Marshal Sang had not yet removed his military uniform.

In the scene, a military officer in a somber, jet-black uniform reclined comfortably in a warm, amber-colored armchair. His eyes, usually sharp and commanding, now softened as he gazed down at the cat sprawled across his lap. With gentle motions, his battle-hardened hands caressed the exposed belly of the small creature. The feline, in a playful gesture, reached out a paw towards the Marshal's chest, seemingly intent on touching the gleaming medals that adorned his uniform.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-length windows, bathing the room in a golden glow. Despite the officer's typically stern and aloof expression, the warm light seemed to soften his features, casting a gentle luminescence over his countenance. The juxtaposition was striking - light and shadow, warmth and coolness, the hard edges of a military leader softened by the presence of a small, affectionate animal.

The scene resembled a masterfully crafted painting, each element carefully balanced to create a breathtaking whole.

Spectators who had gathered to witness this unexpected moment found themselves holding their breath, captivated by the extraordinary sight before them.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the screen went dark.

A collective groan of disappointment echoed through the virtual space.

"Nooooo!" they cried out in unison. "It's been turned off!"

The viewers, devastated by the abrupt end to their voyeuristic pleasure, pounded their desks in frustration, their hearts filled with a sense of loss.

"It was so beautiful!" one exclaimed.

"Absolutely stunning!" another agreed.

Among the hundreds of billions of citizens spread across the numerous star systems of the Cinters Empire, not a single soul had ever associated the words "Marshal Ji Xiuyun" with "beauty." The Marshal rarely appeared in the media, spending most of his time on battlefields and in military camps. Even his legendary mecha, the Silver Blade, had more online photos circulating than the man himself.

On the rare occasions when he did make public appearances, it was either fresh from the battlefield or en route to one. During those moments, every fiber of his being seemed taut with tension, his entire body coiled like a spring ready to unleash. Few reporters could withstand more than three minutes in his presence under such circumstances.

Praise for the young Marshal's numerous military achievements was always accompanied by words like "blade," "war god," "iron-blooded," and "the body of ten thousand unbroken blades." Journalists who had faced the Marshal directly - at least those of a more delicate disposition - had not hesitated to describe him as cold-blooded, domineering, and fierce.

Words associated with beauty had never before been applied to the Marshal. But after witnessing the scene that had just unfolded, people suddenly understood the concept of steel's beauty - the allure of strength tempered by unexpected gentleness.

The abrupt interruption of their appreciation for this beautiful moment ignited a wildfire of creative passion among the viewers.

In this grand era of the universe, with abundant resources and vast living spaces, the majority of humanity - outside of war-torn regions - enjoyed a high level of material satisfaction. With basic needs met, the pursuit of entertainment and self-actualization became paramount.

This was an age where the entertainment and art industries flourished, producing a dazzling array of talents. The reverence for the Imperial Marshal combined with a fascination for ancient Earth creatures sent this group of artists - forever chasing love and dreams - into a frenzy of inspiration.

Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the cultural storm they had inadvertently unleashed, the man and his cat found themselves in a moment of mutual bewilderment in the living room.

"I forgot," Marshal Ji Xiuyun admitted, taking responsibility for the oversight. He had not only forgotten that Yue'an couldn't use the holo-computer, but also that the cat couldn't read the text of this era.

After all, communication between them had never really been hindered by such trivial matters.

Yue'an, having grasped the situation to some extent from the images he'd seen, rolled onto his back. He wrapped his paws around the Marshal's hand, nuzzling it comfortingly. "Meow..." he vocalized softly.

Ji Xiuyun took the opportunity to scratch under the cat's chin, then picked up the fallen camera. He opened the social media platform on his wrist device.

Surprisingly, the Marshal's personal account had been active for decades, boasting over a trillion followers, yet containing only a few dozen posts. Scrolling through, one would find nothing but reports of victories from various star systems and planets.

It was precisely because he used it so infrequently that the app was relegated to the last spot on his holo-computer's interface. Who could have guessed that Yue'an would accidentally open each app, inadvertently activating the live streaming option?

Marshal Ji stared at his profile page, his eyes fixed on the automatically uploaded four-minute live stream recording. This brief video stood out starkly among his usual content, but the engagement metrics for this post were skyrocketing.

This was Jinjiang, the most widely used social networking platform across the entire star network. Despite its name, it was far more than just a social platform. It was a vast, all-encompassing knowledge and copyright hub that covered various industries, offering services from publishing and uploading to promotion and copyright protection. It included everything from audio-visual content and text to academic works and illustrations - a truly prosperous and comprehensive platform.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Live streaming was not uncommon on this platform; in fact, it was the norm. This normality meant that a mature industry chain had already developed around it.

The Marshal's gaze lingered on the delete button for the video, his finger hovering indecisively.

Yue'an, still sprawled across the Marshal's lap with his belly exposed, mewed softly.

"Hmm?" Ji Xiuyun responded absently, still not choosing to delete the video. Instead, he opened the backend account page and paused momentarily as he scanned the figures displayed.

"This," the Marshal said, pressing a finger gently under Yue'an's chin to guide the cat's gaze towards the screen, "is the money they're giving you. Can you understand it?"

"Meow." Yue'an could indeed understand numbers.

Arabic numerals, after all, had remained unchanged through the ages.

He counted the digits and was astonished to find that there were eight of them!

Eight digits!

How long had he been streaming?!

This was enough to buy a house in the Third Ring of the Imperial Capital!

"What do you want to buy?" Marshal Ji asked, though his hands were already moving, opening the online snack store page.

Yue'an glanced at the prices and without hesitation, patted the back of the Marshal's hand with his small paw.

"Meow!"

Get me EVERYTHING!

At times like this, Marshal Ji seemed to understand cat language perfectly. He swiftly purchased two of each top-selling item on the first page. For the few snacks that Yue'an had particularly enjoyed on the spaceship, the Marshal added ten more of each.

Yue'an had a preference for spicy flavors. Although he enjoyed other tastes as well, the spicy snacks had been devoured completely on the first day back on the warship.

Marshal Ji was always perceptive about such details.

Yue'an, noticing that the balance had barely changed despite all the purchases, watched as Ji continued his shopping spree. The cat rolled over, standing on the Marshal's thighs and placing both paws on his chest. "Meow!"

"Hmm?" The Marshal paused, leaning back slightly. "They'll be delivered in half an hour."

"Meow!" Yue'an mewed insistently, showing his tiny fangs.

Ji Xiuyun held the small cat paws resting on his chest, looking into Yue'an's eyes for a long moment. Suddenly, a flash of understanding crossed his face.

"You want to buy energy crystals?"

"Meow~" Yue'an's cat eyes sparkled brightly.

The Marshal's expression remained stoic, but as he met those brilliant blue eyes, he couldn't resist the urge to gently squeeze Yue'an's cheeks.

"Those aren't for sale to the public," he explained.

Energy crystals, due to their special properties, weren't widely available on the consumer market. However, because of their natural, pollution-free, and durable nature, as well as their abundant energy capacity, large-scale military and civilian industries could apply to the Empire for their use and reimbursement based on annual performance.

Cinters Star, as the Imperial capital, maintained an excellent natural environment despite its large population. This was largely due to the use of solar energy and energy crystals in industrial and civilian sectors.

While people still used electricity, its sources were solar power and energy crystals - clean, green, and pollution-free.

For various reasons, ordinary people couldn't easily purchase energy crystals. Even if they managed to buy some by chance, there was no equipment available on the market for them to use the crystals.

So energy crystals were non-commercial items, essentially a state-monopolized resource.

Dissatisfied with the answer, Yue'an immediately withdrew his paws and belly, huffily running to the floor-to-ceiling window with its plush carpet. He flopped down to sunbathe, clearly sulking.

The Marshal, unfazed by this abandonment, continued buying snacks for Yue'an.

No one ever chatted with the Marshal about which snacks tasted good or which small online shops had delicious treats. So Ji Xiuyun had no choice but to go by sales rankings, purchasing over a hundred different types of snacks in one go.

Afterwards, as if remembering something, he typed a string of information into the search bar. After switching to his own account to pay and place the order, he closed all the interfaces before turning to look at the small furball basking in the sunlight, seeming to glow with an aura of light.

"Energy crystals..." Marshal Ji said slowly, "aren't entirely impossible to get."

Hearing this, Yue'an's ears perked up instantly, and he turned to look at Ji Xiuyun.

The Marshal simply gazed at him silently.

Yue'an, quick to catch on, darted back in a flash. He rolled around next to the Marshal, nuzzling and meowing sweetly.

He placed his small paws on Ji's leg, kneading gently, his meows becoming syrupy and ingratiating. It was a textbook display of a fickle opportunist, swaying whichever way the wind blew!

The Marshal looked at this little opportunist and said, "They're available on the black market."

"Meow!"

Then why don't you buy some for me!

Why didn't you say so earlier about the black market!

What's the point of keeping me in suspense!

In our clan, people like you would have their teeth pulled out and nailed to the wall!

As one of the highest-ranking military leaders, Emperor had generously gifted Marshal Ji an energy crystal mining planet to ensure his financial resources matched his status.

Although Ji Xiuyun never managed the mining planet's affairs, it was still registered under his name.

So when the mining planet's manager submitted the monthly accounts, they would also include a proportion of energy crystals corresponding to that month's revenue.

In the past, Marshal Ji would usually hand these over to his generals to bolster their military reserves.

Although energy crystals could fetch a high price on the black market, to the Marshal, no amount of gold was worth more than the lives of the soldiers under his command.

The reason Ji Xiuyun's military corps was known as the invincible Army of the War God was partly due to the Marshal's practice of continuously supplying energy crystals to enhance their armaments, seemingly without regard for cost.

Thinking of this, the Marshal turned to look at Yue'an, who had already started kneading his relaxed thighs.

— Oh, he now knew that this habit of cats was called "making biscuits."

Ji Xiuyun grasped the two furry paws, feeling the small paws habitually flexing in his palms. He couldn't resist rubbing the paw pads.

He asked, "Isn't fifty energy crystals per month enough for you?"

"Meow!"

When it comes to spirit stones, the more, the better!

Marshal Ji seemed to understand Yue'an's meaning. He calculated the price: "But with this money, you could only buy about ten or so."

Yue'an: "..."

So I've already consumed millions worth of pocket change?!

Yue'an couldn't help but seriously consider whether he should pursue a career in live streaming.

He felt that he could probably earn several hundred million just by streaming himself sleeping.

The Marshal, observing the cat lost in thought, was about to reach out to pat his head when the doorbell rang.

It was the delivery robot bringing the snacks, arriving faster than expected.

Along with the snacks came about a dozen books that looked particularly serious and academic.

Yue'an's round cat eyes gazed at Ji Xiuyun, happily waiting to be fed.

However, he watched in dismay as Ji Xiuyun set all the snacks aside and then, to Yue'an's shock, covered the pile of snacks with a transparent protective shield, locked it, and then opened one of the books in front of Yue'an.

"Learn to read. For each page you understand, you'll be rewarded with five bags of snacks," the Marshal declared.

Yue'an: ???

That's not what you said when you were buying the snacks!

Ignoring Yue'an's accusing gaze, Ji Xiuyun picked up the light pen again and resumed pondering how to perfectly fit the cat tree into the living room.

Meanwhile, he encouraged Yue'an with a straight face: "Do your best."

The Marshal paused, then added, "You are a cat, after all."