Starting from the Planetary Governor

Matins suddenly mentioning the Secret Research Institute and the black boxes was beyond Gu Hang's expectations.

But his expression remained very stable.

He replied, "Have you seen them yourself?"

"No, but Schneider had," Matins responded.

"Huh..." Gu Hang let out a breath, thinking again about deploying his interstellar warriors ahead of schedule.

Just to be watchdogs; how great that would be! If a team of interstellar warriors were guarding his research institute, Schneider wouldn't have had such an easy time getting his hands on them.

Black boxes were his second biggest secret, second only to the system. The security level there was very high, and under normal conditions, no one could get close—anyone ignoring warnings would be shot on sight.

But... as was said, that's under normal conditions. A master like Schneider was clearly not a normal circumstance. Clad in power armor and covered by a dark cloak, slipping in by night, his huge frame moving soundlessly and very quickly—it's hard to do anything against such a master, who could scout everything out with such methods.

It's unreasonable to expect those mechanical servant-soldiers to defend against interstellar warriors; it's just not realistic.

Lacking sufficient security forces, it's impossible to prevent such things.

As for Matins's current questioning...

Gu Hang sighed and continued, "Commander Matins, we are partners, so I don't want to deceive you with excuses. Please don't ask where these manufacturers come from. I can only say I have my secrets. Can you understand that?"

Matins remained silent.

Secrets?

He instinctively felt something was amiss at the word.

A planetary governor with some unspeakable secrets—is that ever good news? While the ownership of a Black Box Manufacturer itself is not illegal—in fact, such ancient super-technological items are treasures ceaselessly sought by the Human Empire throughout the universe—

It's precisely because they are so valuable that a seemingly unremarkable and even somewhat shabby planetary governor should not possess them. Why would he have one?

Let alone several.

Gu Hang chuckled softly and continued, "I really cannot tell you the origins of these Black Box Manufacturers. But please believe that my faith in The Emperor and my loyalty to the Empire are unwavering. You are right here on Rage Owl Star, right next to my government, my city.

You are more than welcome to keep your eyes wide open and see for yourself whether there is anything disloyal going on here."

"We are exterminating the Cultists lurking within the city, we are annihilating the green-skinned aliens that are popping up on the planet; we are building our cities and factories, reclaiming lands controlled by what could be called traitors. All of this, is to ensure the entire planet remains loyal and able to better pay its taxes to the Empire."

"Everything I am doing is perfectly in line with the Empire's expectations of a planetary governor. Even, I believe I'm doing a better job than most governors."

Gu Hang emphasized his loyalty, supporting it with his actions on the planet during this period of time.

After hearing all this, even Matins had to nod.

If you claim there's something wrong with Gu Hang, you need to have proper evidence, right? You can't just use possession of the Black Boxes against someone. There is no crime in owning treasures.
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In fact, Matins saw no signs of decay, corruption, or disloyalty under Gu Hang's power.

At this point, even Matins had to soften his expression, "Mr. Gu, I do not doubt your loyalty, but..."

He didn't know how to continue appropriately.

But Gu Hang followed his pause, stating, "But you suspect that these black boxes of mysterious origin imply I could be deceived or lured by some sinister force?"

Matins said nothing, which was as good as agreeing.

Gu Hang responded with a smile, "Then as I said earlier, just wait and see."

Matins looked hard at Gu Hang and declared, "I will be watching you closely, Mr. Gu."

"Hahaha!" Gu Hang laughed heartily, open and unreserved, "Then it's settled."

Ending his laughter, Gu Hang adopted a serious demeanor, "However, Commander Matins, I hope you can keep this matter confidential."

"You are aware of the preciousness of the Black Box Manufacturer, and you understand the trouble I would face if word got out that there's more than one such device on Rage Owl Star, amidst the Star Sea."

"Commander, you need to understand one thing: we are closely connected. The development of Rage Owl Star and the rebirth of the Phoenix are strongly linked. The Black Boxes are not just tools that I use to build the entire planet; they are also key to the Phoenix's reconstruction. This news should never be leaked; wouldn't you agree?"

By this point, Gu Hang spoke with an earnest attitude.

Matins once again had to concede that Gu Hang was right.

When the fate of the battle group was tied to the planet's development, what reason would he have to betray this information?

He even recalled what Mr. Gu had told him when he first persuaded him to keep his forces on Rage Owl Star.

At that time, Mr. Gu had made a bold claim that he would turn the entire planet into a forging world.

Back then, Matins thought Gu Hang was just making empty promises, boasting. But now, it seems Gu Hang genuinely had the capital to fulfill them.

No wonder, just before Schneider's demise, he had made statements that strengthened his resolve, prohibiting any wavering and ensuring he stood by Mr. Gu.