7: Chapter 7: Expanding the Mining Base! Stable Resource Production! Initial Establishment of a Foothold on this Barren Planet!

In the cosmic void, the engine flames of the Star River Fleet had not yet fully dissipated. Six light frigates surrounded the mothership in a standard combat formation, the residual heat of their cannons slowly cooling. Having just concluded the combat deterrence against the Iron Claw pirate squad, the entire airspace had been thoroughly brought under Emperor Chen Fan's control.

The formidable physique of a Tier 1 Gene Warrior meant that Emperor Chen Fan felt not a trace of fatigue, even after standing in the command center directing operations for a long time. Instead, he was full of energy. His perception covered a radius of one million kilometers; the status of every warship, every set of energy data, and the trajectory of every piece of debris were clearly presented in his consciousness.

Zero's voice sounded in the command center right on time, calm and precise: "Host, the remaining ships of the Iron Claw squad have all been destroyed. The debris recycling program has been initiated. A total of 31,200 units of basic resources and 47 sets of rare alloys have been obtained. Two technologies, Low-Altitude Shuttle Engine and Ship-borne Repair Robot blueprints, have been parsed and entered into the mothership's database."

"Current total resources: 1,283,100 units."

"Star River No. 1 Fleet: 6 light frigates, undamaged, ammunition sufficient, ready to execute combat, escort, or patrol missions at any time."

"Mothership status: Energy core fully loaded, shield strength 100%, novice invincibility protection remaining: 14 hours and 37 minutes."

"Grey Fire Planet main base: 50 survival pods, 35 mining machines, 10 defense towers, 10 missile launch nests, all operating normally."

"Grey Fire Planet secondary base: Arrived at the western energy crystal mining area. Landing craft have finished landing. Engineering robots have begun setting up the site. It is estimated that the mining unit deployment will be completed within 30 minutes."

After the series of reports, Emperor Chen Fan nodded slightly.

Clearing out pirates was just a means, not the end.

He knew very well that to truly gain a foothold in a desolate star region like the No. 7 Dead Zone, he couldn't rely on just defeating a few pirate ships. Instead, he needed stable resources, solid bases, and a sustainable expansion system.

No matter how strong the fleet was, without resources, it was just scrap metal; no matter how fierce the mothership was, without logistics, it was like duckweed without roots.

To avoid being swallowed by the environment, targeted by strong enemies, or choked off by a lack of resources, the only path was to push the mining system of Grey Fire Planet to its current limit!

"Zero, stop all non-essential combat preparations and shift all mothership production capacity to the base expansion project." Emperor Chen Fan turned around, his gaze falling on the desolate yet vibrant planet of Grey Fire Planet, his tone steady and powerful. "I want the resource production capacity of Grey Fire Planet to be able to support the consumption of the entire system, including future mothership upgrades, fleet expansion, base defense, and gene enhancement."

"Command confirmed! Mothership construction module switched to engineering priority mode! All production capacity invested in base expansion!"

Emperor Chen Fan slid his fingertips lightly across the holographic panel, pulling up the global terrain and mineral distribution map of Grey Fire Planet. At this moment, Grey Fire Planet was no longer an ownerless barren planet, but the core foundation of his rise. The main base was located on the equatorial plains, with flat terrain that was easy to defend and hard to attack; the secondary base was located in the western rocky mountains, possessing energy crystals and high-concentration metal ores, making it worth a fortune.

But this was still far from enough.

"Phase one, expand the main base mining cluster." Emperor Chen Fan's voice was calm but carried unquestionable decisiveness. "Add 40 Tier 1 mining machines and deploy them all to the equatorial mining area to form a high-density mining zone."

"Tier 1 mining machine: 2,000 resources per unit. 40 units total consume 80,000 resources. Construction speed buff is in effect. Estimated completion in 25 minutes."

"Phase two, perfect the supporting facilities for the secondary base." Emperor Chen Fan continued to issue orders. "Build 15 survival pods, 2 small resource storage warehouses, 4 light defense turrets, and 4 missile launch nests, allowing the secondary base to achieve self-survival, self-defense, and self-supply, capable of operating independently even without the main base."

"15 survival pods: 15,000 resources; 2 resource warehouses: 30,000 resources; 4 turrets: 20,000 resources; 4 missile nests: 24,000 resources; total consumption: 89,000 resources."

"Phase three, open the Tier 3 outpost mining point." Emperor Chen Fan's gaze fell on the North Pole region of Grey Fire Planet. "Scans show the North Pole has large-scale solid water ice and lightweight metal ores. Although the output is not as high as the main mining area, it has the advantage of being widely distributed and easy to mine for a long time. Build 15 mining machines, 2 engineering robots, and 5 survival pods to establish a polar mining outpost and achieve simultaneous mining at three locations."

"Tier 3 outpost consumption: 30,000 resources."

With the three instructions issued, a total of 199,000 units of resources were invested.

With nearly 200,000 resources poured in, the mining and base system of Grey Fire Planet would leap directly from a medium scale to the standard of a large colonial planet base!

"All commands confirmed! Batch construction initiated!"

"Engineering robot fleets have been dispatched, heading to the main base, secondary base, and arctic outpost in three routes!"

"Construction progress bars synchronized and loading. Estimated total completion time: 45 minutes!"

On the main control screen, over a hundred construction projects were advancing simultaneously, with green progress bars jumping rapidly. Under the triple boost of the system's 50% construction speed increase, the mothership's full production capacity, and the efficient operation of engineering robots, the entire Grey Fire Planet looked like a massive construction site. With mechanical roaring, metal clashing, and energy flowing, the barren planet, which had been dead silent for hundreds of millions of years, was completely brimming with unprecedented vitality.

Emperor Chen Fan stood in front of the panoramic observation window, silently watching all of this.

The super-strong perception of a Tier 1 Gene Warrior allowed him to penetrate the atmosphere and clearly "see" every change on the ground:

In the equatorial main mining area, 40 brand-new mining machines were rolling off the line one after another, their drills piercing deep into the rock layers, and ore was being transported to the resource warehouses like flowing water;

At the western mountain secondary base, survival pods, defense towers, and missile nests were rapidly taking shape, and energy crystal mines were being efficiently mined. Their purity far exceeded that of ordinary metal ores, causing resource conversion efficiency to skyrocket;

On the arctic ice sheet, mining machines broke through the ice layer, and solid water ice was converted into survival water sources and industrial raw materials, with the outpost base quickly taking shape.

Three mines standing tall, global mining.

At this moment, Grey Fire Planet was truly held in his palm.

"Host, main base expansion complete! Total number of mining machines reached 75!"

"Secondary base deployment finished! Energy crystal mining efficiency increased by 300%!"

"Arctic Tier 3 outpost built! Added light mineral and water resource supplies!"

"Resource output speed being recalculated..."

"Calculation complete! Current total global resource output of Grey Fire Planet: 48,600 units/hour!"

Nearly 50,000 units of resources per hour!

In 24 hours, the production capacity would exceed 1.16 million units!

This number was enough to make the governor of any fringe colony of the Human Federation go crazy!

One had to know that in the Federation-controlled star region, the mining rights to a resource planet were enough to trigger a struggle between several fleets. Yet, Emperor Chen Fan had achieved a daily output of millions of resources with just an abandoned barren planet in the No. 7 Dead Zone. In anyone's eyes, this was a fantasy.

But with the support of the Mothership Troop Production System + global mining expansion + multiple efficiency buffs, all of this became reality.

Emperor Chen Fan looked at the rapidly jumping resource numbers on the panel, feeling incomparably calm in his heart.

Resources were confidence.

Stable output was a sense of security.

With this planet as his backing, he no longer had to worry about resources. Mothership upgrades, fleet troop production, gene enhancement, technology research, planet conquest... all plans could be pushed forward steadily.

"Zero, activate the base's automated management mode." Emperor Chen Fan continued to perfect the system. "The main base is responsible for overall command, total resource storage, and the defense core; the secondary base is responsible for energy crystals and high-grade minerals; the arctic outpost is responsible for water resources and lightweight materials. All data from the three mines will be synchronized with the mothership in real-time, with automatic allocation, automatic supply, and automatic maintenance, requiring no manual intervention."

"Command confirmed! Automated management system activated!"

"Base entering self-cycling state: Mining → Resources → Construction → Defense → Survival, full-link closed loop!"

At this point, the Grey Fire Planet base was completely mature.

It was no longer a temporary foothold, but a self-sufficient, self-defending, self-expanding, and high-yield super resource planet!

Even if Emperor Chen Fan led the fleet away for months or years, the base could run stably, with resources accumulating more and more, defenses becoming stronger and stronger, and it could even automatically deal with small-scale pirates, meteorite disasters, and environmental anomalies.

He had finally gained a firm foothold in the No. 7 Dead Zone, known as the "Cosmic Dead Zone".

Emperor Chen Fan let out a long breath, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

From being exiled and desperately waiting for death, to binding with the system, obtaining the mothership, landing on Grey Fire Planet, defeating pirates, expanding the base, and opening three mines simultaneously... In just a few short days, he had completed the turnaround from hell to heaven.

He was once a castaway of the Federation, cosmic dust, an exile who would suffocate to death within three days.

Now, he was the master of the mothership, the lord of the planet, a Gene Warrior with a fleet in his hand, millions of resources, and an extraordinary physique.

All of this stemmed from this inconspicuous Grey Fire Planet beneath his feet.

"Host, 12 minutes into stable base operation, 9,720 new resources added, total resources have exceeded the 1.4 million mark!"

"Mothership upgrade conditions detected: Resources met, base scale met, fleet composition met, technology points met!"

"galaxy-001 micro colonial mothership, meets all requirements for upgrading to a small combat mothership!"

Mothership upgrade!

Emperor Chen Fan's eyes suddenly lit up.

This was one of the core goals of his base expansion and frantic resource accumulation!

The micro colonial mothership was, after all, just an initial model. Its functions were biased towards survival, construction, and mining. Its combat capability was limited, and its carrying capacity, engine speed, shield strength, and weapon power all had obvious upper limits.

The upgraded small combat mothership was a true interstellar war fortress!

"Immediately pull up the mothership upgrade panel!"

"galaxy-001 micro colonial mothership → Galaxy-002 Small Combat Mothership"

"Upgrade cost: 1 million basic resources"

"Upgrade duration: 60 minutes (40 minutes after construction speed boost)"

"Improvements after upgrade:"

"1. Hull length increased from 3,000 meters to 5,000 meters, armor strength increased by 120%"

"2. Energy core upgraded to a medium fusion reactor, energy output increased by 200%"

"3. Shield upgraded to intermediate energy shield, defensive capability increased by 150%"

"4. Weapon system adds quadruple medium particle cannons and missile matrix turrets, firepower increased by 300%"

"5. Dockyard expanded, can simultaneously build 12 light frigates or 2 medium destroyers"

"6. Carrying capacity increased from 1,000 to 3,000, mech hangar and resource warehouse fully expanded"

"7. Unlocks ship-borne fighter production line, marine training cabin, and high-level gene research lab"

Every single improvement was a qualitative leap!

After the upgrade, the mothership would completely shed the "colonial" label and become a true combat mothership. Its firepower, defense, production capacity, and carrying capacity would explode across the board, enough to go head-to-head with any pirate force in the No. 7 Dead Zone. Even the strongest Black Crow Fleet would not dare to provoke it easily!

"Consume 1 million resources, upgrade the mothership immediately!" Emperor Chen Fan did not hesitate at all.

A million resources seemed like a sky-high price, but in the face of Grey Fire Planet's terrifying production capacity of nearly 50,000 per hour, it could be earned back in just two days. Trading short-term resources for a permanent leap in combat power was a deal that couldn't be better.

"Command confirmed! Mothership upgrade started!"

"Hull reconstructing... Energy core upgrading... Weapon module loading... Dockyard expanding..."

"Upgrade progress: 5%... 17%... 33%..."

The mothership's hull slowly lit up with a brilliant silvery-white light. The massive hull trembled slightly in the void, its internal structure was completely reconstructed, alloy armor was layered on, energy patterns spread wildly, and weapon turrets slowly unfolded. An aura several times stronger than before quietly permeated the entire airspace.

Emperor Chen Fan stood quietly in the command center, feeling the constantly rising power of the mothership, his heart clear.

Mothership upgrade, base established, resources skyrocketing, fleet on standby, gene enhancement...

His foundation was already unbreakable.

His foothold was already deeply rooted in the No. 7 Dead Zone.

From now on, no one would ever be able to exile him, trample on him, or pronounce him dead at will again.

From now on, he was the rule of this starry sky, he was the master of this star region.

"Zero." Emperor Chen Fan suddenly spoke, his voice calm but filled with immense ambition.

"Host, please instruct."

"Order the Grey Fire Planet global base to maintain maximum efficiency mining. Resources only come in and do not go out. The total reserve will aim for 3 million, 5 million, 10 million!"

"Order the Star River No. 1 Fleet to execute global escort missions during the mothership upgrade, clearing all pirate remnants, unknown signals, and dangerous targets within a radius of 100 million kilometers to ensure the absolute safety of the base and the mothership!"

"Order the mothership's scientific research module to parse all captured technology, prioritizing the development of ship-borne fighters, marine equipment, and advanced gene enhancement technology!"

Three orders covered the three core areas of resources, military, and technology.

"All commands confirmed! Executing!"

In the cosmic void, the mothership upgrade shone brilliantly;

On Grey Fire Planet, three mines roared with resources surging;

Between the stars, the fleet cruised, deterring all directions.

Emperor Chen Fan stood with his hands behind his back, the aura of a Tier 1 Gene Warrior contained like an abyss, his gaze piercing through the darkness, looking toward the deeper, broader, and more mysterious star regions of the No. 7 Dead Zone.

Establishing a firm foothold was just the first step.

His goal was never just a barren planet or a Dead Zone.

He wanted to unify the entire No. 7 Dead Zone, subdue all forces, build a million-strong army and a thousand warships;

He wanted to rush out of the Dead Zone, return to the Human Federation, and trample all the enemies who betrayed and framed him under his feet;

He wanted to conquer one planet after another, one civilization after another, and become the interstellar overlord who pushes across the heavens and overawes all races!

The wind swept across the rocky plains of Grey Fire Planet;

The light illuminated the steel body of the upgrading mothership;

The power was contained within the flesh and blood of the Gene Warrior.

A confident arc slowly curled up at the corners of Emperor Chen Fan's mouth.

The barren planet was stable, and the hegemony had begun.

The legend of the billions of fleets officially set sail from this forgotten planet!