325: Lin Bi

However, when they learned the news that Black Country and the large tract of land where Black Country was located had completely disappeared from this planet, those who had originally protested immediately fell silent as if their throats had been choked.

Fear, like a shadow, enveloped their hearts, making them dare not speak out easily again.

As for those who still stubbornly held their ground and continued to protest, various countries naturally would not stand idly by.

They all took action, using various methods; some through legal constraints, some through the pressure of public opinion, and some directly by taking coercive measures. In short, the goal was to silence these protesters.

Under the strong intervention of various countries, the turmoil caused by the arrival of the alien civilization seemed to gradually subside, but everyone's heart still harbored a faint worry about the future.

After the Star Controller was completely deployed, Comrade Li Yang no longer paid attention to it.

Now, the task was to honestly wait for the arrival of the support fleet; the mission to the target planet was already fully completed. Time flowed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, a few more days passed.

These past few days, Comrade Li Yang had been on edge, spending his time in busyness and worry.

At this moment, he was leaning back in the Command Chair, eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting, but in reality, his mind was still pondering the various mysteries of the attacked starship.

Suddenly, the communication device emitted a series of urgent beeps, breaking the somewhat dull atmosphere in the Command Room.

Comrade Li Yang sharply opened his eyes, quickly sat upright, and raised his hand to connect to the call from Yan Ze.

“Comrade Li Yang.”

Yan Ze's familiar and steady voice came through the communicator.

“The support fleet has arrived and is currently passing through the spatial rift. It is expected to rendezvous with you soon.”

“Really? That's great!”

A hint of surprise flashed in Comrade Li Yang's eyes, and half of the worry that had been weighing on his mind instantly lifted.

Ever since the starship was attacked, through the real-time monitoring of the intelligent AI, Comrade Li Yang learned that of the 121 personnel who were originally alive, only 107 remained.

Each decrease in the number of lives was like a heavy hammer, striking hard at his heart.

Moreover, among the personnel who had died again, there were still no officer duplicates.

This abnormal situation made him increasingly feel that the mysterious civilization was definitely not right; they most likely knew about the existence of the duplicates and did not want them to report back.

“The support troops have arrived…”

Comrade Li Yang clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with resolute light.

“I'd like to see who you really are, daring to harm the Empire's people like this.”

After ending the call with Yan Ze, Comrade Li Yang immediately stood up, his eyes filled with decisiveness and resolve. He quickly issued an order.

“Attention all, the fleet will immediately proceed to the spatial tunnel to await the support fleet. All starships are to maintain clear communication and be ready to respond to emergencies at any time.”

As the order was given, the entire fleet moved swiftly. starships, like agile steel behemoths, turned their direction in the vast cosmos and sped towards the spatial tunnel.

Before long, within the deep and mysterious spatial tunnel, strange fluctuations began to ripple.

It was as if an invisible force was stirring this special space, causing the surrounding light to distort.

Immediately after, massive starships slowly emerged from it.

Each starship radiated awe-inspiring technological brilliance; they were all galaxy-class starships.

Their appearance made this cosmic space pale in comparison; their immense size and powerful aura seemed capable of crushing anything that dared to stand in their way.

Comrade Li Yang gazed at these galaxy-class starships, his eyes filled with excitement and exhilaration, and a surge of passion boiled in his chest.

He had been in the Empire for so long, yet he had never commanded so many star river class starships.

“Report.”

Pal hurried over, a hint of urgency in his tone.

“One of their starships is requesting personnel transfer.”

“Quickly, approve their request.”

Comrade Li Yang responded without hesitation, his voice revealing an eager anticipation for the arrival of the support forces.

“Yes!”

Pal quickly turned and executed the order.

In a short while, the Command Room door slowly opened, and two officers in Imperial military uniforms walked steadily and powerfully into the Command Room.

“Hello, Comrade Li Yang.”

The leading officer had a firm face and eyes that exuded confidence and competence. He smiled, extended his hand, and introduced himself.

“I am the captain of the support fleet, Lin Bi, and this is my deputy.”

He gestured to his equally spirited deputy beside him.

Seeing this, Comrade Li Yang also quickly stepped forward, a warm smile on his face, and tightly shook Comrade Lin Bi's hand, greeting him cordially.

“A pleasure to meet you, Comrade Lin Bi, you've worked hard. It's been a long journey, and your timely arrival is a huge help.”

Comrade Li Yang's eyes were full of gratitude; with this support fleet, they felt more confident in facing unknown crises.

“Not at all, it's what we should do.”

Comrade Lin Bi laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying.

“By the way, before we departed, the higher-ups specifically instructed that upon the support fleet's arrival, command authority would be fully transferred to you.”

Comrade Lin Bi's tone was sincere and firm, his eyes showing absolute obedience to the order.

“Oh, that's not quite right…”

Comrade Li Yang frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation and humility on his face, his gaze unconsciously falling on Comrade Lin Bi's ninth-rank colonel insignia.

In the Imperial military system, a colonel's rank was higher than his own lieutenant colonel, and such a sudden transfer of command made him somewhat apprehensive.

Comrade Lin Bi keenly sensed Comrade Li Yang's thoughts and quickly explained with a smile.

“What are you talking about? Although my rank is higher than yours, you are the primary leader of this mission; I was merely sent to support you. Besides, don't be modest, your lieutenant colonel rank is far more impressive than my colonel rank, wouldn't you say?”

Comrade Lin Bi said, looking at Comrade Li Yang with eyes full of trust, attempting to dispel his concerns.

In fact, for Comrade Lin Bi to be selected by the Military Department's Research Division to support Comrade Li Yang, he naturally had a deep understanding of Comrade Li Yang's background and abilities before departing.

He knew that although Comrade Li Yang's rank was relatively low, he had displayed outstanding leadership and adaptability in multiple missions, earning high praise from his superiors.

Even though Comrade Li Yang's rank was lower than his own, Comrade Lin Bi clearly understood that the Comrade Li Yang before him was a figure of the Empire's military-political integration, an existence of an influential level.

He was not only one of the main orchestrators of the Empire's severe crackdown and investigation operations but also the creator of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision system.

These prominent titles resonated like thunder in the Empire's military and political circles.

Taking Comrade Lin Bi himself as an example, a mere ninth-rank colonel was truly insignificant in the face of such dazzling achievements.