"You're too kind, Your Lordships," Feng Mo replied politely, giving a slight nod to his two former classmates. "Your sons have a promising future ahead. I'm sure they will make something of themselves. I should go attend the ceremony now, so I'll take my leave."
After nodding to his old schoolmates, Feng Mo turned and walked toward the grand Yunshan Tower, mentally marking the matter as closed. However, he would never forget that moment when Jiang Wei had drawn a laser gun, intending to kill him.
It was clear to him that Jiang Wei had to die. But not now. They had only just met again, and killing him a few days later would be too obvious. Appearances had to be maintained.
A few months or even a year down the road, arranging an assassination for someone like Jiang Wei, a spoiled son of wealth, wouldn't be costly at all—maybe fifty thousand credits, at most. With the number of enemies he'd made, no one would even suspect where the money came from.
As the old saying goes, "A thief is most dangerous when they have their eye on you." Few can withstand being a target for long.
Upon entering the Yunshan Tower, Feng Mo was first greeted by his old friend, Wang Chongsheng.
"Hey, Mo! Congratulations, man! You're a duke now, and the lord of not one but two star systems. And, remember that T4 battleship design you promised me? I heard you're rolling with quasi-T5 ships these days."
Wang was still the same, treating Feng Mo with complete ease. Feng Mo knew that this was something he needed—true friendships were rare and costly for those in power. Appreciating his friendship with Wang, Feng Mo put an arm around his shoulder and whispered, "Go to the Storm Star System's Elf capital, mention your name, and you'll be given a T4-class Tempest Battleship. Mention Moxue's name, and they'll add a T4-class Mammoth Carrier. Two flagships, how's that for brotherly loyalty?"
"Are you serious? Dude! I could cry right now! You're amazing! Let me give you a hug—" Wang threw his arms around Feng Mo, moving in for an overly enthusiastic embrace, which Feng Mo promptly dodged.
"Back off, man! Do you have any idea how unsanitary that is?" Feng Mo teased, smirking. "Pull anything gross, and I might just cancel those ships."
With a feigned whimper, Wang backed off, grabbing Moxue to whisper excitedly in the corner. Before long, Feng Mo heard their surprised gasps. By now, the entire Federation knew that Feng Mo was the youngest starship design genius in history.
Every ship he designed was at least 5% more efficient than the standard models on the market, and his flagships exceeded others by more than 10%.
In particular, the T3-class Tempest Battleship that Feng Mo himself had popularized was in such high demand that it often sold out upon release. It was so popular that Yunjian Enterprises had to raise the price and impose restrictions on sales. Despite this, people were still eager to buy, credit in hand.
Inside the building, the second person to greet Feng Mo was General Gu Jun. At this point, Feng Mo's rank was on par with the general's, though in terms of military resources, Feng Mo's power was still modest.
After all, he didn't yet have a T5 fleet. But Feng Mo remained sincerely grateful to Gu Jun, who had always been like a mentor and guide.
"Congratulations! From now on, we're calling you Duke Feng Mo!"
Gu's words rang out loud and clear, enough for everyone present to understand the significance. "Duke Feng Mo" was a title of respect. Calling him "Little Mo" would be presumptuous at best, a show of superiority and rank. Such behavior was not acceptable, and Gu intended to set that precedent here and now.
Behind Gu Jun were various aristocrats and military officers from their faction, each one beaming with pride. After all, Feng Mo was now one of their own.
"Of course, Uncle Gu can still call me Little Mo," Feng Mo replied, smiling. This acknowledgment made Gu laugh even louder. It was a sign of respect and closeness, and Gu patted Feng Mo's shoulder appreciatively before stepping back slightly, allowing Feng Mo to lead the way.
As they entered the assembly hall, Feng Mo scanned the room. He noted that two-thirds of the empire's nobles had come to congratulate him. The remaining third had not shown up, signaling their opposition. Through his personal terminal, Feng Mo discreetly recorded their names for future reference.
The actual ceremony was brief. Feng Mo stepped up to the podium, where an elderly man with silver hair, a Federal Councilor and head of the Yunshan Empire, awaited him. The old man removed Feng Mo's count insignia from his chest and replaced it with a duke's crest, officially marking his new rank.
It was that simple. There were no elaborate speeches, just the necessary presence of the Empire's noble council and the updating of his status on the Star Network and the Federation's central intelligence systems.
Still, during the brief interaction, the empire's head tried to subtly probe Feng Mo, testing if he might harbor ambitions of establishing his own kingdom or relinquishing his title. Feng Mo smoothly deflected each inquiry.
The old fox likely already knew of Feng Mo's ambitions. Feng Mo had never tried too hard to conceal them anyway. In these high circles of the Federation, no secrets truly remained hidden. Or rather, any secrets worth hiding were already known, merely unspoken, as such truths seldom survived in an age dominated by centralized intelligence.
When the ceremony concluded, Feng Mo exchanged farewells with Gu Jun and Wang before logging off the Star Network. The actual duke's insignia would arrive the next day, delivered by a Yunshan envoy.
Just then, Feng Mo received a video call from Chu Yunjian, and a mischievous tone greeted him.
"Duke Feng Mo, moving up in the world, I see. You know what they say: 'A promotion brings wealth and a new wife.' So, are you going to divorce me and find someone else?"
Feng Mo looked at her, wrapped in a thin shawl on the other end of the screen. She knew precisely how to ruffle him, wearing things like this just to provoke him, though the ones who often suffered as a result were Alisa and Kailan.
"The problem is," he replied, "Lady Yunjian still hasn't married me, so even if I wanted to, I can't."
This remark infuriated Chu Yunjian, who leaped up on the bed, pointing at him in mock rage.
"You heartless man! I've given you all of my 'firsts'—every way, every touch—and this is how you treat me? I'll expose your misdeeds on the Star Network! I'll write a story about a newly minted duke who ditches his fiancée right after his promotion."
Feng Mo could only laugh helplessly. How could he ever stay mad at her, with all her playful quirks? He knew this banter was just part of their relationship.
After a few more light-hearted exchanges, Chu Yunjian turned serious.
"Your Grace, the Huiyao Empire's council reached out to the Chu family just now. They're hoping you'll take on a secondary title within their empire as an Honorary Duke. My father asked me to get your thoughts."
Feng Mo nodded immediately. "Of course, I don't mind." This could only benefit him, especially since
the title was purely honorary and carried no direct responsibilities.
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