Chapter 307: The Pursuit Has Arrived
New Hope, inside 'Purgatory,' the loud music temporarily paused. “It’s about to begin! It’s about to begin!”
Merchants from the Free Trade Alliance, adventurers, and ordinary citizens who came for entertainment, held their drinks and looked up at the largest and clearest holographic screen.
The excitement was no less than broadcasting the top gladiator matches from Paradise Island.
After two weeks of buildup and hype, North Star TV Station’s special program finally aired tonight.
“Today marks the 109,322nd day since New Hope was reborn from the ashes of the apocalypse.”
Larry, the lead anchor, struck his signature pose, resting one elbow on the desk, staring directly at the audience beyond the camera.
“The Super Democratic Empire has finally pushed its front line to this point.”
A commotion erupted inside 'Purgatory.'
What an explosive, clickbait-style opening statement.
Did war break out?
“Two weeks ago, all three Jump Point outposts in our star system, along with five outposts in the outer star system, lost contact almost simultaneously.”
The screen showed various clips from the past two weeks, featuring the TV station interviewing the families of outpost personnel.
An innocent little girl showed the reporter a card she made, hoping her dad would come home soon.
“During this period, you must have heard many rumors. Today, I can tell you with 100% certainty that these rumors are all true!
“The Empire attacked these outposts, brutally murdering everyone there!
“So far, we are still unclear about their specific reasons for doing this. Some military experts believe it might be to facilitate the deployment of ambushes near the Jump Points to intercept the Cangyuan Fleet.
“Therefore, I know many of you will surely say, ‘It’s all because we cooperated with Cangyuan that we brought the Imperial Fleet to our doorstep’—but!”
Larry pointed at the camera.
“Ask yourselves, do you really think that if Cangyuan hadn’t appeared here, the Empire wouldn’t have coveted New Hope? Is that what you truly believe?
“If so, then I genuinely feel sorry for you!
“New Hope is a free port! External exchange and trade are our way of life, and above all, what needs to be ensured first is independence and autonomy!
“We never provoked the Empire, and neither did Cangyuan! This is completely different from Cangyuan initially sending its fleet here because of the Jialan people!
“The Empire can fire on us directly this time because they dislike Cangyuan, but what about next time? Will they send people to teach us how to do business, and with whom?
“When that day comes, do you really think the Empire will leave the Star Alliance’s huge market profits to us?”
“To hell with them!” a drunken customer in the bar shouted, raising his glass.
“Who do they think they are!”
Talking about national sentiment to New Hope citizens might not resonate with them.
But as long as you talk about credit points and profits, then, brother, you’re on the right track.
“Citizens of New Hope, these past few days, I’ve particularly admired a phrase often spoken by Cangyuan employees.
“Give up fantasies, prepare to fight!
“Today, we mourn all our fallen compatriots!
“However, on this somber day, we have finally received some good news!”
Larry curled his lips into a smile.
“The Cangyuan Fleet not only successfully broke through the Empire’s blockade but also defeated the intercepting Imperial warships! Once again! They upheld order and justice on the shipping lanes!”
“Ha!”
Cheers, clinking glasses, and whistles erupted in the bar.
“I knew it!”
“Cangyuan never disappoints!”
“That’s right! What about the Empire?! Go eat dirt!”
Next, the TV station used extensive footage and superb editing to comprehensively showcase the grandeur of the battle, leaving the audience thoroughly thrilled.
Moreover, compared to the cannon battles between warships, they preferred watching the internal bridge footage of the Cangyuan Fleet, as well as the first-person perspective footage from the carrier-based aircraft, deeply impressed and attracted by the bravery and calmness displayed by the crew members and pilots at the time.
Their hearts were filled with infinite yearning for this great enterprise.
“So cool! A true man should serve on a warship like that!”
“Inviting Cangyuan to invest was truly the most correct decision the space station has made in 300 years! I’m just curious, who exactly was against it back then?”
“Long live Her Majesty! Cheers!!”
“To Cangyuan! Cheers!!!”
Especially “that man” who sat in the center of the Taibai’s bridge, calmly in the Captain’s chair.
His prophetic insight and calm, almost elegant, command immediately captivated many female viewers of different age groups.
Of course, people didn't know yet that he was Cangyuan’s Executive Officer.
According to publicly available information, the Executive Officer was currently on Ruins Star, a place no one knew how to reach.
Afterward, the audience saw those unsettling Imperial crew members, and Larry, the host, took the opportunity to introduce them.
“These Imperial soldiers look very strange, don’t they?
“Of course, I know many people will say Imperial people are just like that—arrogant, rude, and impolite! But what I mean is, they are even more repulsive than we imagined.
“Hmm! Your intuition is correct! These Imperial soldiers have all undergone terrifying cybernetic brainwashing, just one step away from becoming monsters!
“Oh oh oh~ This isn’t sensational rhetoric! Your old pal Larry disdains using such eye-catching broadcasting methods! I mean literal monsters!
“Please watch! The Cangyuan Expeditionary Fleet brings you the latest images from the Red Dust Star colony!”
At this point, millions of viewers on the space station saw the cybernetic modification factory deep underground, saw the disfigured, metal-tentacle-pierced cybernetic zombies, and saw the surging tide of corpses rushing towards the camera.
The excitement was at its peak.
It was like watching a thrilling blockbuster.
“According to research, such modifications during the apocalypse triggered a disaster called ‘Corpse Puppet,’ making humanity’s already precarious resistance even more difficult and accelerating the collapse of the entire civilization!
“The trillions of UEG residents on Ruins Star have now all been transformed into monsters, turning their former ideal city into a living hell!”
Larry, the host, introduced with a heavy tone,
“What exactly does the Empire want? Do they want to transform everyone in the Star Alliance into those monsters?”
“What a bunch of lunatics! As a force far more powerful than the Star Alliance Council, they have no sense of responsibility for the survival of humanity! Bah!”
“And these bastards are truly ruthless, actually starting the modifications with their own people!”
“It’s a good thing Cangyuan exposed all of this in time!”
An adventurer with a good reputation in 'Purgatory' sighed.
“Their courage is truly beyond words. Impressive!”
Amidst all these voices, one thing was agreed upon by all citizens of New Hope.
This “cybernetic plague” must not be allowed to spread to the space station!
“We should find a way to aid Cangyuan’s Expeditionary Fleet!”
“No way! Those brave warriors are already nearing the Imperial no-fly zone. We can only pray for them now, praying that they can defeat the powerful Empire and accomplish their mission!”
“Oh, human will from the golden age, bless them—”
Due to extensive promotion and hype in the preceding two weeks, coupled with excellent audio-visual editing, the program immediately sparked intense discussion and a huge response upon airing.
This also further elevated Larry’s professional standing, with him showing great potential to become the Star Alliance’s top orator!
Afterward, this excellent program spread at superluminal speed in the form of macroscopic quantum entanglement.
It spread to Paradise Island, to Galan and the Human Exploration Federation, and to the Imperial homeworld.
Media outlets from various factions reprinted this explosive news, allowing the message to continue spreading beyond the known territories of the Star Alliance.
Human survivors scattered across the star systems reacted strongly to those Corpse Puppets.
Especially the Imperial people!
12 hours later, in the Taibai’s Captain’s quarters, Lu Yuan was pleased to see Cangyuan’s corporate prestige score rise from 56,000+ to 100,000+.
It finally broke the 100K mark, bringing in 200 exchange coupons at once!
The coupon count reached 578! This time, Lu Yuan didn't hesitate at all and spent 80 coupons directly to purchase a large 3D printer on Ruins Star.
This way, it would be able to assist the Deep Sea in completing its 99% light-speed warp engine before the cargo ship arrived at Ruins Star in 10 days!
It should only take six to seven days.
According to the current situation, the sooner this massive ship arrived, the higher the success rate of the long voyage would be.
No. This was no longer a question of odds, but of survival.
498 coupons remained, and after deducting the 350 points for the giant 3D printer already decided to be purchased en route, 148 points were left.
It was still a bit far from opening a large blind box, but it was enough to put one at ease.
Thinking of this, Lu Yuan connected a call.
“Crew member Charlotte, please come to the Captain’s quarters.”
“...Report!”
Two minutes later, Charlotte appeared somewhat constrained in the Captain’s quarters, discreetly glancing at the bed in the corner of the room, thinking she wasn't noticed.
“Executive Officer—I think it would be better to summon me on the bridge from now on.”
Lu Yuan put down his pad and looked up at her.
Hey...
What kind of person do you take me for?
Do you think I’m trying to take advantage of you secretly?
“Alright, from now on, whenever I call you, I’ll make sure there’s a third person present.”
“Ah?! Who else? A Xue?”
Lu Yuan rubbed his temples wordlessly.
This guy was definitely doing it on purpose!
“...Let’s talk business. The fleet has reset its course and is about to explore the Star Alliance’s designated M063 star system.”
Lu Yuan handed her the pad displaying the star map.
“I need to know now what intelligence the Empire has on this location.”
“Hmm…”
She closed her eyes slightly, recalling carefully for a moment.
“First, it can be confirmed that the Empire has no strongholds nearby. This entire area has been designated as a Class 5 star system by the Imperial Aeronautics Bureau, meaning it’s not recommended for civilian or military vessels to enter.”
“What exactly is the reason for not recommending entry?”
“Ships losing contact without cause, accompanied by unexplained radiation pulses.”
“Were there any warships among those that lost contact?”
“Yes. 120 years ago, an Imperial cruiser disappeared there. At the time, it was basically the largest warship in the Empire, so the incident was quite heavily documented.”
I see…
Lu Yuan thought of Connor’s last words.
“The secret to defeating the Empire!”
“Feared by the builders of the cybernetic modification facilities!”
Now it seemed that he hadn’t just made it up on the spot to convince him in his final moments.
The power that could make an Imperial cruiser disappear must not be underestimated.
But Connor hadn’t guaranteed that Cangyuan could easily obtain that power. How should one put it, in a way, he was very honest in his last moments.
“Did the Empire ever mention an ancient space station there?”
“Yes!” Charlotte replied, “The space station doesn’t seem very large. I’ve even seen its infrared and radio images. The reactor must have shut down, but there are faint VHF signals emanating from it.”
“Is that so? Has no one tried to board and explore it?”
“There have been—it looks quite safe there, but the adventurers who went never returned!”
Hmm…
It seemed to be the same old story: risk and reward go hand in hand.
“Alright, I understand. You can go back now.”
“Understood!”
Charlotte walked halfway, then turned back.
“Executive Officer, well, I want to apologize to you! If I hadn’t opposed going to the nearest space station before, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have ended up on Red Dust Star—”
So far, since the five players who died in the operation had all revived on other warships, Charlotte still believed she had lost these expedition members forever.
Lu Yuan waved his hand.
“That’s how decision-making is. You have to learn to get used to it, neither evading responsibility nor being afraid to take responsibility and thus standing still.
Your prediction about the Imperial Fleet was correct. I need more data like that. Keep up the good work!”
“Yes!”
She saluted but did not leave.
“Is there anything else?”
“...Xian Yu asked me to tell you that the 32 minors rescued from the colony have all been dispersed and settled on 5 warships, and their condition is currently good.”
“Hmm…”
Judging by the size of the Red Dust Star colony, the children rescued in the final phase were probably less than one-fifth of the total.
Ye Xing had also talked about this; his four-person squad had seen a group of children underground, but they ultimately couldn’t be rescued.
No one wanted to think about what they ultimately went through.
The food consumption of 32 children should not exceed that of 20 adults, so for a fleet with ample supplies, as long as they didn’t cause trouble, it wasn’t an issue.
However, there was no guarantee of their safety on this journey—
“Executive Officer—”
Suddenly, Xian Yu, who was on duty on the bridge, sent a communication,
“The First Air Squadron just made contact with the Imperial Fleet.”