A faint blue holographic projection appeared in the air, showing a slowly rotating planet and its moon.
"This is the Exile Planet," Li Nannan introduced. "It's located very close to the outer rim of the Milky Way."
"Why is it called that? Is it its original name or a designation given by the military?" Jiang Ye asked.
"The first settlers of this planet named it, and the meaning of the name has changed over time," Li Nannan said, looking at Jiang Ye. "Broadly speaking, the first people on Exile Planet were from your era."
"From my era?" Jiang Ye was taken aback.
"They were all ancient people, but they hadn't been born yet when you were in hibernation. During the Third World War, a fleet broke away from the battlefield and fled into space," Li Nannan explained. "The people on this fleet slept for two hundred years while the ship drifted for two hundred years. When they woke up, they found their homeland had been defeated, and the victors had been absorbed into the Galactic Empire. They still couldn't escape the encirclement."
"Then they applied for humanitarian aid from the Galactic Empire, received a warp ship and some technology, and began to flee outside the Milky Way. Eventually, the ship was damaged, and they landed on this planet, naming it Exile Planet because they were all exiles."
"I understand," Jiang Ye nodded. "How did the meaning change later?"
"Exile Planet needed to develop, requiring an influx of population, capital, and technology. However, for a long time, the planet was outside the Galactic Empire's sphere of influence, with inconvenient transportation, and most people were unwilling to immigrate," Li Nannan recounted. "The first leader of Exile Planet, Hawthorne Cedric, pushed against opposition and decided to send out signals to attract exiled humans from the Milky Way."
"Fugitives, terrorist organizations, cultists, misanthropes, and all sorts of other exiled elements began gathering on Exile Planet in their ships. Exile Planet became a planet that harbored filth, like dark and foul-smelling corners attracting mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies, and rats. Moreover, because it was outside the Galactic Empire's sphere of influence, for a long time, once exiles reached Exile Planet, it meant they had escaped punishment," Li Nannan explained. "Exile Planet became a place akin to a criminal's refuge."
"I think I read about it in a magazine," Cen Yemeng suddenly recalled. "Did they have a civil war?"
"That's right," Li Nannan confirmed. "The first governor of Exile Planet, the same Hawthorne I mentioned, died in a mutiny, shot thirty-eight times. The shooter was an alien exile he had ordered to be brought in. It was a classic case of inviting a wolf into the fold."
"Who is the current governor of Exile Planet?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Rintaro Naomura. He's the one with real power."
Li Nannan waved her hand, and the holographic projection displayed a photograph. A bald man in a black formal suit stood on a high platform, waving to the cheering crowd below with a smile. The composition and colors were beautiful, likely a news photo from a planetary celebration.
"That's a fake picture, isn't it?" Cen Yemeng suddenly said.
"Why do you say that?" Li Nannan was taken aback.
Jiang Ye also sensed something was off and pointed at the cheering crowd below the image. "The crowd is too obviously photoshopped. Look at these crowd representatives; they're grouped in dozens, and they all have the same face. How could a picture of this quality be released?"
"This is a completely genuine photograph," Li Nannan stated. "The crowd below isn't photoshopped; they really all look like that."
"How is that possible!" Cen Yemeng exclaimed.
Jiang Ye felt as if he had seen a ghost. Dozens, even hundreds, of people with identical appearances felt like a low-quality, money-grabbing game scene. He suddenly thought of something. "Androids?"
"Yes," Li Nannan nodded. "But not entirely."
Jiang Ye was speechless. When had his superior's speaking style become so evasive?
"And these people who all look the same are also one of the reasons the Galactic Empire decided to go to war with Exile Planet," Li Nannan continued.
"Why isn't it entirely true? How exactly did these people come about?" Jiang Ye was getting impatient, his superior was actually playing coy. "Explain it properly!"
Li Nannan reached out, and the holographic projection changed again. A factory assembly line appeared. Large machinery was in operation, humming loudly, accompanied by the distinct sounds of laser beams and high-pressure water jets. Glass jars were moving forward on a conveyor belt, containing a yellowish liquid with a murky mass inside.
"Exile Planet is outside the Galactic Empire's territory, and their financial, material, and technological resources are limited. They cannot conduct formal android production that undergoes rigorous approval processes, nor do they adhere to any relevant laws regarding android ethics or morality. In fact, their production methods severely violate human rights," Li Nannan explained. "Exile Planet has developed embryo splitting technology, dividing a single embryo into hundreds, even thousands, of parts for collective cultivation."
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng gasped, their faces turning pale.
"Everyone on Exile Planet, from birth, has their occupation, residence, income, education level, and even marriage predetermined," Li Nannan continued. "Rintaro Naomura's subordinates designate name zones for each region."
"Name zones?" Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng echoed in unison.
"For example, if Exile Planet builds a new lumber mill that requires a hundred lumberjacks, they will find a hundred identical Jiang Yes and assign them to work in the lumber mill," Li Nannan said. "Everyone looks the same, has the same age, and their only distinction is their worker number, like Jiang Ye 1, Jiang Ye 2, Jiang Ye 18."
Jiang Ye felt a chill crawl up his spine. This was anti-human! This was treating people as machines! It severely crossed the moral bottom line!
"You just said marriage is also predetermined," Cen Yemeng spoke up. "So, if there's a candy factory nearby, they'll have a hundred female candy factory workers named Cen Yemeng, and when the time comes, the two factories will hold a mass wedding, with Cen Yemeng 1 marrying Jiang Ye 1, Cen Yemeng 2 marrying Jiang Ye 2, is that it?"
"Exactly!" Li Nannan nodded enthusiastically. "Your understanding is very precise."
She waved her hand towards the holographic projection, and a nightmarish scene appeared. A photograph of a mass wedding ceremony showed fifty grooms and fifty brides. Each groom was identical, and each bride was identical. The only distinction was a number tag worn on each person's chest.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng both felt a wave of revulsion. It was too terrifying! It was a joyous, warm, and touching occasion like a wedding, but it looked utterly horrifying.
"Rintaro Naomura has turned Exile Planet into this replicated and cloned state in order to maximize the planet's productivity and thus resist the Galactic Empire," Li Nannan explained. "Rintaro Naomura has repeatedly stated publicly and privately, calling on all personnel of Exile Planet to strive for the banner of rebellion against the Galactic Empire."