"It's finally over. This war has left me numb!" Alex sighed, dragging his exhausted body back to the Rostov Governors Office.
He was too lazy to even take off his uniform, collapsing in a very undignified posture onto the luxurious bed that could fit ten people rolling around, burying his face deep into the velvet pillow with a satisfied sigh.
Although Alex considered himself quite frugal as a Governor, under the extravagant Imperial system, no amount of frugality could change the fact that he held a high position.
This bedroom had been completely renovated since his last return.
Not only had its area expanded significantly, but even the architectural structure had been adjusted, with the ceiling raised by two meters, making the entire space appear more open.
The exquisite solid wood furniture had all been replaced with top-grade ebony from an ecological world, and the walls no longer displayed simple decorative paintings, but rather master oil paintings framed with gold leaf.
Even the carpet had been replaced with rare animal fur woven from the planet Palladia, so soft underfoot it felt like walking on clouds.
Alex had specifically inquired about this with Chamberlain Rachel, and the reply he received was: "This is a matter of the Governor's prestige, my Lord! If your Governors Office is not renovated annually, it will become a laughingstock among other Imperial nobles."
This answer left Alex both helpless and amused.
While the cost of renovating the Governors Office was indeed negligible to him, this annual extravagance still felt like excessive waste.
However, in the Imperial noble circles, Alex's "frugality" was practically an anomaly.
His bedroom neither housed exotic beasts from alien worlds nor displayed priceless xeno artifacts.
The only few decorations were ordinary wood carvings and a small number of precious metal items, with even gold plating used sparingly.
One must know that in prosperous worlds like Syntilla, nobles even regularly replaced the stone carvings in their estates just to keep up with the latest artistic trends.
Of course, if one were to discuss the quality of his collection, the finely crafted weapons and Power Armor displayed in Alex's bedroom, along with the various xeno war trophies acquired on the battlefield, were incomparable to those of the decadent nobles.
But Alex had no interest in such superficial luxuries.
If Rachel hadn't insisted that it was a necessary expense to maintain the Governor's dignity, and that the cost was indeed small, he would have considered even this much renovation superfluous.
After all, in his opinion, rather than spending money on these flashy and impractical decorations, it would be more practical to acquire a few more sets of Power Armor.
Though the cost of renovating the Governors Office was barely enough to purchase two standard model Power Armor suits.
It is worth mentioning that Alex's Governors Office was ridiculously modest compared to the luxurious palaces of other Planetary Governors, which were situated at the spires of Hive Cities and equipped with private spaceports and ecological domes.
Even as the expedition progressed and nearly half of the Rostov Sub-Sector's star systems were brought under Imperial control, and Alex was promoted from Planetary Governor to de facto Sub-Sector Governor, fully qualified to build a luxurious palace befitting his status, he consistently showed little interest.
"What if I built a palace like the Imperial Palace on Terra?" Alex rolled over, looking at the exquisite carvings on the ceiling, and thought to himself with self-deprecation, "Sleeping still only requires the space of one bed, and eating doesn't necessarily mean eating two more bowls than others."
These basic needs would not change due to a life of extravagance.
Besides, if he truly wanted to pursue ultimate enjoyment, wouldn't it be better to return to Earth in the 3k era?
Seeking pleasure in the dark and cruel universe of 40k era was practically inviting Slaanesh to a party.
Thinking this, Alex felt he should take a vacation and go back to the 3k era to get some good rest.
In particular, he was very curious about the reaction to the Rejuvenation Potion he had given out last time.
If their attitude was one of secrecy and hoarding, then Alex felt he wouldn't think of them for good things in the future, and some collaborations could also be cut off.
But if their attitude was one of wanting to popularize it among the general public, then Alex felt he could bring back something even better to accelerate technological development and allow humanity to enter the space age.
After all, in the dark universe of the Fortieth Millennium, space travel had long become a commonplace daily occurrence.
Even the most basic shuttle technology, in the eyes of Third Millennium Earth civilization, would be considered a dimension-shattering strike of Zenith Star technology.
This technological gap spanning ten thousand years could not be easily bridged by simple technological accumulation.
And in this era of severe technological degradation, the Standard Template Construct (STC) system was the Imperium of Man's greatest legacy.
This intelligent construction system, designed by the sages of the Golden Age, was originally intended to ensure that the flame of human civilization would never be extinguished.
It also allowed users to construct anything recorded on the STC, regardless of the circumstances, as long as raw materials were provided.
Even on a primitive, savage planet, as long as it was built according to the STC Template's requirements, products could be manufactured.
Don't find it exaggerated; a Planetary Governor of a savage world in the Imperium once did it, making the local savage tribes offer ores, and it took ten years to churn out a Moon-class in low orbit.
Imagine if an STC Template for a shuttle were given to Third Millennium Earth civilization.
With the industrial foundation of the 21st century, humanity could fully construct true spacecraft in a short period.
Even more frightening, Earth scientists could also reverse-engineer the STC Template, deciphering black technologies like anti-gravity principles and plasma propulsion technology from it, thereby triggering a series of technological revolutions.
The speed of such a technological leap would probably be unimaginable even to the most optimistic futurists.
So, after checking that his points were sufficient to redeem a Sword-Class frigate STC Template, Alex unhesitatingly returned to the 3k era.
---
Back in the 3k era, Alex rested well for two days, and even specially drove to a famous hot spring resort in Changbai Mountain, where he completely relaxed his taut nerves in the misty warmth.
He leaned back against the edge of the natural hot spring pool, letting the mineral-rich spring water caress his entire body; the fatigue of recent days seemed to be carried away by the steaming heat.
After soaking in the hot spring, he also enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at the resort's specialty restaurant before returning home contentedly.
However, when he turned on the TV to watch the news, the sight before him nearly made him drop the teacup in his hand.
Almost all news channels were continuously broadcasting the same major news: "Our country's scientists have achieved a brand new breakthrough in the field of life genetics! A new type of potion can effectively slow down human aging! Life-extending medicine may become a reality!"
On screen, the head of a national-level laboratory was speaking eloquently to the camera, stating that this groundbreaking research had already passed the animal experiment stage and was about to enter clinical trials.
Alex was surprised to find that the Rejuvenation Potion technology he brought back from the 40k era had been digested and absorbed to such an extent by the domestic research team in just a few days.
The experimental data displayed in the news clearly showed that the physiological age of the treated mice was significantly younger, with all indicators superior to the control group.
Even more unexpectedly, official media had even begun discussing the potential social changes this technology might bring, including a series of forward-looking topics such as extending retirement age and adjusting medical insurance policies.
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