Che Zhen leaned forward and clicked on a detailed data entry.
[Protein 0.9g, Fat 0.2g, Carbohydrates 4g]
[Dietary Fiber 0.5g, Carotene 550 micrograms, Niacin 0.6mg, Folic Acid 5.6 micrograms]
Below were several more lines detailing vitamin and mineral content.
At the very bottom of the data was a photo: a small shrub with dark green leaves, bearing plump red berries among its branches, resembling cherry tomatoes in appearance.
Edible wild fruits grew in this region!
Since edible wild fruits could grow here, other edible vegetables, fruits, and grains were likely to grow as well. Based on the experience of expanding territory on Jiang Ye Star, plants with similar components often grew in similar environments.
"Deploy two probes, one for soil environment and one for air environment," Che Zhen ordered.
"Released," said the pilot of Unit Six.
They continued flying for another hundred kilometers.
The dense clouds and thick fog disappeared, revealing a verdant plain.
A lush forest!
Che Zhen exclaimed in surprise, and the soldiers behind him also craned their necks to look out the windows in wonder.
The entire visible area was covered in forest, undulating waves of green, a veritable ocean of leaves.
"Commander, bad news, it's all Mil trees," said the pilot of Unit Ten, who was a botany expert.
Everyone's expression instantly soured.
If it was a Mil forest, it was worse than wasteland. Wasteland could be reforested directly, but Mil forests required large-scale eradication. Such a vast forest would inevitably harbor various Mil monsters, making it quite troublesome.
"This location is about right, prepare for clearing," Che Zhen said over the comms.
The fleet's advance halted abruptly, as if slamming on the brakes in mid-air. Then, all the flapping wings increased their frequency, ascending in a straight line.
"Unit Two, drop one high-explosive bomb," Che Zhen ordered.
Everyone watched as Unit Two vibrated slightly, shedding a black bomb larger than a person as if laying an egg.
The bomb plummeted straight down, becoming a small black dot in the green sea.
Then, a deafening roar erupted, and a large crimson flower bloomed in the center of the green sea, followed by black and white smoke billowing upwards – a mushroom cloud.
Before the mushroom cap had fully expanded, more explosions sounded in rapid succession. Countless white smoke trails descended from the sky, reaching out into the surrounding forest. The forest ignited violently, and with the wind, the flames soared skyward, rapidly spreading in all directions.
This type of bomb was specifically designed for dropping into dense forests to quickly clear landing zones.
The principle was simple: flatten the forest, burn the surroundings, even harden the soil, and you could temporarily land aircraft.
"The forest is so dense. Fly three hundred meters south and drop two more," Che Zhen said.
Unit Two immediately turned, dropping two more bombs. The sounds were like thunder, causing large swathes of the forest to collapse. The giant trees, several meters in diameter, ignited as easily as fireworks. The leaves were scattered by the sparks, and only bare branches remained in the thick smoke.
A large flock of birds took flight from the nearby woods, like dust stirred up. The birds were panicked, even colliding with each other in the air. Some birds accidentally flew into the thick smoke and were quickly suffocated, falling to the ground, creating a scene of chaos.
After a few minutes, scorched earth was visible below. Che Zhen spoke over the comms again.
"Vacuum bombs."
Unit Two dropped three blue bombs.
The sound of the vacuum bomb explosions was peculiar, like the muffled roar of a mountain suddenly collapsing underground. The billowing smoke above the forest violently expanded and then contracted, as if a divine hand from the sky was stirring the smoke.
With each expansion and contraction, the flames quickly disappeared. The oxygen within a kilometer radius was completely depleted in seconds, and no flame could survive.
The fleet waited for another ten minutes until the smoke had largely dissipated before slowly descending.
"Gas warning," Che Zhen glanced at the data on the screen. "Respiratory toxins, hallucinogens, skin-corroding toxins, Mil spores. It's like a breeding ground for poisons. Everyone check your combat suits."
The soldiers remained unperturbed; they had already checked them multiple times before coming.
"Check each other!" Che Zhen roared. "So lazy, do you miss running laps?"
The cabin instantly became lively. Soldiers sitting next to each other embraced, as if they hadn't seen each other in ten years, helping each other check the integrity of their combat suits.
The flapping-wing aircraft finally landed.
The ground was completely scorched black, as hard as pottery, with large areas of soil and sand melted. The nearest charred tree remnants were two hundred meters away.
The soldiers disembarked and began their work.
This would be the second Bi Rong Star camp, serving as a springboard for advancing to lower latitudes.
Crates of building materials, various construction machinery, and temporary military tents were deployed onto the warm ground. Mechanical soldiers quickly began their work, digging foundations and constructing a basic star station.
After unloading, the human soldiers collectively returned to their aircraft, and the fleet took off again, returning to the North Pole.
Within a day, three flapping-wing aircraft teams made multiple round trips, transporting nearly a thousand tons of supplies and building materials.
By midnight, the temporary star station in the dense forest was completed.
It was small in scale, capable of accommodating only one spacecraft for landing and takeoff.
The cargo ship parked at the polar camp was utilized that night, transporting over a thousand tons of goods to the new camp in one go, along with five thousand mechanical soldiers.
The home planet soon sent an order from Jiang Ye. The number of signal stations had increased recently, allowing for longer command messages.
[Soldiers on Bi Rong Star have worked hard!]
[Congratulations on the successful construction of the second camp. It is recommended to name it Forest One Camp. The previous camp is named Arctic Zero Camp.]
[Subsequent supplies will be delivered. Forest One should be expanded to the following specifications as soon as possible.]
[Camp accommodations for 3,000 human soldiers and 9,000 mechanical soldiers.]
[Small nuclear power station, air-water collection system, vegetable greenhouses capable of supplying food for 20,000 people.]
[Complete biological eradication within a three-kilometer radius. Explosives, chemical agents, and flamethrowers may be used. Dig at least three feet deep.]
[Hangar and airport capable of accommodating 50 flapping-wing aircraft.]
[The above should be completed within 72 hours. After completion, continue searching for the next camp and reach lower latitudes as soon as possible.]
Che Zhen's eyelids twitched violently.
Judging by the message, the boss was truly in a hurry. Previous orders had never specified a time limit down to the hour.
Completing so many tasks within 72 hours would indeed be a significant pressure.
Che Zhen sighed, but quickly dispelled his negative emotions.
While his own pressure was immense, it was likely insignificant compared to the commander's. If the mission failed, he would at most be reprimanded or lectured, but the commander would be burning through vast amounts of real money. Every day the troops spent on Bi Rong Star required burning through truckloads of cash.
Che Zhen quickly issued deployment orders, assigning specific tasks to each unit.
The Forest One camp quickly became busy. Explosions echoed throughout the forest, several flapping-wing aircraft ascended, showering chemical agents, and mechanical soldiers were busy laying foundations and building dormitories. Amidst the flames and mist, distant green trees fell, withered, turned from green to yellow, and emitted thick smoke. The firelight illuminated the night sky.
Che Zhen planned to get some rest, having been awake for 20 hours.
His phone vibrated again; a new mission had been added.
Che Zhen looked at the screen and gasped.