I chose the safe house, and the Human Alliance regretted it.

The Empire's recruitment announcement is being hotly debated in the virtual world.

As night deepened in the city of Dixing, the lights gradually thinned out.

A purple starship hovered above the commercial street. The hatch opened, and Purple Ember stepped out.

She walked quickly, her skirt billowing in the night breeze.

The shop door was unlocked.

Zi Jin pushed open the door and entered. The lobby on the first floor was empty, except for the energy liquid boxes on the walls, which gleamed under the dark golden light.

She didn't stop and went straight up to the second floor.

There was no one on the second floor either.

She went up to the third floor.

The bedroom door on the third floor was ajar, and a dim light shone from inside.

Zi Jin pushed open the door and went in—

Then, she froze.

On the bed, Wang Wei leaned against the headboard, with Bai Lu nestled beneath him, the blanket only covering her waist.

Bai Lu's hair was disheveled and draped over her shoulders, her face flushed red as if it were about to bleed.

The two of them looked towards the door at the same time, and the air froze.

Zi Jin blinked, then retreated expressionlessly, closing the door behind him.

"Sorry to bother you."

Bai Lu's face turned even redder. She punched Wang Wei hard, her voice muffled by the blanket: "It's all your fault! I told you to close the door, but you wouldn't!"

"It's off," Wang Wei said matter-of-factly. "She turned it on herself."

Bai Lu punched him again.

Wang Wei patted her on the shoulder and got up to put on his clothes.

Bai Lu wrapped herself up in the blanket like a cocoon, leaving only her eyes exposed.

Wang Wei glanced at her, said nothing, and walked out of the bedroom.

Zi Jin stood in the corridor, her back to the door.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around, her expression already calm.

Only a faint trace of red remained behind her ear.

"Something's happened," Zi Jin said bluntly, her tone urgent.

"What is it?" Wang Wei asked.

Zi Jin took a deep breath: "The Star Beasts have launched a massive uprising."

Wang Wei was taken aback.

"The Caesar Empire has fallen." Zi Jin's voice turned somber.

"The Caesar royal family, along with the remaining fleet and civilians, are retreating towards the First Empire. They... can't hold on any longer."

Wang Wei frowned slightly: "Star Beasts? Those are our meals?"

He remembered that dish from the He family restaurant.

The meat is tender and melts in your mouth; most importantly, it carries the essence of star power.

Zi Jin shook his head and said bitterly, "The roles have been reversed."

"For some unknown reason, the strength of the Star Beasts has suddenly increased dramatically. They have become stronger than ever before. The strength of ordinary Star Beasts has multiplied several times, and those Star Beast Kings—" Zi Jin paused,

"It has reached the Origin Master level."

Wang Wei looked puzzled.

Normally, a race cannot suddenly increase in strength unless something changes or it is stimulated.

In the depths of space, something is changing them.

"The Caesar Empire was the first to fall. But it won't be the last. The Star Beasts are advancing into all human territories, indiscriminately attacking friend or foe. They've even attacked the Kailosilicon race."

"The Kailos were attacked too?" Wang Wei was somewhat surprised.

Purple Ember's voice was cold. "Three of the Kailo's bases have been destroyed. Their main fleet is tightening its defenses."

Wang Wei remained silent for a moment.

The Star Beasts revolted, the Caesar Empire collapsed, the Kailo race was attacked, and the First Empire prepared for war.

These things happened on the same day.

"You came to me just to tell me this," Wang Wei said, looking at her.

Zi Jin said in a deep voice, "I want to register my father for an exclusive VIP membership."

Wang Wei was taken aback. "You can register online."

Zi Jin shook his head. "My father has already gone to the front lines. All three of the Empire's main fleets have been deployed. But whether they can hold them off, nobody knows."

She looked at Wang Wei and pressed, "Can you protect the battlefield in space billions of miles away?"

"How much energy fluid have you prepared?"

"One million," Zi Jin responded.

"One million vials of energy liquid are not enough," Wang Wei said.

Zi Jin's expression changed slightly; she was just about to raise the price.

"But considering you helped me open eleven branches," Wang Wei said slowly, "I'll take this business."

Zi Jin paused for a moment, then her eyes reddened.

"Strange," Wang Wei suddenly changed the subject, "Why hasn't the First Empire come looking for me?"

The store's slogan has already been put up, shouldn't we just contact him directly about this?

Upon hearing this, Zi Jin explained, "The empire will not place all its hopes on one person."

She said, "That's why the First Empire has stood the test of time."

Wang Wei smiled. "Is this what you call the imperial will?"

Zi Jin nodded slightly.

Imperial will is not a person, nor a symbol.

It was built up by generations of people working tirelessly and relentlessly.

Her father was like that, so were the marshals, and so were the soldiers who didn't even have names.

Wang Wei's lips curled up slightly, exuding a chilling excitement.

He was also curious about how long the First Empire could last.

Can the so-called imperial will withstand the star beast uprising?

"Where is your father in the starry sky?" Wang Wei asked.

"A star map?" Zi Jin asked in return.

"Come in," Wang Wei said, returning to the bedroom.

Zi Jin was taken aback, but still followed him inside.

On the bedroom wall hung a complete star map of the First Empire.

When Bai Lu saw Wang Wei return, she was about to sit up when Zi Jin followed her in. She quickly and awkwardly lay back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

Ignoring all that, Zi Jin strode to the star map and pointed to an outer area:

"My father is in area BJ013. The entire Third Fleet of the Empire is there. They are responsible for guarding the main passage for the Star Beasts' attack."

Wang Wei glanced at it and then closed his eyes.

Reflecting release.

An invisible sense radiated outward from the Imperial Star City, passing through the energy shield, traversing the starry sky, and crossing one planet after another.

After countless upgrades, the range of illumination has now reached an extremely exaggerated level.

Within moments, images of the BJ013 area appeared in his mind.

In the starry sky, the Imperial fleet stood in dense formation, its cannons aimed at deep space.

In the distance, dark red lights were surging.

A moment later, Wang Wei opened his eyes.

"Alright, you can go back now." He waved his hand. "Go do what you need to do. I'll protect your father."

Zi Jin stood there, stunned: "Aren't you going to the front lines?"

"Why go to the front lines?" Wang Wei asked rhetorically.

"But if you don't go, how will you—"

"I said I protected him, and I meant I protected him," Wang Wei interrupted her. "Your father won't die."

Zi Jin opened his mouth, wanting to say, "How can you guarantee that?", but swallowed the words back.

Looking into Wang Wei's calm eyes, she suddenly realized that all her worries were unnecessary.

She took a deep breath, turned around, and walked out.

As night fell, the purple starship silently rose into the sky and disappeared into the night sky above the commercial street.

In the bedroom, Bai Lu peeked out from under the covers and looked at Wang Wei.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing." Wang Wei lay back on the bed, reached out and hugged her. "Someone brought money."

Bai Lu didn't ask any more questions.

Wang Wei closed his eyes.

What makes the most money?

This is undoubtedly profiting from war.

When the gun goes off, gold pours in.

The Star Beasts have revolted, the front lines are under strain, and the Empire is conscripting soldiers.

What followed was that some people risked their lives on the front lines while others made a fortune in the rear.

They teach others how to love their country, while they themselves hold onto resources, sing praises to the soldiers on the front lines, and then turn around and squeeze every last drop of blood from the families of martyrs.

There are always people who eat their fill of greasy food during wartime.

The name may change time and again, but the essence has never changed.

Profiteering from the national crisis.