600: The above processing

When Li Yang returned to his office, it was already late. He simply handled a few backlogged documents and then fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, as soon as Li Yang stepped into his office, the Administrative Management System popped up an encrypted message from the Personnel Department.

He clicked it casually. The light screen instantly listed a long string of names—more than ten Vice Speaker candidates. They were all well-known figures in the Longlan Star Cluster, and more importantly, he had dealt with these people to some extent, so they were familiar Faces.

Li Yang rubbed his chin, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

This was clearly an olive branch extended by Li Li.

He knew Li Li's thoughts all too well.

The miserable sight of Comrade Zhou Ren losing Face in the assembly had likely become a lingering shadow in Li Li's mind.

That old fox, who was always socially adept, had never wanted to make an enemy of him. Now, having witnessed Comrade Zhou Ren's fate with his own eyes, he was even more determined to avoid trouble.

This list of candidates was the most direct gesture of goodwill; whom to choose depended entirely on Li Yang's word.

Li Yang's fingertips slid across the light screen, his gaze scanning each name before finally stopping on a profile picture he trusted relatively more.

Without much deliberation, he tapped the confirmation button and finalized the choice for the Vice Speaker.

To him, the position of Vice Speaker was nothing more than a figurehead.

As long as he remained in the position of Speaker, there was no possibility of the core power of the Longlan Star Cluster falling into other hands.

Unless some world-shaking accident occurred one day, this power would remain firmly grasped in his palm.

A few days passed uneventfully.

This afternoon, while Li Yang was reviewing an energy supply report, the management System sent another message. This time, it was an announcement of Comrade Zhou Ren's application for retirement.

Li Yang glanced at it and nodded faintly, no look of surprise on his Face.

Comrade Zhou Ren was sensible enough.

The mere fact that he had been rebuked until he fainted in the assembly was enough to make him a laughingstock throughout the Star Domain and beyond. Coupled with the mess in the Ministry of Energy that would eventually be settled, it was better to apply for retirement voluntarily to save a final shred of dignity than to wait to be dismissed and end up in ruins.

Below the announcement, there was also a notice regarding his own punishment.

Li Yang opened it to take a closer look. The content was trivial—just a few verbal warnings, not even a written reprimand.

He sneered and casually closed the notice, not taking it to heart.

This was just a favor from the higher-ups. After all, his actions in the assembly were reasonable to begin with. The so-called punishment was just a formality to silence the public.

After all, no matter how you put it, for a subordinate official to rebuke a superior until they fainted from anger, it wouldn't look good for their Face without some form of punishment.

Having dealt with these trivial matters, Li Yang leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Looking out the window, there was a beautiful, brilliant view of the starry sky, but in his heart, a trace of gloom inexplicably arose.

He suddenly thought of He Dong.

Since the last report, he hadn't received any news from He Dong.

How had the situation been over there these past few days?

Li Yang's fingertips tapped the desk unconsciously, his brow furrowing slightly.

Compared to Comrade Zhou Ren's retirement and the selection of the Vice Speaker, the situation on He Dong's side was what truly worried him... On the other side, He Dong was buried in front of a cold-glowing light screen, his fingertips dancing on the light screen as he recorded lines of precise plans into a document.

These days, his troops had certainly not been idle.

Several elite reconnaissance Squads had prowled to the edge of the Forbidden Ground like crouching leopards. Under the cover of the miasma, they mapped the surrounding terrain and power distribution inch by inch.

And Jiang Lu's mouth gradually loosened under rounds of psychological warfare and enticement. Secrets about the inside and outside of the Forbidden Ground were continuously flowing into He Dong's intelligence database.

Hard work paid off.

In just a few days, the situation around the Forbidden Ground was clearly outlined.

Just as the captured Bandits had confessed, there was only a single, isolated Demon Suppressing City standing around this Forbidden Ground.

The good news was that this city did not belong to any Sect or Imperial Dynasty; it was a veritable no-man's land.

Due to its proximity to the Forbidden Ground, the city was a mixed bag. Most of those entrenched there were Loose Cultivators who existed outside of order, or Robber Cultivators who were in league with that gang of Bandits. They acted ruthlessly and without any rules.

But bad news followed. Cross-referencing Jiang Lu's testimony with the intelligence sent back by the reconnaissance Squads, Demon Suppressing City was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The highest combat power on the surface was already at the Body Integration Stage, but there were rumors that an Old Monster of the Mahayana stage might be hidden in the city, having been in seclusion for many years and rarely appearing.

When this intelligence was presented to He Dong marked as High Priority, his pupils suddenly contracted. Then, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and a bold plan rapidly took shape in his mind.

Since the troops had landed in this Forbidden Ground for Cultivators, why not play along? He would simply disguise them as a hidden power that had been dormant in the Forbidden Ground for ten thousand years, using this mysterious cover to stir up the muddy waters.

His fingertip tapped heavily on the light screen, finalizing the core outline of the plan.

The first step was to find a way to connect with the renowned Lingxiao Immortal Sect, using their strength to stir up the regional power structure. The second step was to take down Demon Suppressing City. This was not only to seize a foothold for the troops but also to use it as a touchstone to test their combat power.

He Dong leaned back in his chair, looking at the three large characters Demon Suppressing City on the light screen, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He wanted to see for himself whether these Body Integration Stage and even Mahayana stage Cultivators, who were so influential in the cultivation world, were stronger or weaker than the starships under his command equipped with main cannons.

But how can I get in touch with the Lingxiao Immortal Sect?

Looking above the four characters Diplomatic Contact on the light screen, He Dong's brow furrowed as he fell into deep thought.

His fingertips tapped the desk lightly as his gaze scanned the power analysis of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect on the screen.

It was a behemoth perched at the top of this cultivation world, with millions of Disciples. High-level Cultivators were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, and there were several Cultivators at the Undergoing Tribulation Stage on the surface, completely dominating the region.

To connect with such a Sect, ordinary Spirit Stones and treasures wouldn't even catch their eye, let alone his own troops—where would they even get this hard currency of the cultivation world?

Wait, cultivation... cultivation.

He murmured under his breath, and a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind.

If I remember correctly, the records in the data say that they spend their whole lives in bitter cultivation, seeking nothing more than immortality, right?

At this thought, He Dong's eyes suddenly lit up, and a confident smile curled on his lips.

The Empire's technology had long been able to extend life and achieve true immortality.