Chapter 225: The Supreme Ruler of the Universe! A Golden Throne Awaits? Trade Harvest Begins!
003 [Edge of Tomorrow] Earth, July 10, 2025.
It had been just over five years since the conclusion of the Independence Day campaign.
During that time, investigators from the Universal MegaCorp, utilizing data extracted from the Matrix, successfully mapped out the colonies and territorial influence of the Reaper civilization.
Under V's leadership, a team of investigators managed to seize control of the Reaper Queen and bring her back to her origin world. With her under their command, the Queen was coerced into unifying all resources of her civilization.
Colonies, resource-rich planets, conquered worlds, and even remnants of advanced civilizations discovered in the far reaches of space—all of it now lay under the grasp of MegaCorp.
Of course, this process was far from smooth.
V, Jack, and the other investigators encountered hostile factions opposed to the Reaper civilization, sparking multiple chaotic and brutal conflicts.
After all, a civilization like the Reapers, infamous for provoking hostilities across the galaxy, was bound to have enemies lurking everywhere.
Even if they weren't outright crushed like bugs by superior civilizations, they were still viewed with hatred by others, many of whom sought any opportunity to wage war.
Yet through the "amicable negotiation" and overwhelming military might of MegaCorp, most alien factions were persuaded to set aside their grievances and join the MegaCorp alliance.
Sure, the road was rough, and there were numerous twists and turns, but once they witnessed the dazzling arsenal of MegaCorp—alongside the elite Astartes warriors—even the most violent heretic races began to act like charming, well-mannered diplomats.
Colossal, unending fleets; the awe-inspiring and scalp-tingling celestial dreadnought War Moon; the godlike Astartes warriors capable of dominating both land and sky…
Brilliant particle beams dazzled the 24-karat eyes of alien heretics, serving as a clear declaration: MegaCorp had ascended as the supreme overlord of the 003 universe's galactic fringe!
Naturally, someone as "nuclear-friendly" as MegaCorp's executive officer, Li Ang , would never be so crude as to simply seize the resources and lands of his new alien friends.
Instead, a series of mutually beneficial trade agreements were struck, enabling the free exchange of goods and technology.
Through a massive trade surplus and the strategic dumping of dazzling consumer products, humanity managed to secure an immense trove of resources.
Gold, rare metals, exotic minerals with miraculous properties—even rare and strange flora and fauna—were acquired in droves.
All of it was transported to Ideal City by various MegaCorp divisions and stockpiled for future contingencies.
Meanwhile, the alien factions that had "seen the light" were now integrated into MegaCorp's expanding empire.
They would now serve as border guards—armed forces stationed on behalf of humanity to protect the Solar System of Universe 003.
At this moment, Li Ang , as the Chief Executive Officer of MegaCorp, was revered by many alien leaders as the "Human Emperor."
And today, the capital of Ideal City—Night City—was absolutely packed, teeming with alien species from all over the galaxy, alongside countless MegaCorp employees and officers.
…
Ideal City: Night City
Thanks to climate regulation systems, the city's temperature remained pleasantly comfortable. A gentle breeze swept through the towering, multi-layered urban structures.
Currently, the city's iconic holographic super-screen was broadcasting news about the Halo World project.
> "We have completed this epic construction—located in the main universe's Solar System, the final habitable sector of the Halo World is now complete!"
> "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void. Darkness was over the surface of the deep. God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."
> "We, who have crowned the stars with rings—are we not worthy of standing beside the gods? Let this Halo World stand as an eternal testament to our legacy!"
The completion of the Halo World wasn't just another marvel of construction; it symbolized the sheer creative might of human civilization.
When alien civilizations from Universe 003 beheld this breathtaking, borderline wasteful megastructure, they were struck dumb with awe.
Their reaction wasn't unlike that of ancient foreign emissaries who journeyed thousands of miles to behold the glory of Tang Dynasty China—dazzled and overwhelmed by its brilliance and power.
Now, as a trans-multiversal corporate titan, MegaCorp found it necessary to flex its muscles—both through monumental wonders and formidable fleets.
The aim? To subdue rivals without even drawing a weapon.
Meanwhile, in the western district of Night City—Little Chinatown—
Rita and William Cage from Edge of Tomorrow Earth were strolling with their squadmates through a futuristic Times Square.
There, they encountered the very first weapon shop opened by Executive Li Ang in Chinatown—a location now honored as a historical landmark of Night City.
Who would've thought such a colossal corporate empire had its humble beginnings in a tiny gun shop?
To commemorate the moment, they browsed nearby stores and picked up a few kinetic and tech-based firearms with decent specs.
Night City still preserved its free-market gun laws, though heavy weapons remained off-limits.
Thus, despite the legality of firearm sales, incidents involving gun violence were virtually nonexistent. That was due not only to strict legal penalties—but also because the NCPD's weapons were far more terrifying.
If any foolish criminals dared to challenge local law enforcement, they'd quickly find themselves on the receiving end of massive-caliber hand cannons.
> "I heard Arasaka Division under MegaCorp makes some beautifully crafted, high-performance firearms. Now that I'm holding one—it really is impressive."
A young soldier admired the craftsmanship of the pistol in his hands, smiling in satisfaction.
> "No kidding. Way better than what we use back home. Compared to this, my old gun feels like a museum piece."
Another soldier chimed in.
> "I still like old-school weapons, though. There's a kind of nostalgic depth to them. I still prefer my Desert Eagle—it's got real kick."
An older soldier in a beret shared his opinion.
> "I heard the War Moon dreadnought will be stationed on our Earth permanently to help mediate conflicts between civilizations. That's damn good news!"
> "None of the other Earths are getting that kind of privilege. Looks like we lucked out."
Another soldier added with excitement.
> "That's 'cause we've got more… 'alien friends' than they do, right?"
William Cage quickly corrected himself, narrowly avoiding saying xenos out loud.
Of course, that didn't change how he truly felt.
Beyond the belief that "those who aren't of our kind must be different at heart," he was keenly aware that these alien species weren't moved by goodwill or diplomacy—they were just intimidated into submission by MegaCorp's overwhelming might.
Meanwhile, Rita had been silently admiring the Arasaka, Militech, and KanTao weapon series the whole time, not participating in the squad's political banter.
She wasn't interested in politics—only in completing the mission, and getting it over with.
As the group turned a corner, the crowd grew denser. She holstered her weapon and gave a warning:
> "Cut the chatter. The MegaCorp summit ceremony's about to begin—I'm not missing a moment of something that'll go down in history."
> "Right, right! Signing deals with alien civilizations to mine resources and patrol our borders—only our boss could pull that off."
> "Heard some aliens are even calling him the Human Emperor, haha! Can't wait for that day."
> "Hell yeah!"
> "Look over there—the top brass from all our departments are coming out."
They turned toward the grand plaza platform, following the direction the crowd was facing.
There, nearly a hundred fully armored, heavy Astartes warriors and dozens of Titan mechs formed an iron wall around the platform.
Hundreds of elite guards were deployed to maintain order across the area.
After all, this was Li Ang 's central stronghold—where MegaCorp was born.
Anyone who made it this far, even an ordinary bystander, had undergone rigorous screening—there were virtually no unknown faces.
The risk of attack was near zero.
Still, security measures remained airtight.
Beyond the visible forces were hidden snipers and hovering AI drones constantly scanning the crowd.
At the heart of the stage, the department heads of MegaCorp had already gathered.
These included Exploration Division's V, Song Zhaomei, Alt Cunningham, Arasaka R&D Head Arasaka Raizen, and the newly appointed General Mori Asako.
Alongside them were rising officers from the Iron Hands legion, including David Martinez and Jackie Welles—each standing solemnly at their posts.
Then, flanked by his close aides Lucy and Morgan, Li Ang stepped onto the stage—becoming the focal point of all eyes.
The supreme ruler of the 003 galaxy's outer rim stood there dressed no differently than usual—except for the subtle gold thread embroidered at his cuffs and collar.
Clearly, Li Ang was slowly approaching that golden throne—but for now, he had no intention of publicly proclaiming himself Emperor of Mankind.
Stay calm, don't get cocky. Still need time to scale up.
Upon the arrival of the CEO of the Universal Megacorp, the once-bustling Times Square suddenly fell silent.
After a brief pause, Li Ang finally spoke—calm and unhurried, his voice steady:
"Everyone, the prosperity of the Universal Megacorp wouldn't be possible without the united efforts of all civilizations. Its rise is not the work of one alone, but the result of a collective endeavor across the entire cosmos."
"Let us join forces to forge a mighty alliance that transcends the myriad worlds—extending the reach of the Universal Megacorp into every new universe filled with unknowns and challenges!"
As his words fell, the human crowd below responded in unison, their voices passionate and resonant, echoing Li Ang's declaration:
"For the Universal Megacorp!"
Among them, alien delegations from other civilizations, after a moment of stunned silence, also joined in—mimicking the humans' show of support.
Even those unable to produce vocal sounds with their biology raised their hands in symbolic gesture.
After all, they had come on behalf of their own civilizations precisely to pledge allegiance to the Megacorp—to serve under Li Ang.
Especially now, having witnessed the Universal Megacorp deploying "Stargates" to dominate the myriad realms and launch full-scale colonization campaigns.
These alien delegations had silently accepted one fact: the Megacorp had unmistakably stepped into the ranks of advanced civilizations.
But unlike the Reaper Civilization, which harvested resources through plunder and war, the Universal Megacorp preferred "trade."
And through these commercial exchanges, comprador capitalists had begun to emerge in many alien civilizations—selling off their own minerals and resources.
Exactly the outcome Li Ang had hoped for!
Through "open borders and free trade," the Megacorp had not only sown dangerous internal divisions among alien factions, but had also successfully extracted a massive amount of resources.
At this moment, the alien economic envoys—fat and flourishing under the Megacorp's patronage—joined the cheers, shouting and celebrating.
Yet atop the high platform, Li Ang remained unmoved, his expression calm in the face of the deafening roar.
But soon enough, a familiar, cool-toned system notification sounded in his ear:
[Mission complete—!]
…
…
One month later.
Capital of the Universal Metropolis—Night City, Megacorp Headquarters!
Since Li Ang held an interstellar trade summit in Ideal City, the number of alien delegations coming and going through the main universe had increased significantly.
Of course, these alien vassals hadn't come to Ideal City for leisure and luxury—they were here to sign a series of Megacorp agreements.
After Li Ang used the colossal "Moon of War" to bombard a few planets, many alien powers in Universe 003 chose immediate submission.
Naturally, the Reaper Civilization—black-gloved enforcers of the Megacorp—became the designated agents to manage vast stretches of interstellar territory and resource zones.
Li Ang needed only to control the Reaper Queen to easily command tens of billions, even hundreds of billions, of Reaper soldier ants and worker drones!
Under his guidance, the Reaper Civilization continued its cosmic expansion, piloting their motherships deeper into the galaxy to spread the Megacorp's "gospel of trade."
After all, Li Ang wasn't some deranged warmonger—why bother with Infinity war when you could run a nice, clean business and develop steadily?
Still, if he did run into stubborn fools who flatly refused to join the Megacorp alliance, he had no qualms about using the Moon of War to forcibly "open their gates."
"This mission was practically a goldmine!"
Staring at the holographic screen now displaying rows of data—along with the system panel showing his mission rewards—Li Ang couldn't hold back the grin tugging at his lips.
After taking control of the Reaper Civilization, Li Ang began drawing in the alien powers that had previously been crushed by them, pulling them into the Megacorp fold as subordinate trade partners.
At the same time, he dispatched the Queen to lead the main Reaper force to even more distant star systems on "harvesting" campaigns.
However, as for a dangerous tool like Mimicry, Li Ang had chosen not to use it again.
Employing such four-dimensional powers—alien to three-dimensional civilizations—to peer into potential futures would sooner or later attract the attention of high-level civilizations.
Far better to stick with conventional weapons and tactics for interstellar colonization, than to risk crossing the forbidden line and drawing four-dimensional eyes.
Getting rich quietly—that was the real winning strategy.
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