Chapter 312: Encirclement and Suppression! We Have a Huge Advantage!
All expeditionary team members, summoned by the Executive Officer, stopped what they were doing and teleported to the fleet.
On the “Longhu” (Dragon-Tiger), materials were fed into a 3D printer, rapidly producing brain-computer interfaces and adapter cables according to the new blueprints.
Meanwhile, on another Wuyi-class frigate, the “Dahongpao” (Big Red Robe), two 3D printers were printing the instruments needed for brain surgery.
The hangar there would be temporarily converted into an operating room.
Due to the existence of stasis pods, current Cangyuan warships did not have medical bays.
In the future, as warships increase in size and become less sensitive to the volume and weight occupied by functional compartments, medical bays, guest rooms, scenic observation decks, and other compartments designed for residents could be considered.
“Come on!”
Xian Yu, who had shaved his head bald, arrived at the operating room.
“Come on!”
Three doctors, wearing exoskeletons that further enhanced their precision, all stepped up, with the neurosurgeon serving as the lead surgeon.
These three players, due to their busy work, could only go online during holidays and normal sleeping hours, which meant their levels were not very high.
But at this moment, they became the ones relied upon by the entire expeditionary team, and even all of Cangyuan!
The surgery began live.
In the live stream and player community, suggestions from medical colleagues kept pouring in.
Soon, professional medical advice in English, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and many other languages also appeared one by one, and were translated into Chinese.
It turned out that audiences all over the world were following this expedition, and the communication across civilizations and species.
Sasha and her Emerald Life Science team also provided remote observation and guidance from Emerald Star.
“Thank you, brothers!”
The three doctors immediately felt a warm current surge through their chests, filling them with drive.
It must succeed!
It will succeed!
The Dahongpao began to consume extra fuel, performing uniform circular motion.
This was to simulate a standard 1G Earth gravity in the operating room, allowing the doctors to better access the sensations accumulated in their real lives.
Many times, as long as people are united and the atmosphere is right, the rest becomes exceptionally simple.
With collective effort, the surgery was declared complete in just one hour.
A brain-computer interface, different from all Star Alliance market products, with full brainwave output and psionic expansion potential, was successfully implanted between Xian Yu's brainstem and cerebellum.
“It worked!”
Stepping off the operating table, Xian Yu high-fived the doctors to celebrate, and after confirming there were no side effects, immediately put on his equipment, returned to the space station, and lay down on the interspecies psionic communication device.
After the data cable was inserted into the back of his head, and the brain-computer interface was connected, a test was performed first.
I am Xian Yu, listen—I mean, my character's name is Xian Yu, and I feel great now!】
Xian Yu's mouth didn't move, but his thoughts were clearly displayed as subtitles on the device's main screen.
At the same time, his current field of vision was also displayed.
“Brainwave output module normal.”
Nan Guo de Xue, who was operating nearby, uploaded an image.
“Xian Yu, can you see the picture I sent you?”
“Yes! It's... a funny jpeg.”
Nan Guo de Xue turned her head and gave Lu Yuan a thumbs up.
“Input module is also normal, no problem!”
Good!
Lu Yuan picked up the communicator.
“Xian Yu, after all the machine's functions are activated, you will lose all sensory perception. Afterward, you will obtain a projection of your subconscious in a pure consciousness space.
At this point, your brainwaves will be converted into a zero element field and transmitted outwards. If we are lucky enough, the Gaia Zerg will accept you,
and respond. At that time, you might experience some cultural shock, so be mentally prepared.”
“Understood. Begin!”
Nan Guo de Xue pressed the switch, and the Quantum Zero Element Furnace, the main body of the device, started with a hum!
Immediately, the hexagonal metal plates on the semi-circular hall's dome emitted an eerie pale purple glow, synchronizing with Xian Yu's brainwaves and flickering at a high frequency.
Monitoring data showed that electrical currents and plasma were constantly shuttling through the gaps within the metal plates, interweaving into extremely complex patterns,
precisely controlling the form of the surrounding zero element field, enabling it to carry information and energy according to human intelligence.
This was the essence of “psionics.”
“The form of the zero element field does not match our physical model. There are more mysteries in this device that we haven't grasped yet!”
The mage's eyes lit up.
“I'm afraid these metal plates are not pure iron,” Lu Yuan looked up, “but are composed of high-purity zero element matter ‘disguised’ as iron-56 atoms.”
“That would be an expensive treasure.”
Currently, almost all zero element circulating in the Star Alliance market exists in the form of hydrogen atoms or hydrogen isotopes.
To convert it into “zero element iron,” it needs to be “smelted” in a Jubian reactor with an extremely high chamber temperature, mimicking the core of a supergiant star.
Currently, no Star Alliance factions have the capability to build such reactors; they only know it is theoretically feasible.
Only a very few pre-civilization relics, such as the giant cold Jubian reactor on the “Deep Sea” (Shenhai), can produce this substance in small quantities.
Xian Yu lost his hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch, and even his sense of direction and balance. His consciousness floated in a void.
A thought was conveyed to his mind.
WARNING! Consciousness imprisonment detected. Mental breakdown is expected to trigger in 6 to 48 hours; to protect the player's mental health, the system will disconnect from the “Star Sea” game in 5 minutes.】
Don't. We're doing an experiment.】
This is a mandatory measure.】
Fortunately, less than 30 seconds later, Xian Yu's various senses gradually returned, and the system alert was lifted.
In the pitch blackness, he saw a mirror, reflecting his real-life image.
Slightly messy hair, a loose hoodie and sweatpants, plus a pair of running shoes—the typical appearance of a relaxed young person.
He stretched out his hand, and the mirror shattered into countless dust particles, enveloping Xian Yu and transforming him into his “Star Sea” game character.
At this point, he saw many tentacle-like graphics appear on the dark ground, twisting and flashing white, surging forward like a river.
“Xian Yu—”
The Executive Officer's voice entered this consciousness space, with an ethereal quality.
“Don't worry, that's the Mainframe, it's guiding you. Ahead should be the Gaia Zerg's consciousness island, but as an ordinary person, your movement speed in the psionic world is very slow, so this journey might take some time, keep going.”
“Received! I'll be as quick as possible!”
Ten hours later, the First Air Squadron's 33 fighter jets finally returned safely.
And arriving with them was a radio signal with a large amount of information.
“Executive Officer!” The communications officer on the Taibai reported to Lu Yuan. “This is a Star Alliance standard video and audio signal, presumed to be from the Imperial Fleet. Do you want to see it?”
“Release it.”
The signal connected, and the picture appeared on the bridge's main display, also projected into everyone's helmets.
“Greetings, members of the Cangyuan Expeditionary Fleet. I am Rear Admiral Reese Reid of the Super Democratic Empire Navy.”
Thus, for the first time, the players saw the commander of the pursuing fleet.
The other party was seated in a luxurious and spacious bridge, with a chart table the size of a billiard table behind him.
The chart table was not displaying nearby routes, but the interior of the K063 star system.
The center of the screen was focused on the brown dwarf.
They had arrived!
“First, I have bad news for you. The Imperial Fleet has entered the star system you marked as K063 and has already controlled both Jump Points.
We know you are hiding in orbit around the brown dwarf. We also know that your purpose in this trip is to steal a valuable anomaly belonging to the Empire. We also know that you ambushed the harmless passing Imperial light cruisers ‘Trigger’ and ‘Vendetta,’ cruelly killing their crew.”
Holy crap... can we not be so shameless?
You call deploying a field of nuclear sea mines in peacetime without warning a harmless passage?
If any ship hadn't had the foresight of the Executive Officer, it would have crashed into them long ago!
If I bury a nuclear landmine at your doorstep tomorrow, can I call it a harmless stroll?
Isn't this pure terrorist behavior?!
The players raised a collective middle finger.
However, due to the speed of light, they could not have a friendly face-to-face conversation with Rear Admiral Reid; this was merely a video email.
“Your crimes are unforgivable, but in a civilized democratic nation, they also need to be judged fairly. This is your luck.
Therefore, in the name of Emperor Constantine V, I demand that you immediately shut down your reactors and surrender your weapons.
Your warships will be scuttled on the spot, and the personnel on board will become Imperial prisoners of war, receiving proper treatment and placement from us, heading to Chenxi Star to clarify some facts to the media.
Afterward, you may be spared death and released on bail after paying a ransom.”
At this point, Rear Admiral Reid stood up.
“Of course, I know you won't surrender easily, which is also why the Emperor highly praises you. So, please allow me, in the name of an Imperial Navy commander, to introduce our pursuing forces to help you make a rational choice. So! First—”
The scene changed, revealing the majestic and powerful Imperial heavy cruiser.
“Behold! The invincible Super Flagship oka! 809 meters long, 1.6 million tons in mass, 120 TW of energy output!
Four Super Destroyers, four Super Light Cruisers, four Super Heavy Cruisers, with a total energy output of 195 TW!
One Super Carrier, carrying 128 Super Carrier-based aircraft, with a single attack wave delivering 850 million tons of TNT equivalent!”
The Imperials believed “oka” was the name of a “sea god” in an ancient Earth culture, but in reality, in the official language of the UEG before the catastrophe,
“oka” meant “orca.”
“I don't know the specific performance of your warships—” After showing off, the Rear Admiral chuckled lightly at the camera.
“But I can understand your secrecy, after all, we all know that secrecy is about preserving backwardness!”
“In short, I hope you cherish your lives, Rear Admiral Reid, communication terminated!”
“Is this guy mentally 14 years old?” Flaunting his big toys in front of the enemy like this made it very difficult for the players to comment.
It wasn't the same style as Jialan's boastful exaggerations. It just goes to show that the diversity of humanity on the grand stage of Star Sea is quite rich and worth savoring.
However, if the warship parameters reported by the opponent were not inflated, then their strength was indeed more than a hundred times that of Cangyuan.
The five warships in the expeditionary team combined had a total energy output of only 1.85 TW.
“And the enemy fleet has a carrier, which is intelligence we didn't have before.”
Chang Kong, who had just arrived at the space station, reminded Lu Yuan.
“According to general engagement strategies, their first wave of attack is likely to consist of no less than 50 carrier-based aircraft.”
Loulan, next to him, said.
These two ace pilots had eyes burning with the fire of battle, eager to engage.
The Empire's warp speed was 80% of the speed of light. Since they could receive the signals they transmitted at light speed, it meant that their forces would arrive quickly.
The positional battle was about to begin.
Lu Yuan nodded: “I know. How is Xian Yu's progress?”
Nan Guo de Xue turned her head.
“Almost. There has been great progress, but it still needs some time.”
“Good! The First Air Squadron will complete their rest as soon as possible and ascend with the fleet to buy as much time as possible for the space station!”
“Yes!”
At the same time, deep within the Paradise Island port, in a huge cavern left by mining.
Nadi, the Prime Minister of the Galan Commonwealth, led by the criminal oligarch Greed, walked along a long metal walkway towards eight neatly arranged brand-new destroyers.
“The special-grade warships leased to Galan are delivered today!”
The pot-bellied Greed spread his hands, announcing enthusiastically and proudly.
“Hmm—they look very sturdy! Very advanced!”
Nadi's face finally showed a long-lost confident smile again. The local reporters he brought quickly snapped photos to quickly reshape the image of this “strongman politician.”
“Of course!” Greed's voice boomed, “These warships have powerful firepower, each one is equipped with my elite crew and instructors,
and they also have unique secret techniques! But—”
He patted Nadi's shoulder.
“Nadi! My old friend! Before I hand them over to you, I have a condition!”
“What condition? Don't tell me it's another temporary price hike!”
“No, of course not! As you know, two of Cangyuan's third procurement plan merchant fleets passed by your doorstep, and it is said that in the fourth procurement, even more merchant fleets will pass through there.”
“I know that, so what?”
“So, I hope you act quickly, severely punish these merchant fleets, and win back the Paradise Island military products' deserved reputation! Galan can have all the spoils!”
Greed said the last sentence through gritted teeth, causing Nadi to look at him sideways.
To make this old miser say such a thing, it was truly not simple!
However, the prize was indeed tempting enough!
Who doesn't know that Cangyuan is now rolling in wealth due to foreign exchange appreciation? The goods they purchased, and the electronically encrypted cash carried on the merchant fleets, must be a huge fortune!
Whether it's star alliance credit points or cangyuan coin, I'll take it all!
“Okay, I promise you. My crew members have all been brought here. Setting up an interception point from here, it's estimated to be completed within 10 days!”
“Hmm, try to be quicker!” Greed urged, “Otherwise, the Star Alliance situation will become increasingly unfavorable for us. As far as I know,
the Human Exploration Federation is planning to issue a formal diplomatic thank you to Cangyuan.”
“Why?!” Nadi was greatly astonished. “Cangyuan just caused the complete destruction of their Chenxi Star mining colony. Instead of extorting a fortune, they're actually thanking them? Is the Federation President an idiot?”
“Well—”
Greed seemed a little awkward.
“Old friend, sometimes, you might want to—look a little further ahead.”
Nadi's face lengthened, clearly displeased.
How can I be Prime Minister if I need you to teach me?!
“No, I think you still need more experience. We Galan, as long as we see profit ahead, we must seize it with the fastest speed and the toughest stance! This is the tactic of an excellent ruler to gather public opinion!”
Greed sighed, too lazy to argue further.
This idiot, with such low ability, actually became Prime Minister!
It seems the Jialan's good days are still ahead. “Well, I wish you good luck.”
From above, Arrogance quietly watched all this, saying to the two mysterious hooded figures beside him:
“As you wished, the full-scale encirclement and suppression of Cangyuan has begun!”
But what he didn't know was that at this moment, the merchant ship carrying Cangyuan's elite vanguard team had just passed through the star system Jump Point and arrived at this city of wealth and violence.