Jiang Ye quickly went offline, lifted the remote control cabin, grabbed his phone, and sent a message.
First, he reported to Li Nannan, "Someone in a residential area on Crane Star opened fire on me. Those people's expressions were off; they're likely Mill mechanical spies."
Li Nannan replied instantly, "(Auto-reply) In combat, please leave a message."
Jiang Ye was stunned. Looking at the phone's message bar, he saw a notification from half an hour ago.
[URGENT WAR ALERT!]
[Our air force's first defense line has been torn apart by the Mills. Heavy fighting is occurring at multiple points, and the front line will be contracting.]
[Specific war situation will be reported at any time. Planets near the front lines, please prepare.]
The text was brief, but Jiang Ye felt as if he'd been hit on the head with a sledgehammer.
How did the war situation, which had been fine, suddenly worsen?
But upon calming down and thinking it over, the troubles created by the Mills had not diminished recently; in fact, their destructiveness had been considerable. The earth dragons of Birong Star, the happy flu virus of Crane Star, had almost destroyed the local ecology and society. Other planets likely still had various remnants of alien weaponry.
Now, with the discovery of mechanical spies, how long had those mechanical spies on Crane Star been hidden? Months? Years? Decades even?
Jiang Ye thought for a moment and called Shao Wan.
"Commander," Shao Wan answered quickly.
"The front-line battles are getting tight again. I don't know if the troops can hold out; there might be variables," Jiang Ye said. "Take your people and conduct a census of all cities to see if there are any Mill mechanical spies. Exclude them using the database, one person at a time, not a single one can be missed."
"All the people on the planet have been screened. Their identities were confirmed when they immigrated," Shao Wan said. "This is not a small undertaking; it could cause a lot of trouble. Some citizens will definitely not understand, and it will affect the economy. Are you sure you want to proceed with the investigation?"
"I will make a televised address shortly to help everyone understand. You gather your teams first and draw up a screening plan, emphasizing discipline," Jiang Ye said. "We must screen them. I won't feel at ease if we don't. Damn it, these mechanical spies are too troublesome. If there's even one, it's fatal."
"Understood! I'll gather the personnel right away," Shao Wan said.
"I'll have Che Zhen contact you. The police don't have enough manpower; the army will cooperate," Jiang Ye said and hung up.
He then dialed Che Zhen's number, briefly explained the situation, and asked Che Zhen to immediately dispatch 5,000 soldiers to the major cities to await cooperation with police operations. Che Zhen was as reliable as ever, stating he had a pre-prepared plan that could be deployed quickly. The 5,000 soldiers, along with all equipment, could be in place in about 6 hours.
Finally, Jiang Ye called Tang Hanliu.
"Hello, Commander?" Tang Hanliu's voice was sleepy.
"There's an emergency. I need to make a televised address. Where should I broadcast from? Should I go to your place, or will you come to mine?" Jiang Ye asked.
"What kind of emergency?" Tang Hanliu's voice became tense.
"The front-line battles are tight, and I need to conduct a planet-wide screening to prevent Mill spies from infiltrating," Jiang Ye said.
"We'll come to your place. It will take about twenty minutes. If you have formal wear, you can change into it, and tidy up your hair," Tang Hanliu said, and the sound of packing up could already be heard from her end. Their efficiency was quite high.
Jiang Ye hung up and went to the bathroom to check his hair. It was a bit messy, so he quickly tidied it with a comb and changed into a black formal suit. His appearance was acceptable.
The television station's hover car whizzed over and stopped in the courtyard.
Jiang Ye went downstairs and opened the door.
Tang Hanliu, along with several staff members carrying equipment, rushed in. She was even wearing pajamas and slippers, having rushed over without even having time to change clothes.
They found an empty room, and various equipment was quickly set up.
"Is your speech prepared?" Tang Hanliu asked.
"It's a mental draft," Jiang Ye said. "No problem."
A staff member gave an OK gesture.
Jiang Ye sat in front of the camera and adjusted his posture.
Tang Hanliu stood behind the camera, held up three fingers, then brought one down, then another, and finally lightly pressed the record button!
"Hello, citizens of Jiang Ye Star. I am Commander Jiang Ye."
"There are some urgent matters that everyone needs to be aware of. Please inform each other."
"I have just received news from the military that the front-line battles have become tight again, and the Mills are showing signs of counterattack. Furthermore, mechanical spies have been discovered on many planets along the front line."
"Mechanical spies are a type of weapon manufactured by the Mills. They can replicate a person's appearance and even memories, blending into crowds, their words and actions indistinguishable from ordinary people, making them difficult to identify."
"However, once a mechanical spy receives a wake-up signal, it immediately transforms into a killing machine, slaughtering indiscriminately in cities, posing a great threat."
"Therefore, I have authorized the police and military to conduct a thorough search in all cities."
"This action is for everyone's safety. I ask for your active cooperation. If the police and military act improperly during their work, you are welcome to report it directly to me. At the same time, those who do not cooperate with the screening will be punished to varying degrees depending on the circumstances."
"This is the first critical moment for Jiang Ye Star. I hope everyone will unite and overcome difficulties together. I believe in your courage and patience, your sense of social responsibility, and your love for those around you. The crisis will pass soon, and this will not be a major problem. I want to thank every citizen of Jiang Ye Star. Thank you all!"
Tang Hanliu decisively cut the signal.
Jiang Ye stood up and went behind the camera to review it.
"No problem, release it," Jiang Ye said. "Play it on a loop for an hour, and then repeat it every hour. Have the news programs produce some reports to make this matter seem very serious, to get everyone to cooperate."
"Understood!" Tang Hanliu said.
The television station staff quickly dismantled the equipment, left the villa, and drove away in their hover car.
Jiang Ye didn't idle either and immediately returned to the remote control cabin.
...
Climbing out of the ice bath, he immediately put on his equipment.
It was still late night on Crane Star. Jiang Ye left the base building and walked towards the lights of the rescue vehicle shed.
Getting into the car, the car radio was playing.
"Fourth Avenue East intersection, two armed spies, need support, I'm out of ammo!"
"Team Two is arriving soon, what's your exact location?"
"In Dan Ding Crane residential area, residents have been shot, a total of 12 bodies, footprints of the shooter fleeing, we are pursuing, heading towards Xiangliu Road!"
"We rescued 12 elderly people from the nursing home in the south of the city and are heading back. We're passing Fourth Avenue, is there any enemy activity?"
Jiang Ye quickly drove the car out, checking the situation on the screen simultaneously.
The locations of all team members were displayed on the shared map, mostly in pairs, some moving through streets, others entering building complexes.
"Che Zhen, Che Zhen, can you hear me?" Jiang Ye activated his private communication.
"I can hear you! Commander, please instruct!"
"I'm heading towards the urban area. Report the combat situation for the last hour!"