Chapter 8: Pet

The Imperial No. 3 Warp Laboratory was built inside an asteroid orbiting Sith Star. Classified SS-level, it was dedicated to studying a mysterious metal sphere discovered in an ancient shipyard, hoping to unlock a revolutionary warp engine.

Scientists found that specific light waves triggered reactions from the sphere's patterns. After five months of intense supercomputer calculations, they finally decoded its hidden information.

Inside, they found records of a Dimensional Warp Engine, supposedly capable of opening dimensional tunnels. Whether it actually worked remained unknown.

Dr. Farat, the Empire's Chief Physicist, felt an unusual sense of dread. It was as if something bad was about to happen. He shook his head and dismissed the feeling. As a devout materialist, he never believed in luck or superstition.

"Doctor, we can't seem to initialize the warp engine's preheating sequence!" A researcher ran toward him, desperate for his guidance.

"Open the hatch. I'll check it myself." With that, Dr. Farat walked across the bridge and entered the test ship.

"You idiots! You connected these energy transmission chips in the wrong order!" Furious, he pulled out the misplaced chips.

The moment he did, the ship was engulfed in blinding electrical flashes—a clear sign of imminent warp activation!

The assistants panicked and rushed to shut down the ship's power reactor. But it was too late.

In a flash of intense light, the ship vanished without a trace. It was as if it had never existed on the test platform.

Days Later

"Your Majesty, we still haven't located Dr. Farat. Our high-powered scanners have searched all known star systems, but there's no trace of his ship. I'm afraid..."

The intelligence officer lowered his head, not daring to meet the Emperor's gaze. Even through a screen, he could feel the blazing fury radiating from His Majesty.

Emperor Li Mingze slammed his desk, knocking over a glass of water.

"Useless fools! Do you even understand how valuable a Chief Scientist is to the Empire? That researcher who caused this mess—send him to the mines!"

Losing the leading expert on hyperspace engines had set back the Empire's propulsion research by at least 5%.

No one knew how this "accidental" experiment would change the course of history.

"Your Majesty, don't be angry. The colonial forces have brought you a cute little creature," said Tianyi, the Empire's AI assistant. She materialized in his office, holding a small, fluffy animal with big, watery eyes resembling a puppy.

"This little one was recently captured on Haven. It's already been vaccinated and checked by medical robots. It's incredibly gentle and has no aggression at all," Tianyi said while stroking the tiny creature.

"Oh? Have it brought to me. It looks so cute that I can't stay mad," said Li Mingze, his anger fading.

Moments later, a maid carried the small animal into the office. Li Mingze took it into his arms, feeling its soft fur.

"From now on, I'll call you Little fool (Xiao Sha), okay?"

"Gu?" The creature tilted its head, staring at him with its large, curious eyes. It had no idea that it had just been given such a... unique name.

Imperial Mascot

From that day on, the Empire's citizens noticed that their mighty Emperor had a new adorable pet. No matter where Li Mingze went, Xiao Sha followed.

"Xiao Sha, smile!"

"Gu?"

"Stand up, Xiao Sha!"

"Gu? Gu gu?"

"You're seriously dumb, huh? You can't even stand? You're disgracing your canine ancestors!"

"Gu?! Gu gu gu! Gu gu!"

"Alright, I give up. You really are dumb. Come on, let's go eat."

Li Mingze scooped up the rolling, playful Xiao Sha, who looked unwilling to leave the soft carpet. It was the most comfortable thing it had ever laid on—why couldn't it stay a bit longer?

As the pet of the most powerful figure in the Empire, Xiao Sha lived in absolute luxury:

A massive five-meter-tall floor-to-ceiling window, a three-meter-wide ultra-soft bed, a personal hot spring, 24/7 service from two beautiful maids.

Its life was so comfortable that other Zim Beasts felt jealous and resentful, questioning their entire existence.

With the Emperor's adoration, the Zim Beast species became immensely popular across the Empire. However, due to the cost of transportation from Haven, they were incredibly expensive—a luxury pet reserved for the elite.

Inside the Imperial Office, Li Mingze reviewed the latest colonial supply plans.

As Haven's development accelerated, its food demand surged. Since the planet was industrial-focused, it had very few farms, and most of its food had to be imported from Sith Star.

Unfortunately, quantum transporters could only safely transfer minerals. Food turned rock-hard and tasteless when transmitted, losing its nutritional value.

Thus, the Emperor ordered civilian shipyards to build more freighters to continuously deliver food and luxury goods—including alcohol, snacks, drinks, and tobacco—to Haven.

After all, if he wanted colonists to work efficiently, they needed more than just food. These weren't slaves; they required proper living conditions.

Now, over 300 freighters filled the trade routes between Sith Star and Haven. They delivered essential supplies while bringing back valuable colonial exports, such as:

Rare spices, Precious gemstones, Exotic plants, Unique pets, and more.

This constant exchange strengthened the Empire's economy and prosperity.

Li Mingze was thankful that all Imperial infrastructure was strictly controlled. Otherwise, it would have given birth to a flourishing pirate industry!

Imperial News Bulletin

"Shocking! Massive Words Cover an Entire Planet—Empire Set to Profit Big!"

A researcher, Weiss, working on Fujie Star, reported a bizarre discovery.

Upon reaching Fujie I, their exploration ship found that half the planet was covered in massive carvings, created with mining lasers.

This ancient text, stretching across an entire hemisphere, detailed a tragic love story from 5,000 years ago—a tale of a betrayed miner who became a backup lover and was later forced into raising another man's child.

This remarkable find could provide insights into the ancient civilization's culture!

Stay tuned for more reports from our field journalist, broadcasting live from Fujie Star's orbit.