Memory was a precious commodity. By wielding the Authority of the Herrscher of Sentience, Zhou Ye could mass-produce Rogue Traders. Now that the Star Rails were being laid, it would be a colossal waste if no one used them.
After isolating the fragmented soul pieces of the Oliveira family, he processed them into "Memory Bubbles." With these, he could rapidly create the crews he needed. He had also disassembled the ships of the Oliveira fleet, reconfiguring them into three large merchant vessels, which were perfect for continuously transporting populations.
He now had three paradise worlds and several other habitable planets under his control. He also possessed five mining worlds. As for the planet whose continental shelf he had shattered with a single shot, he now planned to convert it into a forge world. This endeavor would require a population exceeding ten billion, as he intended to build a manufacturing hub from the ground up.
He would need vast resources for his future plans, and this period was a crucial time to develop his power base. He didn't know how long this period of stability would last—a year, two, three... who knew? Regardless, he needed strength. He needed enough Astartes and Astra Militarum to protect his Star Rails. For now, he could act as a one-man fireman, rushing to put out crises, but he couldn't handle anything more widespread.
"So far, we've identified fifteen hive worlds. The largest, Quintus Hive, is off-limits for recruitment because of the Golden Fiend. But we'll fleece the others for all they're worth. We can conduct trade along the way. With the Star Rails and my phone, I can get real-time updates on the value of local specialties from any planet."
Looking at the phone in his hand, Zhou Ye began to formulate a plan to consolidate his power. Soon, a domain belonging entirely to him, hidden within the shadows of the Imperium, would be born.
"The Astartes best suited for civil administration are the Smurfs and the Word Bearers. The Shadowmoon Wolf Pack should be decent as well. But in terms of overall cost-effectiveness, the Smurfs are still the best. According to the second phase of my gene-seed plan, I need to use the Ultramarines as a template to cook up a legion of my own, and have them replace mortals as planetary governors."
As he reviewed his available resources, Zhou Ye fell deep into thought. Custodes were also an option; he wasn't incapable of creating them. But just as in the Imperium, the cost of a single Custodian exceeded the value of an entire planet. They were simply too expensive, even for him. In comparison, Astartes were far cheaper and more practical. From the very beginning, Zhou Ye had never seriously considered creating Custodes.
As for the most stable Stigmata Awakened from the Honkai universe, that was out of the question. They were even more expensive than Custodes, and their long-term maintenance costs were astronomical. He could afford a few MANTIS warriors with his current resources, but all things considered, Astartes remained the best choice.
Their production cost was cheap enough. The only energy he needed to provide was for the gene-seed itself. Afterward, they didn't require a constant supply of Imaginary energy for maintenance, especially the ones he cooked up himself. They were, in essence, a joint creation of Imaginary energy and psychic power. It was time to move on to the next step.
Just then, Zhou Ye temporarily exited the Thousand-Person Theater and appeared in his office.
"The Authority of Finality is pretty useful for manipulating the flow of time. I've been in there for so long, but only a week has passed in the outside world. Hmm, I've still only digested the tip of the iceberg of that Space Hulk."
Gazing out the window at the lush, green mountains, Zhou Ye stretched lazily. This area had already grown into a small hive city. He had planted a modified Imaginary Reactor, based on this world's ion reactor technology, deep underground. Much like Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt, provided energy to the Xianzhou, he had begun to channel the power of his own Paths to supply his domain. The pollution from this reactor was almost negligible. However, in his current state, this was the only one he could create.
"Traitor!!!"
The moment Zhou Ye stepped outside, he heard a furious roar. He opened his door to see the group of Fallen Angels he had brought back confronting Tiris. If Aldrich O'Connor hadn't been standing between them, a fight would have surely broken out. Of course, it would have been a one-sided beatdown of Tiris.
"What are you all doing?"
He sighed wearily. The internal complexities of the Dark Angels were beyond frustrating. They were truly a bizarre bunch. These particular Fallen Angels were from the six wings of the Hexagrammaton who had followed the Lion down to Caliban's surface, while Tiris had been a neophyte champion at the time. In other words, these two groups had been bashing each other's heads in on Caliban.
"You?"
Hearing Zhou Ye's voice, the Fallen Angels were taken aback. They looked at the 1.8-meter-tall Zhou Ye, then recalled the colossal, four-meter-plus figure from before, and fell into a state of momentary confusion.
"Just an application of psychic power. I'm just an ordinary person," Zhou Ye explained simply, gesturing for them to come inside. Aldrich had clearly brought them to him for a reason. Judging by their expressions, however, they were all scornful of the phrase "ordinary person."
Thankfully, a fight hadn't broken out. Zhou Ye couldn't be bothered with their thoughts and left it to Aldrich to mediate. As one of the original Dark Angels, no one was more ancient than him now, save for the Lion himself.
Seeing Zhou Ye, the group stopped arguing. They knelt on one knee before him.
"My Lord, we wish to request permission to establish a Dark Angels company, just like the Emperor's Children. We will swear eternal loyalty to the Star of Trailblaze, and... to you."
"Oh? Do you have gene-seed?" Zhou Ye didn't object, simply settling into his grand armchair. It was clear they harbored their own ambitions, and he had no problem with that.
"My Lord, the few of us still possess our second gene-seed progenoid glands. In that era, it was not required that they be removed."
"Go find Apothecary Beta. I've already transferred him from the Emperor's Children. As a Magos Biologis, he will help you cultivate the gene-seed quickly."
Zhou Ye readily agreed. Even if these warriors eventually returned to the Lion's side, the new recruits they trained would not. These veterans were free instructors, and as ancient Dark Angels, their skills and heritage were invaluable.
"Yes, My Lord."
Having received Zhou Ye's permission, the group departed excitedly. Their next step was to recruit new aspirants, which wouldn't be a major issue for them.
As they left, the crowd of people prostrating on the ground outside immediately scrambled to their feet, only to prostrate themselves again before Zhou Ye. These were all people he had picked up along his journey. The competition in the hives was fierce, and many younger sons with no hope of inheritance would choose to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Their families would provide them with some support based on their resources. To save time during his recruitment drive, Zhou Ye had simply sent a few Imperial Fists to announce that they were recruiting for the Chapter's reserve force.
The result... Zhou Ye was almost drowned in a sea of people. In the end, he took a couple of million people from each of the seven or eight planets he visited and left. These weren't just underhivers; some were from noble families. They now had another purpose: to serve as his merchants.
Besides his headquarters on the paradise world of New Tillius, which he had renamed "Trailblaze," he now had the new mining worlds. Klee had established them over the past few years with his Titan Legion, and several production lines were already operational. They sourced materials locally, produced goods on-site, and then transported the finished products over. The pollution was simply too great, and Zhou Ye had no intention of turning his beautiful paradise world into a barren wasteland. The production lines themselves were complete STC templates that he had painstakingly cooked up—the kind of thing that would make any Tech-Priest go mad with ecstasy.
"My Lord..."
Though they didn't know the exact status of the man before them, anyone who could make an Astartes kneel was someone they could only prostrate themselves before. The moment they saw him, an endless wave of adoration filled their hearts, binding their loyalty to him forever. This was Zhou Ye's method: direct brainwashing.
"I will grant each of you a merchant vessel and a phone, and I will provide you with a sufficient crew. From now on, you will be responsible for trade between these planets," Zhou Ye said coolly. He gave a simple wave of his hand.
Clank. Clank.
With the sound of heavy footsteps, a squad of seven Astartes entered and knelt before Zhou Ye. Their movements were incredibly stiff, as if they were deeply unhappy about something.
"These seven will be stationed on your merchant vessels for a time. If you encounter any minor Chaos incursions or xenos threats along the way, have them coordinate with the local planetary nobility to form strike teams."
"My Lord... this... this is too great an honor!!!" The nobleman was so shocked he almost fainted. Even the great Rogue Trader dynasties found it difficult to have Astartes permanently assigned to them. At most, they might hitch a ride while the Astartes were on a mission. To have Astartes under his direct command was a privilege his father, a Planetary Governor, could never dream of achieving.
"Then go, and carry out my orders for the God-Emperor."
Zhou Ye didn't even bother to lift his eyes. These seven were all new recruits from his various squads. The ones with the worst assessment scores had all been kicked out to serve as bodyguards for the merchant ships—in other words, to be glorified delivery boys. They would also be responsible for clearing out minor Chaos and xenos threats to maintain the safety of his trade routes. The reason for their stiff movements was clear: this was another form of Astartes bullying.
"There is still so much more to do..."
"My Lord, the Lamenters have brought back another ten million people! We're running out of food!!!" Just then, the Planetary Governor burst in, looking completely overwhelmed. A shamefaced Mario followed close behind.
"My Lord, my deepest apologies. When I saw the citizens on those depleted mining worlds, I just couldn't..."
"Enough. I'll go catalyze some food supplies. You handle the distribution. I happen to need more miners anyway." He turned to the new Rogue Trader. "You, your first mission is to take them to the new mining worlds. The terms are the same as always: 996, with room and board included. Oh, and try to get some experienced ones. They'll be assisting my automated mining corps."
Zhou Ye couldn't help but rub his forehead. What a mess.
"Yes, My Lord!!!"
And then...
"My Lord, our 5th Company (the mixed World Eaters and Death Guard company) has completed its initial reinforcements. We are preparing to take one hundred new recruits on a glorious cruising expedition and require a Strike Cruiser."
"Excellent efficiency. I'll prepare a Strike Cruiser and a compatible Trailblaze Warp Engine for you right away." Zhou Ye silently took out a small notepad and jotted down a few things. He was probably the only being in this entire sector who could produce such things, so he had to do it himself.
"My Lord..."
"For fuck's sake! Should I just go to Macragge, punch Guilliman in both sinuses to wake him up, and then propose we form a Third Imperium? I'll be the Warmaster, he can be the Emperor."
His face darkened as he saw the Imperial Fists approaching, with the Iron Warriors, Word Bearers, and Shadowmoon Wolves already waiting outside. The pile of documents on his desk had grown even larger, and Klee was already running around with her feet barely touching the ground.
"Patience, patience. This is just the start-up phase. It's just the beginning. Once everything is on the right track, I can go out and have some fun chopping things up. And Klee, take this batch of gene-seed and form a new company for me, quickly!!!"
He had no choice. His subordinates were all too eager to improve. They were all expanding and maintaining the new Star Rails for him. Zhou Ye could find no reason to refuse them.
---o---
While Zhou Ye was drowning in administrative work, on Macragge, Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, stood with his Honour Guard and every Space Marine on the planet.
Before them descended a massive Black Ship. As the ramp lowered, Sword Brethren Veteran Metaros and Inquisitor Chris emerged, dressed in magnificent and ornate wargear. In their hands, they held a fragment of the Blade of the Laer.
The moment they touched down, powerful music swelled. A group of Ultramarines was there, playing wind and string instruments, creating a rousing anthem.
That's right. These were the ones created from Zhou Ye's gene-seed. Because of their special origin and the fact they were still neophytes, they had all been kept on Macragge. They would have to wait until their second progenoid glands matured and were harvested before they could be considered for deployment. Their gene-seed was simply too precious.
As a result, they had spent their days on Macragge playing music. Calgar had simply decided to make them the official military band to welcome the returning party.