After Sam woke up, Alex stood by the hospital room window, looking at the bright sunshine and swaying palm trees outside, his heart filled with complex emotions.
He did not stay in Hainan Island, as it could no longer offer him any help.
His initial reason for coming to Hainan Island was to resolve his mental issues and seek treatment from a psychologist.
However, now, the psychologist Sam herself had collapsed, which made Alex feel a touch of irony.
Staying here would only lead to unnecessary waiting and might even destabilize his mental state further.
After consulting with several authoritative doctors, Alex confirmed a fact: for Sam, the optimal rehabilitation treatment plan was to undergo Rejuvenation Surgery.
This conclusion might sound incredible at first, as in Alex's understanding, Rejuvenation Surgery was primarily used for anti-aging and extending life.
But upon closer examination, one would discover that the core functions of this technology extended far beyond that—it could promote human nerve regeneration, repair damaged tissues, and even deeply maintain organs.
As long as these key functions could be achieved, it would not be difficult for Sam to fully recover her health.
Currently, the only place in the entire country, and even the world, with mature Rejuvenation Surgery technology was the high-end sanatorium in Alex's city—his parents had undergone surgery there with significant results.
Thus, Alex used his network of connections to quickly arrange Sam's transfer to the sanatorium.
The medical team at the sanatorium was well-versed in such procedures and quickly completed the handover.
Alex himself did not delay and returned home directly.
Although his mental state was still somewhat volatile, there were more important matters awaiting his attention—he had to return to the 40k World.
The Rostov Expedition was nearing its end, and although Alex had become a hands-off manager during the concluding phase, even delegating command of the war to his subordinates and going on a "vacation" in the real world, this did not mean he could completely detach himself.
The victory of the expedition was just the beginning; the real challenge lay in how to transform this war-torn Sub-Sector into a formidable Imperial fortress.
Currently, the large-scale conflict in the Rostov Sub-Sector had subsided, the remaining Necrons forces were being progressively cleared out, and the Ork threat had vanished with the destruction of the Battle Moon.
But this did not mean they could relax—on the contrary, the next twenty years would be crucial.
The shadow of the Great Rift was approaching, and whether Rostov could stand firm in the coming turmoil depended on the current construction and planning.
Alex couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
This war, initially just a chain reaction triggered by his "grave-robbing"—exploring Necrons ruins—who would have thought it would evolve into a decade-long Rostov Expedition?
In the 3k era of the real world, ten years might be just a small segment of life, but in the 40k universe, ten years was enough for a Star District to go from barrenness to prosperity, or from flourishing to ruin.
Fortunately, although the war slowed down the pace of development, the basic infrastructure construction of the Rostov Sub-Sector did not completely halt.
Part of the initial plan had been realized—the Orbital Ring was completed, the shipyard was taking shape, and several key planets had been colonized and undergone initial industrialization.
Now, with the end of the war, the development plans that had been delayed by the conflict could finally be fully implemented.
Resource extraction, industrial expansion, military deployment, population migration… each required Alex's personal oversight to ensure Rostov could stand firm in the coming storm.
Time waits for no one; twenty years seemed long, but on the grand scale of the Imperium, it was but a fleeting moment.
Alex had to seize every minute and second to make the Rostov Sub-Sector truly his foundation, not a fleeting battlefield.
Although specific construction plans did not require Alex to personally execute them, he still had to ensure the entire administrative system operated efficiently.
This meant he had to personally oversee key decisions—reviewing development proposals submitted by his staff, signing his name on every important document, and handling governmental affairs that only a Star District Governor could decide.
These tasks were cumbersome and tedious, but they were necessary steps to consolidate power.
As the initiator of the Rostov Expedition and the Star District Governor of the Sub-Sector, the distribution of spoils after the war was the real highlight.
Alex was well aware that this expedition had consumed enormous resources, and now was the time to reap the rewards.
The primary goal was to firmly control the entire Sub-Sector.
Originally, according to the initial agreement, he needed to share some of the benefits with the Star District nobles in exchange for their support.
But fate seemed to favor him exceptionally—the rampage of two Daemon Princes and a Greater Demon in the Star Sector Capital caused many noble families who had previously cooperated with him to be wiped out.
The demise of these nobles, on the contrary, cleared obstacles for Alex.
Now, he no longer had to cede large chunks of profits; control of the entire Sub-Sector could almost be fully brought into his hands.
Although the demise of the nobles also meant that their promised resources and support vanished, for the current Rostov Sub-Sector, this was no longer important.
Through accumulation during the war, the Sub-Sector established its own industrial base, the shipyard could independently produce warships, the Orbital Ring became operational, and it even began to attract orders from the Imperial Navy.
These achievements gave Rostov the ability to self-sustain, no longer needing to rely on the whims of the nobles.
Though this decade-long expedition was brutal, it unexpectedly forged a unique industrial system for the Rostov Sub-Sector.
While this system was not yet sophisticated or perfect, and even appeared quite crude in some aspects, its strength lay in its complete structure and efficient operation.
Like a newborn mechanical heart, though not yet powerful enough, it could already stably pump the blood of development to the entire Sub-Sector.
In the field of heavy military industry, Rostov was indeed still powerless.
Building behemoths like battleships? Assembling organized Titan Legions? These were still distant dreams for the current Sub-Sector.
But encouragingly, daily military supplies, basic equipment production, and various materials needed for planetary development could now be self-sufficient here.
The most proud achievement was undoubtedly the Rostov Shipyard.
This industrial jewel, which grew amidst the flames of war, evolved from initially only being able to repair small frigates to now being capable of independently constructing light cruisers.
Over ten years, its docks witnessed the birth and rebirth of countless warships, and the workers' skills advanced by leaps and bounds through numerous emergency repairs and urgent productions.
Today, this once regional small factory has earned the favor of the Imperial Navy.
The Segmentum Solar fleet not only listed it as an important supply point but also placed a large number of orders to replenish the light vessels lost during the expedition.
Every order was an acknowledgment of Rostov's industrial capability, and every newly launched warship was accumulating valuable construction experience for the Sub-Sector.
These achievements laid a solid foundation for Rostov's future development.
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