"I'm not sure about that. I'm just guessing. If I don't know the details, how can I dare to get involved?" Liu Shuzeng said. "To be honest, Xiao Fu is not bad, but what she did this time was too sloppy. If she had told the truth, wouldn't I have helped? She lied to all of us and used our personal safety as a bargaining chip, which makes us disheartened!"
"Indeed, she handled this very carelessly," Jiang Ye said. "Then I'll try to find some connections to inquire. If I get any news, I'll tell you right away."
"Alright, I'll be relieved if you know. I'll call others to inform them. Goodbye."
The phone call ended.
Jiang Ye immediately called Che Zhen, "How many warships can operate remotely now?"
"Twelve Nebula-class, 450 Star-class, and 720 Planet-class," Che Zhen replied immediately, clearly familiar with the military situation. "If ordered now, they can all be deployed in about six hours. Where are we attacking?"
"Don't rush. First, notify them to be on combat readiness. We may not need to fight or move," Jiang Ye said. "There's a mutiny on Daughter Star, and we might need to go and mediate."
"If we can wait a while longer, we can add more than a hundred warships that are currently undergoing maintenance and refitting," Che Zhen said. "If notified now, the warships undergoing maintenance will be ready for combat by about 8 AM tomorrow."
"Notify them," Jiang Ye said. "Don't be too hasty, don't panic, be steady."
"Understood. Don't worry, we've practiced this hundreds of times," Che Zhen said.
While Jiang Ye was on the phone, Cen Yemeng also took out her phone and called Huang Bingyan, the Minister of Exile Star Military Affairs.
"Yan, notify the troops to be on combat readiness. How many fleets can set sail tomorrow morning?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"Ten Nebula-class, 344 Star-class, and 510 Planet-class," Huang Bingyan replied quickly. "What is the mission this time, Commander? Where exactly are we attacking? I'll notify the respective units to make preparations."
"Armed mediation. There's a mutiny on a friendly planet," Cen Yemeng said. "We may not need to go; we're still waiting for news. Let the troops prepare first, and they can move immediately if needed."
The phone call ended.
Jiang Ye looked at his wife in surprise. "Your Exile Star forces have grown to this scale without anyone noticing?"
"Are you kidding? Exile Star was conquered by force, and it's on the edge of the galaxy. How can we manage without some serious firepower?" Cen Yemeng's expression flashed with sharpness, then she resumed smiling. "What are your plans next?"
"Damn it, we never planted any spies on Daughter Star, so now we're in a bind. I need to focus on intelligence work in the future," Jiang Ye said. "I'll ask Chief Dai and Li Nannan to see if they can find out anything. You also call some well-informed people to ask."
The couple split up to make phone calls.
Jiang Ye first asked Li Nannan, who said she didn't know anything but could help inquire.
Then he asked Dai Zhixing, who also seemed unaware of the situation, only advising him not to act rashly and that he would try to gather information.
Finally, Jiang Ye called a few familiar planet governors and generals, especially leaders of planets near Daughter Star, but there was no progress.
Jiang Ye put down his phone and turned to look at Cen Yemeng. She was handing him her phone, shaking it vigorously at her husband.
"I've got some wind from my father," Cen Yemeng said.
Jiang Ye took the phone and put it to his ear. "Dad, do you have any news?"
His father-in-law's deep voice came through the phone. "The northern army on Daughter Star now has over five hundred aerial combat aircraft. They were procured intensively from me in the past six months. This mutiny was planned at least half a year ago."
"Procuring combat aircraft isn't evidence, is it? Maybe it's just normal weapon upgrades for their planet. Daughter Star has been fighting planets outside the galaxy recently, and expansion surely requires military supplies, so buying some is normal," Jiang Ye said.
"No, they weren't bought openly," his father-in-law said. "Let me tell you something, and you must keep it to yourself. Don't tell anyone."
"My mouth is sealed tighter than a needle and thread welded with molten iron," Jiang Ye said.
"Aerial combat aircraft, the advanced models I sold have two quantum chips in the tail wing and bomb bay. They are hidden within the outer shell, so small they look like metal impurities and are undetectable. With these two chips, my backend can monitor the location and status of these aircraft in real-time. These hidden chips are a secret requirement from the highest authorities to prevent any faction from using the Galactic Empire's weapons against the Galactic Empire."
Jiang Ye was shocked. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
The Galactic Empire's space dominance over so many years was indeed not for show; they could monitor the location of all weapons and quickly quell rebellions if anything went wrong.
The military distribution across the entire galaxy was probably as clear to the higher-ups as a game with a cheat code.
"These over five hundred combat aircraft were purchased in batches by several individuals from the Galactic Empire's military, disguised as being for different purposes. After purchase, they were stored in a space fortress far from Daughter Star for five months of maintenance," his father-in-law continued. "Thirty days ago, these over five hundred combat aircraft suddenly left the space fortress and landed on the surface of several comets passing near the space fortress, hiding in the valleys on the comets."
"Comets travel at high speeds, and after a month, they happened to pass near Daughter Star, which was two days ago. Then, this batch of fighter jets was collectively activated and, using the comets as cover, suddenly entered Daughter Star. They are now distributed among Daughter Star's major airports, with some patrolling in orbit," his father-in-law said.
"Buyers from the Galactic Empire's military?" Jiang Ye frowned.
"That space fortress was also built by the military; it's a backup fortress. To put it nicely, it's a backup, but in reality, it's been abandoned for over twenty years. Only military personnel of Division level or higher can use it," his father-in-law said.
"So, the mutiny on Daughter Star has the behind-the-scenes support of Galactic Empire military officers of Division level or higher?" Jiang Ye said. "What were the identities and backgrounds of the people who purchased the aircraft from you?"
"How can I give you customer information?" his father-in-law chuckled. "Mengmeng's birthday is coming up soon. I'll send someone to deliver a birthday cake. I'm busy here, so I'll hang up."
The phone call ended.
Jiang Ye handed the phone to Cen Yemeng. "Your father's birthday cake."
The birthday cake arrived remarkably quickly. Just two hours later, guards carried the cake into the house.
After removing the outer cardboard packaging, a metal safe painted green was revealed. Cen Yemeng entered her birthday, and the safe immediately opened, revealing a cream cake.
The couple pulled out the cake and tore off the outer layer by hand. Soon, they found a plastic bag in the middle of the cake. Inside the bag were printed documents, twenty-two in total, containing the information of twenty-two buyers.
Jiang Ye took out the document paper. "Why use this method to transmit information? Isn't this making things unnecessarily complicated? If you're afraid of being monitored, couldn't you just say on the phone that you're sending a cake? If someone is listening, they'll understand immediately!"
"I don't know. My father must have his reasons," Cen Yemeng also looked through the information. "Sometimes, many absurd forms are just for show, you know? My father knows it's a show, and those who monitor him know it's a show, but this show must be performed. Many game rules are actually very strange; they're just a thin layer of paper. Trust my father. He's been around for so many years; he has his own logic."