When Zero returned to Yaoqing, the very first thing that happened was that the company's shareholders, through the strategist, asked whether he had time to meet.
Even if he did have time, Zero wouldn't have met them right away. Instead, he turned around and met with SSR, once again bringing him good news.
Marty, a research genius with his luck stat maxed out.
First, he helped the people of Xianzhou develop the "Jade Talisman" that monitors bodily conditions.
Then, he filled in the weak points of the Colossus.
If the previous Colossus had been a ranged unit that needed protection, then after SSR's modifications, the Colossus no longer needed fleet support, it was transformed into a powerful "Big Daddy" unit with self-defense capabilities and an extremely short skill cooldown.
In the same amount of time, it could mine more ore, greatly improving efficiency.
As expected of his SSR, reliable as always.
The modified weapons were also very efficient.
And now, it could even allow Zero to remotely control a planet-destroyer battleship.
Not bad at all, it would definitely surprise Aha.
Zero looked at SSR, who seemed like he had something to say but hesitated. He was in an extremely good mood.
He had a feeling that this person could probably handcraft a divine weapon of destruction with his bare hands…
Smiling with his eyes, Zero silently encouraged him to speak his mind.
Marty stammered, "Um… Marshal, about the experimental funding…"
Zero froze.
He had never shortchanged his subordinates or his SSRs, oh, right, and he had to include the five newly arrived Dragon Lords as well.
But if he had to rank them in his heart, naturally his subordinates and SSRs came first. The benefits and treatment they received were far better than those of the Vidyadharas.
As long as their treatment was good enough, no one would be tempted to accept bribes, nor would anyone have the chance to mess with him by playing "Three Races Match-3."
Previously, Zero had already given Marty plenty of assets and approved his research projects without hesitation, providing ample funds.
He never would've thought that his own SSR would be worried about money.
Then again, Zero thought, it made sense.
After all, scientific research was all about pouring in time and money. Marty's efficiency was already so high, practically saving him and Xianzhou money.
So what if it costs more? Zero wants to spend money on SSR.
When there hadn't been enough funds for the Colossus research before, he'd even thrown in his own salary. What's another round of that?
Zero immediately reassured SSR, "It's fine, don't worry about the funding."
Marty scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "Actually, I wouldn't have needed to trouble you. The real estate you gave me before, the rent alone is enough…"
Zero shook his head in disapproval. "That's a separate matter. Those patrol ships are what you deserve. You can't use that money as research funding."
They on Xianzhou didn't do pay-to-work, after all.
Zero thought for a moment and realized he hadn't been thorough enough.
His subordinates usually found reliable teams to help them manage their assets.
But Marty, this SSR who only focused on research, how would he ever think of such things?
Zero suggested, "Why not find someone to handle these affairs for you?"
Marty shook his head. "No need, Marshal. That money already has a purpose."
Zero, still uneasy, pressed further, and learned that his SSR had donated all the money.
Marty said shyly, "Xianzhou's academies admit students for free. That made me think of children on other planets…"
Zero blinked slowly.
What a kind-hearted Marty, truly worthy of being his SSR.
Funding children from remote planets, that's a huge amount of merit right there.
Might as well have Xianzhou join in too, to add even more merit.
True to his style of always leaving his name after doing a good deed, Zero offered a great idea, "You've reminded me, Xianzhou has good relations with many allied planets that also need our help. Why don't we name the scholarship after you? That way, people in the distant star systems, no, across the whole universe, will know your name."
Marty went silent. Then his face turned bright red as he emitted a sharpnoise, "Marshal, you can't do thatttttt!"
Zero loved to mess with people's emotions, and even with SSR, he wasn't merciful.
So, he went on suggesting, the Marty Scholarship, Marty Elementary School, Marty Charity Association…
SSR's neck turned red now. He looked at Zero silently for a long time before squeezing out, "Marshal, please… stop…"
'Wasn't it just that one time when I couldn't come up with a name and suggested using your name for a piece of equipment?'
'That was so long ago! Do you really have to hold such a grudge?'
Zero decided to stop while he was ahead and casually asked SSR about the criteria for the students he sponsored.
Marty froze. He hadn't thought that far, he had just donated the money and let the schools handle it.
Zero sighed.
'What an innocent, simple-minded sweetheart. How could he not set a standard?'
"At least check their bank statements…"
Zero paused, realizing there was a big problem with what he'd just said.
If he let Marty check the bank accounts of other planets' residents because of the donations… that might be a bit too much.
He quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you should set standards, review carefully before distributing funds. For example, you could have someone check their school expenses."
"If the cafeteria food is cheap and awful, but the student still eats there, then they can go on the shortlist."
Marty's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.
Then he began sharing all sorts of new ideas, like applying "Neutron Annihilation" technology to firearms, or finding ways to preserve human consciousness.
Finally, he mentioned the thing Zero had been looking forward to most, a supercomputer with immense processing power that could span countless galaxies and control planet-destroying warships and Colossi.
When Marty talked about his field of expertise, he got excited and spoke nonstop.
Zero couldn't understand any of the technical terms, but he kept smiling at his SSR.
When Marty realized it, he laughed sheepishly.
Zero then offered some suggestions.
He wasn't a professional, so he only commented on the firearm idea combined with "Neutron Annihilation."
Indeed, once SSR developed it, that kind of gun would become the most powerful weapon on the battlefield.
One shot, and everything's gone, the perfect tool for murder and robbery.
But lessons from the past made Zero think carefully. He suggested Marty add a few functions, such as recording video when used, and logging time and usage frequency in the backend.
Marty's eyes shone, nodding like a pecking chick.
After chatting for a while, Zero casually asked, "Have you read the storybooks popular in Xianzhou lately?"
Marty tilted his head. "Yeah, lately there's been a trend, something about games and systems…"
"Interesting, isn't it? Tell me, do you think such a thing might exist in the universe? Using games or code to alter reality?"
After saying that, Zero shifted to another topic. They chatted until near the end of the workday, when he finally urged Marty to eat dinner, and used his Jade Talisman to notify his subordinates for a meeting.
No matter what, he had to make sure his subordinates clearly understood the efforts of the Vidyadharas.
After all, the significance of the Scalegorge Waterscape was extraordinary.
It wasn't only equivalent to Xianzhou's most sacred grove, it was also the place where the Vidyadhara Clan underwent reincarnation and rebirth.
When members of the Vidyadhara Clan die, they become "Vidyadhara Clan Eggs" that wait for rebirth in the Scalegorge Waterscape.
But if those eggs are destroyed, that Vidyadhara Clan person is truly gone.
The Vidyadhara Clan cannot reproduce. Their population is capped, and once a member is lost, they can never be replaced.
No wonder that old man had been so agitated.
Yubie was using the Scalegorge Waterscape to seal the World Tree, a ticking time bomb. If anything went wrong… the Vidyadhara Clan Eggs would be doomed as well.
The Vidyadharas deserved the best treatment from the Xianzhou Alliance.
After all, they were entrusting the lives of their entire people to Xianzhou.
Yesterday, while Zero was idle, he'd glanced at their stat sheets, and had been very tempted.
If the Vidyadhara Clan didn't require time to reincarnate, he would have definitely recruited Yubie as his successor.
As for the Dragon Masters… Zero didn't like them one bit.
The Vidyadhara Clan Dragon Masters and Dragon Lords restricted each other, and could temporarily manage the tribe's affairs during the Lords' rebirth cycles.
If the Dragon Lords didn't need them as tools, Zero would've killed them all.
He gave up the thought of committing slaughter, quietly adding merit points to his own tally.
Not killing was doing good, truly, he was such a good person.
He spent his idle time flipping through ancient texts until the afternoon work hours, when he finally video-called his subordinates to explain the Dragon Lords' contributions.
Zero said bluntly, "Do not interfere in their internal affairs."
The subordinates, stationed across various Xianzhou ships, all nodded in unison.
Then Daiyang spoke up, suggesting an adjustment to the inheritance tax rate.
Zero didn't hesitate and agreed, letting him handle it as he saw fit.
His subordinates knew his bottom line, under no circumstances could they harm the interests of the general Xianzhou population. Their basic livelihood had to be protected.
As for the inheritance tax, it only hurt the rich, not the common folk.
Then, one subordinate responsible for documenting Xianzhou's history nervously asked for his opinion.
Zero paused and said, "Write it as it is. No need to embellish."
For a moment, the room fell silent.
It was Chaoyan who finally broke the tension, bringing up Xianzhou's low birth rate, and the other seven subordinates all sighed.
Life on Xianzhou was too good now. With so many allied star systems, people spent their vacations traveling everywhere. Who wanted to stay home to marry and have kids?
Especially when there was a precedent, their own unmarried Marshal. Even if their families disapproved, they could use him as a shield.
"If even our great Marshal hasn't married, why should we?"
Chaoyan sighed softly, "Marshal, when will you choose a bride? Set an example for us, at least."
Zero, "..."
'You brat, did that Daiyang send you here as his plant?'
Expressionless, Zero looked at Daiyang's projection and said, "Xianzhou will remain monogamous. Don't even think about it."
Daiyang's face went pale. "Wait, It's not what you think!"
Zero was always merciful toward his subordinates.
Even though he wouldn't make exceptions for Daiyang by legalizing polygamy or polyandry, cheating wasn't illegal under Xianzhou law, otherwise, his subordinates would've been behind bars long ago.
Ignoring Daiyang, Zero asked how they planned to solve the problem.
Someone suggested offering large subsidies for families with children.
Zero and the others had no objections.
Another said that the legal marriage age of 200 was unreasonable and proposed lowering it.
Daiyang nodded in agreement. "I think twenty is good."
Zero, "..."
'Daiyang, you little menace!'
'You'd better actually think that's an appropriate age, and not just because your current boyfriend happens to be twenty.'
What else could he do? He could only smile and forgive his subordinate, approving the proposal.
The subordinates continued discussing marriage and childbearing benefits.
But they all knew, with Xianzhou citizens traveling across the universe, no one would get married or have kids just for subsidies. So gradually, the topic shifted again, to urging Zero himself to marry.
Zero, "..."
He said nothing and simply hung up the call as his answer.
Marry? What's there to marry for?
He had a severe cleanliness of spirit, a unique view of relationships, he wouldn't enter intimacy lightly.
Besides, he saw everyone else as juniors. Marriage was simply impossible.
Some things, even if they were illusions, couldn't be done.
Like a kite's string, or an anchor tethering a ship, once you cross that line, your last connection to reality is cut.
When he thought about it carefully, aside from this unchanged face, he seemed to have nothing left.
Even if he took ten thousand steps back, as the Marshal of Xianzhou, if he were to marry, he'd have to choose someone who wouldn't affect Xianzhou. And obviously, the shareholders' daughter was not one of them.
Zero pulled his thoughts back and looked at the strategist, who had been waiting a long time.
The strategist looked impatient.
Who could've guessed that as soon as work began today, his superior would run off to Luofu?
The strategist had been left utterly confused, forced to receive the company shareholder and bring him into the Marshal's residence tea room.
The shareholder had said he'd wait for the Marshal to return.
The strategist waited and waited. When the Marshal finally came back to Yaoqing, he went straight to see Marty and then held a meeting with other generals, still refusing to meet the shareholder.
He asked Zero, "Will you see him?"
Zero glanced at the time on his Jade Talisman.
He'd left the man waiting for over half a day. That should be enough.
He stood and headed for the tea room, where he found the blond, blue-eyed shareholder.
The man was fiddling with the teaware on the table, and after all that effort, he'd only managed to ruin Zero's tea.
The shareholder smiled awkwardly, helplessly. Even after being kept waiting half a day, he showed no resentment.
Zero sighed, took over the teapot the man had been fumbling with, and cut him off before he could speak, "Don't even bring it up."
'That's not how you pamper your daughter! Forget about a political marriage!'
The shareholder gave an embarrassed laugh, watching as Zero poured out the ruined tea leaves, rinsed the set, and refilled it properly.
As he watched, he asked, "Why don't you use this… spoon thing?"
Zero looked at the spoon-like tool in his hand and immediately understood.
That was something used only in formal ceremonies or performances.
The shareholder had probably seen too many of Xianzhou's tea performances and assumed everyone did it that way.
Pouring the tea he had just brewed into the fairness cup, Zero said irritably, "You ruined my tea and still expect me to personally brew yours?"
The shareholder laughed apologetically and awkwardly copied Zero's movements. After clumsily brewing his tea, he poured the first cup for Zero.
"Just take it as me owing you a favor, I'll go through fire and water if needed…"
Zero said nothing. He poured his own tea into a tasting cup and gestured for the shareholder to drink it.
The shareholder, thinking the matter settled, quickly gulped down the scalding tea.
Zero said, "Now's the time for you to go through that fire and water."
The shareholder froze with his cup in hand, unable to speak for a long moment.
Then Zero continued, "I don't want to see any more rogue machines. And I definitely don't want to see those disgusting bugs."
The shareholder came back to his senses and cautiously asked, "So you mean…?"
Zero poured out the tea the shareholder had made and replaced it with his own.
Casually, he said, "Of course, we must cut the problem off at its root."
Seeing the troubled look on the shareholder's face, Zero added, "Of course, this isn't something the Xianzhou Alliance or your company can solve alone. We'll need others' help."
"The Interstellar Council, how's that for a name?"
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