Buckingham had of course heard about the Customs Enforcement Division's central control, and some even said that the central control might have developed into artificial intelligence.

It's just that this thing didn't match his expertise, so he just listened without delving into it.

After all, matters of artificial intelligence are indeed taboo in the Empire, but precisely because they are taboo, they haven't been completely banned.

However, in most cases, researchers are only skirting the edge of the law; if anyone truly dares to break the taboo, the Empire would truly dare to kill.

Therefore, he couldn't help asking, "Is there really no way?"

Qu Jianlei rolled his eyes at those words, "There really is no way, but even if there was, what difference would it make?"

"If the Customs Enforcement Division is determined to fight to the death with you, are one or two Supremes enough?"

Don't be fooled by the fact that this planet's Customs Enforcement Division doesn't have a Supreme, the Customs Enforcement Division of the entire Empire is a single entity.

Buckingham instantly understood this reasoning, he nodded, "Is that cripple currently in Celestial Sharp?"

"I don't know," Qu Jianlei shook his head, "but he won't be able to make it here now, he'll arrive at the base in six hours."

Buckingham immediately stated, "Then let's hurry and land."

Seeing the other party looking at him thoughtfully, his old face turned red, and he explained proactively.

"I'm not afraid of him, but if he entangles us, the two juniors will be in danger."

Qu Jianlei casually nodded, you keep talking, I'll just listen casually.

As for any grudges between the two Supremes, though he had a bit of a gossipy heart, such matters... better not to listen.

Just now, because he accidentally listened too much, it was impossible to fish in troubled waters anymore.

Buckingham pondered for a moment and asked again, "Is there a plan to attack us with thermal weapons?"

"No," Qu Jianlei shook his head, answering very straightforwardly, "at least no such orders have been discovered."

"That's good," Buckingham nodded, let out a sigh of relief, then gritted his teeth and stated.

"Once we land, we'll charge out immediately, I'll handle everything."

Qu Jianlei smiled and nodded, "Having your assurance is enough, with our small arms and legs, we truly can't bear it."

No wonder everyone likes to lean on a powerful backer; this feeling of having someone to fall back on is simply wonderful for a lone wolf like him.

The four of them quickly drew up a series of combat strategies, but of course, these were just rough plans, the final actions would depend on the actual situation.

Even so, it was only known to these four people, other passengers and stowaways were excluded.

Among those people, there were definitely some allies that could be leveraged, maybe even some with significant background.

But Buckingham and the other two didn't even consider it, they directly ignored them.

This wasn't merely a matter of trust; most of the forces with Supremes had always operated this way.

I only care about my own thriving; whether others are flourishing is none of my business!

As for Qu Jianlei, he simply couldn't trust outsiders; if he hadn't been pulled in by the Buckingham family, he wouldn't even bother with this family.

However, it wasn't long before another problem arose, the starship remained suspended high in the air, refusing to land.

The four of them exchanged looks, but no one made a move to understand the situation.

But aren't there other passengers on the starship? Someone irritated went to inquire—why not land when we've reached the destination?

Interstellar travel comfort wasn't bad, but now that they were almost home, the sudden halt was perplexing.

The flight attendants provided an answer, well… there was a new landing system being tested below, which might delay everyone a bit.

This reason left the passengers without temper, as the Empire's planets had been continuously striving to improve starship landing efficiency.

And the operation of the Star Port cannot be stopped, short-term congestion due to landing is completely understandable.

For the starships of interstellar airlines, these unexpected situations are acceptable, as safety is the top priority for everyone.

It's not like there's any danger in space, it's just near-earth orbit, already at their doorstep.

Currently, it's just civilian testing causing congestion; if it were military exercises, who knows how long it might take.

However, this explanation from the flight attendants only eased most passengers' anxiety, while the four-person group felt something was off.

This exemplified the saying: the more you know, the more troubled you become.

Another hour passed, the starship still hung suspended in the air, the B-level man couldn't bear it anymore and went out to ask what was going on.

His grandfather's rival, the cripple, was slated to arrive in three hours, the timing was indeed a bit tight.

He didn't think his grandfather couldn't defeat the opponent, but why not leave early with his two burdens?

Yet, the flight attendants told him to "wait a moment," and as for how long? "It'll be soon."

Another half an hour passed, the C-level woman also went out to inquire, getting the same "wait a moment" and "it'll be soon" response.

Usually, the passengers on a starship are quite tolerant.

This is not to say that the Empire's people are easygoing—compared to those in the Divine Land, the people here are more hot-tempered, quick to fight over disagreements.

The key is that they're still floating in near-earth orbit, and even with parachutes, they wouldn't dare jump down.

Another half an hour passed, and Buckingham couldn't hold it in anymore and personally went to ask, how much longer?

The flight attendant knew this person was a big shot, though not exactly how big, at least enough to scare off the Customs Enforcement Team.

However, they really had nothing to inform him of—I don't know how much longer it will take either!

Don't be fooled by Buckingham being amiable towards Qu Jianlei; that's because he needs him.

Moreover, Qu Jianlei gave him a mysterious vibe. At his age, naturally, he wouldn't make enemies without reason.

Anyway, when dealing with the flight attendant, he didn't even bother with the courtesy he should have offered and stated directly,

"Since you can't confirm the time, then land for me now, immediately!"

Making this decision, he absolutely didn't need to inform those three people!

"Sir, I'm really sorry," a young and beautiful flight attendant replied with a bitter smile.

The Empire's birth rate is high, although the mortality rate is also high, but there's always no shortage of young people.

Therefore, the attendants serving interstellar flights are guaranteed quality, and you won't see one of those middle-aged types.

Of course, her physique might be the type Qu Jianlei doesn't appreciate—more robust, but indeed young and beautiful. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

This particular flight attendant was especially robust, and with a bitter expression, "Perhaps you don't know, the starship's control has been taken over from the ground."

I knew that a day ago! Buckingham wasn't interested in correcting this small person's misunderstanding.

His face darkened, "Deactivate autopilot, manually land!"

Starship piloting emphasizes automation as primary, manual as supplementary, and at no time could manual operation be abandoned.

That's the last layer of protection for starship safety; while autopilot is intelligent and efficient, it can potentially trigger many hidden dangers.

To say nothing else, a random burst of unknown cosmic radiation could affect the autopilot system.

Wait a minute, this logic seems a bit flawed?

The last time Xiao Hu was controlling a Bida Freight's starship orbiting a star, even manual control failed.

That starship seems like it still hasn't escaped the gravitational pull of that star until now…

Actually, it wasn't like that. Xiao Hu directly manipulated the underlying logic and basic control systems of that starship.

In other words, all the related control units of manual driving were controlled by Xiao Hu, leading to that outcome.

Currently, the Customs Division AI control over the starship hasn't touched the basic control units.

Buckingham wasn't aware of these, but his understanding wasn't wrong; the starship indeed could land manually.

The starship pilot refused to follow his instructions, "You can kill me, but I have to be responsible for the lives of everyone aboard."

Buckingham, without hesitation, pulled out a transparent card, a proof of identity for an Awakened—not Supreme, just A-level.

In his other hand, an Ice Blade two feet long formed, and he pointed forward, speaking coldly.

"Say no one more time, and I can replace you with another pilot."

"Alright," the pilot immediately caved, since an A-level Awakened was willing to take responsibility, then it was no big deal.

Indeed, Awakened are the privileged class. If it were B-level, they wouldn't qualify to forcibly order a landing—there are many people of that Cultivation Level.

But A-level is sufficient, their status and position can bear the relevant responsibilities.

One more important point, an A-level wanting to kill him might not have to bear any responsibility—judging by the opponent's attitude, there's clearly a reason.

The starship issued a landing request, completely ignoring the ground tower's response.

"Repeat, there's an emergency here, we must land immediately."

The Customs Division's starship base isn't large and is often just used for warship maintenance or loading weaponry.

Most times, they take off and land at the public Star Port, only using their base for special or secret missions.

The tower at the base immediately became chaotic, with the officer on duty loudly rebuking over the intercom, "Stop, you are ordered to stop the landing!"

"If you forcibly land, you must bear all consequences arising from this!"

Seeing the ship descending regardless, someone swiftly reported to the control center, "Can we shoot it down?"

"Nonsense!" the duty chief loudly reprimanded, "The whole Celestial Sharp can see it, do you really think the Customs Division can do as they please?"

In certain emergencies, the Customs Division can indeed do as they please, afterward finding an excuse is enough.

Ultimately, they are accountable to their division, as long as they give a justification to the local Government and Military, saving face is sufficient.

However, most of the time when this situation arises, it's because something genuinely happened, and military aid might even be necessary.

Conjuring something out of nothing bears significant responsibility, and if there's a slip-up, it may be irrecoverable.

Currently, there's a Supreme being on the starship above, with a 99% chance of a slip-up!

Moreover, there's a high likelihood of a major slip-up; a Supreme's wrath isn't something ordinary people can withstand!

Right now, the Customs Division doesn't have a Supreme, if the opponent truly goes berserk, even flattening the entire base wouldn't be difficult.

Another suggestion was proposed, "Can't we let the central control system's "it" freeze the opponent's manual control?"

Technical personnel immediately replied, "That's extremely difficult, the time might not be sufficient…"

"Plus, with so many people watching, it might expose 'its' existence."