In truth, when it comes to aggression and the sheer violence of warfare, the Zerg might be far more terrifying than humanity.

"No.

Lieutenant Colonel, we must transmit the situation here and these footage recordings of the Zerg back to Earth. Yes, humanity has reached its most critical juncture. All of Earth's heavy industry should be tasked with production under wartime conditions. Our industrial might is something the Zerg cannot possibly fathom.

One year, no.

In half a year, we could launch ten thousand star battleships. If construction were mobilized globally, we could surely…” A Major Staff Officer looked at the dense swarm of alien insects filling space, excitedly declaring to Chu Xuan, “In half a year, we could have ten thousand star battleships taking to the skies. If construction were mobilized globally, we could certainly…”

Chu Xuan silently took a bite of his apple and stated, “Problem one… how many skilled crews are needed for ten thousand star battleships? How many soldiers are required to serve at Zhanjiang? Can we fully assemble them within six months? Problem two… will the Zerg grant the Earth Federation Government six months? Once we are completely annihilated, the Federation Government will immediately face aerial assault from these space-faring Zerg. Only after our space superiority is entirely lost will the Zerg feel safe enough to move asteroids to attack, or even bring vast numbers of ground-based Zerg to Earth. At that point, can our human bodies truly contend against them? Problem three… how do we transmit information to Earth right now?” The Staff Officer instantly fell silent. A Captain standing nearby suddenly interjected, “Each of the seven fortresses on Tango Ghost Star possesses high-powered particle beam communicators. Even our own technology cannot shield against these communicators. I imagine the bugs shouldn’t be able to continue jamming them either, as they are just particles, not electrical signals…”

Chu Xuan took another bite of his apple and said, “Precisely. That is why we must land on Tango Ghost Star. That is our objective. Furthermore, to preserve the combat strength of the star fleet, all vessels must land on the ground, centering around the largest flatland military base, Storm Fortress, and then establish layered defenses. Before reinforcements arrive, before the Earth Federation Government completes its war preparations, we must be lodged here like a spike, facing the relentless attacks of hundreds of thousands, millions, even tens of millions of Zerg. But our names will certainly be inscribed in history… Send the statement I just recorded to all fleets, and then inform them: choose whether to be killed by your own comrades as cowards escaping, or to become heroes returning to Earth. Let them understand our predicament, and then let them choose for themselves.”

The surrounding staff officers and military personnel snapped a salute toward Chu Xuan and his three companions. The Staff Officer then excitedly strode toward a designated platform.

Zheng Zha quietly walked over to Chu Xuan and murmured, “Chu Xuan… when did you become so adept at stirring emotion?”

Chu Xuan replied matter-of-factly, “Aligning oneself with the majority. Isn’t that how you used to evaluate me? Indeed, aligning with the majority—that is the crucial first step for accomplishing any great feat… We have already let them know their fate is intertwined with ours. Next, we simply need to arrange the situation properly and await the ‘Main God’s’ mission. We still have three days…”

Three days remained. At noon that day, the fleet’s early warning vessels indeed spotted another massive sphere hovering behind Tango Ghost Star. It was positioned in a low orbit around Tango Ghost Star, much like a satellite. As the joint fleet approached, tens of thousands of Zerg space creatures flew out from this colossal sphere. Just as Chu Xuan had predicted, the joint fleet found itself trapped: an ambush ahead, pursuers behind. The only remaining path was to descend onto Tango Ghost Star.

As the fleet began its descent toward Tango Ghost Star, the members of the Reincarnation Squad aboard the vessels—whether it was the Central China Team led by Zheng Zha, or the South Yan China Team led by Aya—all received an identical notification from the “Main God.”

“Protect the seven great military bases of humanity within three days. For every military base lost, all members of the team receive a penalty of -1000 Reward Points. For every base successfully defended, all members of the team receive a bonus of +1000 Reward Points after three days. If all seven military bases are lost, all members of the team will be instantly erased.”

Upon receiving this prompt, every member of the Reincarnation Squad turned to look at Chu Xuan. Even Aya and her companion from the South Yan China Team—given the current circumstances, the destinies of both teams were essentially bound together—naturally placed their hopes on Chu Xuan… even though Zheng Zha suspected Chu Xuan might have some scheme underway to completely drain the South Yan China Team’s combat power before disposing of them later…

Chu Xuan asked Aya curiously, “Did Manini and Rose leave on a ship as soon as the high command of the military arrived? Have you not received any notification of their deaths yet?”

Aya nodded, “No, they simply told us casually and left the fleet early that morning. Is there a problem?”

“No, I just suddenly feel that the ‘Main God’ is incredibly insidious…” Chu Xuan let out a breath. “The initial task for completing this horror movie was simply to survive until time expired. Logically, we only needed to pilot the spaceship into the infinite void of space. No one could have gotten to us then, and our chances of survival would have been maximized. But what if we had blindly flown into the void, and only three days before the end, the ‘Main God’ issued this mission? By then, the possibility of total annihilation for everyone would likely exceed seventy percent…”

Hearing this, the others felt a chill run down their spines. Following Chu Xuan’s line of thought, they realized the possibility was real. The “Main God” was constantly setting traps for them to fall into; the more they tried to evade, the greater the danger they might encounter. Fortunately, both the Central China Team and the South Yan China Team possessed their own strategists, preventing them from making such a rudimentary mistake.

As the group continued their conversation, the ship suddenly shuddered violently. The entire warship was already plunging into the atmosphere. Looking out through the viewscreen, the ship was bathed in a deep red glow—the result of the intense heat generated by friction with the atmosphere. However, due to the advanced alloy steel construction, such a vessel could even be called a piece of high-tech weaponry. Several minutes later, the friction subsided, and a vast, dusty yellow continent appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Chu Xuan looked at the computer screen, then spoke to the Staff Officer beside him, “Order all soldiers to prepare their weapons and combat armor. Organize them into small squads led by a Staff Sergeant; assign one junior officer for every ten squads; and have one field officer lead the unit formed by ten such junior officers’ detachments. Begin setting up defensive lines centered around each vessel. Broadcast this order throughout the ship: all battleships are to proceed to Storm Fortress, land there, and establish defenses.”

The Staff Officer paused in surprise, but he still snapped a salute and ran towards the platform. Chu Xuan turned back to face Aya and her companion, saying, “Aya, Richard, the defense of Storm Fortress is entrusted to you. Richard… you have a military background, don't you? Lead the soldiers here in holding the line. You absolutely cannot let Storm Fortress be lost. Can you do it?”

Before Aya could speak, Richard nodded affirmatively, “The firepower of these warships is formidable, and we have so many soldiers for defense. Plus, I have reviewed the deployment schematics for Storm Fortress. Holding the defense here for three days should be a relatively easy task… But if you entrust the army to us, what about you? No, what about you?”

Chu Xuan then turned to Zheng Zha and said, “Greater danger brings greater reward… Zheng Zha, you choose our next course of action… There are two options. The first is that we lead the troops and the fast cruisers to support the other fortresses, ensuring we receive the maximum reward after three days while Storm Fortress receives the greatest protection, meaning at least we won't be erased… The second option, which I call the ‘Seven Survive, One Holds’ operation, is to abandon all other fortresses, leaving only Storm Fortress to draw the Zerg’s attention, while we go out to hunt the Central China Team, and pursue the side mission of this horror movie… the Brain Bug!”