Yo~ Commander.

[Main Fleet​⁠​​‌‌‍‌‍​⁠‍​⁠‍‍⁠⁠⁠⁠‌​‍⁠ of the First Legion, Legion Commander’s Office]

Zhou Jiuya executed the order and started a private, confidential call with His Majesty the Emperor.

With the secure communication channel set up by Cecilia, their technical team quickly decoded the signal shielding mechanism of Holy Dew Planet. While they couldn’t establish a new communication channel in a short time, encrypting the signal for security wasn’t a problem.

So there was no need to worry about military secrets being stolen.

Perhaps due to having his privacy exposed by Huo Xianfeng in public, this time the Emperor didn’t use a projection and only opted for voice communication.

Despite the recent incident, which left Ye Shu so devastated he needed psychological counseling, Zhou Jiuya acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing and he was completely devoted to the task assigned by the Emperor.

While he might be an unqualified parent, as a Legion Commander, and in terms of his contributions to the Empire, Zhou Jiuya was definitely a devoted workaholic.

“Yes… Yes, we’ve gathered a basic understanding of Bright City’s situation…”

The Legion Commander stood in a solemn military posture, dutifully reporting the current military status to the Emperor.

“The original plan is proceeding smoothly. The academicians from the Academy of Sciences have been settled, and the accompanying security team is in place. The reconnaissance teams have been deployed, and we expect feedback in a few days…”

“We haven’t yet located the Holy White Tower, but based on signal tracing, we should be able to identify a general area within three days…”

“I’ve also ordered the relevant personnel to execute other specific tasks. A detailed report will be compiled and sent later.”

After hearing this, His Majesty the Emperor slowly breathed a sigh of relief and gave a compliment,

“Mm, not bad.”

This is probably why Pei Changyun suggested that Huo Chao kept Zhou Jiuya by his side and sent Ye Shu to the local area for training. It was not out of selfishness, but, as the leader of the Alliance, his trusted inner circle needed more than just loyalty.

Zhou Jiuya was extremely competent. His ability to handle military affairs and conduct operations was nearly flawless. He was highly loyal, kept silent when necessary, and possessed extraordinary strength. While not the most brilliant strategist, he had a level of calculated shrewdness that made him invaluable.

In short, he will not be easily seen through at a glance like Ye Shu.

Even with Pei Changyun’s most critical eye, Zhou Jiuya could be called the most perfect subordinate in the world.

——He is indeed a very, very useful sword.

After finishing his report, Zhou Jiuya hesitated briefly before asking,

“Your Majesty, about the situation on the Capital…?”

After returning from that short break just now, Zhou Jiuya had watched Setlin’s speech again. His years of experience under Pei Changyun had sharpened his political instincts.

He clearly understood how this speech would greatly shake and challenge Pei Changyun’s supreme authority.

“—You don’t need to worry about that.”

The Emperor’s voice was calm and decisive, as if he had already made a decision and plan in his mind. He turned to ask,

“How is Jiang Ci doing?”

“Dr. Wen says his health is excellent…” Zhou Jiuya paused before emphasizing, “—very, very excellent.”

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Although there didn’t appear to be any negative consequences or risks, Zhou Jiuya didn’t dwell on the issue, as he had already instructed Dr. Wen to monitor the situation. Besides, he didn’t want to distract the Emperor, who was undoubtedly occupied with matters on the Capital.

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After all, Jiang Ci was a child the Emperor had watched grow up, and he was also the child of Huo Chao’s sister, whom the Emperor genuinely cared for.

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“…Is that so?”

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[A-Ci will surpass me in the future.]

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Before Jiang Ci was thirteen years old, as Jiang Jinsheng predicted, he had been grasping, working hard, and stumbling on the road to surpassing his father. Jiang Ci and He Zhun were like two replicas of Jiang Jinsheng and He Qichu—a pair of twin stars, shining brightly in different fields.

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Instead of his current path of enduring hardship and getting bruised and battered in the military. 

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Back then, Jiang Ci was still the pampered young master of the Jiang family, loved by many. He spent most of his time hidden in the lab, surrounded by machines, and probably couldn’t even run a thousand meters.

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It must be said that the genes of the Jiang family are indeed very excellent.

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Jiang Ci combined the strengths of both Jiang Jinsheng and Zhou Jiuya almost perfectly. He had his father’s talent in military technology and displayed potential that surpassed Zhou Jiuya in combat and military affairs.

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In short, while Jiang Ci’s stubborn personality often gave his guardians headaches, Zhou Jiuya and Pei Changyun saw him through the lens of proud parents. To them, Jiang Ci was the most exceptional, outstanding child in the world.

“But things as they are now… are also quite good.”

Zhou Jiuya couldn’t see Pei Changyun’s expression but he could hear the mixture of regret and pride in his sigh.

“To think… A-Ci has grown so much already.”

“Yes.”

As his uncle, Zhou Jiuya felt it the most,

“—He’s indeed grown a lot.”

Jiang Ci used to be sharp and immature, like a rebellious genius in adolescence, determined to prove himself to the world by any means necessary.

Yet, in just a few short months, he seemed to undergo a transformation that was noticeable but hard to describe.

For instance, in the meeting earlier that day, even though Jiang Ci had the least experience, every word he spoke hit at the critical points.

He spotted issues that even Zhou Jiuya had overlooked.

Zhou Jiuya realized that the restlessness, anxiety, and sharp resistance Jiang Ci had toward the world were almost gone. It was as if he had finally found something that brought him inner peace, making him mature, rational, calm, and composed.

In a way… 

Though the Legion Commander didn’t want to admit it, all of Jiang Ci’s changes seemed to be approaching Huo Xianfeng’s qualities.

His child now exhibited some… traces of that Zerg King’s influence, which left Zhou Jiuya feeling a mix of comfort, sadness, and frustration. It was the first time he felt such a strong sense of frustration.

However, this exchange of sighs between parents about their child’s growth lasted only a couple of minutes. Pei Changyun cleared his throat and returned to the topic,

“But, Bright City isn’t absolutely safe yet.”

Having spent so many years at Pei Changyun’s side, Zhou Jiuya immediately guessed what the Emperor was thinking,

“You mean the Church seems to have almost entirely abandoned Bright City and doesn’t even show any signs of launching an attack?”

“—Exactly!”

Pei Changyun already had a preliminary counter-strategy regarding the video of former alliance leader Setlin.

Though it was tricky, he understood the other party’s objective and could anticipate some of their methods.

However, he couldn’t figure out the purpose behind the Church’s actions in Bright City.

Zhou Jiuya pondered for a moment before replying,

“Our defense measures have been fully deployed and are sufficient to handle any surprise attacks. Additionally, our reconnaissance teams have been sent out, and our tech team is working hard to decrypt the Church’s secret communication channels. Once there is news, we will notify you…”

Knock, knock—

Two light knocks came from the door.

“Yo~ Commander.”