Li Qi saw the worry etched on everyone's faces and was the first to break the silence. "Zhao Qian, Sister Qingqing said that with Xiaoxue remodeling our constitutions, our lifespans will be quite long. If we regularly consume the juice of the blood flower, our current age is terrifyingly low—it’s probably possible to reach thousands or even tens of thousands of years. Earth is our home; no matter what, we shouldn't abandon it, right? Everyone, cast aside your burdens. We will have plenty of time for leisurely days later. As the ancients said, if two hearts truly connect, proximity is not an issue. So, even if things are a bit busy now, let’s not complain, because we will have a great deal of time together in the future."

I had two women draped over my shoulders, another two held tightly in my arms. "Wives, I want to ask you: what are your future aspirations? I mean, once Earth Federation can truly operate independently, what is the one thing you most desire to do?"

The women tilted their heads, pondering for a moment, then discussed amongst themselves. Finally, they settled on an answer and turned to me. "We want to explore the unknown universe. Husband, look at the starry sky outside—how beautiful it is! This universe holds too many secrets, and we hope to unravel them one by one."

I replied, "I thought you might agree to retire to seclusion. For instance, the small town where I once lived, Peach Blossom Village, or even the Twin Stars—these are all excellent places."

Xu Jing said, "Husband, have you considered this? Life's tranquil days will always reach a point of saturation. Neither you nor we will be content with solitude. While you might think that now, if you were truly left in long-term ease, you would feel more restless and stifled than we would."

Fang Yanmeng followed up on Xu Jing's words. "Whether it's Earth or the Twin Stars, the matters there will no longer stir enough interest in you, because Brother Zhao Qian's abilities are far beyond what they once were. The cosmos is the best stage to deploy your talents; countless mysteries await your discovery. For the long road of our future lives, this exploration will be the spice of life. That is why we have collectively chosen to venture into the unknown depths of space."

I embraced the five women. "What you say is not without reason. Humans cannot remain content in isolation for long. Later, I’ll initiate a poll back home to see how many people agree with this idea."

Beep-beep-beep—a shrill alarm blared from the communicator on my wrist. This was no ordinary warning signal; it signified an external invasion!

I managed a wry smile. "See? Just as we were talking about how much we look forward to the future, trouble arrives. I wonder where the issue is; I truly hope it isn't Earth."

Soon after the alarm sounded, a connection signal appeared on the communicator. The initiator was not one of our internal personnel, so it required my authentication. The women dared not lounge in my embrace any longer and all moved to sit properly on the sofa. Once connected, we learned the signal came from observation personnel stationed on the outer planets.

"Chairman, we have scanned a massive fleet of unidentified warships a hundred thousand light-years away. They are advancing toward the Twin Stars at faster-than-light speeds. They might reach the periphery of the Twin Stars system in less than 48 hours."

I asked, "Can you determine anything about these warships? Is there any connection to the U-Star people?"

The captain of the reconnaissance vessel responded, "Analyzing the ship designs, they differ greatly from the U-Star warships we know. They are shaped like long discs, with no identifying marks or numbers on their hulls. We can only roughly estimate their numbers at over one hundred thousand. We dare not transmit any contact signals without authorization, so we do not yet have more detailed information."

I ordered, "Maintain stealth surveillance. Do not alert them under any circumstances. Let them come. I believe they will reveal their purpose when they arrive."

Even the most formidable women become clumsy and helpless when near their man. The five powerful figures who commanded authority within the Federation now watched me like children, waiting for answers. I addressed them. "The situation is unclear. We cannot confirm they are accomplices of the An Family, but it's unlikely they are U-Star people. We have a clear timeline for when the U-Star people would reach the Twin Stars, and if they were just passing explorers, the sheer number would be impossible. Perhaps the An Family truly is an extraterrestrial civilization's spy network on Earth."

The news naturally spread to Long Nü, Xiaoyu Di, and the others. The moment the signal with the reconnaissance ship cut off, their connection automatically linked in. Xiao Hui expressed her strong opinion about my statement. "Brother, what do you mean 'perhaps'? I think it’s definite. The An Family members are far too bizarre. On Earth, no one—not even Miss or Taozi—could fail to detect their brain signals. Even the commander from the U-Star system was ultimately deciphered by Miss's analysis of his brainwaves. Yet, despite all our efforts, we still haven't unlocked the secret of the An Family's brainwaves. They must be aliens."

Long Nü asked me, "Dragon Envoy, what do we do now? Time is tight; even mobilizing our fleet for preparation takes time."

I pondered for a moment. "The enemy's fleet size exceeds our imagination. We only have fifty thousand warships prepared for this contingency. However, their ship classes might not match ours. Furthermore, we have the two Mobile Fortress Moons, which, at the critical moment, can substitute for several thousand warships. If a battle truly breaks out, we might not be at a disadvantage."

Xiaoyu Di interjected, "Brother, don't worry about the fleet numbers. Construction at the Moon Guard Base has proceeded smoothly during this period, and their automated production lines have long been operational. We also have thirty thousand reserve large frigates. If a fight erupts, our strength will certainly not be inferior to the opposition."

I had never involved myself in the specifics of modifying the Twin Stars Moon Guard Base, so I was naturally unaware of the details. Relying primarily on our large frigates, supplemented by heavy cruisers, we should have a high probability of victory against this unknown fleet. According to the scanned intelligence, the enemy's main warships only reached the medium frigate level; even their presumed flagship class wasn't larger than our heavy cruisers.

After calculating the balance of power, I told Xiaoyu Di and Long Nü, "Let them enter first. Dispatch a fleet to harass their rear. Do not allow the main fleet to reveal itself unless absolutely necessary and until I give the order. Following that, we will have a serious discussion with the An Family. If this fleet was indeed summoned by them, their true intentions should become clear."

Long Nü responded, "Will it be dangerous for you to remain on the Twin Stars? I suggest you relocate to the Moon Guard Base instead."

I said, "The enemy fleet hasn't arrived yet. We will move to the Moon Guard Base once they are close. For now, we should issue an alert to prompt the An Family into action, lest they continue waiting, unaware of this news."

Issuing the alert was simple. Not long after, someone knocked on Li Qi's door. "Chairman, Chairman, did you see it? It’s An Jie. Didn't you just receive the foreign invasion alert? What exactly is happening? Everyone has gathered in the lounge waiting for you."

Li Qi smiled at me. "They're here. Let's go see what’s happening."

Li Qi dismissed An Jie, telling him to wait outside, then everyone adjusted their clothes and headed to the hotel's main lounge. An Jie rushed over first, handing Li Qi a document. "This is the invasion data transmitted via satellite, Chairman. It appears a large, unknown fleet has entered the star system where the Twin Stars are located. What should we do? Should we immediately return to Earth aboard the tourist vessel?"

Li Qi’s expression subtly changed as she read the document. "How can the enemy fleet be so numerous? Do they know who these people are? Our Earth Federation has always focused on peaceful expansion into space and simply doesn't possess the capacity for star warfare. What are we to do now?"

An Jie urged, "Then we must retreat to Earth. Our spaceport has excellent defensive capabilities; perhaps it can withstand the alien attack."

"What about the Twin Stars?" Li Qi asked.

An Jie replied, "We can only abandon it. Do we have any other option?"

At this point, other foreign dignitaries who had gathered in the lounge also voiced their agreement. After all, their own lives were paramount. The Twin Stars were not their territory; if those aliens wanted them, they could have them.

Li Qi retorted, "That won't do! The Twin Stars hold a massive reserve of energy crystals—the primary source for Earth's future energy needs and the foundation for our further interstellar navigation and warship manufacturing. If we abandon it now, our entire plan for the Earth Federation to advance into the universe will be ruined."

An Jie insisted, "But one must secure their life first! Chairman, don't hesitate. We still have some time; let's get on the ship and leave. The enemy ships can travel faster than light; if we delay, we might be overtaken. Once we return to the Solar System, we can deploy forces to guard the wormhole exit and block them outside the galaxy."

Li Qi paused in deep thought for a moment. "How about this: let's first attempt to contact these aliens. Perhaps they mean no harm. If all else fails, we can evacuate during the final twelve hours."

Seeing Li Qi's resolute tone, An Jie could only agree. "Very well. This hotel has an advanced satellite system; let's go to the control room."

Although Taozi did not accompany us, it had long infiltrated the Twin Stars and was coordinating with us from a secret location. I exchanged a briefing with it, instructing it to immediately investigate the spacecraft. If the aliens were truly summoned by the An Family, An Jie should be frantically covering up the invasion alert. Yet, he was now rushing us back to Earth. Could there be something amiss with the vessel?

As expected, it wasn't long before Taozi returned to the hotel to notify me. Everyone aboard the ship had been replaced by An Family confidantes. Taozi had inspected the ship's various codes and authorizations, finding they had all been altered. If the An Family intended to execute some plan aboard the ship, they could do as they wished. Conversely, the hotel was swarming with Federation security personnel, and it offered too many places to hide or escape—certainly not a good venue for action.

Instructing Taozi to hold off for the moment, I followed the five women to the control room. Someone had already transmitted a contact signal toward the distant void via satellite. Sure enough, we soon received a reply. However, we had absolutely no idea what the message meant or who they were. But one thing was certain: this group harbored no goodwill, as their fleet was already beginning to encircle the Twin Stars during their approach.

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