[Hui (Ghost, that man), "To gain powerful abilities, must one inevitably lose something?"]
[Catherine (Squad Leader), "Without a strong inner self, it’s impossible to harness power that exceeds the limits of ordinary people. A strong inner self cannot be born in a greenhouse; it must endure enough hardships."]
Yang Ming read these two sentences, and a wave of emotion stirred within him.
His home, family, a blue planet.
What had he experienced?
Death, burning by the earth’s fire, the countdown to death, family melting away at his fingertips.
[Hui (Ghost, that man), "Captain, why are you saying so much today... Have you been charmed by my family atmosphere? Has this become an advantage of mine?"]
[Catherine (Squad Leader), "Yes, I’m not like you, with only a hard mouth. I quite like the atmosphere here. Just now, your mother held my hand and said a lot. Tomorrow, she’s even taking me shopping. ^.^"]
[Hui (Ghost, that man), "It’s not my mouth that’s the hardest part of me, as you’ll naturally find out later. Get some rest, enjoy your day tomorrow, don’t reply anymore; hurry up and sleep."]
[Catherine (Squad Leader), "You can’t dictate my sleepiness."]
[Hui (Ghost, that man), "Thank you. My family is very satisfied with my girlfriend; they’ll worry a bit less about me."]
In the next room, Catherine turned over, hugging her pillow as she lay on the soft mattress, lost in thought, staring at the few photos she had just taken.
Yang Ming rested his head on his arm, lost in thought for a moment, then put away the communicator and attempted to fall asleep.
The feeling of being protected by a large number of "guards" from the Military Intelligence Bureau was quite comforting.
His usual network terminal popped up with a message from Lyu.
"Boss, there is a situation."
Yang Ming immediately put on the hidden earpiece, and Lyu’s voice quickly sounded:
"I rented a server on the Free Federation’s Head Star that just detected a slight anomaly. The New Federation’s parliamentary delegation is trying to contact the core power behind the Fourth Pioneer."
Yang Ming instinctively glanced at the wall, quickly tapping out messages.
"’The New Federation contacting the Fourth Pioneer? Is the Second Pioneer planning something?’"
"Uncertain for now," Lyu promptly replied, "I suspect the Second Pioneer felt the pressure from the White Ghost. If he believes the White Ghost is the First Pioneer, it’s possible he might seek cooperation with the Fourth Pioneer."
"’Keep a close watch on this matter, report any updates immediately.’"
Yang Ming furrowed his brows tightly.
This was no small matter. If Pioneers allied, it could easily lead to the alliance of two "contestant planets."
As for the Second Pioneer having previously eliminated the Fourth Pioneer’s external forces... in the face of absolute interests, there’s no room for so-called grudges.
"Yes! One more thing: it’s a message from Miss Hera."
Yang Ming immediately asked, "’What did Hera say?’"
"The Empire is currently conducting a search for buried insect points, and has discovered seven new ones so far, covering only a quarter of the Empire’s airspace."
"Miss Hera mentioned again that if too many insect swarms are destroyed in a short time, it will trigger an Insect Race protection mechanism. It’s very likely that a high-rank swarm might come to support the afflicted swarms.
"Although the swarms were artificially induced and cultivated by the New Federation, this can also be seen as a new reproductive method for the Insect Race.
"In the next phase, the Empire could face attacks from high-rank swarms at any time."
Yang Ming pondered slightly.
From his perspective, the Empire’s loss of strength had both good and bad effects on him.
However, if the honeymoon phase between the White Ghost and the Empire lasted longer, he could smoothly enter the core power circle of the Emperor Star, and that might hold greater value.
Moreover, when looking beyond the Empire,
In a war between humans and the Insect Race, Yang Ming would undoubtedly side with humans.
He wasn’t like those traitors from the New Federation who saw insect swarms as biochemical weapons to attack different regimes.
"’I will alert the Empire.’"
Yang Ming responded simply, and several figures flashed across his mind.
Admiral Thomas, Captain Griss, Director Riva...
This intelligence was incredibly valuable, but to whom should he sell this favor?
A figure suddenly appeared, his greasy hairstyle swaying before Yang Ming’s eyes.
This was a decent candidate.