If one were to speak of the person Zachary Chase most respected and felt closest to within the Chase family, it would be the Second Old Madam before him.
When Zachary was old enough to remember, his parents had already passed away. He only had his indifferent elder sister and his infant younger sister. Besides them, most people in the Chase family believed Zachary was an extra, for Zachary's birth forced the Chase family's eldest young lady, who could have become the Chase family head and a Baron of the Little Dragon Star System, to leave her home.
Throughout Zachary's childhood, the Second Old Madam had always looked after him, just like his own grandmother or mother.
"Get up quickly, get up quickly. You are a Baron now, how can you kneel to this old woman?" Old Madam Chase hurriedly helped Zachary up, her face filled with tenderness as she looked at the young man before her. "After more than a year apart, you've grown taller and stronger."
After being helped up, Zachary supported Old Madam Chase and walked toward the house: "You are old, you shouldn't be walking around outside at this time. Let me help you back inside."
"At a time like this, how can I rest peacefully? Just now, I heard Wendy Chase say that you annihilated the interstellar pirate fleet and are now clearing out the remaining starships that assisted the Bao Family and Cui Family?" Old Madam Chase asked with concern.
Zachary replied: "It's all taken care of. The Three-Clawed Serpent Interstellar Pirate Fleet's thirty-five starships were completely annihilated by us in the Dragon Tail Star area. The sixteen starships controlled by the Bao Family and Cui Family—two T2 starships and seven T1 starships—were destroyed by our ships. The remaining seven T1 starships all surrendered. The Bao Family and Cui Family, having lost their fleet power, can no longer stir up any trouble."
Hearing Zachary announce this matter so casually, the Chase family members were, in fact, extremely shocked. What had originally affected Little Dragon Main Star for two months, making the Chase family believe a great disaster was imminent, was now settled by Zachary in just a few words?
"Jenna Hong, help me contact all the nobles in the Little Dragon Star System. Within five hours, have all those patriarchs come to the Chase Family Residence to see me. Tell them this is the Baron's command. Anyone who dares not come will bear the consequences." Zachary looked at Jenna Hong, whom he was meeting for the first time, and gave orders directly without any unfamiliarity.
Jenna was stunned. She instinctively glanced at Wendy.
Wendy said: "Jenna, do as my brother says."
"Yes." Jenna began to handle the matter.
"Zachary, are you preparing to deal with this matter?" Old Madam Chase detected the hint in Zachary's words.
Zachary nodded.
Old Madam Chase continued to ask: "Allow this old woman to speak a few more words—what are you planning to do?"
"The Little Dragon Star System has been corrupt for many years; it's time for a major purge," Zachary said.
Old Madam Chase looked at Zachary, and she stroked his cheek with her dry hand: "He's grown up, our Zachary has truly grown up. Go do it. No matter what you do, you are our Chase family's Baron, and Grandma supports you."
"Grandma, the scene later might not be suitable for you to see, so perhaps you should move somewhere else?" Zachary said with some hesitation.
Old Madam Chase laughed heartily. She held her dragon-head cane: "Zachary, do whatever you want to do. I, your Grandma, have lived for over a hundred years; what kind of scene haven't I seen? You probably don't know—when your grandfather became the lord, I was the co-commander of the Little Dragon Star System's fleet. I'll just sit here today and watch how our Zachary cleans house. Wendy, help me bring that chair over."
Wendy looked at her brother. She didn't know when it started, but her brother, whom she originally looked down upon, had already become her backbone.
Zachary nodded slightly.
Wendy walked into the house and brought out a red sandalwood dragon-patterned chair. The chair was very old, with cracks and faded marks on it. This was left by Zachary's great-grandfather, the founder of the Chase family. Old Madam Chase liked this red sandalwood dragon-patterned chair the most.
Old Madam Chase sat on the red sandalwood dragon-patterned chair, holding her dragon-head cane.
Just then, a squadron of Interstellar Drones appeared in the distant sky, and it seemed as if something was dangling beneath their bodies.
Subsequently, a horrifying scene appeared before the Chase family members.
Several corpses were directly thrown into the Chase family courtyard by these Interstellar Drones, and a voice came from an Interstellar Drone.
"Reporting to the Captain, the Cui Family members were stubborn and attempted armed resistance. According to your instructions, the Cui Family Residence has been destroyed, and all two hundred twenty-five members of the Cui Family, from top to bottom, have been killed. These are the remains of the Cui Family's patriarch and several of their internal high-ranking members."
The Cui Family?
Some Chase family members stared closely at the corpses on the ground, and when they saw a bloody head, it was indeed the Cui Family's patriarch! Some women and children were already covering their mouths and vomiting at this moment. The smell of blood also assailed their nostrils.
"That old thing from the Cui Family should have died long ago. A traitorous fellow! If Father hadn't taken in their Cui Family ancestors and given them a place to eat back then, there would be no Cui Family in the Little Dragon Star System. Bah!" Old Madam Chase looked at the bloody scene before her without changing her expression; instead, she cursed the Cui Family members.
Afterward, several more batches of Interstellar Drones arrived, either carrying corpses or living people. The living people were also tied in nets and then directly thrown into the Chase family courtyard from several meters high, basically leaving them with only half a breath.
The Chase family members looked at these people who were brought in—all of whom, without exception, were noble forces who had overtly or covertly supported the Cui Family and Bao Family.
Suddenly, a person being hoisted by an Interstellar Drone attracted everyone's attention.
The Bao Family's patriarch, Bao Dashan!
Bao Dashan's face was covered in blood, his eyes were lifeless, and he looked utterly distraught. Receiving the same treatment as the previous people, he was also heavily thrown to the ground.
"Patriarch Bao, still doing well, I see." Zachary smiled as he looked at Bao Dashan, who was thrown down like a pile of mud.
When Bao Dashan saw the person before him, he instantly roared in fury: "Zachary Chase! You beast, you devil. You actually slaughtered my entire clan! I will never rest until I've avenged myself against you, and I won't let you go even if I become a ghost."
Hearing Bao Dashan's words, the Chase family members' hearts trembled—another Little Dragon noble family had been completely massacred.
"Bao Dashan, I find your audacity truly remarkable. Who orchestrated the assassination plot, intending to kill me and Wendy? Who secretly organized ground forces, preparing to use force to control the Chase Family Residence once news of my death arrived?" Zachary sneered.
Bao Dashan was left speechless by the retort but glared at Zachary furiously, his posture indicating he wished to tear Zachary into ten thousand pieces, but alas, both his legs were broken, leaving him no chance for revenge.
"Find a pillar and tie Patriarch Bao to it. The corpses too, tie them all up. If they're just left on the ground, what if they catch a cold?" Zachary said nonchalantly.
Soon, Bao Dashan, who was once one of the three great noble families of the Little Dragon Star System, was tied to a pillar like livestock.
Old Madam Chase watched Zachary's actions but remained silent, even taking several sips of tea.
Just then, a shuttle arrived outside the Chase Family Residence, but due to the interception by Interstellar Drones, this shuttle could only stop outside the courtyard.
"Report, the Shae family's patriarch has arrived." A servant of the Chase family reported.
The Shae family was the only surviving one among the three great families of the Little Dragon Star System, and also the family of Zachary's ex-fiancée, Jessica Shae.