The third day of the Owl Dragon Fleet's control of the Sapphire System's Third Planet.
The Hive Motherships inside and outside the planet had basically all been destroyed, and 95% of the ground-crawling interstellar hive-race on the planet had been rooted out as well; all that remained were some ground-crawling interstellar hive-race in odd nooks and corners, still cropping up now and again.
T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser · bridge.
"How does the situation stand now?" Zhao Chen rubbed at his temples; these past few days he hadn't had a proper rest. A situation that seemed calm — but the state of things across the various systems was still somewhat a matter of being scorched to one's wits' end. For those cosmic bug-nests still kept appearing one after another; though the frequency of their appearing was no longer so high, the appearance of a high-grade cosmic bug-nest was, every one, an enormous threat. For, mind you, the interstellar fleets the North Wind Star Region could presently mobilize had all been dispatched to those systems where the cosmic bug-nests had appeared earlier. And the systems where cosmic bug-nests appeared later would beyond doubt add to the difficulty of the whole North Wind Star Region facing the hive-race plague. So, apart from the battlefield before him, Zhao Chen paid heed at every moment to the situation of the other systems as well.
"How is the Third Planet's evacuation coming along?" Zhao Chen looked to Lilith.
Lilith answered, "At present it's already the sixth batch of evacuation work. As the interstellar transports we hold grow more and more, we've gone from the first batch, which could evacuate only 5 million people, to now — our interstellar-transport fleet can already evacuate 50 million in a single trip, and the number is still climbing without cease. As of now, six batches, all told, have evacuated 100 million people."
100 million people.
For this planet, possessed of 1 billion and more of population, this was merely the completion of under 10% of the evacuation work.
Zhao Chen raised a hand and opened the star chart. This was the Sapphire System's star chart. "As of now, the cosmic bug-nests that appeared in this system have basically vanished. And the interstellar hive-race that appeared have begun to gather together; at present they're split into three groups, located in three directions of this system respectively — and all of them are converging toward this position of ours. Earlier we predicted we had 10 days' time; three days have now passed, with seven remaining. In these remaining seven days, we're to go on dispersing and evacuating the billion-and-more people that are left…" Zhao Chen knit his brows. The difficulty was far too great!
"Lilith, within seven days, how many people can we evacuate at the very most?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Though our interstellar-transport fleet is still growing without cease, the rate of increase has already slowed. Within seven days, we can evacuate at most another 1 billion of the common people. In all likelihood, 700 or 800 million people will be unable to be evacuated and dispersed," Lilith answered.
Zhao Chen knit his brows; this trouble was far too thorny. He recalled how, before, he'd fancied completing all three branch missions — and yet now, dealing with just this one branch mission alone was this thorny.
Sapphire System Third Planet Rescue Battle: completion 6% (at least 70% required).
The task requirement was to complete at least 70%; and by the data Lilith had given, this simply could not be completed.
What was to be done?
Zhao Chen knit his brows.
"Bring up the data of the Sapphire System's hive-race fleet for me." Zhao Chen looked to Charlotte beside him.
Charlotte showed Commander Zhao Chen the data information she'd long since had ready. As of now, the Sapphire System had, one after another, seen two tier-3 cosmic bug-nests, seven tier-2 cosmic bug-nests, and 23 tier-1 cosmic bug-nests. This was a few more than the system data Zhao Chen had first seen — these being newly added within these three days. All told, within the Sapphire System there were now nine T3 Hive Motherships, close to 100 T2 Hive Motherships, and close to 1,000 T1 Hive Motherships, split into three groups. They'd already seized nearly a third of the Sapphire System's territory.
Against so vast and terrifying a hive-race fleet — without a legion-grade interstellar fleet garrisoning here, and with a sufficient supply of military resources besides — there was simply no possibility of defeating the Hive Motherships before them.
"By the look of it, mere defense won't do. We'll need to go on the offensive and strike a blow," Zhao Chen muttered. The Owl Dragon Fleet was strong, but the trouble was that the Owl Dragon Fleet had few resources, few ships, and couldn't fight a war of attrition. It had to find its chance for a swift, decisive victory!
"When can our main fleet arrive?" Zhao Chen asked for a piece of crucial information.
"Within two days!" Charlotte said.
Zhao Chen scratched his head. "I'd meant to keep it hidden a while longer, but with this present situation, it seems that even if I want to hide it, there's no hiding it any longer. Order the T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starship to follow the subsequent T2 warships in supporting us — but remember…" Zhao Chen gave his instructions.
Charlotte received the order and at once set about deploying it.
"Commander, though the evacuation work is proceeding very smoothly at present, on account of the great mass of people gathered in the shelters, some cases of wavering morale have already appeared — indeed, some evacuation points have even seen cases of large-scale rioting. Though all were suppressed by force in good time, if this goes on, it will beyond doubt cause enormous harm. I have an idea… but…" Lilith looked at Zhao Chen, wishing to speak yet holding back, seeming much conflicted.
"Is it that I need to appear in person?" Zhao Chen saw through Lilith's thinking.
Lilith nodded.
"I know what you want to say; arrange an itinerary for me. Just now, in the hearts of these people on this planet, there's need for a banner. And here, only I — the one who once rescued the two-academy students and teachers — can serve as this banner to soothe the people's hearts," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
"And as for your worry over the matter of my safety — before this, I dared to face a bug-swarm without fear; all the more so with merely these common folk," Zhao Chen said with a shrug.
"I'll arrange guards for you; and the T3 Blizzard will keep watch above you at all times." Lilith gave her assurance.
Zhao Chen smiled and said nothing. He was, after all, a man who'd been injected with the T3 super-soldier serum.
Afterward, Zhao Chen left the T3 Blizzard, and boarding a shuttle, began his journey of touring the planet. Lilith had arranged several rather safe evacuation points for him.
Zhao Chen's first stop was a large stadium, where by now several million people had already gathered. On hearing the news that the commander of the Owl Dragon Fleet who'd rescued them would come in person, they were all exceedingly excited. The security captain in charge of the order here had, well in advance, cleared out an area, along with a walkway for people to move along; the people on either side would, when the time came, all be at a distance of over 10 meters from that commander!
The shuttle set down. First to appear was a squad of smartly turned-out women-soldiers.
"Form defensive formation." the guard captain gave the order. Semi-transparent energy shields were gripped in their hands, one after another, forming a "shield array."
Thereupon, Zhao Chen walked out, and several million pairs of eyes just then were all fixed upon him.
"Hello, everyone. I am Viscount Zhao Chen of the Owl Dragon Fleet. Please, everyone, set your minds at ease. I, Zhao Chen, was before able to rescue the two-academy students and teachers in the Azure Star Region. And here, I will most certainly do my utmost to carry you all out to safety!" Zhao Chen's resonant voice echoed through the whole stadium.
Simple words — yet, for all the world like a life-saving straw, they set everyone to boiling over with fervor.
After that, Zhao Chen and the others made a tour of a circuit. And just as Zhao Chen had walked halfway, a calling voice from one side drew Zhao Chen's attention.
"My lord! My lord! We're the Jiang family from the Owl Dragon System! It's us!"
Zhao Chen looked over, and saw a thin, frail man with a face full of dishevelment squeezing through the crowd, waving and calling to him without cease. At the first moment, Zhao Chen still didn't recognize this man.
The Jiang family?
Was this Jiang Ziwen?
Zhao Chen called to mind this younger brother of that former fiancée of his — before, the man had held Zhao Chen in very great contempt. And since Jiang Ziwen was here, did that not mean the Jiang family was here too?
Sure enough, Zhao Chen soon caught sight of a whole crowd of the Jiang family. Jiang Xiong, the family head; Jiang Shasha…
What a coincidence indeed.
Their migration had, of all places, been a migration to the Sapphire System's Third Planet.