121: Submission or Destruction

Meanwhile, in the heart of the Free Star Alliance, inside a massive star fortress.

"Your Excellency, the decryption progress of Ruin No. 17 has reached 97 percent. It is expected to be fully controlled within three months at most."

A calm voice emanated from a light screen.

"Good... very good!"

A shirtless man climbed out of a temperature-controlled swimming pool and paced back and forth excitedly.

"Ruin No. 17 is the best-preserved one we have discovered. The defensive facilities inside are still operational and far exceed our highest standards. As long as I hide there, even they shouldn't waste time looking for me... Perfect!"

He muttered to himself, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up to ask:

"How is the construction of my star fortress coming along?"

"It is still 117 units short of your requirements."

"Still that many short? What is the reason?"

The man frowned.

"Some resources in the national treasury have been exhausted. It will take at least a year to collect enough for the next batch."

"No, a year is too long. Change the plan. I don't believe that in such a large Star Alliance, we can't scrape together those materials."

The man barked sharply.

"The vice president of the Star Alliance Security Management Center, Permanent Director Mr. Buyaide, Chief Regent of the Lanqi Galaxy Mr. Duormo, and eleven councilors under his command, as well as... totaling 397 people, have abundant reserves of materials required for building star fortresses in their family inventories."

The voice of the Statue of Liberty was calm and unhurried:

"If you negotiate with them personally, perhaps they would be willing to contribute..."

"No need for such trouble."

The man interrupted directly: "Didn't I tell you, at all costs, I only need the results. Since they have enough materials, just find some reason to confiscate them."

"Your Excellency, that might cause chaos in the Star Alliance. I need your confirmed authorization before I can execute it."

"Confirmed."

The man said impatiently.

He was about to run away, so why would he care if the Star Alliance was in chaos?

"Oh right, that 'Galaxy Beast' research expert you recruited, tell him to stay obediently in the Research Institute and don't send him out again."

The man suddenly shook his head with some annoyance: "I didn't expect this guy to be so capable, actually solving 'The Great Millstone' so quickly. Damn it, if it attracts attention, that would be bad."

"Your Excellency, you are the most powerful Transcendent in the Star Alliance. If you were to join forces with that individual, you might not lack a chance of victory. Why must you choose to leave?"

The Statue of Liberty paused for a moment and suddenly said.

This sentence clearly exceeded the normal behavior expected of an intelligent lifeform, but at this moment, the Star Alliance Head was entirely focused on escaping to Ruin No. 17 as soon as possible and did not think too much about it.

He just replied casually:

"There is no chance. Even if we exhaust all efforts to kill one, it only accelerates the pace of destruction. You have to know that it is... Forget it, what would a machine like you understand? Decrypt the ruin as soon as possible, build 999 star fortresses, and move all the wealth I previously ordered into them, understand?"

"If that is the case, as you wish, Your Excellency."

The voice from the light screen became increasingly indifferent, flickered slightly, and then dimmed.

...

"Time to act. Go.jpg."

A week later, a message in a familiar style appeared on the communication device on Zhang Huaiyuan's right wrist.

"It seems it is time to take back my territory."

He glanced at it slightly, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he opened his right palm, causing a deep blue, translucent crystal to hover in the center.

The blue ripples in the crystal flickered slightly, and an instant later, a Warp Device materialized beneath his feet.

The next moment, he had already appeared outside "Ocean Wave Planet".

This was the border line between the "Deep Sea" Pirate Group and the Gale Pirate Group, where a small fleet was stationed.

"Asroth, hack into their system."

"Hey, understood, Master."

Three seconds later, all electronic devices on Ocean Wave Planet suddenly went dark.

"What's going on!"

All the stationed personnel were shocked.

"What's going on? Where are the technicians! Why aren't the detectors showing anything!"

A leader roared angrily.

"This... this... Captain, I was kicked out of the backend directly. My administrative privileges have been revoked!"

A somewhat balding man stood up in horror and said incredulously: "It's not just the space station's detectors; all electronic devices on the entire Ocean Wave Planet have been hacked!"

"What!"

The leader's expression changed, and he immediately shouted: "Enemy attack! Immediately go to..."

"Members of the 'Deep Sea' Pirate Group."

Before he could finish, the previously dimmed detector screen lit up again, and an arrogant voice came through.

"I, Asroth, acting on the orders of my Master, issue an ultimatum to you all."

"Now, you have two choices."

"First, immediately disarm, squat down on the spot, surrender, and submit to inspection."

"Second, resist stubbornly. We will break through the space defense system within three seconds, eliminate your dilapidated, old, antique fleet within ten seconds, and annihilate all resistors within one minute."

"Submission or destruction, you only have ten seconds to consider."

"Now, the countdown begins."

As the voice finished, bright red numbers appeared on all detector screens.

"10... 9... 8..."

"Wait... this is the territory of the 'Deep Sea' Pirate Group, who are you!"

The leader couldn't help but shout.

The "Peaceful Passage" had been calm for over a hundred years; no one had ever dared to provoke the majesty of the Four Great Pirate Groups here.

If the opponent hadn't immediately seized control of all electronic devices and demonstrated extraordinary strength, he wouldn't have cared at all.

"4... 3..."

But there was no further response from the screen, only the bright red numbers continuing to count down.

The members of "Deep Sea" frowned as they watched this, but they weren't too worried. They had roamed this region for over a hundred years, plundered countless dignitaries and nobles, and faced countless threats, yet they remained standing. Why would they surrender just because of some inexplicable enemy?

The bright red numbers finally reached 0.

"It is a pity that you have made the wrong decision."

Three huge exclamation marks appeared in the center of the screen.

The next moment, brilliant beams of light descended from the void, and the ion defense system constructed by 27 space stations shattered instantly.

These stationed personnel were vaporized by the aftermath before they could even react.

And the small fleet attempting to come for support had its control stripped away by Asroth before they could even take off.

The gap was too large.

The current Zhang Huaiyuan was no longer the weak Researcher who had to rely on virtual projection systems to deal with a single "Gale" Pirate Group.

He possessed the knowledge reserves of the entire Free Star Alliance as well as a vast amount of high-level rule knowledge, and even had the Level 2 rule profession "Mechanical Armament Master".

Even facing the elite legions of the three major powers, the outcome would be uncertain, let alone some mere pirates.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

In the starry sky, Zhang Huaiyuan held up the "empowerment stone", with dozens of cluster energy weapon turrets floating behind him.

He snapped his fingers lightly, and warp light lit up on all the planets surrounding "Ocean Wave Planet", and engineering robots landed one by one.

"Command: Mine at full capacity, advance freely towards the east."

"Understood, Master. Do you need me to jam these primitives' detection devices?"

Asroth asked respectfully.

"No need."

The same light lit up beneath Zhang Huaiyuan's feet, his figure disappeared, leaving only a calm voice.

"Let them know, what does it matter."