Jenny was very assertive and aggressive, implying that if he didn't listen to her, he would make things difficult for her. But Master Han wasn't buying it; there was no way he would pay back the money.
He briefly explained the benefits of doing this to Dragon Calm, and as for whether Jenny accepted it or not, he didn't care and simply hung up the call.
This infuriated Jenny. She was very controlling, and Han Xiao's actions, taken without her permission, made her feel that her position as the head manager had been challenged. She also began to doubt Han Xiao's "loyalty." Ames was a hands-off manager, handling all matters, big and small, in Dragon Calm. Therefore, Ames was mostly responsible for resolving the consequences of Ames's arbitrary decisions. She had a lot of power, and Ames trusted Jenny. Basically, all the members of Dragon Calm would obey Jenny's management.
Black Star had been with Dragon Calm for over a year and had always kept a low profile, but his sudden move immediately stirred Jenny's sensitive nerves, making her wary. Deep down, she didn't trust any of the other officers because she was the only one related to Ames, and subconsciously, she was the only one of Ames's "own people," while everyone else was an outsider.
Han Xiao hung up the communication. Jenny did not hesitate and immediately turned to Ames to report the situation in detail and express her opinion. She felt that Han Xiao's Field Operations Department were too free and needed to be restricted. It would be best to transfer him back to Dragon Calm headquarters and abolish the Field Operations Department. She felt that since Dragon Calm was maintaining neutrality, the Dragon Emperor was enough as a symbol, and there was no need to form an armed force to operate outside.
Normally, Ames wouldn't object to her suggestion, but this time, Ames refused.
"You're too nervous. It's just a little money, don't make a fuss. I trust Black Star; he's a reliable person. I've given him the freedom to act as he sees fit. As long as he doesn't become a wanted criminal, you don't need to contact me. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
"But..."
Click.
Ames hung up the call, leaving Jenny stunned, clutching the communicator, completely bewildered. She hadn't expected Ames to reject her so decisively; it had never happened before.
Because Han Xiao captured Iso, Ames' trust in him increased dramatically. Although it couldn't compare to Jenny, with whom she had known each other for many years, it far exceeded that of an ordinary subordinate.
Without Ames's approval, Jenny realized she couldn't do anything to Han Xiao. She became furious, veins throbbing on her forehead. She took a deep breath, took off her glasses, closed her eyes, and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers to calm herself down. When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with seriousness.
Ames's rejection made Jenny feel threatened and a sense of urgency welled up inside her.
Han Xiao was naturally unaware that this minor conflict led Jenny to mistakenly believe that Han Xiao was trying to "compete for her affections." However, even if she knew, she wouldn't care. After weighing the options, the start-up funds for Plan 2.0 were naturally more important.
The version has been updated for less than a year. During this time, the base of the mercenary group has been built. The location of the base is very important. Han Xiao will not choose a barren planet. He must be stationed on a prosperous planet in order to share the NPC resources of that planet and make up for the lack of NPCs in the base with geographical location.
After searching the star map of the Garton Star System for a long time, I finally chose a planet in Goddora's territory called Planet Golden Gate. It's very close to the Juberly Hub, allowing for quick access to the star sector where Planet Aquamarine is located, meaning convenient transportation. It's also quite prosperous. From a player's perspective, it has everything: shops, entertainment, quests...
Han Xiao chose this location for two reasons: firstly, the Goddora faction had a high level of goodwill, making things easier and offering discounts; secondly, it would reduce the cost of setting up armed facilities. Goddora's territory was home to a powerful fleet, DarkStar wouldn't dare to cause trouble. Having recently eliminated Anur, Han Xiao decided that safety was the top priority.
Moreover, this is Goddora's territory, which can filter out players who join DarkStar. Given the precedent of Germinal, Han Xiao doesn't want a bunch of "spies" in the base.
Of all the planets pending, Planet Golden Gate is among the top options.
Having chosen their target, Han Xiao didn't delay and led everyone away from Noriosse.
With Resta joining the team, the Blacklight Stealth became their vehicle, extremely fast and agile, making them no longer afraid of being intercepted or surrounded.
Planet Golden Gate is a small planet, but it is quite prosperous due to its location near the Juberly Hub. There are many cities on Planet Golden Gate, and a license is required to build a base here. The Black Star Mercenary Group is well-known in the Garton Star System and has a good relationship with Goddora, so there were no problems obtaining the license.
They spent a large sum of money to buy a piece of land. In the interstellar era, the procedures were very efficient, and the universe was so vast and sparsely populated that the housing prices on ordinary colony planets were incredibly low.
With the funds at hand, he had no intention of building a large main city yet. He didn't have enough people or enough money. All he needed was the first fixed base for his mercenary group.
Regarding the construction of the base, firstly, it needs to be large enough. In addition to providing a large area for players to move around, it also needs to leave space for placing a military factory. Secondly, it needs to be divided into zones so that players won't get lost in the base, and different functions should be assigned to each zone. Then, the appearance needs to be grand. After all, it is a temporary faction "main city", so it should look high-end and not too low-end.
The workload of building the structure was too great, so Han Xiao naturally didn't do it himself. He contacted a construction team, designed the blueprints according to his wishes, and started construction. Purchasing raw materials, transportation, and other projects were all consuming a lot of start-up capital.
As he began building the mercenary group's first base, Ashes finally returned to DarkStar headquarters, where the DarkStar leadership held a formal meeting regarding the Noriosse incident.
At the DarkStar headquarters, Stealth space, more than a dozen high-ranking officials gathered together. Some were present in person, while others participated via virtual avatars. All of them concealed or altered their appearances and sat around the table.
The people in this room are the highest-ranking officers of DarkStar, including Calamity Grade powerhouses, the fleet commander-in-chief, and the heads of logistics, intelligence, scientific research, and other operations.
Most of them were hiding their identities, unknown to outsiders. The atmosphere was heavy; the traitor had survived, and their identities, which they had been concealing, were likely to be exposed. Everyone was in a terrible mood.
Ashes was also in the room. After reaching the Calamity Grade, he finally qualified to sit at the table and join the ranks of the higher-ups, although the other higher-ups would occasionally cast unfriendly glances at him.
Because the operation failed, everyone had to bear the risk of their identities being exposed, so they couldn't help but blame the only one who returned, Ashes.
Noticing the gazes of others, Ashes knew he was in the wrong and had no choice but to remain silent.
Next to him was an empty chair, a seat that had once belonged to Anur, but now it had lost its owner.
His respected mentor died a violent death. Every time Ashes catches a glimpse of an empty chair, he subconsciously thinks of Han Xiao, and anger surges up within him, which he barely manages to suppress.
After a long silence, the DarkStar Leader spoke, "Anur is dead, the traitor was taken away by Goddora, this operation has been a complete failure."
"I froze his access before the traitor could touch core intelligence. The only good news is that he only has a portion of the information," the intelligence chief said, his voice hoarse.
Did the traitor know anything about the Mutation Virus?
"No, he's unaware of our operational plan; it's a top-secret matter."
"That's good. This plan is a crucial part of the strategy, and it absolutely cannot go wrong. The outbreak of the Mutation Virus is not far off. At that time, Goddora will have to send a large number of people to protect the civilizations within its jurisdiction, and we will be able to take the initiative..."
The DarkStar Leader paused, not continuing the topic, and said sternly, "I am very disappointed with the outcome of this operation. Not only did we let the traitor escape, but we also lost a Calamity Grade Elder. Ashes, you have failed my expectations."
Ashes clenched his fist tightly and said in a deep voice, "The operation has encountered an unexpected problem."
"You mean you're helpless if something unexpected happens?"
Sensing the coldness in the leader's tone, Ashes wisely lowered his head and remained silent.
At this moment, another high-ranking official said calmly, "This is your first operation since becoming Grade A, and it's been so disgraceful. Aren't you ashamed? I seriously doubt whether you're even qualified to be in this room."
The speaker, like Anur, was another Calamity Grade Elder, even more prestigious—he was the Vice-Leader, the right-hand man of the DarkStar Leader.
"..." Ashes clenched his fists even tighter, without refuting, because it was indeed the case. After becoming Calamity Grade being, he was full of ambition, but he suffered a setback and was utterly defeated. Now he was even starting to doubt himself.
"I've read the operation report. Nagokin of Goddora, together with a mercenary, killed Anur. That mercenary was named Black Star." The DarkStar Leader changed the subject, preventing others from continuing to blame Ashes. It was enough to leave it at that; there was no need to keep humiliating him.
"Kill him!" Ashes without hesitation.
"He's one of Ames's men. I don't want to clash with someone of Dragon Emperor's caliber before the Mutation Virus Project begins," the DarkStar Leader said in a deep voice. "I will make that mercenary pay, but not now."
"He has repeatedly opposed us, causing huge losses. He is an enemy that must be eliminated; we cannot wait any longer," Ashes couldn't help but retort, wishing he could grind Han Xiao to dust.
The intelligence chief said calmly, "My intelligence indicates that Black Star has established a base on Planet Golden Gate, which is Goddora's territory. To eliminate him, we would need to deploy a large fleet and engage in Head-On Conflict with Goddora at this juncture. Do you want to hinder the organization's plans?"
"... It's worth it!" Ashes gritted his teeth, sticking to his opinion, utterly unwilling to give up.
"Enough!" the DarkStar Leader interrupted Ashes. "From now on, cease all external activities until the Mutation Virus outbreak. I don't want to repeat myself, this meeting is adjourned."
The high-ranking officials fell silent and logged off one after another. Those who had come in person left the conference room, leaving only Ashes still in his seat, looking extremely unwilling. He stared at the empty seat of the DarkStar Leader, his eyes flashing with anger.