Fifty thousand light-years away from Earth, at the center of the Milky Way, the interstellar fleet of the Silicon-based Federation has just won a war against the carbon-based civilization.

"It's finally over." (Silicon-based language, already translated.)

The supreme commander of the silicon-based fleet issued orders to the executive officers and senators standing on either side of him.

"Transport all prisoners of war from carbon-based planets to resource planets and send a report of victory to the Imperial capital planet. Carbon-based planets will become new colonies of the Empire."

"yes."

Silicon-based fleets began landing on carbon-based planets, and prisoners were sent to resource planets to become their cheap labor, providing sustenance for the continued expansion of the silicon-based empire's borders.

The fleet's supreme commander stood on the bridge, looking down at the neatly arranged second reconnaissance force below, and raised his hand at a 45-degree angle to salute the sky.

"Set off!"

Snap!

All the soldiers extended their right arms and returned a salute diagonally upwards.

Countless disc-shaped spaceships flew out from the silicon-based fleet mothership, accelerated, and entered a spacetime jump orbit, flying into the distance like celestial maidens scattering flowers.

The destination of the 103rd reconnaissance unit of the silicon-based fleet is a blue planet numbered 09527.

This blue planet is located 50,000 light-years away, surrounded by a 100-light-year-wide cosmic desert. The mission of the 103rd Reconnaissance Unit is to assess whether this remote blue planet is of any value to invade.

When a disc-shaped spaceship passes a planet, it first uses the planet's gravity to accelerate. Once it reaches the speed of light, it can open a spacetime wormhole to enter a jump trajectory and reach the next planet. Then, it continues to use this new planet to accelerate and jump again...

Before entering the jump phase, the disc-shaped spaceship leaves a white trail of light in space, which, from the perspective of the planet, looks like a shooting star streaking across the night sky.

A journey of 50,000 light-years is too long and would require hundreds of time jumps.

"Attention all personnel, this spacetime jump is complete. The spaceship is beginning to decelerate."

"Attention all personnel, the gravity engines have been activated. The spaceship will accelerate to the speed of light. The jump distance is 100 light-years."

On the bridge of the disc-shaped spaceship, the squadron commander awaits the end of the final jump.

"Sir, we have reached the outer edge of the star system where the blue planet numbered 09527 is located," the silicon-based soldier reported to him.

The commander nodded.

Although the time jump only took a few hours, 50,000 light-years was a distance that meant 100 years had passed in the outside world.

He was the captain of the second batch of the 103rd reconnaissance unit, which was responsible for the blue planet numbered 09527. For some unknown reason, the first batch of reconnaissance units lost contact as if they had sunk into a black hole after arriving at this blue planet.

"Sir, the spacecraft's life detection beam has detected individuals with the same life characteristics as those on planet 09527 on the outer planets of planet 09527!"

"Oh?" The commander's expression turned serious. "Is this a civilization that has already entered interstellar space? What level of civilization have they reached?"

"The life detection beam only detected a small number of life forms on the outer planets. Preliminary estimates suggest that this is only a very low-level Type 1 interstellar civilization."

"What are the results of the scan of the main life forms on planet 09527?" the commander asked.

"After scanning, the life forms on planet 09527 have a similar external structure to us. Based on the data on their physical structure, their individual offensive capabilities are weaker than ours."

"Alright." The commander issued the order, "The fact that a Level 1 interstellar civilization could arise in such a desolate corner of the universe is definitely worth investigating!"

"103rd Reconnaissance Unit, listen to my command!"

"exist!"

"Capture that life form on the outer planet of planet 09527!"

"Also, in order to obtain research specimens, weapons are not allowed on this mission; live subjects must be captured!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Set off!"

The disc-shaped spaceship hovered above an outer planet in the 09527 planetary system. A light pressure descent device was projected onto the planet's surface, and ten silicon-based soldiers from the 103rd Reconnaissance Unit followed their commander and descended to the ground along with the beam of light.

The soldiers easily opened the hatch of the target building using beam scanning.

"Report: Toxic oxygen gas detected indoors, but lacking breathable alkane gas!"

"No one is allowed to remove their helmets! Spread out and capture the target!" the commander ordered.

The 10 silicon-based soldiers dispersed, while the commander remained in place, taking out a two-dimensional platinum bomb from his backpack.

From the perspective of cosmic law, capturing extraterrestrial intelligent life as a living research subject is an extremely unethical act. Although the military courts of the Silicon Empire would not prosecute him for this, the commander did not want to provoke human rights organizations within the Empire and tarnish his career.

Two-dimensional platinum bombs are powerful enough to wipe out an entire planet, leaving no trace in the universe.

"Sir, soldier number 001 has spotted the target and requests capture." The soldier's voice came through the communicator.

"Approved," replied the commander who was installing the two-dimensional platinum bomb.

Zhang Fan slept soundly in his bed like a dead pig.

Soldier 001 took out a capsule, crushed it, and Zhang Fan was instantly wrapped up like a sleeping bag, floating in mid-air. Soldier 001 held the package in one hand while reporting to the commander through a communicator.

"Sir, target captured! Now... Ahhh—"

A scream came through the communication channel, and then there was silence.

"Soldier 001, what happened? Soldier 001!" the commander kept calling, but soldier 001 did not respond.

"Soldiers 002 and 003, proceed immediately to position 001 for inspection!" the commander ordered. "Maintain communication!"

"yes!"

"Yes, sir!"

Upon receiving the order, soldiers No. 002 and No. 003 met in the central garden, where the vegetation was lush. The two soldiers headed one after the other to the location of No. 001.

"Um?"

Click.

Before the soldier in the back could react, his neck was snapped by a pair of arms reaching down from the tree, and he fell to the ground silently.

The soldier in front, number 002, noticed something amiss behind him and immediately turned around, but it was too late. A huge dark figure leaped from a tree into the air and smashed the soldier's helmet with a single punch. Toxic oxygen rapidly entered the soldier's throat, and before he could utter a sound, he foamed at the mouth and died.

"Number 002, answer quickly! Number 003!" the commander kept shouting in the communication channel, but received no reply.

"Damn it! All soldiers assemble immediately! Proceed to positions 002 and 003! Maintain vigilance!" The commander issued the order in a fit of rage. He could not leave this place until the two-dimensional platinum bombs were installed.

"yes!"

The remaining 7 soldiers immediately regrouped, three in front and four behind, with two soldiers guarding the rear and two soldiers guarding the flanks, advancing in a cone-shaped combat formation.

The commander was carefully installing the two-dimensional platinum bomb. He knew its power; if he wasn't careful, the entire planet would be destroyed, and no one could leave this place.

"Target spotted! Spread out!"

The soldiers' voices soon came through the commander's communicator.

"Scan the target!"

"The scan results show that the individual was not the first target, but it has a highly similar life structure to the first target!"

"Data shows that this is a different individual belonging to the same species as the first target!"

"careful!"

"Ah, help me..."

"Combat capability assessment shows that the second target possesses extremely high attack power!"

"Warning! Data correction! The target's combat capabilities far exceed those of us silicon-based individuals! Ah—"

"Abandon capture! All units eliminate the target!" the commander immediately ordered over the communication channel.

"ah--"

"don't want--"

"Help--"

...

After a period of chaotic noise, the communication channel fell silent again.

The commander stood up. He had already installed and activated the two-dimensional platinum bomb. He turned on the combat terminal display on his arm, and the green dots representing the 10 soldiers had all turned red.

All 10 silicon-based soldiers have been killed in action!

Click click click—

The sound of the front hatch opening came from ahead. The commander quickly adjusted his breathing, tensed all his muscles, and waited for the other side to appear.

The hatch opened.

Bob trudged in on all fours, his back muscles bulging and trembling with each step, displaying tremendous power. Blood was flowing from his right arm.

Bob sustained a deep wound on his right arm while simultaneously fighting off seven silicon-based soldiers.

"Is it you?" the commander sneered.

"Don't assume I'm on the same level as them!"

"I am their commander! I once won first place in the combat category of the Imperial Fleet's martial arts tournament!"

"I still hold the record for the most unarmed kills by a carbon-based soldier!"

"I am the empire's foremost warrior!"

"If you surrender now, I can spare you some suffering!"

"I... Waaah—"

Bob punched the commander, sending him flying.

"Gurgle, gurgle!" (What the heck!)

Rubbish!

...

"Sir! Respond! Respond!"

The communicator crackled with the sound of the spaceship calling out. The commander awoke, got up from the ground, and didn't know how long he had been unconscious.

The commander looked around nervously, but found no sign of the monster. He immediately opened the hatch and escaped.

"You'll regret it if you don't kill me! The Imperial fleet will soon raze this star system to the ground!"

As the commander fled, he signaled to the spaceship. The disc-shaped ship quickly appeared in mid-air, casting a beam of light to pick up the commander.

After the commander returned to the ship, a soldier immediately reported to him.

"Sir! We've detected the information wave left behind by the 19th Reconnaissance Unit!"

"The 19th Reconnaissance Unit? Isn't that the first reconnaissance unit sent to Planet 09527?"

"Yes, sir! The information wave is installed inside a black box, having survived 100 years of cosmic heat and radiation. It will automatically transmit the information inside when our silicon-based spacecraft passes by."

"Has the black box been found?"

"Yes, this is the information recorded by the black box, now displayed on the main screen."

A video recording begins playing on the screen, showing silicon-based soldiers screaming in agony as a black monster wreaks havoc.

The black monster's chest bears the word "Caesar" in an Earth language incomprehensible to the silicon-based civilization.

The commander felt a chill of fear; the situation the 19th reconnaissance unit had encountered was so similar to what he had just experienced.

"Initiate time-space jump immediately and get out of this hellhole!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Gravity engine activated!"

"Initiate spacetime jump!"

After entering the wormhole, the commander was finally able to calm down a bit.

beep beep beep beep beep beep

Hmm? What's that sound?

Following the sound, the commander opened his backpack and looked inside:

Two-dimensional platinum bomb.

Countdown: 0.

A dazzling spark bloomed in the cosmic wormhole.

Even if a two-dimensional platinum bomb is powerful enough to erase the trace of a planet, it is still just a tiny speck of dust in the vast universe.

No one will remember them.

Even if the silicon-based civilization sends a third reconnaissance force to the blue planet numbered 09527, that would be 100 years from now.

The "Bird's Nest" Mars base.

Bob threw the bodies of 10 silicon-based soldiers into a waste recycling bin. After being crushed and fermented, these bodies will become fertilizer for the crops in the production bay.

Bob gently placed the snoring Zhang Fan back onto the bed in the living quarters.

Ugh, he's such a worry. Looks like I'll have to share a room with him from now on.

Bob dragged his tired body back to the grass in the central garden to rest. To distract himself from the pain in his right arm, he opened his favorite book, which he was holding in his hand.

War and Peace

Shhh——

Don't tell him!

(The End of the Side Story)