Chapter 1375: Preparations Before the Ceremony (1)

The worker nodded, picked up his tool bag, and walked toward the food truck at the edge of the plaza.

There was a queue in front of the food truck, mostly workers and volunteers.

The woman selling the boxed lunches was surnamed Chen, and she had been running her stall in the Central Plaza for two years.

"Lao Chen, give me an order of braised pork."

Mars handed over his meal card.

Sister Chen skillfully scooped the food, packed it into a box, and handed it over.

"Mars, I heard the Emperor will also come on the day of the celebration?"

Mars took the boxed lunch.

"He'll definitely come. This is the third anniversary of the founding of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance; how could the Emperor not come? Not just the Emperor, the Primarchs will all be here too. Haven't you seen the news? The Primarchs who were out in the field have all returned—Lord Horus, Lord Sanguinius, Lord Mortarion, they've all come back."

Sister Chen's eyes lit up.

"So I'll be able to see the Primarchs? Really?"

Mars laughed.

"Of course. Don't you see Lord Perturabo around here often?"

Sister Chen waved her hand.

"I see Lord Perturabo often enough; he passes by here frequently on his way to the construction site, but I haven't seen the other Primarchs. What does Lord Horus look like? Is he exceptionally tall? Does Lord Sanguinius really have wings?"

A worker nearby chimed in.

"Lord Sanguinius really does have wings, white ones, they're so beautiful; it was broadcast on the news last time."

Sister Chen sighed.

"Those places where the fighting happens are too far away, I can't see them. Since I can see them in the plaza this time, I must take a good look."

Mars carried his boxed lunch to the steps at the edge of the plaza, sat down, and opened the box; the aroma of braised pork permeated the air.

Looking at the bustling scene before him, he dared not imagine that once upon a time, this planet was also a hellscape.

The new city in the East District had already begun to take shape.

The "Dawn Building" designed by Perturabo stood in the center of the new city; the exterior walls of the residential building used a new type of composite material, glowing with a soft, beige luster under the sunlight.

In the small plaza in front of the building, a group of children were chasing each other and playing.

Old people sat on the benches by the flower beds, watching the children and smiling.

A man wearing blue work clothes walked out of the Dawn Building, carrying a toolbox in his hand.

He was the property maintenance worker here, surnamed Zhao, and he had watched this building go up step by step.

"Uncle Zhao! Uncle Zhao!"

A little boy ran over.

"The faucet at my house is broken, my mom wants you to go take a look."

Uncle Zhao patted his head.

"Alright, you go back first, I'll be there right away."

The little boy ran off into the distance.

Uncle Zhao looked up at the Dawn Building.

This was a building he had helped construct; he had handled every brick, every steel bar, and every layer of concrete.

Uncle Zhao carried his toolbox into the Dawn Building.

The elevator was newly installed, smooth and quiet.

He pressed the button for the twelfth floor, and the elevator doors closed.

On the electronic screen inside the elevator, a promotional video for the third-anniversary celebration was playing on a loop.

The Emperor's back as he reviewed documents in his study, the Primarchs discussing strategy in the Meeting Room, footage of Space Marines fighting in space, and the heroic posture of the Astra Militarum patrolling the borders.

The elevator arrived.

Uncle Zhao walked out and knocked on the door of 1203.

"Coming, coming."

The door opened, and a middle-aged woman poked her head out.

"Laozhao, the kitchen faucet won't tighten anymore, it keeps leaking."

Uncle Zhao walked in, crouched under the kitchen sink, opened the cabinet door, and checked the water pipe connection.

"The valve core is worn out, just need to replace it with a new one."

The middle-aged woman handed him a glass of water.

"Laozhao, are you going to watch the third-anniversary celebration?"

Uncle Zhao took the water and took a sip.

"I am. Isn't there an event in the plaza? The Central Plaza will definitely be crowded, but there's a branch venue here in the East District, right in the plaza in front of the Dawn Building. There will be performances and food then, no need to run that far."

The middle-aged woman nodded.

"That's good, my legs aren't good, I can't walk long distances."

Uncle Zhao finished replacing the valve core and tested the water.

"All done."

He packed up his tools.

"Where's your kid?"

The middle-aged woman pointed outside the window.

"Playing downstairs. They've been so happy these past few days, rehearsing programs at school every day, saying they want to perform for the Emperor."

Uncle Zhao smiled.

"Children like excitement."

The middle-aged woman saw him to the door.

"Laozhao, these past few years, I owe it all to you."

Uncle Zhao waved his hand. "It's only right."

He stepped into the elevator, the elevator descended, and through the glass wall, one could see the panoramic view of the Eastern District New City.

Around the Dawn Building, there were over a dozen more residential buildings under construction; the construction site was filled with tower cranes, and workers were busy.

Perturabo's civil engineering projects, Guilliman's urban planning, Luojia's cultural construction, Fulgrim's artistic guidance—every Primarch was using their own way to make this city better.

The elevator door opened, and Uncle Zhao walked out of the Dawn Building.

Sunlight shone on his face, and he squinted his eyes.

On the plaza, children were still playing. A young man was teaching the children to play soccer; he was a Cadian soldier stationed nearby, who had come to volunteer during his time off.

He wore a dark blue training uniform, dribbling the ball nimbly at his feet, with the children chasing after him.

"Uncle, have you ever fought in a war?"

A little boy asked.

The soldier stopped the ball.

"I have."

"What kind of war?"

"Fighting Aliens, those Aliens who want to bully us."

The little boy's eyes were bright and sparkling.

"Are they tough?"

The soldier thought for a moment.

"Some are tough, some are not. But regardless of whether they are tough or not, we must fight. Because the Emperor is watching us."

The little boy looked at him with admiration.

"Uncle, when I grow up, I want to join the Astra Militarum too!"

The soldier patted his head.

"Then you must start exercising now: running, playing soccer, and eating more nutritious food. When you grow up, go and participate in the selection."

The little boy nodded vigorously.

The industrial park in the South District was the largest manufacturing base on the entire Xiuluo Holy Star.

Hundreds of factories were gathered here, producing everything from construction materials to warship parts.

Workers worked in three shifts, and the roar of machines never ceased day or night.

On the bulletin board at the entrance of the industrial park, an announcement for the third-anniversary celebration was posted.

When workers got off work and passed by, they would all stop to take a look.

A young female worker stood in front of the bulletin board; her work uniform was stained with machine oil, and there was a streak of black grease on her face.

Her name was Lin Wei, and she was a quality inspector at the largest arsenal in the park, responsible for checking the quality of parts.

A coworker beside her nudged her.

"Lin Wei, stop looking, let's go, the cafeteria is about to run out of food."

Lin Wei didn't move.

"Look at this, on the day of the celebration, the park will be closed for a day, and there will be a fireworks show in the evening."

The coworker leaned over to look.

"Really? That's great."

Lin Wei pointed to another line of text on the announcement.

"Also, that day, Emperor's Angels will come to the park to pay a visit, saying they are going to give us souvenirs."

The coworker's eyes lit up.

"Those Angels? They will come here to us?"

Lin Wei said.

"It's written on the announcement, it should be correct."

The coworker grabbed her arm excitedly.

"Then I must wash my work uniform clean; I can't let them see me looking like this."

Lin Wei laughed.

"What's wrong with wearing your work uniform? A work uniform is a worker's pride."

The coworker thought about it. "That's true."

The two of them walked toward the cafeteria while talking.

A long line had already formed in the cafeteria.

A huge banner hung above the serving window.

"Third Anniversary of the Founding of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, Thank You to Every Builder."

Lin Wei and her coworker found a spot in the corner.

A middle-aged man walked over carrying a food tray.

"Lin Wei, you're here too? Is your workshop off for the celebration next week?"

Lin Wei nodded.

"Yes, what about you?"

The middle-aged man sat down.

"They are, but a few old workers in our workshop aren't taking the holiday; they said they need to rush a batch of parts. Lord Perturabo's Engineering Team is waiting to use them."

Lin Wei smiled.

"Lord Perturabo's Engineering Team always wants things the fastest."

The middle-aged man sighed.

"There's no helping it, they're all doing livelihood projects. Lord Perturabo said he wants everyone on the Xiuluo Holy Star to have a house to live in, books to read, and medical care."

The television in the cafeteria was playing a trailer for the third-anniversary celebration.

On screen, the sunset of the Xiuluo Holy Star slowly sank into the starry sky, the city was brightly lit, and the Primarchs stood on the observation deck overlooking this land.