Judgment Day.
Jiang Ye emerged from the courthouse, immediately surrounded by a throng of Asak Star reporters, their flashbulbs blinding. Years had passed, yet the reporters' flashes still erupted like bombs.
A cacophony of questions assaulted him, each reporter shouting, making it impossible to discern a single word.
Jiang Ye raised both hands, making a shushing gesture.
After a minute, the reporters quieted down.
"The court session was not public, so I'll briefly explain the situation. Listen carefully, then go write your articles. Don't ask further questions, because I won't say anything more. If you agree, I'll speak."
The reporters nodded enthusiastically.
"First, I won. The lawsuits from sixty-four music companies were based on unclear facts, inapplicable laws, and procedural issues, resulting in their complete defeat."
"Second, the sixty-four music companies must publicly apologize to me. They are to post the apology letter on their official website's homepage for at least one week."
"Third, all income generated by the Zhijun composers will belong to Jiang Ye Star. After the relevant articles of the Galactic Empire's Art Law are revised, my planet will pay taxes and manage operations according to regulations."
"Fourth, Noise, Loud Sound, and Soft Sound companies must compensate me a total of 18.6 billion. This includes losses incurred from the temporary removal of Zhijun songs during the trial, my travel expenses, and compensation for emotional distress."
"Fifth, Noise Company has stated they will appeal. My stance is that I will see this lawsuit through to the end. Wherever they appeal, I will follow, and I will absolutely not yield to such unscrupulous companies!"
"Alright, I'm done speaking."
As Jiang Ye was about to leave, the reporters, as if on cue, tightened their circle. Microphones of various lengths were thrust forward like cannons, and the cacophony of questions resumed.
"You're not keeping your word!" Jiang Ye exclaimed, surprised. "I said I wouldn't take any more interviews!"
The reporters pleaded, bombarding him with a relentless stream of questions, creating utter chaos.
Jiang Ye knew these kings without crowns could tie him up all day. He could only remain silent, pushing his way through the crowd.
It took three minutes of struggle to break through the encirclement. A red vehicle descended from the sky, its door opening to reveal Li Nannan and Cen Yemeng inside. Jiang Ye leaped in, and the vehicle immediately ascended.
"We'll take you to the space station. Will you go straight home, or visit other planets?" Li Nannan asked.
"Other planets? Like which ones?" Jiang Ye inquired.
"Trash Star, Birong Star, Junction Star, or any other planet," Li Nannan replied. "Your return trip will be on a military vessel, a dedicated ship, so you can travel along your desired route."
Jiang Ye looked at Cen Yemeng.
Cen Yemeng blinked. "Whatever you decide. I'm fine with anything."
"Would you like to visit Junction Star again? It is your hometown, after all," Jiang Ye said.
"I heard it was almost leveled..." Cen Yemeng shook her head. "It's better not to see it. I'd be too sad. From now on, my hometown is Jiang Ye Star."
"What's the situation on Trash Star?" Jiang Ye asked Li Nannan.
"The fighting is still ongoing. Over forty thousand terrorists have been eliminated. The continent where you initially set up camp has been cleared of enemies and is very safe. You can revisit the place."
"Machine Dog," Cen Yemeng suddenly said. "Did you find that garbage disposal dog?"
"No, the troops are focused on combat," Li Nannan replied. "It's possible the machine dog is still there, or it might have been shattered in the conflict. Ultimately, it's just a machine."
"Let's go to Trash Star," Jiang Ye decided. "We'll land where we first camped. If it's still alive, perhaps we can reunite."
"Alright. Shall we also visit Birong Star?" Li Nannan asked. "Much of the infrastructure has been built, and there are rumors that Birong Star's ownership will be decided soon. You could go for an on-site inspection."
"I feel that place is quite dangerous, especially with Mengmeng. I'd rather not go. Besides, what is there to inspect? We've already seen it all from the remote control cabin," Jiang Ye mused. "What about Crane Star?"
"You can go to Crane Star, but I don't recommend it," Li Nannan said. "Like Junction Star, Crane Star suffered massive bombing by the Mir people. There are still traces of nuclear radiation or chemical weapons in the habitable zones, and bodies and remains are still being excavated. It's not an exaggeration to describe it as scorched earth."
"Then we'll just go to Trash Star," Jiang Ye said. "We'll look for the Machine Dog. If we find it, we'll bring it home. If not, we'll head straight back."
"Understood." Li Nannan pulled out her phone and began issuing commands to the military vessel.
Jiang Ye also took out his phone and sent a message to Jiang Ye Star, informing everyone that he would be returning a little later and asking them to send any urgent matters requiring his attention while the network was stable.
Upon arriving at the space station, the military vessel was already waiting.
It was larger than expected, comparable to a small cruise ship.
There were only three living passengers: Jiang Ye, Cen Yemeng, and Li Nannan. If Li Nannan was considered the pilot, then there were only two passengers.
The journey to Trash Star would take three days.
During the long voyage, Jiang Ye spent most of his time at his desk in the office, attending to work.
The Zhijun in Music City had filled all the breeding pools, now capable of composing three songs daily, each lasting about an hour.
All their songs had reached the top five thousand on the charts and were steadily climbing, showing excellent momentum.
The Zhijun assigned to writing novels had also produced their first batch of short stories, which had been submitted to over a dozen publishing houses via the internet and were awaiting replies.
Jiang Ye requested photos of the original novel manuscripts. The stories were good, but the writing style was peculiar, though he couldn't pinpoint why. His literary sense wasn't particularly strong.
So, he sent the manuscripts to Cen Yemeng. After all, there was a bookstore owner right at home, a true literary expert.
After reading the manuscripts, Cen Yemeng was very excited. "Which author wrote these?"
Hearing this, Jiang Ye knew there was hope. She used the word "author," indicating that the Zhijun in his pools could now be considered in the same league, sharing the same title as Shi Nai'an and Gorky.
"Do you think these articles could cause a sensation in the literary world?" Jiang Ye asked her.
"You asking this means these articles are still the works of newcomers?" Cen Yemeng was taken aback. "If newcomers can write something like this, my bookstore would definitely stock them. As for how much recognition they'll gain, that's uncertain. Literature is often ethereal; many writers only gain recognition after they're dead."
"Who wrote these, anyway? Could it be yours?" Cen Yemeng's eyes lit up like light bulbs.
"I don't have that kind of skill. The Zhijun wrote them."
"Zhijun!" Cen Yemeng looked as if she had seen a ghost. "Don't try to trick me."
Jiang Ye smiled, ruffled her hair, and returned to his desk to continue working.
A new message from Che Zhen had arrived just a minute ago.
Seeing this message, Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat.