The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace was as peaceful as ever, and Emperor Edwan, known for his hard work, uncharacteristically gave himself a half-day off.
He opened two bottles of good wine in his own bedchamber, inviting no ministers or generals, drinking alone as he awaited the eight o’clock on Yaha Star.
The live broadcast television was already set up, this precious public broadcast frequency currently had no extra programming, just demonstrating how to set up the studio.
The White Ghost was about to make an appearance, directly conversing with Hui Saka.
Edwan was inexplicably a bit nervous now.
The door to the bedchamber opened a crack, and a pretty face peeked in, winking at Edwan.
Emilia smiled and said, "Care to watch the live broadcast together?"
"Of course, come on," Edwan gestured with his hand, "that way we can save some broadcasting fees."
"You’re too stingy," Emilia said indignantly.
Edwan forced a smile, continuing to stare at the rapidly scrolling comments section, unconsciously having sweaty palms.
At Dark Star One base and Base Two, a group of metal skeletons huddled together, staring at the stolen broadcast signal.
In the unclaimed airspace not far from the border of the Wind Empire, a pirate group comprising six ships of various sizes entered a rest phase, with pirates gathering in small groups, placing bets on whether the White Ghost would really show up.
At 7:50 PM on Yaha Star.
Hui Saka arrived outside the studio, wearing a straight formal suit, holding a few scripts, continually adjusting his breathing.
He was especially handsome today.
Outside the building, the traffic spread across five levels had come to a complete halt, there were densely packed heads everywhere, countless people gathering here.
If later the White Ghost clashed with the authorities, it might result in casualties far exceeding a terror attack.
But people couldn’t be persuaded otherwise, disregarding the impediments, resolutely surging here, raising various signs of the White Ghost.
Several warships hovered just outside the atmosphere;
Thousands of various small vessels and hovering vehicles completely sealed off this city block, yet all keeping a distance from the building.
Even in the sewers, a batch of small robots patrolled back and forth.
Everyone was on high alert.
Inside the building where the studio was located, dozens of transformed people and supermodified individuals, disguised as staff, were hiding in various conference rooms and storage spaces, waiting for Griss’s command.
In an inconspicuous RV by the roadside, Griss crouched in front of several rows of monitors, this was the on-site command center.
Of course, for safety’s sake, there were also two backup remote command centers.
At 7:53 PM, a convoy comprising three Empire generals and two local executive prime ministers of the Empire arrived in front of the building.
A drizzle began falling from the sky, the appearance of these five powerful figures of the Empire heightened the crowd’s anticipation.
At 7:58 PM, Hui Saka was already seated at the center of the studio, the five powerful figures of the Empire waiting outside the studio door.
A few seconds later, Hui Saka began introducing today’s special guests, five elderly white-haired individuals publicly met the citizens, and the studio’s ratings soared once more.
This meant that the Empire’s officials were about to publicly dialogue with the White Ghost.
"Oh," Yang Ming, seated in the host’s chair, looked down at his watch, "we might have to wait for him one or two minutes, after all, this kind of scene surely came with a lot of pressure for him."
The staff suddenly let out cries of surprise.
The studio’s camera drones swarmed towards the windows.
Outside the window, amid the hazy drizzle, a red halo flickered softly, with a silhouette floating in the halo, flying from an unknown building to the window.
The familiar helmet, the battle-scarred gray-white exoskeleton armor, and this unbelievable mid-air ground-walking...
Everywhere, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
Yang Ming’s lips curled into a smile, he adjusted the buttons of his formal wear, glanced at the five Empire officials, and rose to await today’s final guest.
Simultaneously, deep within the palace of Sherman Empire’s Emperor Star, the elderly Emperor yawned, leaning back in a plush chair, watching the holographic projection screen in front of him, gently raising an eyebrow.