170: Chapter 170 Detailed Plan, Ready to Go

As the transport craft headed toward the target area, before the dawn light had climbed the mountaintops, the alloy door of the underground command center slid open a crack.

Chen Wuwang was the first to step out, the soles of his boots tapping a short, clear rhythm on the metal floor, sounding like a command that had just landed.

Without looking back, he walked straight toward the Family Martial Arts Arena, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickering with blue light as a real-time interface of the Family resource database appeared deep in his consciousness—

The Artifact Refining Workshop was working through the night to overhaul ten Po Xu series mechs; the third batch of "Neural Sync Enhancer" distilled by the Medicinal Field team had been packaged; and signals from six remote communication relay nodes were stable and all in place.

Aelia followed half a step behind him, her wings folded against her back, her fingertips still gripping the edge of a Star Chart Device, her brow slightly furrowed. "Do you really intend to rely on this group of people to intercept an Interstellar Smuggling Ship? That's not a drill; it's a death wish."

Chen Wuwang didn't stop, merely replying indifferently, "They aren't 'this group of people.' They are the Chen Family."

On the Martial Arts Arena, the morning mist had not yet dispersed, but over a hundred clansmen were already lined up in neat formation.

There was a support group carrying Rune Cannon batteries, a logistics team holding portable Psionic Charging Devices, and several young Disciples wearing light combat exoskeletons, stretching their limbs slightly with bright eyes.

Chen Xiaodao stood in the front row, his mechanical left arm gleaming with a cool blue luster. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and stood straight immediately upon seeing Chen Wuwang approach.

"Mission assignments," Chen Wuwang said as he stepped onto the high platform, his voice not loud but piercing through the entire field. "The assault team will be led by Chen Xiaodao, responsible for infiltrating the rear of the transport ship, planting virus programs, and disrupting engine synchronization."

"The support group will be equipped with three long-range Rune Cannon batteries, positioned on the high ground on both sides of the D-7 Meteorite Core, ready to suppress enemy fire at any time."

"The logistics group will carry two sets of mobile Psionic Charging Devices to provide support, ensuring that the mechs' continuous combat time is no less than two shichen."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "This is not a drill; it's actual combat. Not a single step can go wrong."

Just as he finished speaking, two young men suddenly rushed out from the back row, their faces flushed. "Family Head! We want to join the assault team too!"

"My neural sync test reached 79% yesterday!"

"I can scale walls and leap across roofs; my stealth speed is in the top three of the entire clan!"

Chen Wuwang looked at them, his fingers tapping steadily at his side.

The entire field fell silent.

"Impulsiveness is not courage," he finally spoke, his tone calm. "Restraint is strength. You haven't been tested; you don't understand the Zerg patrol patterns, nor are you familiar with the rhythm of an assault in the zero-gravity environment of the asteroid belt. This battle allows no mistakes, and certainly no unnecessary sacrifices."

The two opened their mouths to argue further but were grabbed by an old craftsman beside them. "Stop talking! The Family Head is right! This isn't a competition of who's braver!"

Chen Xiaodao then stepped onto the platform, standing beside Chen Wuwang, his gaze falling on the two youths. "Every step I take could be a dead end. I don't need companions; I need a backup. Protecting the rear is how you help me stay alive."

As those words fell, the entire field became solemn.

Aelia stood below the platform, watching this scene. She shook her head slightly and muttered under her breath, "A lunatic leading a pack of lunatics... and yet, these lunatics actually damn well have something to them."

Chen Wuwang ignored her and turned to call up a projection of the Ancestral Instruction Stele.

A pillar of deep blue light descended from the sky, slowly unfurling a long list of names—the names of the Chen Family's fallen through the generations, densely packed, starting from the first generation of survivors after the Zerg slaughtered the village a hundred years ago, continuing to the present day.

A low tolling of a bell sounded, once, and then again.

All the clansmen lowered their heads instinctively. Some silently stroked the Family crest on their chests, while others clenched their teeth, their eyes reddening.

Chen Wuwang stepped forward, his palm brushing over the surface of the stele. His voice remained steady, yet it carried immense weight. "This operation concerns the Family's honor and is also to strike against the evil Zerg forces. Everyone, you must be careful."

No one shouted slogans; no one made a sound.

But when the bell stopped, everyone looked up in unison, their gazes like iron.

"Now, move out," Chen Wuwang ordered.

The Artifact Refining Workshop was brightly lit. Chen Tiezhu and a dozen Disciples were gathered around a po xu type-2 mech, performing final adjustments.

The main control interface area was covered in markings—all newly modified swirling melt-patterns. Nano-chips were embedded in the profound iron shell, gleaming with a cold metallic luster.

"Is the power shunt connected?" he asked without looking up.

"Connected! The level-three power supply System is stable!" a Disciple replied.

"What about the ammunition bay?"

"Thirty-six miniature Psionic Shells have been loaded, all calibrated to non-lethal interference mode."

Chen Tiezhu nodded, picking up a carving knife to add a buffer layer rune to the edge of the interface. "Remember, this mech isn't for killing; it's for the mission. Even if it could blow apart a Golden Core Cultivator with one punch, today it is only allowed to be used for 'Severing the Thorns'."

Over at the Medicinal Field, a woman who maintained the psionic batteries was packing bottles of pale green medicine into a thermal box, her hands trembling slightly.

Her son was in the support group, going to the battlefield for the first time.

"Don't be afraid," Lin Sanya said, patting her shoulder. "The medicine you brewed will help their hands stay steady."

"I know," the woman took a deep breath and stuffed the last bottle in. "That's why I brewed a double dose."

On the command craft's launch pad, five transport boats were parked side-by-side, their hatches open and interior lights soft.

The logistics group was moving equipment crates inside, while the assault team boarded one by one, checking weapons and calibrating neural link modules.

Chen Xiaodao was the last to board. He sat in his exclusive cabin section and closed his eyes to connect to the pre-warm training System.

His consciousness followed the data stream into the virtual space, repeating the movements of clinging, sneaking, and virus injection over and over again, his muscle memory solidifying in silence.

Aelia sat in a separate cabin, disassembling her Pulse Rifle, wiping it piece by piece, and then reassembling it.

She looked up at the monitor, which showed the team's neural sync data rising steadily, with the lowest at 65%.

She gave a cold laugh. "They really aren't just putting on a brave face."

Chen Wuwang stood at the entrance of the command boat, taking one final look over the entire preparation process.

He raised his hand, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing blue, confirming that all personnel had boarded and the System self-check was complete.

"Depart," he said, stepping inside as the hatch slowly closed.

The transport boat's engines started, a low hum rising as the ground vibrated.

The five boats took off in sequence, piercing through the morning mist and heading toward the shadow zone of the asteroid belt on the border of the Eastern Desolation.

Inside the cabins, the clansmen remained silent. Some closed their eyes to rest, some repeatedly checked their gear, and others stared at the drifting clouds outside the windows.

Chen Wuwang sat in the command seat, his right hand brushing over his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye, his brow slightly furrowed as his thoughts had already leaped toward the unknown battlefield ahead.

Aelia leaned back in her seat, her wings fully retracted, her fingers lightly tapping her knee as if calculating something.

Chen Xiaodao opened his eyes, the cooling light on his left arm flashing faintly, like a breath.

The transport boats passed through the atmosphere and leaped into the starry space lanes.

Ahead, the outline of the Asteroid Belt Shadow Zone gradually appeared, as dark as an abyss.

They would reach the target area in three-quarters of an hour.