I am the Emperor of Humanity across the Multiverse

Beep-beep! Two triangular markers labeled ① and ② appeared on the screen.

On the communication channel, Chris gave the order: "Sharpfang, Iceclaw, and I will enter Odegaard through Point 1, gathering useful intel while also searching for a base of operations. 

Leon, Mike, Maggie, you three will enter from Point 2. Mike, you're in charge of the on-site command at Point 2."

"Got it," Mike's voice immediately responded over the comms.

"Alright then, if there are no questions, let's head out. We'll regroup in the city of Odegaard. Good luck."

Chris led the remaining two members of the special operations team, activating their optical camouflage and, with the help of mechanical exoskeletons, quickly moved toward Point ①, several kilometers away.

Leon's group did the same. However, after leaving the small mountain and reaching open ground, they began to disperse from Chris's team.

It didn't take long for the three to reach the suburban residential area on the outskirts of the city. 

Upon arrival, they found that most of the houses had their doors tightly shut. Using the "invisibility" provided by their optical camouflage, they conducted close-up observations and discovered that the residents were either gathered by their windows, watching the chaos unfolding in the city, or sitting in their living rooms watching the news on TV.

Standing outside a house with its curtains partially open, Leon used the enhanced display of his helmet to observe everything inside the living room. 

He could even monitor the couple sitting on the couch—their breathing rate, perspiration levels, and facial expressions were all displayed on his helmet screen, allowing Leon to gather real-time information.

Although this method was somewhat "unethical," as it infringed upon the privacy of the homeowners, Leon remained calm beneath his helmet. Company regulations ensured that investigators wouldn't leak any private footage, and Leon adhered to his own professional ethics as well.

His calmness stemmed from the fact that he had long grown accustomed to this practice.

Through enhanced audio listening, Leon could also clearly hear the news broadcast and the conversations of the homeowners.

"...Odegaard's police have deployed the SWAT team and are conducting a raid on a rebel hideout..."

"Bang! Bang-bang!"

Gunfire suddenly erupted from the television, resonating throughout the living room. The field reporter quickly exclaimed:

"Oh my god! It seems the SWAT team has engaged the rebels! This is now the fourth armed conflict on Fertile Star since the death of Gerald Marquis Ander!"

With a beep, the male homeowner turned off the TV with the remote and angrily said:

"Suppress, suppress... all they can do is suppress! Fertile Star and Distant Star are both colonies, so why are we sending resources to Distant Star at a low price?"

"Calm down, don't wake the kids," the wife said, patting his back to soothe him.

"Maybe next year will be better? Didn't the governor say he's working to reduce taxes?" she added hopefully.

"Next year?" The man sneered, "He said the same thing two years ago, and last year too, but nothing has changed. Sure, Earth calls Fertile Star the breadbasket, but how much of that bread actually reaches us? Why should we help the UNSC fund their excessive military spending? Just to fight our own people?

And that governor? He's a retired major from the UNSC. Do you really think he's trustworthy?

If it weren't for you and the kids, I would have joined the rebels by now and helped make Fertile Star completely independent!"

"Shh, keep your voice down," the wife quickly warned, afraid someone might hear. 

She glanced toward the eastern-facing window.

Seeing no patrol cars outside and no neighbors violating curfew, the wife finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued to persuade him:

"It can't be helped. The former rebel leader was from Fertile Star. Even though he's been dead for almost a decade, there's really nothing we can do.

A few days ago, the rebels destroyed a transport ship. It seems they've crossed a line. If they keep pushing like this, the UNSC will definitely send a fleet to forcibly take control of everything on Fertile Star."

Hearing the broadcast and the conversation between the couple, Leon frowned slightly.

The intelligence department had indeed updated their data yesterday, clearly indicating that the leader of the Zero-Eight Universe's rebel army was a former administrative officer and SWAT team captain from Fertile Star, named Gerald Marquis Ander.

In 2502 of the Zero-Eight Universe, the UNSC dispatched a special operations team, whose members had undergone mild physical augmentation, to successfully assassinate Gerald and dismantle the once-powerful rebel army.

Leon had long stopped questioning how the intelligence department gathered such information. He had become used to it after joining the company, understanding that too much curiosity only led to frustration. After witnessing the company's rapid rise and various "supernatural" phenomena, Leon instinctively believed that the intelligence department's foresight was thanks to their boss.

Now, having gathered enough intel, Leon slowly retreated from the house and regrouped with Mike and Maggie at the community playground.

As soon as he approached, Mike's voice came through the internal comms, sounding serious:

"Based on the screen sharing from both of you, combined with the intelligence I've gathered, we can confirm that the Zero-Eight Universe is currently in the year 2511.

Beyond that, it seems the local population believes the government can no longer tolerate the rebels' extreme actions and is seeking military intervention to quell the unrest.

From the drone footage of the riots and the news broadcasts, it's clear that the situation has escalated beyond what the police can handle. So the locals' assessment seems reasonable."

Upon hearing this, Leon added his analysis: "If things keep heading in this direction, we need to complete our covert control of Fertile Star's authorities before the fleet arrives. We should feed the UEG and UNSC false information, which will help our company establish a foothold in the Zero-Eight Universe."

"Agreed," Mike responded, acknowledging Leon's point.

"I'm thinking the same. That's why we not only need to locate the terminal for the artificial intelligence but also find a way to sever or control communication between Fertile Star and the outside world, to prevent exposing the company's activities here too early."

"Cutting off communication might directly prompt the UNSC to send a fleet," Maggie expressed her concern.

"That's why we need to act fast," Mike said, as the team leader. He uploaded the gathered intel to the forward base and added, 

"As long as we can simultaneously control Fertile Star's governor, communication systems, and the AI, the company's armed forces deployed here will be enough to execute a rapid takeover strategy."

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