Yundale spoke at length that day, but his core message boiled down to a single sentiment: "Fighting alone is foolish. You don't need to do everything yourself; to achieve great things, you must make friends and gather allies, just like the sun and the storm."
But Lei Ting could not do that. Gather allies? To what end? To lead them into the trap of dangerous information and mental pollution? Or to drag them into sinful deeds, ensuring they would never know peace, just like him?
While he could use those already sentenced to death as his "gloves," there was no real necessity for it.
Lei Ting didn't need more people working alongside him, nor did he need to keep his own wings clean. He only needed to ensure that events were proceeding according to plan and that his words carried weight at critical moments.
And now, having begun to realize the potential of his own deterrent power, his words carried plenty of weight.
That was enough.
Yundale was a clever man; his heart was always clear and cold. Most of the emotions he displayed were merely illusions tailored to meet the expectations of others, and the "real" parts were often just covers for the "fake" ones.
Yet Lei Ting knew that, at least for this brief moment, at least two-thirds of what Yundale said and did was genuine behavior without an ulterior motive.
Perhaps out of a sense of cherishing talent, or perhaps simply for the future of the Human Federation, this man had—rarely—spoken a bit of the truth.
This left Lei Ting with a complicated feeling.
In the months that followed, Lei Ting began to appear before the public even less frequently.
No one knew exactly what he was doing, and no one could pinpoint his specific location. Yet, whenever someone thought they saw an opportunity to act, a golden radiance would quietly emerge from the surrounding space, informing them that this dangerous individual had not gone far.
He was still watching them, watching every key figure. They knew they would play a role in the unfolding situation, but he never told them exactly what his arrangements for all of this were.
Suspicion, resentment, opposition—dissent surged among the masses.
Lei Ting did not move to eliminate it all. He simply ordered a moderate level of control, using the unrest to bait the problematic enemies lurking within the crowd.
Dissent was a normal development; humanity needed it. It was their freedom.
Or rather...
...He needed this dissent and the contradictions born from it.
It would allow him to catch even bigger fish.
And so, as time passed, the plan progressed and the contradictions fermented.
The civil war within the Ring World continued. Too many races had chosen to backstab the Collective when trouble arose, making the war difficult to quell.
This state of affairs was certainly not just due to the Collective's temporary weakness, nor was it because of the brief decline in the convenience of life on the Ring World.
The Collective's long-standing tolerance toward the various civilizations within the Ring World had long since allowed a massive amount of corruption to fester.
Too many civilizations, lacking rationality and morality, had never intended to leave or survive on their own once they entered the Ring World.
Indolence ran rampant, and greed sprouted like weeds. Several centuries of excessive comfort were enough to rot the wisdom of a collective group to its core.
Although the Collective was a powerful interstellar entity and suppressing a rebellion was not a problem for them, the situation caused public sentiment to waver. Too many contradictions that should have remained hidden for longer erupted prematurely.
...
In October of 4007 AD, Lei Ting returned to the Capital Star because of a communication message, arriving at the Kang residence.
Lucas Kang was getting married. Lei Ting's gifts had long since been delivered; they were now pinned beneath the bowties of the two newlyweds, illuminated by the lights and the gaze of the crowd.
At the request of this "little golden cornstalk," Lei Ting had reluctantly changed into a black formal suit and stepped onto the officiating platform to read their vows.
He was actually a bit nervous about officiating a friend's wedding—so much so that at the beginning, he involuntarily released a sliver of his aura, causing the lights in the hall to take on a slight golden hue.
Though he quickly reined in his thoughts and power, from that moment on, the number of guests in the audience who dared to look up could be counted on one hand—and three of them were children who didn't know any better.
For a time, the ceremony hall was as silent as a funeral.
Despite his wedding turning out like this, Lucas wasn't upset at all. He smiled happily, holding hands with his partner, and they exchanged rings under Esengar’s expressionless gaze.
The partner Lucas had chosen was named Cathy, a writer with some small fame on the Star Net. Cathy wasn't particularly tall, was a Beta, and had an ability level of only 'B.' Compared to Lucas's personal capabilities, Cathy was not nearly as outstanding.
Although Lei Ting had seen this person in the news for a certain district of the Ring World before the Galactic Wide Area Star Net was disconnected, Cathy still didn't seem particularly brilliant compared to Lucas's current achievements.
But when it came to a partner, as long as Lucas liked them, it was fine.
After the wedding, the newlyweds followed tradition, going off to chat with friends and introduce each other into their respective social circles. Lei Ting stepped down from the platform amidst the quiet, stolen glances of many. He didn't change back into his usual combat gear; instead, still wearing the formal suit, he walked toward Esengar.
When he arrived, Esengar was talking to someone.
Lei Ting looked closer—it was one of his former teachers, a lecturer from the Superpowered Mecha Department of the First Military Academy, a former comrade-in-arms of Evenheller, and a superpowered warrior who also suffered from a "Heavenly Eye" defect, though hers was more severe: Li Fu.
He greeted her politely, and she nodded back with a smile.
One wore an eyepatch, while the other instinctively lowered his eyes. In Esengar’s view, the scene was incredibly strange.
Soon, Li Fu took her leave. Her physical condition prevented her from leaving the *Solaris* for too long. She had only been able to attend the wedding because the *Solaris* was currently stationed near the Academy headquarters.
Service drones, cultivating decorative flowers within transparent pods, moved back and forth in the air. Soft veils draped over them fluttered in the breeze. Lei Ting and Esengar walked beneath them and found a lounge to sit opposite each other.
No one would disturb their conversation—even if someone among the guests was foolish enough to try, the security system would automatically intercept them.
After sitting down, Lei Ting waited calmly for Esengar to speak.
While Lei Ting had been on the officiating platform, Esengar had tried to speak to him mentally, but Lei Ting had no intention of being distracted then. He had only come here as agreed after properly finishing Lucas's wedding.
"..."
Esengar seemed somewhat anxious. Although his face appeared cold and hard, both his heartbeat and his mental fluctuations proved otherwise.
After a long while, he spoke: "They are discussing you right now."
"Mhm." Lei Ting nodded—he could naturally hear the discussions; to him, it was no different from them speaking right into his ear.
At this moment, Lucas's friends—mostly from the First Legion—and Cathy's friends from various sectors of society were mingling. Naturally, some mentioned the "Sun Star" who had come to officiate on short notice just because of a few words. They had seen quite clearly that when this great figure first arrived, he hadn't been wearing that suit!
"Cathy doesn't truly love Lucas; I think you can see that." Esengar sighed. "Too many people approach him just to get close to you and me, and the power and status we represent."
"Mhm," Lei Ting hummed again.
It was the truth, so he naturally wouldn't deny it.
"I also thought that as long as Lucas is happy, I should just let him be," Esengar said softly. "But to be honest... the moment I saw that person's eyes for a split second, I knew this wouldn't have a good ending."
"There's a lot spinning around in that head," Lei Ting said. "Lucas is among the least important of those things."
Esengar sighed.
"I really don't want that boy to be heartbroken," he whispered.
"I suggest you don't interfere. This is something he must resolve himself," Lei Ting said deeply. He had read some very dangerous thoughts from the other man's mind. "Wake up. That isn't what you wanted to talk to me about."
He knew his friend had made a poor choice, but... first, as someone Lucas had once liked, it wasn't appropriate for him to voice an opinion. Second—if Lucas couldn't even see through this level of deception, then Lei Ting would have to reconsider Lucas's position in his future plans.
Do not call him heartless; this was for the good of everyone, including Lucas and himself.
"...Yes," Esengar said.
He knew what he really wanted to say. In truth, Lucas and his future cold marriage were merely a lead-in for this conversation.
"First, thank you for your olive branch." The blonde man stood up and bowed to Lei Ting.
As the person the Kang family was about to pledge their loyalty to, Lei Ting accepted the bow, but he also stood up.
"Secondly," Esengar said, "I would like to ask you to do one thing for me. Once this is done... I, Lucas, and the entirety of Kang Pharmaceuticals will become yours."
His choice of words caused Lei Ting to fold his arms.
Esengar did not truly understand him; the only dealings they'd had were during that journey to the Ring World.
Therefore, it was normal for the man to misjudge his desire for power.
But... do something?
"Oh?" Lei Ting returned a slow, questioning hum. He did not agree to this vague request, nor did he point out that the man's behavior seemed to show a lack of self-awareness regarding his position.
But Esengar possessed a fair amount of self-knowledge. He lowered his head and apologized to Lei Ting again: "I am very sorry. I know this is offensive and makes me seem incredibly arrogant, but the thing I am asking you to do is not without benefit to you."
Lei Ting narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Speak," he said.
"I want to ask you... to capture Evenheller and bring him back," Esengar said.
He was very nervous, his mind nearly blank, yet he still made this request to Lei Ting.
A request that sounded so bizarre to those who didn't know the truth.
"I know he has fled, and that he is likely colluding with outsiders, but... he is my brother, and he is your partner, Your Excellency 'Sun Star'." Esengar said hoarsely. "He is very important to you, isn't he? He is the same to me. The current situation is too dangerous. I beg of you... bring him back."
***
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