Cen Yemeng fell silent.
Jiang Ye smiled helplessly and lowered his head to eat.
"Then what are your plans, husband?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"I'll try to overcome it," Jiang Ye sighed. "Before I got sick, I had just set the tone for vigorously developing the military. Should we change it just because I'm sick? How can we be so flippant?"
"If it's really impossible..." Cen Yemeng hesitated, "I'll do the dirty work."
"How could I bear that?" Jiang Ye's eyes were filled with pain. "I was supposed to be the one fighting, how can I put the whole burden on you? To be honest, I think the reason my mind is out of sorts this time is because the pressure I've endured in the past was too great. When I was young, I thought it was fine, but as I've gotten older, those vengeful spirits have come back to find me, ambushing me in my nightmares in vast numbers."
"You can't make history with a soft heart," Cen Yemeng said seriously. "As long as it's not an unjust war, you shouldn't face the condemnation of your conscience. Violence and guns must be held by civilization, by oneself. Husband, you haven't done anything wrong."
"I understand the logic, that's why I said I'll try to overcome it," Jiang Ye nodded. "Let's not talk about it anymore, let's eat."
...
Two days later, seven in the evening.
Binhai City, Macroeconomic Building.
Several floors were under strict security. Guards stood like ironclad soldiers, guarding all entrances and exits, barring unauthorized personnel.
In the restaurant, at a window seat.
Dai Zhixing and Jiang Ye sat opposite each other. The table was laden with steaming delicacies, but neither of them had touched their chopsticks.
"Binhai City is quite prosperous," Dai Zhixing said, turning his head to look out the window.
It was the time of twilight. The night sky was descending from the horizon, the clouds turning dark one by one, while the city below lit up section by section. The entire city quickly became magnificent, as if the buildings were herds of beasts that opened their eyes and became active at night.
"It's already branched out into satellite cities," Jiang Ye said. "In five years, the main city and its satellite cities combined are expected to have forty million people. Too many people, it's quite a headache."
"No, no, no, too few people," Dai Zhixing shook his head.
Jiang Ye was stunned.
"I have an important piece of news to tell you on this trip, regarding whether there are too many or too few people," Dai Zhixing said. "But before we discuss official business, let me ask about your condition. Are you completely recovered now?"
"The atomic parasites in my brain have been cleared, and I have no discomfort now," Jiang Ye said. "However... my hemophobia is still very severe. My aversion to war is also very severe. The thought of images like explosions, blood flowing everywhere, and fat smeared on walls gives me splitting headaches."
"But Chief, please rest assured, I will definitely adjust as soon as possible!" Jiang Ye quickly continued. "The development of the military will not stop because of my personal illness. I will still fight any war that needs to be fought. So many resources are tied to the military industry, and the wheel of war spins beneath the economic vehicle of hundreds of billions of people. I understand my responsibility."
"Do you think I've come here to reprimand you?" Dai Zhixing smiled, his smile understated. "Do you think I'll force you to adjust your state and start the war machine?"
Jiang Ye blinked rapidly, not answering.
"Have you seen the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?" Dai Zhixing asked.
"Yes," Jiang Ye said blankly, trying to guess which story from the Three Kingdoms Dai Zhixing was about to mention.
"Cao Cao, whether in novels or historical records, was a very capable person. But he spent over three years in seclusion," Dai Zhixing said. "The imperial court offered him an official position, but he refused, feigned illness, and returned to his hometown. He built a small villa in Qiao County. Then, these years are a blank in the records; Cao Cao idled about, doing nothing significant."
Jiang Ye frowned slightly.
"The reason he suddenly went into seclusion was because he had suffered a blow," Dai Zhixing said. "He was disheartened, lost his fighting spirit, and decided to withdraw and live his own life. It was only after a few years that he regained his fighting spirit, shed his identity as a recluse, and continued to contend for the empire, becoming a figure who occupies a long chapter in history books."
Jiang Ye nodded, falling into thought.
"It's not just Cao Cao; many great figures in history have had periods in their lives where they were completely disheartened and decadent," Dai Zhixing said. "Even in military history, some famous generals' records mention them being separated from their troops in a certain year and searching for them. In reality, this is a beautification by history books. The truth is likely that they were so desperate from fighting that they decided to go home and rest."
"It's just that some people rest for a lifetime, while others rest for a few years and then re-emerge. The latter are remembered in history," Jiang Ye said.
"Yes, you understand," Dai Zhixing smiled. "Life is too long, and the human heart is not made of iron. It's normal to be discouraged when facing difficulties, and it's normal to rest for a few years. When I first joined the Galactic Empire, I was also disheartened for a few years, a dark period in my life, so I left the military and switched to trading stocks. At that time, I was prepared to spend my life as a fishing old man, and it took me nearly ten years to recover and decide to do something significant again."
"So, don't put too much pressure on yourself," Dai Zhixing said. "You've experienced life-and-death combat, you've seen many battlefields. I'm the same. We who have experienced it know how terrifying the reality of slaughter is. It's normal to have psychological pressure and fear. We are not beasts, after all. You can rest for a few years, even a decade or more."
"But..." Jiang Ye sighed.
"Let me guess what you're worried about," Dai Zhixing said. "The planets you control, the large military scale, and advanced military industries mean that one of the driving forces of the economy is war. Various industries and interests are tied to warships. If you don't fight for more than a decade, it will lead to development lag, plunging billions of people into poverty."
"Yes," Jiang Ye nodded. "That's the problem. It's too late to adjust now."
"That's why I'm here to save you," Dai Zhixing smiled. "I've obtained a new economic engine for you, one that is not only free of bloodshed but also vibrant. The Galactic Empire's latest decided plan has limited slots, but it can be piloted on your planet."
Jiang Ye raised his eyebrows in surprise, "What is it?"
"Lifespan Extension Reform," Dai Zhixing said. "Increase the average human lifespan by three to five times, or even more."
Jiang Ye was shocked, "This... how..."
"You're wondering how it's possible, right?" Dai Zhixing smiled and extended his hand. "Times have changed."
A bodyguard from a distance hurried over and placed a thin file in Dai Zhixing's hand. Dai Zhixing handed it directly to Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye flipped through the file, his expression changing, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"The reason the average lifespan couldn't be increased before was very complex, mainly two reasons," Dai Zhixing said. "The first reason is that the economic viability of the technology was not there. To perform a lifespan extension surgery on a person would cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions, which ordinary people simply couldn't afford. The second reason is the relationship between people and land. A significant increase in lifespan means a population explosion, and without enough land and resources to support these people, it would ultimately lead to famine, war, and cannibalism, a very realistic problem."
"Have both of these reasons been resolved now?" Jiang Ye asked.