Li Nannan: "Daughter Star is not within my jurisdiction, so I'm not familiar with it. However, an official invitation shouldn't be a trap. Your personal safety will definitely be guaranteed. They probably just want to talk to you about Birong Star, persuade you to back down, or ask for some power. It's fine to meet them. Many things are easier to discuss face-to-face, and problems arise when you avoid them."
Li Nannan: "Daughter Star is a wealthy and advanced large planet. You can organize a large, formal delegation to gain some benefits."
Jiang Ye thanked Li Nannan and made his decision.
He would attend the banquet!
"If you go, I'll go too," Cen Yemeng said immediately.
"Of course, I'll bring you. Perhaps they primarily want to talk to you," Jiang Ye smiled. "I'll communicate with them first."
Returning home and entering the study, Jiang Ye logged into his account on the large screen of his desk.
Typing rapidly, a reply with a similar tone to the invitation soon appeared on the screen.
[To the Esteemed, Wise, and Illustrious Rotating Planet Governor of Daughter Star, Fu Qiuyan:]
[The invitation has been received, and I am deeply honored. As you said, our two planets have fought side-by-side for a long time. Though the starry road is long, our hearts are connected. On the eve of Victory Day, this celebration banquet is truly a good opportunity to rekindle old ties and a fortuitous day to look forward to the future. I will certainly attend.]
[Daughter Star is a model of planetary prosperity and strength, a representation of paradise on Earth. The Great Dao flourishes, a utopia. I have long heard of your fame and admire you greatly. May I inquire if it is possible to assemble a larger delegation for a visit and study? In addition to attending the banquet, we wish to learn firsthand from Daughter Star's advanced experiences in various industries and achieve various collaborations. If possible, please inform us of the requirements for the visiting and study team, as well as arrival and departure times.]
[Planet Governor of Jiang Ye Star, Cen Yemeng, and Commander-in-Chief of Jiang Ye Star, Jiang Ye]
After sending the reply, Jiang Ye began busy work, selecting members for the visiting and study team.
Although he was asking if they could bring a team, it was still planetary diplomacy. The other party would likely not refuse, at most, they would impose restrictions on the number of people.
He started with acquaintances.
Jiang Ye edited an invitation message and sent it out to a group.
Soon, replies began to pop up.
Isabelle: "I'm not going, I'm still on vacation. You guys have fun."
Ju Lanlan: "I can't get away, business is too busy. I fainted standing up in the restroom the day before yesterday. However, I can send five or six trusted individuals. Is there a limit to the number of people?"
Tian Rao: "Going, going, going! Why wouldn't I go on a government-funded trip! I heard there are beauties everywhere, maybe I can sell clothes there!"
Xu Yan: "I'll bring a few designers to take a look. Daughter Star is almost entirely populated by women. The local architecture must consider women's perspectives and convenience. After so many years of development, it's worth investigating."
Feng Zhi Shuang: "I'll help you pick some local entrepreneurs to learn their business models. Daughter Star has a very high commercial health index. If we're lucky, we might even sign some orders."
Jiang Ye then ordered his secretary, Su Yueming, to prepare for the business trip. He couldn't have no one working; labor had to be brought along.
Next, he ordered Shao Wan and Che Zhen to select some promising cadres and submit their names.
Cen Yemeng sat on the desk, stretching her long legs, holding a plate of cut fruit, and picked up an apple cube to feed him.
Soon, reply messages arrived.
Jiang Ye selectively omitted the pleasantries and superfluous words, extracting the core requirements from the other party.
First, the number of people in the learning and exchange delegation could not exceed 200.
Second, the members of the learning and exchange delegation should preferably be female, with males also acceptable, but robots were prohibited.
Third, they could arrive within the next week, with the exact time to be discussed further. Daughter Star's Ministry of Foreign Affairs needed to be notified 48 hours before arrival.
Fourth, if gifts were to be brought, they should be notified in advance to allow for reciprocal gifts.
Jiang Ye was quite satisfied; these were very simple requirements.
After a brief reply, he continued to send messages to his subordinates and friends:
Try to find as many female representatives as possible to participate in the visiting and study team.
Each party should prepare planetary gifts, which need to be special and meaningful. Military gifts will be exchanged between the military, and business gifts between the business circles.
Departure within four days. Time is tight, so arrange all matters as soon as possible.
"It's really urgent. Usually, for gatherings between planets like this, invitations are sent months or even more than a year in advance. This is only a week," Cen Yemeng said. "I wonder what Daughter Star is planning."
"I think it's a good thing for us," Jiang Ye said. "Daughter Star's hasty invitation might be because they received some news from the military that Birong Star will be allocated to us. Before, they didn't contact us, likely because they looked down on us, considering how small and dilapidated Jiang Ye Star is. If they had prepared mentally beforehand, they would have contacted us long ago."
"That's possible," Cen Yemeng nodded thoughtfully.
...
For the next two days, Jiang Ye was busy communicating with Daughter Star.
Various miscellaneous details needed to be verified one by one, from the etiquette for the meeting, the color of formal wear and ties, to mutual address, and even customs and traditions...
Even the material of the chopsticks, whether they were square or round, was treated as a major issue.
It was incredibly detailed.
Jiang Ye was overwhelmed, thinking that it wasn't this troublesome when he went to Har Star before. It seemed Har Star was considered one of their own, as they were all within Li Nannan's jurisdiction. Visiting Daughter Star was diplomacy, and no detail was too small.
Finally, on the fourth day after the invitation was sent, all matters were settled.
Jiang Ye Star's representative delegation, including the Commander-in-Chief and the Planet Governor, totaled 198 people, representing almost all industries. Daughter Star's requirement was no more than 200 people, leaving two spots as a gesture of courtesy.
Round-trip flights would be on the Galactic Empire's military spacecraft, which was also customary for inter-planetary visits.
At seven o'clock in the evening, Jiang Ye Star's First Star Station.
The entire star station was under strict security. In the dark night, a military spacecraft slowly descended. It was a model he hadn't seen before, a giant white cuboid with sharp angles, its body flashing orange lights, like a large ceramic brick.
Several soldiers boarded the spacecraft first, followed by Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng, and finally the entire delegation quickly boarded.
Everyone carried very little luggage, just a small suitcase, and boarded with it. After all, Daughter Star was prosperous, and they would be well-hosted, with everything available, so there was no need to bring much.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng's rooms were in the center of the spacecraft, far from other rooms.
As soon as the room door was closed, Jiang Ye's phone rang; it was a video call from Li Nannan.
Upon connecting, Li Nannan, wearing a white pajama, sat on the bed, holding Jiang Senlin.
"Son! Look here! Mommy is here!" Cen Yemeng exclaimed, waving at the phone in surprise.
Jiang Senlin was startled. Looking at his parents on the other side of the screen, he suddenly burst into tears, "Go home! Go home!"
Li Nannan was frantically coaxing him on the other side, while Cen Yemeng and Jiang Ye were also coaxing him on this side of the video. After a long time, Jiang Senlin finally stopped crying, but his face was still full of grievance.
He was still a child, after all, and wanted to go home after being away from his parents for a few days.
"He's doing fine here. There are a few artist children playing with him, and he was quite happy during the day. I thought he didn't miss home," Li Nannan explained. "Don't worry, okay?"