Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 652 - 265. Night Before the Expedition

Chapter 652: 265. Night Before the Expedition

"The spaceship’s power reactor replenishment requires four phases. While entering the starfield, we can utilize gravity for acceleration, which will reduce consumption by 30%. We can also produce supplies with the Sun, but for repairs and maintenance... we’re still short on technical workers."

Just as Li Aozi was busy with the expedition plan, the system panel suddenly popped up with a message:

[You have triggered a surprise event—’Establish Authority’]

[Type]: Event

[Time Limit]: 72 hours

[Mission Difficulty]: D

[Introduction]:

"You have your own insights about the vast Starry Abyss, but this isn’t a project you can handle alone. As a newly arrived president, you can’t leave before gaining the trust of the people."

[Settlement Conditions]:

A. ’New in Office’—The old laws no longer suit the current situation. You need to amend some outdated laws to gain the people’s confidence;

Reward: Baizhu Autonomous State gains [Legal Reform] enhancement, judicial efficiency increases by 10%, and the scale of financial crimes decreases.

B. ’Eliminate Hidden Dangers’—You have taken over a state in ruins. Risks of massive failures are all around. Remove as many hidden dangers as possible within 72 hours to clear the way for your expedition plan;

Reward: Baizhu Autonomous State conscription rate +2.5% (permanent)

——————————

"Oh?"

Li Aozi was surprised,

"I can even trigger events? Baizhu Star has considerable potential."

Being able to trigger event tasks essentially meant that there must be some important main or side quests ahead along the path.

Li Aozi’s target starfield was known as Qijuzi-331, located in the peripheral zone of the Eye of the Galaxy; however, only Li Aozi knew there were many unexplored planets in this starfield.

"I remember that Qijuzi-331 was discovered by an adventurer named Garantu Yundai in my previous life."

That was a magical area, and in some sense, it didn’t even belong to the sphere of influence of the Starry Abyss anymore.

The starfield Qijuzi-331 was vast, and it was related to the main storyline of version 4.0. Li Aozi would need a lot of support to make progress.

With the additional players from Azure Star, Li Aozi’s power was unprecedentedly strong, but the players’ equipment and cosmic combat experience were still lacking; this was the perfect opportunity to train them.

By giving the players some high-intensity training in advance, they would find it much easier when version 4.0 arrived.

"This time we even triggered an event, so it looks like there will be plenty of interesting places along the expedition."

Li Aozi wasn’t just exploring to map out the territory.

He wanted to help Baizhu Star overcome its difficulties, while also pursuing his goals.

Li Aozi intended to switch to the [Lunar String Archbishop] class next, which required Sequential Arcane Energy of the Weak Force type.

And this type of Arcane Energy precisely required the Primordial Species ’Zhi Xiang’ from the Starry Abyss to provide.

Zhi Xiang was an existence on a par with Lord Entropy. Although Li Aozi was familiar with the strategy, the cosmos was ever-changing, so being fully prepared was the best approach.

"In my previous life, Zhi Xiang appeared in Qijuzi-331; I wonder if it will be the same this time."

Li Aozi wasn’t sure of Zhi Xiang’s whereabouts; he could only search for information while probing into Qijuzi.

"Well then, let’s see what other issues Baizhu Star has at the moment..."

.........

"How are those students doing?"

Second-level Police Commissioner Dubran rubbed his head, carrying a lunchbox and coffee to the cordon. While distributing the food, he asked his frontline colleagues.

"Thank you—specific information is unclear. They are still on a hunger strike. We make an announcement once every hour and send Familiars to patrol around. Currently, we’re just ensuring their physical safety."

A police officer shook his head,

"Really... what are these people thinking? Just because they can’t be Mages anymore doesn’t mean they can’t find other jobs."

"No choice, they initially thought they were joining the Crystal Tower Civilization. Who could have predicted that not long after they enrolled, the Crystal Tower Civilization would completely abandon them?" Dubran explained.

"Shouldn’t they seek out the Crystal Tower Civilization then? We are independent now; what’s the point of getting anxious now?" a young officer grumbled. "No matter how much they protest, they won’t get an inter-civilization adjustment. What are these young people thinking?"

Dubran didn’t know what to say at that moment.

Luckily, the newly arrived officer, with his unguarded mouth, revealed the truth:

"The Crystal Civilization... doesn’t want them."

Dubran looked towards the campus. Even though the entrance was cordoned off, he could see the sitting, banner-holding, protesting young people.

"President Leoz must give us an explanation!"

"Our youth cannot be wasted!"

"I was supposed to be a Mage; the education ruined me!"

Baizhu Comprehensive University, formerly Baizhu Interstellar University and other universities spared from the Canyue incident, was merged, and the educational standards had greatly declined. The teaching staff were all near retirement, almost one foot in the grave, and their standards were worrying. The facilities were also very basic.

Whether these students could genuinely become Zeta Rank Mages was uncertain. The taxpayers had been funding their education through university for five years, which was already quite generous.

Even in such a dire situation, the Crystal Tower Civilization still withdrew the last of its teaching staff, exacerbating an already poor educational environment.

"This is a man-made disaster, a purely man-made disaster."

Dubran sighed.

In reality, this protest at such a critical juncture was highly disadvantageous for the new regime.

White Baizhu Star, which had just fallen into Leoz’s hands, was in extreme internal chaos.

How chaotic was it?

Government employees like Dubran were still receiving stipends from the former Crystal Tower Civilization. Since Dina was the exclusive currency of the Crystal Tower, it could only be printed by the Crystal Tower Civilization. So, their salaries were still paid by the Crystal Tower.

This led to a peculiar phenomenon: the high-ranking Mages and elites of the Crystal Tower used Ammonium Gold for transactions, allowing Leoz to buy a planet with a GDP of only 70 million Ammonium Gold, while the independent state’s government employees, due to unchanged administrative status, had an average income two thousand times higher than the per capita GDP.

Moreover, with Leoz’s massive decrease in Ammonium Gold, it was insufficient to support Baizhu Autonomous State in printing its own currency.

Government personnel were now debating whether to return to the Gold Standard.

In summary: the government employees of an independent nation, including the police force, depended on the former sovereign civilization to pay their salaries and bonuses.

It sounded ridiculous, and indeed it was.

This situation had persisted for five years; many people still leaned toward the Crystal Tower Civilization, nostalgic for the days of being part of an interstellar civilization.

It was natural to yearn for a better life. The current miserable state of Baizhu Star, like a fallen princess, was enough to make people lament ’a human civilization backwater,’ ’life will get sweeter,’ and ’oh, Night Butterfly.’

Ninety percent of political issues ultimately had economic roots.

Thirty-seven hours into the students’ hunger strike, Baizhu Autonomous State police officers were at their wit’s end.

"There’s no other way; report it upwards," Dubran said, holding his aching head.

The frontline officers were confused,

"Report to whom? Our Education Ministry hasn’t been established yet! The Foreign Ministry? But the Foreign Ministry doesn’t handle this, right?"

"Then we can only report to His Excellency the President."

Dubran adjusted his hat.