As long as the taxes are paid and there are no other major issues, the Empire truly doesn’t care about the development of the planets. Gu Hang even suspects that after the Empire reconquers some worlds, it seems to intentionally maintain their original states.
I really don’t know what the supreme lords of the Empire are thinking, but that’s the status quo.
Heijian Star has a population of four hundred million—feudal production relations really cannot support too many people, not to mention that their industrial capacity is virtually nonexistent.
However, the relationship between this planet and the Gu Family is very good.
Those kings, when they want to confer more lords and more knights, need a tangible standard: Mecha Knight Armors.
Obviously, with Heijian Star’s current state, they can’t even manufacture agricultural machinery properly, let alone Mecha. The Mecha used by those conferred knights obviously rely on foreign trade.
So, it is quite normal that they have a good relationship with the Gu Clan.
The last six family councils of the Gu Clan were all held on Heijian Star.
This time is no exception.
Wang Qi believes that Gu Ming is doing this now because he wants to act while the achievements that Gu Hang has made and the reputation he has built are not yet significant enough. And when Rage Owl Star pays its first tax in seven months, definitively proving its capacity, it will be too difficult to reverse the situation.
He wants to initiate the family council before then to set the agenda for the next six years while the mess stirred up by Gu Hang has not completely settled down, at a time when Wang Qi’s allies are severely shaken, and before Wang Qi has had a chance to gather more votes.
It is certainly a clever strategy, but Wang Qi also says she is not worried.
She currently controls at least eight votes; Gu Ming can’t overturn the situation.
“If all goes as expected, you will be the Gu Clan Head in four months,” Wang Qi told Gu Hang.
Gu Hang smiled.
He has always felt that the current business structure of the Gu Family is very unstable, purely a merchant convoy, with all their assets on those fleets—it’s too intangible.
Although the present value of Rage Owl Star is not enough—it might at best be equivalent to a merchant convoy by next year— and the Gu Clan has fourteen convoys.
But he would not trade his foundational enterprise for the position of Gu Clan Head.
With further development, an actual planet, countless populations, a massive army, tangible industrial and agricultural output, wouldn’t that be more solid than being a traveling merchant?
Of course, becoming the Family Head wouldn’t prevent him from continuing his role as the Planetary Governor of Rage Owl Star.
If it really could be like this, it wouldn’t be bad at all. The Gu Family lacks nothing else, they truly have a lot of money. Even Star Sector leaders seek to curry favor with them, which speaks volumes.
If he could indeed mobilize the entire clan’s power, then the future development of Rage Owl Star would skyrocket.
Even if, by that time, the actual person in charge of the Gu Family is not him but his mother, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
However, when people plan things, they can’t just look on the bright side.
“Are you so confident?” he asked.
“Yes,” Wang Qi displayed her confidence.
“But what if… Mr. Ming flips the table?”
“Huh?” Wang Qi was stunned, “Flips the table?… What do you mean?”
Gu Hang put it more bluntly, “Is the security for the family council arranged by you?”
“…No,” Wang Qi said, “Do you think he would commit murder at that time?”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Impossible, nothing like this has ever happened in our family.” Wang Qi’s first reaction was to object, “The Gu Clan’s family tradition has been maintained for so many years, we have never had internal bloodshed. We have always been united…”
She hadn’t finished speaking when Gu Hang interrupted her, “Everything has a first time, convention is made to be broken. Are you saying we shouldn’t consider extreme situations?”
Wang Qi was silent for a moment, “I actually have considered that he might be desperate. I have brought enough guards. Moreover, the current Planetary Governor of Heijian Star, King Miao’er, has a good relationship with me and is a supporter.”
“Don’t place your safety in someone else’s hands. Can you be sure about King Miao’er? Even if he is reliable, did he personally arrange security for the venue?”
Wang Qi was stumped by these questions again.
Gu Hang paused, then continued, “And as for the guards by your side… heh, I probably know who they are. Are they the ones who used to catch me and lock me up when I did something reckless? Not that I’m looking down on them, but… they’re just not up to it.”
“Do you have a better candidate?”
“Of course, I do. To tell you the truth, their level is just the average level of the soldiers under my command. I can find a team far larger than your personal guard anytime, and more skilled than they are.”
“Little Hang, you’ve really come into your own.” Wang Qi didn’t know whether to believe him or not, so it was hard to tell whether her remark was sarcastic or admiring.
Perhaps it was both.
Gu Hang didn’t dwell on it, continuing, “Besides, what you need is not just a guard squad, but…”
“An army.”
…
After disconnecting the communication, Miss Wang Qi sat there, lost in thought for a long while.
Until the door of the office on the starship was knocked on.
“Come in.”
“Aunt.” The visitor was Wang Jiarong.
After the Beautiful Lady Convoy returned, all the ships needed to undergo repairs before setting out again. So, she returned to her aunt’s side to help out as a secretary—something she used to do before being released in the past year or two to lead a trading convoy completely under Wang Qi’s control.
She asked cautiously, “Your call with Cousin… it’s over?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good, you and Cousin haven’t had such a lengthy chat in a long time.”
“It was all business.”
“What exactly about?” Wang Jiarong asked, appearing very curious.
Wang Qi revealed a smile, “Your cousin… he’s worried about your aunt being swindled.”
Wang Jiarong felt a surge of happiness, thinking the conversation went well, “Of course he’d be worried, after all, you’re his mother.”
At this, Wang Qi sighed, “He’s changed so much. Even though his voice and appearance are the same, his demeanor is completely different.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? Cousin getting better is what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it, Aunt?”
“Indeed, it is wonderful…” Wang Qi said with a smile, “However, we need to change our route. We will head to the Rage Owl Star System first.”
“To… do what?”
“To bring back an army.”
…
Providing an army to his mother to escort her to Heijian Star and to ensure her safety there had practical significance.
Apart from the fact that she was the mother of his current body, Gu Hang had at least two other significant reasons:
For the position of the Family Head of the Gu Clan to fall into his hands was of great importance. The leader of the wealthiest merchant family in the Tianma Star Sector, commanding a fleet of fourteen starships capable of interstellar travel, ranging from armed merchant ships to transport vessels, represented a tremendous wealth.
Even though this wealth wouldn’t belong to him all at once, nor even to his power-wielding mother, since those trading convoys were all ‘franchisees,’ the ability to mobilize this force in name, the power of this wealth, was already substantial enough.
This was of immense significance for the development of Rage Owl Star, serving as a major thrust for its entry into the interstellar community.
And the second reason, which was actually realized based on the first, was that he needed a stage to showcase his strength.
Keeping a low profile and making a name for oneself were not entirely conflicting actions. Gu Hang had certain things in his possession that required discretion, needing him to quietly amass wealth. But the information about Rage Owl Star’s growing strength, prosperity, and sufficient potential… that information should be widely disseminated.
The more people knew, the better.
It would draw attention.
And attention meant money, which was the source of development’s momentum.
In short, whether from a personal emotional standpoint or from practical interests, this mother, she was still needed.
One simply couldn’t do without a mother.