308: Arrival at the mission location

"Captain Li Yang, the fleet has fully assembled and is ready to depart at any moment. Please give your orders!"

As soon as he boarded the main starship, Pal quickly approached Li Yang, standing tall and requesting instructions with a serious expression.

Having followed Li Yang for so long, Pal knew his rigorous attitude towards missions and dared not show the slightest slack at this moment.

"Depart!"

"Yes!"

Pal responded without hesitation, then turned and quickly issued various commands.

In an instant, one starship after another powered up, and then they slowly moved away from the area of the starship bridge, subsequently activating their space jump devices along the predetermined route.

Dazzling streaks of light flashed, and the entire fleet instantly vanished from this starfield, leaving behind only a silent void... In the vast universe, time passed quietly, and the fleet, like lonely travelers, continued to navigate the boundless sea of stars for over half a month.

Finally, amidst everyone's eager anticipation, the fleet slowly approached its destination—the Cloud Vortex Galaxy.

"Captain Li Yang, we have arrived at the target location."

Pal's voice broke the silence in the Command Room. He quickly walked to Li Yang's side, reporting with a focused and serious expression.

Hearing Pal's report, Li Yang immediately put down his work and quickly walked to the Command Room's viewport.

His eyes, sharp as torches, gazed at the mysterious and unknown scene before him.

A colossal spatial rift had appeared in the vast starry sky, like a shocking tear on the grand canvas of the universe.

Around the rift, strange lights flickered intermittently, which was the arbitrary fluctuation of some unknown energy, like mysterious runes dancing, emitting a heart-pounding aura.

And surrounding this spatial rift, a Space Station of considerable size had already risen.

"Pal, inform the fleet to prepare to dock at the Space Station ahead."

Li Yang withdrew his gaze and gave the order.

After all, it was obvious that this Space Station was established by the Empire.

"Yes!"

Pal responded without hesitation. For a moment, a series of orderly operational sounds echoed in the Command Room, and the fleet quickly reacted, slowly heading towards the Space Station.

The fleet smoothly docked at the Space Station's connecting port, and the hatch slowly opened.

Li Yang adjusted his crisp military uniform and, with steady steps, was the first to disembark from the starship.

As soon as his figure appeared in everyone's sight, a military officer in a neat military uniform, accompanied by several Imperial Soldiers standing tall, walked towards Li Yang in a disciplined manner from a short distance away.

The officer, agile and serious-faced, walked up to Li Yang, rendered a standard military salute, and spoke in a clear, authoritative voice.

"Hello, this is the Space Station belonging to the Imperial Military Department's Research Division. Please state your purpose."

"I am Li Yang, here to carry out a mission as ordered by the Military Department."

Li Yang's expression was solemn. He immediately returned a military salute, clearly and concisely stating his identity.

In such an occasion, any ambiguity or hesitation could lead to unnecessary trouble.

"Please wait a moment. I will verify with my superiors."

The officer nodded slightly and responded politely.

With that, he quickly raised his hand to operate the light screen on his wrist, reporting Li Yang's information to his superior leader.

During the brief waiting period, the atmosphere around them was slightly tense.

Soon, the officer received instructions from his superior leader.

His previously serious face instantly broke into a warm smile, and when he looked at Li Yang again, there was a hint of respect and welcome in his eyes.

"Welcome, welcome, Comrade Li Yang, please follow me. The leader has been waiting for a long time."

With that, he turned sideways, gesturing for Li Yang to go ahead, and then led the way, taking Li Yang into the interior of the Space Station.

The group walked through a spacious and brightly lit corridor. The lights on both sides of the corridor were soft and bright, reflecting off the smooth metal walls, casting streaks of light and shadow.

They passed by tightly closed hatches, occasionally hearing the sounds of various instruments operating from within.

Before long, they arrived at the door of a control room.

After the officer performed an identity verification, the gate opened, and the officer quickly gestured for Li Yang to enter.

"Comrade Li Yang, please come in."

Li Yang nodded slightly and stepped inside.

As soon as he entered the control room, Li Yang's keen gaze quickly scanned his surroundings.

In the control room, aside from a few Imperial Soldiers standing tall and solemn like statues in various corners, the rest were Staff members dressed in military officer uniforms with white coats over them.

They were either intently staring at instrument screens or discussing in low voices, and the entire space was filled with a rigorous and focused scientific research atmosphere.

"You must be Comrade Li Yang, right?"

A gentle and somewhat refined voice sounded.

Li Yang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a bespectacled officer walking towards him with light steps, a warm smile on his face, and his right hand extended.

"That's me. And you are?"

Li Yang nodded slightly, responding politely, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Yan Ze, and I am a Staff member of the Imperial Military Department's Research Division."

As Yan Ze spoke, he habitually pushed up his glasses with his index finger.

The glasses reflected a faint light under the soft illumination of the control room.

This unintentional small gesture made Li Yang secretly complain internally.

"With the Empire's current highly advanced technological level, why would anyone still need to wear glasses? Do these researchers all prefer such a retro style?"

However, despite his myriad thoughts, Li Yang maintained a proper smile on his face, warmly shook Yan Ze's outstretched hand, and responded.

"It's a pleasure, comrade Yan Ze. I'm glad to meet you."

Li Yang, with a beaming smile, clasped Yan Ze's hand tightly, his words full of warmth.

His gaze lingered on Yan Ze for a moment, full of curiosity about this Staff member from the Military Department's Research Division.

"Comrade Li Yang, you were just complaining about my glasses in your mind, weren't you?"

Yan Ze's lips curved slightly upwards, and a hint of slyness flashed in his eyes, as if he had seen through Li Yang's thoughts.

"Indeed, I just think these look good and give more of a researcher's vibe."

Saying this, he gently took off his glasses, pulled out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and carefully wiped them, his movements quite elegant, then steadily put the glasses back on his nose.

"Uh... sorry."

Li Yang hadn't expected his thoughts to be exposed by Yan Ze's single remark, and an awkward smile immediately appeared on his face. He could only give a dry laugh and apologize.

He lowered his head slightly, trying to hide his embarrassment, secretly admiring Yan Ze's keen insight.

"It's alright, I'm used to it."

Yan Ze waved his hand gently, still wearing a kindly smile, as if he didn't mind it at all.