Chapter 135: Planetary Ownership

With a soft *swish*, a hidden trajectory flashed from Ji Cheng’s leg directly toward Ma Anguo. By the time Ma’s pupils dilated in realization, the sharp Kun-steel dagger was already buried in his chest.

Ji Cheng had aimed with precision. The blade plunged perfectly between the atrium and the ventricle. As a gush of blood welled up along the deep groove of the blade, Ma Anguo went limp. For a Tier 2 Awakened, killing him at close range was effortless.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan turned to flee without a word, but a second later, her head was blown apart by a whistling bolt from Huang Long.

The high-ranking officials of Nansong City were stunned. They had never expected such a bloody scene, with two Awakened killed in an instant.

"Hoo... hoo..." The officials stood frozen, their expressions a mix of bewilderment and terror.

"There are currently quite a few troops gathered above us, along with laser weapons highly effective against Awakened. I don't think I need to explain what those two were planning," Ji Cheng said, enlarging the computer screen to display it to them.

He scanned the silent, trembling crowd and softened his voice: "I trust this had nothing to do with any of you. Everyone’s position will remain unchanged."

"However, starting today, I am adding a few new rules."

Whether or not these officials were involved, Ji Cheng had no intention of pursuing it further. They were small fries who couldn't stir up much trouble, so he might as well buy their loyalty.

The officials quickly capitulated. In truth, they had no idea what had happened; they had simply witnessed a sudden slaughter, and then their leader was gone. Given that the city relied heavily on the energy crystals brought back by Awakened, and with two of their own now dead, they had no other choice. Coupled with the historical ties between the two cities, the transfer of power was remarkably smooth.

Two hours later, Ji Cheng, now in clean clothes, sat high in the Chief of Staff’s chair. He looked at the paper documents stacked on the long table—a high pile on his left, and only a few pages remaining on his right.

"Finally almost done."

He impatiently swept the remaining pages onto the left stack. "There. Finished."

These were reports on urban construction and public security sent by the Nansong City officials, though he had found little of real importance. Adjustments and corrections had already been communicated through Wang Yi, who was waiting nearby. In just two hours, with the help of Shana and An Chan, the massive workload of reports and data for the entire city had been processed.

Behind him, Huang Long and the others, who had been observing him, let out a long breath.

"Incredible," said Centipede.

"I’ve learned something today," added Liu Fangjian.

"This is my first time seeing someone flip through files by reading one page and skipping three," Fu Ting said, his voice a tone of pure, synthesized electronic shock. He was truly stunned. "Did you actually read them all?"

"Not all of them, but every report is filled with fluff," Ji Cheng said, clapping his hands. "In any case, the various matters are mostly resolved, aren't they?"

He left the group behind and walked out of the office as if nothing had happened. Huang Long couldn't help but chuckle. As one of the most senior council members of the Nansong city-state, he knew well that most Awakened were all muscle; they were fine with blades and mutated beasts, but useless at anything else. That was the purpose of the mineral certification exams and the secretaries—they required assistance in every aspect.

Yet Ji Cheng, from the moment he first entered the view of Huang Long and Zhou Ze, had demonstrated insight and a meticulous nature far beyond ordinary Awakened. The subsequent events only proved this further. Even more commendable was that Ji Cheng was not an ungrateful man. He had gifted a Tier 2 gene progenitor to Lu Shangbai, who had helped him, and he hadn't forgotten Hu Ping and Hu Xian, despite their lowly status.

In private, Zhou Ze had told Huang Long that he intended to cultivate Ji Cheng as the "core" and "leader" of the next generation of Awakened. He just hadn't expected Ji Cheng to progress so quickly—his combat prowess, his grasp of the big picture, and even his leadership skills were now beginning to overshadow the older generation.

"Old Zhou was right about him," Huang Long said, looking at his companions and shaking his head with a mix of frustration and pride. "From now on, let Ji Cheng call the shots in Nansong City."

He was old, and after the destruction of the New City, he had lost the heart for it.

"Captain," Centipede turned around, confused. "Isn't he already calling the shots?"

"That's right," Liu Fangjian, also known as 'Green Lantern', said seriously.

Huang Long paused. *Well, played. You win, Ji—you’ve turned everyone against me.*

Outside the command building, the rapid-response forces that had been assembled, along with the laser weaponry brought in by transport vehicles, were being dispersed under new orders. The occupants of the two personal flight vehicles had also been brought out and temporarily housed in the command building’s guesthouse—one of the most heavily guarded areas in Nansong City, and now, with Ji Cheng in total control, one of the safest.

"Though the incident with Zhang Sheng is regrettable, objectively speaking, it’s not a bad thing for me."

Ji Cheng walked toward the guesthouse as staff members saluted or stepped aside. He wasn't exactly a self-sacrificing soul; he had taken on the mess in Nansong City and even shamelessly torn his own combat suit to bait his enemies because he had calculated everything from the start.

It all traced back to when he acquired Shana and An Chan. Once he obtained these two precious data ether-entities and learned that there were more in the fifth ruin, he decided to stake his claim on White Mountain Star.

A "claim" is a legal act used to declare ownership of a planet. The Galactic Empire was vast, and new indigenous planets were discovered every year. To demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence, there were protection acts for newly discovered indigenous worlds. One provision stated: if an indigenous leader existed with a support rate exceeding 10 percent, they were permitted to claim ownership of the planet.

White Mountain Star had been out of contact for over fifty years, and by regulation, it fell under indigenous planet law, requiring a 20 percent support rate from the locals for a claim to be valid.

"It's a pity that there aren't many residents left in Nansong City; most have migrated to the New City," Ji Cheng sighed.

In his previous life, the country he lived in within the game was the Galactic Federation, located in what was now the Imperial capital of the Silver Crown Province, inheriting many of the Empire’s laws and customs. Having spent time in prison for trafficking cell-dissolving agents, he had studied the law extensively in penitence, which was why he knew these technicalities so well.

"I just hope those bastards like Lei Junming, Tian Gang, and Yu Yin haven't forgotten the favor I did them by helping them clear dungeons and sharing Tier 2 gene progenitors. Hopefully, they can help me mobilize people from other city-states."

"Regardless, even if they don't support me, the planet won't fall into their hands—it would just be reclaimed by the Empire and resold."

His plan to win over the Awakened of other city-states had been set long ago; the incident in Nansong New City was just an unexpected complication.

Less than five minutes after leaving the office, Ji Cheng reached the guesthouse and caught Luo Rao, who was excitedly darting about.

"Come with me. Let's go see Mom and Dad," he said in a tone that brooked no argument.

He had been a true orphan in his previous life, but having integrated the original host’s memories and emotions, he had grown to value family deeply. Ji Cheng took Luo Rao’s hand and walked toward the main entrance, where Chen Qian had already prepared a motorcade.