A colossal spaceship, unprecedented in scale, descended outside Oil City.
Its diameter was at least a kilometer, a silver-white disc. The sheer size was terrifying, making Jiang Ye's scalp tingle. He had assumed a fleet of ships would ferry twenty thousand people, not a single vessel carrying them all.
The military police waiting by the landing site were also stunned for a moment before mobilizing and rushing towards the spaceship.
Hundreds of hatches opened, and refugees disembarked with their luggage, a noisy throng escorted by the police towards Oil City. Their information had all been pre-verified. Those with residences in Oil City would be sent directly home. Those relocating to other cities for shared housing would be taken by the police to the military port to board warships for the First Continent.
Jiang Ye stood unobtrusively a hundred meters away, observing from afar.
The refugees' attire and demeanor varied greatly. Some were even dressed in traditional long gowns and jackets, while many more looked as if they had just stepped off a fashion week runway, their styles exceedingly flamboyant. Fortunately, most people's clothing was acceptable.
Jiang Ye observed for a while, deeming the situation orderly and not requiring his intervention. Just as he was about to leave, Che Zhen arrived with over a dozen refugees.
Che Zhen stopped and introduced them, "This is the supreme ruler of this planet, Mr. Jiang Ye."
Jiang Ye nodded. "Hello everyone."
The dozen refugees' expressions instantly turned fearful, after which they forced smiles, beaming exceptionally brightly, and collectively dropped to their knees.
"Long live Mr. Jiang! Long live Mr. Jiang! Long live Mr. Jiang!"
"Mr. Jiang is our beloved parent! Mr. Jiang is our beloved parent! Mr. Jiang is our beloved parent!"
With each shout, the dozen refugees kowtowed once. Their kowtow was different from ancient times, possessing an extremely high degree of difficulty. They began by arching their upper bodies backward, facing the sky, then raising their hands and forcefully bending their bodies to prostrate themselves and kowtow. Those with back problems would truly struggle with this movement.
Jiang Ye was genuinely startled, looking at them in disbelief. "What is this all about? Please, everyone, rise, rise! There's no need for such elaborate greetings!"
The dozen refugees rose in unison, automatically forming a line and standing at attention. Their faces wore bright smiles, yet tears welled in their eyes, their faces flushed with excitement. They then shouted in unison again:
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang! Thank you, Mr. Jiang! Thank you, Mr. Jiang!"
Their voices were so loud that many refugees and military police a hundred meters away turned their heads to look.
"You're welcome, you're welcome. Your willingness to come here is a testament to your trust in me, so I should be thanking you," Jiang Ye stammered, completely bewildered. "You should... you should go find your accommodations first. Che Zhen, take them to get settled."
"Long live Mr. Jiang! Long live Mr. Jiang! Long live Mr. Jiang!"
After the dozen refugees finished their shouts, they turned and left.
Jiang Ye stood in place, left to himself in the wind.
A moment later, his phone vibrated.
Che Zhen: "Commander, please do not be alarmed. These refugees previously lived on a hyper-authoritarian planet. They had to kowtow upon seeing the leader in person or even his posters. Any expression or action showing dissatisfaction towards the leader would result in swift execution. Many people were beheaded on the streets daily. Over time, they developed this habit."
Jiang Ye: "Pitiful. Please comfort them well and tell them that era is over."
The refugee resettlement work continued for the entire day.
None of the anticipated chaos occurred; the refugees were all orderly.
At ten in the evening, Jiang Ye returned to his office at the military base.
He sat down at his desk and reviewed the basic information.
[Jiang Ye Autonomous Region / Development Index 6393 / Rank 8261]
Account Balance: 78,350,000,000 Yuan
Territory Area: 29,900 square kilometers
Military Personnel: 3,080
Police Personnel: 1,504
Total Population: 69,830
Without a second thought, Jiang Ye stood up, went to the pantry to pour a glass of soy-fragrance baijiu, and then used the food printer to make a dozen dishes.
The development index had broken through six thousand, and his coffers were fuller than ever. Such a momentous occasion called for celebration!
As he ate and drank with delight, he took out some stationery to write a letter to his lover.
"The colony's development index has reached six thousand three, with only three thousand seven hundred remaining to reach ten thousand. Victory is in sight. I eagerly await our triumphant reunion."
"A large new oil field has been discovered, and Oil City, the first city with an art museum and a grand theater, has been built near it. The city also has a library, which I intend for you to manage. If you wish to open a dumpling restaurant, I will reserve a plot of land in a prime location for you. This way, your life here will be similar to your life on Nexus Star."
"I am exceptionally wealthy now. I once thought the ten billion budget for building the star station was unbelievable, but now it is within reach."
After writing a few lines, he found himself at a loss for words.
Jiang Ye folded the letter, placed it in an envelope.
A week had passed since the last ship that delivered seeds arrived. He estimated the next ship would arrive within twenty-four hours.
Jiang Ye moved his crawfish plate aside and clicked on the screen of his desk.
A new message had just popped up from the "Star Net" group.
High Priest of Hal Star: "Attention attention attention! Warning warning warning! The Mir people have thrown something new at us!"
This was followed by a screenshot displaying a lot of information:
[Weapon Model: Moth Micro-Drone]
[Weapon Type: Quasi-low intelligence weapon, semi-biological weapon]
[Attack Mode: The head has a micro-drill with extremely high rotation speed, capable of inflicting severe wounds on human skin. The abdomen secretes a large amount of toxic powder; inhalation into the respiratory tract can cause infection and is severely lethal. Moth drones can fly with the wind or absorb sunlight for flight. They attack and lay eggs on heat-emitting organisms, with extremely rapid reproduction rates.]
A chill ran down Jiang Ye's spine. The Frog Mother was nothing to fear, but now there was something new?
Commander of Leng'an Star: "Damn it, this stuff again? The Mir people's weapon designers are truly perverted, always designing these kinds of things. Utterly shameless and disgusting!"
Governor of Ice Green Planet: "They come with ill intentions. I haven't encountered these Moth Drones here yet. Are they difficult to deal with? Are they already here?"
Jiang Ye also typed a question, "Holy crap, this moth looks difficult to handle. What exactly is it? Has it appeared in the big shots' areas yet?"
High Priest of Hal Star: "Yes, yes, they're all over the streets. I'm busy right now, but I'll send live photos shortly. Old brother from Leng'an Star knows about this thing, let him tell you about it."
Jiang Ye quickly sought guidance.
The Governor of Ice Green Planet also sent an emoji begging for help from the big shots.
The two rookies in the groups waited expectantly.
Finally, the Commander of Leng'an Star sent a series of messages:
"Let me tell you about these Moth Drones. Remember what I say, this thing could genuinely lead to your demise if handled poorly."
"Firstly, the Moth is a semi-biological weapon. What does that mean? Part of its body is manufactured machinery, and the other part is a genuine living organism. It's like a cyborg."