Sir, Look Up at the Sky

The top floor of a skyscraper in the Central District.

Built on the edge of the Central District, far from the Administration Building that housed the Marshal and his imperial institutions, this skyscraper was a gathering place for the Empire's most elite capitalists.

Its top thirty floors were devoted entirely to luxurious recreational facilities, welcoming wealthy businessmen and political dignitaries day and night.

The skyscraper was even several hundred meters taller than Xi Yan's Administration Building. Its rooftop featured a swimming pool and various other facilities, where capitalists who stood above the masses came in their leisure time to enjoy pool water warmed by the star.

Every corner of the skyscraper was filled with the most magnificent and precious decorations, and its service staff consisted entirely of beautiful young women. Its owner was Mr. Acewalit, the most successful real estate tycoon on the Ring World.

Mr. Acewalit had devoted himself to making this skyscraper the heart of his business empire, and he had indeed succeeded. It had become a symbol of his wealth and status, and the grand gatherings held here every year had become the ultimate emblem of imperial high society.

Yet even as the most successful capitalist, Mr. Aceworth remained deeply troubled.

On the day the skyscraper opened, the Former Marshal had attended to offer his congratulations. Mr. Acewalit had always remembered the look in that Marshal's eyes.

An appraising look tinged with surprise, with hostility buried deep beneath it.

He had realized that no matter how much money he made or how many skyscrapers he built, he could not withstand even a single blow from the Empire's might and a Marshal commanding powerful armies.

In the days that followed, Mr. Aceworth had become much more obedient. He never provoked anyone in the imperial military and regularly made efforts to "strengthen their relationship." Faced with someone so compliant and sensible, the Former Marshal, Xi Lie, had not made things difficult for him.

Aceworth had also warned his peers more than once: do not provoke these warlords.

But human greed knew no bounds. Even if he refused to do it himself, someone would inevitably risk the extermination of their entire clan to pursue profit, even through activities explicitly forbidden by the Empire.

After Xi Lie died and Xi Yan took power, displaying his ruthless methods on his very first day, Mr. Aceworth's anxiety had reached its peak.

"I wonder how things are going with Mr. Wang Defa."

At the top of the skyscraper, Aceworth stood in the breeze, but it did nothing to calm him.

I hope Marshal Xi Yan will accept our goodwill...

How could mere capitalists stand against a Marshal commanding powerful armies?

Still, after so many years of accumulating wealth, he had some strength of his own.

If the worst happened and Xi Yan tried to purge his entire organization, he might not be entirely powerless to fight back.

Given the size of his business conglomerate, its collapse would deal a devastating blow to the economy of the entire Ring World. Surely no one would be foolish enough to destroy their own empire's economy.

Surely not?

Thinking of Xi Yan's madness, Mr. Aceworth suddenly felt less confident.

After all, he was dealing with a ruthless man from Tongliao who dared to start a civil war.

"We haven't heard from Mr. Wang Defa for several hours."

A man dressed like a businessman kept checking his Wristband, his face clouded with worry.

"It's been two and a half hours since he entered the Administration Building to meet the Marshal, and there's still no word." A successful-looking man in an expensive suit sighed.

Mr. Aceworth kept smoking.

"What if he really intends to purge us in the name of public ownership..."

"Relax. We're united. If he dares touch us, he can just wait for the Empire's entire economy to collapse."

Someone seemed quite optimistic. "At worst, we'll be more careful from now on and stop opposing him."

Just then, Mr. Aceworth's Wristband rang, alerting him to a new communication request.

He raised his wrist. The holographic screen clearly displayed an incoming call from an account with an anime avatar.

It was Xi Yan.

Aceworth's pupils contracted. Then he took a deep breath and accepted the call.

"Hey, buddy! Good afternoon!"

Xi Yan's excited voice came through the Wristband.

"Good afternoon, Marshal. May I ask whether Mr. Wang Defa is with you?"

"No," Xi Yan answered honestly. "He's in the Agricultural District. By now, he's probably already been buried."

So he really is dead.

Aceworth was surprised that he felt no surprise at all. It seemed exactly like something Xi Yan would do.

"If he offended you, I'm willing to apologize on his behalf. But Marshal, I'd like to ask about the matter he discussed with you..."

Over a hundred kilometers away, at the top of the Administration Building.

Like those capitalists, Xi Yan was relaxing at the top of his building.

Unfortunately, for the Marshal's safety, the building had no rooftop terrace, so Xi Yan could not get onto the roof. The windows were also completely sealed to prevent him from suffering some accident one day.

Dressed in pajamas, Xi Yan lay sprawled on his bed like a lazy dog, talking to Aceworth, the biggest capitalist on the other end of the call.

"Ah, about the proposal Mr. Wang Defa brought me..."

All three million of Xi Yan's Army troops had mobilized and were steadily and swiftly sweeping away the Ring World's exploiting classes.

"Hmm... I don't think it'll work. Honestly, killing you ten thousand times over wouldn't be enough to atone for your crimes."

Through Wang Defa, who had just been killed, Xi Yan had naturally turned his attention to the largest business conglomerate on the Ring World. They topped his purge list.

They control almost half the Empire's economic lifelines. Looks like they can't be allowed to remain.

"Joking? No, no, no, I'm not joking, Mr. Ace-whatever."

Xi Yan rolled up off the bed and leaned over the headboard, eagerly gazing at the Ring World's terrain as it gradually curved upward in the distance.

"Maybe the Former Marshal didn't care about any of this, so he chose to leave it alone. But I'm different. I don't want my economy in your hands."

As the saying went, to catch the bandits, first catch their leader. Xi Yan had long since arranged the ending these people deserved.

"-Huh? You think your threats work on me?"

Xi Yan asked with a grin, looking into the distance. He saw his Low-Altitude Warship rise from the military base and fly toward the other end of the district.

"All right, all right, think whatever you like. But I really don't care about that little bit of economic output and resources you contribute."

The silver Low-Altitude Warship rapidly gained altitude, then began diving toward the distant skyscraper.

"-Because I'm going to smash this damned world to pieces. So listen carefully, you capitalists. Now, look up at the sky."

The Low-Altitude Warship launched a missile, then pulled away. A moment later, a violent explosion engulfed the top of the skyscraper, sending thick smoke billowing into the air.

At the same time, Army troops who had long been lying in ambush launched their attack. Low-Altitude Crew Ships carried large numbers of Army troops into the commercial district built around the skyscraper.

Every business was forcibly taken into imperial ownership. Existing personnel remained in place; only the businesses' actual owners changed. The workers suddenly became official employees of imperial enterprises, so overwhelmed by their good fortune that they did not know what to do.

Beep, beep, beep...

A dull busy tone sounded from the Wristband's call interface. Xi Yan smiled and closed it.

He looked out the window. At the distant edge of the district, thick smoke rose several kilometers above the skyscraper. Xi Yan saluted it from afar.

He felt as though he had seen a similar scene a very long time ago.

"Boring. I want to see rivers of blood!"

Xi Yan laughed and lay back down.

The plan was progressing steadily.

With the capitalists' stronghold destroyed in one stroke, three million Army troops were deployed throughout the Ring World, systematically eliminating every exploiting class.

Upon the ruins of the old world, a brand-new Empire would rise.