The trouble with the Tongguang Star didn't remain hidden for long before the ever-resourceful media dug it up, and the news immediately caused an uproar.

The Tongguang Star was the pride of the Davo populace, and the news of its distress was nothing short of a thunderbolt from a clear sky. What’s more, it carried one hundred of the nation’s most exceptional youths.

The day the news broke, the Ministry of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ phone lines were jammed by furious citizens.

The next day, the Ministry issued a clarification, stating that the Tongguang Star was not in trouble, merely out of contact temporarily.

However, this did little to quell the public's doubts. What did 'out of contact' mean? For how long? Why were they out of contact? A barrage of questions descended, leaving the Ministry overwhelmed.

Under immense public pressure, the Presidential Office quickly established a special investigation team that moved into the Ministry of Aeronautics and Astronautics...

Of course, this pressure wasn't solely from ordinary citizens; it was also heavily applied by the families of those 'one hundred most outstanding youths.'

It could be said that any youth qualified to board the Tongguang Star hailed from prominent clans; without significant influence, securing a spot on the vessel would have been impossible. Their original intention was to send their families' brightest young talents abroad to broaden their horizons, gain some polish, and interact with peers from other intermediate civilizations.

Who could have imagined this would turn into a journey of death? For these established clans, losing a promising young successor was a far graver loss than billions in assets.

Clans are sustained by the talent within their ranks; should that talent wither away, the clan itself would collapse. Thus, they place immense value on cultivation.

One could only imagine the heartache when they learned their most brilliant youngsters were in peril.

When these powerful clans banded together, even the Presidential Office couldn't resist, which is why the special investigation team was dispatched.

"What? The news is out?" Aboard the private jet, Yang Yunrong reacted to the news with rare, uncontrolled fury. He snatched a colorful crystal vase from the side table and hurled it violently onto the floor, shattering it with a loud smash.

His assistant, Li Pingze, stood silently by, having never witnessed his young master lose his temper so severely—and destroying one of his beloved Gālan collection pieces, no less. Li Pingze was perplexed: why did Zhong Yun command such importance from the young master? Merely because he was the Eldest Miss's lover?

"Change course immediately. Home.^^^^" After a moment, Yang Yunrong calmed slightly, remembering he needed to hurry back to see his sister, and gave the order.

"But, sir, we are scheduled to meet with Star Group; we cannot miss it..." As a responsible aide, Li Pingze prompted him, steeling himself.

"I told you to change course for home," Yang Yunrong’s glare looked ready to consume him.

In the eastern villa district of Mingzhou City, situated in the central enclave, stood a villa rich with history—the legendary Yang Residence.

"Where is the Eldest Miss?" Upon entering the courtyard where Liu Yunqi usually resided, Yang Yunrong grabbed a housemaid.

"The Eldest Miss is in the music room, she hasn't come out..." the maid replied timidly.

Yang Yunrong headed straight for the music room. As he approached, he heard a profoundly moving melody. He paused, listening to his sister’s music, his heart growing colder the longer he listened.^^^^

Music is the sound of the heart. Yang Yunrong possessed some appreciation for it, and he could sense a deep, almost unbearable sorrow woven into his sister's playing, even though the tune itself was light and cheerful.

The music abruptly stopped. Liu Yunqi's voice drifted out, slightly ethereal, "Second Brother, is Zhong Yun truly aboard the Tongguang Star?"

Yang Yunrong’s mouth moved several times, but no words escaped. He stood in the courtyard for a long, long time that day.

On the perimeter wall, the battle between the native warriors and the pink-skinned monsters raged on.

With Yu Daoqing seemingly exhausted, Zhong Yun took the opportunity to retreat from the immediate fighting. In a melee involving thousands, unless one was a supreme powerhouse like a Level Ten expert, an individual contribution was limited.^^^^

Zhong Yun genuinely feared being eliminated senselessly right there. Once the initial adrenaline rush from the native warriors’ defense faded, reality set in. He'd been incredibly unlucky lately; perhaps he truly was destined to be felled by some careless blow on this battlefield? Safety first.

The monsters, having witnessed nearly five hundred of their kind annihilated by a single strike from Yu Daoqing, initially panicked, many scattering like rabbits. However, perhaps seeing the terrifying figure did not reappear, the pink creatures regrouped outside the wall, tentatively leaping into the village.

What greeted them were rows of javelins tipped with a deep, mesmerizing blue poison. The pink monsters possessed incredible vitality; unless their skulls were pierced, they were difficult to kill. This blue venom, however, was their bane—even a scratch could cost them half their life. It was the natives' crucial weapon against these beasts.

The fight quickly devolved into a brutal stalemate. Zhong Yun couldn't fathom why the pink monsters were attacking this village with such desperation. Given their power, even if they managed to conquer the village, the cost would be immense. Did the village hold something absolutely indispensable to them?

This place is truly dangerous. If only I had a particle cannon... That thought surfaced in Zhong Yun’s mind again, or perhaps even a pulse gun would suffice...

Zhong Yun's heart suddenly gave several violent thumps, and a detail he had almost overlooked flashed through his mind. He instantly stood up and sprinted toward the village center.

Yu Daoqing frowned when she saw him run off in a hurry, a flicker of disappointment crossing her eyes before she turned back to the deadlocked struggle at the perimeter wall.

Zhong Yun ran toward the village at top speed, remembering the escape pod was situated in the open clearing within the village. About five minutes later, he burst back into the village square. Ignoring the two hostile natives glaring at him, he lunged into the escape pod. Zhong Yun looked around, tapping the interior bulkhead. "Hello?" Only his own echo responded. Damn, it seemed completely devoid of energy.

What now? Zhong Yun stared at the seamless hull, genuinely stumped. Without tools, forcing open the escape pod's shell was virtually impossible; finding anything harder than that shell on this planet seemed unlikely.

There has to be a way. Zhong Yun was not one to give up easily. He ran his hands along the seams of the bulkhead, and suddenly, perhaps by accidentally pressing a spot, a small beep sounded, and a numeric keypad materialized on the interior wall.

Zhong Yun was instantly ecstatic. The designer of this escape pod was truly meticulous, even providing backup power for this storage unit.

The password was... At this critical moment, his formidable memory came into play. After entering the code, the bulkhead slowly retracted, revealing an opening about one square meter in size. Inside, neatly arranged, were over ten new-model electromagnetic pulse rifles.