With the new year approaching, Xi Yan had given most of the empire's citizens time off. Apart from the imperial administrative agencies, which remained operational, practically every workplace across the nation was on holiday.
Leaving the empire's central offices in the Central District, Xi Yan wandered down the street with a miserable expression and soon reached the residential area.
Public passenger craft sped through the streets, carrying passengers along designated routes. Private vehicles were few and far between.
Given the citizens' current purchasing power, ordinary people were not yet inclined to spend Labor Points on private spacecraft, choosing public transportation instead. This significantly reduced energy consumption and unnecessary maintenance costs, which suited Xi Yan just fine.
Although the streets were filled with festive cheer, Xi Yan felt deeply bitter, still dwelling on those wretched Stone People from the dragon criminal megacorp.
I have to find a way to really piss them off in return.
Wiping out their nation and their species isn't possible yet, but there has to be some way to get under their skin, just like they do to players by building smuggling ports.
In the real world, he could accomplish a great deal.
But his empire was too fragile now. Although he had established public ownership and raised production across the board, its technology remained far behind, leaving it at a serious disadvantage in the universe.
I'll find a chance to go begging to the United Nations of Earth and bring back some more technology.
This is hard!
Xi Yan's face was full of worry.
Beta remained in virtual data form, following beside Xi Yan without a word.
Although there was no one around him, Xi Yan knew perfectly well that Beta and his personal guards were protecting him from the shadows.
They served the empire with