Chapter 427: A New Posture for Humanity_1

Now, within the Solar System, the highest military general, Commander Kuberdow, said, "All of you seated here know how urgent our time is. It could be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, that the Solar System will suffer a Dark Forest Strike!"

"Moreover, before the fleet set out, we had already left enough buffer zones. I don't believe that 6,000 astronomical units are insufficient for the fleet to react!"

"The Wallfacer's decision wasn't wrong. A series of accidents and coincidences prevented the Pioneering Fleet from exerting its full combat power."

"We have also replayed it many times, and Wu Xinghai's tactics could cause maximum casualties to the enemy."

"They were not wrong; what's wrong is this damned universe!"

Bernice waved her hand at Kuberdow, "What's done is done, we all need to calmly resolve the problems we face."

"I suggest that we should not jump to conclusions on this matter for the time being. Just record the events straightforwardly for now, not only the outcomes but also the problems we faced at the time. Let future generations judge what's right and wrong."

"I agree," Number Three said, "We don't have much time now to argue about the rights and wrongs of this matter."

After everyone essentially expressed agreement, Bernice continued, "The battle in the New Continent Star System has had a huge impact on us.

"The Strategic Department has specifically summarized this and the strategic adjustments we should make as a result."

"Everyone should have read the report from the Strategic Department. I'll just briefly mention it to draw everyone's attention," she added.

Bernice cleared her throat and continued, "Our current strategy for resolving interstellar disputes comes from our experience fighting the Trisolarans.

"But it's very easy to overlook a key point. When we became enemies with the Trisolarans, we did not possess the capability for interstellar voyages."

"At that time, the Trisolarans' capability for interstellar travel was also relatively backward."

"In such a state, the main battlefield of the struggle would occur within the Solar System."

"Now, however, it's different. Humanity has begun to venture out, and the main battlefields of future wars may be other star systems. We are destined to face some new challenges!"

"Therefore, in our future work, we need to be aware of three points. First, the complexity of the universe vastly exceeds our imagination; we must factor this into our decision-making."

"Second, the future wars may mostly be encounter battles, not the well-prepared defensive battles we are used to. Additionally, during war, the Solar System or the rear cannot provide effective support and supplies."

"Third, we will be the aggressors, not the defenders, in the future. Pay attention to adjusting our strategic mindset. A cautious defensive mindset is clearly no longer applicable."

Kuberdow sighed, "Especially our military, which must always be prepared to fight encounter battles in the future.

"This war has revealed too many of our weaknesses; we have always been focused on the range of our weapons but lacked powerful close-combat weapons. The assembly process for the Monster Cannon is also too complicated!"

After a brief discussion, they began the third item on the meeting's agenda. The head of the Strategic Department gave a report, "The failure of the pioneering operation is now a foregone conclusion.

"In twenty-two years, which is when the main forces of the Sixth Legion and the Second Legion will reach the New Continent Star System, we will be able to fully occupy that star system.

"However, the situation in the New Continent Star System has become complicated. If the enemy used a cosmic broadcast in their defeat, then the New Continent Star System would be even more dangerous than the Solar System."

"Therefore, we must now activate the backup plan."

He paused before continuing, "Because we need to consider the travel time and the time to build, we no longer have time to migrate to star systems beyond ten light-years. We must quickly select a star system that is closer to the Solar System to migrate to.

"Previously, we have already conducted detailed exploration of three star systems that are about eight light-years away from the Solar System. Although the conditions in these three star systems are far from those in the New Continent Star System, they at least serve as a good stepping stone."

"Additionally, one point everyone should pay attention to is, according to the simulations of the Dimensional Reduction Strike by the Academy of Sciences, eight light-years might not be a safe distance, either."

"Once we escape from the Solar System, we must continue to develop our voyaging capabilities as fast as possible. There may not be an opportunity or strength to pursue new research."

"Even if there are very slight mistakes and accidents, preventing us from developing ourselves fully, we may have to keep running from Two-Dimensional Space!"

"Moreover…"

The head of the Strategic Department looked around at all those seated, "Moreover, only a part of the Solar System's population can escape! Otherwise, it will bring a huge population burden to the future!"

For a moment, the meeting room fell into a profound silence.

After the meeting ended, Number Three and Bernice tacitly did not leave with the others.

Once the meeting room was left with just the two of them, Bernice lit a lady's cigarette, "The worst-case scenario has still happened."

In the New Continent Star System, most of humanity's armed forces have been destroyed, leaving no chance for a turnaround.

Now, they hoped that more people could find a place to hide, so there might be a possibility to retake the New Continent Star System in twenty-two years, and the survivors might also have a chance to be rescued.

Number Three stood up and said, "I know you're worried, but it's okay to tell you the Wallfacer's command.

"Before heading to Lisbon City, the Wallfacer entrusted me alone, if anything happened to him during this operation, to awaken Thirty-Six and have him succeed as the Wallfacer."

Bernice frowned, "Thirty-Six? The philosopher?"

Number Three smiled and, as he walked out, said, "That's why Jiang Yu trusted me with this task. Now in the Solar System, only Jiang Shiliu and I know that Thirty-Six's mind can provide humanity with a decent future."

He paused and added, "I will continue to search for Jiang Yu. Humanity, in this time of crisis, cannot be without this pillar of spirit."

Bernice extinguished her cigarette, "I support you."

...

New Continent Star System, White Planet, the sixth day the command ship was trapped.

Cao Yang lamented, "What was meant to come has still come."

The moment Weide sabotaged the enemy's trap, everyone guessed that this day would eventually arrive.

Based on the intelligence provided by the second probe just launched, ten enemy warships had entered the White Planet's atmosphere, lined up in a column, and began a ground search.

The enemy ships likely had metal detection instruments or life detection instruments or the like, capable of locating human ships hidden under the ice and snow.

Given the spacing of the ten enemy ships, Xing Yuanbin deduced that the detection range of each enemy ship should be about fifty kilometers in radius, and with ten warships lined up together, they could cast a five-hundred-kilometer-wide net.

According to the enemy ships' ground search speed, this net would reach the position of the command ship in two days and over seven hours.

Jiang Yu, however, was somewhat surprised, "Only ten warships?"

That searching force seemed too small, didn't it?

But then Jiang Yu added, "It's enough to deal with us, though."

The command room fell into silence, and Jiang Yu sensed the desperate looks in everyone's eyes.

He smiled and said, "I've said it before, don't give up until the very last moment!

"The enemy's method of searching clearly has a huge flaw!

"On such a large planet, ten warships can't cover everything. This is our chance to escape!"

Thinking about it, everyone indeed realized that was the case.

Jiang Yu stood up and paced the command room as if contemplating a strategy. When everyone's attention shifted away from him, Jiang Yu signaled to Hao Ying and took her to the adjoining small meeting room, whispering:

"In two days, take the three civilian ships and escape the enemy's search radius before they reach our current location."

He paused and then said, "If Cao Yang and I both die, you'll take over as the commander and keep those three thousand people alive!"

Hao Ying looked surprised, "Why can't we leave together?"