The subordinate of the Mermaid Princess never spoke without shocking everyone, just two short sentences left Zero standing frozen on the spot.
The dragon she wanted to make into a specimen, just how big was it supposed to be?
She even said he might need to move into a new cave mansion?
That subordinate only flew a star-destroyer, how could she possibly defeat an enemy that huge?
Thinking of how his subordinates had repeatedly sent memorials to persuade him to move, Zero instantly understood what she meant.
That move, he himself often used it.
Before Zero opened a window, he would definitely suggest tearing off the roof. That way, no one could stop his plan.
His subordinates had really mastered his tricks.
Once Zero realized what his subordinate was actually getting at, he said irritably, "Alright, alright, you just want me to move into a bigger mansion, right? Fine, I'll move."
In the projection, the female subordinate saw that her goal, and her colleagues', had finally been achieved. She smiled in triumph.
The woman pretended to be innocent and said,
"Oh no, you misunderstood, I really was only trying to find you a new specimen… I totally wasn't trying to make you move…"
"Sure, sure."
Zero nodded perfunctorily, then asked, "Anything else?"
He knew his subordinates well.
The Mermaid Princess's subordinate was called Daiyang, highly capable, efficient, but if one had to nitpick, it'd be that she was way too casual about relationships. Her flings could line up from the General's Mansion in Luofu all the way to the Sea of Star-Rafts.
'Damn it, why do you keep making me crop this! The full image's in the book club…'
After Daiyang finished with someone, she'd immediately run off, only to get cornered right outside the General's Mansion by one of her old flames demanding she "take responsibility."
When Zero investigated and discovered that the troublemaker belonged to another power in the universe, his mind couldn't help but wander.
It was almost certainly a trap set by some other faction to cause trouble in Luofu.
Without realizing his own bias toward his subordinate, Zero kept feeling that the troublemaker's intentions weren't pure.
But as a superior, he naturally wouldn't let his subordinate worry about these things.
"My subordinate, anyone who catches their eye should consider it an honor."
During a video call, Zero said to Daiyang, the General of Luofu whom he himself had appointed, "Don't worry about rumors, and don't think about Xianzhou's interests. If you truly fall for someone, just tell me, and I'll have him marry into Luofu."
After hearing that, she froze, silent for quite a while.
Just as Zero was about to remind her not to get taken advantage of and to beware of scumbags, Daiyang's various flings suddenly appeared in the projection.
Flame A clutched his chest, pained, "Brother, why'd you steal her? Why be the third wheel?"
Flame B shot back, self-righteously, "The unloved one is the third wheel! If you don't want to be the third wheel, then step aside, then I won't be one!"
Zero, "..."
He was utterly stunned. His worldview shattered to dust.
No matter how partial he was to his subordinates, he couldn't say a word at that moment.
What "don't get taken advantage of," what "beware of scumbags", his subordinate was the scumbag.
After that, Daiyang became much more restrained. She switched her targets to Xianzhou's business partners, and those flings, perhaps mindful of both sides' cooperation, broke up gracefully without ever causing scenes before Zero again.
Setting aside that harmless flaw, Daiyang was still very reliable.
So when she brought up dragons, it clearly wasn't just to get him to move house, she must have had another reason.
Sure enough, Daiyang's smile disappeared, her tone turned serious, and she began explaining the situation with the Vidhyadhara Clan she'd encountered.
The Vidhyadhara Clan were descendants of the "Abundance" Aeon, with five Vidhyadhara Dragon Lords capable of taking dragon form.
And the ones Daiyang had her eyes on, were those five Dragon Lords.
At present, Xianzhou's "Mara-struck" situation had been temporarily sealed by the talismans Zero provided.
Back then, he had used up every single talisman he had, even worked overtime to draw hundreds more, barely enough to hold it.
They all knew talismans alone were not a long-term solution, and everyone was racking their brains for Xianzhou's sake.
Because she noticed there was someone unfamiliar beside the Marshal, Daiyang didn't bring up the plague. She simply introduced the Vidhyadhara Clan and said, "As for Yaoqing, that goes without saying, with you personally stationed there, there's no need for the Vidhyadhara Clan's help…"
She hadn't quite given up on getting him more "specimens," and while talking, she slipped up.
"So how should we divide those five... ah no, those five Dragon Lords?"
Daiyang hadn't even met them yet, but she was already discussing how to assign the dragons with Zero.
Zero didn't see anything wrong with that.
Because both of them knew, the Vidhyadhara Clan would never refuse an alliance with Xianzhou.
They were the Vidhyadhara Clan's best choice.
Without hesitation, Zero said, "Zhuming and Luofu don't have Colossi; we'll definitely have to station the Vidhyadhara Clan there…"
Adding a dragon each to Zhuming and Luofu, to boost their power a bit.
"Don't worry about Xuling, I've got other plans. As for the rest… handle it as you see fit."
Zero trusted Daiyang and the others. With their abilities, they could definitely handle the Vidhyadhara Clan properly.
Next, both sides would send representatives to negotiate and test the waters a few times. When the cooperation was ready to finalize, the Marshal himself would step in.
After finishing official business, Zero hung up the call. When he turned around, Marty was watching him, eyes bright with excitement, apparently fascinated by the talk of dragons.
"Let's go. You'll see them one day."
Zero smiled, then headed with SSR to the restaurant where he'd arranged to meet the company's shareholders.
He only ate a few bites when dining with subordinates or partners, so he always chose dishes he liked.
This time was no exception, he picked an old Xianzhou restaurant that had been around for hundreds of years.
Normally, when hosting guests, one should cater to their tastes. But with Xianzhou's current status, Zero didn't have to bother with such niceties, nor please anyone's palate.
Besides, no one in the universe dared to lecture him about etiquette anyway.
When Zero and Marty entered, there were only a few people inside.
His subordinates had already booked the whole place and stationed over a dozen guards in hidden spots for his protection.
Why only a dozen? Because the original number was even more outrageous, and it took all of Zero's persuasion to make them cut it down.
The blonde, blue-eyed shareholder greeted him warmly. After the usual polite flattery, before Zero could reply, the man's young daughter suddenly charged forward like a cannonball and wrapped herself around his leg.
Zero looked down at the little girl clinging tightly to him and gently patted her head.
The shareholder was helpless. He first coaxed softly, then had to raise his voice before finally getting the girl to let go.
He sighed deeply.
This Marshal, once said to make children stop crying just by showing up, had been so considerate toward his daughter, shielding her from unpleasant sights, even gifting her a mysterious gemstone.
Because the Marshal was always extra gentle toward children, and because their family had long cooperated with Xianzhou, the shareholder felt less intimidated and dared to bring his daughter to Yaoqing again.
He never expected the girl to be so spoiled, first thing she did was grab the Marshal's leg…
Utterly exasperated, the shareholder apologized again and again.
Zero didn't mind. He was always patient with kids.
Somehow, children, whether from Xianzhou or from his corporate partners, seemed to really like him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Marty sitting stiffly, body language tense. Clearly, SSR was very nervous.
Probably not used to business dinners. Once the food's served, he'll relax.
Zero reached out and lightly pushed his back, quietly urging him to sit down.
Once everyone was seated, the shareholder raised his glass to toast Zero and apologize again for his daughter's behavior.
He deliberately held his glass low when clinking, but before he could say anything, the Marshal's attendant had already picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
Shareholder, "???"
He was dumbfounded.
'Wait, the highest-ranking person here hasn't even started eating, and you, a servant, dare go first?'
Even his under-ten-year-old daughter knew table manners.
He looked blankly at the Marshal, who still wore that polite, unreadable smile that made people's scalps prickle. Instinctively, the shareholder smiled back.
Zero chuckled softly. "Skip the formalities. Eat."
Apparently, his SSR wasn't great with these occasions.
Better not make Marty an heir after all… forcing him into this would be like pushing a cow to drink water.
Even with his sales experience, he clearly didn't understand social etiquette.
Of course, he didn't need to.
Just surround him with some kind-hearted colleagues, a simple environment, let him do what he loves and what he's good at.
At least, he shouldn't let things like social pressure affect SSR's state of mind.
Thinking this, Zero picked up his chopsticks.
The shareholder finally relaxed. Watching closely, he waited for the Marshal to pick up a piece of meat before daring to start eating himself.
They chatted idly as they ate. From time to time, the shareholder noticed the Marshal actually chatting with that "rude" subordinate, pointing out which dishes tasted best.
The shareholder was shaken to the core.
Every time he saw the Marshal, his understanding of the man completely reset.
Last time, the Marshal had been gentle with his daughter; now, he even overlooked his subordinate's lack of manners.
It didn't look like he was caring for a subordinate, more like looking after a child.
The key thing was, that "child" was a tall, grown man… what kind of care did he need?
Thinking about their ages, the shareholder suddenly realized, 'Oh. Of course.'
The Marshal was over a thousand years old; that subordinate obviously wasn't from Xianzhou. So in the Marshal's eyes, he really was a child.
The shareholder suddenly felt inadequate. The Marshal could remember to look after subordinates even while eating, but he himself hadn't even remembered to look after his daughter.
He turned to serve her food, but the girl had already darted over to the Marshal again.
Zero was sipping his wine when he saw the little girl toddle over, tug on his sleeve, and say something utterly shocking, "You're so pretty! When I grow up, you'll marry me, okay?"
Shareholder, "..."
His chopsticks clattered to the floor. He clutched his chest, convinced he was having a heart attack.
Gasping for air, he waved frantically at his assistant.
Zero, "..."
He covered his mouth, turned aside, and coughed a few times.
Marty looked over, utterly clueless.
When Zero finally caught his breath, he told SSR, "It's fine. Eat."
Then he turned back to the shareholder, who looked about to keel over, and said, "Kids just say things…"
But the ignored girl tugged on his sleeve again, slapped her chest proudly, and promised, "Don't treat me like a kid! I'm rich! When my dad's gone, everything he has will be mine!"
Shareholder, "..."
'Where did this unfilial daughter come from?! Mine?! Can I return her for re-education?!'
Shaking, he took the pills his assistant handed him, swallowed them, and signaled for the assistant to grab the girl.
But when the girl saw the assistant coming, she nimbly sidestepped and vowed to Zero again, "Don't worry, I can afford to take care of you."
The assistant and shareholder both sucked in a breath. Even Marty, who had been quietly eating, froze.
Zero sighed helplessly.
Still too little homework. If kids had more assignments, they wouldn't have time to come up with nonsense like this.
He said to the shareholder clutching his chest, "I'll handle your daughter's homework."
This time, the shareholder didn't refuse. Forget pleasantries, he nodded in full agreement.
The little girl burst into tears and was finally carried away by the assistant.
Zero and the shareholder both exhaled in relief as they watched her leave.
The shareholder wiped cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and gave a bitter laugh.
"Sorry… she's been spoiled by me and my wife…"
Zero had dealt with troublemakers and brats before, he knew the drill.
He comforted him, "No problem. Just assign her more homework."
Kids cause trouble because they're bored.
A full, busy childhood will make them grow up faster.
The shareholder nodded repeatedly. With the troublemaker gone, he finally relaxed.
He honestly thought he was done for this time.
Never would he have guessed that the fearsome Marshal of Xianzhou would have such a good temper.
After this incident, even when he met those empty, unreadable eyes again, he no longer felt afraid.
As they talked, the shareholder cautiously brought up the subordinate beside the Marshal.
Though Xianzhou was incredibly powerful, having a subordinate like that around the Marshal, wasn't that just asking for trouble?
He completely forgot that the most dangerous person in the room was the Marshal himself.
Zero immediately understood what he meant.
Since the man was speaking out of concern, he didn't take offense. Instead, he explained Marty's former position in the company and his current achievements in Xianzhou, leaving the shareholder stunned.
"As a superior," Zero said, "isn't it our job to place our subordinates where they fit best and solve their problems for them?"
"They only need to do what they're good at, and what they love."
The shareholder glanced at Marty, who was still quietly devouring his food, then looked back at Zero, deeply moved.
He finally understood.
Understood why those subordinates, infamous across the cosmos as the Marshal's "mad dogs," acted that way.
Understood why so many brilliant geniuses willingly served this man.
In his heart, the shareholder came to a conclusion.
Anyone under the protection of the Xianzhou Marshal would live a safe and peaceful life.
Thoughtful, he then turned the topic toward Marty, who had spent the entire meal just eating.
"I heard the Marshal mention that the device you developed even surprised him. Would you be interested in collaborating with the Interstellar Peace Corporation?"
Marty, "!!"
He swallowed the meat in his mouth, nodded hard, then froze halfway.
Wait, no. He was supposed to be acting like one of those storybook underdogs, he should've said something like "Don't look down on the poor youth!"
Before he could finish struggling, the high-ranking shareholder had already offered him an incredibly generous reward.
Marty was so shocked he froze; when he didn't react, the shareholder doubled it.
By the time Marty snapped out of it, the reward had reached a number he'd never even dreamed of before.
Instinctively, he looked at Zero. Seeing his superior nod, he finally agreed.
When the meal ended and they returned to the Marshal's residence, Marty couldn't contain his excitement anymore.
He didn't dare make noise and disturb his boss, so he could only silently scream into his hands.
There were plenty of similar technologies across the universe, but why had they chosen him? Of course, because of the Marshal.
He made up his mind, he'd support the Marshal for life.
Meanwhile, at his desk, Zero was reading through the strategist's new report on the Vidhyadhara Clan.
"Infertility? Then just make a galaxy-wide recruitment for specialists in that field."
Strategist, "..."
'You… really are a genius! What did the Vidhyadhara Clan ever do to you? Do you have to make them socially die across the entire universe?!'
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