After the award ceremony ended, Bai Zhongqi then took a spacecraft to the Eden Galaxy.
As the most valuable star system in the Danlu Interstellar Cloud, the status of the Eden Galaxy is now somewhat similar to a reserve. The Star Alliance has built a large number of orbital facilities above the orbits of seven planets, but the surfaces of the planets have not been developed, and real immigration has not yet begun.
Bai Zhongqi arrived in the Eden Galaxy aboard the Beiluoshimen Battleship, which had recently undergone new modifications. On top of its original star energy engine, a second-stage warp engine from the Silver Feather Army's Unicorn Warship was added. Although slightly slower than the star energy engine, it could be operated without a Star Warrior on board. In addition, like other Star Alliance warships, the Beiluoshimen Battleship also installed the Teizene Shield Sharing device.
Captain Xu Lanzhou, who also served as the commander of the 33rd Fleet, explained to Bai Zhongqi, "The restrictions on using the decrypted Shield Sharing device are quite significant. Small fleets can't use it at all, but once scaled up to the size of a fleet group, meaning 200 or more warships, it is possible to establish a shield array."
Xu Lanzhou was very excited when mentioning this new technological equipment, "This device can play a decisive role on the battlefield. It's like doubling the defense capability of my fleet, especially suitable for large-scale operations in a frontal battlefield. However, after a deeper understanding, I believe that some high level civilizations should possess the means to decrypt this technology, just like us. If, like what we did in the Sirius Galaxy, we overload the entire shield, then the whole fleet would become unprotected vessels, actually decreasing defense capability."
Bai Zhongqi nodded silently and sighed, "I had actually anticipated this kind of thing. Technology is a process of spiral ascent. It's like the stealth technology in old-era fighter jets; before stealth could be decrypted, it was invincible. But once you had anti-stealth radars, that changed completely. And when new stealth technologies emerge, the opposition might become invincible again. Many technologies on cosmic warships are the same. Shield arrays themselves are also a type of shield technology. Having it can pressure the opponent, and if the opponent acquires it, they could in turn pressure us."
Xu Lanzhou still optimistically stated, "To find a way to overload the opponent's shield array, we need to collect a large amount of real-time data and sufficient internal intelligence. Between two unfamiliar civilizations, unless one civilization is far stronger than the other, shield arrays can still play a significant role when facing enemies. Like now, if we were to fight the Teizene again, even if they knew some ways to overload shield arrays, it would be of no use against us."
Bai Zhongqi now held more and better cards in his hand. Although Teizene was still huge and powerful, Bai Zhongqi increasingly regarded them as less significant in light of the Star Alliance's continuous power-ups.
At this moment, he couldn't help but take a few more looks at Xu Lanzhou, who was no longer just a commander but a fleet commander, seemingly in a better state of mind, still beautiful and extraordinarily pretty.
"Are you adapting well to the new role?"
Caught off guard by Bai Zhongqi's question, Xu Lanzhou was slightly flustered. She lowered her head slightly, "It's quite similar to the work with the former R19 Fleet, I'm quite adapted, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
Bai Zhongqi sighed and said, "Actually, this resignation was really unnecessary."
Xu Lanzhou still insisted firmly, "I think someone must take responsibility."
"All right, let's not talk about that. Let's discuss the Eden Galaxy. We have essentially completed the development of the orbital facilities of the seven habitable planets of this galaxy. There are now a large number of orbital factories, communication equipment, and even several shipyards here. It's just that we have not yet started immigration here, and there is also a lot of debate in the Earth nations themselves, and I would like to hear your opinion," he said.
Xu Lanzhou expressed her view very straightforwardly, "A star system as uniquely endowed as the Eden Galaxy should become your private property, Your Majesty."
Bai Zhongqi was taken aback by this and asked, "I currently don't have any assets in my name, and moreover, assets within the Star Alliance don't have that much importance any longer. We provide everything for all citizens, and as Chancellor, if I privately take seven planets, wouldn't that seem extremely despicable."
"Certainly not. During the era of the First Universe, the Iridium Star United Empire had hundreds of planets as your private land. However, the Iridium Star government usually claimed them as yours based on the need to protect planetary resources and ecosystems or considering them as reserve resources for the United Empire. After all, you are not in the First Universe, so these lands, once demarcated, would essentially be protected, avoiding some greedy and unplanned development projects."
Today's Star Alliance also has several administrative stars as well as many resource stars. But the idea of Chancellor-exclusive planets really made Bai Zhongqi apprehensive. On Earth during the old times, owning a few dozen acres of land counted as remarkable, but now Bai Zhongqi would directly own seven planets, which seemed a bit imposing.
The actions of the Iridium Star United Empire were often based on protective and storage purposes; they could freely change the Chancellor-exclusive planets that were not authorized for development into administrative stars or other types of property.
Bai Zhongqi still disagreed with this idea, saying, "Right now, Earth's population is so large, and the density is frighteningly high; we really need to consider migrating outward."
"But of the Star Alliance's other three administrative stars, aside from Mars which has only the Underground World, the other two planets have large habitable areas. Each of these administrative stars has the capacity to accommodate at least a population of two billion. With enough population size, these administrative stars could be developed quite prosperously. However, if we were to allow Earth residents to move to these strategic planets as they wish, the populations might be small, but it would disrupt our future arrangements.
I would suggest that we properly develop Earth, Mars, Emerald Sea Star, and Lieque Star—the four administrative stars of the Star Alliance—and then consider developing other planets," she said.
After listening, Bai Zhongqi also found some sense in Xu Lanzhou's view, and indeed, when he later made expeditions hundreds or even thousands of light-years away, Bai Zhongqi was planning to establish colonies in other star systems. If there were some planets with a high habitability level, regardless of the distance to the Lidanlu Interstellar Cloud, he planned to conduct colonial activities there to expand Earth civilization's influence.
Planetary real estate could only increase, so Bai Zhongqi still temporarily prohibited Star Alliance citizens from developing the Eden Galaxy.