As the Federation forces in the exam arena suffered one defeat after another, nearly half the cities on Haige Star in reality had their Starnet fall under the hacker’s control.
[Nuwa] issued a final notice: “Should more than half of the cities on Haige Star lose control, I will sever all connections to Haige Star and implement a data blockade.”
“Should more than two-thirds of the cities lose control, I will disconnect the entire Fourth Star Ring’s Starnet and activate a Federation-wide Level Three Alert.”
This was not a suggestion; it was an official notification. When the Federation encountered emergencies, [Nuwa] had the authority to initiate emergency alert protocols based on the specific circumstances.
Within ten minutes, the members of the Federation Supreme Council responded to this declaration, passing it with a unanimous vote.
When an unknown danger threatened the entire Federation or its central regions, all peripheral star rings could be sacrificed.
The expressions on the faces of Melina and her colleagues instantly darkened.
This was the first time in their lives they had been weighed, measured, and deemed expendable.
On the Fourth Star Ring, numerous high-ranking officials and those with inside information scrambled to apply for flight routes. They wanted to leave Haige Star, to flee the Fourth Star Ring altogether.
Time was of the essence. Judging by the speed of the Federation’s collapse within the exam arena, it would be less than a day before Haige Star was locked down by [Nuwa].
“Wesley, hurry up! Go to the Third Star Ring and find your uncle. He’ll take good care of you,” Melina said, having barely managed to secure a single ticket for an orbital shuttle.
Wesley clung tightly to the doorframe, shaking his head frantically. “I’m not going! If you’re not leaving, Mom, then neither am I!”
Frustrated and anxious, Melina snapped, “I am the Director of Education for the Fourth Star Ring! I have a responsibility to the examinees in that exam arena! I cannot leave. You’re just a child! What use would you be staying here?”
Wesley refused to budge, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Who says I’m useless? I can cheer for the Big Boss in the exam arena!”
“No more nonsense! Get going, now!” Melina was willing to stay and face whatever fate awaited Haige Star, but she could not let her son stay and die pointlessly.
Wesley’s resolve was firmer than ever. “A mother’s love is the best thing in the world! I want to stay with you! I don’t want to leave you. And besides… I believe in Lin Xiaohe! She’s going to succeed! Miracles are always on her side.”
Meeting Wesley’s gaze, filled with a stubborn willingness to face death, Melina sighed helplessly. She managed a wry, bitter smile. “Let’s hope so.”
Chaos engulfed Haige Star. The fallen cities lost access not only to the Starnet but also to any local networks.
It was as if they had been thrust back into a primitive age overnight. No personal AI terminals, no electronic payments. Smart appliances in homes ceased functioning. AI-controlled flying cars on the streets ground to a halt, paralyzing transportation.
Worse still were the patients undergoing surgery.
In the interstellar age, doctors relied heavily on medical equipment. Intelligent surgical arms, for instance, were indispensable assistants that doctors couldn’t work without.
But the network was gone! The robotic surgical arms went offline, leaving doctors helpless and at a loss for how to complete an operation single-handedly.
Similarly, without smart traffic officers and automated security patrols, maintaining public order with human personnel alone was utterly impossible.
Within a mere three hours, the fallen cities descended into looting and violence.
The Fourth Star Ring Military District issued order after order. Countless space warships powered up their engines.
They, too, were preparing for the blockade of the Fourth Star Ring.
The Federal officers privy to the inside information felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
The unknown enemy, having gone to such elaborate lengths, would not be satisfied with merely seizing control of the Starnet. Their true target had to be the Federation itself!
The Fourth Star Ring would become the front line, the place where the flames of war would ignite.
The Commander of the Fourth Star Ring Military District issued a public address to all soldiers under his command.
[The security of the Federation faces an unprecedented challenge. They are enemies hidden in the shadows, but they will eventually emerge and bare their fangs. When our mighty fleets of steel are rendered useless scrap, we will use our own bodies to form the final defensive line of the Fourth Star Ring! For the Federation!]
[Loyalty!] The space warships pulsed high-frequency waves into the dark void of space in response.
The soldiers’ nerves were taut as they watched the live feed from the virtual exam arena.
That was the true front line of this confrontation.
The Commander of the Fourth Star Ring Military District pulled out an electronic cigarette and held it under his nose, inhaling the faint scent.
His eyes were as blue as the deep ocean, but his temples were already streaked with white. He looked at the bald figure on the video screen and couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of person is she?”
On the screen were the other unfortunate Commanders from the peripheral star rings.
The Fifth Star Ring was busy constructing quarantine barriers, preparing for the possibility that the unknown enemy might expand outward once the Fourth Star Ring fell.
The Commander of the Sixth Star Ring Military District was occupied with fending off the Empire. Those bastards had a keen nose for trouble and were looking to take advantage of the chaos.
The bald Commander paused his work, thought for a moment, and then chose his words carefully. “She is someone… worthy of trust.”
Whether in terms of character or ability, Lin Xiaohe was absolutely trustworthy.
The Commander of the Fourth Star Ring took a drag from his e-cigarette, his voice hoarse. “Then I’ll put my faith in her too.”
Federal Central Command had issued him a secret order: if more than four-fifths of Haige Star’s cities fell, he was to annihilate Haige Star completely.
Perhaps… he could hold out until seven-eighths?
…
Back in the intensely watched exam arena, Lin Xiaohe was rapidly flipping through various topographical maps while simultaneously having Xinbao analyze the Empire’s troop deployments and movement trajectories based on the available data.
The war room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Lin Ye’s throat felt tight. Every swallow was like forcing down a razor blade.
His thoughts were as scattered and chaotic as cosmic rays.
He glanced at Lin Xiaohe, and his heart, which had been pounding fit to burst, gradually began to calm.
Lin Xiaohe possessed a unique magnetism. Anyone who drew near her couldn’t help but trust her implicitly. Even if she declared the world was flat, people would believe her.
So, she would definitely find a way!
“Hahaha! I’ve got it! I know now!” Lin Xiaohe shot to her feet, laughing out loud, her eyes sparkling with sudden clarity.
A confident smile played on her lips, as if everything was finally within her grasp. “I’ve caught him.”
“Who?” Everyone looked at her, tense yet hopeful.
“The mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes,” Lin Xiaohe said, wasting no more time. She had Xinbao project the data analysis.
“We’ve all been completely deceived. The enemy doesn’t actually have that many troops. Their commander used tactical deception and data manipulation to create the illusion of overwhelming force.”
Lin Xiaohe pointed her command baton at several key cities on the eastern defensive line. “He concentrated his forces at Mount Heng to draw our attention, making us overlook the fighting on the eastern front. In these cities, although there’s conflict, Xinbao…”
“…the newly analyzed data shows us that the Imperial forces stationed in these cities are, in reality, moving closer to the Mount Heng sector!”
In a nutshell: the Empire didn’t have the numbers. But their commander was a sly dog who used deceptive tactics to hide this critical weakness.
“How did he pull it off?! And how do we counter it?” the others pressed.
Lin Xiaohe’s grin widened, her eyes gleaming brighter. “I have to admit, the enemy commander is an arrogant, egotistical bastard. The fatal flaw in his entire strategy is right under our noses!”
Lin Xiaohe slammed her hand down onto the tactical display. The patterns of troop movements shown there were faintly forming a familiar shape.
