Chapter 275 A Big Fish

The Empire's team was finalized. This group of seven Super-As was an extremely powerful force, exceeding both Han Xiao's and the Empire's expectations. The Empire ultimately approved the team's roster and began assembling a fleet to prepare for the operation.

However, before dealing with the Heterochromatic God, they needed to fulfill the deal with the Arcane Church.

The Arcane Church's escort team for the Super-As was still en route. During this time, Han Xiao was on standby at Red Ring Star, which was a good opportunity to accompany Nero and the others as they explored the Empire's homeworld.

Red Ring Star was vast, with numerous floating orbital cities, a large population, and great prosperity. It boasted many landmarks renowned throughout the universe. Red Ring Star was also the birthplace of the Crimson Dynasty's civilization, with numerous relics preserved from ancient times, imbued with a rich sense of history and significant archaeological and tourist value.

Under the guidance of a local escort, Han Xiao's group toured many attractions during this time.

In his previous life, Han Xiao had been part of the Empire's faction and had naturally explored the Empire's homeworld thoroughly, making him quite familiar with it. Therefore, he wasn't particularly curious; his main goal was to accompany Nero and the others as they wandered around, broadening Nero's horizons and enriching his experiences.

Red Ring Star possessed abundant mission resources, but they were of little value to Han Xiao in his current state. Furthermore, his current status was different; every move of a Super-A staying on the homeworld was closely watched by the Empire, so he couldn't simply run errands for citizens.

Most importantly, this period was different from his previous life. Many of the individuals who issued those familiar missions had not yet appeared.

One day, the group came to visit the Imperial Holy Palace Museum.

This museum was the largest and most authoritative ancient museum in the Crimson Dynasty, preserving relics and artifacts from every historical period of the Crimson Dynasty, dating back to ancient times. Along with the Stellar Museum of the Light Federation and the God-Bestowed Sanctuary of the Arcane Church, it was known as one of the three major civilization official museums and was one of Red Ring Star's landmark buildings.

The Holy Palace Museum was a vast complex, encompassing dozens of exhibition halls, each with a unique architectural style representing different periods of the Empire, making it quite magnificent.

Having an Imperial official as a guide had the advantage of bypassing queues and avoiding ticket purchases. Han Xiao led Fording, Reynold, and Nero past the long lines, entering the museum through a privileged entrance.

The preferential treatment attracted attention, and the tourists in line cast glances and whispered among themselves.

"That seems to be Black Star from the Shattered Star Ring. I've seen him on the news."

"To actually see such a big figure, what good luck."

"Quick, quick, take a picture."

The tourists were all quite excited, taking out their devices to take pictures. Super-As were undoubtedly powerful figures who controlled the authority of the universe, their status vastly different from ordinary interstellar citizens. Coincidentally encountering Han Xiao was like running into a celebrity on the street.

These tourists were of various races, from different civilizations. The psionic restriction belt was to protect the homeworld's security, but it did not completely isolate it. At least during the interstellar open era, they would not do so. However, visitors needed to undergo strict scrutiny, and visa durations were very short.

Every year, a massive number of tourists came to Red Ring Star, boosting the local tourism industry… The Empire did not value this small amount of money, but rather used tourism to enhance the influence of Imperial culture.

Han Xiao's group entered the museum and, led by the guide, entered the main exhibition hall.

Unlike the hustle and bustle outside, the interior of the exhibition hall was very quiet, the atmosphere solemn and respectful. The dome was high, and looking up, the murals resembled a celestial canopy.

The main exhibition hall told the story of the Crimson Dynasty's overall development process. The group listened to the guide's explanations, examining the artifacts, which included daily necessities, artistic relics, and obsolete old tools from various periods. Virtual screens displayed the origin and historical experience of each item.

Nero was full of curiosity about the Empire's history, carefully reading the introduction of each artifact. Fording followed closely behind Nero, also showing interest and absorbing Imperial culture. Reynold's attention was mainly focused on various ancient machines. These technologies seemed extremely backward by today's standards, but Reynold was more interested in mechanical artifacts than other relics.

Han Xiao, on the other hand, walked the fastest, arriving beneath ten huge black stone tablets. These ten stone tablets almost touched the dome of the exhibition hall, recording the Crimson Dynasty's historical process from its origin to the present. The Crimson Dynasty's development was not smooth sailing.

Basically, all civilizations started from humble beginnings, progressing from primitive to interstellar. The Crimson Dynasty also had weak periods. Historically, the Empire's development had gone through multiple eras, experiencing various crises brought about by technological progress, social transformation, internal and external wars, and ideological reforms.

The biochemical mutation crisis brought about by the advancement of genetic technology, the mechanical crisis brought about by the advancement of mechanical industry and intelligent technology, the drastic changes in the homeworld environment brought about by the heavy machinery era… With technological progress, civilization encountered countless forks in the road.

There were also ancient cosmic-level disasters comparable to various version storylines, the End-of-World Insect Plague, the Cosmic Organic Extinction Virus, Void riots, the Exploration Era War, and so on. There were countless crises, large and small. The disastrous civilization process ultimately cultivated the Crimson Dynasty's iron-blooded style.

Growing from a weak civilization to one of the current cosmic overlords, there were too many magnificent events during this period. Standing under these ten stone tablets, feeling the foundation of a civilization that had stood for countless years, the sense of historical time and heaviness seemed to rush over them.

An individual seemed infinitely small in the face of the entire civilization's history.

As Han Xiao was gazing at the stone tablets in a daze, an old voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Whenever I see these stone tablets, I feel shocked."

Han Xiao turned to look and saw an old man in a museum worker's uniform standing beside him. He looked kind and gentle, with a straight back and an upright posture, seemingly with the demeanor of a soldier.

"Yes, every civilization that reaches the cosmic level has a foundation that can be respected," Han Xiao echoed.

The old man nodded, turned to face Han Xiao, and smiled. "Let me introduce myself. I am the deputy curator of the Holy Palace Museum, Karl Fuller Veshante. Hello, Your Excellency Black Star."

"Hello." Han Xiao also nodded amiably, but muttered to himself inwardly.

Karl Fuller Veshante? This name sounds a bit familiar…

Generally speaking, the names of people familiar to him were basically famous figures from his previous life. Han Xiao did not neglect him, and while searching in his memory palace, he chatted with the deputy curator.

Karl was a rather talkative old man, not very concerned about Han Xiao's status, communicating with him in an equal manner.

"I have always been interested in Imperial history. I have been watching over the museum for many years. I like to maintain the cultural relics here, and I always have different feelings," Karl said with emotion as he stroked the stone tablet.

Han Xiao glanced at the "Do Not Touch" sign erected under the stone tablet and decided to selectively ignore the deputy curator's violation.

"Deputy Curator Karl, were you a soldier before?"

"Yes, when I was young, I served in the Empire's Seventh Reconnaissance Legion, personally participating in twenty-three battles. Later, I became a chief of staff for remote command, and finally I became a clerical worker. I served in the army for most of my life. I applied for retirement and became the deputy curator of the Holy Palace Museum."

Karl told the truth. It was more like he was reminiscing to himself than explaining his origins to Han Xiao.

Hearing this, Han Xiao had a flash of inspiration and finally found the corresponding identity in his memory palace, secretly taking a breath of cold air.

He remembered who this guy was!

To be precise, this retired military officer was not a famous NPC, but his descendants were known throughout the universe.

Karl's surname suffix was "Fuller Veshante," and in Han Xiao's memory, the future next leader of the Crimson Dynasty also had this surname!

The future next Imperial leader was very likely this old man's descendant!

This was truly running into a big fish!

Han Xiao silently turned his head, glancing in the direction of Fording and Nero, then withdrew his gaze.

How terrifying…

The Goddess of Luck wasn't just lifting his skirt, she was taking off his underwear too?!

Of course, according to the timeline, that future Imperial leader had not yet been born, but meeting his ancestors was also worth befriending… and perhaps even more valuable.

With a thought, Han Xiao smiled slightly and said, "I haven't been with the Empire for long, and I'm also very curious about the Empire's history. I wonder if you're interested in introducing it to me?"

"Explaining Imperial history to a Super-A ally is truly my honor," Karl said with a hearty laugh, quite cheerful.

As an old-generation retired soldier, he was very willing to tell others about the Crimson Dynasty's history, which was also something he loved.

For the next whole day, Karl took over the escort's job, accompanying Han Xiao's group around a part of the exhibition hall, speaking to his heart's content.

Han Xiao consciously tried to befriend him, using his smooth talking skills, and the two sides chatted happily. When they left, they agreed to continue tomorrow.

For the next two days, Han Xiao followed Karl around the Holy Palace Museum. On the evening of the second day, they finally finished visiting all the exhibition halls, and the two of them became much more familiar.

Han Xiao took the initiative to invite Karl's family out to dinner. Karl refused, instead inviting Han Xiao to his home, saying that he would personally show off his cooking skills to entertain Han Xiao's group, without going out to a restaurant.

On the appointed day, Han Xiao's group set off for Karl's residence.

As a retired high-ranking officer, Karl received preferential treatment from the government, living in a residential area for retired officials, with a small villa in the Empire's homeworld, where every inch of land was precious. It was not far from the Tayron Harmil Palace, making it very convenient to walk there.

Scanning their faces to pass through the sentry post, Han Xiao and the others arrived in front of the villa. Nero tiptoed and knocked on the door, and there was a rustling sound from inside the room.

The crowd waited for a while before a middle-aged man opened the door from inside.

"Hello, Your Excellency Black Star, please come in." The middle-aged man was excited and respectful, and hurriedly invited them in.

This man was Karl's eldest son, working in the Crimson Dynasty as a clerical official. With his old man's protection, his career was relatively smooth, and he had now climbed to the middle level, but in front of Han Xiao, he was obviously not enough.

Learning that his old man had gotten in touch with the high and mighty Super-A ally, the eldest son was very excited, and had done a lot of homework for tonight's gathering.

Walking into the hall, Karl poked his head out of the kitchen and said cheerfully, "Your Excellency Black Star, please sit down first. The food will take a while to be ready."

"It's okay, take your time, we have plenty of time." Han Xiao waved his hand.

The few people sat down on the sofa in the hall, the eldest son accompanying them. There were also two other people next to them, the second daughter and the youngest son. The former was an entrepreneur, running an interstellar travel agency, and the latter was a sculptor artist. It was a pretty common configuration for a high-ranking family. In addition to being respectful, these two also had some trepidation.

Scanning the layout of the room, Han Xiao saw the woman's portrait hanging on the wall, which should be Karl's deceased wife.

Karl had three children. Han Xiao recalled, but he did not remember which branch the future next Imperial leader was a descendant of. It was not that he could not remember, but that it was too detailed, and he had not paid attention to it in his previous life. However, based on the occupations of the three people, it was probably the descendants of the eldest son.

The eldest son was deliberately trying to befriend him, and his words were implicitly flattering. The other two occasionally chimed in, but did not dare to speak much.

Han Xiao was not opposed to the eldest son's enthusiasm, and casually chatted with them for a while. Karl finally walked out of the kitchen with the dishes, placed them on the table, and then beckoned everyone to sit down and eat.

The dishes were all Crimson Dynasty home-style dishes, and the cooking was excellent, with a good color, aroma, and taste. Nero was eating happily. The eldest son took over Fording's job, enthusiastically picking up food for Nero, flattering him with skill. The child at the dinner table was the best tool.

After they were full, the second daughter and the youngest son took the initiative to clean up. The others returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, chatting casually. It could be seen that Karl was very happy today, laughing a lot.

"Your Excellency Black Star has a lot of face. These three bastards, they say they're busy every day and don't have time to come back to see me, but as soon as you come, they all come back in a hurry, especially this kid next to me, who's more enthusiastic than his old man."

Karl said with a chuckle.

"Cough, cough." The eldest son was a little embarrassed, and drank a glass of water to calm himself down.

Han Xiao smiled and turned to look at the eldest son. "What is your position in the Crimson Dynasty?"

The eldest son's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly told him his position.

"Well, it's already very good to be in this position." Han Xiao pinched his chin. "If you need any help in the future, you can ask me for help. Give me your communication number."

"That's great, thank you, Your Excellency Black Star!" The eldest son was overjoyed, with a grateful expression on his face.

He was so enthusiastic in order to get Black Star's protection. As an official, his political sense was very good. Black Star himself had a very high status, and was valued by both the leader faction and the young and middle-aged factions of the military in the Empire, which was enough to have a great positive impact on his career.

Moreover, with Black Star's age, he could protect the Crimson Dynasty for many years, and his status would definitely become higher and higher. Getting on this line would be a bright future.

Karl did not like the eldest son's behavior, feeling that it had complicated his friendship with Black Star a little, but he would not stop the eldest son's opportunity, so he simply sighed and turned a blind eye.

"Oh right, there's one more thing, I brought you gifts," Han Xiao said with a smile.

"Hey, gifts are not necessary." Karl waved his hand.

"That won't do, what would it look like to come empty-handed?"

Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and ten compression orbs flew out, landing on the table.

"These are ten mechanical guards that I personally made. I've made some modifications, and configured signal transmitters to notify me. If you encounter any danger, just press the button, and I'll know that you're in danger, and I'll release mechanical force to travel through the void, remotely activating the mechanical guards to protect your personal safety… With the mechanical guards blessed by my remote mechanical force, they should be able to deal with Calamity Grade dangers."

"Isn't this too valuable…" Karl hesitated.

Hearing this, Han Xiao laughed and said playfully, "Haha, I'm a Mechanic, after all."

"Okay, then thank you for your kindness." Karl didn't hesitate any longer, and put away the ten compression orbs.

He was old and did not care about his own safety, but he had to consider the safety of his descendants.

The value of the mechanical guards given by a Super-A powerhouse was too high. Black Star had a long lifespan. As long as he was alive, these ten compression orbs could be passed down as heirlooms!

After giving the gifts, the relationship between the two sides became much closer. They chatted for a while longer before Han Xiao's group bid farewell and left.

Leaving Karl's villa, Han Xiao's lips curled into an arc.

He had befriended the ancestors of the future next Imperial leader in advance, and narrowed the relationship. If he really became a senior to the future leader, that would be interesting.

A small investment, with the opportunity to get a big return. There was no reason not to do such a deal.

Thinking about it, Han Xiao's big hand touched Nero's head.

Nero enjoyed being petted, and leaned his head back, looking up at Han Xiao behind him.

"You're really my little lucky star." Han Xiao said with a smile.

Nero blinked, and although he did not understand what Han Xiao meant, he could tell that Han Xiao was in a good mood. He rolled his eyes and took the opportunity to ask, "Then can you reduce my homework?"

"Sure, in your dreams."

Nero shook his head vigorously, shaking Han Xiao's hand away, and put his schoolbag on his head, not letting Han Xiao touch his head.

…

While Han Xiao was taking Nero and the others on a tour, he was improving the relationship with Karl's family. After a period of time, the Empire finally gave formal instructions.

The Arcane Church's escort team was about to arrive at the exchange point, and he could set off.

Han Xiao left Nero and the others on the Empire's homeworld, and followed the Imperial fleet away from the homeworld to meet up with the Arcane Church's escort team, to fulfill the deal of lifting the seal on a Super-A.