"Marshal, what made you decide to visit Science Ship One?"
The ship's sole Science Officer, Mardun Elwin, asked cautiously.
He had never met the Marshal. All he knew was that the Marshal was coming for an inspection, so he tried very carefully to gauge Xi Yan's personality.
"We've lived comfortably in our colony for years. Now it's time to enter the interstellar age."
Xi Yan began putting on an air of cool composure as he spoke.
Then he walked over to the viewport and gazed pensively at the distant stars outside.
"Marshal, do you mean..."
Mardun suddenly grew excited and stepped forward to ask.
"Take your Science Ship and start exploring." Xi Yan turned around and fixed him with a burning gaze, still playing it cool.
"I've cleared away the obstacles at home. Next, the Ministry of Finance will give the Department of Science a substantial budget. Make good use of it. From now on, we're going to take technology and exploration seriously. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
The robot Mardun controlled snapped to attention.
He could not help feeling tears well up in his eyes.
Twenty years. The Empire was finally taking technology seriously!
Until then, developing the colony had always been the top priority.
As a result, the Empire had paid little attention to their Academy of Sciences. It would not even approve funding for interstellar exploration! (Shoigu and the others might have deliberately withheld approval.)
But he knew perfectly well that they needed to explore the surrounding systems without delay. At the very least, they had to survey the neighboring systems.
Only recently, a few months before disaster struck the Former Marshal, he had finally secured a shipment of supplies to prepare for exploring the Kolmakian System.
Just days after emerging from the Hyperlane, he had heard of the Former Marshal's death. Amid his grief, Mardun had also worried about the future of the Academy of Sciences and the space exploration under its charge.
The new Marshal was very young, but he clearly possessed extraordinary insight. He strongly supported technological development and space exploration!
He could cry!
"How far has your exploration progressed?" Xi Yan asked again.
"Science Ship One has performed a basic scan of the Kolmakian System. We've mapped the Hyperlanes connected to this system and all its planets. Right now, we're studying the structures on Kolmakhian IV."
Mardun answered.
"Structures?" Xi Yan looked up through the viewport. A pale yellow, barren planet lay beneath them, with its moon floating nearby.
"That's right," Mardun answered eagerly. "There are an astonishing number of structures scattered across Kolmakhian IV, all remnants of ancient times. Every scientist aboard is participating in the survey. Our preliminary assessment is that these are the ruins of an ancient civilization."
"How long would it take?" Xi Yan asked after a moment's thought.
"Give us six standard months, and we should be able to finish analyzing everything."
Six months, one hundred and eighty days. That was rather long for an anomaly. Xi Yan preferred to wait until their technology had advanced before investigating it.
Xi Yan shook his head. "Too long. Leave an Automated Observation Post and record its location. Take your Science Ship to other systems immediately and conduct basic surveys!"
"Focus on finding minerals and Energy Credits... meaning electrical power! And colonizable planets. I'll send a Construction Ship after you to build Stellar Bases and Mining Stations. Resource surveys take priority over everything!"
"Yes, sir!"
Mardun Elwin controlled his mechanical body and delivered a proper salute.
Xi Yan solemnly returned it.
Science and technology were the foremost priorities in the Empire's development. They had to be taken seriously, no matter what.
Technological backwardness was an original sin.
And for the Interstellar Human Military Junta to sit on a Ring World segment ideally suited to research without vigorously developing its scientific capabilities was an even more unforgivable offense.
Xi Yan needed to value not only technology, but Science Officers as well.
Cultivating scientific talent required long-term training and investment. A scientist capable of serving as a Science Officer was even more precious.
One could not forget that in Stellaris, Science Officers were part of the leader system. An entire empire with several dozen population units-several billion people-could produce only three scientist leaders every three years. That alone showed how precious Science Officers were.
Xi Yan did not dare disturb Mardun, afraid of affecting his precious Science Officer's mood, so he turned away and chatted with the crew instead.
The crew aboard Science Ship One were very talkative, openhearted, and emotional. In these enthusiastic young crew members, Xi Yan sensed tremendous vitality and an adventurous spirit that dared to venture out and take risks.
They were brave people who loved adventure and had the courage to explore the unknown.
Indeed, without an adventurous spirit and faith in the unknown, why would anyone sign a waiver accepting the risk of death and board a Science Ship to explore the perilous depths of space, heedless of their own survival?
People had to salute these brave explorers.
After offering some encouragement to the Science Ship's crew, dozens of light-years away, Xi Yan ordered them to put aside their current work immediately and prepare to explore a new system.
The Science Ship quickly relayed the orders and activated its level-one Hyperdrive, preparing to cross the system, leave the star's gravitational field, and travel through a Hyperlane to a neighboring system.
No matter how many light-years separated them, as long as a Hyperlane existed, traveling between systems took only ten days.
Xi Yan disconnected from the robot aboard the ship, rolled his shoulders, and opened One-Touch Government Affairs again to check the schedule Beta had arranged for him that day.
At eight in the morning, he would head to the Capitol Building for the Empire Work Conference, followed by a Cabinet meeting.
Following the conventions of an autocratic interstellar empire, Xi Yan needed to establish the Empire's direction of development beforehand, then assign the work during the meetings.
The schedule was extremely tight, but its efficiency was undeniable.
The work arranged through precise calculations by the emotionless AI Beta always maximized Xi Yan's productivity.
Two days to consolidate the Empire's power. Half a day for the Empire Work Conference and Cabinet meeting, determining the direction of development for the next few years.
That was efficiency.
Within the society research category, [Planetary Government] was only the starting technology of the [Statecraft] technology tree, yet it undoubtedly provided the greatest improvement to governmental efficiency.
Better, more efficient imperial institutions greatly simplified government work and accommodated the administrative demands of early interstellar exploration, allowing every order from the Marshal to be swiftly implemented in every colony.
The [Statecraft] series of society research technologies: planetary government → planetary unification → flexible governance.
Although Xi Yan had no cheat like a system interface, he felt that his country had already researched [Flexible Governance].
[To meet the needs of development, imperial institutions in the new era must become more flexible and effective, rather than getting in the way.]
By eliminating unnecessary steps, the imperial institutions reduced their burden and increased their administrative capacity, allowing Xi Yan's will to be carried out more quickly.
From four thirty to seven thirty, Xi Yan spent three hours continuing to review imperial working documents and considering areas that needed reform.
At seven thirty, he went downstairs on schedule and took his personal guard to the neighboring Capitol Building.
After last night's artillery bombardment and the battle in space, no unfavorable rumors had surfaced within the Empire. It seemed Xi Yan's iron-fisted methods had indeed intimidated a great many people.
Of course, the "plants" within the imperial institutions had already been rooted out overnight and sent to the Generator Districts along with their families. As for what they had been sent there to do, Xi Yan maintained that he had absolutely no idea.
They must have gone there to enjoy themselves!
In short, many of the Empire's powerful elites had begun to realize that the new Marshal was utterly unafraid of trouble and would not waste words on them. He was a thoroughbred bastard who really would call in an artillery bombardment at the slightest disagreement!
Terrifying!
The powerful and wealthy who had done shameful things and harbored guilty consciences kept their heads down, becoming much better behaved overnight.
But that did not mean Xi Yan would let them off.
Xi Yan would ruthlessly eliminate any destabilizing factor that affected resource production or the interests of the citizens.
Before you continue