Space fighter jets roared through the bustling city. A small missile pierced the glass of a skyscraper, entering the top-floor office and detonating directly above the desk. The remains of the governor of Shuidai Prefecture were flung out the window, falling in flames at the nearest intersection, terrifying onlookers who screamed in panic.
General Qian Jinzhou holed up in his underground nuclear fallout shelter, a hundred meters of special concrete and multi-layered metal shielding overhead, supposedly rendering it impregnable. However, General Qian Jinzhou seemed to have a premonition of his demise. He had preemptively gathered many beautiful women and a few trusted subordinates, indulging in wild revelry within the shelter.
To eliminate the general, twelve space fighter jets flew past at high speed, precisely dropping twelve armor-piercing bombs into the crater left by the previous bomb. Twelve consecutive earth-shattering explosions managed to blast through the hundred-meter thick defensive layers of the nuclear shelter. By the time the nearby refugee star forces arrived for rescue, the general's ashes were indistinguishable from those of the others.
Of course, some elimination operations were less dramatic and far more ordinary.
At a military officer's club in Shuidai Prefecture, over forty colonels from the refugee star resistance forces were celebrating a birthday, enjoying drinks and card games. Just as they were singing "Happy Birthday," the crystal chandelier crashed down. A missile the size of a thermos bottle drilled through the ceiling and landed on the floor, exploding with a bang. Thirty colonels were killed instantly, while five others stumbled towards the exit, attempting to escape, only to vomit blood and die one after another as they stepped outside. The last five colonels were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, and only one survived after three six-hour surgeries to repair his liver.
A general in Yas Port was fishing by the lake. He saw a fighter jet flash across the opposite bank, faster than a meteor. Then, a green object skipped across the lake at extreme speed, leaping several times before directly striking the general's chest. Surviving guards on the periphery later recalled being chilled by such an exquisitely precise strike.
In Anba Prefecture, a refugee star division commander was inspecting the front lines. A fighter jet flew overhead and dropped a half-meter-tall miniature mechanical soldier. The mechanical soldier landed, rolled, and instantly fired three shots, each hitting the commander's forehead, heart, and kidney. The commander's body merely trembled for a moment before he collapsed and died.
In short, this swift and comprehensive strike sent shockwaves through the refugee star. Some refugee star soldiers claimed their every pore was trembling. This wave of attacks included both terrifying, high-yield bombings and meticulously precise individual eliminations. The military strike and intelligence capabilities held by Cen Yemeng were directly proven.
Of the fifty refugee star prefectures that were attacked, thirty quickly declared surrender to the Galactic Empire, ten sought to negotiate terms with the Galactic Empire, and only ten prefectures remained prepared to resist.
Over the next week, Cen Yemeng concentrated her forces on these ten prefectures.
Bombardment, persuasion, advance.
More bombardment, more persuasion, more advance.
Under this relentless three-pronged offensive, cities fell one after another to the mechanical soldiers, and the territory controlled by the refugee star forces rapidly shrank, soon accounting for only 3% of the global area. The remaining 97% was now under Cen Yemeng's control.
Victory was within sight.
The atmosphere in the military was unprecedentedly high.
However, Cen Yemeng ordered a halt to the offensive at this very moment.
All units were bewildered but had no choice but to pause.
It felt like running a hundred-meter sprint, surging forward ninety-seven meters, and then suddenly stopping with only three meters left.
Jiang Ye learned of this while attending an entrepreneur conference on Jiang Ye Star.
After confirming the news, he left the meeting directly and took a spaceship to Space City.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Jiang Ye burst into Cen Yemeng's office.
"Why did you stop suddenly? There's only a little bit left, and finishing it would completely resolve the refugee star issue. Stopping at this point is a major military taboo!" Jiang Ye said accusatorily as soon as he entered.
Cen Yemeng, dressed in formal attire, was sitting behind her desk, drinking tea. She gestured to the side.
Jiang Ye turned and saw Li Nannan, who had just come out of the restroom.
"Not attacking is a decision from higher up," Li Nannan said. "From a military perspective, it's not ideal, but the world isn't just about swords and battles."
"A decision from higher up?" Jiang Ye frowned. "Didn't higher ups give Cen Yemeng full authority over the refugee star? What's the meaning of this interference now?"
"The complete control of the refugee star is a foregone conclusion. Higher ups believe that conquering the remaining 3% by force would be too crude," Li Nannan explained. "Therefore, higher ups have decided that this 3% will peacefully surrender to the Galactic Empire."
Jiang Ye was stunned, then burst into laughter out of sheer exasperation.
The Galactic Empire itself was a monstrous entity of immense military power, having crushed so many planets through conquest of iron and blood. Yet now, it suddenly found force too crude? What a joke!
"You also have the option to proceed with a forceful invasion and unification," Li Nannan added. "However, doing so would significantly lower your impression points in the eyes of the higher-ups. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
Jiang Ye sighed.
With the matter explained this far, he had nothing more to say.
"Is there any possibility of negotiation with those stubborn holdouts on the refugee star?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Yes, in fact, negotiations have already begun," Cen Yemeng said. "Their condition is to be granted an autonomous reservation area."
"How did you reply?" Jiang Ye asked.
"I agreed to their condition, but we have a disagreement on the size of the reservation area," Cen Yemeng said. "They want 5%, but I only want to give them 0.5%, especially since their remaining resisters are few in number."
Jiang Ye nodded.
His wife's thinking was sound.
Why give such a large piece of land to so few people?
Was there any reason to give up territory that the army had already captured?
"Besides conveying the decision from higher up, I also bring good news for you and your wife," Li Nannan said with a smile. "The military has decided to implement a massive investment in the refugee star."
Jiang Ye's expression changed slightly. Instead of joy, he felt a sense of dread.
What did this mean?
Were they going to snatch the fruits of their hard-won labor on the planets they had finally conquered?
"You don't need to worry," Li Nannan said, sensing his concern. "The sovereignty of the refugee star will ultimately belong to Cen Yemeng, and this massive investment will bring you nothing but benefits."
"How massive?" Jiang Ye asked. "And what will it be used for?"
"The first phase of investment is fifteen trillion," Li Nannan said. "I don't know how many subsequent phases there will be."
Jiang Ye was shocked. The military was truly generous, dishing out fifteen trillion so readily!
"This money will be used to build transportation hubs, primarily to serve ships entering and exiting the galaxy," Li Nannan continued.
Jiang Ye felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.