Among the Zhao family, the person Zhao Chen respected and felt closest to was none other than the Second Grandmother before him.
When Zhao Chen was old enough to remember, both his parents had already passed away.
All he had was an indifferent Eldest Sister and a baby sister still in swaddling clothes.
Beyond that, most people in the Zhao family considered Zhao Chen an unnecessary burden. His birth had forced the Zhao family's eldest daughter, who could have become the head of the Zhao family and the Baron of the Fierce Dragon Star System, to leave her homeland.
Throughout Zhao Chen's childhood, it was always Second Grandmother who cared for him, treating him like her own grandson and son.
"Get up, get up. You're a Baron now, how can you kneel to an old woman like me?" Old Madam Zhao hurriedly helped Zhao Chen to his feet, her eyes filled with affection as she looked at the young man before her.
"It's been over a year since I last saw you. You've grown taller and stronger."
After being helped up, Zhao Chen supported Old Madam Zhao as they walked toward the house. "You're getting on in years, you shouldn't be wandering outside at this hour. Let me help you back to your room."
"How can I rest peacefully at a time like this? Just now, I heard from Wan'er that you destroyed the interstellar pirate fleet and are now cleaning up the remnants of the starships that assisted the Bao and Cui families?" Old Madam Zhao inquired with concern.
Zhao Chen replied, "It's all taken care of. The Thirty-five starships of the Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet were completely annihilated near Longwei Star. Of the sixteen starships controlled by the Bao and Cui families, two T2 starships and seven T1 starships were destroyed by our fleet. The remaining seven T1 starships have all surrendered. Without their fleet power, the Bao and Cui families can no longer stir up any trouble."
Hearing Zhao Chen announce this matter so casually, the Zhao family members were inwardly shocked. What had troubled Fierce Dragon Prime for two months and made the Zhao family feel disaster was imminent had actually been resolved with just a few words from Zhao Chen?
"Jiang Hong, contact all the nobles in the Fierce Dragon Star System for me. Within five hours, have all their clan leaders come to the Zhao family estate to see me. Tell them it's the Baron's order. Anyone who dares not to come will bear the consequences themselves." Zhao Chen looked at Jiang Hong, whom he was meeting for the first time, and issued the order without any hesitation.
Jiang Hong was taken aback for a moment, instinctively glancing at Zhao Wan'er.
Zhao Wan'er said, "Jiang Hong, do as my brother says."
"Yes," Jiang Hong began to handle the matter.
"Chen'er, are you planning to deal with this situation?" Old Madam Zhao sensed the implication in Zhao Chen's words.
Zhao Chen nodded.
Old Madam Zhao then asked, "Allow this old woman to ask a couple more questions. How do you plan to handle it?"
"The Fierce Dragon Star System has been decaying for many years. It's time for a major purge," Zhao Chen stated.
Old Madam Zhao looked at Zhao Chen, her withered hand stroking his cheek. "You've grown up. Our Chen'er has truly grown up. Go ahead and do it. Whatever you do, you are the Baron of our Zhao family, and Grandma supports you."
"Grandma, the scene later might not be suitable for you to watch. Would you like to step aside?" Zhao Chen said with some concern.
Old Madam Zhao laughed heartily, gripping her dragon-headed cane. "Chen'er, do whatever you need to do. Grandma has lived for over a hundred years; what scene haven't I seen? You probably don't know that when your grandfather became the lord, I was the deputy commander of the Fierce Dragon Star System's fleet."
I'll sit right here today and watch how our Chen'er cleans house.
"Wan'er, go get that chair for me."
Zhao Wan'er looked at her brother. At some point, the brother she once looked down upon had become her pillar of support.
Zhao Chen gave a slight nod.
Zhao Wan'er walked into the house and brought out a rosewood dragon-patterned chair. The chair was very old, with cracks and faded marks.
This was left behind by Zhao Chen's grandfather, the founder of the Zhao family.
Old Madam Zhao loved this rosewood dragon-patterned chair the most.
Old Madam Zhao, holding her dragon-headed cane, sat on the rosewood dragon-patterned chair.
Just then, a squad of Stellar Drones appeared in the distant sky, seemingly dangling something beneath their fuselages.
Subsequently, a horrifying scene unfolded before the eyes of the Zhao family.
Several corpses were directly dropped by these Stellar Drones into the Zhao family courtyard, and a voice came from the drones.
"Reporting to the Captain, the Cui clan members were obstinate and attempted armed resistance. As per your instructions, the Cui family residence has been destroyed, and all 225 members of the Cui family, from top to bottom, have been eliminated.
These are the remains of the Cui family head and several of their senior members."
The Cui family?
Some Zhao family members stared closely at the corpses on the ground and saw a bloody head—it was indeed the Cui clan leader!
Some women and children were already covering their mouths and vomiting.
The smell of blood also assaulted their senses.
"That old thing from the Cui family deserved to die long ago. Traitorous scum. If it weren't for Father taking in their ancestors and giving them a bite to eat back then, there would be no Cui family in the Fierce Dragon Star System. Pah."
Old Madam Zhao looked at the bloody scene before her without changing her expression, instead cursing the Cui family members.
Afterward, several more batches of Stellar Drones arrived, either carrying corpses or bringing live people.
The live people were also tied up in net bags and then dropped directly from several meters high into the Zhao family courtyard, most left with barely half a breath left.
The Zhao family members looked at these delivered individuals—without exception, they were all noble forces that had openly or secretly supported the Cui and Bao families.
Suddenly, a person being dangled by a Stellar Drone caught everyone's attention.
The Bao family head, Bao Dashan!
Bao Dashan's face was covered in blood and grime, his eyes vacant, appearing utterly disoriented.
Receiving the same treatment as those before him, he was also thrown heavily onto the ground.
"Clan Leader Bao, long time no see." Zhao Chen smiled, looking at Bao Dashan, who had been dropped like mud.
Seeing the person before him, Bao Dashan instantly roared with burning rage, "Zhao Chen! You beast, you devil.
You actually slaughtered my entire clan!
I will never share the same sky with you. Even as a ghost, I won't let you go."
Hearing Bao Dashan's words, the Zhao family members trembled inwardly—another Fierce Dragon noble family had been completely massacred.
"Bao Dashan, I find your skin truly thick.
Who planned the assassination attempt to kill me and Zhao Wan'er?
Who secretly organized Ground Forces, preparing to take control of the Zhao family residence by force once news of my death arrived?" Zhao Chen mocked.
Bao Dashan was left speechless by the retort but glared furiously at Zhao Chen, his demeanor wishing he could tear Zhao Chen to pieces. However, with both his legs broken, he had no chance for revenge.
"Find a pillar and tie Clan Leader Bao to it.
"Those corpses as well, tie them all up. If we just leave them lying on the ground, what if they catch a cold?" Zhao Chen said nonchalantly.
Soon, the head of the Bao family, one of the three great noble houses of the Fierce Dragon Star System, was tied to a pillar like livestock.
Old Madam Zhao watched Zhao Chen's actions but remained silent, even taking several sips of her tea.
At that moment, a shuttle arrived outside the Zhao family estate, but due to interception by the Stellar Drones, it could only stop outside the main courtyard.
"Report, the head of the Jiang family has arrived," a Zhao family servant announced.
The Jiang family was the only surviving family among the three great noble houses of the Fierce Dragon Star System, and it was also the family of Zhao Chen's fiancée, Jiang Shasha.