330: Ninth-level general

Li Yang knew the situation was urgent and brooked no delay. He immediately operated the control panel skillfully, quickly sending a communication request to Yan Ze.

The communication channel briefly flickered with the light of a signal connection, and soon, Yan Ze's familiar face appeared on the communication screen.

“Comrade Li Yang...”

Yan Ze's voice carried a hint of urgency, his eyes full of anticipation.

“Have you found that civilization?”

“We found it...”

Li Yang nodded slightly, his expression exceptionally grave.

“But the situation is a bit special...”

Then, he took a deep breath and began to slowly and thoroughly explain all the discoveries from this mission to Yan Ze, from the mysterious spatial vortex to this strange Galaxy, then to the invisible barrier emanating the power of rules, as well as his deductions and judgments about this power of rules.

“What? A very obvious power of rules...”

Yan Ze's eyes widened when he heard this crucial information, his face filled with shock.

He knew the importance of this discovery and dared not delay for a moment, immediately saying,

“Understood, I will report to the higher-ups immediately.”

No sooner had he spoken than Yan Ze decisively ended the call without waiting for Li Yang's response, and the screen instantly went blank.

“I've already reported it to the higher-ups.”

Li Yang turned to look at Lin Bi, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

“So what do we do now?”

In such a complex and unknown situation, Li Yang knew Lin Bi was far more experienced than him. It was more appropriate to leave such a tricky matter to the seasoned Lin Bi.

Lin Bi frowned slightly, falling into a moment of contemplation.

He also understood that the study of such mysterious and unpredictable power of rules could not be completed overnight; it required a great deal of time, resources, and the input of professional personnel.

While waiting for instructions from the Imperial higher-ups, establishing an outpost was undoubtedly the best way to ensure a stable stationed and research environment for the fleet.

After a moment of thought, Lin Bi looked up and said calmly,

“Then let's slowly wait for news from above. During this time, we'll first find a planet to establish an outpost.”

“Alright then...”

Li Yang nodded in agreement, then immediately shifted his attention to the fleet's control panel, carefully examining the detailed conditions of the other planets.

He understood that, apart from the central planet protected by the power of rules, other planets could theoretically be chosen as outposts.

As the data scrolled across the screen, environmental parameters, resource distribution, and other information for each planet were displayed one by one.

“This planet will do...”

Li Yang said, pointing to an image of a planet on the screen.

“Compared to other planets with harsh environments, or those filled with deadly radiation, or extreme temperatures, this one only has some slight energy fluctuations. Relatively speaking, it's easier to establish an outpost here, and it will facilitate our subsequent work.”

“You are the commander, I'll follow your lead.”

Lin Bi smiled slightly, his tone carrying approval and respect for Li Yang's decision.

In his opinion, although Li Yang was not as experienced as himself in some areas, he could quickly make reasonable judgments when faced with complex situations.

At this moment, their top priority was to quickly establish a stable outpost in this unfamiliar space, awaiting further instructions from the Imperial higher-ups.

Seeing this, Li Yang knew time was pressing and allowed no room for slack, immediately raising his hand to summon Pal.

With a serious expression, he looked at Pal with firm eyes and said quickly and clearly,

“Pal, immediately select a few multi-functional starships and lead personnel to the target planet to build an outpost. You must ensure the operation is swift and cautious, with all aspects properly arranged, to establish a fully functional and well-defended outpost.”

Pal responded with an unequivocal “Yes” and turned to execute the mission with alacrity. In the two hours after Li Yang informed Yan Ze of the important intelligence, the entire fleet was systematically carrying out various preparatory tasks. The atmosphere, though slightly tense, was orderly.

Just then, an urgent communication alert suddenly sounded in the main starship's Command Room, and an emergency call was quickly connected.

On the large screen in the Command Room, a middle-aged man in a crisp Imperial military uniform appeared.

He was tall and upright, with a resolute face and deep eyes that conveyed an unquestionable firmness and composure.

Just one glance was enough to make one feel an inexplicable authority naturally emanating from him.

Of course, for Li Yang, these outward expressions of temperament were secondary.

At this moment, what made his heart slightly tense was the sudden realization that the military rank of this middle-aged man on the screen was a Ninth-Rank General.

This was the highest military rank he had ever seen in his military career.

A Ninth-Rank General, in the Empire's military system, was undoubtedly at the top of the pyramid, holding significant military decision-making power and resource allocation authority.

Thinking of this, Li Yang couldn't help but straighten his back, a sense of awe spontaneously arising.

“Sir!”

Li Yang and Lin Bi reacted almost simultaneously, instantly straightening their bodies and saluting in perfect unison, their expressions solemn and serious.

They knew that this Ninth-Rank General's identity was extraordinary, and his every move would affect the direction of this mission.

“Comrade Li Yang and Comrade Lin Bi, correct?”

General Lei Hua's gaze swept over both of them, his eyes carrying scrutiny and concern.

“Yes!”

Both responded in unison, their voices loud and firm, echoing in the Command Room.

“Don't be nervous...”

General Lei Hua showed a slight smile, attempting to ease the somewhat tense atmosphere.

“I am General Lei Hua, Deputy Section Chief of the First Section of the Imperial Military Department's Research Department. I'm contacting you specifically through emergency communication mainly to understand your situation in detail.”

General Lei Hua spoke calmly, slowly revealing his identity, his tone conveying composure and friendliness.

“Yes, Section Chief Lei...”

Li Yang immediately responded, then skillfully tapped a few times on the control panel, opening another screen. It clearly displayed all the intelligence they had gathered so far, including the mysterious spatial vortex, the peculiar Galaxy layout, the invisible barrier with the power of rules, and previous deductions and related test results regarding the power of rules—everything was complete.

“Good, based on this information.”

General Lei Hua carefully browsed the information report on the screen, nodding slightly, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

“It is indeed a phenomenon with highly distinctive and obvious power of rules...”

His gaze was fixed on the screen, as if trying to excavate deeper secrets from the dense data and text.