He had barely finished asking his impetuous question when Ulan Rier, Bader, and the head of the Arcane Church all turned to look at him with meaningful expressions.

The name on the reporter’s badge read Botas. He worked for a large news media channel in the Old Star River and held a high position. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to cover the Three Great Civilizations. He had attended many of their press conferences before and always behaved normally. His sudden disruption today clearly meant someone was behind it.

Han Xiao’s mind raced. His first suspect was the Mechanical Race, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

Manison wanted nothing more than to bury his head in the sand and keep a low profile. Hiring someone to ask inflammatory questions, seemingly to stick up for him, would only add fuel to the fire. Manison didn't have Han Xiao’s flair or sense of humor. While he had the motive, it was unlikely.

That left the Super Star Cluster Alliance, whose conflict was almost public. They wanted to sow discord, embarrass the Three Great Civilizations in front of the public, and do it cheaply.

A sum that seemed astronomical to ordinary people would be enough to entice a reporter. In such a large setting, an untimely question could have an amplified negative impact.

A reporter's identity provided cover. Criminally charging someone for expressing an opinion would be pouring oil on the fire. The Three Great Civilizations wouldn’t want to escalate the situation by arresting the questioner. They also couldn’t threaten him afterward. As rulers, they had to maintain a certain level of decorum, no matter how ruthless they might be. They would settle the score with the mastermind.

The surrounding reporters turned to look at Botas in surprise, creating a stir.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Apologize and sit down."

"Do you want to be blacklisted?!"

Several colleagues who knew him hissed, trying to pull him down, but Botas stood firm, staring intently at Han Xiao, determined to get to the bottom of things.

Han Xiao placed his hands on the podium and said calmly, "My friend, I don't believe I called on you."

"So, you're avoiding the question?"

Botas ignored him, his gaze sharp and insistent.

*Yo*, he had that Western reporter vibe.

"You guys just want to stir up a big story," Han Xiao said with a smile. "I believe the interstellar society has already formed a consensus on the Mechanical Race's actions. But judging by your expression, you seem to want to defend him?"

"I'm simply fulfilling my professional duty as a reporter, asking questions the public might be curious about," Botas said, standing tall and appearing responsible.

"Alright, this question is a bit sensitive. Although I didn't call on you, I can answer it once, and only once," Han Xiao said, tapping the podium. "Manison did make a contribution, that's undeniable. But your statement is incorrect. In fact, Manison discovered the problem with the virus core earlier than I did. This medal should have belonged to him. However, he deliberately withheld the information for his own selfish reasons. If I hadn't exposed him, he never would have revealed that critical information. As a result, the Three Great Civilizations would have remained in the dark, and the universe would still be plagued by the intelligent plague."

"So, you admit that Manison should share the Star Sea Medal with you? You also think it's unfair that he wasn't awarded one?" Botas pressed on.

"I only acknowledge that he made a certain contribution. I'm not saying he deserves the Medal of Honor. Don't twist my words. Besides, Manison's final decision is enough for all of us to re-evaluate his motives."

"Black Star, please don't go off-topic. We're not talking about Manison's decision, just his objective achievements," Botas said, skillfully sidestepping the issue.

"No, the two cannot be separated. Part of my contribution comes from stopping Manison's plan. If he hadn't caused trouble, my contribution would have been limited. If you use that logic to argue that he should share half of the Star Sea Medal, well, you might have a point… But in all seriousness, if he were awarded a medal, people might mistakenly believe he did something good. That would be unfair to all the other contributors, including myself. I trust the Three Great Civilizations considered this carefully when making their decision."

"But the Mechanical…"

"The question has been answered. You can sit down now. Others want to ask questions. Please don't break the rules repeatedly, or you'll be asked to leave the venue immediately."

Han Xiao interrupted Botas.

His goal was to cause trouble. No matter what you said, he would argue. His explanation had to be concise and to the point. Never think about silencing your opponent. As long as you demonstrated a complete attitude, most viewers would listen. Continuing to argue would not only be pointless but would also damage his image.

Seeing the nearby guards staring at him with hostility, Botas had no choice but to sit down sullenly.

Enduring the disdainful, disgusted, and complicated gazes of his colleagues, Botas suppressed his inner fear, trying to appear calm and control his trembling limbs. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

*Phew*, finally finished the job.

The director watching the livestream must be furious. Fortunately, it was no longer his problem. He would resign immediately after returning. He didn't care if the news station was suppressed. Why work after getting the reward?

Botas imagined his future, feeling that a good life was beckoning to him.

The scene was still vivid in his memory. Not long ago, some mysterious people contacted him, offering a large sum of money to make trouble at today's event.

He knew that doing this would end his career. Even if the Three Great Civilizations didn't bother dealing with a small fry like him, those below would act on their own initiative, demanding that the media industry blacklist him.

He was mentally prepared for this. The amount offered by the employer was tempting, and they had a big background. Since they had approached him, he couldn't refuse. Refusing would lead to an equally bad outcome. He had little choice.

Although today's actions would result in a ban and investigation, the employer not only paid him but also promised to arrange a safe exit, helping him change his identity and move to their territory to avoid the reach of the Three Great Civilizations.

To live the rest of his life as a wealthy man, enjoying this fortune that he could never spend… That was Botas’s expectation.

Seeing that Black Star's answer was flawless, the atmosphere in the venue quickly returned to normal. Many reporters continued to ask questions enthusiastically, pretending the earlier incident hadn't happened.

Throughout it all, Ulan Rier and the others maintained the same expression. Manison remained silent, showing no intention of interrupting, as if he were lost in thought, wondering what to have for dinner.

With no further disruptions, Han Xiao answered a few friendly questions before returning to his seat. The leaders of the Three Great Civilizations made some more polite remarks, and the award ceremony concluded successfully.

The guests offered their congratulations and dispersed. The leaders of the Three Great Civilizations left under guard, and Han Xiao exchanged a few words with the Super A Grades before leaving through the VIP通道 (tōngdào - channel, passageway).

As soon as he left the venue, he received a message from Sylvia.

"Legion Commander, I watched the livestream. What should we do about that reporter, Botas?" Sylvia asked directly.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Get rid of him?"

"No, killing him would only vent our anger and give the Super Star Cluster Alliance a PR excuse. There's no need. The Three Great Civilizations will make sure he can't survive in this industry. That's enough."

"So, we don't do anything?"

"Let me think…" Han Xiao pondered for a few seconds, his expression turning playful. "Monitor the flow of funds in all his accounts. The Super Star Cluster Alliance will definitely try to launder the money and deposit the reward into his account. As soon as you detect a large deposit, hack his accounts and donate all the dirty money and his regular savings."

"Let him work for nothing? Heh, that's evil. I like that plan."

Sylvia's eyes lit up, and she ended the communication.

Han Xiao disconnected from the quantum network, not dwelling on Botas. He wouldn't bother arguing with a tool.

He quickly put the matter behind him and reached out to remove the Star Sea Medal from his chest, examining it closely.

The item description on the panel showed that the medal granted a new universe legend rating, [Star Sea Medal Recipient], and came with an additional effect: the Three Great Civilizations and their affiliated camps had a fixed base relationship of [Respect], equivalent to starting with 3,000 contribution points.

"The number of affected factions is high enough, and at least there's some legend rating."

Han Xiao nodded with satisfaction. He didn't have high expectations for this Medal of Honor. Any additional benefits were a pleasant surprise. He wasn't picky.

At that moment, two Empire officers walked out from around the corner ahead, blocking his path, seemingly waiting to greet him.

"Black Star, the three leaders have requested an audience. They wish to see you."

Han Xiao paused and nodded.

"Lead the way."

...

Meanwhile, in the Super Star Cluster Alliance's temporary territory in the Shattered Star Ring, the envoys of each ally were secretly meeting via remote projection in a round table conference room.

A virtual screen floated in the center of the round table, displaying the livestream of the award ceremony, capturing everyone's attention.

After watching the livestream, many Super Star Cluster Alliance envoys shook their heads.

"The effect is mediocre. It didn't achieve the desired impact."

"An ordinary reporter can only do so much. I said not to expect too much."

"Even a small effect is enough. The Three Great Civilizations' prestige has been strengthened again. Undermining them can only be done incrementally."

"In the end, these are just minor details. Power is the most important principle."

"That's right. Let's put this topic aside and return to what truly matters… Where were we before?"

"We were discussing the collective action of the proxy forces funded and supported by each of us. For example, the Undying organizations. This time, we must strike first and not wait for the Three Great Civilizations to take action before we retaliate."

"The stowaways we sent during the first exploration can now be officially activated. The Three Great Civilizations control the portals to the Shattered Star Ring. We are an isolated force. To obtain a constant flow of supplies and reinforcements, we must rely on these chess pieces planted during the first exploration."

"The first batch of target areas has also been selected. Our regular forces will remain in place. Everything will be handled by those proxy forces. Before the Three Great Civilizations officially intervene militarily, we will try to seize as much territory as possible in the free competition zone."

"What did the Super A Grade Association say?"

"They are basically adhering to neutrality, but Black Star claims to have a personal grudge against Modo, so his attitude is uncertain."

"A troublesome fellow… Hey, Modo's envoy, once the conflict officially breaks out, we may not have the energy to manage you. You'll have to find your own way. If necessary, sacrifice yourselves to hold back Black Star. The big picture is what matters."

"Alright…"

"Everyone, the success of this operation will determine the future of our respective civilizations. Whether we obtain an opportunity to advance further or remain under subjugation forever… Spare no effort. We can only succeed, we cannot fail!"