"Master, you have two unread messages from Li Nannan."
"Master, you have three unread messages."
"Master, you have four."
The sweeping robot kept repeating, as if it had frozen.
"Check the messages!" Jiang Ye said urgently.
Li Nannan's private message interface popped up. She was sending pictures non-stop.
The network might be a bit slow, as the pictures took a long time to load.
Jiang Ye gasped!
They were all photos of cities destroyed by war.
Shattered glass skyscrapers.
Streets shrouded in thick smoke, with dark yellow mushroom clouds rising in the distance.
Blood-splattered remnants of walls, with a few charred human bodies still visible.
Warships ablaze floated on the sea, and many spacecraft crashed down like meteorites.
Li Nannan: "The Mill people have mobilized their forces towards the Node Star."
A chill ran down Jiang Ye's spine. "How is the battle going?"
Li Nannan: "Temporarily repelled. We were caught off guard. A few cities were hit by stray fire, and thousands died."
Jiang Ye: "Is Basong City alright?"
Li Nannan: "It's fine. Due to the planet's rotation, Basong City was fortunately facing away from the attack at the time. You ask about Basong City, are you concerned about me?"
Jiang Ye breathed a huge sigh of relief. He wasn't concerned about Li Nannan, but about Cen Yemeng's safety. If Basong City was fine, he was relieved.
Jiang Ye: "Of course! You are my kind old superior, and the vanguard ace and pillar of the Air Force. When war breaks out, I'm naturally worried about your safety!"
Li Nannan: "Stop flattering me. Do you think I don't know your little intentions? You hooked up with a girl during your days on the Node Star, right? Are you worried about her?"
Jiang Ye: "Superior, you are truly prescient and observant! But I am still very worried about your safety!"
Li Nannan: "Get lost!"
Li Nannan: "Seriously, this battle was very sudden. We had no prior warning and no idea what those soft-bodied Mill creatures were thinking. The best-case scenario is that the Mill people went crazy and attacked to test us. The worst-case scenario is that this was a feint to probe the military deployment of the M78 Nebula."
Jiang Ye: "So I need to accelerate troop construction, is that what you mean?"
Li Nannan: "I'm not trying to dampen your spirits, but your current backward military factories and the outdated weapons they produce are only good enough to fight rabbits. Fighting the regular army of the Mill people is like an egg hitting a rock. Lasting for two hours would be considered your great strategic vision."
Jiang Ye was suddenly panicked. "Is the gap that huge? What should I do then?"
Li Nannan: "Rest assured, your planet is so desolate, it's less valuable than a small village on the Node Star. The Mill people's regular army wouldn't even bother to glance at it. Unless their generals are out of their minds, they won't send troops to attack you. Sending a few spy robots to your place is already giving you a lot of face."
Jiang Ye fell into thought. Hearing this, it felt like being poor meant being safe? As long as I'm extremely poor, no thief will target me?
What is this sudden sense of poverty? Should I be happy or sad?
Li Nannan: "However, we can't guarantee what those soft-bodied Mill creatures are thinking. So there's still a chance you could be attacked."
Jiang Ye felt like he was about to have a heart attack. "Superior, can you finish your sentence in one go?"
Li Nannan: "To prevent backward regions from being unexpectedly attacked by the Mill people, after military research, it has been decided to implement the Planetary Mutual Assistance Network Plan."