Global Crossing: Empire of Stars

"There's nothing wrong. It's a good thing." He couldn't stop smiling. He hadn't expected to get such a huge benefit just by going out for a casual stroll!

Although the Matter Reorganization ability was still locked, it was clearly a divine skill that relied on Psionics. Someone else might have been left regretting that they couldn't use it, but in his hands, it was a treasure waiting to be unlocked.

Once Li Heng awakened his Psionics, he would become an outstanding materials scientist. Combined with the Matter Reorganization ability, it was easy to imagine how far his research into materials could go!

The unexpected windfall put Lin Zhichen in a great mood. He took Wei Peng around the shopping district, buying some clothes and food.

In the Old Era, Dongzhou cuisine had been famous throughout the world, with each of the eight major cuisines boasting its own distinctive qualities.

But in the Interstellar Era, those dishes were no longer anything special. The Federation ruled over far too many colonies, and each region had adapted to its local conditions to create an incredible variety of foods—so many that it was hard to choose.

Lin Zhichen and Wei Peng were currently eating an alien clawed crab. It resembled the crabs found on Earth, but its meat was exceptionally delicious, and each crab was as large as a washbasin. One was enough to make a meal.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two strolled around the shopping district, bought a few interesting trinkets, then leisurely headed for their flying car.

But in the parking lot, Lin Zhichen and Wei Peng were stopped.

"May I ask if you're Regiment Leader Lin?" A man who looked polite but could barely conceal his arrogance stood in their way and gave Lin Zhichen a perfectly proper gentleman's bow.

Lin Zhichen didn't return the greeting right away. With interest, he glanced at the four bodyguards behind the man. They wore sleek, lightweight exoskeleton armor and looked frail, but all four were Psionicists. Though they were only Apprentices, that alone showed the man before them was no ordinary person.

Not just any rich man could recruit Psionicists to serve him. He needed not only money, but power, too.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. Get to the point—what do you want?" he asked. His Psionic perception had already picked up on trouble earlier, which was why the two of them had uncharacteristically walked around the shopping district twice.

Otherwise, why would two grown men with no girlfriends be wandering around a shopping district?

A glint flashed in the man's eyes, and he smiled. "Regiment Leader Lin, you're refreshingly direct, so I'll be too. My name is Convis Borgley, and I'm the Angus Legion's local executive officer.

"To be frank, the NPC you just purchased is extremely important to our legion. Please consider selling him to us. We're willing to pay three times what you paid."

Lin Zhichen scoffed. "Sorry, he's important to our regiment, too. I'm afraid I can't help you!"

He turned to leave, but the four Psionic Apprentices in exoskeleton armor blocked his way. Convis Borgley spoke unhurriedly. "Ten times the price!"

Psionic light flashed in Lin Zhichen's eyes. The four Psionicists blocking him recoiled as if struck by lightning, immediately scattering out of his way. He snorted. "Do I look like I need money?"

Then he and Wei Peng strode away, leaving Convis with a dark expression.

"My lord, he's a Psionic Warrior!" One of the Psionic Apprentices approached and spoke cautiously. "Should we contact headquarters for support? The four of us can't hold him back."

"The Solar System isn't going anywhere. Where could he run?" Convis Borgley said darkly. "He took what's mine. Sooner or later, he'll have to give it back!"

Lin Zhichen paid no attention to what was happening behind him. Even if he made nice with them now, they would still be enemies once NZT-50 went on the market. Weakness would only make others think he was easy to bully.

"Big brother, I've looked into it. The Angus Legion was founded two hundred years ago. It's an established legion, with thirteen divisions publicly listed under its command. Each division has a fleet of at least a hundred thousand ships!" Wei Peng reported solemnly.

"The legion commander, Padri Wex, is said to be a powerful Hero. He distinguished himself in several of the Federation's campaigns abroad and received commendations from the Federation military. He has considerable influence in both military and political circles!"

Lin Zhichen replied calmly, "We just need to focus on what we're doing."

With enough hard work, any gap could be narrowed. The Meteor Mercenary Group was weak because it had been established too recently; it had barely had time to build up any resources.

The flying car took off swiftly and headed toward the Qinyuan.

A day later, the Qinyuan passed through the star gate and arrived at its destination, the Ouwan Galaxy.

The moment the Qinyuan docked at the spaceport, a Holographic Communication came through.

"She really has some clout." Lin Zhichen glanced down, and a smile appeared on his face.

The Qinyuan had only just entered port, yet Conilia had already called him. This woman was more than just a merchant.

"Come over. I'm waiting for you at the Pangbesi Grand Hotel." Conilia's image appeared on his holographic wristband, then transformed into an icon pointing toward the hotel.

The flying car started up, and a few minutes later they arrived.

"Damn, it's huge!" Wei Peng exclaimed.

Much like the elves in Lin Zhichen's imagination, the Anlan Tribe's architecture resembled a forest. Their buildings took the form of enormous trees in all shapes and sizes. Unlike the natural aesthetic found in Federation territory, which was mostly imitation, these trees were real.

The so-called Pangbesi Grand Hotel was a colossal tree more than a kilometer in diameter!

Since the tree's canopy took up so much space, the area beneath it was packed with trees of varying heights and shapes, arranged in layers to make the most of every inch of land.

The natural fragrance of flowers mingled with the scent of fruit. Strange blossoms and fragrant fruit filled the city, and visitors didn't have to pay a thing—they could pick and enjoy fruit from the trees along the roads.

Conilia wore a splendid gown woven from special plants. Flowers in every shade of the rainbow flowed from top to bottom, gradually deepening in color and creating a natural beauty.

It was a living dress!

"How fascinating. The nobility's civilization really is different from the Federation's, with its unique natural beauty," Lin Zhichen praised without reservation.

"Nature contains every kind of beauty." Conilia smiled faintly. Framed by her flower crown and floral gown, she looked exceptionally beautiful. She gave a graceful lady's curtsy, reserved and keeping her distance.

"Welcome, esteemed Regiment Leader."

Lin Zhichen deliberately teased her with a drawn-out "tsk, tsk." "Look at that, already keeping your distance before I've even won you over. Women really are heartless!"

Conilia's face stiffened. She almost lost her composure on the spot, rolled her eyes, and ushered the two of them onto the hotel's scenic terrace. It was an elegant place, well suited to discussing business.

The hotel attendants brought out fruit, wine, and dishes, then quickly withdrew. The vast terrace was left with just the three of them.

"This is one of my family's properties. If you need anything, just ask." Conilia took a small plate, selected several kinds of fruit from the platter, and tasted them slowly.

"These are all Spirit Fruits grown by my family. They taste wonderful. Help yourselves."

This was Anlan custom: let everyone choose for themselves, rather than making decisions on anyone else's behalf.

Lin Zhichen didn't stand on ceremony. He picked out a few pieces of fruit and vegetables to try. The moment they entered his mouth, their remarkable flavor nearly left him entranced.

But what impressed him most was the abundance of Psionics in the fruits. They were easy to digest, and their effects were nearly as good as Warrior Tier Psionic potions sold on the market. That showed how precious they were—but right now, they were simply fruit, and he was just tasting them.

Introduction

I plan to put the book on sale today, so I'll say a few words. Longtime readers know that the sister book to this one, Global Crossing: Empire of Stars, flopped. I wrote this one later.

The previous book focused mainly on development and farming, and the pacing was rather slow. So I changed things up this time and made it more combat-focused, to see how it would go. The results were obvious: the number of paid subscribers on the first day was even lower than for the first book. At the time, I felt utterly hopeless.

I originally considered dropping it, but some readers were still supporting me, and I'd spent quite a long time thinking about this book's plot. So I decided to take things slowly and see how it went.

After stumbling twice, I've more or less realized that I'm not a great author who can make a plain plot captivating.

And science fiction web novels are indeed a niche genre these days, with relatively few readers. Compared to the thrill of fists smashing into flesh, it's certainly harder to make space battles fought across hundreds of thousands of kilometers work.

I've given up hoping for a breakthrough and plan to keep writing. Even if it's just to improve my prose and sharpen my ideas, it'll at least let me broaden the kinds of stories I know how to write. Of course, I still have to earn enough to put food on the table. I hope you'll continue to support me.

Whether to tip is entirely up to you. The main thing is a full subscription. If you enjoy this book, please consider supporting it.

I've learned from the last book, and I'll try to keep this one shorter and the plot tighter. I hope you enjoy it!

Original Work Commitment: No Violations

I, Feng Ying, guarantee that this signed work is my own original creation and that I will strictly follow the Feilu Writers' Agreement in the course of writing it. I am committed to originality and will avoid the following violations. Should I violate any of these commitments, I am willing to bear all resulting consequences.

First, I guarantee that this signed work is my original creation and does not involve plagiarism or translated-work plot plagiarism.

Second, I guarantee that I will not plagiarize any other person's work or plot in the course of writing.

Third, I guarantee that I will comply with all laws and regulations in the course of writing, including but not limited to avoiding political content, pornography, gambling, drugs, promoting cults, ghostwriting, submitting rejected manuscripts, outsourcing, and selling works or accounts.

Fourth, regardless of its length, I guarantee that this signed work will have a complete ending. I will never leave it unfinished, nor will I stop updating it without bringing it to a conclusion.

"Today I've finally seen the extravagance of the nobility. It makes us commoners feel ashamed!" Lin Zhichen sighed.

Conilia:

Of course, he was joking. After they'd sampled the wine and food, they got down to business.

"NZT-50's greatest benefit isn't for everyday studying. It's for breaking through. Whether you're advancing your own skills to a higher tier or transforming them into Psionic techniques, it can be a great help." When it came to business, Conilia's expression grew especially serious.

"Its greatest value isn't in improving the overall abilities of the lower classes. With your current production capacity, that's just a pipe dream.

"But it can elevate the strength of the middle and upper classes, allowing gifted individuals to advance more quickly and a group of elites to be cultivated in a relatively short time. That's where its greatest value lies."

Lin Zhichen fell into thought. Conilia's perspective had opened up a new way of looking at things. It seemed NZT-50 was even more valuable than he'd expected.

"Your thinking is different from mine, but you see farther." He nodded. "Given your perspective, what's the most likely outcome if NZT-50 becomes known?"

"Don't worry. By selling NZT-50 to me, you've involved the Anlan Tribe as well. Even if the Federation tries to seize it by force, it will have to consider how my people feel." Conilia seemed to see his concerns and offered reassurance.

"Our people will deter the Federation from intervening directly. But you'll have to deal with the infighting within humanity yourself. Frankly, I doubt you've had nearly enough time to prepare."

"Compared to those old organizations that have been around for hundreds of years, even if the Meteor Mercenary Group develops as quickly as it can for another decade, it still won't measure up. So how could we ever be fully prepared?" Lin Zhichen shook his head.

"If we want to develop by leaps and bounds without taking any risks, we won't find that kind of deal in this world.

"Before the Solar System crossed over, the Human Federation had already developed for countless years. There were innumerable interest groups, and they'd long since swallowed up every existing benefit.

"As newcomers, the price of breaking through this invisible cage is obvious. Back in the Old Era, unequal distribution of wealth and power had led those who arrived first to oppress those who came later—and that had sparked two world wars."

Conilia nodded with approval. "Since you understand that, you're clearly prepared for what's ahead. In that case, there's still hope."

She paused, then said thoughtfully, "I heard you acquired a materials-scientist NPC in the Dover Galaxy. He has the Matter Reorganization talent, and that led to a conflict with the Angus Legion?"

Lin Zhichen chuckled. "It's sweet of you to take such a personal interest in me, even over something this small. What, are you going to speak on their behalf?"

"Don't misunderstand. The Angus Legion is powerful, but now that you have NZT-50, you're bound to face them sooner or later." Conilia shook her head.

"What matters is the Matter Reorganization talent. If this NPC awakens his Psionics, he'll be able to reorganize matter. What I mean is, he can help you reconstruct the hulls of Psionic Warships that have grown to a certain stage, upgrading them into higher-class starships.

"For example, once the Qinyuan meets certain conditions, it can grow into a Destroyer, or even a Cruiser. Now you understand how valuable this NPC is, don't you?"