Chapter 22: The Fortress, Section 8

“Thud!” A stone fell into the lake, causing ripples to spread. A group of fish, startled, scattered like arrows. Blackhair lazily opened his eyes, glanced at the float in front of him, and shook his head before falling back asleep.

The graceful figure in the distance had already reached behind him. She stood motionless, quietly observing Blackhair with an interested gaze.

“Do you no longer need training?” Blackhair suddenly spoke in the silence. Though his eyes were closed, it seemed he already knew who was behind him.

“I just finished and came out to clear my mind,” replied the figure behind him. She stepped forward and sat down beside Blackhair. Her beautiful face wore a charming smile—it was Lily, none other.

Blackhair didn’t respond, continuing to keep his eyes closed, as if he had forgotten Lily’s existence. Lily, understanding, stayed silent after speaking. She quietly gazed at Blackhair’s marble-like face, her expression filled with tenderness. From time to time, she waved her hand to drive away small insects, just like a truly gentle and kind wife. The atmosphere became so affectionate that even the sound of insects in the distant grass seemed to fade away.

After a long while, Lily suddenly asked softly, “Is she… beautiful?”

“Who?” Blackhair was startled. He slightly opened his eyes and glanced at Lily beside him.

“The beauty… I heard her name.”

Hearing this name, Blackhair’s expression stiffened. He fell silent. Unconsciously, his right hand sank deep into the soil beneath him. After a while, he slowly shook his head.

“No, she isn’t beautiful.”

“Then why can’t you ever forget her? Even after so many years?” Lily pressed on.

Huh?! Blackhair was shocked.
How could Lily know? His half-closed eyes suddenly opened, revealing a cold glint. There was no trace of sleepiness in Blackhair now. His sharp gaze fixed on Lily, only to find that she showed no sign of avoiding it, her eyes filled with calmness.

“Hmph, how much do you know?”

“Not much. But it’s enough. The day you were talking to Mr. Monkey, I happened to be outside the door. I’m sorry, master. I really couldn’t control myself.” Lily’s smile gradually faded, replaced by deep sorrow. Tears welled in her bright eyes, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

“That beautiful woman. The one who always occupies your heart. I want to know… why you can’t forget her.”
Silence, once again.
Looking at Lily, who was gently crying before him, His Dark Hair’s gaze gradually softened. He lay down once more. Unconsciously, the oppressive atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
It wasn’t that His Dark Hair was heartless; he truly had no way to answer.
Although Lily’s question was simple, it was extremely difficult for him. Compared to this, He Dark Hair would rather face an army of millions alone than get entangled in such tender emotions.
Why couldn’t he forget her… No one could explain it…
He still remembered those nights spent working on plans together, and those battles where her gaze remained by his side. Of course, He Dark Hair also remembered the pale face across from him when he was placed in the genetic training tank.
Yes, you don’t realize it until you think about it. He Dark Hair suddenly realized that for him, that beautiful woman was no longer just a companion or partner. At some point, that woman had merged with his soul. Even after such a long time, even now that he had awakened again, everything seemed to have happened just yesterday.
A lonely rabbit, wandering here and there, with clothes not as fresh and a person not as the same as before…
“I’m sorry, I can’t answer you.” After a long silence, He Dark Hair finally spoke. His voice was slow, yet filled with sorrow.
Immediately, pain, despair, and helplessness appeared in Lily’s beautiful eyes. She slightly gritted her teeth, but quickly put on a smiling face, as if nothing had happened. She lay down gently, snuggling beside He Dark Hair, her arms tightly wrapping around his arms. She said nothing more.
With a long sigh, He Dark Hair knew he had deeply hurt a woman’s heart. Though he had no choice, it wasn’t the outcome he desired. He moved his arm, intending to pull Lily into his arms to comfort her, when he heard her whisper beside him.
“Don’t move. Just lie here. Let me be quiet for a while, please? Master… I’m so sad.”
Slightly stunned, He Dark Hair still obeyed Lily’s wish and stopped moving. He lay there, staring up at the stars in the sky.
The wind kept blowing.

As Black Hair had anticipated, during this period, the combat readiness of Death Star reached its highest level ever. Even the most basic commercial activities were affected. Factories set up on newly acquired planets operated round the clock. Warships were assembled at an astonishing pace. As for the highly anticipated Thor Fortress, its construction progress was also advancing rapidly.

Ultimately, this was all thanks to advanced technology. With the current level of automation in this world, almost any design could be put into mass production quickly. Other steps were greatly simplified. And there was only one key factor that could curb the growth of military forces: resources.

However, this wasn’t a problem for Black Hair. Through years of trade, Death Star had accumulated a large amount of rare materials. Although they couldn’t be used directly as raw materials for warships, they could still be obtained easily through exchange. Most importantly, the establishment of the Twin Star Commercial City greatly reduced Black Hair’s pressures.

After all, Twin Star was a planet personally planned by Black Hair. Both its location and potential profits were highly advantageous for the Blood Wolf faction. Coupled with investments from several major commercial associations, its establishment required little effort. Just two months later, its basic functions were already in place. A large number of ships from various commercial associations soon arrived from all corners of the universe.

In the brand-new Twin Star trading market, Koko, representing Black Hair, became the biggest beneficiary. By leveraging the vast resources of the Creek Commercial Association and the backing of the Blood Wolf faction, he managed to secure 43% of the market share and was elected as the first chairman of the Twin Star Commercial Alliance, firmly taking control of the planet’s economic landscape.

The remaining market share was divided among those major commercial associations that had invested and some independent merchants. The largest of these, the same associations that had made initial investments, successfully obtained seats in the commercial alliance. Together with Koko, they established the headquarters of the Twin Star Commercial Alliance, becoming the undisputed leaders of the industry.

Although, compared to Silver Star, the market share held by all merchants, including Koko, had declined, this didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. On the contrary, their profits actually increased slightly.

After all, Twin Star was extremely large—more than four times the size of Silver Star. Thanks to effective promotion, its favorable geographical location, and the promises of the Blood Wolf faction, on the very first day of trading, its transaction volume reached the highest level ever seen on Silver Star, and it continued to rise.

This is truly explosive news—it swept through every corner of the universe like a storm. It also enraged Lord Jack, the old ruler of Silver Star, beyond measure. It is said that upon hearing the news, he immediately smashed all the furnishings in his room.
Fury and jealousy drove this lord to lose his sanity. Things worsened even further when the latest business reports from Silver Star came before him.
According to the latest statistics, from the first day Twin Star, the commercial planet, opened its markets, Silver Star’s economy immediately declined. A large number of merchants left that day, and 32% of the business association branches were shut down outright. In just one day, Silver Star’s once-renowned market shrank by nearly half! Its trading volume was only 30% of normal!
This was beyond endurance. Although he had long anticipated a fatal blow to his livelihood, seeing it with his own eyes was another matter. Old Jack was so enraged that he fainted. When he woke up, he immediately contacted his superior family and vehemently demanded an invasion of the 31st Star Region!
Old Jack’s superior family was an ancient and prestigious clan. Its head was named Vincent, who was also a ruler of a star region. Unlike Old Jack, Vincent’s region was not only larger but also rich in resources and boasted a much stronger military force. More importantly, Marquis Vincent was a member of the Human Parliament and a powerful figure with influence in the interstellar fleets.
Upon hearing Old Jack’s complaints, Marquis Vincent did not respond immediately. After careful consideration, he approached Marshal Wick and proposed a plan to blockade the 31st Star Region.
“Clearly, my marshal, this is a conspiracy targeting Silver Star and all noble classes. As a member of the Parliament, I cannot stand by idly. So I ask for your help. Of course, this matter doesn’t warrant a full parliamentary discussion. All I need is a fleet to carry out the blockade. As you know, my dear marshal, I am a pacifist. Even though the other side is so vile, I still hope they can receive the Lord’s forgiveness.”
Vincent’s expression was sincere yet calm, as if blocking a star region were a trivial matter. He also showed great respect to Marshal Wick.

This is precisely the strength of the old nobility. Different from Old Jack, Vincent, who can serve as a member of parliament, clearly knows better how to conduct himself. His suggestion seems like just a demonstration on the surface, but once implemented, it would effectively strangle the Twin Stars’ business operations. By then, it would be up to him to decide what to do next.
However, it’s obvious he still doesn’t know much about that Blood Wolf faction… The old marshal watched the image of Marquis Vincent with a bitter smile.