Jiang Ye smiled, largely immune to such flattery, having heard it too often over the years. "The fact that you've reached your current position means Salu Star chose you. There's no need to feel too much pressure; you can do your job well."
"Actually, I have an unspeakable request for coming here today… Brother-in-law, can I work for you?" Cen Zi asked, her eyes wide.
Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat, and his expression changed drastically.
His blood pressure shot up instantly!
What did she mean, "work for me"?
"Our planet's situation is quite complex. We are on the edge of the Galactic Empire's territory. If you were to draw a map of the Galactic Empire, our planet would be a tiny dot on the edge, so small you might not notice it without a close look. We don't even have neighboring planets; we're like an orphan planet, with no one to rely on. Salu Star has just finished a war, is poor, and the situation is still chaotic. I ascended to power in haste, and many things truly daunt me; I feel my current strength is insufficient." Cen Zi put on a pitiable expression and pleaded, "Brother-in-law, you are powerful, with plenty of money, soldiers, and governance experience. I want to latch onto a strong backer; we are family, after all, right?"
Jiang Ye breathed a sigh of relief, his blood pressure returning to normal. So that's what she meant. Fortunately, he hadn't rushed to respond, or it would have been incredibly awkward.
"Actually," Jiang Ye chuckled, "in our family, your sister is the one who calls the shots. I'm the one latching onto her."
Cen Zi blinked in surprise. "Is that really how it is?"
"So, what you're saying is that your planet wants to cooperate with our planet?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Not just cooperate," Cen Zi shook her head. "I want Brother-in-law and Sister to protect our planet, to support it. Military protection and economic assistance."
"Military protection? Economic assistance?" Jiang Ye frowned.
Is this sister-in-law here to ask for money?
She's not here with good intentions!
"Of course, I won't ask for your help for free, Brother-in-law and Sister. Salu Star can become an affiliated planet, much like a vassal state in ancient times," Cen Zi said. "Normally, you would support me, and at critical moments, everything on our planet will belong to you."
"This matter is too significant for me to decide. I'll need to report back to your sister and discuss it with our think tank before making a decision." Jiang Ye's expression was suspicious. "But I do have a question, and I hope you can answer it. This might be a bit blunt, but for important matters, it's best to be direct."
"Please, Brother-in-law, ask away," Cen Zi nodded, her expression serious.
"You've just been appointed the planet's leader, so why are you willing to let Salu Star become an affiliated planet? You must know that this means ceding sovereignty to some extent. If we were to commit a large number of troops and financial resources to support you, we certainly wouldn't allow your planet to break away from us in the future. In other words, we don't do business at a loss. But why are you willing to do a losing business?" Jiang Ye asked.
Cen Zi sighed. "Brother-in-law, you are truly perceptive. You've seen through it. I'll tell you everything."
Jiang Ye frowned. Seen through what? What had he seen through?
"The war on our planet hasn't truly ended; it can only be said to have temporarily paused," Cen Zi said. "At this very moment, we are still facing immense survival pressure. After I took office, I reviewed the planet's population, economy, and military situation. The more I reviewed, the more disheartened I became. With our meager strength, it's difficult to sustain the war. I've fought for fifteen years and am utterly exhausted. I have no attachment to my position; I only hope that the billions of people on the planet have a good outcome. Therefore, if selling planetary sovereignty can secure sufficient military protection, my superiors and I can sell it without hesitation. Moreover, I believe that selling it to you and Sister is trustworthy."
"Who is your enemy?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Scientifically, they are the Rosetti-Harris Star Cluster Civilization, but we all call them the Zerg," Cen Zi said.
"Now humans collectively refer to alien species with strange appearances as Zerg, much like ancient people called everyone around them 'barbarians'," Jiang Ye said. "So, your enemy is a type of alien creature with a very peculiar appearance? A civilization completely different from ours?"
"Yes, to be precise, it's not one type, but many," Cen Zi said. "In the Rosetti-Harris Star Cluster Civilization's army, we have currently observed eight different types of alien creatures, and there may be even more."
Jiang Ye's brow furrowed, and his expression turned serious.
Humans are officially called the Earthlings in the Galactic Empire, named after their homeworld.
Humans are the sole species on their homeworld that evolved higher intelligence, thus creating a significant gap with other species.
However, on some alien planets, more than one species can evolve higher intelligence; there might be many.
It's a situation similar to "Planet of the Apes."
Multiple species simultaneously evolve intelligence and civilization, engaging in constant conflict throughout long histories. In the end, none can eliminate the other, so they merge, join forces to venture into space, and unite against external threats.
The Zerg enemies described by Cen Zi are likely in such a situation.
Jiang Ye had studied relevant knowledge. The more a foreign civilization is composed of multiple species, the more complex its internal structure becomes.
Because each species has a different cognitive organ structure and historical culture, the differences in their behavior are often immense. This leads to all sorts of inconceivable actions emerging during warfare.
Compared to single-species alien civilizations, multi-species alien civilizations are more difficult to understand and often lead to more confusion and difficulty in combat.
"Have you requested aid from the Galactic Empire?" Jiang Ye asked.
"A fleet from the Galactic Empire did intervene and help us a few times during critical moments, otherwise, our planet would have been devastated by the Zerg long ago," Cen Zi said. "However, the Galactic Empire's expansion direction is not towards us, so the Imperial forces won't deploy in large numbers. From the perspective of troop deployment or economic viability, it's not cost-effective. Our planet is very poor, and poor planets don't receive much protection; they're mostly left to fend for themselves."
Jiang Ye remained silent.
What Cen Zi said was the truth.
The Galactic Empire is a vast organization, and a significant drawback of its size is that it doesn't pay excessive attention to every single planet. Even if some planets are temporarily occupied by alien civilizations, it's not a critical issue for the entire Galactic Empire; they can always reclaim them later when time permits.
Simply put, after entering the universe, the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, has not diminished; instead, it has intensified.
"Brother-in-law, if you want it, I can give Salu Star directly to you. As long as you can prevent the Zerg from conquering Salu Star, the billions of citizens will not face annihilation," Cen Zi sighed deeply.
"Your enemies sound too powerful; they are not easily defeated with a single strike. I am currently spread too thin. I have another planet that is about to undergo large-scale urban construction, I'm preparing to control another planet, and I also have many planets under my jurisdiction. My work is full every day. If I decide to take over Salu Star, I will inevitably have to shift most of my focus to Salu Star, and other planets' affairs will be delayed," Jiang Ye said. "Therefore, this matter needs careful consideration. You cannot expect to just hand Salu Star over to me; you must take responsibility. You are the supreme leader of Salu Star."