Igor Green, Liu Hai's Minister of First Logistics, volunteered to survey the resource coverage around the Brolly Star System after learning his boss was about to acquire a Life Planet, laying groundwork for future development.
Of course, he didn't forget to remind Liu Hai that it was time for a raise and bonus.
A true money-grubber through and through.
Liu Hai was pleased with Igor's initiative. After all, Igor was the first friend and business partner he'd made in this universe, and it was Igor's presence that had allowed Liu Hai to smoothly establish the Starsea Fleet.
In Liu Hai's eyes, Igor had always been something of a mascot—which was why he agreed to let Igor accompany the fleet, despite originally planning to leave him on Kono Administrative Star to oversee company logistics and production.
Over the past few years, armed with the scientific theories and partial technological data Liu Hai provided, the Star Sea Group had flourished under CEO Li Ping's leadership. Its commercial outlets now spanned the Kono Star Region and were even beginning to reach into other Star Regions.
By now, Liu Hai's Star Sea Group had become a renowned tech conglomerate in the Kono Star Region. Its numerous technological products far outperformed competitors in both utility and performance, allowing it to capture 3.5% of the relevant market. Tens of thousands were clamoring to hitch a ride on the Star Sea Group's shuttle.
Market dynamics were beyond Liu Hai's understanding—or interest. A general awareness sufficed. The Star Sea Group's role for him had shifted from initially funding the fleet, to becoming optional, and now to a constant source of pleasant surprises.
At this point, Liu Hai was thinking of using the Star Sea Group to cultivate a batch of managerial personnel to oversee future immigrants from the Federation's natural-born citizens. As for his Clone Legion, aside from those honorably discharged and given new identities to integrate into society, the rest would serve exclusively in military capacities for life.
There was no helping it. Under the Federation's watchful eye, stirring up trouble with Clone Soldiers was out of the question—at least not in this Star Region. Once his fleet was fully established, however, he could consider building an all-Clone-Soldier force.
Liu Hai had largely delegated authority over the Star Sea Group to Li Ping, rarely involving himself unless she proactively reported progress.
After briefly handling some corporate matters, Liu Hai turned his attention to the research department's symposium.
The Brolly Star System had been reached, but it was teeming with Shade Beasts—formidable creatures that survived and grew by absorbing ambient energy. After centuries, the original star system, most heavily affected by genetic pollution, had become a paradise for Shade Beasts.
The Corvettes and Destroyers sent to scout the system dared not approach the planets, hovering at the periphery to gather intelligence for analysis by both the strategy team and researchers.
Liu Hai's current focus was the symposium on effectively clearing Shade Beasts from the Brolly Star System. The strategy team brainstormed solutions based on the researchers' data, while the researchers played the role of demanding clients. The conference room buzzed with fervent discussion, both sides engaging in lively exchanges—along with enthusiastic references to each other's family, friends, and eighteen generations of ancestors.
During the meeting, a friendly boxing match was organized to liven up the otherwise dull proceedings. The punches were fierce and the spectacle thrilling, prompting Liu Hai to deploy a squad of Clone Soldiers for a team match.
With Liu Hai's full participation, the meeting proceeded smoothly. The staff officers consulted scientists to solve problems, while the scientists' requests were handled by the staff officers—harmony was truly upheld.
"The largest Shade Beasts detected so far measure thirty meters in length and seven to eight meters in height. At that size, they're incredibly powerful. "Standard ground weapons are useless—only Orbital Bombardment can take them down," a staff member argued vehemently, veins bulging on his forehead, as he countered a scientist who insisted on capturing one alive.
"What do you know? Do you realize what this means? Securing one could trade for an entire branch fleet, understand?" The scientist's face flushed red, his voice deliberately lowered but his unyielding stance unmistakable.
"If we don't kill it outright, how do you propose we capture it? Haven't you noticed it's already using magnetic fields to nearly escape the planet?"
"It must be captured alive!"
"Are you insane?"
"It must be captured alive!"
...
The scene seemed stuck in an endless loop, leaving Liu Hai sweating nervously. Yet, he dared not intervene to settle the debate. While he wasn't particularly keen on the Shade Beasts, the potential benefits they represented could be traded with the Federation if necessary.
The argument below grew increasingly heated, and the scientists' points were equally valid. Liu Hai's indecisive nature surfaced—he couldn't bring himself to establish clear rules for the cleanup operation.
Beside him, Li Yali had seen enough. She privately contacted Liu Hai to ask what he truly wanted.
"Of course, it's the planets. The biological samples from the Starry Sky Behemoths are also essential. The rest doesn't matter. What's most urgent is speeding up the development of our defense systems—otherwise, we won't be able to hold this place."
Liu Hai knew what he wanted, but overthinking paralyzed his decision-making.
Li Yali advised, "Boss, we need time. Right now, we shouldn't focus on long-term considerations—what we secure now is what's truly ours."
"Let go of unnecessary objectives. We don't have the capacity for extensive research yet. Capturing some and obtaining biological samples from the Starry Sky Behemoths is the optimal choice."
As it turned out, Liu Hai was open to persuasion. He slammed the table, silencing the room. "If it's safe, capture them. If not, exterminate them immediately. Speed is critical—clear out a few resource planets for development as fast as possible. Now, draft the plan."
Half an hour later, a cleanup plan was presented to Liu Hai. It called for overwhelming firepower to sweep through Broli's colonial regions, excluding Life Planets, with Clone Soldiers handling the final cleanup. Once cleared, transport ships would deploy production equipment to exploit resources and begin construction.
After Li Yali confirmed the plan had no issues, Liu Hai signed off on it, assigning her to lead the fleet in executing the sweep.
Under Li Yali's command, all warships assembled and began their operation from the edge of the Star System, targeting every detected Shade Beast location with Ship Cannon fire.
Meanwhile, Liu Hai led the logistics team in preparing the future production sites. Once the ship was cleared, the Pyramid Core would be immediately deployed to the resource planet for upgrades, laying the groundwork for subsequent equipment production.
While Liu Hai was busy clearing the Brolly Star System, the Stardust Star Region on the other side was already bustling with activity.