Great Power Reclamation

Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong's African strategic blueprint had just been laid out, and their initial contact with several West African countries hadn't even warmed up yet, when a coded letter with "friendly" yet "firm" wording was placed directly on Ye Yuze's desk.

This was not a simple email, but a formal official letter delivered through special diplomatic channels, bearing the seal of the Royal Federal Government of East Africa.

The sender is Her Majesty Queen Ye Mei, the Supreme Head of State of the Federation of East African States, and Her Majesty Queen Ye Rou, the co-ruler.

The appendix also included a joint "supplementary statement" from Prime Minister Yang Dae and Commander-in-Chief Yang San, which sounded more like an ultimatum.

The letter's core message is very clear, and it carries an unquestionable royal tone:
"To our beloved father, Ye Yuze, and to Uncle Yang Geyong, who is like a father to us:"

I was greatly pleased to learn that the two were planning a grand scheme in Africa.

However, the East African Federation is the foundation of the Ye and Yang families, connected by blood and sharing weal and woe. The Federation has a vast territory, abundant resources, a rock-solid political situation, and an invincible army ready to fight at any moment (loyal warriors under Commander Yang San, always prepared to fight to defend the interests of their family and country).

Any matter concerning core technologies and strategic resources should, from a moral, rational, and beneficial perspective, be given priority to be rooted in the fertile ground of the Federation.

In the name of the Queen of the East African Federation, I formally invite you two esteemed elders to return to the nation, carrying the grand vision of the 'Seed Ark,' to preside over the Federation's highest strategic initiatives in agriculture and biotechnology. The entire Federation will undoubtedly provide full cooperation and grant you all your requests.

Please make a swift decision, lest we be troubled. The palace has been swept and cleaned, awaiting your return.

—Respectfully presented by Queen Ye Mei and Queen Ye Rou

In the "Supplementary Notes" appendix, Yang Da, in the Prime Minister's meticulous tone, listed a specific list of support that the federal government could provide:
More than 100,000 hectares of dedicated experimental land, comprehensive cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences, the establishment of a federal biotechnology development fund worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and permanent tax-free privileges for all imports and exports.

Yang San's message was simple and blunt: "Dad, Uncle Ye, I've prepared the planes and cannons, just waiting for you to come back and give us your guidance! Anyone who dares to talk back, I'll send an armored division to reason with them!"

Looking at the holographic projection of his daughter-in-law's dignified yet affectionate image, and his sons' "both soft and hard" messages, Yang Geyong scratched his buzz cut, both amused and exasperated.

"Damn it! Those two girls are really something else now! One's playing the good cop and the other's bad cop! And those two little bastards, Yang Da and Yang San, one's throwing money at us and the other's bombarding us with cannons! They're trying to put us on the hot seat!"

Ye Yuze smiled wryly, put down the e-mail, and rubbed his temples.

"This time it's not a discussion, it's a notification, or rather... a royal decree."

“If we don’t go back ‘dignified,’ the next time we’ll probably not receive a letter, but that brat Yang San himself will come to ‘greet’ us with the Royal Guard and an armored squadron. That bastard is absolutely capable of doing that.”

Sure enough, a few days later, when Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong were inspecting a potential port for cooperation in Ghana, a deafening roar came from the originally clear sky.

It wasn't just any passing passenger plane, but a massive fleet of planes that stretched from afar, blotting out the sky.

Leading the way were several of the latest East African Federation stealth fighter jets, followed by three large Royal Albatross strategic transport aircraft, and a group of armed helicopters providing escort and surveillance.

The port and airport were swiftly and efficiently cleared and placed under martial law. Squads of Royal Airborne Special Service soldiers, dressed in black special operations uniforms and embroidered with gold lion badges on their arms, descended like divine warriors, quickly taking control of all key positions. Their swift movements and cold eyes demonstrated their extremely high level of military prowess.

Then, an elegantly designed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, painted with the royal insignia, landed steadily in the center of the airport runway, like a precise swift, under the watchful eyes of many.

The hatch slowly opened, and Marshal Yang San, Commander-in-Chief of the East African Federation Armed Forces, strode out in his spotless, crisp marshal's uniform, his chest adorned with medals that gleamed in the African sun.

Behind him stood eight Royal Guard soldiers, as imposing as iron towers.

He walked straight up to Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong, who looked helpless yet somewhat amused, ignoring the astonished Ghanaian officials and partners around them, and snapped a crisp, clean military salute in a loud, metallic voice:

"Marshal Yang San, Commander-in-Chief of the East African Federation Armed Forces, has been ordered by Her Majesties the Queens and the Prime Minister to lead a royal task force to welcome His Highness Prince Ye Yuze and His Highness Prince Yang Geyong back to the country for an audience!"

"Your Highness?!" Yang Geyong's eyes widened like saucers, and he almost jumped up. "What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat? When did I become a prince?"

The stern expression befitting a marshal instantly melted from Yang San's face, replaced by his signature roguish smile. He leaned closer and whispered:
"Father, Uncle Ye, don't get excited! My sister just issued the decree, it's fresh off the press! It's an honorary royal title, not hereditary, but it has many benefits, making it easier for you to operate within the Federation!"

"Come on, come on! The private jet has the best coffee and cigars, and everything at home is arranged. We're just waiting for you two to come back and take charge!"

Without further ado, he gestured for the royal guards to "take" the two old men's simple luggage, and almost half-"helped" and half-"guided" them, in an extremely "honorable" manner that left no room for refusal, "invited" them to the luxurious private jet.

Officials and partners from other countries around them were stunned.

This spectacle, this grandeur, is no ordinary welcome; it is clearly the return of the crown prince of a powerful kingdom (albeit with honor) to his rightful place!

Looking at the menacing fighter jets in the sky and the elite soldiers on the ground, everyone could clearly feel the unquestionable will and powerful strength of the East African Federation.

Ye Yuze sighed helplessly and whispered to Yang Geyong, who was still glaring at him:

"Alright, brother, let's give the kid some face and save face for ourselves. Besides, the title of 'Prince' doesn't sound like a bad deal. At least we can act like we own the place in Africa from now on."

Yang Geyong snorted, but didn't struggle anymore, only muttering as he was "invited" onto the plane:
"Back in the day, I was a tough guy who gave Agxi a lot of headaches. Now look what I've done, I'm being 'tied up' and taken back by my own son and his army like a national treasure... What the hell is this?!"

The capital of the Federal Republic of East Africa, the "City of Glory," houses the magnificent Royal Palace, a marvel that blends modern design with African elements.

This family meeting was of a scale comparable to a top state council, yet it was filled with a family atmosphere. Queen Ye Mei, dressed in a tailor-made royal gown and wearing a simple yet dazzling crown, sat regally in the main seat. Her young face already possessed an air of authority, and her gaze was calm and powerful.

Queen Ye Rou, dressed in a smart ivory white suit and adorned with exquisite jewelry, sat beside her sister with bright eyes and a faint smile on her lips, as if she had everything under control.

Prime Minister Yang, dressed in a well-fitting formal suit, stood by with a smile, operating a holographic projector to prepare to showcase his grand plans.

Marshal Yang, who had just completed his "escort" mission, changed into a more comfortable jungle camouflage training uniform. He crossed his arms and leaned against the heavy, carved door frame of the conference hall like a guardian deity, as if he could go out at any moment to mobilize thousands of troops.

"Father, Uncle Yang," Queen Ye Mei said, her voice clear and melodious, carrying the composure and distance unique to royalty, yet retaining a sense of kinship in her address.

"The East African Federation is not only the land built by your daughters and nephews, but also the most solid and reliable foundation for your future endeavors, without exception."

"All resources here can be unconditionally allocated to the 'Seed Ark' project. The Federation needs cutting-edge agricultural technology to ensure the nation's food security, control the future economic lifeline, and even occupy a more advantageous position in the global landscape."

"What you need is an environment that is absolutely safe, unhindered, and supported by the full force of the nation. This is a perfect combination of blood ties and interests, a true win-win situation."

Queen Ye Rou elegantly picked up a cup of black tea, took a small sip, and replied, her tone even softer, but the sharpness in her words remained undiminished:
"Furthermore, Father, those things you do outside... well, 'form alliances and schemes' and 'ingenious plans' are far too risky."

"Here, you have the protection of my sister (referring to Ye Mei) and my royal authority, the political system meticulously managed by Yang Da, and the guns absolutely controlled by Yang San. You can focus on scientific research without any distractions, and you no longer have to worry about any of Agxi's conspiracies, PMC's harassment, or any other evil spirits. This is your absolute territory."

Yang Da activated the holographic projection at the opportune moment, and a stunning blueprint for the East African Federation's "National Biotechnology and Food Security Strategy" was displayed before everyone, with detailed specifications and meticulous planning.

"Uncle Ye, Father, this is a preliminary draft of the national strategy prepared by the Cabinet based on your core technologies and development directions."

"Look, this is the planned 'Central Gene Bank,' this is the 'Super Breeding Base,' and this is the 'Future Food Processing Center'..."

"The land acquisition has been completed, the policy has been drafted into law, the first phase of 100 billion federal dollars in special funds has been allocated, and you can choose from the top talents in relevant fields across the country. Everything is just waiting for your approval."

Yang San finally spoke, his words concise yet carrying the force of a thunderbolt:
"Domestic security is the responsibility of my field armies and internal security forces. Foreign infiltration is handled by my intelligence agencies and special forces. Technical secrecy is monitored by my cyber warfare command."

"In short, anyone who dares to extend their claws, no matter where they come from, I will chop off their claws along with their arms and feed them to the hyenas on the grassland."

Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong looked at these four younger men who had already transformed a small country into a regional power, and listened to their combined approach of "persuading with emotion, reasoning with them, enticing them with benefits, and intimidating them with force," and were momentarily dazed.

This is hardly a family meeting; it's clearly a high-level meeting where the kingdom's top brass is giving a work report to two national treasure-level experts, and also outlining the development path for the next few decades.

Yang Geyong hesitated for a long time, looking at his son in military uniform, exuding a murderous aura, and finally blurted out:
"You brat... your official airs now are way more impressive than your old man's back in the day!"

Yang San grinned, and the fierce aura honed on the battlefield was instantly replaced by a simple and honest (or perhaps feigned) expression:
"Dad, look at what you're saying! Isn't it all thanks to your and Uncle's excellent guidance back then, plus my sister's good leadership? We're just standing on the shoulders of giants, taking care of these trivial matters for you so you can focus on doing the important things!"

Looking at his daughters' confident gazes and his nephews' reliable demeanor, then at the magnificent holographic blueprint, Ye Yuze finally smiled with relief, shook his head, and said to Ye Mei and Ye Rou:
“Alright, since my two Queens, our Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief have paved the way to this extent and thought out our escape route so ‘thoroughly’, it would be too ungrateful of us to refuse. I’ll sell these old bones to you.”

Thus, the "Seed Ark" project became deeply intertwined with the fate of a newly emerging powerful nation in an unprecedented way.

The project was officially elevated to a “top strategic project of the Federal Republic of East Africa”, directly overseen by the royal family, and renamed the more symbolic “Royal Seed Ark”.

Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong, these two newly appointed "honorary princes," are actually the chief designers and heads of the project, and have been granted almost unlimited resources and authority within the East African Federation.

The core server cluster of the "Digital Babel Tower" was directly migrated to the Federal National Supercomputing Center "Zhulong," and its computing power instantly surpassed the sum of all the previous ones, resulting in a geometric increase in the training speed of AI models.

The research vessel "Explorer" was officially incorporated into the Federal Ocean and Research Service, flew the Federal flag, and plans were made to build its larger and more advanced sister ships, "Pioneer" and "Hope," in the Federal shipyard.

Within an absolute military restricted area personally designated by Yang San, located in the heart of the Federation and far from the border, a large-scale "future agricultural technology city"—"Ark City"—integrating scientific research, production, storage, and living, began construction.

Its underground section is designed to withstand the highest level of strategic attack in terms of depth, protection level, and life support system, making it a true "underground kingdom".

Their technology and resources are being transformed and applied at an unprecedented speed and scale on the vast and efficient national platform of the East African Federation.

It is not only targeting the federation's food self-sufficiency and quality improvement, but also beginning to systematically influence the agricultural landscape of the entire African continent and even a wider region in a more assertive, confident, and "legitimate" manner through national cooperation, technology exports, and aid projects.

Agshi and other giants suddenly realized that they were no longer facing an elusive, gray opponent, but a competitor with sovereignty, an army, and a clear national strategy, which rendered all "unconventional means" useless.

Occasionally, Ye Yuze would stand on the observation deck built especially for him in the palace, overlooking the bustling construction site of the "Ark City" in the distance, and sigh to Yang Geyong, who was smoking a cigar beside him:

"It's amazing to think about it. Back then, we two old guys were secretly working on data in a dugout in California and fighting gun battles for samples in the rainforest. In the end, we were 'respectably' invited back by our own daughter and nephew using royal power, ministerial power, and military power to become the chief engineers of this emerging kingdom."

Yang Geyong took a deep drag on his cigar, gazing at the magnificent foundation of their "family business" and "national enterprise" in the distance, exhaled a satisfied smoke ring, and chuckled.
"Thinking about it this way, being 'kidnapped' back is actually a good thing! At least, our 'seed' has been planted in the most fertile and safest soil in our own land! In the future, it will grow into a towering tree, providing shade for the area, and let's see who dares to gossip behind our backs! This feeling is much better than sneaking around back then!"

The setting sun cast long shadows of them, blending them into the land beneath their feet, a kingdom that was now thriving in their hands and bore the deep imprint of the Ye and Yang families.

Their legend has unfolded a new chapter in East Africa, a land brimming with hope and wildness, one that is more powerful, more responsible, and more magnificent. (End of Chapter)