Chapter 10: Crisis Exposed

In the Vicat star system, an Imperial mining station floated above the moon of Vicat II.

Red mining lasers continuously swept across the mining pit, reducing the ore into powder. Drones equipped with collectors absorbed the powdered minerals and carried them back to the station.

Mining machine maintenance worker Xiao Huang sat leisurely in his chair, sipping a cup of hot coffee while swaying his head to old tunes playing from a projector.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from the monitor on his left, startling him so much that he spilled coffee all over his hand. Frowning, he wiped his hand on his grease-stained uniform and turned to face the alarmed display.

The screen showed a rotating scan page—a simplified hyperspace radar meant to detect hyperspace fluctuations near the mining station.

But what should have been an empty screen now displayed ten red blips!

Green represented logged civilian warp signals, blue denoted military warp signals, but red—red meant unknown!

Terrified, Xiao Huang immediately activated the communicator:

"This is Vicat II Mining Station calling headquarters! We have detected unknown hyperspace fluctuations!"

Before he could finish speaking, ten sinister-looking warships appeared in the nearby space, warping in and heading straight for the mining station.

As a remote outpost on the edge of the star system, the station had no dedicated defensive fleet. Its only means of resistance consisted of five missile launchers and five Gauss machine guns.

The missile launchers ignited, spewing blue flames as twenty missiles shot toward the incoming ships. There was no time to hesitate—those warships' weapons were already glowing ominously.

The ten warships didn't even slow down, charging straight at the mining station. The missiles struck their hulls, creating bright explosions, but failed to inflict any visible damage.

The enemy's counterattack arrived in an instant. Twenty red beams of energy sliced through the station, tearing through its armor. The station's defenses were completely disabled in a single volley.

Inside the control room, Xiao Huang sat frozen, his face drained of color. He knew there was no escape—against warships, an escape pod was nothing more than target practice.

Clenching his jaw, he swiftly deleted all station records and formatted the main system. With little time left, he straightened his disheveled hair, donned his favorite combat uniform, and sat down with a pistol in his hand.

His final message was sent to the Empire:

"Dear Mother, Father, your son has failed you. I never gave you a grandchild, nor even found a wife. Now, I will never get the chance. Please don't grieve for me—have another child, you're still young. I love you both. Long live the Empire!"

Wiping away his tears, he fixed his gaze on the surveillance feed.

The screen showed a squad of grotesque-looking aliens in powered armor cutting through the outer shell of the station, heading for the control room.

Xiao Huang slowly closed his eyes. Pressing the pistol against his temple, he murmured, "Long live His Majesty… Long live the Empire…"

When the alien soldiers finally stormed into the control room, they found the human inside had already taken his own life. Furious, they checked the main computer—only to discover that all valuable information had been wiped.

Their commander, seething with anger, ordered the team to retreat. Moments later, the mining station was obliterated under a concentrated barrage from the enemy fleet.

Watching the last transmission from Vicat II Mining Station, the command center fell into dead silence.

"We must inform His Majesty immediately!" one officer finally broke the silence. "This is a blatant provocation against the Empire! We must make them pay!"

It didn't take long for the full report to reach Emperor Li Mingze.

"Summon all officers from the Operations Analysis Department to my office!"

Within ten minutes, his office was filled with military officers. Li Mingze stepped forward from behind his desk and waved his hand. A holographic projection of the enemy fleet, captured by the mining station's sensors, appeared in the air.

"Tell me your thoughts. What can we learn from this?" he asked, his tone calm and unreadable.

After a brief discussion, one officer responded:

"Your Majesty, based on the video and the damage to the mining station, the enemy's ships are approximately 800 meters long. They likely classify as destroyers and are equipped with visible-spectrum laser weapons. These pure energy weapons appear highly effective against armor."

Li Mingze frowned. "Can our current fleet defeat them?"

"Unfortunately, no, Your Majesty. While we have a greater number of ships, the enemy surpasses us in tonnage and technology. Additionally, this is only the portion of their fleet we've seen—we don't know how many more warships they possess. Worse, their weapons are especially effective against our armor."

Li Mingze closed his eyes briefly. "Leave me. I need time to think."

"Understood, Your Majesty." The officers bowed and exited.

Once alone, Li Mingze summoned his AI assistant, Tianyi.

"Tianyi, aside from controlling all Imperial systems, do I have any other cheats?"

"No, Your Majesty. The Supreme Directive already grants you ultimate authority over your own empire—this is the greatest advantage. If you wanted more, you should have modified the game data before playing."

"Then I'll have to rely on old Earth wisdom—The Thirty-Six Stratagems."

Li Mingze summoned the Empire's top nuclear physicists to discuss the feasibility of a superweapon: "The Sugar-Coated Bullet."

The scientists assured him that, with existing technology, the weapon was entirely possible. It wouldn't be excessively large, but the production costs would be astronomical.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Propaganda Department received an urgent decree:

"Broadcast the footage from Vicat II Mining Station across the entire Empire!"

"As you command!"

Soon, every Imperial television channel and the HoloNet pushed the footage, showcasing the tragedy at Vicat II.

Hatred surged across the populace. On the streets, citizens rallied, calling for the Empire to strike back and purge these invaders.

The Emperor Speaks

The following day, Emperor Li Mingze addressed the nation via a live broadcast:

"Dear citizens of the Empire, The enemy has turned their weapons against us! An Imperial citizen has given his life for the Empire!

However, our fleet is not yet strong enough to defeat them! We are developing a superweapon, but the Imperial treasury lacks the resources to complete its construction.

I ask you, my people, to donate your energy credits. Do it for the Empire!"