In the control room of the self-detonating snake factory.
A real-time video feed from a self-detonating snake was displayed on the large screen. It had just entered the rainforest, slithering through mud and fallen leaves. It was Jiang Ye's first time seeing the world from a snake's perspective. The small shrubs it passed looked as towering as forests, the distant trees resembled skyscrapers, and the muddy ground seemed like a black sea.
Jiang Ye tapped the screen periodically, switching to the viewpoint of another snake.
The videos from the three types of snakes were vastly different. The small snake's footage was the most shaky and had the worst clarity. The giant python's perspective, however, was stable and clear, like a documentary. When it entered dark caves or pits, it even automatically activated night vision.
As night deepened, all the snakes finally switched to night vision mode.
While monitoring the snake swarm spreading out in all directions, Jiang Ye continuously marked territories, expanding the camp's area. The territory division on this planet was similar to colonization; any place visited could be claimed. The self-detonating snakes were considered combat units, so areas traversed by a large number of them would become Jiang Shui Tang's territory.
Suddenly, the screen turned red!
[Unidentified combat unit detected]
Jiang Ye quickly looked at the snakes' viewpoints. Many lights were slowly advancing through the rainforest. It was a squad of mechs!
There were quite a few of them, at least a hundred people, almost all of them gunners, moving stealthily. Judging by their direction, they were heading straight for the camp!
Some mechs discovered the small snakes and, without a word, stepped on them, crushing their heads.
This group was suspicious, not like friendly visitors. They were likely attackers, so it was best to blow them up first!
Jiang Ye rapidly clicked on the screen, mobilizing the surrounding snakes to intercept. Instead of attacking from the ground, they climbed to the treetops to wait, coiling their tails around branches, ready to drop at any moment.
The enemy mechs finally appeared within the snakes' field of vision. Not a single person looked up; they all held their guns pointed forward.
Therefore, when the first batch of small snakes released their grip on the branches and fell, the mechs were completely unprepared.
A deafening roar of explosions transmitted from the distant dense forest into the camp, and faint flashes could be seen in the night sky. The power of the small snakes' explosions was beyond expectation. Each snake was like a barrel of dynamite, causing a three-meter-wide crater with every detonation. Trees around were toppled; tree trunks as thick as two people embracing were as fragile as chopsticks. Snakes on branches and the giant pythons coiled around tree trunks fell to the ground, detonating in the intense heat.
The explosions intensified!
It was almost like a fireworks display. Soldiers in the camp all looked in one direction. Brilliant streaks of fire were splashing from the depths of the rainforest. Many mechs that were blown up flew into the sky spewing sparks. The scale of the explosions was comparable to an ammunition depot catching fire. Even from a distance, the ground could be felt vibrating slightly.
The camp's anti-aircraft guns were alerted, their barrels rotating to aim at the distant, fiery rainforest.
Jiang Ye had an inspiration and switched all the anti-aircraft guns to manual control. Open fire!
Dense volleys of bullets swept across the rainforest, carpet-bombing the area. Rows upon rows of large trees snapped like chopsticks, and flames blazed skyward. While firing, Jiang Ye dispatched fifty soldiers out of the camp to scout the area and decisively eliminate any surviving enemies.
The ten anti-aircraft guns on the outer perimeter fired a total of fifty thousand rounds before ceasing and returning to alert mode.
Jiang Ye waited quietly. With such fierce firepower density, he assumed no enemies would have survived.
The soldiers rushed at full speed, but the explosion site was indeed too far away. Jiang Ye was almost asleep by the time they finally arrived.
"Report, we've found a lot of metal wreckage. We'll try to scout the surrounding area and estimate the enemy's numbers," a subordinate reported.
"Alright, be careful," Jiang Ye said. "You are within the anti-aircraft gun's firing range. Report coordinates if you find anything."
"Yes!"
The search lasted for over an hour, and approximately 120 damaged mechs were discovered. However, there was no identification information.
Jiang Ye, feeling uneasy, summoned the captains of each team to the explosion site of the snake factory and taught them how to use the explosive snakes.
"When I'm not here, each of your teams will take turns going out to explore and pioneer. Bring out the rocket artillery vehicles and use them against difficult opponents. Use the explosive snakes well; they can blow up trees and also serve as sentry posts. We've already entered the top ten in the team rankings, so other teams might try to ambush us. This is not a place of unity and friendship, but a breeding ground for jealousy. Everyone must be careful not to have your home raided."
"If you encounter other teams, do not attack proactively. Try to recruit them as much as possible. Only fight if negotiations break down."
"Isabelle should be arriving soon. I'll head back first. Call me if anything major happens."
Jiang Ye returned to his birthplace, took one last look at the majestic fortress still under construction in the distance, and sank into a bathtub filled with ice-cold water.
He left the remote control cabin and went to bed.
He woke up at ten in the morning, sunlight streaming through the window onto his face.
Jiang Ye picked up his phone.
Development Index: 9488 points.
Account Balance: 78.6 billion yuan.
Jiang Ye found that his financial strength had reached a new level. Before, saving ten billion felt like a lot, but now ten billion was not enough. He now had the power to touch the threshold of a hundred billion.
The earphone in his ear suddenly crackled.
Feng Zhi Shuang's voice was urgent, "It's done, it's done! One hundred thousand people!"
"One hundred thousand people for what?" Jiang Ye was stunned.
"Didn't you want alien immigrants before? I sent messages to macroeconomic economists on several neighboring planets, and they are willing to provide a total of one hundred thousand immigrants. The list is even finalized. These people can't come yet because we don't have a space station," Feng Zhi Shuang said rapidly. "It'll probably be within a month! The top priority now is to provide housing for these one hundred thousand people."
"Send me the list and each person's profile. I'll see if these people are suitable," Jiang Ye said.
"No problem, I'll send it to you shortly." Feng Zhi Shuang continued, "I suggest we don't let these one hundred thousand people live in the city. The army is currently opening up four new continents, numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9. Send these people to the new continents to pioneer."
"Let them pioneer? Are you asking them to farm?" Jiang Ye chuckled.
"Yes! Farming! Farming is good," Feng Zhi Shuang said.
Jiang Ye didn't understand. "Why the hell would we farm? Nowadays, food is printed, so why do we need ingredients? Moreover, this planet's climate is unpredictable, and the most fatal is the heavy snow in winter and the great floods during the spring thaw. What crops can grow?"
"Ah, you don't understand," Feng Zhi Shuang chuckled. "Although most food can be printed, truly high-end ingredients cannot. Firstly, printed food is monotonous, and many trace elements cannot be reproduced, making it inferior in taste to purely natural ingredients. Secondly, certain crops are legally protected and cannot be printed, only naturally cultivated. Thirdly, medicinal herbs cannot be printed; printed ones have disordered molecular structures and cannot be used as medicine. Fourthly, forestry can also be developed; plant some forests to modify this planet's atmospheric environment. This is a long-term plan."
"What about the floods?" Jiang Ye asked.