Che Zhen: "There was a squadron leader named Gray Ellis who, with his subordinates, attempted a mutiny. A total of over 30 people, they wrote a program to hack the bomber hangar. I executed them all."
Che Zhen: "The interrupted Bi Rong star communication line has been reopened. I've dispatched an additional thousand people there. Bi Rong star is now our primary battlefront. In some time, I'll try to negotiate for territorial claims on Bi Rong star."
Tian Rao: "Jiang Ye, we all miss you dearly. Come back soon."
Tian Rao: "I donated all the money I had to find you. When you get back, can you reimburse me for some of it? I'm really feeling the pinch of my savings..."
Xu Yan: "The new city is slated for construction, with many immigrants arriving recently. Feng Zhi Shuang has planned a new urban district to accommodate 500,000 people. The construction funds were transferred from your account."
...
Jiang Ye read through the various messages one by one.
Cen Yemeng stood beside him, holding his arm. "Can I take a look?"
"Of course, why do you ask?"
"Ancient people always said that the inner court should not interfere with politics, and many important figures wouldn't let their families see their work."
"Although I'm an ancient person, I'm not *that* ancient. You can look, and if you have any pertinent suggestions, feel free to tell me."
After reading for over half an hour, he finally finished all the messages.
Jiang Ye Star was in a stable condition, after all, it hadn't been long since they lost their Grand Marshal.
Jiang Ye sent a mass message to everyone: "I have been rescued. I sustained some injuries and will be discharged from the hospital in about a month. I will inform you immediately once my return date is confirmed. If there are matters requiring my attention, you can send them to me. Thank you all for your concern."
A flood of replies immediately followed.
Tian Rao: "!!!"
Isabelle: "Where are you injured? Where are you being treated?"
Li Nannan: "I just received the notification. Rest well with your wife and child. Jiang Ye Star is doing well and developing rapidly, so you can rest assured."
Shao Wan: "Received."
Che Zhen: "Wishing you peace."
Jiang Ye tapped the screen, spending over ten minutes replying to messages. The concern from his friends and subordinates warmed him.
Cen Yemeng, however, frowned.
Too many women were sending messages.
She lightly punched Jiang Ye's arm, her expression a little displeased.
Jiang Ye smiled and ruffled her hair.
"It's a bit warm in here, I'll open the window for some fresh air," Jiang Ye said.
He walked to the window and pulled back the curtains, freezing instantly.
Outside was not a city or a wasteland, but... water!
A vast underwater world, filled with deep blue, with buildings scattered across the seabed. Schools of fish of all sizes swam by, and a sea serpent slithered past the window. This hospital was built underwater!
Cen Yemeng was also stunned, her mouth agape as she stared out the window.
"There are mermaids!" she exclaimed, pointing upwards.
Jiang Ye pressed his face against the window to look, and indeed, he saw some merfolk, both male and female, wearing luminous clothing on their upper bodies and fish-tail-like appendages below. They were carrying boxes in and out of the underwater buildings.
"Are those bio-engineered humans?" Jiang Ye guessed.
"Possibly. They don't have oxygen tanks, so they should have gills and aquatic lungs," Cen Yemeng nodded. "I visited an underwater planet once on vacation. Most of the residents were merfolk, swimming around. It was quite interesting."
"I have a question," Jiang Ye said. "Merfolk... how do they have children?"
Cen Yemeng blinked. "I don't know. They don't seem to have those organs... Maybe they have caviar?"
"Are there many underwater cities in this era?"
"Not many. The cost of underwater cities is much higher than land-based ones. Most underwater cities are built for defense," Cen Yemeng explained.
"Defense?"
"Water that is tens or even hundreds or thousands of meters thick is an excellent sealant, effectively resisting many weapon attacks. In interstellar warfare, underground and underwater cities are much safer than conventional cities," Cen Yemeng said. "They were forced into existence by war."
Jiang Ye nodded. War indeed spurred many innovations, and human ingenuity often reached its peak when driven by the instinct for survival.
As he stood by the window, gazing at the underwater city for a long time, the screen on the wall suddenly chimed.
High Priest of Hal Star: "Jiang Ye, I heard you've been rescued. Congratulations, congratulations. Surviving a great calamity brings great fortune. On your way home, you can stop by my place for a couple of days. My medical standards here are very high, and perhaps I can help your wife with childbirth. If you need it, I'll have the church's chief physicians make preparations in advance."
Jiang Ye scratched his head, unsure of what to do.
He decided to ask his superior.
Opening Li Nannan's chat window, he typed a message.
"Sir, the High Priest of Hal Star has invited my wife and me to visit their planet for a few days, and even offered for my wife to give birth at a local hospital. Is this appropriate? I'd like to go, but I'm unsure if there are any taboos."
Li Nannan: "Of course, it's appropriate. You are part of the same star network, and you should have been interacting with each other long ago to establish good diplomatic relations. Hal Star's medical standards are excellent, no less than Junction Star. Moreover, with your status, they will surely provide your wife with the best medical services."
Li Nannan: "When you arrive at Hal Star, there's only one thing you need to be mindful of: that planet is a theocracy. Don't make any statements like 'there are no gods in this world.' When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Your wife also needs to be careful. Your statuses are the Grand Marshal and First Lady of Jiang Ye Star. Any inappropriate words or actions could lead to diplomatic incidents."
Jiang Ye turned to look at Cen Yemeng.
"Do you want to go?"
"Either way is fine," Cen Yemeng nodded. "I've seen Hal Star in travel magazines; it seems quite developed."
"Alright, then it's settled," Jiang Ye nodded.
...
A month later.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng sat in the spaceship, looking out the viewport.
The massive Hal Star's dark side loomed closer, revealing the outlines of continents and glowing cities, one after another, like embers in the deep night.
"Each small point of light is a city with a population of over a million, and a large point of light is a supercity with tens of millions. Hal Star, a religious planet, has developed to this extent, which is truly astonishing. This trip, besides establishing diplomatic relations, we'll also learn about their planet's governance style and customs for the birth of our baby."
"The brightest one in the middle, how many people does it have?" Cen Yemeng pointed with her finger.
"That's our destination, the Divine City, Hal Star's holy land, and the residence of the High Priest, the Planet Governor, and the Grand Marshal," Jiang Ye said. "It has a population of fifty-eight million, quite prosperous."
"So big!" Cen Yemeng's eyes widened, her face full of anticipation. "This is my first time in a city with such a large population."
"It's my first time too," Jiang Ye ruffled her hair.