Global Crossing: Empire of Stars Section 6

The battle was over. Having continuously used Psionics to stimulate his brain, Lin Zhichen felt a wave of dizziness once he relaxed. He slumped into the captain's chair. "Damage Control, collect the spoils! Leave immediately once the battlefield is cleaned up!"

This was within the Pirate Base's patrol range. Once the fighting began, the other side had surely reported the attack to the base through their communicators. It was foreseeable that fleets were already being dispatched from every direction.

If they did not leave in time, they would likely have to face the Encirclement and Suppression of hundreds of pirate ships.

A day later, having recovered, Lin Zhichen began calculating their gains.

"One Small Red Laser Cannon turret, another Frigate Blueprint, and a Large Electromagnetic Railgun turret!"

Lin Zhichen's eyes lit up when he saw the Large Electromagnetic Railgun.

The technology behind Large Electromagnetic Railguns was actually the same as that of small and medium electromagnetic railguns. The only difference was that large electromagnetic railguns were more powerful and more expensive.

This was a large turret that only Destroyers fitted with a Dreadnought Bow could install. It sacrificed the weapon slots of one medium turret and two small turrets in exchange for a single large main gun, choosing ultimate firepower.

If struck by artillery fire from something like this, even a Cruiser would cry out in pain.

Of course, what mattered most to Lin Zhichen was that it was expensive. A large turret usually sold for four times the price of a small turret—36 units of Universal Alloy, nearly 180 Energy Coins. That was another third of a Frigate covered.

"What an Auspicious Land!" At this point, Lin Zhichen had completely stopped considering the increased difficulty and danger posed by the pirate fleets. He was utterly drawn in by the rich rewards.

With a ship full of Expert-level crew operating it, this Frigate's Combat Power had already surpassed that of a standard military Destroyer. At the very least, if a Federation Destroyer had clashed with this pirate patrol fleet, poor tactical execution could have led to its destruction. Even if it won, it could not possibly have emerged unscathed.

"How much ammunition do we have left?" Lin Zhichen asked.

"Captain, ammunition reserves are at 63%, but fuel reserves are low. Only 43% remains!" The pilot checked and answered.

Lin Zhichen frowned slightly, finding the situation troublesome.

This standard Frigate of his had a relatively low-end configuration and still used a First-generation Nuclear Fission Reactor.

Pure electric propulsion was not yet feasible with this configuration. It required Krypton Gas and similar substances to be accelerated through electric fields and expelled at high speed to generate thrust, propelling the starship forward.

Once the propellant was exhausted, no amount of energy would make the ship move. They could only wait for rescue.

A Nuclear Fission Reactor could be used for a very long time, but the Frigate carried little Krypton Gas propellant to begin with. It was clearly no longer enough.

"We need 15% for the return trip, leaving a 20% margin. That means we still have 23% in reserves that we can use. That's enough!"

Gritting his teeth, Lin Zhichen ordered, "10%! As long as we find the next pirate patrol before propellant consumption reaches 10%, we won't have to spend another twenty-plus days returning to Earth. Come on, brothers, give it a little more!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The crew immediately sprang into action. The engines started, and the Frigate flew deeper into the Asteroid Belt.

Three days later, Lin Zhichen, still commanding the Frigate, suddenly received an unfamiliar communication.

"Hello, may I ask if this is Mr. Lin Zhichen?" A Federation Government employee appeared in the Holographic Communication device.

"That's me. And you are?" Lin Zhichen asked suspiciously.

"Hello, Mr. Lin. I am a staff member of the Earth Autonomous Government. I would like to take up a moment of your time to verify something. Would that be convenient?" the other party asked politely.

"Of course. Go ahead." Lin Zhichen glanced at the identity verification displayed on his holographic wristband. After confirming that the other party was indeed a government employee, he nodded.

"Three days ago, did you undergo Psionic Awakening and become a Psionicist?" the other party asked.

"Yes." Lin Zhichen nodded.

"Congratulations, Mr. Lin! Please forgive our delayed response. Due to a shortage of personnel and the large number of people active in the Asteroid Belt, we only just learned your identity through the Federal Academy!" The man apologized. "As a newly awakened Psionicist, you are required by convention to undergo the Federal Psionic Academy's routine inspection. Please pay attention to incoming communications!"

The status of a Psionicist carried considerable weight. There were always people who wanted shortcuts and tried to cheat their way through, so routine inspections were necessary.

"Alright, I understand." Lin Zhichen nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Goodbye!"

The communication ended. Lin Zhichen steadied his emotions somewhat. Completing his Psionicist identity verification would bring enormous benefits for his future.

Before he could think further, a second communication suddenly came through. Frowning, Lin Zhichen accepted it.

"We meet again." A mature beauty with an imposing figure appeared in the Holographic Projection.

Her jet-black hair was tied in a ponytail. Her charming face could not conceal the heroic air between her brows, while her crimson military uniform could not hide her voluptuous figure. Her phoenix eyes swept over him as though sparks of electricity flashed within them, making Lin Zhichen's heart leap.

"Liu Manyun, it's you? How did you get my communication signal?" Lin Zhichen's right eyelid twitched wildly.

"I told you long ago that I would find you sooner or later!" Liu Manyun wore a faintly mocking smile, her gaze sharp and clearly forceful in nature. "What? Not happy to see me?"

"Of course I'm not happy. According to the rule of no second dates, cold indifference after getting what you want is the essence of a brief romance. How could people like us be lovesick fools?" Lin Zhichen sprawled lazily in the captain's chair, completely unaware that frost had already spread across her face. "Tell me, then. Who sold me out? Dapeng or Tianyi? It couldn't have been that kid Ake."

"Stop guessing. I just saw the verification assignment released by the Federal Psionic Association. When I saw it was you, I accepted it." Liu Manyun regained her composure and looked at Lin Zhichen with an unusual gaze. "I found it strange from the beginning. Why could an ordinary person defeat a Psionicist? Though the other party was only a newly awakened rookie, a little country bumpkin like you actually had such a trick up your sleeve. That shouldn't be possible~"

Lin Zhichen's face darkened. "Are you done talking nonsense? If you are, get lost already!"

"Hehe~ I hope you can still talk that tough when I find you!" Liu Manyun sneered. "Don't worry. I'll be there soon!"

The communication ended, and Lin Zhichen fell completely silent.

He had never expected that showing off a little in the Virtual Bar would lead to a romantic encounter—and then bring him such a huge problem.

Wasn't the Virtual World supposed to be communication between electrical signals?

"Beep beep~"

A message came through on his holographic wristband. His Psionicist identity had passed verification. From this moment on, he was a registered Federation Psionicist!

"So this is for real!" Lin Zhichen felt a little uneasy. This sort of verification carried responsibility. If fraud was discovered, the verifier would be punished as well.

Liu Manyun pulling this stunt was her way of telling him that he could not run.

Let's see who you really are. He felt faint anticipation. The Federation's Virtual World would not produce absurdities like men dressing as women, but slightly altering one's appearance was possible. After all, whether someone was beautiful or ugly in real life could still affect their chances of successfully getting laid.

"Beep beep~"

Three hours later, the communication sound rang again. Lin Zhichen lowered his head with a gloomy expression. It was an unknown holographic call, and judging by the caller ID, it should be from the Earth Autonomous Government.

"Hello, esteemed Mr. Lin Zhichen. Congratulations on awakening as a Psionicist and bringing honor to Earth and the Central Province Region! On behalf of the Earth Autonomous Government, I offer you our sincere gratitude!"

In the holographic image, a middle-aged man greeted him with a smile.

Lin Zhichen's eyes flickered. This was Mr. Pikain, the current Governor of the Earth Autonomous Government. He had arrived from the Federation Government three months ago and was responsible for coordinating the nations in establishing the autonomous government.

According to Federation tradition, after a new Administrative Planet joined the Federation, the position of Planet Governor had to be appointed by the Federation Government for five consecutive terms.

This was a necessary measure to strengthen ties between local and central government, ensuring that newly admitted planets would not ultimately leave the Human Federation due to problems with their initial political systems.

His arrival represented the gradual collapse of the Old Era's nation-based structure. Earth would join the Federation family as a whole.

"Thank you for your concern, Governor, and thank you to the Federation Government for its support!" Lin Zhichen crossed his hands over his chest and returned the Psionicist salute.

Pikain returned the gesture and smiled. "According to Federation regulations, Psionicists born within the first ten years after a newly joined autonomous planet enters the Federation automatically receive the status of senator as well as a government position. Mr. Lin Zhichen, in which direction would you like to develop?"

Lin Zhichen raised a brow. "I may have to disappoint the Federation Government's kindness. I already have plans for my future, so I'm afraid I cannot take up a government position."

He had his own plans for the future and naturally had no desire to involve himself in politics. Besides, it was not something he excelled at.

"If that is the case, I hope you can serve as Commander of the Earth Defense Directorate's Fifth Fleet!" Pikain proposed. Seeing Lin Zhichen about to speak, he continued, "Don't worry, sir. At least within the next three years, Earth will not have a Fifth Fleet. The Federation's production schedule has already been pushed back five years. Within those five years, we will at most have two fleets completed!"

Seeing Lin Zhichen's surprise, Pikain shrugged. "There is no helping it. According to the Federation's political system, a considerable number of officials must, in principle, be local natives.

"But the government cannot raise an ordinary civilian's authority without reason unless that person has truly made tremendous contributions to the Federation.

"This means that for quite some time, the upper ranks of the newly established Earth Autonomous Government will be difficult to fill. So far, there are fewer than five hundred citizens on all of Earth. It is foreseeable that this number will struggle to surpass four digits even in the next five years!

"But you know, Federation subsidies such as applications for planetary defense fleets and industrial aid cannot pass without the signatures and seals of senior Autonomous Government officials.

"And such benefits have always had long queues, arranged by priority. Earth has only just joined the Federation and currently receives a priority bonus. The earlier we submit applications, the better.

"So even if you do not intend to develop within the government in the future, please serve your future homeland as a fleet commander. This position has higher requirements and must be held by a Psionicist or another Evolver.

"You will not need to concern yourself with the details. The Autonomous Government will handle everything for you. Naturally, there will also be a decent salary, which I believe will be quite helpful to someone just getting started!" Pikain pleaded earnestly.

Lin Zhichen listened in stunned silence. Fortunately, Psionics had accelerated his thinking. After only a brief moment of surprise, he nodded in agreement. "Alright. Your honesty has convinced me. I'll temporarily serve as Fleet Commander."

"Thank you for your understanding and support. If you change your mind in the future, the Autonomous Government will always welcome you!"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the holographic image shut down. Lin Zhichen fell into a short daze. Just like that, he had somehow become a Fleet Commander?

Even if it was merely a title, he could imagine how many hidden benefits came with it!

This would inevitably affect his plans. He needed to give his future arrangements serious thought.

It was not until a "ding~" from a message notification woke Lin Zhichen. Frowning, he opened the email. It was indeed the Autonomous Government's appointment.

"They work fast!" He grinned slightly, though an odd feeling stirred within him.

Just like that, he had risen from an ordinary civilian to a Fleet Commander?

He casually forwarded the relevant documents to the Federation Government. The holographic email contained the necessary link, and he only needed to forward it once for the procedure to become legitimate.

"Beep beep~"

Another Holographic Communication came through. Seeing that it was from Wu Tianyi, Lin Zhichen casually accepted it.