Sky-cracking Rider

"I should have installed a protective barrier device!"

Chen Fei looked regretfully at the deep chasm below the small flying ship; now, he needed to find another temporary landing spot.

Though the loss wasn't substantial, it still cost him considerable time.

Right next to this enormous chasm, a heap of metal materials was pulled out with a crackle from the "Spatial Branding," and a brand new "Skylight" was set up again, with a diameter still at two hundred meters.

Having just recovered a batch of materials, which perfectly fit into the "Spatial Branding," Chen Fei made ten bases of the same size "Skylight," leaving only one intact while storing the remaining nine in the "Spatial Branding" as backups to avoid collateral damage again.

Still engaged in routine skirmishes between several planets in the star system, the battle between the two behemoths wasn't worth spending long hours monitoring manually. The tactics were always those of harsh frontal assaults, with little variation, unlikely to produce any results in the short term. This battle was calculated in years, and it wouldn't be surprising if it lasted a hundred.

This time, the mission was to deploy multiple sets of astronomical telescopes in the star system's outskirts, attempting to locate the "Sagari" civilization's homeworld and verify Chen Fei's hypothesis.

After all, it was a low-cost endeavor to try their luck — a win-win situation regardless of capturing anything.

Moreover, they unexpectedly caught a "Starling" falling into their laps, which was a direct profit.

Adam: Short message from Louis Landon

As Chen Fei was preparing to activate the "Stargate" to return to Blue Star's Socotra Island, the artificial intelligence AI suddenly alerted him to a contact message from an important figure.

The "Stargate" opened — stepping onto Xi Ya Planet, landing on Blue Star.

Chen Fei and his team finally returned safely to Socotra Island.

Louis Landon: Due to the Federal civil war, resource supplies are disrupted. Several factories have been forced to cut production, and recent supply stocks have been impacted. We plan to relocate the production line to The First Sovereign for a period of three to six months; however, we cannot guarantee production capacity. Additionally, Heseman Brown's PSI Skill "Little World" has been exposed, so please prepare early.

Attached to the short message were over a dozen supply lists detailing both planned and actual supply amounts. Many items were affected, with hundreds of materials, including Element Annihilation Bombs, completely out of stock, while others could only provide 40%-80% of the supply.

Element Annihilation Bombs and some unique materials were exclusively supplied by Louis Industrial Company, with no other outlets available on Blue Star (except for the "Boundary Pearl" Life Space's backup production line that could provide limited capacity). Manufacturers supplying various other materials via Louis Industrial Company also felt the impact due to internal chaos within the Federation.

Many factories and farms were razed in the turmoil, and even the owners and their families were completely wiped out, making any sort of recovery impossible.

The unrest within the Federation showed no signs of abating, with its effects growing ever more profound. Military forces lacking absolute equipment advantage were helpless; especially given that this large-scale civil unrest happened once in two hundred years. Arms dealers capitalized on the chaos, selling weapons to the public for massive profits, turning every day into a carnival, unwilling to let the army exert full effort to quell the unrest, hindering efforts in every way. It left well-intentioned individuals within the Federation powerless, forced to watch helplessly as the turmoil spiraled out of control.

Worse still, Europa, which had just been observing the chaos, seemed to be catching fire as well. Some cities also erupted in large-scale riots, with idle people and Lao Hei taking to the streets, looting freely, hosting street bonfire parties, and engaging in infrastructure overhaul… The public activities were not only diverse but also carried out with great enthusiasm.

Nonetheless, Europa's fragmented sovereignties responded relatively quickly, deploying the army to suppress and enforce martial law instantly. With tear gas and water cannons, they forcibly covered block by block. Before this sudden outbreak could escalate, they cut through the chaos decisively, resulting in inevitable casualties, be it innocent or deserving — an unavoidable reality.

Despite temporarily suppressing these negative signs, the internal atmosphere within many of Europa's sovereignties remained uneasy, like a dry-season prairie constantly sprouting sparks, ready to blaze at any moment.

Only Asia remained like dynasties over thousands of years, held steady by the present The First Sovereign. Thus it continued following the routine of news broadcasts — uneventful every day, unchanged for a century, with the last five minutes always reporting foreign sovereignties suffering amid extreme conditions, a routine the citizens of The First Sovereign had long been accustomed to. Without some issue arising in other sovereignties, they seemed unable to enjoy their meals.

Returning to Socotra Island on Blue Star, after reading the short message and its attachments, Chen Fei immediately called his influential contact.

"Mr. Randon, this is 'Rookie'!"

Moments later, the call connected, and the voice of Louis Landon came through.

"Hello, 'Rookie,' did you read the short message?"

The big shot's voice sounded weary. Moving an entire company like Louis Industrial Company across sovereignties wasn't an easy task. It involved transferring various production lines, materials, and personnel and required coordination between sovereignties, with none willing to easily release a major taxpayer, particularly of a top-tier financial conglomerate. A mistake could lead to the loss of the factory and even lives.

Chen Fei tentatively asked, "You seem to have encountered some major trouble?"

Relocating a factory was never a trivial matter, and reaching a point where departure was unavoidable indicated that this magnate was facing significant difficulties, compelling such a decision.

After a moment of silence, Louis Landon finally spoke again, ten seconds later.

"A congressman I supported was assassinated. He was a dear friend, someone I grew up with, a thirty-year-long bond, very close, but the forensic conclusion was suicide. In the Federation, suicide can be defined in many ways. I'm sure you understand that this is no longer my promised land. Therefore, I intend to leave as soon as possible, taking whatever I can and leaving behind anything I cannot."

"Hiss..."

Chen Fei couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

The magnate intended to forcibly flee, with financial losses likely incalculable. Even if he successfully transferred to The First Sovereign, his assets would shrink significantly, optimistically by nine-tenths.

The Federation's current state could almost be described as chaotic, with turmoil in society and unrest in hearts. It wasn't merely Jackals in power but demons and monsters, haunting the land, as Louis Industrial Company would become a coveted prize for power-hungry figures once political protection was lost, eager to divide and consume it.

Having lost his political ally, Mr. Randon sought various support, but the results were disappointing. Eighteen rebel leaders came knocking, all wanting a piece of the pie, even trying to devour Louis Industrial Company whole.

His decision to migrate operations to The First Sovereign was out of desperation. Leaving his homeland would inevitably inflict a significant blow, particularly under the current passive situation. Completely recovering could take as short as three to five years or as long as seven to eight years.

"Fortunately, I have foresight! Has the element annihilation weapon production line been set up on your end?"

Louis Landon suddenly laughed.

Louis Industrial Company's exclusive product, the Element Annihilation Bomb, has reaped substantial monopoly profits and is therefore a target of covetous greed.

He was fortunate to have sent a backup R&D team to Chen Fei earlier. Even if the main operation halted or failed to supply, the backup team could swiftly establish a new production line, ensuring a steady supply.

Louis Landon was eager to support Chen Fei's resistance against the "Sagari" civilization invasion. However, someone always seemed set on thwarting their efforts, oblivious to its significance, too shortsighted, or maybe with ulterior motives.

For now, Louis Industrial Company was already teetering on the brink of collapse amid turbulent winds and rains.

Chen Fei said, "That's right, It's in 'Atlantis,' but the capacity is limited, with no way to expand further."

"Who would have thought that the S-Class Space Ability User had such a trick? Is 'Atlantis' big enough? If possible, I would like to bring some people and production lines inside."

"The Boundary Pearl" was the core secret within Chen Fei's inner circle, with even Louis Landon, the golden lifeline, not privy to it. He was fooled by the diversion of Heseman Brown, the smoke grenade, yet he realized the possibility of exploiting "Atlantis," reinforcing the idea with a fully enclosed city, thereby minimizing external disturbance.