Just as the Red Tiger and the Blue Faction, whose name was yet unknown, left the military port, the gala officially began. It was precisely 3:00 PM on July 12th.
The battlefield for the young students would be in the first restricted airspace not far from the Azure Princess.
It was important that, besides video broadcasts, the dignitaries on board could also witness with their own eyes the chaotic red and blue dances and the booming heavy artillery from the two ships. Only then could the dignitaries on board enjoy the spectacle, especially the foreign guests attending the ceremony. Only then could His Excellency the President have more face in front of his distinguished guests.
The audience on the Azure Princess at the Present were, of course, the Commonwealth's political figures, high-ranking officials, and their families.
Besides them, there were also envoys from various nations who came to offer congratulations, as well as the most important guests from the Empire and the Alliance.
From the Alliance, there was a trade delegation representative named Krel Belmont, who was also the legitimate son of the Belmont Family, a renowned political and business financial conglomerate in the Alliance. From the Empire, the guest was even more distinguished; he was not only the highly esteemed Duke Fisu but also the Minister with the Staff of the Honglu Temple, equivalent to a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In short, apart from the performers, staff, and security personnel, all more than thirty thousand people in the audience on the Azure Princess were, naturally, the ruling class. If this ship were to be directly 'boomed' at this Present, the Commonwealth would likely fall into chaos for a considerable period. Whether it would be good or bad for the nation and the working masses in the long run is truly hard to say...
And so, after a noisy, splendid, grand, but seemingly not very military-related opening ceremony, the final celebration of Navy Day began.
However, overall, these programs were meticulously designed. Those who could perform on stage were all artistic teams with certain status and capability within the country, so it could be considered a vibrant and flourishing scene, somewhat reminiscent of a golden age.
Through the Commonwealth’s star-region level source-matter wave hub, a large Enlightener legacy named “Taibai,” located on Earth, these programs instantly covered over eighty percent of the Commonwealth’s territory, and even many neighboring foreign star systems could receive them. According to post-event statistics, the number of viewers watching the programs during that time slot exceeded one hundred billion.
This was also a point of pride for the Blue Star Commonwealth. There were only six star-region level source-matter wave hubs in the entire Universe, and the Blue Star Commonwealth controlled two of them, named “Taibai” and “Hermes.”
With these two devices, source-matter wave signals could cover a vast expanse of space, almost equivalent to one-third of the All-Galaxy, enabling barrier-free, zero-latency, superluminal real-time communication within this region.
This made them quite effective on the propaganda front; hmm.
Above the star-region level, there were two star-galaxy level hubs that could cover the entire All-Galaxy, with the Empire and the Alliance each possessing one.
These legacies left by the Enlightener formed the source-matter wave communication network for all civilized societies within the entire All-Galaxy.
Of course, this had little to do with today's situation, so let's turn our attention back to the scene.
Most people were mesmerized, and even the well-traveled dignitaries nodded frequently, feeling that the Presidential Palace's Protocol Department had finally done a good job this time.
Of course, there were also those who were not impressed.
“Why do I have to sit here and watch these clumsy artists perform?” Duke Fisu maintained a reserved and elegant smile, but his hand impatiently rubbed his cane.
“At least they are trying their best to display solemnity and grandeur! As a celebratory event, isn’t that enough? This might not impress a seasoned veteran like you, but this is also a diplomatic event,” Krel Belmont, the Alliance trade representative, chuckled.
Is this Alliance playboy mocking my lack of diplomatic etiquette?
The Empire's Minister with the Staff squinted at his opponent, who was only one-third his age, and sneered without responding.
“Also, you should really listen to Ms. Serena Mao’s song. Besides the final grand finale exercise, this is what I anticipate most,” Belmont paused, then added, “In this Universe, the only common things are mathematics and music, I suppose.”
“I hope so,” the old Duke sneered noncommittally, thinking, “It’s not like I haven’t seen the broadcast before.” He had complained to Keith Nishita about this very issue earlier.
“Your country actually allows an artist with a slightly tarnished reputation to participate in such a sacred celebration. It truly is… ha, quite liberal in spirit!”
Nishita Chairman could only state that those were unsubstantiated rumors, and that Ms. Serena Mao was a good girl who kept to herself. Moreover, she was also an idol for teenagers across the Commonwealth, so even for the sake of popularity, she had to perform.
Of course, iron-willed men like Duke Fisu, who had spent most of their lives on the battlefield, were a minority. Overall, the dignitaries on the ship were quite satisfied with the program.
President Nockham also thought it was good, and his mood improved steadily. This year, the overall financial report was quite impressive, and the reserves in the national treasury were growing. The slight unemployment rate could actually be absorbed by the increasingly urgent labor demands of the New World. During his term, he had also achieved the most glorious victory in foreign wars in twenty years. Now, with this successful, people-friendly celebration, his approval ratings would surely soar, right?
Hmph, so what if the radicals think I’m weak? Haven’t I still passed the shipbuilding plan? So what if the Alliance Faction thinks I’m conservative? I’ve already agreed to deep military cooperation with your fathers. And what if local power brokers, like that old geezer Bai, always attack me? Anyway, under my wise governance, the Commonwealth’s national power is on the rise, and so are my approval ratings.
He discreetly glanced at the Commonwealth high officials beside him.
The Vice President and the Prime Minister were not on the Azure Princess at the Present. This was dictated by the Commonwealth's security protocols. The head of state, vice head of state, and chief executive could not appear simultaneously at a public event.
In my cabinet, how many can truly be considered my own people? They all represent the forces behind them, and the cabinet they form is inherently a result of compromise.
However, by the time of the general election the year after next, I will be able to form a government and my cabinet according to my own will.
As soon as he thought of this, the President’s gaze lingered a little longer on the Defense Committee Chairman.
He found this person a bit inscrutable. Although he had a good reputation among the public and the military, and was said to be very loyal, he had firmly controlled the Defense Committee in just over two years since taking office. Moreover, in the recent major purge that spread from the military to the political arena, he played a very important role.
Otherwise, why would there be the saying “Nihita’s Great Purge”?
He truly is a ruthless man!
Of course, ruthless as he may be, the fact that conspirators attempting to overthrow the existing government appeared in the military, and with an unknown number of accomplices, is something no legitimate government could tolerate! It truly needed to be dealt with harshly.
If this person's attitude were clearer, a closer cooperation could be considered. After all... this outwardly glamorous young political star is the son-in-law of the Grejo Family.
Yes, the beautiful and elegant Lady Melary Nihita, sitting beside Keith Nishita, was formerly named Melary Grejo, the esteemed daughter of the Grejo Family, a political and business dynasty in the Alliance. Of course, after she and Nishita Chairman fell in love and married, she naturalized here and is now a legitimate Commonwealth citizen. We can't stop true love, can we?
In short, I am almost certain to win the general election the year after next.
“By then, I can announce your existence to the Universe, my little moon, Serena…”
The President watched the young girl who had just stepped onto the stage with a hidden but fervent gaze. He thought his expression was reserved and discreet, but it couldn't fool discerning eyes. And so, at that moment, the gazes directed at Serena Mao suddenly contained many more layers of meaning.
Serena seemed oblivious to these gazes, merely smiling shyly at everyone. She didn't make many movements, just adjusted her ear microphone and familiarized herself with the two hovering broadcast and amplification drones beside her. Then, she lifted her head, not looking at the audience below, but her gaze passed through the dome and looked towards the little space whale swimming freely in outer space.
Snowflake seemed to sense Serena’s gaze and let out a joyful, long cry.
What everyone was now enjoying was the song of Ms. Serena Mao, “Princess of Blue Star,” and “Spirit of the Stars.”
Unlike the usual Serena, who was so quiet she was almost taciturn and generally wore simple clothes, on stage she was almost a different person. Her singing was quite explosive and penetrating, and combined with a stage presence that could even be described as frenzied and oppressive, it made her instantly transform into the queen of the stage.
However, her singing was expansive and passionate, like a storm, like an avalanche, like a scorching sun. Yet, the moment those powerful sounds touched the eardrum, they transformed into a gentle drizzle, carrying a sweet, soft luster and a fragrant, delicate scent, thus penetrating the heart.
She was the “Spirit of the Stars,” the “Princess of Blue Star”; she possessed such charm.
Her singing even penetrated space, and even physical constraints, echoing in the distant heavens. Snowflake, who was outside the ship, should logically not have been able to hear these songs, yet he let out a joyful, contented song, as if accompanying Serena.
In the end, he directly rolled around, performing a dance only he could understand, like a white whale circling a ship.
Those Present were mesmerized, and even the Duke, who usually showed no mercy to such decadent music, revealed a look of astonishment.
Krel Belmont gazed deeply at the radiant “Spirit of the Stars” on stage, concealing his surprise behind an impeccable diplomatic smile.
Word Resonance? Just with ordinary singing? Heh, Spirit of the Stars? Your stage is not here at all! You don't even know where your true boundaries lie!
Krel suppressed a strange emotion, then said to Duke Fisu beside him, “You see, as I said, in this Universe, the only common things, besides mathematics, are music.”
“It seems so!” To everyone’s surprise, His Grace the Duke said quite frankly, “Recording equipment truly cannot fully reproduce even a fraction of her charm. She truly lives up to her name as the Spirit of the Stars! It seems I was too hasty!”
“Then, will you invite Ms. Serena to the Empire for a concert?”
“Ah, hahaha, that’s not up to me, but rather up to His Highness Prince. Imperial law is law, unless more than half of the Great Elector King His Highness Princes personally invite her, only then can the ban issued by the Prime Minister's Office be bypassed!”
The Duke paused, then said to Keith Nishita, “My apologies, Chairman, I apologize for my rashness and prejudice.”
Nishita nodded in acknowledgment, glancing at the President, and seeing the latter completely engrossed, felt a sudden surge of displeasure. As a dignified head of state, such a loss of composure would surely be detrimental to the national image!
“Heh heh, so the rumors aren’t groundless after all!” Lady Melary beside him chuckled, covering her mouth.
“I’m not interested in other people’s private lives, but since one chooses to become a public figure, one must conform to the public’s demands!” The Chairman sighed, “He is, after all, the head of state. I only hope he doesn’t do anything that truly damages the national image, may the universe spirit protect us!”
Lady Melary looked at the Chairman with a half-smile, and giggled, “It’s a good thing you’re not very interested in beautiful girls, but only in valiant young men.”
The gala celebration finally entered its climax.
Even Lieutenant General Wang Jingyang, who was on standby in the security command room, couldn't help but open the screen and watch Ms. Serena’s entire performance until a cough from behind him made him hastily turn off the screen.
“Ah, hahaha, Frank. I was just relaxing a bit.”
...“What about the Eye of Heaven domain?”
“It’s on. No abnormalities have been detected so far.”
“Hmm, good.” Brigadier General Morey did not express any doubt. Although Wang Jingyang was not a reliable general, or even a reliable soldier, he never exaggerated.
A Six Rings “Arbiter” indeed had the ability to maintain a psychic domain covering the entire ship while simultaneously watching TV.
“Everything alright on your end too?”
“A cargo ship delivering dinner ingredients arrived half an hour early. I’ve had someone deal with it,” Brigadier General Francis Morey pulled up a chair and sat down.
“Speaking of which, Lieutenant General, I haven’t asked you yet. Has there been a conclusion from above regarding the handling of Admiral Franz?”
Wang Jingyang was startled, completely unexpected that the other party would ask such a question at this time and place.