1933, We Have Grown Up
Tang Xiao looked around at the members attending this meeting. In truth, the power represented by those standing here now was already far greater than it had been at the Confederacy of Independent Systems' final meeting.
His gaze sharpened slightly, and he understood something...
The Fourth Civilization had grown up.
Twenty years had passed since they arrived here in 35BBY. The Fourth Civilization had grown from a single mothership, just over a hundred crew members from the first batch to be awakened, and its Administrator, Tang Xiao, into a colossal entity with more than two thousand habitable planets and a population exceeding 800 billion!
From Blade-class fighters that had not even been enough to serve as toys, to hundreds of kilometer-long capital ships!
From merely several thousand assault rifles firing solid ammunition, to a comprehensive army equipped with all manner of powerful mechs, tanks, and combat droids!
From having to bribe officials at every level just to establish a small company and get approval a few days sooner, to commanding the willing service of the great Mega-corporations with a single order!
From being thrilled to earn more than ten thousand Upiupi coins from an occasional mercenary job, to possessing their own independent currency and financial system, with trillions upon trillions of money circulating at every moment!
From Tang Xiao being able to take only a T-850 as a bodyguard when he went out, to having powerful mysterious organizations such as Ghost Academy and Dusk Oath under his command, with experts gathered like clouds!
From Tang Xiao having to personally take the field, to having a supreme commander like Sefrans Tann under his command, leading mighty fleets across the nebulae!
Yes, they had grown up.
In their early days, they had submitted to Hego Damask II,