Snake Man presented a large amount of intelligence.
The armies of the Exile Star had begun to mobilize intensely, accompanied by large-scale appointments and dismissals of officers. Some hidden military factories had also received activation orders, commencing weapon production to supply the civilian population.
Most importantly, in 48 hours, Naomura Rintaro would deliver a global address.
After Snake Man finished relaying all the intelligence, he was taken away by the quartermaster. The first batch of weapons would be provided to him in exchange for the Exile Star's trust, but these weapons would be tampered with. Tracking chips would be implanted internally, allowing for real-time observation of the weapons' locations, facilitating a comprehensive strike when war broke out.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Half an hour before Naomura's speech, the main conference room was already crowded. Cen Yemeng and Jiang Ye sat at the very front, with a large number of officers behind them.
The holographic projection suddenly lit up.
The television screen of the Exile Star appeared, showing a scene from the Exile Star's capital city, Fifth Avenue, a super-wide road with 26 lanes in each direction.
The army and civilian representatives had already assembled, dressed in brand new black military uniforms and black militia uniforms. Their ceremonial caps and heads were a vast expanse, like an ocean. The camera switched angles, capturing the front of the crowd. Large swathes of identical faces, all bearing expressions of fanaticism, interacted with each other. Some were already in tears.
The camera repeatedly panned across the crowds on the streets, an ocean of faces, an ocean of black boots, an ocean of backs. The number of people gathered on the street was incalculable, with no end in sight. The effect was as if the entire planet's population had gathered here, the sense of power from such a massive organization was almost suffocating.
Suddenly, someone shouted loudly, and then the shouts spread to the entire crowd. Countless people began to clap. The applause was like a gale sweeping through a forest hung with shells. The overwhelming sound of the crowd was powerful and piercing, like a volcano erupting, lava roaring everywhere, or like the war cries of ancient armies charging.
The camera cut.
On the high platform, the figure of Naomura Rintaro appeared. He was also wearing a jet-black ceremonial military uniform, adorned with sparkling golden tassels on his chest. He was tall and his expression was solemn. He raised his hand, gesturing from east to west. The camera shot from below, making Naomura Rintaro, standing high above, appear like a deity overlooking all beings.
The applause and cheers continued for a full ten minutes before Naomura finally began to speak. It wasn't in Mandarin, but in the local language of the Exile Star, a new language derived from a fusion of multiple languages.
Jiang Ye had initially wanted to listen to his speaking style.
However, for every sentence Naomura spoke, the response from below was a tide of applause and cheers. The fervor of the crowd completely drowned out his voice. More people began to weep, and some even fainted from excessive excitement. Everyone raised their arms, waving and clapping. Arms of all skin colors were like a forest in a storm.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng were both stunned.
They had not anticipated such fanaticism from the people and army of the Exile Star. Naomura's prestige here was even greater than that of an immortal.
Cen Yemeng's adjutants were busy translating Naomura's words. The translations were based on intelligence reported by operatives, requiring on-site searches, thus causing significant delays. Naomura had already spoken a great deal on stage, and they had only managed to translate the first sentence:
"I never believed in the greatness of humanity until I met two types of people: the soldiers and the citizens of the Exile Star."
Upon seeing the opening of the speech, Jiang Ye immediately had a bad premonition.
As expected, after a long passage of inflammatory praise, Naomura revealed his true intentions.
"Now, I have confirmed that the Galactic Empire is about to go to war with us! This dark and barbaric galactic empire, attempting to occupy our homeland, slaughter our people, and destroy our order! The planet we have painstakingly built for generations, they now wish to take away!"
What followed was another lengthy, roaring speech. Naomura on the high platform was extremely passionate, possessing the stamina of a madman. Various powerful sentences erupted like a volcanic eruption towards his subjects. His anger immediately infected everyone at the gathering. The raised hands turned into fists, and after a brief moment of chaos, they began to strike the sky in unison with Naomura's tone.
"As the leader of the Exile Star, I declare this planet to be in a state of war! Everyone who can wield a weapon must defend the planet. We will make the invaders bleed on our land. I command you not to abandon your homeland, even in death! A few days ago, our brave soldiers engaged two enemy teams that had infiltrated, and the enemy was completely annihilated! This is merely the beginning of our victory. We will achieve a series of victories next!"
Cen Yemeng suddenly picked up her phone and muted the projection.
"All units, heed my command. Launch an attack on the Exile Star," Cen Yemeng stood up. "According to the established plan, prioritize the elimination of Naomura Rintaro. Swiftly clear enemy forces in your respective combat zones. Employ saturation bombing; do not conserve ammunition. It takes three hours for us to reach the Exile Star. Five hours from now, I want to know the first targets that have been destroyed."
The officers in the room all stood up, saluted, and then hurried away.
The space city's alarm bells blared.
Soldiers slowly walking in countless corridors began to sprint. Humans and mechanical soldiers in various rooms assembled like madmen.
Cen Yemeng and Jiang Ye did not move from their seats, turned the sound back on, and continued watching Naomura's speech.
Within five minutes, over fifty thousand troops in the space city had taken their positions. Rows of giant spacecraft lit up their lights, flew out of their berths, and quickly transformed into streams of light, charging into the night sky. Some of the spacecraft were as large as small cities, and their departure almost completely filled the view outside the windows. Their lights were so bright that the stars of the entire universe almost disappeared. If there were sound in space, the entire space city would have been covered by the cataclysmic roar of the warship fleet.
Naomura's speech ended quickly, but he did not leave. The fanatical crowds on the streets were still shouting, crying, and applauding. After watching for a while, Cen Yemeng apparently lost interest and turned off the sound again. The image shrank, and the grand scene immediately became a small, silent pantomime.
"You're attacking just like that?" Jiang Ye turned to his wife.
"We're attacking just like that," Cen Yemeng nodded, her tone unwavering.
"What is your plan?" Jiang Ye asked. "Which targets will you strike?"
"The plan is irrelevant. We'll wait for news from the frontline troops," Cen Yemeng's tone was cold. "In three hours, we will have battle results from here."
...
Biron Star.
Jiuyao City.
The commercial district was lined with tall buildings. Night had just fallen, and the city lights illuminated the night sky.
In a ramen restaurant by the roadside, two stunningly beautiful women sat by the window, eating noodles across from each other.
Isabelle and Liu Jizi.
Due to their work and residences, these two girls had become best friends. They would go out shopping and eating during their days off, living a very comfortable life.
"Oh my." Isabelle, who was scrolling through her phone, suddenly changed her expression and exclaimed, "They've declared war!"
Liu Jizi was startled. "What?"
The television in the middle of the ramen restaurant suddenly went black, then switched to news footage. The volume was instantly turned up several times, startling the diners at every table, who all looked up.
"We interrupt this program for an urgent news bulletin. All citizens please pay attention!"
"Planet Governor Jiang Ye Cen Yemeng, and General Jiang Ye of Jiang Ye Star have jointly announced a military strike against the Exile Star!"
"Planet Governor Cen Yemeng of Biron Star, and General Jiang Ye of Biron Star have jointly announced a military strike against the Exile Star!"
"This military operation will be a joint operation between the Jiang Ye Star forces and the Biron Star forces. The joint forces are currently entering the outer defensive perimeter of the Exile Star!"