Eight o'clock in the morning.
Jiang Ye, looking exhausted, opened the door and went home.
Cen Yemeng, who had been dozing on the living room sofa, suddenly woke up and stood up to look at him.
"You didn't sleep all night?" Jiang Ye asked in surprise.
"I was worried about you, how could I sleep?" Cen Yemeng looked at him with concern, "How did things go?"
"Ju Lanlan has a psychological disorder and was sent to Binhai City Hospital for three years of treatment, with no outdoor access. Ninety-five percent of her assets were donated to establish a charitable foundation," Jiang Ye said. "One of Feng Zhi Shuang's subordinates, named Lei Lu, played a role in this case by rejecting alien immigration applications. Several people in the logistics city database were responsible for writing the identities of illegal immigrants into the planet's database. Over twenty workers in the logistics city's import and export warehousing area were also involved."
"These people..." Cen Yemeng was filled with disbelief.
"Shao Wan's pistol skills are truly remarkable. Within a hundred paces, he doesn't need to aim; he hits with a raise of his hand. He says he'll hit the forehead and never the eyes," Jiang Ye yawned, "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep."
"You still left Ju Lanlan with five percent, and a three-year treatment period isn't long. And she's so wealthy, five percent should be enough. But what about the businesses she was in charge of? What about the logistics city?" Cen Yemeng came over and linked her arm with her husband's, and they went upstairs together.
"Although she has a psychological disorder, she can still work in the hospital," Jiang Ye said. "I'll find someone to take over her position as soon as possible."
"Your face looks terrible. Get some good sleep, don't set an alarm."
"Being tired is secondary; I feel very sad right now."
"I know you've always trusted Ju Lanlan."
"Few of the trusted pillars by my side from years ago remain," Jiang Ye sighed deeply. "Ju Lanlan is involved, Isabel doesn't return when she goes on vacation, Tian Rao has a hidden identity. Sometimes I wonder if it's inevitable for ancient emperors to kill their meritorious officials. Do people truly change over time?"
"Although Tian Rao has a hidden identity, she's a good person. Isabel, even though she's on another planet, has done a lot for Jiang Senlin, and she's still your good friend," Cen Yemeng comforted him. "It's just Ju Lanlan who has a problem, don't overthink it. Che Zhen, Shao Wan, Xu Yan, aren't they all very loyal to you?"
"I can only hope they are loyal," Jiang Ye sighed again.
Entering the bedroom, Jiang Ye sat on the bed, looking dejected and exhausted. Cen Yemeng helped him take off his jacket.
"Husband, you're tired. Don't think about the worst. Do you want to eat something before sleeping?"
"I ate at Ju Lanlan's place."
"How dare you eat at her place?" Cen Yemeng's face instantly turned pale.
"Shao Wan brought the late-night snack."
Jiang Ye, down to his underwear, burrowed into the covers.
A heavy sleepiness quickly descended, and his phone suddenly rang.
Cen Yemeng fumbled, pulling the phone from Jiang Ye's jacket draped over the chair. Just as she was about to silence it, her hand suddenly stopped.
"It's Li Nannan calling," Cen Yemeng said with a strange expression. "Is Ju Lanlan acquainted with her?"
"I don't think so?" Jiang Ye sat up with effort and took the phone.
He answered.
"One piece of good news! One piece of bad news!" Li Nannan's hysterical scream, like a little girl watching fireworks during the New Year, echoed. "Which one do you want to hear first!"
"Commander, you're as excited as if you'd had two and a half jin of alcohol," Jiang Ye suddenly became alert, feeling his ears almost bleed. He held the phone further away. "Report the good news first."
"You've obtained the development rights for Birong Star!" Li Nannan said.
"Holy crap! Holy crap!" Jiang Ye also screamed, jumping up from the bed. He seemed more excited than she was. "I'm rich! You're my god of wealth, Commander!"
Cen Yemeng couldn't hear what was being said on the phone, but judging by her husband's reaction, she could guess. She smiled happily beside him.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye calmed down. "What's the bad news? I think with Birong Star, I can accept most of the bad news, right?"
"The bad news is, pay attention to my wording just now," Li Nannan said.
Jiang Ye recalled carefully.
His expression suddenly changed!
"I only got the development rights, not sovereignty?" Jiang Ye's face fell.
"To be precise, you've only obtained one-third of the temporary development rights," Li Nannan said.
Jiang Ye became completely calm.
This was not what they had agreed upon.
It felt like buying a house, paying the money, and then the real estate company saying, "Congratulations, sir, you've obtained the right to reside in 30% of this property."
This was not good!
Jiang Ye sat down, took a deep breath, and said, "Please explain in detail, I don't understand what's going on."
"The Galactic Empire has changed its policy. Previously, sovereignty over an entire planet was decided in one go. Now, they've decided to introduce a competition mechanism, survival of the fittest," Li Nannan said. "Multiple planets will simultaneously obtain development rights for a piece of land on Birong Star. Whoever develops their allocated land the most prosperously within the same timeframe will ultimately gain sovereignty over the entire planet. It's not just Birong Star; over twenty planets recently are using this mechanism. They release development rights first, and then discuss sovereignty later."
"That doesn't sound good," Jiang Ye shook his head.
"Why not?" Li Nannan asked. "This way, there are many benefits!"
"Jiang Ye Star is weak, lacking money, people, and technology. How can it compete with other strong planets?" Jiang Ye said. "If we lose the competition in the end, won't it be all for nothing?"
"You've obtained the development rights for one-third of Birong Star's area!" Li Nannan said. "Do you know who the remaining two-thirds belong to? Over a hundred planets!"
"Over a hundred planets?" Jiang Ye was stunned. "Each planet only gets a small piece of land?"
"Exactly! Others only have a small plot, while you have eighty-eight mu of land. It's like a major landowner against small farmers; a little effort will crush them!" Li Nannan said. "It just means a few more twists and turns, and more time!"
"Hey, that sounds much easier!" Jiang Ye's eyes lit up.
"Birong Star was supposed to be yours anyway. It just happened to coincide with the policy change, which is why this situation arose," Li Nannan said. "Do you know the benefits of this? Other planets will invest heavily in the allocated land on Birong Star, migrating various companies, industries, and populations there. By the time you gain sovereignty over the entire Birong Star, you'll receive resources from different planets."
"It is indeed tempting," Jiang Ye said happily.
"However, it's not as easy as you say," Jiang Ye's expression suddenly turned serious again.
"Why?"
"Historical lessons. If your strength is insufficient, you cannot protect your territory," Jiang Ye frowned. "If a small place has enough strength, it can still swallow a large place. The area of territory is not the key. Do you have a list of other planets that obtained development rights for Birong Star?"
"Not yet. My information is just hearsay, and the specific details haven't been finalized, but you generals and planet leaders will be called for a meeting soon. I'll notify you immediately once there's meeting news," Li Nannan said. "Don't worry, planets under the Galactic Empire are not allowed to wage war against each other. Birong Star won't experience continuous conflict; it's purely a competition of development speed."
"Business is like a battlefield," Jiang Ye was still worried.