Warhammer: I don't want to become a stinky can!

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Hades immediately changed his expression and shoved a pile of documents into Mortalian's hand.

Ignoring Hades' ramblings, Mortarian lowered his head and began to look through the documents Hades had handed him.

Summary of missile silos types and maintenance expenses in the Barbarus Starfield, R&D investment in large-scale bird-servant instruments, construction and complementarity of the entire starfield defense system, and expansion of the mortal garrison.

Mortarian fell silent; he was indeed interested in these things.

Similar files are also common in the Death Guard's daily logs, but they are an order of magnitude smaller than those in Barbarus.

After all, it involves the defense construction of an entire galaxy, not to mention that this galaxy is in a stage of rapid expansion.

Mortarian began to look through the documents. Before the Death Guard left, the Lord of Death had indeed made requests regarding the defense system of the Barbarus system, but he had not asked for too many details.

Seeing that Mortalian remained silent, Hades, who had been buried in piles of documents, sneered inwardly. These were all documents specifically set aside for Mortalian; besides these, there were two other piles of documents.

No one is getting away today.

As Hades was pondering this, two more people knocked on the office door. It was Galo and Vox. The two bowed briefly and then, under Hades' expectant gaze, happily received the task of completing the documents.

Hahaha, let Hades feel the pain!

Although Hades was still gloating, he was about to give instructions to Garo and Vox, but they had all fallen.

"Ahem, Gara, Vox, you two take a look through the documents first. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."

“Galo, you have most of the documents for planets 4 and 5, while Vox has the documents for planets 6 and 7.”

The Barbalus star system has a total of seven planets, with Barbalus being the third planet from the star at its center.

Apart from Barbarossa, which is relatively close to the planets and quite habitable, the other planets in this system are not very suitable for direct human habitation.

Planet 4 was transformed into an industrial world by the Greiel Mechanicus, responsible for supplying daily necessities to the entire galaxy. It is also home to the Greiel and Death Guard armies.

Planet 5 has been transformed into a buffer zone, where a large number of foreign ships will dock instead of heading directly to Barbaros.

Only those who have passed the Death Guard certification can receive an invitation to travel to the Barbarus Ring.

Note that it is the Barbarus Star Ring. If you want to go to Barbarus, you need to apply for approval and registration again.

Therefore, most of the diplomatic matters had already been resolved before this point, and those who were still determined to go to Barbarossa were more or less driven by spiritual pursuits.

Planet 6 has been completely militarized, with missile silos, defensive laser arrays, void shield generators, combat space stations floating in planetary orbit, and fleets anchored in the asteroid belt.

Planet 7 has been equipped with a star communication system to guide the fleet's movements, as well as large exploration instruments to guide the ship group that has just jumped out of Mandeville Point.

Of course, Planet 7 is also highly militarized.

Well, in fact, finding a planet with a low level of defense in the Barbarus star system is a difficult task.

“Galo, Vox, you need to write a summary report on the planet you are in charge of, detailing its development to date and analyzing its possible future trajectory, with a focus on the Mechanicus, the outsiders attempting to establish order on the planet, and the Barbarus's position in the region.”

"These data were collected by the tomb keepers in groups of five. Of course, if you think the data is wrong, you can go down and check it directly. You have the authority to do so, so please don't be careless."

Incidentally, Hades provided each of the stationed tomb keepers with general rules of conduct, outlining how to investigate things, including objects and people, and especially the relationships between them.

Line graph of purchasing power fluctuations of currency, food supply, sewage discharge from population gathering points, and emerging local slang and vocabulary.

For the item "food" alone, there are sections for imported basic grains, maps of major grain trading points in various human settlements, fluctuating prices of basic grains, records of major sugar transactions, and investigations into the black market for food.

Hades briefly reviewed the food, water, and materials that could be used to make weapons, and found no major problems. However, he still needed to wait for Garo and Vox to take a closer look.

Hades had carefully marked out a general outline for them. With the insights that Garo and Vox had gained from years of haggling with imperial officials, they would know where the key points were.

Some things, when taken individually, seem perfectly fine, but sometimes they just don't corroborate other data. Either the data is fabricated, or someone is trying to stir up trouble.

With such rapid development, high turnover of people, and diverse backgrounds, Hades doesn't believe that this place is truly "peaceful today."

But if anyone dares to cause trouble on the Deathguard's territory, Hades is happy to teach them a lesson and show them what military power is all about.

Thinking of this, Hades' left eye revealed a benevolent red light.

Yes, there is a code.

Hahahaha, I just made this up! My brain's itching, like it's about to grow a brain! I need to finish this infrastructure writing as soon as possible. Do you guys like this writing style? I looked through some survey reports and stuff while I was writing.

Chapter 267 The problem with people is their fondness for teaching.

Due to militarization, the approval process for planets 6 and 7 was relatively simple. Therefore, Vox ended his one-day tour of the paperwork hell and escaped to take charge of the Death Guard fleet's rest and reorganization in the Barbarus system.

Galo huddled in a corner, continuing to scrutinize the documents over and over with a furrowed brow.

Although Vox took his leave first, the office became lively instead.

The reason was simple: Hades summoned the Death Guards who had previously studied social management. Due to certain considerations, Hades first chose those whose thoughts and minds he felt were firm during the teaching process.

A group of about twenty people gathered around the reception table at the front of the office, looking at the documents issued by Hades and listening intently to Hades' explanation.

On the other side, Mortarian, who had already finished reading and revising the defenses of the Barbarus system, did not leave. He sat at his desk, holding reports and proposals related to Barbarus.

Hades' conversations with the Death Guards occasionally drifted into Mortalian's ears; in fact, the Primarch could easily hear all the sounds.

"First, you need to understand why these people are willing to come to Barbarossa."

Hades surveyed the Death Guards, speaking with astonishing speed yet with unwavering clarity.

“You must separate them vertically, and then horizontally.”

"Does anyone know what I mean and would like to explain?"

"Lord Hades, it is I."

A tall, Galapagos Death Guard raised his hand; his pupils were a rare greyish-white with a slightly cold, sharp blue edge.

Hades nodded. "Alright, Obi-Ra, you explain."

"Separating them vertically means that we need to distinguish the different cultural backgrounds of different people, and we cannot lump people from different planets together. We need to be clear about the different attitudes and positions of each human world towards Barbaros."

Aubrey glanced at Hades, who nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"For example, we can't confuse people from the world of death with people from the world of hives. Most of the former come to Barbarus for help or hope to stay in Barbarus; while the latter hope to cooperate with us or have some political considerations."

"The horizontal division refers to class. Different classes from different worlds come to Barbalus for different purposes. The upper class hopes to communicate directly with the Death Guard or reach an agreement with the Mechanicus, while the middle and lower classes hope to make a living and get rich in Barbalus."

The sound of turning over documents came from Mortalian's side.

“That’s right, Aubrey. You’ve read my recommended reading list carefully and have your own thoughts on it.”

Hades laughed heartily, while the Death Guard who was being praised gave an awkward smile. Praise wasn't common among the Death Guards, so not many people knew how to react when faced with Hades' praise.

The other Death Guards stared blankly at Obi-Bryant, and Hades had no idea what they were thinking.

Hades coughed to draw everyone's attention, and then Aubrey continued her analysis.

“Let’s divide them vertically first. The first group we need to pay attention to are the wandering merchants. Compared to others, these people who are constantly on the move and have no fixed abode are obviously more unstable. To meet their needs, the Death Guard has built a large trading space station between planets 6 and 7.”

"Traitors and their ships are not allowed to go any further in, and they are only allowed to lead a small number of warships, while individuals who have passed through layers of screening can continue to go deeper."

"The trinkets of the traveling merchants have attracted the attention of many nobles and the Mechanicus. As long as both parties pay the trade fees and do not sell anything that crosses the line, the Death Guard will not interfere with the transactions."

"Similarly, the things they trade are forbidden from being brought into the inner star system of Barbarus."

"Lord Hades, I don't understand."

A Death Guard raised his hand.

"The instability and risks brought by the wandering merchants far outweigh the benefits. The Death Guard has not levied excessive taxes on them, which does not create more profit for us and has also brought about a bad atmosphere."

Hades smiled.

“A very good question. These traveling merchants and wanderers really can’t provide us with much benefit.”

"But do you remember what I said, that profit is not everything? The construction of Barbarossa was for profit, but it was not for profit."

What are the characteristics of itinerant merchants and wandering travelers?

Hades suddenly stared at the Death Guard and asked a question, to which the Death Guard immediately replied.

"They have a strong sense of adventure, enjoy venturing into dangerous areas, are highly vigilant, and frequently travel between different star systems."

"It looks a lot like a bird."

Hades blurted out something out of the blue.

"You may not know this, but if you can't hear birdsong in nature, the first thing to do is to be on guard."

"In your opinion, compared to the Imperial fleet's large-scale operations, who has better information: these wandering merchants or ronin?"

The Death Guard, who had just asked the question, fell silent for a long while before speaking again.

"Rogue Trader."

Hades nodded.

"Gather information, discern information, and select the useful parts."

"They will be a great help to the Death Guard in obtaining information from the Storm Starfield. We can select three or four merchant groups from them for long-term cooperation."

Hades could sense that the Death Guards opposite him were clearly thinking, and some of them even took out notebooks and were writing something on them.

Sometimes, you have to think about things from different perspectives; thinking is a good thing.

"Thank you for your question. It's a very good question, and the angle you're looking at is excellent. Plus, your courage is commendable."

“Most people don’t dare to question their superiors, which is not a good habit.”

Hades finished speaking with a smile, and then he gained another big man with an awkward smile, while the other Death Guards also looked eager to try.

Hades gave them a moment, and then he continued speaking.

"Next, we have people from different worlds. Obi-Rui's example was excellent. The people who come to Barbaross can be roughly divided into two types: those who are in trouble, poor, and hope that the Death Guard will help them, or even directly annex them; and those who are rich and are there for political reasons, or who hope to cooperate."

"For the former, after proper investigation, we may selectively annex them or provide appropriate assistance—not without taking a penny; some of their worlds may be very suitable for conscription."

"The latter, the Death Guard needs to make them understand who is the master of this area, and at the same time assure them of the safety of their wealth."

Give them a sense of security, but not much.

"Cooperation is welcome. The Hive world generally has a surplus of production capacity, and the Legion is happy to establish long-term resource trade with them. If they simply want to use Barbarus as a platform to cooperate with other worlds, that is also welcome."

"They will also be loyal customers of the Mint Forge World and the best recycling center for the Legion's abandoned and old equipment."

What Hades found somewhat amusing was that, apart from the Meint that Greier had given to the Death Guard, there was only one other forged world nearby: Zhao Arcador.

But its geographical location is even more remote than Barbalus, and these human worlds simply cannot travel that far for an agreement that may not be reached.

"Of course, I'm going to give you a task here."

Hades spoke slowly, looking with satisfaction as those who had been taking notes looked up.

"After today's class, each of you will go to find someone I didn't choose today, form groups of three, and choose a human world that has visited Barbarossa for research."

"I will also have mortal officials accompany you in a while. Be prepared, dealing with mortals is an inevitable part of the journey, so be careful not to frighten them."

Then Hades watched with amusement as the Death Guards looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

Are they nervous? They're all seasoned warriors who've been on the battlefield fighting monsters.

"No rush, the lesson isn't over yet. When you get back, you'll need to teach today's content to others again."

"After I finish speaking, you can come to me and choose the world based on your own judgment."

Great!

Chapter 268 Might Makes Right

Hades finally seen everyone off, sighed softly, sat down to rest, and then subconsciously reached for the bread that the Death Guards had left for him.

Suddenly as if remembering something, Hades abruptly withdrew his hand and coughed awkwardly twice.

He swore an oath!

Seeing that Hades was no longer busy, a tired-looking Garo walked over and gave Hades a brief report on the situation on planets 4 and 5. According to Hades' intelligence, Garo had discovered several small factions that were trying to establish their own spheres of influence.

Galo looked at Hades with a pleading gaze, and Hades smiled and said in a hoarse voice,

"You're in charge, Galo?"

"Thank you for your trust, Commander."

Hades finally couldn't resist, tore off a piece of bread, and exclaimed as he ate, "It smells so good!"

"No need to keep it a secret, let everyone see and understand the price of causing trouble on Death Guard territory."

"Just think of it as a holiday, Gara."