Earth Command Center.

Having just awakened from hibernation, everyone's faces were slightly pale.

"Zero, where are they?"

Given the urgency of the situation, Lü Yongchang didn't waste any words and asked directly.

The next second, a picture appeared in the holographic projection directly in front of them.

The footage comes from a probe located on the outer edge of the Gliese 555 star system.

Accompanied by the piercing alarm of the active detection device, the dark universe was filled with flickering lights, some bright and some dim.

This is the light emanating from the enemy fleet.

The next moment, an interstellar flare was launched.

Under the intense light of flares, an enormous fleet slowly emerged from the dark depths of space.

Looking at this oppressive scene, Lü Yongchang couldn't help but frown.

"How arrogant!" Fang Xu voiced what Lü Yongchang was thinking. "They didn't even turn off their active detection radar!"

Lü Yongchang nodded solemnly.

That's incredibly arrogant!

To put it more vividly, the enemy fleet's actions were like shouting from a great distance: "Buddy! Just you wait! I'm coming to take you down!"

By the light of the flares, the complete image of the massive fleet appeared before everyone.

Every starship in the fleet is similar in shape—an ellipsoid.

Of course, upon closer inspection, there are some differences between these starships.

The closer a starship is to the outer edge, the greater its oblateness; the closer a starship is to the central region, the smaller its oblateness.

In simple terms, the outer starships are flatter, while the starships in the central region are closer to spheres.

The flagship in the very center, like a detector of the Cleaners civilization, was almost a perfect sphere.

However, it is clearly no match for the detectors of the Cleaners civilization.

The surface of this starship is pitted and uneven—various weapons and equipment are mounted on its surface.

In addition, the tails of these ellipsoids all gleamed with the light of thrusters.

This creates an extremely strong sense of incongruity.

"...Imitating Dong Shi in a bad way?"

Lu Yongchang frowned and murmured, "Why do these starships look a bit like the probes of the Cleaners civilization?"

“I feel the same way.” Fang Xu nodded in agreement. “However, this civilization’s technological level is clearly not at that level yet.”

"It feels a bit like copying a cat to imitate a tiger."

“Yes.” Lü Yongchang carefully examined the data transmitted back by the detector. “Like us, they use an antimatter engine.”

"The detector detected a large number of high-energy gamma rays."

"Zero, has the other party responded to our communication request?"

An electronic synthesized voice announced: "No response yet."

As soon as the word "zero" fell, the image in the holographic projection vanished instantly, leaving only a few large characters.

[Connection interrupted]

“Zero?” Lu Yongchang’s expression changed slightly, and he shouted loudly.

Almost simultaneously, Zero provided the answer: "Professor, the detector has been attacked."

"They've come with ill intentions!"

Lu Yongchang turned his head and exchanged a glance with Zhao Zijie beside him.

Zhao Zijie immediately understood and gave the order in a deep voice.

"Attention all units, prepare for battle!"

"Antimatter electromagnetic guns, prepare for salvo!"

"3, 2, 1..."

More than 5,000 small planetary-level [Golden Crow] battleships, as well as the giant electromagnetic cannons on the surface of the [Lightsaber Planet Fortress], raised their cannons and aimed them at the enemy fleet that was advancing toward the Gliese 555 star system.

The electromagnetic gun is fully charged, and a pale blue arc of electricity is flashing at the muzzle.

With just a single command, a powerful antimatter shell will ignite the war!

"Professor, the other party has sent a video call request!"

The synthesized voice interrupted Zhao Zijie's countdown.

"Cease launch!" Zhao Zijie quickly swallowed the word "launch" that was already on his lips. "All units, stand by!"

After speaking, he turned to look at Lü Yongchang sitting next to him: "Professor?"

"Video communication request?"

What do they want to do?

Lu Yongchang muttered to himself, his face full of confusion.

This marks the first time that human civilization has received a video communication request from a different civilization.

He frowned slightly, gazing at the holographic projection in front of him, and murmured softly, "It even comes with detailed dictionary information..."

After thinking for a moment, he raised his head, closed his eyes slightly, and rubbed his temples.

"Connect me."

Overthinking is pointless; it's better to just see what the other party is trying to do!

The moment the communication was connected, even though everyone had prepared themselves mentally, they were still shocked and gasped at the sight before them!

Holy crap!

Zhao Zijie, standing to the side, instinctively leaned back and muttered as quietly as possible, "This is fucking terrifying!"

Zhao Zijie's soft-spoken complaint drew agreement from the people around him.

The image shows "sticks" of strangely shaped creatures.

To humans, they look like creatures made of thin bamboo poles.

"Stick insect?"

In a corner of the command center, Mao Zhengzhi looked at the constantly swaying "bamboo-shaped creature" on the screen and muttered to himself with a look of utter disbelief.

Clearly, he was talking a little too loudly—at least, everyone in the command center could hear him.

Looking at the bizarre creature in the holographic projection, whose movements were incredibly intense and whose "mouthparts" were constantly writhing, Lü Yongchang's lips twitched slightly, and he said softly, "Zero, connect the sound."

A screeching sound, like fingernails scraping a blackboard, came from the speaker!

"Damn you, brother!"

"Emotional damage!!"

Hearing the constant complaints coming from inside the command center, Lü Yongchang's lips twitched again.

"Zero, turn the volume down."

The piercing sound quickly subsided, and at the same time, lines of subtitles with zero real-time translation appeared in the holographic projection.

"Human civilization?"

"How ugly! How could there be such an ugly civilization?"

"Damn, their voices are awful!"

"Lord, is this your reason for punishing them?!"

"Stick insect? What is a stick insect?"

"Holy crap? What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound like a nice thing to say..."

Looking at the somewhat messy subtitles, Lü Yongchang's eyes twitched violently.

This is fucking...

"cough!"

Lu Yongchang cleared his throat and spoke in a deep voice.

"This is the fleet of the Earth's united community of shared destiny."

"you……"

Before he could finish speaking, the stick insect standing in the center let out a high-pitched and piercing sound!

The surrounding noise quickly disappeared, leaving only a series of incredibly loud sounds.

Meanwhile, that one...

The "straight-legged" "large stick insect" rapidly moves its two pairs of slender "forelimbs" in front of its thorax.