Chapter Summaries

List secured Ma Zhi’s cooperation by obtaining intelligence about Pegasus Group, while Maple Leaf Mining prepared a counterespionage ruse. Ma Jiahe ordered a warship formation to move under cover of a routine exercise, unaware that the maneuver could protect the informant.

• Ma Zhi trusted List’s confidence and offered Pegasus Group’s warship specifications, factory information, and access to real-time fleet reports.
• List accepted Ma Zhi’s offer but proposed a single verification to avoid exposing his informants, and Ma Zhi agreed to provide continuously updated information.
• List called Old Chairman Lin, who confirmed Maple Leaf Mining had planted a traitor to feed Pegasus Group information as part of their counterespionage plan.
• Ma Jiahe ordered an additional warship formation sent to a marked star system, and the deputy supervisor arranged a routine drill to conceal the movement.

A genuine distress call turned Pegasus Group’s readiness exercise into a battle, giving Ma Jiahe proof that his intelligence source was reliable. Pegasus Group then began a campaign to pressure and wear down Maple Leaf Mining, while a fleet emerged from an interstellar passage into the Pegasus Galaxy.

• A detached Pegasus Group fleet answered a genuine distress signal and joined a battle against Maple Leaf Mining, destroying most of the attacking ships as three escaped.
• Ma Jiahe celebrated the victory and accepted his deputy director’s plan to pressure Maple Leaf Mining while gradually targeting isolated warships.
• Pegasus Group deployed its newly formed fleets, forcing Maple Leaf Mining to move and gathering intelligence about its forces near Guardian Star.
• Pegasus Group sent two new fleets and two older fleets to pin down Maple Leaf Mining’s forces without engaging, while its main force waited for an opportunity.
• Warships emerged through Maple Leaf Mining’s Interstellar Passage into the Pegasus Galaxy.

Virut and Simon arrived with the Great Xia Empire’s Space Carrier as List prepared to support Maple Leaf Mining in its war with Pegasus Group. After a prolonged stalemate at the Guardian Star defense line, Pegasus Group’s deputy head of security decided to launch an attack, despite Ma Jiahe offering to wait for more warships.

• Virut crossed the galaxy with Simon and watched the Great Xia Empire’s Space Carrier emerge from the Star Gate.
• List welcomed Virut’s arrival, while the Great Xia Empire continued hiding its true strength to preserve strategic deception.
• Pegasus Group’s fleets retook territory beyond the Ninth and Tenth planetary defense lines before meeting stiff resistance at the Guardian Star defense line.
• Pegasus Group and Maple Leaf Mining probed each other for more than ten days without committing their fleets to a major battle, as Ma Jiahe absorbed public pressure and redeployed his forces.
• After half a month of reconnaissance, Pegasus Group’s deputy head of security judged Maple Leaf Mining’s defenses limited and chose to attack despite Ma Jiahe offering to provide another battleship formation if they waited.

List’s ambush devastated Pegasus Group’s attacking fleet, while the surviving command accused Maple Leaf Mining’s warship factories of harboring a traitor. Ma Jiahe ordered an investigation and launched an attack on Guardian Star, leaving Pegasus Group facing a major strategic setback.

• List’s forces let Pegasus Group’s fleet enter a prepared ambush zone, then detonated Space Bombs and opened fire with concealed Fortress Cannons.
• Pegasus Group’s deputy director of the Security Department ordered a retreat and warned that the fleet might be wiped out, blaming tracking devices installed at the warship factories.
• Maple Leaf Mining’s supernatural warships fought Pegasus Group’s new-model warships on even terms as the battle continued.
• Ma Jiahe received the defeat report, cursed the frontline forces, and ordered a meeting and a lockdown of the warship factories.
• Ma Jiahe ordered the fleet at Guardian Star to attack and seize the planet if it held no new-model enemy warships.

After Pegasus Group’s defeat, Ma Jiahe defended his leadership at the shareholders’ meeting, then admitted Ma Zhi had been wrongly dismissed. Ma Zhi was promoted to deputy minister of the Security Department as Ma Jiahe maneuvered to take the minister’s post and expand the department’s authority.

• Ma Jiahe argued that no one else could have handled the crisis better and promised to resign after the group recovered.
• A shareholder asked whether Ma Zhi had been unjustly dismissed, and Ma Jiahe agreed that Ma Zhi deserved credit rather than blame.
• Ma Zhi modestly said the shareholders had acted in the group’s interests and that he should have warned them more strongly.
• Ma Jiahe proposed making Ma Zhi deputy minister of an expanded Security Department while positioning himself to become its minister.
• The shareholders approved the proposal, and Ma Zhi was promoted while he silently recalled how many of them had once opposed him.

Ma Zhi secretly helped List exploit Pegasus Group’s fleet movements, allowing Maple Leaf Mining to seize commercial dominance and leave Ma Jiahe struggling to respond. When Ma Jiahe suspected a mole and appointed Ma Zhi to lead the investigation, Ma Zhi suggested searching the warship factory instead.

• Ma Zhi accepted his powerless deputy minister post while remaining loyal to the people behind Maple Leaf Mining.
• Pegasus Group withdrew from Guardian Star, and local industries returned to Maple Leaf Mining as the Federation’s White Whale Fleet warned both sides not to cross its limits.
• List attacked Pegasus Group’s weakened forces, using fleet information supplied through Ma Zhi’s contacts to exploit their vulnerabilities.
• After two months of losses and worsening news, Ma Jiahe concluded that Pegasus Group had a mole and asked Ma Zhi to lead an investigation.
• Ma Zhi advised Ma Jiahe to investigate the warship factory first, and Ma Jiahe trusted him more for the suggestion.

Ma Zhi took charge of Pegasus Group’s search for the mole and assembled a team to investigate the warship factory. Meanwhile, Davis presented Gargoyle, a covert mech designed to infiltrate Blue Star Federation fortresses, and secured an order for three thousand units.

• Ma Jiahe gave Ma Zhi expanded authority to investigate the suspected leak after Internal Oversight failed to find evidence.
• Ma Zhi reviewed personnel files, selected employees with clean backgrounds, and required them to surrender personal belongings, use issued communications, and work in pairs.
• Ma Zhi led his team to the warship factory while List learned that the suspected mole was now heading the mole hunt.
• Davis introduced Gargoyle, a mech made from energy-resistant obsidian that instruments could not distinguish from a work of art.
• Davis explained that Gargoyle could be smuggled into enemy fortresses to sabotage their defenses from within.
• Virut approved an order for three thousand Gargoyles, and Davis prepared to contact domestic manufacturers.

Maple Leaf Mining rose to thirty-fifth place in the Federal Top 500 Corporations as Deputy Minister He helped it gain political and commercial advantages. List visited Blue Star to thank him and presented him with a luxurious Interstellar Cruise Ship, leaving their political partnership strengthened.

• Maple Leaf Mining climbed to thirty-fifth place in the federal rankings while Pegasus Group fell to twenty-ninth.
• A company indirectly controlled by Maple Leaf Mining sold black gargoyle statues in Pegasus Fortress, but most remained unsold in warehouses.
• Deputy Minister He used his political influence to secure tax reductions and product promotion for Pegasus Galaxy enterprises.
• List traveled to Blue Star and met Deputy Minister He, who said Maple Leaf Mining's votes had helped him move closer to joining the next cabinet.
• List presented Deputy Minister He with an Interstellar Cruise Ship and offered free lifetime maintenance and servicing.

List and Deputy Minister He struck a preliminary alliance that brought Maple Leaf Mining into the inner circle of federal power, strengthening it at Pegasus Group’s expense. On Guardian Star, an investigator carrying sensitive intelligence evaded Maple Leaf Mining’s fleet and headed for a Safe House.

• List offered Deputy Minister He an Interstellar Cruise Ship, and Deputy Minister He accepted it as a sign that they were allies.
• Deputy Minister He explained Pegasus Group’s government connections, and he and List agreed on the resources and support they would exchange.
• Deputy Minister He helped Maple Leaf Mining enter the inner circle of core power, giving it better access to resources and frustrating Pegasus Group’s allies.
• An investigator tried to flee Guardian Star with intelligence, but a magnetic storm disrupted communications and Maple Leaf Mining’s warships blocked escape through space.
• The investigator changed course for a Safe House on Guardian Star, hoping to evade identification and survive the pursuit.

A surviving Federation investigator escaped to a safe house, uncovered footage of Maple Leaf Mining’s Interstellar Passage, and was captured by a Mecha Knight before he could report what he found. Virut, List, and Simon then discussed the leak and the Empire’s strategy of obtaining technology peacefully.

• The investigator descended into the hills, hid in a costly safe house, and reviewed the intelligence files on his mobile terminal.
• The investigator watched footage showing a warship emerge from an Interstellar Passage and ornamental mecha models attack the camera operator.
• A black Angel Mecha broke into the safe house, and the Mecha Knight captured the investigator after he called it a traitor.
• A news broadcast reported that Soaring Dragon Group and Maple Leaf Mining had agreed to a technology transfer partnership.
• Virut asked List about the leaked footage, and List said its source was a Federation official recommended by Deputy Minister He.
• Simon argued that peaceful technology acquisition could let the Empire defeat the Blue Star Federation without war.

Maple Leaf Mining and the Great Xia Empire completed the Guardian-class Destroyer, their first warship assembled from transferred and independently developed technology. Though it lagged behind other new-generation destroyers, Old Chairman Lin presented it as a cheap, practical vessel for external sale, and the chapter ended with the destroyer positioned to serve small and medium-sized capital groups.

• The Great Xia Empire tightened security after an incident, while investigations confirmed Maple Leaf Mining was not a threat and Pegasus Group accepted the new balance of power.
• Deputy Minister He joined the newly reshuffled Federal Cabinet.
• Maple Leaf Mining and the Great Xia Empire completed the Guardian-class Destroyer after developing its design, production line, and materials.
• Old Chairman Lin introduced the destroyer at a rollout ceremony attended by officials, capital groups, and reporters.
• Old Chairman Lin defended the Guardian-class against critical questions by stressing its low price, external availability, and suitability for customers seeking self-protection.

List began using Maple Leaf Mining’s influence and the Great Xia Empire’s resources to enter the Pegasus Galaxy security system by supplying smugglers with advanced spacecraft and components. As smuggling surged on Pegasus Star, the Security Command launched a major crackdown.

• List decided to join the Pegasus Galaxy security system to gain direct influence within the Blue Star Federation, despite Simon warning that peace might not last.
• After the Guardian-class Destroyer's launch, List chose the security system over the military and prepared to use Maple Leaf Mining’s influence to obtain a powerful position.
• List ordered the operation, and Great Xia factories supplied standardized spacecraft and custom components that improved smugglers’ vessels.
• As smuggled goods increased on Pegasus Star, pressure from government leaders reached the Security Command.
• The Anti-Smuggling Command mobilized and sent spacecraft to stake out ship graveyards in hopes of catching smugglers.

Smugglers backed by Maple Leaf Mining overwhelmed the Anti-Smuggling Command’s operations, forcing Security Commander Wu Zhongliang to confront the company’s challenge to the government. He agreed to give Maple Leaf Mining the Anti-Smuggling Commander-in-Chief’s position in exchange for ending the crisis, while making sure the company would pay a price.

• A smuggler escaped Old Han the Fourth’s ambush despite heavy fire, damaging Anti-Smuggling Command vessels in the process.
• Other anti-smuggling operations also failed, including one in which modified ships sank an escort warship, prompting the Security Commander to deploy reserves as smugglers suspended their operations.
• Wu Zhongliang blamed Maple Leaf Mining for providing ships that enabled the crisis and worried that its actions threatened the government’s authority.
• Wu Zhongliang told the Anti-Smuggling Commander-in-Chief that Maple Leaf Mining wanted his position in exchange for resolving the crisis, and said the company would still face consequences.

List took control of the Anti-Smuggling Command through a deal involving Maple Leaf Mining, then began using donations and temporary workers to build up its forces. Wu Zhongliang recognized the threat and warned List to limit private donations, but List prepared to launch an anti-smuggling operation anyway.

• Wu Zhongliang promised Captain Li another post, and brokers arranged a deal in which Maple Leaf Mining gave up shares in several small resource-belt companies for Captain Li's cooperation.
• List secured the position of Anti-Smuggling Commander-in-Chief and took office with a group of trusted aides.
• List's auditors uncovered widespread corruption by the outgoing commander, but List discarded the report and urged his aides to present themselves as public-minded officials.
• List recruited thousands of unpaid temporary workers and asked Maple Leaf Mining to donate Guardian-class Destroyers.
• Wu Zhongliang realized Maple Leaf Mining was using the Anti-Smuggling Command to expand its influence and warned List to restrain private donations.
• List agreed with Wu Zhongliang's warning, then told his aides to prepare to crack down on smuggling.

The Anti-Smuggling Command deployed a new destroyer fleet near Pegasus Star, alarming the garrison and Pegasus Group. Ma Zhi persuaded Ma Jiahe that the Command’s legal authority made it a nuisance rather than a real threat, though he warned that Maple Leaf Mining could become dangerous if it rebelled.

• The Anti-Smuggling Command sent a destroyer formation into orbit near Pegasus Star, and the garrison discovered the fleet’s valid identification codes.
• The Anti-Smuggling Command told the garrison that the Security Administration Act authorized its independent anti-smuggling operations.
• Ma Jiahe asked Pegasus Group’s leaders how to respond, and they proposed replacing the Anti-Smuggling Commander-in-Chief or attacking the fleet.
• Ma Zhi argued that the Anti-Smuggling Command could cause trouble but would not dare attack Pegasus Group directly.
• Ma Zhi warned that Maple Leaf Mining might rebel against the Federation, but Ma Jiahe dismissed the possibility.
• Ma Jiahe sent the Security Department’s risk assessment onward and said he would continue working to suppress Maple Leaf Mining.

List stabilized the Anti-Smuggling Command by seizing smuggled goods and funds, then intensified enforcement as the Blue Star Federation’s attention shifted to a newly discovered planetary system where it had encountered another civilization and gone to war. After reviewing the situation, List, Simon, and Virut decided the Great Xia Empire should avoid opening a second front and develop in secret.

• List used temporary staff to seize smuggling ships, confiscate their goods and funds, and stabilize the Anti-Smuggling Command’s budget and internal control.
• List intensified the crackdown on smuggling, greatly reducing its scale while the Federation’s attention toward Maple Leaf Mining declined.
• The Blue Star Federation discovered a new planetary system through an Interstellar Passage and clashed with another civilization near a habitable planet.
• List met with Simon and Virut, who learned that the Federation had publicly revealed the conflict after suffering a disadvantage and anticipating a major war.
• List proposed opening a second front, but Virut rejected the idea and urged the Great Xia Empire to develop in secret while the Federation focused on its new war.

The Blue Star Federation ordered one hundred Guardian-class Destroyers from Maple Leaf Mining and offered technology to improve its warship production, giving the Great Xia Empire a chance to advance its military capabilities. Meanwhile, the Federation prepared its unfinished Star Era Fortress for the alien civilization’s counterattack, and a fierce battle began.

• The Blue Star Federation ordered one hundred Guardian-class Destroyers from Maple Leaf Mining and offered technical assistance to upgrade its manufacturing system.
• Virut struggled to accept the Federation’s reliance on private conglomerates, while List welcomed the technology transfer and hoped to gain further benefits.
• List learned that the first battle had been worse than official reports suggested, though the Federation’s main fleet had completed its refit and was advancing toward the new star system.
• The Federation rushed to repair the Star Era Fortress and install cannons as engineering ships withdrew and damaged warships prepared to fight.
• The alien fleet arrived before the fortress was complete, and the Federation opened fire with fortress cannons, missiles, and unmanned fighters.

The Blue Star Federation's Pioneer Fleet struggled against the Colossus Civilization and withdrew after a day of fighting, prompting the government to seek reinforcements and expand wartime production. List pledged Maple Leaf Mining's support, leaving the Federation poised to prepare for a prolonged war.

• Commander Cao Yang learned that the War Fortress's fighter production line was operational and ordered immediate fighter production and preparations for an escort craft line.
• After a day of deadlocked fighting and heavy losses, the Colossus Civilization's warships retreated, and Cao Yang requested reinforcements from the cabinet.
• The Blue Star Federation doubled Maple Leaf Mining's destroyer order and sent experts to support its technological upgrades.
• Minister He told List that the Pioneer Fleet could not reliably defeat the Colossus Civilization, even with new warships.
• List offered Guardian-class Destroyers at a forty-percent discount and promised to subsidize Federation warship construction loans.
• List said Maple Leaf Mining was expanding production and would supply warships at cost, and Minister He urged him to act quickly.

The Great Xia Empire discovered that the exit of its Interstellar Passage led into the Colossus Galaxy, where the Colossus Civilization and the Blue Star Federation were already competing for control. Derek ordered the Empire to keep the Pegasus Galaxy quiet and personally led an expedition to the Colossus Galaxy, arriving after twenty days of travel.

• Virut told List that the Interstellar Passage had revealed a new exit and that the Great Xia Empire would have to face the Colossus Civilization and another competitor.
• List proposed attacking the Pegasus Galaxy, but Virut rejected the plan because the Empire could not sustain a two-front war or reveal its warships to the Blue Star Federation.
• Derek ordered List to keep the Pegasus Galaxy silent and announced that he would personally lead an expedition to the Colossus Galaxy.
• The Great Xia Empire began preparing its fleet and support teams, while the Blue Star Federation and the Colossus Civilization divided up areas of the New Star System after clashing.
• After twenty days of interstellar travel, Derek was about to arrive in the Colossus Galaxy.

The Great Xia Empire deployed its new warships and fortress system, while Derek entered the disposable Pseudo-Seraphim mech to confront the Colossus Civilization. He reached the Colossus fortress and began tearing through its defenses under heavy bombardment.

• Lin Jie learned that he would accompany Great Xia into a war against the Colossus Civilization and the Blue Star Federation.
• Derek entered the Pseudo-Seraphim mech, linked with the carrier network, and flew toward the Colossus fortress.
• The Blue Star Federation ordered reconnaissance ships to investigate the unknown object, while the Colossus Civilization charged its Fortress Cannons.
• Derek announced the Seraphim's arrival, cleaved a warship in two, and began destroying Fortress Cannons.
• The Colossus commander ordered saturation bombardment, but the Seraphim's energy shield blocked most of the attacks as Derek continued his assault.