Chapter 171: "I Thought You Really Came to Support Cousin
The letter Wang Qi read was indeed written by Gu Hang himself, without any guidance from others.
When he wrote this letter, he actually had two intentions.
The first was emotional.
Sharing the same name and using this body, Gu Hang felt it was appropriate to give an explanation when the time was right.
Having used this body, Gu Hang felt somewhat responsible for the previous person of the same name. The original owner was fixated on "proving himself to his mother," so Gu Hang decided to fulfill that wish.
Thus, Gu Hang wrote the first half of the letter.
But in terms of explanation, simply stopping here felt inadequate. Delving deeper into the original owner’s memories, Gu Hang found that the resentment toward his mother also stemmed from love. If he truly had no feelings for his mother, how could he feel such hatred?
Therefore, he included a note of repentance yet maintained his resolve, expressing his aspirations.
The mother-son relationship needed a form of reconciliation. This approach couldn’t just be a tearful apology, which certainly didn’t fit the original owner's thoughts. Instead, it had to show that the mother would see real change.
However, emotional factors were relatively secondary. What was more critical were some practical considerations.
In the memories left behind, Gu Hang saw that there was only dissatisfaction with his biological mother. In the original owner's eyes, his mother was a cold, rational, unfeeling, controlling woman—a powerful figure whose identity as a matriarch far outweighed her role as a mother, with barely any motherly love shown throughout his upbringing.
But that was from the original owner’s perspective.
Looking at these memories from his viewpoint as an observer, Gu Hang had some assurance that Madam Wang Qi still loved her son. It was just that her focus was different.
It was understandable.
Gu Hang's family line had once led the Gu family. His grandfather was the head of the family, and Gu Hang’s father, though the third child, was his grandfather's favorite and most outstanding son. He had been designated as the primary heir early on, though he passed away before his father.
When his father died, Gu Hang had just been born; when his grandfather died, he was only three.
After his grandfather’s death, the title of heir was far from certain to fall to Gu Hang, as he had several direct uncles. Besides them, there were many other family members, each with their own bloodline and controlling various family assets.
Could relatives and cousins within the same clan really wait for a three-year-old to grow up and take the lead?
Unrealistic.
At that time, the only person who could hold up their small family was Wang Qi. Without his mother’s support, Gu Hang might not have even survived; even if he did, his grandfather's legacy could have been split clean by his uncles, leaving him with nothing at all.
However, Wang Qi's fierce expansion of her influence in the family, driven by her deceased husband’s legacy, naturally drew hostility, criticism, and ostracism.
She had enough inner strength not to fear those opposing her; she even engaged in confrontations on equal footing, which was a testament to her skill. But Gu Hang, as a child, was often subjected to verbal abuse or even bullying within the clan and could not resist or escape it. His mother was too busy to always protect him, which left him with psychological trauma that influenced his personality development.
In terms of raising and caring for a child, Wang Qi couldn’t exactly be considered a qualified mother. Yet in such a unique family situation, her priority was securing the family assets, so it was hard to say she was entirely wrong in her approach.
From an observer's perspective, Gu Hang felt that he still held significant weight in his mother’s heart; it was just that her actions and expressions differed.
Based on this assessment, Gu Hang decided he wouldn’t be deceived by the original owner’s memories; their relationship wasn’t entirely irreparable.
And if the relationship could be mended, the value of the Gu family business would be tremendous for a developing planet.
Take, for instance, the arrival of Wang Jiarong this time. Many of the goods on her ship, which Gu Hang inspected, were exactly what he deeply desired.
Trade, after all, was a key element in planetary development.
Moreover, if the relationship could be restored, the Gu family, especially his biological mother, would become a significant asset for his planet's progress.
If the Gu family fully supported his planet-building efforts, with dozens of caravans transporting several batches of supplies, the timeline for his world reconstruction would be substantially accelerated.
Not that he couldn’t do it without them, but with them, the process would be faster.
Aside from establishing interstellar trade and direct material support, another aspect Gu Hang valued about the Gu family was their interstellar influence.
This was something he lacked.
It could bring political benefits, allowing him to purchase things that he couldn’t buy even if he had the money.
Now, he would see what effect his letter would have, whether it would move his mother.
“It should work, right? I spent quite a bit of time on how to word that letter.”
While thinking about it, Gu Hang saw Fury Owl Planet already appearing before him.
He was home.
...
Gu Hang returned to the surface on the first transport ship.
One wave of ships couldn’t bring everyone back; the soldiers still needed several transport ships to shuttle between the planet’s surface and the orbit.
Meanwhile, the three starships in the void would each stay for a period of time.
The *Quintet* would remain for about a month and a half.
It needed to complete preliminary repairs while in orbit. The Mechanicum priests and technicians on board would use this time to thoroughly inspect the starship’s condition. If there were any minor issues that didn’t require assistance from the star fort or orbital shipyard, they would handle them first.
However, any major repairs, such as reassembling damaged weapon systems, would certainly require a full dock.
For this task, Gu Hang promised his assistance. Some material and metal component requirements could be met on Fury Owl Planet.
Apart from that, alloy and plastic steel production was already well-established in Revival City, with mature facilities capable of producing construction materials and even processing metals into suitable parts if needed.
Alicia also assured Gu Hang that the assistance wouldn’t be free. The raw materials and components provided by Fury Owl Planet would be calculated as costs, forming an invoice for the Imperial Navy to review, which they would then submit to the Department of Military Affairs to issue complete conscription procedures and pay taxes to the planetary governor.
Initially, Gu Hang wasn’t too concerned. After all, how valuable could basic processing parts and raw materials be?
Later, he was grateful he hadn’t acted too generous. In a month and a half, the *Quintet’s* repairs consumed nearly half a month’s production capacity at Revival City's alloy and plastic steel factory, adding up to three thousand tax coins.
If he’d given it away for free, it would’ve hurt.
In a month, a destroyer from the Pegasus Fleet would arrive in Fury Owl Planet’s orbit, taking over from the *Quintet.*
Initially, Gu Hang wasn’t too pleased with this. They were replacing a cruiser with a destroyer—hardly exciting.
However, Alicia’s words changed his mind.
The reasoning was simple: if a cruiser had arrived, the ship's captain would at least hold a commodore rank, the same as Alicia’s, with far more seniority. She would have barely any command authority, reduced to offering suggestions. That wouldn’t exactly facilitate smooth cooperation with Gu Hang’s surface operations.
With a destroyer instead, the captain would likely be a colonel or maybe even a lieutenant colonel, allowing Alicia more autonomy. This would make cooperating with Gu Hang’s actions easier.
Gu Hang agreed with her reasoning.
Additionally, Wang Jiarong’s *Beautiful Maiden,* along with an escort frigate, would stay in the Fury Owl System for three months.
Gu Hang found this puzzling.
His personal trade needs weren’t particularly large. He had no urgent need for bulk goods and only wanted to purchase a few synthetic starch production lines to expand the food processing capacity in his territory and relieve the food pressure. The other request was the high-end items needed by the Phoenix Battalion.
As for large quantities of minerals, weapons, and consumer goods, Gu Hang didn’t lack desire. He even noticed a Knight Titan on the product list provided by Wang Jiarong. (Note 1)
This machine embodied his childhood romantic fascination with mechas from science fiction.
Standing ten meters tall, it had a humanoid form, equipped with a plasma cannon, missile launcher, and a rotating rapid-fire cannon that could shoot 105mm kinetic rounds like machine-gun bullets. Its defense included an alloy steel-ceramic composite with adamantium plating and a powerful shield generator, all while being highly maneuverable, making it hard to target.
Such a weapon was a perfect platform for heavy fire or charging alongside infantry, a formidable super weapon.
Of course, Gu Hang was tempted, but when he asked the price…
Ten million tax coins? At a minimal profit margin?
Forget it; he couldn’t afford this kind of luxury yet.
Beyond these high-end items, minerals and other bulk goods weren’t his immediate priority.
For his current needs, a few transport flights could bring everything down; there was no need for a three-month stay.
When he asked, Wang Jiarong awkwardly smiled, explaining that after delivering Gu
Hang’s supplies, she had to transport some goods for Blackbird Heavy Industries, with items both to bring down and to load up to the starship.
Gu Hang narrowed his eyes at this.
“Well, didn’t you say you came to support your cousin?”
“Looking at you now, it seems like you’ve already discussed everything with Blackbird Heavy Industries or even with the Faches family behind them.”
“It’s quite the business deal. The things your cousin needed could be delivered within a week; but Blackbird Heavy Industries’ goods will take three months to transport?”
“No wonder you’re keen on mending relations with the Faches family.”
Gu Hang’s sarcasm left Wang Jiarong feeling quite embarrassed.
She immediately stated that this decision was a collective one from the Gu family and was not solely her mother’s choice.
In conclusion, she emphasized: “Either way, I’m here to support you while conveniently doing some business with the Faches.”
Gu Hang sneered, “Got that backward, didn’t you? Doing business with the Faches is the main objective; supporting me is the afterthought. No, actually it’s the afterthought of an afterthought, considering that I’m still the governor here, and any interstellar trade requires my approval. No way to bypass me if you want to make that deal.”
Wang Jiarong was too embarrassed to respond.
Of course, Gu Hang wasn’t genuinely upset.
There was no reason to be.
This actually seemed quite normal.
Did a cousin owe her life to driving an interstellar ship just to deliver a shipment whose total value might not even cover fuel costs and sell it to her cousin at a fair price?
Everyone needed to make a living—no shame in that.
And that principle also applied to Gu Hang.
“I don’t care how you handle business with Blackbird Heavy Industries, but let me remind you of two things: First, the Fofana Family is yours to manage. The Imperial Navy’s starship is parked right in orbit, and I assume they wouldn’t appreciate seeing you do substantial business with Blackbird Heavy Industries. The political consequences have nothing to do with me, and I’ll make this clear to Alicia as well.”
“Understood, no need to worry. The Gu family had this covered before I left. I’m just here to do the work, and I wouldn’t be taking risks if there were issues.”
“That’s fine, then,” Gu Hang continued to his second point. “Second, Blackbird Heavy Industries is part of Fury Owl Planet, and I am the governor; they are my citizens. All interstellar trade on this planet requires my approval. Blackbird Heavy Industries must pay me two years' worth of imperial taxes. My demands aren’t excessive—10% of two years' total output. Additionally, I’ll take a 10% transaction tax on this trade.”
“Well… I don’t have an issue with that, but I can’t guarantee that Blackbird Heavy Industries will agree.”
“Then have them send someone to negotiate with me. If they don’t agree, forget about doing the business.”
“Cousin!” Wang Jiarong tried to wheedle.
“There’s no room for negotiation.”
Helplessly, Wang Jiarong sighed and said, “I’ll relay your stance to Blackbird Heavy Industries. However, I should mention that this might not sit well within the family.”
Gu Hang shrugged, “Then let my uncles, aunts, and my mother pout and stomp their feet in Flying Wing Star; what can they actually do?”
“I thought you were hoping to reconcile with the family.”
“No,” Gu Hang corrected his cousin’s assumption. “There’s no reconciliation or non-reconciliation. I’m not blocking anyone; I just expect to receive what’s owed to me. If they can’t even meet that condition, what’s the point in discussing reconciliation?”
…
After returning to Revival City, Gu Hang called a work meeting.
He had been away from Revival City for over a month, long enough for a round of grace-point salaries to be distributed.
Of course, his personal involvement in the military operation aboard the starship was essential. As a powerful Psyker, Gu Hang’s presence was needed to defeat the Greenskin Warlord; without him, it would have been impossible to motivate Alicia to engage in battle. Even securing the spoils of victory required his presence.
However, the planet’s surface still relied heavily on him.
In short, it had only been three or four months since he had seized control from the Alliance. His workforce was still extremely limited—even Osena was handling multiple roles and constantly busy.
The governmental system in the New Alliance was also highly centralized. Without him, the governor, stationed on-site, anything could go wrong if he was absent for too long.
He had worried that even a month’s absence might cause issues.
Although he had left Osena and Yan Fangxu with devices to communicate with the starship, allowing him some contact with them during this period, occasional, short communications didn’t suffice. Gu Hang urgently needed a real work meeting to understand what had transpired in his territory over the past month and whether various tasks had proceeded as he’d anticipated.
As he awaited his key subordinates’ arrival, he was also pondering the situation with Blackbird Heavy Industries.
Fury Owl Planet had three continents. The other two smaller continents, previously the primary sources of psionic gas fields, were also the most devastated by war, to the point of being wastelands. Waste energy storms raged nonstop, creating such hostile conditions that survival was arduous and growing food impossible. According to intelligence, those two continents were virtually uninhabited.
On the main continent, however, Blackbird Heavy Industries held significant influence. This company’s history stretched back even further than Fury Owl’s Alliance. Long before the Alliance was formed, they had been around for quite some time.
Based on the intelligence available, the headquarters of Blackbird Heavy Industries was located on the western coast of the continent, over ten thousand kilometers from Revival City. They controlled an extensive land area with an estimated population of one million. Food came partly from their own production—the western continent held vast plains that, though partially covered by waste energy storms, had sufficient arable land to feed a considerable population.
The other food source came from the Western Desert region, from wartime-era farming factories beneath oases.
The name ‘Blackbird Heavy Industries’ clearly indicated that it was a super-corporation focused on heavy industry. While nominally still part of the Alliance, they had gradually distanced themselves from the Alliance since the era of the second governor. They only made symbolic payments toward imperial taxes every two years.
With a population of one million in their territory, theoretically, they should deliver goods valued at 200,000 tax coins each period to the Alliance government as their annual tax.
However, in the past six years, spanning three tax cycles, the highest payment they ever made was 40,000 tax coins, with the lowest being only 20,000.
The shortfall was substantial, but the Alliance government lacked the means to collect it.
How could they? Could the old Alliance Legion, in its weak state, undertake a long-distance expedition across ten thousand kilometers to the western continent? Even with full political mobilization, this task was out of reach.
Successive governors had only been able to send letters, denouncing Blackbird Heavy Industries for not paying taxes as imperial traitors and rebels.
But... it was ironic. Suppressing planetary rebellions was the governor's responsibility, and failure to do so was seen as incompetence. Theoretically, governors could request imperial support, potentially receiving aid from the Starfleet, the Imperial Navy, or even an Astartes company.
Unfortunately, this was theoretical. Unless a situation reached catastrophic proportions, potentially affecting multiple surrounding regions, the Empire wouldn’t waste resources.
In some cases, rebellion might see a governor assassinated, only for imperial reinforcements to arrive afterward.
When they arrived, if the rebels claimed, “The previous governor was tyrannical and incompetent, so we overthrew him. But we remain loyal to the Empire and are prepared to continue paying taxes,” the Empire might accept the situation.
This scenario was rare but had enough precedent to be noteworthy.
For Gu Hang, directly intervening in the western continent’s affairs wasn’t feasible. He lacked the resources to organize an army for such a long-distance campaign, and logistics would collapse under the strain.
Even orbital bombardment wouldn’t suffice; without ground forces, he couldn’t establish control.
Although orbital drops or supply transfers could bypass ground distances, the *Quintet* was a warship ill-equipped for orbital transport; and while the *Beautiful Maiden* merchant ship had the capacity, it was evident that Wang Jiarong wouldn’t support a battle.
Even if they won, Fury Owl’s industrial base couldn’t sustain governance over lands so far away.
In sum, warfare wasn’t viable; the timing wasn’t right.
On the other hand, he could leverage the current Gu-Faches trade negotiations to force Blackbird Heavy Industries to pay up; without payment, trade would be blocked. The *Quintet* could enforce a strict blockade between the planet’s surface and orbital trade routes.
Gu Hang’s minimum demand was 200,000 tax coins for the current tax period. He also wanted back payments for the last three cycles over six years, totaling approximately 500,000 tax coins.
A total of 700,000.
Of course, the second demand might be too much for Blackbird Heavy Industries or the Faches to accept. Gu Hang didn’t intend to push them to the breaking point. If negotiations failed and business stopped, he wouldn’t gain any money, and that would be counterproductive.
The negotiations would reveal what could be achieved.
In any case, 200,000 tax coins were his bottom line.
————
The update was late today but reached 6,000 characters!
Actually, I had 4,000 characters written last night but decided to add 2,000 more for better flow. I wrote the rest this afternoon.
Let’s see if I can update another 6,000 characters on time tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)