274: Starship Shock

The spaceship glided smoothly through the starry sea, the cosmos outside the viewport like a black velvet curtain studded with diamonds.

Dieter and Mariabell's gaze was drawn to a gradually enlarging cluster of lights in the distance.

It was a massive fleet composed of dozens of ships, suspended silently in space, like slumbering behemoths.

"That's the main force of the Exploration Fleet," the female attendant's voice was professionally calm, "primarily composed of cruisers and frigates, responsible for the exploration and initial development of new star systems."

As the distance closed, the details of the fleet gradually became clear, and one ship in particular stood out.

It was several times larger than the other vessels, its streamlined hull covered in dark armor, with rows of what looked like gunports on either side, and the emblem of the Interstellar Peace Corporation emblazoned on its bow.

"That's the flagship of the Exploration Fleet, twelve kilometers long, equipped with a warp drive and planetary-grade weapon systems," the attendant's introduction was understated, as if describing an ordinary orbal car.

Mariabell's fingertips unconsciously gripped the armrest of her seat: "Twelve kilometers! That's equivalent to the length of eight Lanka Towers!"

As for warp drives and planetary-grade weapon systems, she couldn't yet comprehend what they were, only instinctively feeling that they represented a level of technology far beyond what orbal science could achieve.

Dieter's Adam's apple bobbed.

He had imagined the scale of the Corporation, but this starship, comparable to a mobile city, still exceeded the limits of his understanding.

This was simply not something any country on the Zemuria continent could build, or even imagine.

Such exaggerated power far surpassed even the most precious treasures.

"This is just the Exploration Fleet," the attendant added, "If the Luofu Fleet were to appear here, it would be... overwhelming, blotting out the sky."

Her tone remained calm, but Dieter detected a hint of subtle awe and fanaticism in it.

The spaceship slowly approached the flagship, like a small fish swimming towards a giant whale.

Through the viewport, they could see busy engineering drones and flashing navigation lights on the flagship's surface, with smaller ships entering and exiting its hangars.

When the spaceship finally entered the flagship's interior, Dieter and his daughter were once again stunned.

The hangar bay was so vast it stretched beyond sight, with a dome above simulating natural light.

Dozens of various spacecraft were neatly parked, and busy transport vehicles and employees in different uniforms moved through the area, everything in perfect order.

A Corporation employee in a dark blue uniform greeted them: "Mr. Dieter, Miss Mariabell, Director Shajin is waiting for you in his office."

They took a hovercar through the massive internal corridors of the ship, with busy factory and living areas visible through the transparent walls on either side.

Dieter saw an entire production line assembling some kind of large machinery, with robotic arms precisely welding and assembling on the assembly line, with almost no human operation.

"That's a standard module production line," the employee noticed his gaze, "providing engineering and security support for pioneering planets."

"The batch of equipment you received was manufactured on this production line."

Mariabell's eyes sparkled with a thirst for knowledge: "These technologies, orbal science simply can't explain them! Even the Thirteen Workshop falls far short of this!"

The employee smiled slightly: "The technological system used by the Corporation is completely different from Zemuria's, so it's normal that you don't understand.

If you're interested in this, I believe Director Shajin will explain it to you."

The door to the Director's office slid open silently, revealing a spacious room.

Aventurine was standing in front of the panoramic viewport, conversing with a woman in a blue-purple long dress.

The woman had an elegant demeanor, her eyes held a light that seemed to see through everything, and the emerald bracelet on her wrist exuded a warm, gentle aura under the lights.

"Ah, our guests have arrived," Aventurine turned around with a smile, "President Dieter, Miss Mariabell, this is Ms. Emerald, one of the directors of the Strategic Investment Department."

Emerald nodded slightly: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dieter."

Her voice was gentle, and her demeanor was more relaxed than Aventurine's.

Dieter immediately realized that this woman's status might be even higher than Aventurine's.

"Emerald is one of Ten Stonehearts, so she's my superior," Aventurine seemed to sense Dieter's speculation and directly answered his question, "She happened to be inspecting Planet Four and heard I was meeting you, so she stopped by to see."

Emerald's lips curved into an elegant arc: "Actually, I'm here to assess Zemuria's investment value."

Her gaze swept over Dieter and his daughter: "I've reviewed the history of your civilization and the past of your homeland, and your performance is impressive.

To achieve independence while caught between two great powers far exceeding your own, this not only requires skillfully leveraging the tides of the era but also extraordinary courage and wisdom."

Dieter forced himself to remain calm: "Thank you for the compliment, but this is mainly due to the Corporation's support."

"A wise answer," Emerald was very pleased with Dieter's attitude, "The Corporation appreciates partners who know themselves."

Dieter suddenly realized that in his shock, he had forgotten basic meeting etiquette.

Coming back to his senses, he immediately stepped forward and respectfully extended his hand: "Ms. Emerald, it's an honor to meet you."

However, to his surprise, Emerald's outstretched hand passed through his palm, and her figure rippled slightly, like a reflection in water.

"I apologize, Mr. Dieter," Emerald's voice was still elegant, but carried a subtle sense of distance, "I am currently handling affairs on Barnard Planet Four, this is merely my holographic projection."

Aventurine chuckled softly from the side: "Ah, that was my mistake.

I forgot to tell you that the type of projection equipment you saw in Crossbell is merely the Corporation's most basic model."

"That equipment deliberately retains a noticeable ethereal quality, precisely so that users can easily distinguish between a projection and a physical entity."

"After all, directly using overly realistic technology might cause unnecessary confusion."

Mariabell's eyes sparkled with a thirst for knowledge: "So, this current projection?"

"This is the Corporation's standard long-range communication projection," Emerald's figure returned to normal, with no further anomalies, "Its realism reaches 98%; it's impossible to distinguish without direct contact."

Dieter withdrew his hand, forcing himself to remain calm: "I apologize, that was rude.

This is completely beyond our comprehension, please forgive us."

"It's quite normal," Aventurine lazily spread his hands, "Among the many people who first witnessed the Corporation's true strength, you two are already among the most composed."

Emerald's projection elegantly walked towards the panoramic viewport, her figure appearing particularly ethereal in the starlight: "You two needn't be so formal; as our cooperation deepens, these technologies will gradually be opened to Crossbell."

"After all, a backward colony cannot provide sufficient market consumption capacity."

Dieter's fingertips tightened slightly: "May I ask when these technologies will be able to..."

"That depends on your adaptation speed," Emerald turned around, "The Corporation has a complete system for evaluating technology integration, including social acceptance, infrastructure level, talent cultivation capabilities, and multiple other dimensions."

Mariabell suddenly spoke: "What if... what if we want to learn from scratch?"

Aventurine and Emerald both looked at her, their expressions showing a hint of interest.

"A very good idea," Emerald nodded slightly, "The Corporation has a comprehensive training system, with corresponding courses from basic science to cutting-edge technology."

"Of course, education is never an overnight success; you must have sufficient long-term perseverance."

Emerald's projection began to gradually fade: "I apologize, there's an urgent meeting on Planet Four that I need to handle personally."

Her gaze swept over Dieter and his daughter one last time: "I look forward to seeing new achievements from you at our next meeting."

The projection completely disappeared, leaving only Aventurine and Dieter and his daughter in the office.