Jiang Ye had one feeling: he was blind.
Where was he supposed to find a diplomat?
He had all sorts of talented people under him, but not a single one who knew how to handle diplomacy.
This wasn't a job for just anyone. Interactions between planets, every word, every action, carried deep meaning.
Sometimes, even the color of a tie could convey an attitude.
Not to mention those "diplomatic phrases that seem to say nothing but actually say everything, just very subtly."
But there was no choice. The situation had reached this point, and he had to make it work.
Jiang Ye began assigning tasks to his subordinates.
He instructed Feng Zhi Shuang to sift through the entire planet's database, searching for anyone who had worked in diplomacy on other planets, regardless of level. Even a cook who flipped burgers for diplomats was to be recruited with a hefty sum.
He told Tang Han Liu to select perceptive subordinates. Radio personnel, who often went to various places for interviews, were sharp and suitable for recruitment.
He asked Che Zhen to pick people from the military, also those with work experience, or familiar with alien customs and cultures, people who had seen the world.
He requested Isabel to provide some people. Throughout history, many international businessmen had helped with diplomacy midway. The logistics city gathered a large number of interstellar merchants, and there were bound to be some experienced, eloquent, observant, and resourceful individuals. They were to be recruited with high salaries.
Jiang Ye also contacted mercenary companies from other star systems, offering substantial rewards for talent with diplomatic experience.
Although it wasn't their usual line of work, mercenary companies dealt with providing jobs across star systems and had certain channels.
Finally, Jiang Ye also sought help from Li Nan Nan and the High Priest of Hal Star.
All the above tasks were carried out overnight.
Surprisingly, the results exceeded Jiang Ye's expectations.
By 4 AM, a preliminary diplomatic team had been assembled.
A total of 617 people.
These six hundred-plus individuals were a mixed bag, with diverse backgrounds, men and women, young and old, of all races. Their only commonality was having had some contact with diplomatic work.
The most accomplished among them was named Qiu Hua Cang.
This person was 110 years old. He had undergone a rejuvenation surgery at the age of 80, so his current physiological age was 50, considered prime.
He had worked in diplomacy for 60 years on Yuan Hang Star, starting from proofreading meeting minutes at the grassroots level and rising to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yuan Hang Star.
Later, Yuan Hang Star was devastated by the Mier people, so he immigrated to Jiang Ye Star, intending to enjoy his later years in peace.
Currently, Qiu Hua Cang lived in seclusion in a mansion on the outskirts of Binhai City. He had 3 billion in his account, so he didn't need to work. He had bought over 20,000 books and spent his days reading from morning till night, like a walking encyclopedia.
After Feng Zhi Shuang discovered this person through the archives, he immediately called Shao Wan, and they visited Qiu Hua Cang that very night.
Qiu Hua Cang was initially reluctant to come out of retirement. After all, he had chosen Jiang Ye Star precisely to find a small planet to enjoy his retirement.
However, after hearing the full story from Feng Zhi Shuang, he realized that he truly had to help. Otherwise, if Jiang Ye Star collapsed, he would have to immigrate again, and a considerable amount of money would be wasted. From a moral standpoint, him coming out of retirement to serve as a diplomat, coordinating meetings between various planets to jointly resist the stellar disease, was also a good deed that would save countless lives.
At 5 AM, Jiang Ye, who hadn't slept all night, met the entire diplomatic team at the Macroeconomic Building.
The meeting lasted for four hours.
Jiang Ye's meeting style was never drawn-out; he never uttered a single unnecessary word. The reason for such a long meeting was simply the sheer volume of tasks.
They needed to assign appropriate positions to everyone, distribute tasks, determine who would be responsible for liaising with which planet, and so on.
After the meeting, Jiang Ye was dizzy with fatigue. A military doctor administered an injection, which restored his clarity.
Qiu Hua Cang had already led the team to begin their work.
Fortunately, the Macroeconomic Building had many vacant floors that could accommodate these people for office space.
In the "Dark Sun Communication Group," the preliminary list of planetary leaders who would be coming had been released.
The way the list was compiled was somewhat comical; it was done through a chain message.
Liu Shu Zeng of Le Ling Star initiated the chain message.
A string of planet leaders and generals clicked to join.
Yesterday, there were only over sixty people in the group; today, several more had joined, bringing the total to 70. This meant that 70 planets were currently facing a crisis.
It had been confirmed that the leaders of 56 planets would be traveling to attend the summit hosted by Jiang Ye Star.
Four more planetary leaders had sent messages.
Hu Xing Yang Duo Lin: "Our planet has experienced 28 terrorist attacks in the past month. I cannot leave for now. If I finish my work by then, I will go. If not, I will send the Chief Diplomat."
Nai You Xing Kong Gu He: "I sincerely apologize, but I am seriously ill and require about a week for treatment. If my health permits by then, I will go. If not, I will send the Minister of Foreign Affairs."
Pu Xi rb27 Xing Zhang Wei: "This is so embarrassing. Our planet is implementing a fiscal austerity plan, and even the space stations are closed. Moreover, I don't even have two hundred million in my pocket; I'm so poor I'm peeing blood. All our scientists have gone to other planets. I really can't help much. So, I won't be going. Besides freeloading food and drinks, there's nothing else I can do there. I'll just cheer for everyone in the group! It's all up to you, big shots! Go, go, go!"
Shuai Sui of Shu Ju Xing: "My sixth son is leading a rebellion to seize my power. If he wins, he will go; if I win, I will go. It's still undecided for now."
Jiang Ye's forehead was covered in black lines. He thought to himself, indeed, every planet has its own situation. What kind of mess is this?
Fortunately, the most powerful planets had all decided to come.
For events like interstellar summits, the number of major players determined the quality of the summit. Smaller planets were just there to make up the numbers, much like ancient international conferences.
With the list confirmed, the next step was to communicate the specific arrangements.
There were many things that needed to be understood in advance.
Each planet had different customs, religions, and habits.
The attendees were all important figures, and they all had their own requirements.
Jiang Ye's side would naturally try to satisfy them as much as possible.
After all, these important figures were gracing them with their presence at the meeting, showing him great respect, and he had to reciprocate that respect and serve them well.
Soon, the diplomatic team submitted a preliminary list of requirements.
The paper list was 28 meters long, like a long snake, no, like a snake spirit.
Jiang Ye's head was spinning. With dozens of people, why were there so many trivial matters?
He spent half an hour quickly scanning through it.
The vast majority of the content was easy to satisfy and consisted of minor details.
For example, like this:
[Nasu Planet Leader Alu's requirements: No noise should be heard at night. The resting room must be absolutely quiet. No consumption of dog, monkey, or cat meat. Tastes tend to be light, but with a preference for sweetness. No corn candy, only food processed with cane sugar. Enjoys looking at photography albums; please prepare a large number of high-definition photography albums on the bedside table in the resting room, with content focusing on landscapes, animals, and architecture. Hopes for bright colored vegetation near the residence, but dislikes insects. Dislikes living in low-lying areas; please arrange resting rooms on the sixth floor or above as much as possible. Room size is acceptable, but the bedroom must be less than 20 square meters.]