A week later.
Jiang Ye's desk was piled high with reports demanding money.
The highest-grade report paper was a semi-metallic material, pure black on the surface with fine, glittering flecks, like coal. It was covered in small white text printed by laser.
Each layer of report paper had a transparent light film on its surface, similar to plastic wrap. The text was only revealed after peeling off the film; otherwise, it appeared as a solid black sheet. Once peeled, the light film would curl up like stir-fried squid, and the surface of the report paper would change color, providing a security measure akin to the adhesive on an envelope.
Jiang Ye peeled off the light films and flipped through them one by one, secretly astonished at the sheer number of categories his wife had devised.
The most expensive report was for the purchase of 10% of the space city's area.
[The purchase of 10% of the space city's area is considered for both investment and wartime purposes.]
[Currently, the space city's price is at a historical low. With the Galactic Empire's outward expansion and the shift of economic centers, the future price of the space city will be considerable. Selling it later will yield profits.]
[10% of the space city's area can accommodate 4,000 supply ships and 1,000 large warships, housing a force of 100,000 personnel. It can also support the construction of a sufficient number of various military factories, making it a suitable stronghold and military base for attacking the Exiled Star.]
[The total purchase cost is one trillion, with subsequent maintenance costs of three trillion, totaling four trillion.]
Jiang Ye felt a pang in his chest.
Four trillion was enough to carpet-bomb the entire major city on the Exiled Star, and it was merely the beginning. It was like the initial rent for a shop before it could even open.
He suddenly understood why some interstellar tyrants resorted to brutality; sometimes, it was simply to save money.
Fortunately, Jiang Ye had the funds. He stamped the reports with his handprint and personal seal, signed his approval, and placed them in the slot on the side of his desk.
The report paper was immediately ingested, entered into the database, and processed for approval.
Simultaneously, the colossal sum of four trillion flowed from the planetary account into Cen Yemeng's personal account.
The report with the highest security classification was about spies.
[It is proposed to dispatch 24 spies to the Exiled Star to conduct preliminary intelligence gathering and establish an intelligence network.]
[The 24 spies will be codenamed by gender plus the 12 zodiac animals, for example, Male Yin Tiger, Female Yin Tiger, Male Chen Dragon, Female Chen Dragon, and so on.]
[Spies require operational funds to achieve infiltration and intelligence transmission/reception in different locations and through various methods. The currently proposed infiltration methods are primarily "Great Seclusion in the Bustle" and "Wild Hunting." Great Seclusion in the Bustle involves arriving at the Exiled Star's prosperous districts disguised as exiles or star-level black merchants, gathering intelligence amidst the crowds. Wild Hunting involves landing in areas like the sea or wilderness via individual mechs and approaching human settlements.]
[The expenses include equipment costs, personnel salaries, compensation, and operational funds, totaling approximately one billion.]
Jiang Ye frowned at the amount and called Cen Yemeng.
"Why do a mere 24 people require one billion in funds?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Is that a lot? The spy equipment alone costs over five hundred million," Cen Yemeng replied. "I can show you the detailed spy reports later. Don't worry too much about it; just sign and approve the funds."
Following that were a large number of miscellaneous reports, mostly expenditures for the military, including high-yield aerial bombs, interstellar missiles, automated killing machines, and mechs. The quantities were not excessive, but they were all expensive, totaling six hundred billion.
Jiang Ye pondered for a moment. Once the Exiled Star was recaptured, these items would still be needed. The money would have to be spent eventually, so he readily signed.
...
The couple began to live separately.
Both Birong Star and Jiang Ye Star were undergoing rapid expansion in population and commercial markets, requiring Jiang Ye to shuttle back and forth between the two planets.
Cen Yemeng, meanwhile, worked in the space city, deploying troops and handling various matters.
Every four days, the couple would reunite.
During the first few reunions, Cen Yemeng showed no particular reaction.
On the fifth reunion, as Jiang Ye was about to fall asleep in bed, Cen Yemeng suddenly hugged him and burst into tears.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ye was startled and turned to hold her.
"I feel so much pressure," Cen Yemeng cried loudly. "There's so much to do, and it's exhausting me to the breaking point. I'm tired physically and mentally. Whenever I think of tens of thousands of people waiting for my orders, I get incredibly anxious. I work from dawn till dusk every day with no time to relax, and in the blink of an eye, another day is gone."
"The only place I can relax now is with you. Just now, lying next to you, I didn't want to close my eyes and sleep, because if I fell asleep, it would be tomorrow, and I'd have to go back to that high-pressure environment for days. Every day I'm so tired I want to cry. But I can't not sleep; if I don't sleep, I won't have the energy tomorrow, and my work will be a mess," Cen Yemeng sobbed, her face covered in tears. "I'm so conflicted. Should I sleep or not? I'm going crazy."
Jiang Ye felt a surge of affection. "If you don't like your work, then don't do it. Leave it all to me, and you can just hold the title."
Cen Yemeng sobbed for a long time, then shook her head. "No, I have to keep going."
"There's no need to force yourself," Jiang Ye said, stroking her head. "Even if you do no work at all, I will still love you, truly."
"I used to think your work pressure was immense, but now that I'm experiencing it myself, I realize just how great it is," Cen Yemeng sniffled. "I feel like you're working so hard, husband. If I do nothing, it's not right. I want to share some of the burden with you."
"I've already adapted," Jiang Ye said. "Managing a planet is naturally very tiring and difficult. You need to pay attention to your work methods. Delegate tasks to your subordinates; don't do everything yourself, or you'll wear yourself out for nothing. Most of the time, things won't be perfect; that's unavoidable, so don't be too hard on yourself."
"Mm," Cen Yemeng nodded.
Jiang Ye continued to comfort her with his rambling words. As he spoke, he realized her sobbing had stopped. He looked down and saw that his wife had fallen asleep, holding onto him tightly like a koala clinging to a tree.
The next day, Jiang Ye began to privately arrange some of the space city's affairs to be handled by himself, in order to lighten his wife's burden. Looking at the pending tasks for the space city, Jiang Ye also felt his head start to ache. The familiar feeling returned: an endless stream of documents, with pending matters multiplying like earthworms – cut one off, and two more appeared; cut off two, and four appeared.
The more he worked, the more there was, a truly despairing cycle.
Fortunately, this high-intensity workload soon eased. The required troops and equipment had arrived at the space city and were operating independently, immediately halving the workload for Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng.
However, this period of ease did not last long.
The spies successfully reached the Exiled Star and began transmitting the first batch of intelligence through various means.