Chapter Sixteen: A Ripple Stirring a Thousand Waves

The conversation with the United Front Department went remarkably smoothly. Since the main points had already been agreed upon before their return, it was only the specifics that required some time to finalize. Once they had exchanged contact information, the two representatives from the United Front boarded a shuttle and departed the space station.

Having wrapped up the handover of this mission, Liu Shaoyu returned to his quarters, in the same place as before.

The fleet needed maintenance and replenishment of losses, leaving everyone except Dead-for-Money with little to do. As for the Queen, Master Wang had immediately dispatched people to receive her upon arrival at the starport. The command of the transport ship was also transferred, since the "Titan" had been borrowed specifically to house the Queen. Liu Shaoyu entrusted all other matters to Dead-for-Money. This time, the reward was the fleet itself, as that was the commission Master Wang had promised Liu Shaoyu, so there was no additional bounty. The enormous Zerg battleship wreck, however, was directly purchased by Master Wang on behalf of the military. Liu Shaoyu had no use for it anyway, and was more than willing to hand it over as a favor.

Master Wang was generous with his offer, paying slightly above market price. Naturally, everyone who received a windfall from this bounty was delighted. As for the large quantities of soldier bug carapaces, Master Wang also arranged for their acquisition on behalf of the military. In the end, all parties were quite satisfied with the outcome.

At last, Liu Shaoyu found himself enjoying a period of tranquility—but meanwhile, on Earth, a storm was brewing.

It began when a fervent group of Catholic zealots from beyond the solar system, incited by the Church’s denunciations, attacked a Dawn Biotech company located on one of Earth’s colonial planets. The conflict resulted in thirty deaths and one hundred forty-five serious injuries. At the Federal Council, Dawn Biotech issued a strong condemnation of the Vatican.

The root cause of the turmoil was an article in the Planetary Daily, reporting on a scientific breakthrough that could extend human life. The Vatican ultimately attributed the story to the Galactic Dawn Cognitive Association. Despite their fervent denial, this did nothing to sway Catholic opinion. As always, they believed that meddling with the essence of human life would provoke divine wrath. Resentments old and new mingled together, and the Cardinal of Angel City’s reckless indulgence fanned the flames until the crisis became intractable.

The Dawn Cognitive Association, with its extensive network of high-ranking officials both in the Federation and throughout the Earth colonial system, put the Vatican at a disadvantage in the political arena. Yet the intense reaction from the Catholic populace left the Vatican powerless to respond.

Then Galactic Dawn Biotech openly announced its willingness to invest in this new invention—dubbed the “God Project.” This brazen provocation reignited the fury of the Catholic faithful, which had only just begun to subside.

Armed resistance broke out. The Federation issued a stern warning to the Papal States, but the Vatican denied orchestrating the insurrection.

Faced with the uprising, one colonial government resorted to military suppression, sparking a chain reaction among Catholic colonists on other planets. Strikes and student walkouts erupted across Vatican-controlled enterprises.

The situation had reached a stalemate. In response, Galactic Dawn Biotech announced a total shutdown, plunging the Federation’s operations into chaos.

Under mounting pressure from all sides, the federal government attempted mediation. These efforts proved largely ineffective, and the underlying reality was that the Federation was home to more than just these two factions—many others were quite content to see the struggle play out. The influence of both sides within the government gradually became apparent.

The conflict triggered widespread industrial strikes. Under government pressure, the situation finally eased when Galactic Dawn Biotech publicly withdrew its support for the “God Project,” and the fervor of the Catholic faithful began to abate.

Just as everyone thought the crisis had passed, a major business conglomerate became the center of attention in the media. Someone had secretly photographed Galactic Universal Technologies constructing a new base on an asteroid, which analysis suggested was likely connected to experiments for the “God Project.”

The Vatican was once again incensed and began exerting pressure on Galactic Universal Technologies through its contacts within the Federation. However, the recent conflict had exposed many previously hidden allegiances, and numerous officials were now branded as Vatican sympathizers.

As a result, attempts to suppress the corporation from within the government were neutralized before they could take effect. Only now did people realize the true extent of Galactic Universal Technologies’ influence in the Federation.

Meanwhile, the previously beleaguered Dawn Cognitive Association, using its subordinate enterprises, launched a targeted financial attack on companies under the Vatican’s control. A wave of corporate defections abruptly choked off their funds.

With the fire raging in their own backyard, the Vatican suffered defeat on the main front.

Cardinal Simons, who had orchestrated the crisis, now faced fierce questioning from within the Vatican. Then, suddenly, Simons vanished.

Confronted with the situation, the Vatican declared a full ceasefire and turned inward to reorganize. The Vatican’s strength was severely depleted, while Galactic Universal Technologies ultimately secured the legal right to the “God Project.”

Having charged into the fray, the Dawn Cognitive Association was granted participation as well.

The war had ended—a war without gunpowder, whose echoes sent new tremors through the political sphere, already unsettled by the recent pirate incident. A sweeping purge of officials ensued, as the federal leadership began a thorough reshuffling.

The Vatican’s losses were severe. Not only were their officials removed from power and their enterprises paralyzed, but the disappearance of the cardinal and the loss of their followers’ trust were even more devastating. It all seemed to come so suddenly.

And yet, behind this incident, there were more shadows at play than just these two companies.

The conflict had lasted three months. For Liu Shaoyu, light years away, it was little more than a news story, as he enjoyed an unusually peaceful interlude.

During those three months, Liu Shaoyu busied himself on the space station, dealing with the spoils of their last battle, repairing ships, reading, and...

"Hey, Yuyan." As Liu Shaoyu was reading, he noticed Wang Yuyan nearby and offered a gentle smile as a greeting.

“There’s something I’d like to talk to you about… if you have a moment?” Wang Yuyan spoke hesitantly.

“Of course, what is it?”

“The leave… it ended a while ago, but there hadn’t been any assignments. Yesterday I received new orders, so…”

“Oh, I see. No problem. If you have business to attend to, you should go back first.” Liu Shaoyu feigned calm, lifting his book and pretending to read.

“Someone’s come to pick me up, so I’ll be off now. Until… we meet again.” With that, Wang Yuyan turned and walked toward the elevator.

Slowly, Liu Shaoyu put down his book. He wanted to take one last look at her, but saw instead a man by the elevator, walking beside Wang Yuyan.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, the captain of this fleet. Just saying hello.”

"I see. Well, let’s go."

The voices drifting from afar reached Liu Shaoyu’s ears, and at that moment, the word “captain” sounded unbearably harsh. Yes, he was… just the commander of a fleet.

Standing in the corridor, gazing out at the distant river of stars, Liu Shaoyu indulged in his favorite pastime during moments of calm. He turned his head slightly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her familiar figure, but she was gone. Liu Shaoyu gently shook his head.

"Obsessed," he murmured to himself.

He tried to steady his emotions, but the distant galaxy seemed to conspire against him, shifting into a different shape.

“If I had asked her to stay, would she have stayed?” Liu Shaoyu asked himself quietly.

Perhaps things might have changed, but it was already too late—no amount of “perhaps” could alter reality.

A mocking smile played at Liu Shaoyu’s lips. Perhaps he was laughing at his own cowardice. Or maybe… there was never any “perhaps” at all.

Feeling out of sorts, Liu Shaoyu prepared to turn in for the night.

As for Wang Yuyan, Liu Shaoyu couldn’t quite name his feelings, though perhaps “fondness” was not too far off. In the months they’d spent together, from tacit understanding to cooperation, every aspect of their partnership led Liu Shaoyu to realize that the girl who had left a less-than-stellar first impression had changed him profoundly.

Maybe he had never been so close to a woman before. Now, his heart was beginning to stir.

With her departure, who could say when or if they would ever meet again? He only hoped that when they did, she would still be as vibrant as she was now. Thus, Wang Yuyan quietly planted a seed in Liu Shaoyu’s heart—a seed that might never sprout.

The next morning, Liu Shaoyu was still fast asleep when he was abruptly awakened by Thomas’ voice.

“Incoming communication request from Feiyougalie.”