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Chapter 68 062 Saying one thing and meaning another
While Earth's C country was still secretly discussing the proposal from the Star Alliance, the United Empire of Iridium Star orbiting Earth was far from idle. Various construction works were in full swing, and planetary orbital structures were being built at an extremely fast pace, striking awe into the Earthlings observing from below.
The engineering capabilities of the Iridium Star people were simply beyond their understanding; massive orbital structures could essentially take shape within a matter of days, or even just several hours.
Although Iridium Star had only recently invited Earth nations for a visit, besides the good-natured contact, no substantive dialogue resulted, leaving Earthlings clueless about what the Iridium Star people actually intended to do—even disregarding the people of C country.
Many Earth locals, optimistic about the future, saw Iridium Star people's major constructions in Earth's orbit as a sign that they would maintain a presence on Earth, believing that interactions with extraterrestrial civilizations would become more frequent and ultimately benefit Earth.
Conversely, conspiracy theorists continuously claimed that Iridium Star's so-called non-aggression towards Earth was just a facade, and they were clearly preparing to invade Earth.
This period was one of great anxiety for Earth, and Bai Zhongqi, through accessing Earth's networks and media, was able to fully understand these developments.
If Earthlings knew what Bai Zhongqi was currently doing, they might feel even more uneasy.
Xu Lanzhou followed behind the Chancellor, somewhat distractedly. She was currently inspecting work with Bai Zhongqi, specifically reviewing the new forces. The United Empire of Iridium Star had a registered population of just over five thousand, so the newly recruited army naturally consisted of bionic troops.
Currently, one limitation in bionic human production was Atomic Substance Construction equipment, which Bai Zhongqi had planned to use for many different projects, making it impossible to dedicate all such equipment to producing bionic humans; another limitation was raw materials. Simply put, bionic humans were not made of metal and plastic but of carbon-based composite materials—Bionic Cells.
Producing Bionic Cells required a large amount of organic material, or a large amount of carbon compounds or elementary carbon, which was difficult to obtain on the lifeless, atmosphere-less Moon, prompting Iridium Star to build small to medium-sized mining vessels sent to collect from planets rich in carbon dioxide and methane, such as Mars.
Until production scaled up, the supply of carbon was still insufficient.
Xu Lanzhou grew even more embarrassed. Her bestie knew her secret all too well; stomping her foot in frustration, she said, "The Imperial Chancellor is supreme. I am his knight, sworn to be loyal to him for life. How could I entertain any impure thoughts?"
Xu's bestie laughed out loud, hugging Xu Lanzhou's shoulders even more frivolously and said, "You are a woman knight, after all. What if His Excellency the Chancellor makes some more intimate requests? Hmm, like asking you to serve him with your body? I bet he really likes you—I've seen him staring at you a lot. After all, our Lanzhou is so beautiful; no man could resist her."
Xu Lanzhou was so embarrassed her entire face turned red, but the possibility her bestie mentioned made her feel very uneasy. What if Bai Zhongqi really had some inappropriate thoughts about her? What would she do then? As a knight, would she obey all of the Chancellor's commands, or would she refuse him on moral grounds?
"Hmph, I, Xu Lanzhou, will devote my life to the Empire and the Chancellor's cause, without entertaining any thoughts of romance," she claimed, although she truly had no experience with relationships. Even during her school days, many boys had adored her as a goddess, with countless suitors, but Xu Lanzhou was never interested in any of them.
Xu's bestie laughed even harder, reaching out to pinch Xu Lanzhou's cheek. Caught off guard, Xu Lanzhou, somewhat annoyed, pushed her away.
"Really, saying one thing but feeling another, our little Lanzhou is just too cute. This is the Chancellor you've admired since you were little. Although he's a bit different from the handsome uncle you imagined, he's probably a decent person."
"The Chancellor is naturally a wise and benevolent ruler."
Xu's bestie clicked her tongue in amazement and said, "You just said you didn't care, but there you go, instinctively praising him. You say you have no feelings for His Majesty, but who would believe that?"
Xu Lanzhou felt her face was about to explode from blushing. Just then, Bai Zhongqi, looking around and failing to see Xu Lanzhou nearby, called out to her. Xu Lanzhou immediately snapped out of it, and her bestie vanished in an instant.
"Here, Your Excellency!" Xu Lanzhou hurried over.
Watching her, vigorous and stunning in military attire, Bai Zhongqi couldn't help but silently praise her, "Truly, a beauty in uniform."Nôv(el)B\\jnn