"What did you say! The Dragon Emperor?!"
Degulish's eyes widened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a tightness in his chest, as if he had been shot.
Twenty minutes ago, an urgent intelligence report came from the infiltrator team on Planet Aquamarine. The head of the Intelligence Department hurriedly approached the current organization commander, the deputy leader Degulish, and reported the situation with a pale face.
Ames has appeared on Planet Aquamarine!
The DarkStar leadership was shocked.
The Dragon Emperor is neutral, yet it suddenly arrived in the Garton Star System. Is it going to intervene in the Goddora affair? No, the chances are slim. It's probably that bastard Black Star who summoned Ames again. But why go to Planet Aquamarine...?
Degulish became wary, and after much thought, he still couldn't figure out Ames's intentions.
After analyzing the situation, he felt something was off. The fact that the other party had settled on Planet Aquamarine instead of going to Goddora's home planet to contact the government suggested that they weren't there for DarkStar, but rather for tourism.
"Black Star is the leader of the Dragon Calm armed forces, and I've heard he's been expanding his influence recently. Perhaps Ames's visit is for an on-site investigation into Dragon Calm's development," the intelligence chief pondered. "That's the most likely explanation."
Degulish nodded slowly and said seriously, "Don't let your guard down. We still have a grudge against the Dragon Emperor, and she is a variable in the plan. However, as long as we don't provoke her, she can't do anything to us. Even if she is Beyond Grade A powerhouse, she is just an individual force and cannot resolve the current situation."
As he spoke, Degulish breathed a slight sigh of relief. He had been intimidated by Ames's reputation and subconsciously felt that the matter was serious, but upon further reflection, he realized that the problem was not so great.
So what if Dragon Emperor is a formidable fighter? Just stay away from her. Does she think her individual strength can resolve Goddora's problems?
Even a powerful being like Dragon Emperor couldn't suppress Goddora's internal and external troubles with force. She was just one person, and this starry sky was so vast that it could never be conquered by an individual!
Degulish relaxed, thought for a moment, and then instructed, "Have the infiltrator team on Planet Aquamarine closely monitor Ames ' movements. Temporarily designate Planet Aquamarine Planet Aquamarine a restricted area; no one is allowed to approach it."
"Uh, it seems there was never any plan to attack Planet Aquamarine..." The intelligence chief sighed helplessly. The scene of a strike fleet being wiped out by Black Star was still fresh in his mind. Only a fool would send people to their deaths.
"By the way, how's the thing you mentioned last time about planting a spy in the Black Star Mercenary Group going?"
"I bribed some freelance mercenaries to apply to join the Black Star Mercenary Group. Black Star doesn't seem to be recruiting recently, but since they're expanding, the spies I bribed will have a chance to get in sooner or later."
As for bribing the Black Star mercenaries, I haven't started yet. I don't know their background yet, and I don't intend to alert them until I've gathered enough information and confirmed which Black Star Black Star might be bribed.
Degulish's eyes flashed, and a cold smile appeared on his face. "Very good, this is a plan that kills two birds with one stone. Not only can it infiltrate the Black Star Mercenary Group, but it can also sneak into Dragon Calm."
The meeting continued for a while. Regarding the threat of the Dragon Emperor, Degulish only instructed the troops to stay away from Planet Aquamarine and gave no other orders. He believed that this was enough. Although Ames was strong, she could not affect the organization's long-planned strategy. The most urgent task was to continue the plan.
Unbeknownst to Degulish, the situation had subtly shifted behind the scenes.
He still thought there was plenty of time... and that's what everyone on DarkStar thought.
The fleet escorting Nagokin returned to their home planet, Goddora, an extremely large planet, more than ten times the size of Planet Golden Gate. Dozens of military satellite bases surrounded the home planet, making it heavily fortified.
As the spaceship landed, high-ranking officials from the War Bureau, who had already received the news, were waiting at the dock with a group of subordinates. As soon as Nagokin disembarked, this group of people came to greet him.
How's the stuff?
"Complete and intact."
"Great! We don't have time to waste, let's go to the Research Bureau right away."
Nagokin was escorted by a large group of guards to the Research Bureau's experimental base, with two other Calamity Grade colleagues protecting him. The roads to the base were completely military-sealed to prevent any unexpected factors. Even the highest leader of Goddora did not receive this treatment.
Nagokin carefully made his way to the experimental base and successfully handed over the Mutation Source to rigorously selected researchers. They would study the Mutation Source in a laboratory with the highest level of security to prevent any possibility of leakage.
Nagokin, a key figure in facilitating the deal with Black Star, was granted permission to view the test results. He spent most of the day in a guarded waiting room, feeling extremely uncomfortable, before finally learning the preliminary research results on the Mutation Source.
This thing is indeed the source of the Mutation Disaster!
With the sample Nagokin brought back, the research into the antidote will advance by leaps and bounds!
"That's great..." Nagokin finally relaxed. His biggest worry was that the sample Han Xiao gave him would be useless.
"Well done."
A senior official from the War Bureau patted Nagokin's arm heavily.
"I didn't do anything; it was all Black Star's doing."
Nagokin smiled wryly. He never dreamed that the key to breaking the deadlock for Goddora would be an outsider.
The usually stern-faced high-ranking official from the War Bureau couldn't help but smile, his expression as bright as a blooming chrysanthemum—both in shape and color.
"That's right, Black Star gave us a big surprise. We never expected it to be a mercenary in the end... Hey, he really saved us from a dire situation."
After a pause, the high-ranking official from the War Bureau suppressed his smile and said seriously, "This news must be kept secret. We must not let it leak out, lest DarkStar come up with some more schemes. Maintaining the status quo is actually the best course of action right now."
In order to cope with the repeated attacks from DarkStar, the members of various agencies of Goddora were so busy that they barely had time to sleep. Han Xiao's sudden help surprised Goddora's higher-ups. Even the highest leader took notice of this mercenary named Black Star and even wanted to give him a thumbs up.
The War Bureau conducted a scenario simulation, and the results sent chills down the spines of many high-ranking officials.
If DarkStar is allowed to continue unchecked, the situation will become increasingly serious. If this continues for a year or two, it will significantly hinder the development of Goddora, causing Goddora's civilization to regress. A small portion of the achievements in managing the Garton Star System will disappear, and in the worst-case scenario, an internal split may occur.
Knowing the consequences is why the leaders of Goddora are so excited—the samples provided by Black Star can help them avoid enormous losses, save countless citizens, and turn the tide of the entire situation!!
Han Xiao has become the savior in the eyes of the top management of Goddora.
"Black Star is an important figure in Dragon Calm, and his help can be seen as Dragon Calm's help. Ames seems to value him highly... Perhaps we will benefit from this incident and Goddora befriend a transcendent force like Dragon Calm."
The high-ranking official from the War Bureau was excited. He placed his hand on Nagokin's shoulder, his eyes shining. "Black Star's power is beyond our imagination. You must maintain a relationship with him, and if possible, it would be best to take it a step further."
Nagokin's lips twitched, and he tentatively asked, "What you mean by 'further' is...?"
"Let's leverage the strengths of us Goddora people and become his best friends!"
The high-ranking official in the War Bureau looked very serious.
Nagokin raised his fist, the size of a sandbag, and golden energy shot out, making him look like a transformation of some Polish tribe.
Don't think that just because you're my boss I won't dare to beat you up.
Ever since Ames arrived, the atmosphere in the Sanctuary has become strange.
Whether they were players, people from the Sanctuary, Black Star mercenaries, or people from Goddora, everyone was extremely curious about Ames. Ames didn't shy away from others either; her daily life consisted of visiting various places, with Han Xiao always by her side.
Han Xiao naturally didn't mind being Ames's tour guide. After all, he was quite free, and since the Dragon Emperor had finally come all this way, he naturally had to entertain her.
Ames is primarily interested in the players, but considering that this planet is Han Xiao's home planet, she keeps a low profile and doesn't act recklessly or dissect players at will.
The people in the Sanctuary often saw the two walking together on the street, and considering the recent rumors, they couldn't help but look at Han Xiao and Ames with strange eyes.
Han Xiao noticed the stares from passersby, and although he didn't show it on his face, he was inwardly speechless.
He thought those cadres had lost their minds, daring to spread rumors that he and Ames had a special relationship. He didn't care about such rumors himself, but Ames might not. If she was unhappy, she could easily beat up the mercenaries under his command who spread the rumors.
When the time comes, will I help them beat up, or will I help them beat up?
However, over the past few days, Han Xiao's worries have not come true. Ames has not shown any abnormality, her expression is normal, and she chats and laughs as usual. Han Xiao certainly does not believe that she did not notice the strange looks from passersby.
Upon closer reflection, how could a powerhouse of this caliber be affected by such a simple rumor?
Han Xiao realized he had overthought things, and secretly rejoiced that Ames couldn't see the player forum.
"Strange looks from passersby" are nothing. Players on the forum have already written hundreds of novels about their love-hate relationship with Ames. The plots are so convoluted and the characters so perverse that they make his scalp tingle, his genitals tighten, and he feels like he's having a heart attack.
The source of all this is Meat Bun's latest video, in which he seriously and meticulously analyzed the relationship between Black Star and Dragon Emperor, not only with pictures but also by actually talking about it.
Meat Bun's explanation sounded so convincing that even Han Xiao himself almost believed it. The players were in an uproar. The "licking friends" (fans of Han Xiao) were completely exasperated, while the Commander, Love Me Once More Support Group loudly proclaimed it a great victory. The two sides started arguing, and the battle spread from the Planet Aquamarine planet to other newbie planets. The foreign players just wanted to cry out, "Give us a break! Let us continue talking about the game!"
Meat Bun has always been a very useful publicity ambassador. This is the first time Han Xiao has wanted to strangle him. This kind of reporter is always trying to create a big news story, fabricating things out of thin air, making subjective assumptions, ignoring the facts, and fearing that the world is not chaotic enough. If any player spreads this and Ames sees it, isn't he afraid of taking responsibility?!
However... putting aside all the messy relationship speculations, Meat Bun was spot-on and skillful. Han Xiao, who had nowhere to vent his frustrations, was actually somewhat pleased by the flattery.
"I'm speechless..." Han Xiao sighed, rubbing his forehead. He didn't plan to open the player forum for the next few days, afraid his blood pressure would spike.
Ames floated around him, looking around. As usual, she was out shopping. Han Xiao composed himself and looked at the distant Sanctuary walls. Players, no bigger than ants, were climbing up and down the walls, modifying them.
A few days ago, he instructed Melos and Bennett to issue the task of renovating the Sanctuary to the players. The renovation project officially started, and the players had a new job. They carried on the fine tradition of hard work and never complaining, becoming a brick in the construction, moving wherever they were needed.
Now that the players have a certain level of strength, their efficiency is much higher than when they were building the Sanctuary. Han Xiao estimates that the Sanctuary renovation can be completed within a month.
"No wonder you want to recruit Inhuman. You seem to hold a high position in their hearts. You value them a lot, don't you?" Ames chuckled.
"There aren't many people in this world that I can take seriously, maybe just a few billion," Han Xiao shrugged.
Ames's eyes curved into a smile, her lips forming a beautiful arc. She chuckled twice, then suddenly stopped, looking ahead. Han Xiao followed her gaze.
Hila and Aurora happened to be walking by, turned around and saw the two of them, paused and stopped in front of them.
In the past few days, Hila and Aurora have been busy testing infected individuals, but they have only heard that Han Xiao brought back a very important person from space, and they have not yet officially met him.
This encounter was purely by chance.
"Are these the two sisters you mentioned?" Ames stared at the two of them calmly.
"Hmm..." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly.
On the other side, Hila, expressionless, glanced at Han Xiao, then at Ames, seemingly lost in thought. After a pause, she took Aurora's hand and stepped forward.