenue opened up for those wishing to settle in 'Starry Sky City': engaging in the sex industry there. After working in this profession for a stipulated number of years, one could then apply for immigration.

This prospect attracted the attention of young, beautiful women from struggling, underdeveloped nations. They began flocking to 'Starry Sky City,' hoping to enter the sex trade. This line of work was not only lucrative but also exceptionally safe, without fear of extortion. Furthermore, upon successful immigration, they would truly escape their miserable circumstances and live genuinely happy lives.

However, even within the sex industry, 'Starry Sky City' maintained extremely rigorous screening. Those failing to meet height and appearance standards were barred from entry, and surgically enhanced 'artificial beauties' were summarily rejected. Moreover, 'Starry Sky City' strictly controlled the number of personnel allowed in this sector, meaning that even possessing the necessary qualifications didn't guarantee a spot; applicants had to wait in line for vacancies to open up in the sex industry roles.

Liu Hui's peculiar regulation resulted in 'Starry Sky City' becoming a gathering place for countless naturally beautiful women from around the world. These women, upon successful immigration, would contribute exceptionally high-quality human genes to 'Starry Sky City,' continuously improving the genetic caliber of its population over the coming decades—a brilliant decision for which future generations would thank Liu Hui.

As for those attempting to sneak into 'Starry Sky City,' there was absolutely no possibility. Firstly, their unauthorized vessels could not dock at 'Starry Sky City.' Following the invasion by the God-level experts, 'Starry Sky City' had drastically enhanced its monitoring protocols, making it impossible for individuals to board secretly without the city's knowledge.

Secondly, 'Starry Sky City' had an explicit regulation forbidding any citizen from harboring unidentified persons, under penalty of having their citizenship revoked and being expelled. Therefore, citizens would not risk banishment to employ illegal labor. Furthermore, detection was simple: a quick scan of their genetic ID could instantly reveal whether a person was an undocumented stowaway.

, , ----~~---, , -----

The Spring Festival of 2019 had just concluded when the Mars terraforming project of 'Starry Sky City' abruptly accelerated, entering its most critical phase: landing on Mars and utilizing technological means to modify the Martian environment, making it habitable for humans to live freely.

Since 'Starry Sky City' initiated the impact program years ago, the surface and atmosphere of Mars had undergone violent transformations under the influence of two massive impacts, changes that only now began to subside slowly.

By 2019, the planetary sculpting activities on the Martian surface were largely complete, and the violent hurricanes in the atmosphere were diminishing. The overall geographical environment of Mars had basically taken shape. According to the plan, this was the crucial moment for humanity to land and commence the active modification of Mars.

Liu Hui and Anqi stood side-by-side before the massive screen at the Scientific Research Institute, viewing the latest footage transmitted from the forward vessels on Mars.

"Mars has changed so drastically now! It’s utterly unrecognizable from its former self," Liu Hui murmured in awe.

Anqi replied, "Of course. Did you imagine our years of work on Mars modification were for naught? Mars is no longer purely red; it is now a mosaic of red, blue, and white. The Martian surface has fractured into several tectonic plates, with deep fissures appearing between them. Those blue substances within these fissures are freshwater. It is precisely because of this freshwater, brought from outer space via the impacts, that water vapor has appeared in the Martian atmosphere, initiating the natural phenomenon of thunder and rain. Mars is now undergoing the faintest cycle of atmospheric water circulation."

Liu Hui asked, "Anqi, do you think our previous impact operations were successful?"

Anqi smiled, "The first impact attempt was not very successful because the data we had collected on Mars was extremely incomplete at that time. However, during the second impact, utilizing an ice-rich planet, we had fully corrected the previous trajectory deviations. Thus, the Mars we see now is nearly perfect, closely matching the results simulated on our supercomputer. Look here: the data shows that due to the massive eruption of lava, the core temperature of Mars has dropped significantly, and the Martian core has successfully solidified, establishing the planet's primordial magnetic field. With this field, Mars can now retain its atmosphere, preventing gases from escaping into space."

"Then, because of the intense crustal movement on the Martian surface, massive volcanic eruptions occurred, significantly raising the surface temperature. Some ice melted into water, and vast amounts of carbon dioxide were released, further increasing the temperature. The current Martian temperature is approaching zero degrees. Moreover, during the second impact, we brought a huge amount of water resources to Mars. Under the influence of this water, a primitive atmosphere finally formed on the surface, initiating a simple atmospheric water cycle, making it possible for life to arise on Mars. Of course, once we land, we will significantly alter the geography to adapt it for human survival in a short time."

Liu Hui smiled, "So, if we can no longer stay on Earth, possessing Mars means we truly have a home of our own, is that right?"

Anqi leaned against Liu Hui and said, "Yes, once the terraforming is complete, Mars will be our eternal home. No one will ever be able to drive us away then."

Liu Hui embraced Anqi. After a pause, he asked, "Are all the materials for the Mars transformation ready?"

Anqi replied, "The materials required for Mars terraforming are immense. We began preparations for these supplies several years ago, and now nearly everything is ready. We plan to transport five billion tons of material to Mars this time. If we manage to deliver all these supplies, our terraforming plan will face no difficulties whatsoever. The only question is whether you have a method to send all this material to Mars?"

Liu Hui smiled mysteriously, "Anqi, don't worry! No matter how many supplies you prepare, I have a way to deliver every bit of it to Mars."

Anqi leaned contentedly against Liu Hui's chest, saying, "I knew you'd have a way, my man."