101: Chapter 101 The Uncrowned King

The smoke of the Underhive had completely dissipated.

Inside the temporary headquarters of the Promethium Refinery, the smells of smoke, engine oil, and lingering gunpowder mingled together. There was no pre-war tension; instead, there was a sense of relaxation that came from escaping death.

In the office, only Lucifelle and Fu Haoran remained.

"I admit, I underestimated your strength before."

Lucifelle rarely took the initiative to admit a mistake. For a Necrons Overlord who had once ruled the galaxy, the things that could make her bow her head were rarer than one in ten thousand, yet it happened today.

She looked up at Fu Haoran, the emerald green in her eyes no longer icy but filled with something hard to define. "What do you plan to do next? Fulfill your promise to that group of heretics, or go back on your word?"

Fu Haoran asked back, "Do I look like the kind of person who goes back on his word?"

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Lucifelle didn't respond, only rolling her beautiful eyes. Clearly, she didn't believe him.

Fu Haoran felt his character had been insulted, but thinking of the Hyperphase Sword that was longer than his life, he felt that as her nominal lover, he shouldn't have any improper thoughts.

He supported non-violent non-cooperation.

"Alright, I'm not joking," Fu Haoran put away his playful mood. "Every promise I made, I will fulfill."

Lucifelle believed him but thought it was stupid. "You're playing with fire. Be careful not to lose your life."

Fu Haoran shrugged. "Every step I've taken to get here has been like walking on thin ice. Do you think if I don't take this gamble, I can make it to the other side of the river?"

Lucifelle fell silent.

From the moment she woke up and met this human to the time she understood the situation of the entire Hive City, she had performed countless simulations. Every time, the result was the same—it was impossible for Fu Haoran to win.

Troops, supplies, power, and public support—he possessed none of the conditions for victory. His win rate was infinitely close to zero.

Yet, this human had somehow turned a dead end into a path forward, raising his win rate by over ten percentage points.

Even though his current win rate was still pitifully low, Lucifelle inexplicably felt that the human before her could truly win.

She suddenly became a bit dazed.

How many millions of years had it been?

Since the War in Heaven sixty million years ago, she had only trusted cold data, using precise deductions to judge everything, never viewing anything through a lens of emotion.

But why today did she trust her feelings?

Was it because she had spent too much time with lower life forms and was starting to degenerate?

Or had she slept for too long and her mind was broken?

If any other Necrons were here, they would probably go crazy: Don't be stupid! You've regained a body of flesh and blood; you're supposed to have emotions and desires! If you think this is degeneration, give it to me! I'd love to degenerate!

Lucifelle silently looked at the man resting in the chair and suddenly felt an impulse to drag him onto an operating table and dissect him.

Fortunately, the not-so-sane female Overlord ultimately decided that dissecting one's lover didn't fit tradition, so she suppressed this dangerous thought.

A certain lucky Governor thus muddled through and escaped a calamity.

...

Not long after, Dredd walked in with a conflicted expression and tossed an appointment letter into Fu Haoran's lap.

Fu Haoran opened it and saw it was a commission just sent by the Sector's Adeptus Arbites, appointing Dredd as the Planet Judge of Planet Scylla IV, taking control of all judicial forces on the entire planet.

It was a clear promotion with official Imperial certification of real power, yet this tough guy didn't have a hint of joy on his face.

"I hate sitting in an office managing a bunch of nonsense. Do you have any way to help me get rid of this burden?" Dredd said bluntly.

After fighting side-by-side these past few days, his perception of Fu Haoran had done a 90-degree turn.

He went from being a slippery Underhive scum to being a scheming Underhive scum.

He was still a hundred thousand miles away from being a good person in Dredd's eyes, but that didn't stop Dredd from knowing that this kid had plenty of tricks to solve problems.

Fu Haoran spread his hands in feigned helplessness. "I can't help you with that. The Adeptus Arbites doesn't listen to me. I have no control over how they make appointments."

"However, it's not like there isn't a way." Fu Haoran's tone was casual, but in reality, he had been eyeing the Adeptus Arbites for a long time.

Fu Haoran didn't beat around the bush. "You handle the arrests and trials, and I'll handle the internal affairs and deployments."

Fu Haoran tried to put it as tactfully as possible to give himself a fig leaf for forcibly taking control of the planetary Adeptus Arbites.

Now that he was effectively the ruler of the Hive, he still needed to save face.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have gained complete control over all judicial forces on Planet Scylla IV!]

The smile in Fu Haoran's eyes could not be hidden.

...

As time passed, a dense crowd had gathered outside the Promethium Refinery.

Millions of Genestealer cultists stood packed across the entire open space.

Facing them were Wade and the others, who looked as if they were facing a great enemy.

Even though Fu Haoran repeatedly emphasized that these were now their own people, the soldiers still didn't dare lower their guard.

"My Lord, it's not that we don't believe you, it's just... we can't accept it." Wade was unusually stubborn, his face full of resistance.

"A dozen hours ago, we were fighting them to the death. Our brothers' blood isn't even dry, and now they're allies? Forgive my bluntness, but this arrangement... is inappropriate."

Fu Haoran didn't argue.

He knew that talk alone was useless; he had to do something, not just for outsiders to see, but for his own people to see.

"Come, take me to meet them."

Fu Haoran pushed the door open and stepped out. Looking at the endless crowd outside the factory, waves of emotion stirred in his heart.

With millions of cultists, it was only a matter of time before a new Hive Lord was born if they were given more time.

He had to stabilize them first.

Under Moriah's fanatical and respectful gaze, he stepped onto the factory wall one step at a time, looking down at the countless eyes that were either confused, fanatical, or wary.

Fu Haoran pointed to the towering Hive City on the horizon and said, "Beyond that horizon lies our enemy!"

"We will avenge our Great Patriarch and use the enemy's blood as a sacrifice to Him!"

"I promise you, the horn of the Holy War has sounded. We will never retreat, never give up, and never compromise. Even death cannot end us!"

The next second, the entire field erupted.

"Holy War! Holy War!"

"Kill them!"

Millions of cultists cheered and screamed, making the entire factory tremble slightly.

The old nobles would never have dreamed that a day would come when they would be the ones being schemed against.

Now, the most terrifying cult organization in the world had its sights set on them.

To the loyal fans, the latest chapter of "Warhammer: Starting as Planetary Governor, Owing Three Hundred Years of Taxes" has been released!

However, Fu Haoran knew in his heart that this was only a small part of the Genestealer Cult. These unstable factors were also the cheapest labor force.

This was the foundation of his confidence to go head-to-head with the nobles.

When he saw Wade again, the man hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Governor... in the future, if you tell me to charge, I'll be the first to go. If I die, it's just my bad luck. If I live, I'll keep working for you."

Wade wasn't stupid. When he saw the fanatical state of the cultists, he knew he had been wrong.

"I told you, every time this shady guy does something outrageous, it works out in the end, and you still didn't believe it." Tychus strolled over with a cigar in his mouth, patted Wade on the shoulder, and gave a cheeky grin.

Fu Haoran rolled his eyes, feeling that this Ogryn was at least half the culprit behind his worsening reputation.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Sijar Hive City, Noble Banquet Hall.

Crystal chandeliers were dazzling, and champagne towers were stacked high. The nobles who had escaped from Alpha Hive City were holding a victory banquet to celebrate their successful escape.

The clinking of wine glasses, boisterous laughter, and fawning compliments mixed together in a decadent and absurd display.

"Lord Victor, I toast to you! If not for your foresight in blowing up the factory and taking all the reserve funds, we would still be trapped in that hellhole, being torn to shreds by heretics!"

Suddenly, an attendant brought a piece of bad news.

"What? You're saying the cultists have joined Fu Haoran?" Victor stared at his subordinate, his expression shifting from confusion to shock, then to rage.

"Impossible... absolutely impossible... they..."

A nearby noble didn't care. "Victor, don't worry. We blew up the factory, took the machine tools and data, and made off with eighty percent of the reserve funds. Even if he has troops, he has no money to fight us. He can't change anything..."

Victor grew angry. "Have you not considered that to retaliate against us, Fu Haoran will definitely confiscate all our houses and land?"

A fat noble holding a wine glass waved his hand dismissively. "Do you think he would actually distribute those houses and lands?"

"Don't be ridiculous. No one would be willing to give up such a massive fortune. In the end, it will just go into his own pocket."

"They're just a bunch of peasants. If they defected, they defected. We'll just find another batch. As long as there's enough money, there are plenty of desperate people willing to die for us."

"Hahaha, exactly! Give us a year to assemble a fleet, and we can fight our way back and reclaim everything that belongs to us!"

"Cheers! To victory!"

Victor raised his glass as well, but as it reached his lips, he caught a glimpse of the Underhive footage on his communicator—tens of thousands of cultists were kneeling on the ground, and Fu Haoran stood on the wall, surrounded by a mountain of cheers.

His hand paused, and he didn't drink.

He had a feeling that image would become his nightmare.

...

Outside the headquarters, the night was thick.

Lucifelle suddenly looked up, her emerald eyes scanning the deep shadows. Her tone was as flat as if she were commenting on the weather. "Come out. Isn't it tiring to hide for so long?"

Everyone immediately tensed up. Dredd's boltgun was chambered instantly, the power hammer in Tychus's hand glowed with purple light, and Wade stepped directly in front of Fu Haoran.

From the shadows, a tall figure slowly stepped out.

Fiery red hair fell to her waist, and a tight black outfit outlined her perfect curves. She stepped barefoot onto the cold ruins, yet not a sound could be heard.

Lelith Hesperax.

Lelith leaned lazily against a broken wall, her eyes slanted upward as she glanced at Fu Haoran, who had subconsciously shrunk behind Lucifelle. Her voice was as sweet as honey but hidden with hooks.

"Not bad, Mon-keigh. Not only did you defeat one of my followers, but you also decapitated a decent prey. It seems your escape from my hands last time wasn't just luck."

Lelith glanced at Fu Haoran, who was hiding behind Lucifelle and only dared to poke his head out to talk tough. She almost laughed. "Then don't hide. Are you that afraid of your big sister? I won't eat you."

Fu Haoran rolled his eyes.

Nonsense! He wasn't wearing power armor right now, and his stats were significantly lower. If he didn't hide behind his bodyguards, was he supposed to wait for this crazy Dark Eldar to slit his throat?

Even if he lost the fight, he wouldn't lose the argument!

He retorted righteously, "My mom said I can't get too close to bad women, lest I get trapped by an accidental pregnancy."

Lelith was almost amused to the point of anger.

A mortal who was no different from a monkey in her eyes was actually afraid of being taken advantage of by her?

"I really want to take you back as a pet and fall asleep to your screams every day," she said in the gentlest tone, uttering the harshest words.

Fu Haoran never lost a war of words and immediately retorted, "Heh, don't worry, I have no interest in idiots with more brawn than brains."

This time Lelith didn't retort but casually tossed something over.

Fu Haoran reached out and caught it. It was a blood-red rune stone carved with complex Dark Eldar script.

"A congratulatory gift." Lelith turned and walked into the deep shadows. "Next time we meet, I don't mind drawing some of your blood."

Her figure completely vanished into the darkness, leaving only a sweet voice floating in the wind: "Those who survive deserve respect."

Lucifelle glanced at the rune stone and added rarely, "A Commorragh pass. With it, you can exchange for one meeting in Dark Eldar territory."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. "It seems someone has truly looked at you in a new light."

Fu Haoran weighed the rune stone in his hand, looked in the direction Lelith had vanished, and smiled.

"Let's go, back to work."

...

As the situation stabilized, congratulatory messages followed.

The communicator suddenly rang, and two encrypted messages popped up simultaneously.

The first was from the Hive's Adeptus Mechanicus Forge Bishop.

The second was from the Sector's Adeptus Arbites headquarters.

There were also congratulatory messages from various merchants.

When Fu Haoran first arrived at the Hive, he had spent half a month haggling with the Sector's Adeptus Arbites to apply for an expansion of the garrison, and they hadn't even bothered to reply.

To borrow machine tools from the Mechanicus to repair production lines, the Forge Bishop wouldn't even let him in the door.

Now, everything was reversed.

These things were more precious than any amount of credits.

This was complete recognition of his status as the Hive's ruler from the Imperial level.

Everyone knew that a Governor who held an army of millions, or even tens of millions, and controlled the planet's entire judicial force was no longer a scapegoat to be manipulated at will.

However, Fu Haoran knew very well that there was one last stumbling block before he truly had the final say.

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