Chapter 360: Ch The grand competition

The Red Empress was surprised by this move, but she nodded; it was the only logical move remaining. As for opening up the mining industry, she agreed that it was a sound strategy. After considering the implications, she said, “I think that’s a great idea. We should proceed with it.”

Having her approval meant a lot to Kallus. He always appreciated her views on matters of state, and seeing that she had nothing else to add and was in total agreement, he found himself in an excellent mood.

“Relay my orders to the Ministry of Resources,” he commanded. “Tell them about my vision and have them come up with a proposal of their own, based on what they deem can be let go of and what must remain under state control.”

He passed her a tablet-like glass device, transparent and sleek, through which everything could be seen clearly. On it was a list of discussion topics, arranged in order of priority, each one meant to be implemented in sequence.

At the top was the Azura Imperium diplomatic visit. The purpose was economic integration and the development of soft power.

Below that was the industrial sector. It outlined a grand competition across nearly all fields and industries, with a primary focus on weapons manufacturing.

The immediate goal was to generate rapid hype throughout the Void Fleet’s ruled regions. The long-term objective was to build a highly innovative private industrial complex, expanding outward from the Imperium.

Following that came the resources sector. The policy proposed opening and privatizing mining rights for local players, restricted only to lower-tier resources that were neither critical to nor used by the fleet.

The short-term goal was to offload low-value materials and alloys to support fleet objectives, while freeing the mining operations department to focus on higher-level resources.

The long-term aim was to use these lower-tier alloys to create business opportunities for local players in exchange for profits, and to develop and capture markets beyond the fleet’s ruled regions.

Following this was the technical sector. The policy focused on stopping the synthesis of lower-grade alloys and materials. Instead, the emphasis would shift toward utilizing resources from white holes, avoiding the waste of vast quantities of lower-grade resources to produce higher-grade ones.

After that came other orders, though they were not of much concern.

The Red Empress glanced over them briefly, then placed the tablet back on the table and stood up. She looked at Kallus for a moment and gave a small nod.

“I’ll pass these orders to the relevant departments and have them quickly prepare formal documentation after conducting their research and analysis. Once that’s done, they’ll place it on your table for signing, and then we can proceed with implementation.”

Kallus nodded in quiet acceptance.

“Then I’ll go,” she said, seeing he had nothing further to add. She turned and took a step forward, only to pause. Turning back, she added, “I suggest that instead of lying here and drinking cups of tea, you should check the documents on your desk. Quite a few of them are important, and one or two are interesting as well.”

“Huh!!”

Kallus, who had his back to her and was quietly enjoying the scenery ahead, was taken aback. His mouth twitched as he interpreted her words as something closer to, stop lazing around and get to work. A flicker of irritation rose in him, sharp but brief, fading almost as quickly as it appeared.

Then the last part of her words settled in.

Interesting.

His attention shifted at once. Turning around, he looked at her with clear interest in his eyes.

“Oh? Tell me about that interesting part.”

“Well, I’ll tell you one of them,” she replied.

She then filled him in on what had actually happened back on Earth. Once she was done, she continued, “Finally, after much deliberation, the Federation Council has reached a decision. Those who are too rigid and unwilling to move beyond their ideas are to be relocated to the outer edge of the Sol region… to a smaller star system with limited resources of its own.”

“Has this really happened?” Kallus asked. His expression, however, suggested he had expected it from the very beginning.

“I knew this would happen, and I was prepared for it as well. But I have to say, these pieces of scum truly have some nerve. Whether I give them such an opportunity or not is for me to decide. And yet they think it was theirs to take? How did they even come up with that?”

Shaking his head, he fell silent for a moment, as if exasperated by their audacity.

“Well… it’s good the Federation came to this decision,” he added. “Cleaning themselves up and preventing further trouble from arising.”

“Humans are truly complex creatures, no?” the Red Empress said, equally exasperated upon hearing the news.

“Well, humans are complex, but they do understand what is good and bad for them. These people, however, are full of nonsense. They’re stuck in the past and incapable of looking ahead or thinking long-term. But no matter…”

Kallus narrowed his eyes slightly. “They may be happy now, thinking they can leave Earth with benefits in hand. But after they’ve boarded the shuttles that will take them to their final destination…”

He paused, his tone turning cold. “Have our people prepared the gene degradation serum? Ensure each of them is administered it—taking them back closer to their roots, along with the baseline state of the first-generation gene serums.

And remember, there’s no need to do anything extraordinary for them. Let them be at their own mercy once they reach their destination. What they choose to do then is none of our concern. If they wish to live independently, they’re free to do so.”

As you wish, Master.”

With a sly grin on her face, the Red Empress disappeared from her position. Soon after, every relevant department received their respective orders and began their due diligence, meticulously calculating and preparing every detail.

Meanwhile, the department under the Internal Ministry quickly began preparations for the grand competition. Their website soon released the relevant details to the public. Though brief, it was more than enough to capture attention.

Dear citizens and members of the Fleet,

It is our pleasure to introduce the Grand Competition, organized by our great leader, Imperial Commander Kallus. This is an event in which everyone can participate. Winners will be awarded financing, technological design support related to their field of participation, and much more, which will be disclosed soon.

Click below to check further details and learn how to participate.

People were immediately drawn to it. They began checking the details, excitement spreading quickly. Chats and comments flooded in beneath the post.

“Wow, is this real?”

“So many rewards?”

“The top 50 will get all this? And there’s still more to be announced?”

“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

“The person above is absolutely right!! Even though many things aren’t clear yet, what’s already public is enough to know that those who rank in the top 50 will definitely receive something worthwhile!!”

“Absolutely!! This is an opportunity for a mech designer like me!! I was stuck at home after my unsuccessful attempt to get into the Imperial University of Research and Design. I could only work at virtual gaming companies designing mechs… but with this opportunity, if I win, I could actually create them in reality!! Maybe even start my own company—and who knows, maybe make it big someday!”

“Of course, not just you mech designers—even we shipbuilders have such an opportunity!! And let me tell you, I have a few connections at the top. I’ve heard that maybe soon the markets of one bordering alliance-controlled region might open to us!! If that happens, then whatever we gain from this competition could really pave the way forward for us!! This move by the Imperial Commander is perfectly timed!! If markets open up, we could truly climb the ladder in different ways!! +1”

Comments like these kept appearing one after another, rapidly filling the space. More and more people were drawn in, excitement spreading like wildfire. Many didn’t just watch—they quickly began submitting their information to participate.

While others had already begun preparing for the first round, many started working on their own designs. Mech designers pushed their creativity to the limit, crafting machines to the best of their abilities, while ship designers did the same—though, for now, only in design form.

Meanwhile, on one of the five planets created by Kallus, known as the Dark Void—a planet with a unique character of its own—everything carried an obsidian hue. The bark of the trees was black like polished stone, while their leaves remained green, creating a strange but striking contrast. Much of the vegetation shared this unusual appearance.

Within one of the major cities on this Tier-6 planet, there stood a compound resembling a grand villa. At its core, in a quiet office at the center of the building, a middle-aged man sat at a desk, carefully going through a stack of documents.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep