Chapter 68: Storm in the Capital

In the end, Chi Wenyu agreed to Xi Ming’s proposal.

He was well aware that the Chi family and the Lan family would not be able to hold out for long in this struggle. If he refused Xi Ming, he would have to take his family and leave Capital Star, salvaging whatever assets he could and starting over in another star system.

But other star systems had their own local powers, and no one would willingly allow outsiders to carve up their territory.

Without Xi Ming, Chi Wenyu would still have to fight his way through even if survival in the Capital Star became impossible. But Xi Ming had given him another option…

There were all kinds of insults and criticisms about Xi Ming circulating on the Star Network, yet many people knew deep down that, aside from the fall of Base 823, Xi Ming was fully deserving of the title “Star of the Empire.”

Chi Wenyu believed in Xi Ming’s strength.

Thus, what was supposed to be a short two- or three-day stay on Capital Star turned into a permanent residence in Lan Ying’s home.

Capital Star was equipped with numerous identity verification devices, many of which were placed in public locations. If Xi Ming were alone, he would definitely not risk staying here for long. But Xi Ming had Shi Chan.

Not only could Shi Chan alter Xi Ming’s appearance, but he could also modify his physique. As long as his DNA wasn’t directly tested, the existing detection methods would likely be unable to uncover Xi Ming’s true identity.

Still, just in case, Shi Chan placed several disposable talismans on Xi Ming and inscribed simple formations onto jade stones.

Shi Chan himself could disguise his form when going out, but he found it too troublesome. Since he had no real reason to leave the house, he chose to stay indoors.

Lan Ying used to enjoy going out with friends, but recent chaos, along with the troubles at home, made outings unpleasant. Whenever he went out, he was met with veiled sarcasm from other Omegas. Eventually, he lost interest in leaving the house, and so he and Shi Chan spent their days together.

Lan Ying’s home featured an expensive, high-tech mecha training room equipped with the most systematic mecha training methods available in the Empire. While Xi Ming and Chi Wenyu busied themselves with business affairs, the others took turns using the training room to refine their mecha combat skills.

Meanwhile, Chi Wenyu introduced Xi Ming to others as his assistant, “Xiang Jin,” claiming he came from another star system.

Only Chi Wenyu and Lan Ying knew Xi Ming’s true identity. No one else was informed. If word got out, they would face an onslaught from the royal family and most of the powerful factions on Capital Star.

Posing as an assistant, Xi Ming observed the business landscape for a few days before making his move. He facilitated cooperation between several near-bankrupt first-tier families and struggling second-tier families, stabilizing their assets. Then, through a series of tactical strikes, he orchestrated the takeover of several declining first-tier families, gradually expanding the commercial alliance.

Xi Ming’s plans were executed through Chi Wenyu, who communicated and implemented them. As a result, Chi Wenyu gained significant influence within the alliance, and the Chi family’s financial situation not only stabilized but also flourished beyond its former peak.

But this was only the beginning. Xi Ming’s goal was not to restore peace to Capital Star—he wanted chaos.

As the alliance grew rapidly, it attracted counterattacks from the very families that had initially caused the turmoil—specifically, the factions associated with Bai Wen’s admirers. However, Xi Ming cleverly exploited the conflicts between these groups. Their initial assaults failed and instead provided further fuel for the alliance’s growth.

While Shi Chan and Lan Ying enjoyed their leisurely days at home, Xi Ming, Chi Wenyu, and Lan Ying’s two older brothers dominated the business battlefield, throwing the Capital Star’s commercial world into disarray. Conflicts erupted everywhere.

Beyond Capital Star, Huo Mengming coordinated attacks, targeting the commercial starships of both the alliance’s enemies and some internal factions. Their resources were looted by an “unknown force.”

But due to the ongoing commercial battles within Capital Star, these factions couldn’t divert attention to deal with the external threat. They feared that a moment’s distraction would cost them their foothold in the capital.

The “missing” resources were secretly transported to LR236, the stronghold of “Stellar,” the organization Xi Ming had built from scratch. Liang Yongqing and Luo Liang were responsible for receiving and distributing them.

As the two-month mark approached, Xi Ming briefly left Capital Star. He didn’t go far—just to a jurisdiction with lax oversight to treat Huo Mengming and send Xu Lin and others onto a starship. Huo Mengming would then escort them to Liang Yongqing. After undergoing systematic training on Capital Star, they were now ready to gain more experience on the battlefield.

With wealth, weapons, and core members all in place, “Stellar” was growing at an explosive rate. It expanded rapidly along the Empire’s borders, infiltrating gray-market factions across various inhabited planets, dismantling and absorbing local forces while gathering intelligence—especially on the ruling parties.

War spread. The previously stable border regions near the Zerg were now plagued by unrest, with increasing conflicts. Taking advantage of the situation, Xi Ming successfully planted agents in both the Federation and the Empire.

Without Xi Ming’s expertise in countering the Federation and the Zerg, the Empire’s decline was even swifter than in the previous timeline. The border defense lines kept retreating, and the morale of the entire Empire quickly plummeted.

Meanwhile, the Federation was riding high. Their war declarations flooded the Empire’s Star Network, pushing slogans like “Everything for the Federation” and “Conquer the Empire, Bathe in Glory.” Their propaganda machine worked tirelessly to recruit soldiers and rally support for the war effort.

Judging from the enthusiastic responses of Federation citizens online, their brainwashing campaign had been quite successful.

In contrast, the Empire was in chaos. Under the pressure of continuous defeats and growing fear, both the ruling elite and the common people were engaged in endless arguments, far from the unity they had displayed when blaming Xi Ming.

Xi Ming observed all of this without much visible reaction. But at night, when the city lights dimmed, he would hold Shi Chan in his arms in silence. Shi Chan didn’t know how to comfort him, so he simply wrapped his arms around Xi Ming under the starlit sky.

Xi Ming had been extremely busy. Even with his past-life memories, he had to analyze a massive amount of information—predicting various factions’ next moves, identifying traps, determining where to strike, and deciding which alliances would benefit them. Many nights, he only returned home in the dead of night.

It had been a while since Shi Chan could quietly stay by Xi Ming’s side like this.

Outside, even the moon had fallen asleep.

Shi Chan finally lifted his head from Xi Ming’s embrace and asked softly, “Do you feel better now?” Ever since they first met, Xi Ming would always hold Shi Chan whenever he felt troubled. Shi Chan had long grown accustomed to these embraces.

“I’m fine now.” Xi Ming murmured, placing Shi Chan onto the bed and gently pressing a hand to his forehead. “Sleep.”

But after closing his eyes for only a few minutes, Xi Ming suddenly opened them and turned to Shi Chan.

“Chan Chan, our business in Capital Star is almost done. Once Bai Wen’s identity is exposed and this place descends into full chaos, we’ll slip away in the confusion.”

Shi Chan nodded. “We have been here for a while. But what about Chi Wenyu? Is his position secure?”

Xi Ming reassured him. “Don’t worry. He’s smart. Now that he has the power to protect himself, even if another crisis arises, he won’t be as helpless as before.”

Hearing this, Shi Chan finally relaxed. “That’s good.”

He reached out and covered Shi Chan’s eyes with his palm. “Enough thinking. Sleep.”

Xi Ming wanted all of Shi Chan. Even if the person Shi Chan cared about was another Omega, he refused to share his attention with anyone else.