Jiang Ye's premonition was incredibly accurate.
At one in the morning, he was fast asleep on the small bed in his office when the lights suddenly flickered on, followed by Liu Jizi calling his name.
"Commander, we have an emergency," Liu Jizi said.
Jiang Ye, groggy, heard the words "emergency" and something in his mind seemed to activate, causing him to bolt upright in bed.
Liu Jizi, who had been bending over by the bed, was caught off guard and hit her forehead, crying out in pain.
"Sorry," Jiang Ye winced, also in pain. "What's going on?"
"Regarding Julanlan's situation, the Chan people deployed over two thousand mining ships and launched a surprise attack, breaching two mining bases. Fu Qiuyan's troops are holding the front line," Liu Jizi spoke rapidly.
"Notify the rapid response forces on all planets to stand by," Jiang Ye said. "I'll call Fu Qiuyan."
Liu Jizi turned and ran out of the office. Jiang Ye then noticed she was still in her pajamas and barefoot, likely having been asleep in the adjacent office and rushing over as soon as she received the news.
Jiang Ye called Fu Qiuyan. "What's the situation at the Xinke Asteroid Belt?"
"We can hold for now. The Chan people suddenly sent over two thousand ships, and they've secretly built Hou Yi systems on many asteroids. We were caught off guard at the start of the engagement, but we've controlled the situation. I've also dispatched reinforcements, twenty-eight warships, which should be sufficient," Fu Qiuyan replied.
"What is the Hou Yi system?" Jiang Ye felt the name sounded formidable.
"It's a type of cheap, single-soldier anti-air emplacement used by the Chan people. They have their own designation, but we've codenamed it the Hou Yi system. Though small, it's a complete unit. It usually hides in a corner of an asteroid, almost undetectable. When our warships pass by, it suddenly emerges to launch missiles and laser beams, similar to space mines, but mines that can actively attack. The Chan people have turned the asteroid belt into a minefield, or you could say a tower defense game," Fu Qiuyan explained. "This thing has caused us a lot of trouble. While it doesn't inflict significant damage on warships, it takes a lot of time to clear. The Chan people have built many Hou Yi systems, with ambush points everywhere."
"Do you need my warships to provide support?" Jiang Ye asked.
"More reinforcements would certainly be good. We don't have the confidence to annihilate this group of Chan people entirely yet," Fu Qiuyan said.
"Understood. I'll dispatch a batch of reinforcements as soon as possible," Jiang Ye replied. "Let's stay in touch."
After hanging up, Jiang Ye sat down at his desk and quickly issued deployment orders to the armies of all planets.
Just as he finished, Dai Zhixing's call came through.
"Commander," Jiang Ye answered.
"I've received word that there's a battle at the Xinke Asteroid Belt, is that right?" Dai Zhixing asked. "What's the situation?"
Jiang Ye felt a prickling sensation on his scalp.
How many minutes had it been?
Dai Zhixing knew the news this quickly?
As expected of an old commander, his intelligence network was terrifyingly efficient. It was hard to imagine how much information from the farthest corners of the universe Dai Zhixing received daily.
"There are over two thousand Chan mining ships, all of very outdated models. We have a weapon advantage and can suppress them. Fu Qiuyan's forces have been defending the asteroid belt during this period. I just spoke with Fu Qiuyan, and she said they can hold. I've just issued orders to dispatch fifty warships as reinforcements," Jiang Ye said. "Fu Qiuyan mentioned something about the Chan people secretly building many Hou Yi systems in the asteroid belt, and I find that suspicious."
"Why do you find it suspicious?" Dai Zhixing asked.
"Her troops have been patrolling the asteroid belt. If the Chan people built such a large number of weapon emplacements, why haven't they been discovered until now? Do the Chan people have the capability to build so many fortifications right under the noses of our military?"
"You suspect Fu Qiuyan of treason?" Dai Zhixing's tone held a hint of a smile. "She intentionally lured the Chan people to reclaim the Xinke Asteroid Belt?"
"Yes."
"Rest assured, based on the intelligence I have, the Chan people are very adept at stealthily constructing weapon emplacements; it's almost a racial talent. Many interstellar mining areas have encountered similar situations, with large numbers of Chan fortifications appearing out of nowhere. The surface components of the Hou Yi system are only about the size of a basketball court, covered with soil and shielding membranes, making them extremely well-hidden. Even a living person standing on them might not detect them, let alone warships passing by numerous celestial bodies at high speed, making them difficult to scan," Dai Zhixing explained. "The probability of Fu Qiuyan being a traitor is very low, as your military strength has an absolute advantage over her, and the Chan mining teams are hardly forces that can change the overall situation; they're at best interstellar bandit groups."
"Then, in your opinion, what should I do next?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Since the Chan people are building Hou Yi systems, you build them too. Fill the entire asteroid belt with your Hou Yi systems, and the Chan people naturally won't be able to approach. I'll have a production line sent to you; have someone receive it." Dai Zhixing said.
"A production line?" Jiang Ye was taken aback. "Do I need to prepare anything? Purchase costs? Technical personnel?"
"You don't need anything. This production line is very inexpensive, less than ten billion in total, and it's being gifted to you. My subordinate will contact you shortly. You can arrange for the person in charge of weapons manufacturing to handle the handover," Dai Zhixing said. "The production line should arrive at Jiang Ye Star within approximately 24 hours. The first batch assembly might take another 24 hours, after which it can be transported to the asteroid belt."
"Understood, thank you, Commander!"
"It's a small matter, no need for thanks."
The call ended.
Jiang Ye sighed with emotion.
A production line worth billions was being given away so readily; Commander Dai's financial resources were truly formidable.
Jiang Ye immediately called Hua Qing to inform her to prepare for the handover. Hua Qing was already awake and busy checking the production status of the military factory.
A frantic period of activity began.
Jiang Ye made call after call, signing dozens of urgent orders in one go.
Information from all directions converged on him, and after processing, it was disseminated back out in all directions.
Jiang Ye was immensely grateful for his choice years ago to build his own army from scratch, rather than relying on external forces. Otherwise, handling a situation like this today would have been nearly impossible, or at least cost a fortune.
Fortunately, the army had gained extensive combat experience over the years, military funding had always been at a high level, and deployments could be made swiftly. Many unnecessary troubles were avoided due to the rich experience of all levels of the troops, greatly reducing the burden on Jiang Ye.
In just 5 hours, 25 warships from the Jiang Ye Star fleet departed for the Xinke Asteroid Belt.
The Bi Rong Star fleet dispatched 30 ships, and the Exile Star fleet dispatched 20 ships, departing almost simultaneously five and a half hours later.
In Jiang Ye's office, a holographic projection of the Xinke Asteroid Belt was already displayed.
The projection content came from the camera of a warship under Fu Qiuyan's command, clearly showing the real-time situation nearby with only a half-second delay.