557: The mutual acquaintance of the group

Pal raised his eyes at the words, his tone calm but with a hint of respect.

"General Martin met Captain Li Yang when Captain Li Yang first joined the Empire. Back then, Captain Li Yang was just a Lieutenant, and General Martin was only a Lieutenant Colonel."

"Met him when he was a Lieutenant?"

He Dong's eyes widened, and his steps paused for half a beat.

During his time in the Nineteenth Division, he had thoroughly familiarized himself with Li Yang's resume.

Li Yang joined the Empire directly with the rank of Lieutenant and independently led his fleet, experiencing a rocket-like promotion along the way.

And this Martin was actually a good friend he made when Li Yang was just starting out... He began to taste something significant.

This wasn't just an ordinary friend; it was clearly an "old acquaintance" who had watched Li Yang climb up from the grassroots. In a sense, this was Li Yang's first "investor."

While he was thinking, Li Yang had already turned around with Martin. Li Yang patted He Dong's arm and introduced him.

"This is He Dong, the Deputy Division Commander of my Nineteenth Division. He's Army Commander Cang's man and could even serve as a Division Commander. He was specially transferred here to assist me."

Martin immediately extended his hand, his smile hearty and genuine.

"I've heard Li Yang mention you many times, calling you the 'Stabilizing Force' of the Nineteenth Division."

He Dong quickly shook his hand, with a moderate grip.

"comrade Martin, you flatter me. It's all part of my duty."

Then Li Yang's gaze fell on Qi Yu and Qi Fang, and he smiled as he introduced them to Martin.

As he spoke, he gently patted Qi Yu and Qi Fang's shoulders, as if to encourage them.

"These two are my recognized younger siblings, one is Qi Yu and the other is Qi Fang. Come on, call him Brother Ma."

His eyes were full of warmth and expectation, hoping that Qi Yu and Qi Fang could quickly get acquainted with Martin, as this would also expand their network.

Qi Yu and Qi Fang, who were initially a bit nervous upon hearing Li Yang's words, immediately reacted.

With a hint of awe and curiosity in their eyes, they quickly called out in unison.

"Brother Ma..."

Seeing this, a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on Martin's mechanical face, full of joy.

After all, these two were Li Yang's recognized younger siblings, and in his heart, they held extraordinary significance.

Although he and Li Yang usually addressed each other as brothers, he knew in his heart that this was completely different from the close, sibling-like relationship between Qi Yu, Qi Fang, and Li Yang.

He secretly mused that since they were both human citizens and had Li Yang as a solid backer, their future achievements would certainly not be underestimated.

Perhaps with Li Yang's careful guidance and help, they would carve out their own place in this vast Universe, and their future achievements would certainly be considerable.

The more Martin thought about it, the happier he became, and he immediately said heartily.

"Good, good, good. Since you're calling me Brother Ma, then I must give you something in return."

As he spoke, he reached into his personal space, then slowly pulled out two fist-sized spheres.

Seeing these spheres, a glimmer of recollection flashed in Li Yang's eyes.

Because he clearly remembered that when he and Martin first met, Martin had given him the same thing.

At that time, he was just a fledgling Lieutenant, and Martin's gift was not just a material offering, but also a form of recognition and encouragement.

At this moment, watching Martin give the same gift to Qi Yu and Qi Fang, a warm current couldn't help but well up in Li Yang's heart.

Martin smiled, gently shaking the two glowing spheres in his hand, and introduced them in a gentle and sincere tone.

"This is a Guardian Intelligent Mech, named T7. Don't let its small appearance fool you, its functions are powerful. In this complex and ever-changing Universe, it can become your loyal and reliable guardian. This is just a small trinket, consider it my welcome gift to you."

With that, he handed the two spheres to Qi Yu and Qi Fang respectively.

Qi Yu and Qi Fang instinctively reached out, but their hands stopped halfway; they didn't immediately accept the gift.

Their gazes collectively turned to Li Yang, with a hint of hesitation and inquiry in their eyes, as if seeking Li Yang's opinion.

They were both curious about this novel gift and somewhat concerned about whether it was appropriate to accept it rashly.

Li Yang was amused by their expressions, a warm smile spreading across his face.

He gently waved his hand and said softly.

"What are you looking at me for? Brother Martin gave it to you, just accept it. He gave me one of these when we first met. Back then, I was so excited to get it, I thought it was incredibly rare."

However, as time passed, he gained a deeper understanding of this T7 Intelligent Mech.

In fact, this thing wasn't very useful; its strength was only equivalent to an Imperial Soldier.

Aside from using it a few times when the novelty hadn't worn off, he had left it in the warehouse to gather dust.

But Li Yang then reconsidered: for Qi Yu and Qi Fang, this T7 might hold a different meaning.

Especially Qi Yu, who chose the path of politics. In the vortex of politics, dangers and challenges often lurked in the shadows.

Having a T7 for daily protection would be like an additional solid barrier, giving her more peace of mind.

As for Qi Fang, he would soon have his own fleet, so this T7 would be of little use, just like it was for Li Yang before.

"Thank you, Brother Ma!"

Qi Yu and Qi Fang thanked him in unison.

Martin waved his hand heartily.

"Why be so polite with me? You're Li Yang's younger siblings, so you're like family to me. If you ever run into any difficulties in the future, whether you lack equipment or need manpower, just come to me. It's a simple matter."

After a few warm exchanges, the group walked towards Li Yang's office.

The light in the corridor flickered with their steps. Martin and Li Yang walked ahead, chatting softly about recent events, occasionally sharing a knowing laugh.

Pushing open the office door, Li Yang gestured for everyone to sit, while Pal poured tea for them.

As soon as Martin settled onto the sofa, he asked directly.

"Brother Li Yang, have the star coins for the auction been prepared? I heard that the rules for this venue are strict; they only accept real-time liquid funds and no collateral."

Li Yang's lips curved into a composed smile.

"Already prepared. Not much, just one hundred million star coins."

"Pfft—"

Qi Fang nearly spat out the tea he had just sipped, quickly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes wide and round.

Beside him, Qi Yu also widened her eyes slightly, her fingers holding the teacup pausing.

She knew Li Yang owned three planets, but one hundred million star coins... this far exceeded her imagination of "wealth."

In contrast, Pal and Martin looked as usual, as they both knew how Li Yang made his money.

Martin looked at the astonished expressions of Qi Yu and the others, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Looking at you all, is this the first time you've realized how much this kid Li Yang can earn? His three planets, calling them 'money trees' would be an understatement; they're practically starships that lay golden eggs."

After all, even ordinary planets, if they developed tourism, would at most earn hundreds of thousands to millions.

But there's no way around it; Li Yang's three planets almost all have human citizens, and a considerable number of them, naturally attracting a large number of other Imperial Citizens.