The Empire's squad was finalized. The team of seven Beyond Grade A members was an extremely powerful force, exceeding both Han Xiao's and the Empire's expectations. The Empire ultimately approved the squad's roster and began assembling its fleet to prepare for the operation.
Before dealing with the Sorokin, the deal with the Arcane must be fulfilled.
The Arcane Church's escort team of Beyond Grade A beings was still on its way. In the meantime, Han Xiao was on standby on Crimson Ring Star, and took the opportunity to accompany Nero and the others to tour the Empire's home planet.
The Crimson Ring Star is vast, with numerous floating orbital cities, a large and prosperous population, and many cosmically renowned landmarks. It is also the birthplace of the Crimson Ring Star Crimson Dynasty civilization, containing many relics preserved from ancient times, imbued with a rich historical atmosphere and possessing significant archaeological and tourism value.
Led by a guide, Han Xiao and his group visited many scenic spots during this time.
In his previous life Han Xiao belonged to the Empire's camp and had thoroughly explored the Empire's home planet, so he was quite familiar with the situation here. Therefore, he wasn't particularly curious; his main purpose was to accompany Nero and his group on a leisurely stroll, allowing Nero to broaden his horizons and enhance his experience.
Crimson Ring Star has abundant mission resources, but they are not of much value to Han Xiao at the moment. Moreover, his status is different now. As Beyond Grade A who stays on the home planet, his every move is being watched by the Empire. It is impossible for him to run errands for citizens for no reason.
Most importantly, this period is different from the previous one; many of the people who issue those familiar missions have not yet appeared.
On this day, the group came to visit the Imperial Sacred Palace Museum.
This museum is the largest and most authoritative ancient museum in the Crimson Dynasty. It preserves relics and artifacts from almost every historical stage of the Crimson Dynasty from ancient times. It is known as Three Universal Civilizations, along with the Museum of the Stars of the Federation of Light and the God-Given Hall of the Arcane Church. It is one of the landmark buildings of Crimson Ring Star.
The Sacred Palace Museum is a vast complex containing dozens of pavilions, each with a unique architectural style representing different periods of the empire, making it truly magnificent.
Having an imperial official as a guide has the advantage of not having to queue or buy tickets. Han Xiao led Fording, Reynold, and Nero through the long queue and into the museum through the privileged passage.
The act of privilege drew attention, and tourists in line turned to look, whispering amongst themselves.
"That looks like the Black Star with the Shattered Star Ring; I've seen it on the news."
"To actually meet such an important person, what good luck!"
"Quick, take a picture!"
These tourists were quite excited, and they all took out their devices to take pictures. Beyond Grade A was an absolute big shot who held the reins of the universe, and his status was completely different from that of ordinary interstellar citizens. Coincidentally meeting Han Xiao was like bumping into a celebrity on the street.
These tourists come from diverse races and civilizations. The Psionic Energy Restriction Belt is meant to protect the home planet, but it doesn't completely seal it off, at least not in the era of interstellar openness. Visitors simply need to undergo rigorous screening, and their visas are very short-lived.
Every year, a huge number of tourists come to Crimson Ring Star, boosting the local tourism industry... The Empire is not interested in this small amount of money, but rather in using tourism to enhance the influence of the Empire's culture.
Han Xiao and his group entered the museum and, led by a guide, went into the main exhibition hall.
Unlike the hustle and bustle outside, the interior of the exhibition hall was very quiet, with a solemn and dignified atmosphere. The dome was soaring, and looking up, the murals resembled a celestial canopy.
The main exhibition hall tells the story of the overall development of the Crimson Dynasty. Visitors listened to the guide's explanation and visited various artifacts, including daily necessities, art objects, and obsolete ancient tools from different periods. Virtual screens next to the exhibits displayed the origins and historical experiences of each item.
Nero was filled with curiosity about the history of the Empire and carefully read the descriptions of each artifact. Fording followed closely behind Nero, also quite interested, absorbing the culture of the Empire. Reynold's attention, however, was mainly focused on the various ancient machines. These technologies were extremely backward by today's standards, but Reynold was more interested in the mechanical artifacts than the others.
Han Xiao walked the fastest and arrived at the foot of ten huge black stone tablets. These ten stone tablets were almost touching the dome of the exhibition hall. They recorded the historical process of the Crimson Dynasty from its origin to the present. The development of the Crimson Dynasty was not smooth sailing.
Almost all civilizations begin from humble beginnings, progressing from primitive times to interstellar travel. The Crimson Dynasty also experienced periods of weakness. Historically, the God's development spanned multiple eras, and it also weathered various crises brought about by technological advancements, social transformations, internal and external wars, and ideological reforms.
The biochemical mutation crisis brought about by advancements in gene technology, the intelligent machine crisis brought about by advancements in mechanical industry and intelligent technology, the dramatic environmental changes on the home planet brought about by the era of heavy machinery... With technological progress, civilization has encountered countless forks in the road.
There were also ancient cosmic-level disasters comparable to the main storylines of various versions, such as the cataclysmic insect swarms, the cosmic organic extinction virus, the void riots, the Exploration Era War, and so on. The numerous crises, large and small, and the tumultuous history of civilization ultimately shaped the Crimson Dynasty's iron-blooded style.
From a weak civilization to one of the universe's dominant powers, the journey has been filled with countless ups and downs. Standing beneath these ten stone tablets, one can feel the profound heritage of a civilization that has stood for countless years, and the weight and weight of history seem to wash over you.
Individuals appear incredibly insignificant in the face of the entire history of civilization.
Han Xiao was gazing up at the stone tablet in a daze when a hoarse voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"I am always awestruck whenever I see these stone tablets."
Han Xiao turned his head and saw an elderly man standing next to him, dressed in a museum staff uniform. He looked kind and gentle, with a straight back and upright posture, seemingly with the demeanor of a soldier.
"Yes, every civilization that has reached the cosmic level possesses a profound foundation that commands respect," Han Xiao echoed.
The old man nodded, turned to face Han Xiao, and smiled. "Let me introduce myself. I am Karl Fuller Vishanti, the deputy curator of the Sacred Palace Museum. Hello, Lord Black Star."
"Hello." Han Xiao nodded in a friendly manner, but secretly he was thinking to himself.
Karl Fleur Vishanti? That name sounds familiar...
Generally speaking, the names of people he was familiar with were mostly people with names and surnames from his previous life. Han Xiao did not slack off and searched his memory palace while talking to the deputy curator.
Karl was a rather talkative old man who didn't care much about Han Xiao's status and communicated with him as an equal.
"I've always been interested in the history of the Empire. I've been guarding the museum for many years, and I enjoy maintaining the artifacts here. It always gives me different feelings," Karl said, stroking the stone tablet with a touch of emotion.
Han Xiao glanced at the "Do Not Touch" sign standing under the stone tablet and decided to selectively ignore the deputy curator's violation of regulations.
"Deputy Director Karl, were you a soldier before?"
"Yes, when I was young, I served in the Imperial Seventh Reconnaissance Legion and personally participated in twenty-three battles. Later, I became the chief of staff for remote command, and finally went into civilian work. After serving most of my life in the military, I applied for retirement and became the deputy curator of the Sacred Palace Museum."
Karl told the truth, but it was less like he was explaining his origins to Han Xiao and more like he was talking to himself, lost in memories.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao had a flash of inspiration and finally found the corresponding identity in his memory palace, secretly gasping for breath.
He remembered who this guy was!
To be precise, the retired military officer in front of us is not a famous NPC, but his descendants are known throughout the universe.
Karl's surname ends with "Fleur Vishanti," and in Han Xiao's memory, the future leader of the Crimson Dynasty also had this surname!
The next head of state of the empire will very likely be a descendant of this old man!
This is truly a big fish!
Han Xiao silently turned his head, glanced in the direction of Fording and Nero, and then looked away.
Terrifying...
Lady Luck didn't just lift her skirt, she practically took off her bra!
Of course, judging by the timeline, that future head of the empire hasn't been born yet, but meeting his ancestors is still valuable... and perhaps even more valuable.
With a quick thought, Han Xiao smiled slightly and said, "I haven't been a member of the Empire for long, and I'm quite curious about its history. Would you be interested in telling me about it?"
"It's truly my honor to explain the history of the Empire to Beyond Grade A ally. https://m. hetushu. com. com" Karl laughed heartily.
As a retired veteran, he enjoys telling others about the history of the Crimson Dynasty, which is something he is passionate about.
For the rest of the day, Karl took over the role of guide, accompanying Han Xiao and his group through part of the exhibition hall, and they had a great time.
Han Xiao consciously made friends, employing his "friendship" skills, and the two had a pleasant conversation, agreeing to continue the next day before parting.
For the next two days, Han Xiao accompanied Karl on a tour of the Sacred Palace Museum. On the evening of the second day, they finally finished visiting all the exhibition halls, and the two became much more familiar with each other.
Han Xiao invited Karl's family out to eat, but Karl declined. Instead, he invited Han Xiao to his home, saying he would personally demonstrate his culinary skills to treat Han Xiao and his party, so they wouldn't have to go out to eat.
On the appointed day, Han Xiao and his group set off for Karl's residence.
As a retired senior military officer, Karl received preferential treatment from the government, living in the retirement officials' quarters and owning a small villa on the Imperial homeworld where land was extremely valuable. It was not far from the Tyrant Hamill Palace, making it very convenient to walk there.
After passing through the checkpoint by facial recognition, Han Xiao and the others arrived at the villa's door. Nero tiptoed and knocked on the door, and rustling sounds came from inside.
After waiting for a while, a middle-aged man pushed open the door from the inside.
"Hello, Lord Black Star, please come in." The middle-aged man, his face filled with excitement and respect, hurriedly invited the group inside.
This man is Karl's eldest son, working in the Crimson Dynasty as a civil servant. Thanks to his father's influence, his career has been relatively smooth, and he has now climbed to the middle level. However, he is clearly no match for Han Xiao.
Upon learning that his father had made contact with a high-ranking, Beyond Grade A ally, the eldest son was overjoyed and did a lot of preparation for tonight's gathering.
As they entered the hall, Karl poked his head out from the kitchen and said cheerfully, "Lord Black Star, please have a seat. The food will be ready in a while."
"It's alright, take your time, we have plenty of time." Han Xiao waved his hand.
The group sat down on the sofa in the hall, with the eldest son by his side. There were two other people beside them: the second daughter and the youngest son. The former was an entrepreneur who ran an interstellar travel agency, and the latter was a sculptor. It was a fairly common configuration for a high-ranking official's family. The two of them were respectful, but also carried a sense of trepidation.
Glancing around the room, Han Xiao saw a portrait of a woman hanging on the wall; it must be Karl's deceased wife.
Karl has three children. Han Xiao thought for a moment, but couldn't remember which branch of the family the future head of the empire was descended from. It wasn't that he couldn't remember, but that it was too detailed and he hadn't paid attention to it in his previous life. However, based on the three children's professions, they were probably descendants of the eldest son.
The eldest son was keen to make friends, his words carrying a subtle hint of flattery. The other two occasionally chimed in, but rarely dared to speak.
Han Xiao didn't mind his eldest son's enthusiasm and chatted with them casually for a while. Finally, Karl brought the food out of the kitchen, set it on the table, and invited everyone to sit down and eat.
The dishes were all home-style fare from the Crimson Dynasty, prepared with excellent cooking skills, and were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. Nero ate with great relish. The eldest son took over Fording's job, enthusiastically serving Nero food and licking it skillfully. Children at the dinner table are the best tools.
After the meal, the second daughter and youngest son took the initiative to clean up, while the others returned to the living room and sat on the sofa chatting. It was clear that Karl was very happy today, as he laughed frequently.
"Lord Black Star really has influence. These three bastards always say they're too busy to come back and see me, but as soon as you arrive, they all come running back like mad. Especially this kid over there, he's even more enthusiastic than his old man."
Karl chuckled.
"Ahem." The eldest son looked a little embarrassed and drank a glass of water to calm himself down.
Han Xiao smiled and turned to look at his eldest son, "What is your position in the Crimson Dynasty?"
The eldest son's eyes lit up, and he quickly told the reporter his position.
"Hmm, getting this position is already pretty good." Han Xiao rubbed his chin. "If you need any help in the future, you can contact me. Give me your contact number."
"That's wonderful, thank you, Lord Black Star!" The eldest son was overjoyed and full of gratitude.
His enthusiasm stemmed from a desire to gain Black Star's protection. As an official, he possessed a keen political sense. Black Star himself held a high position and was highly regarded by the Führer faction and the younger generation of the military within the Empire, which was enough to have a significant positive impact on his career.
Moreover, given Black Star's age, he can protect the Crimson Dynasty for many more years, and his status will only continue to rise. By establishing a connection with him, his future prospects are limitless.
Karl disliked his eldest son's behavior, feeling it complicated his relationship with Black Star's friendship, but he wouldn't stop his son from seizing opportunities, so he simply sighed and ignored it.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. I brought you gifts," Han Xiao said with a smile.
"Oh, no need for a gift," Karl waved his hand.
"That won't do. What kind of talk is it to show up empty-handed?"
Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and ten compressed balls flew out and landed on the table.
"These are ten mechanical guardians that I personally created. They've been modified and equipped with signal transmitters to notify me. If you encounter danger, just press the button, and I'll know you're in danger. I'll then release Mechanical Force to traverse the void and remotely activate the mechanical guardians to protect your safety... With my remote Mechanical Force enhancement, these mechanical guardians should be able to handle Calamity Grade dangers."
"Isn't this too expensive...?" Karl hesitated.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao laughed, saying with a playful tone, "Haha, I'm a mechanic, after all."
"Alright, thank you for your kindness." Karl didn't hesitate any longer and put away the ten compressed balls.
He's old and doesn't care about his own safety, but the safety of his descendants cannot be ignored.
The mechanical guards gifted by Beyond Grade A powerhouse are extremely valuable. Black Star has a long lifespan, and as long as he lives, these ten compressed spheres can be passed down as family heirlooms!
After exchanging gifts, the two sides became much closer. They chatted for a while before Han Xiao and his group took their leave.
As Han Xiao left Karl's villa, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
By making connections with the ancestors of the future head of state in advance, and building a closer relationship, things could get interesting if they actually became the future head of state's elders.
A small investment with the potential for a large return—there's no reason not to make such a deal.
As he pondered this, Han Xiao's large hand touched Nero's head.
Nero quite enjoyed the feeling of being patted on the head, tilting his head back to look up at Han Xiao behind him.
"You're such a lucky star to me," Han Xiao said with a smile.
Nero blinked. Although he didn't understand what Han Xiao meant, he could tell that Han Xiao was in a good mood. He rolled his eyes and seized the opportunity to ask, "Could you reduce my homework?"
"Sure, in my dreams."
Nero shook his head vigorously, shaking off Han Xiao's hand, and put his backpack on his head to prevent Han Xiao from touching his head.
While Han Xiao was taking Nero and the others on a trip, he was also building up his goodwill with the Karl family. After some time, the Empire finally issued an official order.
The escort team from the Arcane Church is about to arrive at the trading location; I can set off now.
Han Xiao left Nero and the others on the Empire's home planet and followed the Empire's fleet to meet with the Arcane escort team to fulfill the deal of lifting the seal on a Beyond Grade A.