Liu Hui started, asking in confusion, "The Earth-shattering Treasure Trove? What exactly is that?"

"Liu Hui, do you remember?" An Qi replied. "We once confiscated a piece of high-tech mecha armor from a woman..."

Liu Hui nodded. "Of course, I remember. That night was incredibly dangerous, but thankfully we had Xian'er, otherwise we wouldn't have managed to take down that member of the God-Tier expert squad."

An Qi continued, "Later, I studied that high-tech mecha armor, and inside its optical computer, I discovered an unbreakable data packet. I told you about it then, do you recall?"

Liu Hui chuckled. "I certainly do. You said that data packet was impossible to crack, possibly holding immense secrets, but I never heard you mention it again afterward."

An Qi smiled faintly. "Exactly. In the beginning, we didn't understand the encryption methods used for alien data. Even running decryption calculations through a supercomputer yielded nothing. So, I shelved it for a while. However, once we recovered the fragments of the main optical computer from the alien battleship, we immediately obtained the alien data's encryption pattern. I started analyzing that previous data packet, and after a period of intensive effort, we successfully cracked the contents. Do you want to know what was inside?"

An Qi's words immediately piqued Liu Hui's interest in the data packet. He inquired, "What is in this data packet? Could it be that 'Earth-shattering Treasure Trove' you mentioned?"

An Qi smiled slightly. "Indeed. The contents of this data packet relate to the whereabouts of a colossal treasure..."

Liu Hui paused, saying, "Aliens have treasure troves too? Are aliens also interested in hoarding valuables?"

An Qi laughed. "That's not for me to know. But now you understand why the aliens came to our Solar System, right?"

Liu Hui nodded. "I get it now. Their purpose for coming here was that treasure of the Land Empire. But what treasure of the Land Empire do we have here?"

After defeating the aliens, the Starry Sky Empire had captured hundreds of thousands of them. Through interrogating these alien prisoners of war, combined with data recovery from the battleship's optical computer fragments, Liu Hui had learned that this invasion was centered around the Land Empire's treasure.

An Qi smiled. "Liu Hui, I don't know where this Land Empire is, but the truth is, we have already located the whereabouts of the Land Empire's treasure..."

Liu Hui was startled. "Wait, is the secret of the Land Empire's treasure inside that data packet?"

An Qi laughed. "Precisely. The Earth-shattering Treasure Trove I mentioned refers to the Land Empire's hoard. This packet meticulously details the burial site of that treasure, even including a specific inventory list and detailed stellar charts for guidance. If we follow this interstellar route, we can immediately claim this treasure, which is unbelievably vast for us..."

Liu Hui's heart rate accelerated. He stood up excitedly, repeatedly asking, "An Qi, where is this treasure? Is it far from us, and what exactly is inside?"

An Qi explained, "We previously obtained detailed stellar charts of the nearby cosmos from the optical computer fragments on the battleship. By cross-referencing these charts, we discovered that the Land Empire's treasure is extremely distant from the Solar System. Even utilizing continuous spatial folding technology for interstellar travel, it would take us a minimum of twenty years to reach that location. However, according to the record, the quantity of the treasure is staggering. Once we secure it, in a short amount of time, our strength will multiply several times over. Only then will we have truly entered the Starry Sky Age. At that point, even if reinforcements from these aliens arrive, we will have no fear and can meet them head-on."

Liu Hui was taken aback. "The treasure is that far from our Solar System..."

An Qi laughed. "Be grateful! Countless bloody battles have been fought across the universe for this treasure; billions have died violently, yet they never found even a single clue to it. We now possess the specific treasure map. It will only take us some time to locate it. Aren't we incredibly fortunate?"

Liu Hui suddenly clenched his fist and declared loudly, "I have decided. I will only serve as Emperor of this Empire for fifty years, and then I will take you all to search for the treasure left by the Land Empire."

Hearing Liu Hui’s long-term vision, An Qi was momentarily lost in the fantasy of finding the treasure. After a long pause, she snapped back to reality. She remarked, "The universe is truly mysterious. Only when we begin to grasp some of its secrets do we realize how small the steps we have taken truly are..."

Liu Hui also spoke with longing. "For humanity, merely entering the Starry Sky Age is not the end, but merely the beginning. We might yet discover that this boundless cosmos is riddled with many secrets..."

An Qi added, "Actually, while cracking that data packet, we didn't just find the treasure's location; we also found a diary written by a descendant of the Land Empire."

Liu Hui became highly interested. "What did this descendant of the Land Empire record in the diary? Did he mention how his diary ended up on Earth?"

An Qi replied, "This descendant of the Land Empire seemed to have some intellectual issues. His diary was written in a completely disorganized manner. After our efforts to compile it, we only managed to extract a small portion of useful information; the rest was incomprehensible nonsense."

Liu Hui pressed, "What specific useful information did you find?"

An Qi explained, "From this person's diary, we learned that the Land Empire was established about ten thousand years ago. The person who founded it was named Land. This Land possessed extraordinary talent; in a mere two hundred years, he elevated the Land Empire to its zenith, making it the most powerful empire in the cosmos."

Liu Hui gasped in amazement. For Land to conquer the universe in just two centuries—he couldn't fathom how he accomplished it.

An Qi continued, "But Land had a peculiar obsession: he loved collecting various rare materials. During the more than one thousand years he reigned as Emperor of the Land Empire, the sheer volume of materials he amassed was beyond any possible count, yet no one knew where these materials ended up."

A thought stirred in Liu Hui's mind. Could this Land have once possessed a Plane Trading Device? That would explain how he propelled the Land Empire to cosmic supremacy in only two hundred years. Otherwise, his sudden rise and penchant for hoarding rare materials were inexplicable.

Liu Hui instantly became more engaged and asked, "What happened to Land afterward?"

An Qi narrated, "Later, for reasons unknown, Land suddenly went mad. He began searching the empire for some strange object, as if he had lost something vital. Unfortunately, Land never found that object in the end. After a thousand years, Land finally passed away in sorrow. At the time of his death, he gathered his family and gave them a strange device, instructing them to use it to search for a mysterious object. He told them that finding this object would allow the Land Empire to rule the universe forever. After saying these words, Land revealed the location of his treasure to his descendants, hoping they would utilize the hoard wisely to ensure the Land Empire's perpetual strength."

Liu Hui grew increasingly perplexed. From An Qi’s account, he was now certain that Land had indeed acquired a Plane Trading Device. He made his fortune using it, but for some reason, he lost it later, leading to his frenzy and the creation of an artifact designed to sense the device—which he desperately searched for until his death, leaving behind the treasure and the tracking instrument.

However, a doubt immediately surfaced for Liu Hui. The Plane Trading Device was the 'one that slipped away' between heaven and earth, utterly inscrutable. Could this instrument genuinely locate it? Or had Land somehow uncovered secrets about the device, enabling him to build such a thing?

An Qi carried on, "What Land didn't foresee was that immediately following his death, his empire began to collapse due to insufficient foundation. His subordinates rebelled against the Land Empire and slaughtered all of Land’s descendants, with only a tiny minority managing to escape. The Land Empire rose swiftly, only to crumble even faster. After escaping certain death, Land's surviving descendants went into hiding, wandering the cosmos. Even though they knew of the immense treasure their ancestor had left, they dared not seek it, fearing discovery and extermination."

"Thus, millennia passed. Land's descendants dwindled, and their strength waned. They drifted through the cosmos until, somehow, they reached Earth. By this time, only one descendant of the Land Empire remained—the individual piloting that high-tech mecha armor. Upon arriving on Earth, the strange device left by Land finally activated; it detected the very mysterious object Land had been searching for. Immediately, the last descendant of the Land Empire piloted the mecha armor, following the instrument’s guidance to seek out the mystery object Land valued most."

Liu Hui was now certain that Land’s descendant was pursuing the Plane Trading Device. He hadn't expected the device could actually be tracked. He promptly asked, "What happened next?"

An Qi related, "Land's descendant discovered a mage who had traveled from the West to the East. From this mage, he discerned the trace of that mysterious object. In a bid to seize this item, he engaged the mage in a series of major battles, but the conflict ended in mutual destruction; neither side achieved victory. Shortly thereafter, the sole surviving descendant of the Land Empire died from his severe injuries, and the equally wounded mage likely faced the same fate."

After hearing An Qi recount the secret history of the Land Empire, a clear pattern began to form in Liu Hui’s mind. The Plane Trading Device truly was the 'one that slipped away' between heaven and earth, just as Hongjun had stated; possessing it could alter one's destiny, but no one could hold onto it forever.

Land initially obtained the Plane Trading Device of this plane and used it to found the Land Empire, elevating it to a cosmic powerhouse. However, due to some uncontrollable factor, he lost the device, causing the empire's rapid disintegration. Unbeknownst to Land, the device eventually reached Earth and fell into the hands of a Western mage.

Then, Land's descendant arrived on Earth and used the strange artifact his ancestor left behind to locate the device’s current owner—a mage traveling from West to East. They then fought a battle of life and death for control of the Plane Trading Device. As a result, Land's sole heir was completely annihilated, and the Western mage surely died from his wounds. After the mage perished, the Plane Trading Device on his person vanished again. Later, perhaps, the Three Pure Ones obtained it. After them, it came into Liu Hui's possession.

Having connected the dots regarding the Plane Trading Device's origins, Liu Hui could only sigh repeatedly at how unpredictable and uncontrollable it was. He knew he must be far more cautious in the future; otherwise, losing it would make recovery impossible.

On January 1st, 2030, the Starry Sky Empire was officially established on Mars. On this day, the empire renamed its calendar system to the Starry Sky Era, marking it as the first year of the Starry Sky Era.

The heads of state of all nations on Earth received invitations to witness the ceremony. When these leaders arrived on Mars via rapid interstellar shuttles, they were all stunned by the magnificent scenery.

Although Mars had suffered fierce attacks from the aliens, leading to heavy losses, the Starry Sky Empire's technological level was already advancing rapidly. They began employing the newest high technology on the planet. Within months of remediation following the great catastrophe, Mars's natural environment had seen significant restoration and improvement, and factories that had been destroyed were being rebuilt and resumed production.

Even though Mars’s natural environment hadn't fully recovered, the beauty of the planet was incomparable to Earth, which had endured multiple calamities and severe human exploitation. After disembarking on Mars, the heads of state gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Starry Sky Empire's power. Comparing this to the actual state of their own national strength, they completely abandoned the strategy of building up military force to confront the Starry Sky Empire. They resolved to return and immediately formulate new policies to firmly align themselves with the Starry Sky Empire in pursuit of better development, as confrontation offered no benefits. Some nations even began preparing to hold national referendums, hoping to merge into the Starry Sky Empire—though these were matters for later discussion.

In the Martian imperial capital, named New Chang'an, all preparations for Liu Hui’s enthronement were complete. Although Liu Hui agreed to become the Emperor of the Starry Sky Empire, he strongly disliked tedious procedures, so the founding ceremony and enthronement were kept deliberately simple. Attending this historic moment were only the heads of state from Earth's nations and select representatives from various sectors of the Starry Sky Empire.

At ten in the morning on the first day of the first month of the Starry Sky Era, amidst the roar of ceremonial cannons, Liu Hui ascended the central platform in New Chang'an Square. Dressed in brilliant yellow dragon robes and wearing an elaborate ceremonial crown, he possessed the bearing of ancient sovereigns.

Liu Hui glanced at the crowd assembled in the square and spoke slowly, "Once, I held an ideal: to establish a just and ideal society. When I was twenty, I believed this ideal would never be realized. But after I founded the Starry Sky Group, through the collective efforts of all Starry Sky people, our ideal society is finally on the verge of realization."

Liu Hui continued, "Though I am now the Emperor of the Starry Sky Empire, I will only reign for fifty years. After five decades, I will return this nation to you. The Starry Sky Empire will become a democratic nation. It does not belong to the powerful or the privileged; it belongs to all ordinary people. In the future, the Starry Sky Empire will be governed truly by the people, for you are the true masters of this nation."

The audience immediately erupted in thunderous applause. Liu Hui had difficulty quieting the ovation several times. This applause stemmed from genuine, spontaneous feeling, as the people were hearing the words they most desired to hear, and no one was directing or controlling the reaction.

Liu Hui finally managed to quell the applause slightly and resumed, "Here, I, Liu Hui, swear that during my tenure as Emperor of the Starry Sky Empire, I shall faithfully execute my duties, remain loyal to the nation, serve with unwavering dedication until my death, and strive to build our nation into one that is free, democratic, and prosperous..."

Then, Liu Hui bowed to all four directions, concluding his exceptionally brief inaugural address, and stepped down from the platform. A roar immediately rose from below the platform: "Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live His Majesty the Emperor..."

Although Liu Hui’s speech was brief, its content was profound. The assembled observers began to applaud enthusiastically, shouting slogans in unison, cheering for their revered Emperor. The cheers and shouts continued unabated, enveloping not only the square in New Chang'an but spreading through spiritual energy fluctuations to every corner of the Solar System.

The Starry Sky Empire was finally established, ushering in a brand-new chapter in human development. Many years later, those who witnessed the founding ceremony would recall this historical moment with immense pride and honor.

Following the establishment of the Starry Sky Empire, Liu Hui became Emperor, Hu Xian'er became Empress, and An Qi, Liang Jingyue, and Shu Yan became his Imperial Concubines. Their children became Imperial Princes. However, Liu Hui had no intention of passing the throne down perpetually, so he afforded his princes no special privileges; they continued to live and study as before.

The temporal power residing within Shu Yan finally dissipated entirely after all these years. Within half a year of Liu Hui becoming Emperor, she finally conceived a child.

When Shu Yan realized she was carrying Liu Hui’s child, she couldn't help but weep uncontrollably. Before having a child, she always felt like a transient passing through time, never truly integrated into this world. With this child, she finally felt truly merged into this era, completely woven into Liu Hui’s family unit.

Liu Hui’s fourth child was soon to be born, bringing immense joy to the entire family. They were uninterested in power; what mattered to them were their loved ones and children beside them.

While Liu Hui’s family in New Chang'an on Mars celebrated, behind a temple in the 'City of the Starry Sky' on Earth, facing the ocean, stood a young maiden.

This maiden was Xiao Yao. After repeating the final year of high school several times, Xiao Yao had finally graduated this year and, miraculously, been accepted into her dream university. Her heart thrummed with excitement. She came alone to the spot where she and Liu Hui had made their promise, retrieving the small box from between the fingers of a Buddha statue.

Xiao Yao opened the small box, revealing a diamond ring nestled inside. A long-absent smile graced her face. She gazed toward Mars in the starry sky and laughed, "Uncle, I miss you so much. Do you know? I succeeded today! I not only graduated but got into the university I dreamed of. I have fulfilled our agreement. Wait for me; I’m coming to New Chang'an right now to confess my feelings to you. I know you will fall for me. You’re the Emperor now; surely one more concubine won't be an issue..."

On Mars, another large human city was named New Luoyang. On the sports field of New Luoyang Second High School, students in their final year were undergoing physical examinations.

A delicate little girl was running the long-distance race. She ran faster and faster, nearing the finish line, when suddenly a sharp pain pierced her mind. Her vision darkened instantly, and she collapsed less than ten meters from the finish line.

"Little Tong, what's wrong with you?" the classmates standing nearby cried out in alarm. They rushed over, carefully lifted Xiao Tong, and rushed her to the infirmary.

Then Xiao Tong's best friend began calling Xiao Tong's parents. Upon hearing that their daughter had fainted, Xiao Tong’s parents immediately requested leave from their company and rushed to the school where Xiao Tong was located.

Two hours later, Xiao Tong opened her eyes. She looked around with curiosity and saw her parents sitting right beside her. Judging by the surroundings, this place must be a hospital.

"Xiao Tong, how are you feeling? Jogging long distances has never been an issue for you; why did you suddenly collapse today?" Xiao Tong's mother asked.

Xiao Tong's father frowned, "Xiao Tong, today is your eighteenth birthday. Is everything alright with you?"

Just as Xiao Tong was about to speak, she suddenly discovered a segment of memory implanted in her mind—a memory that felt both alien and intimately familiar. It was alien because it contained the entire life experience of someone unrelated to her; yet, it was familiar because she realized this memory belonged, inherently, to her. The sensation was akin to waking up from a deep dream only to slowly recall the events of reality.

"How can this be? I am Xiao Tong, and I am also Shu Yan, but wasn't I already dead?" Xiao Tong slowly pieced together the clarity within the flood of memories.

Xiao Tong's mother said angrily, "Xiao Tong, what nonsense are you spouting? You've only just turned eighteen today; saying such things is ill-omened. You must know that under His Majesty the Emperor's wise governance, our Star Empire has not seen a death in a very long time."

Xiao Tong turned her head and happened to see the news segment about Liu Hui playing on the television in the room. Xiao Tong gasped, pointing at Liu Hui on the screen, "Huihui? He's actually my Huihui! How did my Huihui become the Emperor?"

Xiao Tong's father froze, quickly covering Xiao Tong's mouth, and scolded in dissatisfaction, "Xiao Tong, shut your mouth! What are you babbling about? How dare you address His Majesty the Emperor by his personal name! While His Majesty might not blame you if he knew, shouldn't you feel ashamed of yourself?"

Xiao Tong stared blankly at Liu Hui on the television. After a moment, she suddenly laughed, "Haha, I, Shu Yan, am back! Huihui, after experiencing separation and death, we finally meet again after so many years. This time, we will be together forever, never to be parted again."

Xiao Tong’s mother felt her daughter’s forehead. "After we received the Body Evolution Fluid injection, our physical fitness greatly improved. Logically, we shouldn't be experiencing colds or fevers. Why is our daughter starting to talk incoherently?"

Xiao Tong dodged her mother's hand, skillfully jumped off the bed, and took a few light hops on the floor, realizing her physical condition was excellent. She smiled, "Mom and Dad, please don't worry! I'm not speaking nonsense; I really do know Liu Hui! I need to go find him right away. I'm sure he must be eager to see me too..."

Liu Hui was completely unaware that two women were about to come looking for him. At this moment, his family was gathered around the table, sharing a meal and discussing a serious matter.

"Dad, just agree to it!" Xiao Bao served Liu Hui a large helping of savory food, looking up at him pleasingly.

Liu Hui coughed lightly and looked toward Liang Jingyue beside him. Jingyue's eyes immediately reddened, and she said, "Xiao Bao, do you really want to leave me like this?"

Xiao Bao chuckled, "Mom, what are you worried about? I'm just joining an exploration vessel for an expedition; it's not like I'm never coming back. Don't worry, I'll be back safely within five years at the most."

Liu Hui said, "Jingyue, the child has grown up; he has his own aspirations. As parents, we should support him!"

Liang Jingyue remained silent, merely looking at Xiao Bao with teary eyes. Xiao Bao was nearly twenty years old now, having grown into a handsome young man. He didn't know why he had become so obsessed with exploration, which is why he wished to join the Star Empire's expedition ships to probe the unknown cosmos.

Liu Hui stated, "Alright, let's consider this matter settled for now! Xiao Bao can go exploring, but only once. After he returns, he must stay close to your side, no more running around. Remember the old saying: 'While parents are alive, one should not travel far.'"

Xiao Bao looked somewhat crestfallen but immediately brightened up, saying, "Dad, I understand. Just having one chance to explore is more than enough."

Hu Xian'er's daughter, Liu Sumei, clapped her hands happily and laughed, "That's wonderful! Since big brother can only go out once, that means he'll have plenty of time to play with Sumei later."

Xiao Bao grumbled, "Go on, kid, you only know how to play. Sumei, you're a girl; you need to be more reserved. Don't play with such childish things all day. Besides, you can't just play by yourself; you need to spend more time with little brother Xiaosheng. You are his older sister and should set a good example..."

Sumei walked over to An Qi, looked at little Liu Sheng still sucking his fingers in An Qi's arms, and lamented, "Little brother Xiaosheng only knows how to bite his fingers. How are we supposed to play with him? Should we bite our own fingers too?"

Hearing Sumei's words, everyone burst into laughter. Shu Yan touched her increasingly large belly, a happy smile spreading across her face.

That evening, Liu Hui piloted the Six-Winged Battle Angel, accelerating rapidly toward the distant universe. Under Liu Hui's control, the Six-Winged Battle Angel flew far beyond the solar system, entering the vastness of the starry expanse.

Suddenly, Liu Hui halted the angel's advance. He looked back at the distant solar system, feeling an overwhelming sense of awe. Compared to the boundless cosmos, the solar system was incredibly minuscule. Although humanity had conquered the entire solar system, it amounted to nothing before the universe. Humanity had only just taken the first tentative step toward conquering the cosmos; an endless journey lay ahead of them.

On Mars, while controlling the Six-Winged Battle Angel traversing the distant reaches of space, Liu Hui maintained his habit at home of searching for trade coordinates for the Planar Trading Device according to a fixed pattern. He had been doing this consistently since acquiring the device, but regrettably, after decades of perseverance, he had failed to find a single new Planar Trader.

When he first began trading with the Zerg, Liu Hui learned from them just how difficult it was to locate a viable Planar Trader. At that time, he had scoffed at the Zerg’s warning because he had found three traders instantly. However, since that time, Liu Hui’s good fortune seemed entirely spent; over the subsequent decades, he hadn't located a single new Planar Trader.

Despite this, Liu Hui persisted in searching for new traders every night. After decades, he had grown somewhat desperate and numb. Yet, this very night, when Liu Hui dialed a specific planar number, the Planar Trading Device rang once and was actually answered.

Liu Hui froze, then erupted in ecstatic joy. He immediately halted the Six-Winged Battle Angel's movement, focusing all his consciousness on the Planar Trading Device. His decades of effort were finally yielding a reward; he had found another Planar Trader.

On the Planar Trading Device’s screen, there was initially only a blurry mist, preventing Liu Hui from clearly seeing the situation on the other side. Then, a ghastly pale human face materialized directly in the center of the screen, startling Liu Hui badly.

The pale face spoke: "Esteemed Planar Trader, I am Hades, hailing from the Phantom Plane. I am delighted to conduct trade with you!"

Liu Hui immediately replied: "Respected Mr. Hades, I am Liu Hui from the Technology Plane. I am equally delighted to trade with you!"

(End of Story!)

As the final character was typed, the novel *Planar Trading: The Super Corporation* had truly concluded. This book began writing in October 2010. During the period between December 2010 and April 2011, writing stalled for five months. From the resumption of updates in April 2011 until this conclusion, exactly one year has passed.

The entire novel spans 2.27 million characters. Previously, Qianyu Chuhai had never written anything exceeding ten thousand characters; completing a novel of 2.27 million words is nothing short of a miracle.

In the beginning, the primary objective for Qianyu Chuhai in writing this book was to create the society of his ideals, offering a place of hope for those who felt injustice in the real world.

However, as the writing progressed, Qianyu Chuhai realized that there were far too many irrational elements in the world, elements that could not be entirely eradicated even within a fictional narrative. Consequently, in the middle phase, I abandoned the commentary on current affairs, realizing it held little meaning.

By the later stages, due to constraints on length, some pre-designed plots and characters had to be scrapped. Although this book cannot be labeled as an abrupt ending—the development of various aspects received decent explanation and resolution, leaving no major unresolved plot holes—it deviates somewhat from my original concept. But the book is finished now, and there are no further opportunities for revision; so, it is as it is!

In this book, Qianyu Chuhai borrowed the names of some friends and relatives. For instance, the protagonist's name originated because my mother's surname is Liu, and my wife's name contains the character Hui, thus leading to the character Liu Hui. Of course, the appearance of some friends was purely a cameo role; my best friend's appearance consisted only of a single tragic cry of "Ah," before he was instantly killed.

Qianyu Chuhai wrote this book mainly to fully realize this story; it was essentially a part-time endeavor, not primarily aimed at making money. Although some income was earned during the writing process, that income was truly minimal for me. The reason I managed to persevere and complete it wasn't solely to see the book through from beginning to end, but also to express gratitude to the readers who constantly supported and encouraged me. It is precisely because of your support and encouragement that *Planar Trading: The Super Corporation* could be fully concluded.

Even if Qianyu Chuhai passes away, I can proudly state that I left behind a work of literature in this world. When my descendants have forgotten me, future readers might still learn that a person named Qianyu Chuhai once existed in this world by reading my work.

Some readers who cared about my future plans asked if I would write another book.

I have been hesitant about this question. The poor performance of this book stems from the fact that I did not adhere to the conventions of commercial fiction; I wrote purely according to my own vision and did not prioritize interaction with readers. To write this book, I sacrificed most of my rest time.

Therefore, if I decide to continue writing, I will adopt a commercial model for the new book. If I decide against it, I will retire from writing completely and remain merely a reader from then on.

The decision on whether to start a new book will be made in mid-May 2012. If no new book appears after that date, then this chapter will mark Qianyu Chuhai’s eternal farewell to you all... RO