Chapter 218
However, after investing a significant amount of legendary materials, not only was first-tier knowledge no longer a problem for Ye Bai, but the subsequent second and third tiers were also within reach.
So, the widening gap in scores was secondary; with the ten thousand points bonus from the Well of Origins, Bai Ye Town's hard power was actually on par with other territories. In fact, the presence of players as an "extra productivity" factor created an even greater disparity.
It would only be when other interstellar players upgraded to level six territories and realized the existence of a layer of "soft power" that they would truly understand the gap between them and Ye Bai.
By that time, Bai Ye Town would likely have transformed into Bai Ye City.
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**Chapter 145**
A few days had passed since the last inquiry, and once again, Aurora was taken away by personnel from the special department.
Sitting silently in the maglev train, her mood was far more complex and difficult to articulate than the last time she had felt anxious.
Aurora wasn’t naive; after her previous encounter with the special department, she understood that things were not simple.
The messages sent to Ye Bai on the Star Network had gone unanswered, and as Aurora reflected, she realized that despite being in the same realm, they had never met face to face.
While her busy work schedule contributed to this, looking back now, it seemed too coincidental.
At this point, Aurora had to admit that Ye Bai might not have perished in that tsunami; there were likely complex reasons behind it that she was unaware of.
“Wait… how did I end up here? Who exactly wants to see me today?”
However, upon recognizing the building she was brought to, Aurora couldn’t help but question it. She had initially thought she was facing another inquiry from the special department, but this clearly wasn’t the right setting.
The building before her was one of the most iconic structures on Ju Hai Star, even printed on the fifty Benni currency of the Huan Hai civilization—
This was the political center of the Huan Hai civilization on Ju Hai Star, the Star Council.
The staff leading her didn’t immediately answer Aurora’s question but guided her deep into the building, finally stopping in front of a massive door.
“Go in; the Queen is waiting for you.”
The Queen… Aurora’s heart raced.
By bloodline, Aurora was indeed a branch of the Huan Hai royal family, but since her birth, she had only seen the Queen’s image in the news.
Of course, the Huan Hai civilization had a more advanced leader selection system; being of royal blood merely increased the probability of becoming a leader, not a monopoly.
Aurora’s mind buzzed as she stepped into the meeting hall, unsure of how to move her limbs.
At first glance, she spotted the figure seated on the throne at the end of the hall.
That figure was unmistakable to every citizen of the Huan Hai civilization; this was the Queen, who had ruled for over two hundred years.
A warm, magnetic voice resonated, “Good afternoon, my child.”
Suddenly, the tension that had gripped Aurora eased upon hearing those words. The Queen before her was so approachable yet so majestic that Aurora felt both relaxed and focused, with no other thoughts intruding.
Next came the Queen’s gentle inquiries about Aurora’s interactions with Ye Bai.
Aurora recounted her experiences with Ye Bai as if speaking to the most trusted family member, vividly recalling their shared moments, even the subtle emotions she had felt.
The Queen closed her eyes, enveloped in a soft glow.
As Aurora shared her memories, they intertwined with the Queen’s own.
The myriad civilizations of the Star Alliance were primarily divided into three factions: two major cosmic civilizations and a neutral one. The Huan Hai civilization, as one of the powerful civilizations in the Galactic Cluster, had never revealed its factional leanings.
However, the Queen’s ability, reminiscent of a mental link, indicated that the political development of the Huan Hai civilization leaned towards an imperial form.
“All for the sake of the clan.”
After sharing her information, Aurora recited this oath before the Queen, feeling a moment of disorientation as she took her leave.
The Huan Hai Queen sat alone on her throne, her beautiful fingers, adorned with delicate scales and glowing softly, gently tapping on the armrest.
After sharing memories, the Queen’s understanding of Ye Bai mirrored Aurora’s, perhaps even more profound. Some details that Aurora had overlooked due to emotional bias were laid bare before the A-grade telepathic Queen.
From the broken communication to Ye Bai’s subsequent actions regarding the myriad realms, they corroborated the two possibilities proposed by Mo Ke:
First, Ye Bai was a subordinate or spy of "Bai Ye," who, for some reason, had betrayed the A-grade telepath Bai Ye, leading to a secret arrival on Ju Hai Star and triggering the anomalous tsunami.
Second, Ye Bai was "Bai Ye" himself, with another pursuer, perhaps another A-grade powerhouse who knew this secret.
Even if the second possibility seemed unbelievable, the Huan Hai Queen did not entirely dismiss it.
Now, facing these two hypotheses, as a leader of a civilization, the Queen had to consider the interests of the entire Huan Hai civilization.
Clearly, these two pieces of information held different values.
If the truth were the second scenario, and the Huan Hai civilization could successfully investigate the underlying truth, it would undoubtedly yield immense benefits. However, with Ye Bai currently missing and having completely vanished from the Ju Hai system, all avenues had been blocked at the first stage.
The only channel left to explore was, after much thought, Bai Ye Town in the myriad realms.
Yet, in the game, Bai Ye’s personal strength and territory were difficult to shake given the Huan Hai civilization's foundation in the myriad realms. Any forced attempt to disrupt it would only lead to losses.
After much contemplation, the Huan Hai Queen finally made a decision. She accessed the Star Network and connected to a special communication channel.
Soon, the complete file on the tsunami incident on Ju Hai Star was uploaded to the intelligence department of the Star Alliance.
Crossing through various sequences, it was ultimately categorized as an event of the highest importance and urgency, ready to be processed immediately.
As the Star Alliance, a machine with a broader and deeper reach than the Huan Hai civilization, began to operate, all of Ye Bai’s interactions in reality and his activities across all planets were laid bare.
Five years ago, the Huan Hai civilization had secretly joined the imperial faction. Given that the outcome of this matter was still uncertain, it was better to submit it to the imperial faction of the Star Alliance to exchange it for political capital within the faction.
After completing all this, the Huan Hai Queen brushed away the emotional fluctuations brought on by sharing Aurora’s memories, almost sighing:
“All for the sake of the clan.”
---
In Bai Ye Town, with the completion of the intermediate library, the various professionals in the territory were once again sent in to study.
The very existence of the primary library provided a territory-wide aura of "education speed increase +5%." With the upgrade to intermediate, this effect increased to 15%, and if it could be upgraded to a high-level library, it would double to a 30% increase.
However, upgrading to a high-level library required city-level technology and the corresponding advanced knowledge.
With the boost from the intermediate library, the educational speed of the four schools in the territory further increased, making the entire Bai Ye Town resonate with the sounds of learning.
At the same time, Bai Ye Town was concurrently working on the territory projects of "Housing Refugees" and "Expanding the Bibliography." After accounting for these expenditures, the current "stored" productivity in the territory stood at 32 points.
This accumulation rate was continuously accelerating, especially with the growing population and the absence of plague issues.
As for the issue of opening up, it had been nearly half a game month since Ye Bai returned, and aside from the merchant teams, Bai Ye Town remained closed off, not open to outsiders.
This closure not only affected players' entry but also impacted the nobles who came to reside in the territory. However, at the town level, even the most well-developed Bai Ye Town had few nobles willing to visit. The tourism industry aimed at NPCs was a business that could only yield substantial returns at the city level.
“Ding-dong… ding…”
Ye Bai inspected the source energy crystal mine, where over a dozen already produced "Micro Energy Extractors" assisted the miners, serving as tools for collection and illumination.
“Greetings, Lord!”
As Ye Bai exited the mine, the patrolling soldiers guarding the area immediately saluted her respectfully, their uniforms already adorned with the newly invented "Marching Cloak."
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