696: Chapter 696 The Lesser Galaxy Cluster

Thus, he maintained his grinning expression from before, reached out to nudge his companion's arm, and said nonchalantly.

"Hey, playing this trick again? You've fooled me several times before, deliberately acting serious to scare me. Don't even think about tricking me this time; I'm not falling for it..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his peripheral vision caught his companion's stiff profile and an unprecedented expression that was so tense it was almost transparent.

What made his heart tighten even more was that his companion's eyes were fixed behind him, and he was frantically signaling him with his eyes, which were filled with messages like "It's over," "Don't talk," and "Be serious."

A chill instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

The short officer turned around slowly, extremely slowly.

When his gaze met the pair of smiling yet majestic eyes behind him, his entire body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and he froze on the spot instantly.

Li Yang stood less than a meter behind him, his posture as upright as a pine tree, and the rank of Lieutenant General Second Class on his epaulettes shone brightly under the cold light of the corridor.

A gentle smile hung on his face, and he was watching him with a half-smile.

"Chi... Chief!"

The short officer's voice cracked instantly, his legs went weak, and he almost fell while trying to stand at attention.

With lightning speed, he snapped a salute, his movements as standard as a textbook, his voice filled with terror and lingering fear.

At this moment, his heart was frantically complaining about his "bad friend."

It was all this guy's fault!

He usually liked to play these kinds of jokes, fooling him countless times.

This caused his first reaction upon hearing a similar joke to be "he's faking it again."

As luck would have it, the Chief really came this time, and he almost failed to react, thinking it was just his companion's prank. The consequences would have been unimaginable! This was a literal case of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf!"

Li Yang looked at the young officer's panicked and pale face and couldn't help but chuckle.

He waved his hand, his tone becoming extremely gentle, dissolving the other's tension.

"Alright, no need to be so nervous."

After the two officers calmed down a bit and stood straight again, Li Yang asked seemingly casually.

"I was passing by and happened to hear you chatting. That... Lese Star Cluster you mentioned just now, right? Can you tell me about it? Is it very special?"

Li Yang had always loved his Soldiers like his own children and never put on airs with the officers and Soldiers under his command.

He knew well that these Soldiers who followed him through life and death were his most solid strength.

Therefore, the atmosphere in the unit was always relaxed and harmonious, and these Soldiers respected and felt close to him from the bottom of their hearts.

Seeing the Chief ask of his own accord, the two young officers looked at each other, the panic in their eyes instantly replaced by a hint of confusion.

"Eh?"

The short officer was stunned for a moment, not realizing why Li Yang would suddenly ask about this, until his companion beside him frantically winked and nudged him with his elbow. He then snapped back to his senses, quickly reined in his nervousness, and began to explain clearly.

After a brief exchange, Li Yang completely understood the special nature of the Lese Star Cluster.

Unlike the vast majority of Galaxy Clusters within the Empire that focused on energy mining, military manufacturing, interstellar trade, and administrative hubs, the Lese Star Cluster had abandoned almost all mainstream high-value industries. It did not compete for rare mineral veins, nor did it build grand interstellar hubs or scientific research projects; instead, it focused single-mindedly on the entertainment industry.

In the general environment of the Xili Empire, this was an extremely abnormal thing.

After all, in today's Empire, everyone was equipped with an intellectual brain. Whether it was immersive games, panoramic films, music creation, or virtual socializing, the intellectual brain could customize and generate everything 100% according to personal preference. One could enjoy the ultimate mental entertainment without leaving the house.

Since all needs could be met for free or at low cost through the intellectual brain, almost no one was willing to spend extra money to experience entertainment offline. The entire physical entertainment industry of the Empire had long been in a state of extreme shrinkage and was on the verge of elimination.

But in such a nearly desperate environment, the Lese Star Cluster had managed to carve out a path of its own.

They did not rely on virtual technology; instead, they built real interstellar parks, offline performance venues, immersive experience districts, and characteristic starport cultural tourism projects. Using physical entertainment that one could personally participate in, they broke the monopoly of virtual entertainment provided by the intellectual brain.

Even more surprisingly, through this model, they had produced several "interstellar stars" who possessed considerable fame throughout the Empire.

There were singers and actors, which was a miracle in the era of universal intellectual brains.

One must know that the Xili Empire's territory spanned countless Star Domains, and its population was uncountable. To have even a bit of fame in such a vast Empire meant that an unknown number of people knew and liked them. This influence had long surpassed ordinary local industries.

After listening, Li Yang couldn't help but feel a bit of surprise.

He hadn't expected that outside the Empire's serious military and political systems, there was such a Galaxy Cluster that stood out by relying on physical entertainment, surviving and growing tenaciously.

Take Li Yang himself, for example; he was now considered a famous figure in both the military and political circles of the Empire.

No matter which Galaxy Cluster or Administrative Center he went to, as long as he uprightly announced the name "Li Yang," from the Galaxy Speaker down to the grassroots clerks, almost no one would not know his name.

Because of this unique "foundation of fame," the Lese Star Cluster was also well-known among all Imperial Citizens.

It was no longer an obscure, ordinary Galaxy Cluster but was recognized as the professional entertainment Galaxy Cluster with the largest scale, the most mature industry chain, and the strongest sense of experience in the entire Empire.

The title "Capital of Entertainment" was well-deserved.

Relying on its unique physical entertainment model, the Lese Star Cluster could attract hundreds of millions of tourists from every corner of the Empire every year.

The massive influx of interstellar tourists directly drove the explosive growth of the entire local industry chain, including catering, accommodation, cultural tourism, and transportation.

What other Galaxy Clusters envied most was that the Lese Star Cluster's total annual tax revenue actually far exceeded that of general Galaxy Clusters focused on heavy industry and energy. Its fiscal health even ranked among the top in the Empire. This achievement of "earning through eating, drinking, and playing" was unique in the history of the Empire.

"Lese Star Cluster... interesting."

After listening to the young officer's detailed explanation, a thoughtful light flashed in Li Yang's eyes.

He was silently calculating something in his mind, his mouth curling up slightly into a meaningful smile.

Afterward, he said no more, just lightly patted the shoulders of the two officers, and turned to walk slowly out of the corridor, leaving the two of them looking bewildered.

Watching Li Yang's departing back, the two young officers looked at each other, both seeing the relief of a heavy burden in each other's eyes.