Starting from the Planetary Governor

Chapter 1331: Chapter 758: Alliance Values

Chairman Zuo Zhaofeng and the Alliance have forged strong political alliances, coupled with the robust economic strength of the Dragonhawk Star Domain, creating many communities of shared interests. This has become a core element for the Alliance to build influence in the Eastern Cosmos Domain.

Simultaneously, it has also established favorable conditions for the Alliance to carry out cultural promotion in the Eastern Cosmos Domain.

With frequent economic and political exchanges, various high-end consumer goods produced by the Alliance have entered the market in the Eastern Cosmos Domain.

Especially some luxury goods produced by the Alliance.

The industrial capability of the Dragonhawk Star Domain is highly developed in many aspects, including agriculture. Some planets reclaimed from the Green Skins have relatively good environments and vast fertile lands. After clearing out the Green Skins, the immigrant population is sparse, often allowing for large-scale farming and agriculture. The massive production of food not only serves as military supplies and can be transported to industrial planets as food, but also has a large surplus that can be used to pay taxes.

However, using primary food to pay taxes is quite a loss, with not much money gained. Instead, processing primary agricultural products into high-quality food with various flavors improves the situation significantly; Furthermore, when agricultural products have a surplus, luxury ancient brewing can take place.

The wines and craft cocktails produced in this way far exceed industrial products in terms of taste.

While common civilians and ordinary soldiers may find them unaffordable, the middle class and above, and especially the wealthy elites, have no such issues.

The value of these items makes them less useful for paying Imperial Tax. The pricing of luxury goods is not highly valued in Imperial Tax. But exporting them to the elites in the Eastern Cosmos Domain is a very good choice.

Luxurious brand cars, hovercraft built by a developed vehicle manufacturing industry; custom-made luxurious interstellar cruise ships from the shipbuilding industry; In the textile industry, crafted by artisans with expensive leather developed from breeding industries, surplus fine gold materials fashioned into clothing and accessories… These items have become hugely popular in the Eastern Cosmos Domain.

And the reason for their popularity, besides their good quality and scarcity, is largely due to cultural influence.

The Alliance’s propaganda department spares no effort in promoting Alliance values in various locations across the Eastern Cosmos Domain. The most important method is through various literary and artistic works.

Across the Empire, the recognition of Holy Terra, the Human Ancestral Star, is unparalleled. Things popular on Holy Terra easily cause substantial influence elsewhere.

Some commodities, lifestyles, fashion pursuits, etc., may be slower to propagate. After all, even if one wants to pursue them, it’s necessary to have the means. However, popular literary works are much easier to replicate.

A series of films about the Iron Armor War, praising Gu Hang and the Alliance lifestyle, are popular on Holy Terra and are even more successful elsewhere.

Within these films, drinks, cigarettes, clothing, equipment, decor styles, luxury brands… Everything is deliberately embedded with Alliance products during production.

It’s not hard advertising, but when Mr. Gu reaches for that luxurious brand cigarette while contemplating, why not try one too?

Even though Gu Hang doesn’t actually smoke, it doesn’t prevent him from endorsing the brand.

This is, after all, the favorite cigarette brand of a true Empire hero, High Lord of Empire!

Moreover, amid developed agricultural production, its quality is indeed quite high.

Using similar methods, the Alliance’s products naturally have an advantage in opening markets.

All these consumer goods, all these literary works, collectively create a cultural influence across all strata in the Eastern Cosmos Domain.

With additional economic exchanges and strengthened political friendships… These three forces combined are called ’Alliance values’.

These values already have influence on Holy Terra. On Holy Terra, the capital citizens have seen it all. Yet, they still embrace the Alliance’s approach, even more so than in the frontier Eastern Cosmos Domain.

The effect is exceptionally good.

Of course, the effect brought by the transmission of ’Alliance values’ cannot be as direct as military measures.

It’s a gradual and silent process.

Moreover, no matter how much values are transmitted, it is impossible to directly transform the entire Eastern Cosmos Domain into the Alliance.

But as long as this peaceful transformation process continues and the Alliance maintains its strength, the future outcome will be quite promising.

It doesn’t need to turn the Eastern Cosmos Domain into a replica of the Alliance.

Sometimes direct rule may not be as effective as indirect ’colonialism’.

The advantage of direct rule lies in the ability to fully mobilize the manpower and resources in the ruled area, guiding its construction in the desired direction.

But similarly, if direct rule is established, the Alliance will have to bear a huge political and fiscal burden, just like with the Spiderweb Domain.

Indirect influence lacks the ability to mobilize and construct, but also doesn’t carry such significant burdens. With increasingly frequent economic exchanges, although not outright economic exploitation, the Alliance can still earn a great deal of money. The Eastern Cosmos Domain will become a dumping ground and raw material source for the Alliance.

With enough money, more surplus funds can be invested in the Alliance’s own development, used to pay taxes, and support the military…

And when the Eastern Cosmos Domain is filled with the Alliance’s allies, with a series of economic agreements signed or in the process of being signed, then signing a series of military mutual assistance agreements will naturally follow.

During wartime, the Eastern Cosmos Domain will easily side with the Alliance.

As long as it’s not against the Central Empire.

Yet even this may not be inevitable.

If the connections between the two sides deepen to a certain degree, perhaps one day, even if the Alliance falls out with the Central Empire, the Eastern Cosmos Domain might stand by them?

At least, when the Alliance Army advances south, it won’t face particularly strong resistance.

Just as during the Iron Armor War, when the Iron Armor Battle Group launched from the Princess Star Domain, the Empire’s troops within the Spiderweb Domain almost shattered upon contact. This was due to the inherent disparity in strength, but it was also a result of the Iron Armor Group’s persistent influence over hundreds of years, making many forces within the Spiderweb Domain reluctant to fight Iron Armor to the death.

Now, the Alliance holds greater mass and advantages than the Iron Armor, achieving similar outcomes is not difficult.

Regardless, the core of expanding influence outward remains the necessity of being strong enough.

You have to be able to stand on your own before forging ahead.

The continuous development of the Alliance is crucial. Without maintaining strong economic, political, and military capabilities, everything is futile.

When Gu Hang returned to the Dragonhawk Star Domain, back to his old base, Rage Owl Star, the first thing he witnessed was Alliance Premier Osenia leading numerous high-ranking members of the Alliance Government in a government work report for the Alliance Leader who had been away for nearly three years.