"Long live the Governor!!!"
It's unclear who was the first to shout it out, but their voice was loud and full of fervor.
Immediately afterwards, cheers erupted from the shore like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire main entrance of the nest with tremendous force.
Although the Uptown nobles remained reserved, they all raised their hands and clapped vigorously, their obsequious smiles becoming even more obvious.
The workers in Midtown waved their hats, shouted loudly, and their faces were filled with genuine joy.
The people of the Lower City roared with all their might, some cried with emotion, and others knelt down again to pay homage to Lynn.
The savages also raised their spears and machetes, letting out rough shouts filled with awe and loyalty.
Gus stood in the entourage, watching the scene unfold before him, his feelings somewhat complicated.
He once felt that Lynn had stolen everything from him, and his heart was filled with resentment and envy.
But now, looking at that figure standing atop the tank receiving cheers from thousands, and at the heartfelt fervor and reverence on the shore...
He realized that even if he were the governor himself, he couldn't do everything Lynn had done.
He lacked Lynn's courage, strength, and, most importantly, his determination to protect the people of Brevis.
The resentment and bitterness I felt before were nothing more than my own jealousy and cowardice.
Thinking about this, Gus's resentment gradually dissipated, replaced by calmness and respect.
The Ripper hid in Lynn's sleeve, silently watching the cheering crowd through its compound eyes.
She didn't quite understand why these humans were so excited, why they were kneeling before him and shouting "Long live!"
But she could sense Lynn's emotions through the connection of consciousness; it was a joy of being recognized.
Rena's tentacles happily rubbed against Lynn's arm.
Lynn's gaze slowly swept over everyone on the shore, over the fanatical peasants, the respectful workers, the sycophantic nobles, and the loyal savages.
He recalled the scene of his first entry into Brevis Prime Hive.
Only the hypocritical welcome from the "people" of the Uptown will suffice; at that time, no one will understand why he has come.
And this time, he's back.
With the glory of victory, with the loyalty of the savages of the ice plains, with the awe of the Vanguard, and with the worship of the people.
He was no longer a pawn to be manipulated at will, but Brevis's master, the hope of everyone.
These heartfelt cries from the people of the Imperium, this genuine joy and reverence, are what he truly wants to see.
Not only did it provide Rena with a place to develop, it also satisfied his own vanity.
Killing two birds with one stone.
The core nobles, clustered among the Uptown elites, wore stiff smiles like masks, their hearts filled with deep fear and unease.
They looked at the figure standing atop the tank, receiving cheers from the masses, and felt a chill run down their spines at the innate authority emanating from him.
Many of them had already guessed what the governor was going to do next.
He won't be satisfied with just holding onto Brevis, nor will he be satisfied with just clearing out the remaining Orks.
He will restore order to the Hive City, confiscate their hoarded food and wealth, and disrupt their centuries-old power structure.
They were afraid of being purged, afraid of losing everything they had.
But they were powerless to do anything about it.
At this moment, Lynn had the support of the people, a powerful army, and the approval of the Ecclesiarchy; they could only pray for their own good fortune.
He prayed frantically that Lynn would let them go.
As night fell, the Brevis Prime Hive, which had been bustling all day, finally returned to peace.
The Governor's office was brightly lit, and the holographic screen emitted a faint blue light.
Lynn finally took off his heavy Power Armour and stretched out in the large leather chair.
The Ripper hidden in his sleeve slowly crawled out, curled up on his knee, its compound eyes half-closed, and occasionally rubbed against his hand with its antennae.
Rena's voice rang out through the consciousness link. "What is the plan?"
Lynn rubbed his throbbing temples, then tapped the holographic screen to bring up the star map of the Silis System.
The star chart clearly shows three main celestial objects.
The Brevis Hive World, the Dorito Agri World, and the smaller celestial bodies in between.
Carl II.
" Carl II," Lynn pointed to the point of light.
"An old space station that served as a supply depot between Dorito and Brevis decades ago."
"After the Orks occupied Dorito, they captured it and converted it into an outpost for storing supplies and deploying troops. It served as their springboard for attacking Brevis."
Rena's quick analysis:
"To launch a counterattack against Dorito, we must first take down Carl II."
"Without it as a transit point, the logistics for attacking Dorito cannot be guaranteed."
"But the Brevis navy is too weak to break through the Orks' defenses."
Lynn nodded.
" The Brevis Navy only has a few frigates left, far from being capable of launching an expedition to Dorito."
"But while I was sorting through the spaceport's supplies, I discovered a Gothic-class Cruiser."
"Although it is old and in disrepair and cannot sail normally, once it is repaired, it can serve as a mainstay of the counterattack."
Rena paused for two seconds, then said:
"Repairing it will require a lot of resources. Should we ask the Adeptus Mechanicus and St. Garus for help?"
Lynn didn't refute it, but instead pulled up another Dataslate.
Carter compiled a report on the Brevis Prime Hive's production capacity, detailing the production status of the Midtown factory, resource reserves, and food distribution.
"It's not just about repairing the ship. Even if we capture the Carl II, the real battle will be on the ground after we land on Dorito."
" Dorito is the Orks' stronghold in the Silis System, and there Pike be tens or even hundreds of billions of Greenskins entrenched there."
"Even if I send the entire Zerg swarm to support them, I don't believe we can take down Dorito quickly."
"On the contrary, it would make them easier to expose themselves and be besieged by the Ecclesiarchy as heretics."
"We must rely on human strength and have sufficient heavy firepower support."
More soldiers, more shells, and more tanks.
"Only in this way can we gain the upper hand in ground warfare and quickly recapture Dorito."
Rena affirmed Lynn's opinion, and then added:
"Currently, it seems that the production capacity of the Mid-City Trade Union, which we have control over, is indeed insufficient."
"The existing factories can only meet basic weapons needs. To manufacture more weapons, we must recruit more unions and more workers."
A resolute glint flashed in Lynn's eyes. "That's why I want to implement work relief."
"Let the Lower City residents and the refugees who have moved here participate in production at the Midtown factories."
"It can both solve the labor shortage and expand production capacity, and also solve the employment problems of refugees and the poor."
"Ensure they have food and work, and maintain order in the Hive City."
Work-for-relief programs are easier said than done, especially the issue of workers' wages.
Although Brevis's food reserves are not scarce, most of them are hoarded by the Uptown nobles, leaving the lower-class people with insufficient food.
If workers cannot be paid reasonable wages to ensure they are well-fed and clothed, the work-for-relief program cannot be implemented.
But Lynn wasn't worried.
During this time, Rena used " Isolde " to collect a large amount of data on food circulation in the Brevis Prime Hive.
This intelligence led them to discover a terrifying truth.
The entire food supply system of the Brevis Prime Hive was built to accommodate a minimum population of 30 billion.
Both the scale of grain reserves and the grain production capacity can meet the basic survival needs of 30 billion people.
However, according to the population data compiled by Carter, the actual population of Brevis Hive City is only over 10 billion, less than half of the standard population.
Where did the extra half of the grain go?
The answer is self-evident.
Lynn and Rena exchanged a glance.
Then their gazes simultaneously turned to the window, to the magnificent, glittering mansions of the nobles in the Uptown.