"We have the evacuation plans ready. We've divided them into three stages. The first stage comes early in the second bug-tide's attack: we'll judge by the strength of the tide. If the second bug-tide is far stronger than the first, we evacuate everyone at top speed. But if the pressure isn't very great and we can handle it calmly, we'll evacuate some of the elderly, the weak, the women and children, and settle them on planets further back. In that case, if the pressure on our border defense line grows later, we start the Level-2 response at once. Then we evacuate some more people from posts that aren't very important, keeping only the necessary staff to keep the planets running at the most basic level. If after that things take a sudden turn for the worse, for instance bugs getting past the defense line and directly threatening a planet, we'll let those who remain choose freely. Either evacuate outright, or we open the underground shelters and everyone left moves into them. The food in the shelters and everything else needed to survive can meet their needs for at least ten years," Secretary Officer Barbara said.
Having finished inspecting everything here,
Zhao Chen did not linger, but returned to the Fierce Dragon System.
For today he had something especially important to see to.
The Fierce Dragon civilization's decoration ceremony, broadcast live.
Several thousand generals, commanders, soldiers and others who had performed outstandingly in the first bug-tide campaign would receive their honors on this day.
And certain of the most outstanding among them would be decorated by the Fierce Dragon Emperor in person.
That alone was enough to draw all the attention anyone could want.
Nine systems, broadcasting it at the same moment.
Whether it was day or night locally, every viewer was at this moment glued to the broadcast.
The live signal covered every official broadcast channel and every kind of private streaming channel.
More than a thousand feeds were all carrying the scene live.
"Hello, everyone, this is Fierce Dragon TV. We'll be bringing you live coverage from the front row. We're now in the Dome Hall of the New Dragon Palace Starport. It's set in the dome of the Dragon Palace Starport; as you can see, this whole expanse overhead is transparent, so you can see straight out to the view beyond. The sea of stars, and the planet where the Fierce Dragon civilization rose: the Fierce Dragon homeworld! …"
In front of the broadcast,
a great many people were sitting, looking forward to the ceremony to come.
Though there was still half an hour before the ceremony began, no one wanted to leave, no one wanted to miss the least moment of the picture.
At the same time, everyone was guessing which people would have the honor, in this decoration ceremony, of being decorated by the Fierce Dragon Emperor in person.
To be decorated by the Fierce Dragon Emperor in person: that was a very special honor indeed!
And at the venue were a good many guests who had been invited to attend and witness the ceremony with their own eyes.
Nearly all of them were people of eminent standing.
"Congratulations, Fire Phoenix. This time your sister is sure to be decorated by the Fierce Dragon Emperor in person!"
"Your sister is rising through the Fierce Dragon fleets at a really terrifying speed now!"
"Actually, Lord Fire Phoenix himself is quite something now too; he's already the Governor of a whole system."
A good many people surrounded Fire Phoenix offering their congratulations, and because Fire Phoenix was still single, quite a few also introduced their daughters to him.
Only with great difficulty did Fire Phoenix escape.
Coming to an open sofa booth and seeing that it held someone he knew, he walked straight in and sat down.
"The Nancy Empress has it easiest after all. Sitting here, no one bothers you." Fire Phoenix straightened his clothes, and from his pockets he could even pull out a good many odd things.
Pink letter paper, bank cards, room key cards, even women's underthings.
The Nancy Empress looked at Fire Phoenix with a faint smile.
As rulers from the same planet, the two of them knew each other fairly well.
"That's because I can't compare with how dazzling Fire Phoenix is now. That room costs several hundred thousand a night, you know. Governor Fire Phoenix isn't interested?" the Nancy Empress teased, glancing at the room key card on the table.
"Let's forget it. The affairs of my system already have me worn out. If I'd known, I'd never have agreed to be some system Governor in the first place. You were the far-sighted one. Turning down the offer of a system governorship outright, staying quietly on Dragon Star, doing things you enjoy. I hear you've set up a good many schools now, just so children from poor families can study too, and even have a hope of becoming interstellar warriors." Fire Phoenix looked at the Nancy Empress enviously.
The Nancy Empress said with a faint smile, "I'm only doing what I can. It's your sister who's remarkable. I expect that at this decoration ceremony, it's a sure thing she'll be made commander of one of the Fierce Dragon Legion's active legion fleet groups. Commanding three hundred thousand interstellar warships. That would make her the third legion fleet group commander, after Marshal Chu Xuan and Marshal Medusa!"
At the mention of his sister,
pride still lit up Fire Phoenix's face.
But at the same time there was a trace of a brother's worry in it.
He said helplessly, "To be honest, compared with what she does now, I'd rather she could do ordinary things like an ordinary younger sister, and live out her life happily and safely. But as she is now, she leads interstellar fleets in battle at the front. You know, a while back, when they were fighting on the bug-tide front, there was hardly a night I slept well. The first thing I did every day when I woke was find out how things stood on the front where my sister was. Whether the line was safe, whether my sister was safe, whether anything had gone wrong. Only once I was sure my sister was safe could my day's work begin. Whenever anything bad happened on my sister's side, I'd be uneasy. Even while I was working, I'd be uneasy."
As he spoke, Fire Phoenix rubbed his temples in distress.
The Nancy Empress looked at Fire Phoenix and said, "I can understand thinking that way. But your sister is destined not to be an ordinary person. She isn't a flower that blooms in your garden. She's an eagle soaring in the sky. Even if she falls, she'll dance her most beautiful dance into the teeth of the thunder. So what you can do is set your heart at ease. Even if one day your sister really does meet with some accident on the road to her dreams, you still have to live well. Only that way can your sister be at peace."
Hearing this,
Fire Phoenix fell silent; he picked up the wineglass beside him and took a drink.
He sighed and said helplessly, "I understand that too. I was a soldier once myself. But she's my sister. To convince my own heart, honestly, I find it very hard!"