Galaxy Domination Guide

Chapter 39 034 Imperial Conference

Bai Zhongqi, donned in the Chancellor's attire, walked into the meeting hall with his head held high and a steady stride.

All members of the Fleet stood up, and people with military ranks like Xu Lanzhou and Xiao Yu saluted militarily. Bai Zhongqi still felt some irrepressible excitement in his heart, but he controlled his facial expression, not letting himself appear too complacent; at the least, he wanted to appear more composed.

There was only one empty chair at the edge of the conference table, positioned at the head of the table—clearly, that was his assigned seat. Bai Zhongqi was not intimidated; after all, back in domestic middle schools, he had at least been a class cadre and a member of the student union, and during those times, the meetings he presided over had far more people than now.

Well, at least that's what he could tell himself for comfort.

Bai Zhongqi sat down at the head of the table, then gestured lightly with his hand downward, simply saying, "Sit."

The leaders of the Fleet obeyed the order and took their seats, but they clearly seemed a bit constrained. Bai Zhongqi noticed this as well; after all, although he was the legendary Chancellor, no one truly understood the Chancellor. Hence, it was within reason for everyone to feel trepidations.

Only absolute supporters of the Chancellor, like Xu Lanzhou, had no psychological burden; the others surely had their own schemes.

Bai Zhongqi was acutely aware of this—he might be young, but he had an insight into people and problems that far exceeded his peers. No matter what plans these senior members of the Fleet harbored, Bai Zhongqi could now remain indifferent, for the Supreme Command was in his hands (literally in his hands), and nobody within the Iridium Star Fleet could oppose his will.

The immense war machine operated at the behest of Bai Zhongqi alone, and the Chancellor of the Empire was the true master of the Empire.

Thus, at this moment, Bai Zhongqi could naturally take a proactive strategy. The Supreme Command granted him supreme authority, and if he truly wanted to create something, he could not do so without the support of these people of the Iridium Star. In Bai Zhongqi's view, a Chancellor who could only control machines was not a real Chancellor; a true Chancellor needed his subjects.

Bai Zhongqi surveyed the Fleet members seated around him and began to speak in a voice that was not loud but especially clear, "I understand the complexity of your feelings at present, about an Imperial Chancellor who has been missing for five thousand years; you may have various questions. Some of these questions I will answer, some I will not.

But one thing I need you to remember is that I single-handedly created this Empire. As the Chancellor, I will take responsibility for my Empire, for my subjects, and I hope you all will execute your duties diligently, assisting me in ushering in a new chapter for the Empire.

Moreover, I will not tolerate any acts of insubordination, any treasonous acts that threaten the Empire, or any perverse acts that harm the subjects of the Empire. The name of the Empire and I, as the Chancellor, shall shine with the Galaxy!"

Even though his tone was calm, every word he spoke was forceful, and it resonated like a great bell, sending tremors through the hearts of all the members present. As soon as these words were spoken, Bai Zhongqi himself felt slightly embarrassed; his speech was full of Long Aotian's pompous air.

Yet, even if he sounded overly dramatic, with absolute power supporting him and the capability to follow through on his words, no one dared to disregard what he said.

Indeed, no one present seemed to have the audacity to question Bai Zhongqi's words. Du Peng, as the Administrator, very perceptively led a group of members to rise once again, and they gave the Imperial salute, saying in unison, "We are ready to face fire and water, to exhaust our bodies and minds, to pledge loyalty to Your Majesty, to plead on behalf of the subjects of the Empire."

This sentence was also the oath sworn by the officials upon taking office in the United Empire of Iridium Star, and it was quite fitting to recite it at this moment.

Bai Zhongqi nodded slightly, betraying no emotion, which made the group feel that the Imperial Chancellor was profoundly unfathomable.

"Mm, I have taken note of your loyalty and devotion," he said.

The imperial audience meeting had no set agenda; it all depended on what Bai Zhongqi wanted to say. The high-ranking officials of the Fleet had various questions, but none dared to raise them, as everyone had a certain fear of the Chancellor. Although the Empire was not without laws, under these special circumstances, there was no functioning body to execute them.

Bai Zhongqi didn't extinguish all hopes of those people. He said, "I am still researching the mystery of the First Universe's time standstill, hoping that one day, I can bring you all back to your homeland.

Until then, I will lead all of you and the Imperial citizens of the R19 Fleet to tenaciously survive in this new universe, to expand the Empire's new territories, and to build a more prosperous and flourishing civilization. Each of you will become an eternal figure in the history of the Empire, revered by future generations."

Xu Lanzhou immediately said, "Your Majesty, the people of Iridium Star have been following your teachings tirelessly, exploring the universe and advancing our civilization, everywhere the same. It is an honor for any Imperial soldier to be able to welcome the Chancellor back and to fight under your command. Whatever your supreme command may be, we will fight for you to the very end!"

Du Peng added, "We shall abide by Your Majesty's decree."

The higher-ups of the Fleet also expressed their commitment to follow the Chancellor's lead and to build their new realm in this new universe. Whether they were sincere or not, at least they had direction now.

"Very well, from now on, the R19 Fleet is the Empire. The Fleet will officially disband, and all personnel belonging to the Fleet will become the Empire's present citizens. I will reorganize the Empire on the basis of the original Fleet."

"Regarding Earth," Bai Zhongqi paused for a moment, this was the focal point of his entire speech, "given the current manpower shortage of the Empire and the limited intelligence on the surrounding Star Region, I have decided that the Empire will temporarily use the Solar System as a base, enhancing intelligence gathering on neighboring galaxies.

At the same time, we will adopt moderate methods to recruit the power of Earth for our Empire, especially our Iridium Star kinsfolk in this universe, the Chinese."

Bai Zhongqi had a long speech prepared, but at this moment, a ringtone suddenly sounded from his pocket.

...

Awkward.

After maintaining a solemn and domineering demeanor for dozens of minutes, Bai Zhongqi was now extremely embarrassed, and everyone else felt the awkwardness too.

Previously, Bai Zhongqi used Iridium Star technology to connect his phone to the network and telecom services on Earth, enabling him to use his phone in space 200,000 kilometers from Earth.

Bai Zhongqi reflexively took out his phone, intending to mute it, but upon seeing the notification on the bright screen, he hesitated not a moment to unlock it.

It was a WeChat message from Han Jiaxue.

If it were from someone else, Bai Zhongqi might have ignored it, but he still couldn't stop worrying about his junior. Besides, he was now dominating the Fleet, so he could afford to be a little more unrestrained.

The message displayed: Mr. Bai Zhongqi?

That gave Bai Zhongqi a very bad premonition.

He tapped quickly, replying: Who is this?

The reply came swiftly: Mr. Bai, good day. I am a special employee of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America.

...