79: Since we can't afford to raise him, let him "earn money" himself.

[Holographic Operations Cabin]

The countdown flickered in the upper right corner of the screen.

The red numbers decreased with every passing second.

17:00.

16:59.

16:58.

Li Cang leaned back against his seat.

His breathing was steady.

His fingers hovered over the control interface, perfectly still.

Panicking at this moment was pointless.

"System."

He spoke, his voice calm and steady.

"Bring up the additional clauses template for the [Olympus Treaty]."

The cursor pulsed in the void as a complex legal document interface unfolded before him.

Densely packed clauses filled half the screen, showing empty signature fields, preset liability for breach of contract, and a list of rights and obligations for both Mars and Terra.

Li Cang's eyes scanned the content, and his fingers began to move.

First, he brought up the file for [Primarch (Prototype)].

Data flowed across the screen. The helical structure of the genetic sequence rotated slowly, with every base pair precisely labeled.

Biological indicators extended to twelve decimal places.

The frequency curve of the psychic wavebands showed an eerie harmony, reaching heights never before achieved by the human nervous system.

And then there was that segment of code.

Li Cang's fingers paused over that code.

It was anomalous data extracted from the Primarch's body, highly correlated with that "thing" deep beneath the surface of Mars.

Traces of the Void Dragon.

A portion of the information from the C'tan that The Emperor had sealed tens of thousands of years ago had somehow been embedded deep within the Primarch's genes.

The Martians didn't need to know this.

At least not for now.

Li Cang isolated that segment of code with triple encryption.

Then, he added a new label to the remaining data: "Original Echo of the Holy Machine Spirit."

Vague.

General.

But enough to drive the Archmagi of the Adeptus Mechanicus into a frenzy.

He packaged and compressed all the data.

Filename: "Project Omnissiah Divinity Manifestation: Phase One Observation Report"

Li Cang stared at the title for two seconds.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

On the wastelands of Terra, a Primarch was a weapon.

But in the eyes of the Martians, he was a walking scripture.

15:42.

The countdown continued to tick away.

Li Cang continued to input clauses into the draft contract.

His fingers tapped on the virtual keyboard, each strike accompanied by a slight haptic feedback.

[Observation Rights]: The subscriber may obtain real-time synchronization of the "Holy Son's" growth data, excluding sensitive tactical information. Data transmission frequency is once per standard hour.

[Offering Rights]: The subscriber is obligated to provide the "Holy Son" with the highest specifications of maintenance, servicing, and equipment customization. Specific standards refer to the Martian "Archmagos-level" treatment. All costs are to be borne in full by the subscriber.

[Divine Grace Priority]: Once the "Holy Son" is fully matured, the Legion he leads will prioritize responding to the subscriber's defense requests. Response time shall not exceed once per standard year.

Li Cang's fingers paused over the words "Ownership."

Not for sale.

Absolutely not for sale.

The Primarch was the future of the Empire.

He was the most important bargaining chip in his hands.

He could use him to exchange for resources, support, and the Martians' fanatical faith.

But he would never hand over control.

The child was his.

But the "formula money" had to come from someone else.

14:15.

Li Cang looked up and connected to the encrypted channel with Mars.

The signal traveled across tens of millions of kilometers of void.

The latency was less than two seconds.

After the signing of the Olympus Treaty, Mars opened up the highest-priority quantum entanglement communication lines for the Empire.

This was a symbol of "cooperation" between the two parties.

It was also a conduit for mutual "surveillance."

"Connect me to Kelbor-Hal."

[Holographic Communication Interface]

The screen flickered three times.

Then, that figure appeared.

Kelbor-Hal, the Fabricator-General of Mars.

His body was so massive it nearly filled the entire communication window.

Crimson robes covered a hybrid of metal and muscle, a fusion that had completely transcended the definition of human.

His lower body was a hovering anti-gravity base, covered in data ports and energy conduits.

Mechanical mechadendrites extending from his back swayed slowly in mid-air, each tip flickering with a faint green light.

His face no longer showed any human traces.

All that remained was a patch of withered, almost mummified skin, and three electronic eyes arranged in a triangle.

Those three eyes emitted an eerie green glow.

The glow was brighter than their last meeting.

"Agent."

Kelbor-Hal's voice came through the speakers.

It was a synthesized voice, a mix of human speech and binary code—deep, cold, and laced with the static of grinding metal.

"Your forces have achieved victory on Terra."

He paused.

All three electronic eyes focused on Li Cang simultaneously.

That focus carried a sense of oppression that would make an ordinary person instinctively want to recoil.

"But this has not solved your lack of resources."

Another pause, longer this time.

"Logical deduction indicates... your economic chain is on the verge of collapse."

Li Cang did not answer.

He simply leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

He knew what Kelbor-Hal was doing. This old fox had been monitoring his every expense and every combat loss since the day the Olympus Treaty was signed.

Mars's "technical support" hid countless backdoors, programs that transmitted data to Olympus Mons every single moment.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Li Cang to go bankrupt.

Waiting for that moment to arrive, then to acquire all STC data at the lowest price, or even directly take over the Primarch.

In the words of the Martians, it was called the "Return of the Sacred Legacy."

But Li Cang had no intention of letting him succeed.

"Collapse?"

Li Cang's voice was relaxed, bordering on arrogant.

"No, Archmagos, you misunderstand."

He raised his hand and gave a gentle push in the void.

The proposal for "Project Omnissiah Divinity Manifestation" flew toward Mars along the data stream.

"This is called a 'strategic loss.' It is in preparation for a grander asset restructuring."

"Take a look at this."

"I plan to find a few... godfathers for our 'Holy Son'."