383: Yan Ze's worries

"Alright!"

A hint of relief and pride flashed in Li Yang's eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

"As expected of the Imperial Soldiers! In the face of this dangerous trial, they have shown fearless courage and unwavering faith."

Li Yang knew full well what the Military Officers' choice meant; they used their actions to interpret the responsibility of the Imperial Soldiers.

Then, he decisively gave the order.

"There's no time to lose. Quickly have them initiate the escape procedure and leave this dangerous place."

"Yes!"

Pal saluted again, then turned and quickly went to convey Li Yang's command, his movements clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

At this moment, the entire fleet was permeated with an atmosphere of steadfast resolve.

As Li Yang gave the order, the starship hatches throughout the fleet slowly opened like the mouths of giant beasts, accompanied by a faint whirring sound, and escape vessels launched one after another like birds leaving their nests.

They carefully detached from the starship bodies, found their direction in the vast universe, and, before the chilling spatial suction could completely engulf them, decisively activated their spatial jump devices.

In an instant, dazzling flashes of light flickered, and the escape vessels vanished from their original positions like fleeting illusions, leaving behind only a silent expanse of the universe.

"Alright, everyone who needed to leave has left."

Li Yang sighed softly, slowly sat back in his seat, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.

He skillfully manipulated the starship, shutting down the engine, and the entire starship immediately fell silent, with only the faint hum of instruments remaining.

Through the large, transparent viewport of the Command Room, Li Yang quietly gazed at the furiously spinning spatial vortex in the distance.

The vortex was like a deep, endless black hole, emitting a heart-pounding aura, as if it wanted to drag everything in the world into its infinite darkness.

"The way you're talking, it's as if we're really going to die..."

Lin Bi heard Li Yang's sigh and couldn't help but frown slightly, muttering a complaint.

Although he appeared relaxed on the surface, he was still a little nervous inside. Even though it was just a clone, the sensation of death was very real.

At this moment, Hua Dong, Researcher Hua Xi, and Pal, among others, also came to the viewport, quietly gazing at the massive spatial vortex alongside Li Yang.

There was no fear in their eyes, only a resolute determination to face death without regret.

The vortex gradually approached, like a fierce beast slowly closing in on its prey, carrying an irresistible force.

Everyone watched helplessly as the powerful suction of the spatial vortex slowly drew the starship in. The surrounding space became increasingly distorted, and the light grew chaotic.

"Warning! Warning! Shield breach! Severe damage to the hull!"

Finally, the starship was completely swallowed by the endless darkness, and everything fell into a dead silence... In the distant original universe, within the research Space Station, which resembled an isolated island in space, the lights were dim, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Yan Ze stared intently at the light screen. The huge, fluctuating data displayed on it made his expression increasingly solemn, his eyes filled with tension and worry.

"What exactly is going on?"

Yan Ze murmured to himself, his voice trembling slightly.

"Why did a spatial collapse and fragmentation suddenly occur within the space?"

As a seasoned researcher, he was fully aware of the dangers inherent in such phenomena.

If such a situation were to occur in the vast, boundless expanse of space, although tricky, escape would be quite easy with some special countermeasures.

However, this time it was within that particular limited space, which undoubtedly pushed all lives within it to the brink of death.

Yan Ze was burning with anxiety and quickly turned to the communications operator nearby, asking urgently, "Can you contact Li Yang and them? We must confirm their situation!"

The operator's fingers flew across the console, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

A moment later, he looked up, his face filled with helplessness and frustration, and replied in a low voice, "No, our communication channel has a severe error; the signal is completely cut off and can no longer be used."

"Damn it!"

Yan Ze couldn't help but roar in anger. With a mix of fury and anxiety, he slammed his fist heavily onto the control panel.

This punch seemed to expend all his strength, venting his inner helplessness and worry.

He understood that the communication cutoff meant losing contact with Li Yang and the others; their current survival was like a thin thread hanging on a cliff, making his heart ache.

And he, stuck in this Space Station, was powerless against the crisis on the other side.

Yan Ze knew that the scale of the forces involved in this operation was enormous; all told, there were over thirty starships.

And the personnel on board numbered over a hundred thousand, a vast contingent.

Among them, the Military Officers were one thing, as they were all clones created with special technology, but the majority of the Imperial Soldiers and those performing various auxiliary tasks were all real individuals.

The thought of potential casualties made Yan Ze's heart feel as if it were being tightly clutched by an invisible hand.

This potential death toll was almost comparable to the losses of a small war on the Imperial front lines.

If such significant casualties were to occur in a research operation like this, Yan Ze would be largely to blame.

The accountability from above would surely come like a storm. At that point, let alone the merits he had originally hoped to gain from this operation, just being able to avoid severe punishment and keep his position would be a stroke of luck.

Just as Yan Ze was consumed by worry and his thoughts were a tangled mess, a researcher suddenly widened his eyes and shouted in a panic, "Something's happening!"

This sudden shout broke the oppressive silence within the research Space Station, and everyone's gaze was instantly drawn.

Just then, the previously calm spatial rift rippled with strange fluctuations, as if a giant stone had been dropped into a lake.

Immediately following, an unexpected scene unfolded: escape vessels, like ghost ships slowly emerging from a mysterious time-space tunnel, gradually became clearly visible before everyone's tense and expectant eyes.

The appearance of these escape vessels was like a glimmer of light breaking through the darkness, rekindling a spark of hope in the hearts of those in the Space Station.

"These are... escape vessels!"

Yan Ze's eyes instantly widened, filled with an expression of disbelief mixed with pleasant surprise.

He slapped his thigh vigorously and burst into excited laughter.

"Hahaha! Li Yang and the others still managed to escape!"

At this moment, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropped, and the accumulated tension and worry instantly vanished.

Yan Ze's face was flushed with excitement, and he quickly and impatiently gave the order.

"Quick, immediately dispatch starships to meet them! Ensure their safe return!"

His voice carried unconcealed joy and urgency.