newbobooks Chapter 424: The Battle Begins
Chapter 424: The Battle Begins
On the morning of the 26th, Li Chenglong drove to the base of the Space Fleet. The area there was quite large, and with the joint efforts of both sides, various facilities were quickly built, which could fully meet the living and working needs of more than 4 people.
He was here today at Erica's invitation to treat some of the fleet members who had been disabled in the war. Although their technology was advanced enough to heal even severe injuries, for these disabled members, the only option was to install electronic prosthetics. While the electronic prosthetics didn't have many functional problems, they would affect an individual's combat ability.
After learning that Li Chenglong could heal his injuries using the life energy of G-Crystals, Erica invited him to help. Li Chenglong, of course, did not refuse. After inspecting the 1st Army of the Dawn Army this morning, he rushed over without stopping and was busy until noon before he could rest.
After having a simple lunch with Erica, Cecily, and others, Li Chenglong received a call from Zhao Liying. She had just received a notification from the Yanjing Base, saying that the highest-ranking officers from all the major bases were to attend a meeting at the Yanjing Base, and that Erica and Cecily from the Space Fleet, as well as representatives from the New Human Empire, were also invited.
As for the meeting time, it was the morning after tomorrow, and the Yanjing base specifically emphasized that attendance was mandatory unless there were special circumstances. After hanging up the phone, Li Chenglong thought for a moment and then contacted his old superior, General Sun Tianlong. However, after some discussion, he learned that even his old superior didn't know what had happened, but based on the information he had, this matter seemed quite important.
Since the old commander didn't know either, Li Chenglong didn't ask further. The two chatted for a while longer before hanging up. He went home at noon, played with his son for a while, and then went back to his office. There were many things going on in Dawn City, and the Dawn Army had suffered heavy losses and was actively recruiting.
Since the meeting was scheduled for the morning of the 28th, Li Chenglong contacted the top leaders of several bases and arranged to depart at noon the next day. Li Chenglong would have the X2 passenger spaceship from Shuguang City pick them up together before heading to the Yanjing base.
Meanwhile, Yun Lan was sitting in the office of Director Wang Guifang of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the First People's Hospital of Shuguang City. After reviewing several test reports, Director Wang Guifang smiled and said to Yun Lan, "Congratulations, Yun Lan, you are 11 weeks pregnant." Yun Lan gently stroked her belly and replied with a smile, "Actually, I had already confirmed my pregnancy through my Phoenix Eyes, but I was worried about something happening to the baby, so I came for a checkup."
Director Wang Guifang carefully reviewed the test results again before saying definitively, "There's nothing wrong. All the data is normal, and your physical condition is much better than last time. Does Li Chenglong know about this? He'll definitely be very happy to know you're pregnant."
Yunlan quickly said, "Director, please keep this a secret. You know our current situation; we are in the process of post-war recovery, and we don't know when a new battle will begin. He is already very busy, and I don't want to bother him with this."
Director Wang Guifang nodded, understanding Yunlan's thoughts, and said, "Alright, you can handle this yourself. But you're already 11 weeks along, and your belly will soon be showing, so you probably can't hide it for long. You need to pay attention to a balanced diet, don't overwork yourself, and just come for your checkups on schedule."
Yunlan smiled and said, "It's okay. It's already the end of October, and the weather is getting colder. I'll just wear thicker clothes. I can easily keep it a secret for another two or three months. Besides, he values my privacy and won't investigate me with his eyes." The two chatted for a few more minutes, and then Yunlan left so as not to disturb the other patients.
The following afternoon, attendees from various bases around Dawn City boarded the X2 passenger spaceship. Subsequently, Li Chenglong, Yun Lan, Zheng Yong, and representatives from the space fleet, Cecily and Erica, boarded the spaceship and flew towards the Yanjing base.
Although the Yanjing base had previously been attacked by the alien coalition, it did not suffer significant losses due to the hard work of its soldiers and the support provided by other bases.
Upon arrival, the two veteran generals, Fu Sen and Yao Fang, personally came to greet them at the airport, which flattered everyone. A special person then arranged accommodations for them during the meeting. Although the place wasn't luxurious, it had all the necessary facilities and was perfectly adequate as temporary lodging.
Besides them, the main leaders of other bases, as well as representatives of the New Human Empire, including Dongfang Yunbing, Qinglong, Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu, arrived one after another before nightfall. Because this was a rare gathering of leaders or representatives from all the large and medium-sized bases, the Yanjing Base held a grand welcoming banquet at 8 pm to celebrate their arrival. At the same time, this banquet also served as a platform for strengthening communication and improving relationships between the various bases.
General Chen Guoqiang was not present at the banquet. Instead, he was hosted by Zhao Wannian, the Dean of the General Affairs Department of China, Fu Sen, the Deputy Commander of China, and Yao Fang. However, Dean Zhao Wannian stated at the beginning that the content of the meeting would not be explained in advance, and in fact, even the headquarters of China was still discussing it internally.
Having received some prior information, General Sun Tianlong pulled Li Chenglong aside and whispered, "I heard that the alien coalition sent a message wanting to communicate with us, but I don't know the specifics. Just rest well today, and we'll know by tomorrow morning."
Li Chenglong wasn't particularly curious about the content of the meeting. He met many old friends today, and he and Yunlan moved between the tables, greeting everyone.
The following morning, over 100 people attended the meeting. The meeting was kept extremely confidential; all attendees had to undergo security checks and pass through security gates before entering the venue. In addition to the meeting participants, the number of other staff members was also reduced to a minimum.
General Chen Guoqiang, on the dais, first delivered a lengthy welcoming and encouraging speech, then reiterated that all Chinese people should unite to jointly confront foreign enemies. After these remarks, the main topic began.
He dropped a bombshell as soon as he opened his mouth. General Chen Guoqiang slowly said, "Just a few days ago, we received an email personally delivered by aliens, and you can see the contents of the email on the big screen."
As he spoke, Han Fei, sitting next to a crystal computer, quickly began operating it, and the contents of the email appeared on the large screen. Three minutes later, whispers and discussions arose in the room, as everyone discussed the email with their respective base members.
The content of the email was quite simple: the alien coalition jointly stated that they wanted to give Earthlings an opportunity for equal dialogue, but this opportunity had to be fought for by all of humanity. The method for achieving this seemed simple, but in practice, it would likely be extremely difficult.
The alien alliance announced that seven strong individuals would be selected from both Earth and the alien alliance to compete in a final showdown. If Earth's contestants emerged victorious, the alien alliance would grant Earth a chance for peaceful dialogue. If the alien alliance's contestants prevailed, humanity would have to cede land to them for habitation, and the alien alliance would have to choose which land to give up.
If humanity accepts this proposal, they will be given 10 days to select 7 candidates. If humanity rejects the proposal, they will use the previously unused space-destroying planet-destroying cannon to completely destroy Earth.
The email also outlined the competition venue. They had already constructed a very fortified arena in their occupied central Africa region, and would invite key leaders from both sides to participate. Furthermore, to ensure fairness and impartiality, they would invite representatives from the Interstellar Alliance to act as witnesses.