The day before arriving at Har Star, Jiang Ye began to pick up more concentrated news.
"Banks on Har Star are Massively Transferring Assets"
"Mount Zhu Rong on Har Star Erupts"
"Har Star Experiences Three Tsunamis and Coastal Earthquakes in 24 Hours, Resulting in Approximately Nine Thousand Deaths and Disappearances"
"Interstellar Antique Magnate Feng Arrives at Har Star, Target Unknown"
"High Priest of Har Star Announces Emergency Summit of Friendly Planet Leaders"
"List of Planet Leaders for Summit Allegedly Leaked: Diplomatic Minister of Su Star, General and Governor of Jiang Ye Star, Governor and Wife of Hua Yu Star, Crown Prince of Laser Star, and 12 Other Planet Leaders to Arrive"
"Galactic Empire Military Representatives Arrive at Har Star"
"Council Members of the Interstellar Humanitarian Relief Association Arrive at Har Star"
Jiang Ye's brow furrowed deeply. Har Star was indeed in serious trouble, but he didn't quite believe the planet was doomed. How could such a massive planet simply cease to exist? This wasn't some ancient dynasty that could be overthrown by a peasant uprising.
The spaceship landed at four o'clock local time.
The space station had been cleared, an honor guard was waiting, and a red carpet had been laid out.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng disembarked and shook hands with the High Priest who had been waiting.
"What exactly is going on?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Let's get in the car, we'll talk on the way," the High Priest urged, leading the way with a weary tone.
Jiang Ye walked quickly across the red carpet, noticing the eyes of the honor guards. When he had visited before, the guards had been spirited and full of vigor. Now, their fatigue was evident. Many had fear in their eyes, and some even stared at Jiang Ye, their gazes conveying a silent plea.
Jiang Ye suddenly believed that Har Star was facing a cataclysm. He inexplicably sensed the aura of a dying elder. This vast and prosperous planet was showing signs of decline so rapidly, much like empires on the verge of collapse throughout history.
They got into the car, and the hovercar immediately lifted off, heading into the dark night sky.
"All twelve continental plates of Har Star have become active," the High Priest said, removing her veil and coat, revealing a haggard face. "The volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are accelerating. This is just the beginning, with an estimated one-year buffer period."
"How could this happen?" Jiang Ye was shocked. "Twelve plates moving? Isn't the entire surface of the planet breaking apart?"
"Have you seen ice melt in a river?" the High Priest asked. "Initially, it's a solid block of ice. Then, cracks appear, and it remains relatively stable. As it progresses, the cracks widen, more water enters, and the ice fragments begin to collide more rapidly."
"That's what's happening to Har Star. The geological structure of the entire planet's surface is unique. The areas that fix the plates are composed of loose rock that is soluble in seawater. This erosion has been ongoing for tens of thousands of years, and now it has reached a critical point. Furthermore, the magma beneath is extremely active, accelerating its upwelling from beneath several plates and dissolving the continental shelves."
"Is there no way to salvage this?" Cen Yemeng, listening beside him, looked terrified. "Can we do something to stop the plate collisions?"
"It's impossible. Har Star doesn't have that kind of power. I met with military representatives yesterday. The Galactic Empire could stop Har Star's disintegration, but it wouldn't be cost-effective. The energy required to save this planet, in terms of monetary cost, would deplete several planets of equivalent size." The High Priest shook her head. "If you buy a car for ten million and it's about to break down, but the repair costs five or six times that, would you repair it? Of course not. You'd buy a new car instead."
"What will be the final outcome of Har Star's plate movements?" Jiang Ye asked.
"A few days ago, two minor coastal earthquakes occurred. The first had a magnitude equivalent to over four hundred small nuclear bombs, and the second was equivalent to over a thousand. Several small towns were affected, with buildings collapsing and roads cracking wide enough to swallow a bus. Over ten thousand people are now missing or dead," the High Priest said. "This is just the beginning, like a few drops of water falling from the air before a heavy rain. In another year, the entire planet will be inundated with rain. The current predicted data is..."
The High Priest reached out and tapped the glass of the coffee table a few times. The glass immediately transformed into a screen, displaying data.
Jiang Ye frowned as he looked. The number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on Har Star in the coming year would show a steep, arc-like increase, at a terrifying pace, entering a period of eruption after one year.
During the eruption period, there would be three earthquakes and volcanic eruptions of magnitude six or higher every day.
Occasionally, there would be magnitude nine earthquakes, two to three times a month.
The entire map of Har Star was marked with dense clusters of small red and green dots.
Jiang Ye clicked on a few red dots. Each red dot represented something different, including:
"Potential new volcano formation"
"Potential epicenter"
"High impact from tsunami"
Jiang Ye then clicked on some green dots, assuming they were good news, like safe zones. There were many green dots on the map; if there were so many safe zones, the situation wouldn't be too dire.
However, after clicking a few times, Jiang Ye fell silent.
The green dots meant:
"Potential submersion below sea level"
"High probability of this island sinking into the sea"
"This landmass will likely tear open with fissures"
The red dots were increasing, and the green dots were decreasing. Both red and green represented deadly bad news.
The entire planet of Har Star was covered in red and green dots, like a leper, giving a sense of terminal illness with no cure.
The hovercar arrived at the Divine Palace.
The Divine Palace had prepared a welcome banquet: a long table laden with jade plates and delicacies, illuminated by golden light.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng took their seats.
A small timer was hanging on the wall, counting down.
"03:33"
"03:32"
"03:31"
Jiang Ye didn't pay much attention, his gaze sweeping over it as he ate and chatted with the High Priest.
"Your planet is in trouble, and we will certainly help. I hope you can tell us directly how we can assist. Whether it's money or manpower, what specifically needs to be done." Jiang Ye said.
"Har Star is not short of money for now. After all, we were a very prosperous planet with ample finances," the High Priest said. "This planet is on the verge of destruction. In a year, the living areas of 80% of the population will be affected by earthquakes and volcanoes. The remaining 20% of the population will also find it difficult to survive. Massive volcanic eruptions will create dust clouds that obscure the planet, destroying the ecosystem, raising temperatures, and causing sea levels to rise by 62 meters. This will be followed by a sharp drop in temperature and a five-year global winter, during which almost no species will be able to survive."
"So, the people of Har Star need to migrate to other planets collectively?" Jiang Ye understood.
"Yes, I have already contacted many planets, distributing a portion of the population to each. We aim to transfer over 99% of Har Star's population within six months," the High Priest said. "Jiang Ye Star has a sparse population, so it's just right..."
She suddenly stopped speaking.
In the wine glasses on the table, the previously calm liquid rippled.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng's faces turned pale as they felt the vibration from the chairs.
Jiang Ye suddenly noticed the countdown on the wall:
"0:03"
"0:02"
"0:01"