In his years as a Grand Marshal, Jiang Ye had visited numerous planets and met over three hundred planetary leaders, witnessing firsthand the conditions on hundreds of worlds.
Jiang Ye's direct impression was that planets differed vastly, worlds apart. Some planets were like paradise, while others were like hell.
As for the social states of Jiang Ye Star and Bi Rong Star, Jiang Ye, if he were to be honest with himself, found neither to be paradise nor hell. If ten was a perfect score, he would give them a seven, perhaps a seven-point-five in some areas, and a six in others. Moreover, both Jiang Ye Star and Bi Rong Star were slowly improving.
Therefore, Jiang Ye believed that expanding his sphere of influence was equivalent to expanding the scope of high-scoring societies, preventing more humans in the universe from falling into the predicament of hellish planets, benefiting billions, and thus strengthening human civilization.
This was the result of Jiang Ye's entire afternoon's contemplation.
If he were still a colony governor, struggling to make ends meet, Jiang Ye would undoubtedly have considered such an idea to be grandiose and impractical.
But now, he possessed everything that could completely satisfy all his needs. The money in his hands could sustain him with delicacies for a hundred thousand years, he had a charming and beautiful wife, children who had become artists, a noble social status, and a certain level of knowledge. He could even achieve immortality.
At times, Jiang Ye felt his life was akin to that of a deity. As his personal desires and needs receded, he naturally developed more noble aspirations, such as benefiting humanity. In fact, this had become his sole pursuit.
Sometimes, Jiang Ye would walk among the streets and be recognized. People on the street would greet him with great enthusiasm, asking for autographs and photos. Although such moments were now rare for safety reasons, whenever they occurred, Jiang Ye would immediately feel a sense of responsibility towards these people.
One morning, Jiang Ye was holding a monthly meeting with his officers.
The meeting content was routine, focusing on aspects like emphasizing training and strengthening learning, topics that were always discussed.
His phone suddenly lit up with a message from Feng Zhi Shuang.
Jiang Ye had not intended to read it, but the first few words of the message touched his sensitive nerves, causing him to suddenly stop speaking.
"Everyone, please relax for a moment, take a break, and have some water," Jiang Ye said into the microphone.
The conference hall fell silent. The officers remained seated upright, not even glancing at the water on the table. The meetings were always this solemn; the staff didn't need to prepare much water because not a single bottle was ever touched after each meeting, purely serving as decoration.
Jiang Ye lowered his head and began reading his phone, his brow furrowed deeply.
[Feng Zhi Shuang: I have just completed a statistical analysis of the enterprises on Jiang Ye Star and Bi Rong Star, and the situation is not optimistic. Currently, the proportion of foreign enterprises on Jiang Ye Star accounts for 88.4%, with local enterprises making up only 11.6%. If we consider the scale of capital and employee numbers, the disparity is even more pronounced. The situation on Bi Rong Star is slightly better, with foreign enterprises accounting for only 75%. However, this is merely on paper. Many local enterprises on Bi Rong Star are founded by entrepreneurs from other planets, and whether they have a sense of belonging to Bi Rong Star, or whether they will leave once they strike gold, remains unknown.]
[Feng Zhi Shuang: An excessive proportion of foreign enterprises makes it easy for the economic lifeline to be controlled, leading to massive capital outflow and damaging the social wealth of the two planets under your command. My greatest concern is that once some major players enter, it will be difficult to drive them away; it's easier to invite a god than to send one off. Some super commercial organizations can even overturn the entire structure of a planet. If you wish to strengthen your power, you must have sufficient direct forces and reserves in the business world. I suggest implementing some support programs for local entrepreneurs to improve the current situation.]
Jiang Ye typed a reply, "Agreed. Please have you and your subordinates come up with some plans for me to review."
Putting down his phone, Jiang Ye tapped the microphone and continued the meeting.
Twenty minutes later, he walked out of the conference hall and was surprised to find Feng Zhi Shuang waiting at the entrance. She was wearing a linen dress, with noticeable dark circles under her eyes, and hadn't had time to conceal them with makeup. Her expression was clearly anxious.
Jiang Ye immediately invited her into a small conference room nearby and closed the door for a private discussion.
"Why the sudden urgency?" Jiang Ye asked.
"A classmate of mine who studied macroeconomics messaged me yesterday saying she was murdered," Feng Zhi Shuang said. "Her hands and feet were bound, and she was placed in a bathtub filled with gold bars, which were stacked on top of her. After several hours, her internal organs ruptured, leading to her death."
Jiang Ye frowned.
A macroeconomist was supposed to be a highly esteemed profession. For someone in such a position, the economic brain of a region or even a planet, to be killed in such a manner.
And the method of killing, so stylized, using a bathtub full of gold, indicated that the killer had a strong purpose to express.
"Why?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Like me, she provided services to emerging planets. That planet was dominated by several large interstellar consortiums that seized the vast majority of its market. They then operated like a meat grinder, extracting forty percent of the planet's wealth in just one year. She had been trying her best to prevent this, and the consortium hired someone to kill her," Feng Zhi Shuang said. "I received the news last night and immediately got up to investigate the foreign enterprises and consortia on Jiang Ye Star and Bi Rong Star, breaking out in a cold sweat."
Jiang Ye's expression turned serious.
He suddenly realized that he had overlooked this issue in the past.
Jiang Ye subconsciously believed that as long as the planet's military was firmly in his grasp, and with the backing of the Galactic Empire, no major storms would arise.
However, if foreign behemoths emerged in the economic sphere and grew into uncontrollable monsters, the consequences would also be extremely dire. Once the economy collapsed, it would inevitably affect the military.
"Don't worry, the commercial markets of Jiang Ye Star and Bi Rong Star are not yet fully developed. The current proportions are temporary and can be adjusted," Jiang Ye said with a smile. "You don't need to worry about your personal safety. I can dispatch additional personnel to protect you. Regardless, the military is reliable."
"My team usually prepares many contingency plans. Last night, we revised them overnight, and we now have the first batch of plans to support local enterprises. I've brought them with me."
Feng Zhi Shuang placed a black metallic object, the size of a USB drive, on the table. A projection of blue files immediately appeared.
Jiang Ye carefully reviewed them, nodding continuously. The work was meticulous. Each plan not only included theoretical sources and planetary surveys but also projected data and AI assessments, essentially answering key questions like how to do it, why, and what the outcomes would be.
"These are all good. I'll add two points, and you can calculate them when you get back," Jiang Ye said.
"Please proceed," Feng Zhi Shuang said, opening her phone's notepad.
"First, I will be making adjustments to the main cadres in various cities," Jiang Ye said. "Currently, there are significant differences in the development of various cities. Some cities are developing very rapidly. I want to see if this speed is due to the city itself or the strong capabilities of the leadership. I intend to transfer these individuals to the slower-developing cities."