FM001 Resource Planet.
Ever since Feng Mo took over, the workers' living conditions had drastically improved, from only one meal a day to three solid meals daily. Most importantly, they even received salaries now. The overseers, unlike the former bandit-like ones who would kill without a second thought, were now polite—at least as long as the rules weren't broken.
The workers were grateful and more motivated than ever, resulting in increased productivity, a pleasant surprise to Feng Mo. Additionally, Alisa had designed and introduced new intelligent mining equipment, replacing the old machinery, which made the work much easier.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Alarm! Everyone must take cover in the nearest shelter or head to the nearest underground bunker!"
The piercing alarm sounded, and millions of workers, led by their overseers, rushed to the nearest bunkers. A few brave ones stayed put, hiding in place, including Xu Qiang, who crouched in a pit where they usually rested, along with three coworkers.
"Old Xu, what's going on with this alarm? Do you think those damned pirates are back? I don't want to go back to the days of being hungry and cold," one coworker worriedly asked.
"Who knows?" Xu Qiang replied. "But it probably isn't the pirates. Remember the overseers said the Flame Bandit Group had already been wiped out by the Viscount?"
Another coworker chimed in, "I overheard the overseers talking the other day. They said our star system has been unstable lately and that we might be dealing with some desperate fools soon."
"Old Yang, why do you say they're desperate?" Xu Qiang asked.
"Think about it, Old Xu. Our Viscount is powerful. Only an idiot would challenge him—that's like kicking a sleeping tiger! You'll see; this planet won't fall," Old Yang declared confidently.
He might have been right. Bai Muli failed to conquer the planet, but he did something worse—he launched a bombardment on FM001 Resource Planet.
Storm Planet.
Alisa entered the office, her usually decisive demeanor wavering, causing Laika and Laixi to look on curiously. Alisa never hesitated, so what was different today?
"Commander, I take full responsibility for my failure. Please punish me," Alisa said, her voice tense with rage.
Feng Mo looked up from reading the Bai family report and noticed Alisa's seething anger. He had never seen her this furious. Though he remained calm, he asked, "Tell me what happened before I decide."
"Commander, Bai Muli's fleet launched a surprise attack on FM001 Resource Planet. They destroyed a fifth of the planet's defense systems and strafed the area before fleeing when Storm Unit One was closing in," Alisa reported.
Feng Mo's eyes darkened as he processed the news. "Casualties? How many?"
"The garrison, overseers, and workers are still being counted. Initial estimates are over ten thousand, possibly far more. I await your punishment," Alisa said solemnly.
"Heh," Feng Mo chuckled coldly. "Why would I punish you? Instead, we'll make sure others feel the pain of losing tens of thousands of lives. I wonder if the Bai family has that many people. Alisa, take Laika and Laixi and prepare the fleet at the spaceport. Assemble Storm Fleet and stock up on energy and munitions. We're going to war!"
"Yes, sir!" Alisa replied, leading the sisters out of the office. Feng Mo then activated his terminal, entered the Star Network, and created a luxurious virtual meeting room, sending out invitations to several people.
As he calmly brewed tea and waited, the room filled up one by one with seven individuals—two women and five men. Once everyone was present, Feng Mo wasted no time recounting the attack in detail.
"The Yunshan Fleet is ready to deploy at any time. This old man could use some exercise," said Gu Jun, a youth in a lieutenant general's uniform who exuded an aura of authority as deep as an abyss. This was General Gu, Feng Mo's "Uncle Gu," and the highest-ranking officer of the Yunshan Fleet.
The Yunshan Empire had three T5 fleets: Lion King, Inkfeather, and Yunshan. Gu Jun, as the Yunshan Fleet Commander, had the power to deploy the fleet without reporting to anyone, though he rarely exercised this privilege.
"The Inkfeather Fleet will also support you unconditionally, a promise from my grandfather," added Yue Xiaomeng. "Let me tag along this time?"
Feng Mo felt a chill run down his spine. These two were serious heavyweights. The temptation to deploy two T5 fleets to crush the Bai family was strong, but the repercussions would be severe, even with his connections. He had to exercise restraint.
"We don't need to escalate things to that level," Feng Mo said. "First, Uncle Gu, Xiaomeng, and Yunshan should pressure the Snow Eagle Empire. Let's keep this as a private matter between me and the Bai family."
"Second, the Bai family has a T4 fleet. We should assign them a temporary mission under the Starsea Human Federation. Third, Yunshan, I need intel on Bai Muli's whereabouts."
Gu Jun nodded, looking impressed. Feng Mo had matured, understanding how to handle matters carefully without escalating to an inter-empire conflict.
"I'll handle the pressure on the Snow Eagle Empire and release a statement: the Yunshan Fleet will be conducting a secret mission in the Chaos Star Sea for seven days," Gu Jun said, offering both a show of force and an excuse.
Feng Mo understood. The Snow Eagle Empire, with only one T5 fleet, couldn't compete with Yunshan, Tianqi, or Huiguang. A direct show of strength would indeed keep them in check.
"Thank you, Uncle Gu. As for moving the Bai family's T4 fleet, I'll leave that to the Chu and Yue families. Since the Federation Headquarters is nearby, they'll know how to handle it. Yunshan, have your assistant forward Bai Muli's location to me," Feng Mo said.
Chu Yunshan nodded, finalizing the plans. This was the power of strong alliances—and of being strong oneself.
"I owe you all for this," Feng Mo said, leaving the Star Network to put his plan into action.
He put on his combat uniform and took a fli
ght to the spaceport, a clear strategy already forming in his mind.
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