People on Earth were restless and anxious, a situation Bai Zhongqi had anticipated. Some elevated themselves during this time, like Cui Zhihao, who chose to sacrifice their lives for the cause of human freedom and Earth's civilization, while others revealed the selfish side of human nature at this critical moment, showcasing fear, cursing, accusations, and even exploiting the situation for profit.
Just yesterday, Bai Zhongqi received some news that made him feel both angry and helpless. A scam ring had capitalized on people's fear of Earth's destruction; one of the scammers claimed to have connections with Bai Zhongqi, and that the Iridium Star citizens were secretly planning to flee Earth and had built a spacecraft like Noah's Ark. This "Noah's Ark" had limited space, and in the spirit of saving more people, the fraudster claimed that the highest bidder could secure a spot on the ship.
Many people believed this scam, and to obtain a ticket to escape Earth and the dangers, they paid millions or even billions of funds. By the time the Star Alliance's law enforcement department apprehended this scam ring through web information, the scammers had already amassed over two billion in illegal profits.
Their fraud was one thing, but what was most despicable was that they spread rumors that the Iridium Star people had never intended to fight, suggesting that the Star Alliance was set up to use Earthlings as a shield. Although this rumor was quickly contained, it still caused a certain extent of negative impact.
Under wartime military law, the Star Alliance directly sentenced these scam artists to death and reported it globally, warning those with impure intentions and strengthening the confidence of people worldwide.
Originally, many countries on Earth practiced a so-called humane policy of no death penalty, but the Star Alliance greatly escalated the sentencing scale. The Star Alliance does not subscribe to the concept of political correctness prevalent on Earth, where it's unthinkable for individuals who pose a threat to others or the nation to enjoy the same rights as law-abiding citizens. Notably, individuals who cause extremely adverse effects must face severe punishment.
The Star Alliance was resolute and potent in its actions to maintain Earth's stability and eliminate all discordant factors. Bai Zhongqi did not have too many concerns about this.
The Star Alliance was gradually transforming into an actual Earth government, with more and more power consolidating in the Star Alliance Congress, and the Star Alliance's organizations at all levels, from different races and cultural backgrounds of Earth, were increasing.
During the Star Alliance Defense Department's routine discussion meeting, Bai Zhongqi had already seen about thirty military representatives who were neither from Iridium Star nor Country C. The Star Alliance wouldn't assign a representative to each of the hundred or more military regions on Earth; it is not a place for formalism, nor would it make superficial efforts to maintain any country's power and speaking rights. Therefore, those Earthlings working in the Star Alliance Defense Department were there for a reason.
In fact, the defense department members from these Earth countries, whether staff officers or department heads, wouldn't voice too many opinions at this moment. After all, interstellar warfare was something completely unfamiliar to them, and they were still in an adaptation process.
Bai Zhongqi addressed the attendees of the Defense Department, "… After unifying the forces of the entire Earth, forming a unified Universe Army and Earth Defense Force, we now have the basic bargaining chips to contend with the Teizene civilization. The entire industrial machinery of the Star Alliance is gearing up for the war. But to truly win this war, we must fully understand the battlefield. I will now turn over the floor to the staff from the Star Science Research Institute to provide some explanations."
At such an important occasion, naturally, it was the director of the Star Science Research Institute, Mo Laitong, who personally briefed the Star Alliance Defense Department personnel.
"There are a few things I need to address. First, what do we know about the Danlu Interstellar Cloud? We all know that we refer to the celestial cluster system where Earth is located as the Local Interstellar Cloud. According to the data we hold, not only is there much less material in the Local Interstellar Cloud than in a typical star region, but also due to astrophysical spatial fractures, it is virtually impossible for anyone from the outside to enter this interstellar cloud. It is only by mastering the coordinates within the cloud and calculating the spatial distribution of the Danlu Interstellar Cloud's material that we can genuinely find a way in. Indeed, to enter the Danlu Interstellar Cloud from the outside, establishing a Stargate or direct space jump is required; otherwise, whether by warp speed or other navigation methods, there is only one route."
A general from Lighthouse Country appeared astonished and said, "Doesn't that mean we could ensure Earth's complete safety by guarding the only passage into the Local Interstellar Cloud?"
Mo Laitong replied, "In theory, that is the case, but practically, it would be quite difficult. Even if there is only one path, due to the unique characteristics of space, the emergence range of an entire fleet could be within 1-5 astronomical units, which makes our defense far more challenging. We can indeed set up a substantial amount of defensive installations in this area and deploy fleets, but if the enemy plans to separate and act from the beginning, this could also pose a problem for us since our forces are limited."
Another general from Pakistan inquired, "What, then, are the Universe Army's thoughts on this?"
Mo Laitong glanced at the Universe Army Commander, Xu Lanzhou, and the female general responded, "We will establish a warp speed restriction field generator in this area to guide the enemy into the regions we are aware of as much as possible. Besides installing restriction field generators in the regions mentioned earlier, we will also set up large-scale defensive weapon platforms as complementary firepower for the warships. I have also advised the Chancellor to densely deploy space mines in these areas."
Space mines are essentially the mines used in space. Although not large in size, these weapons are powerful and somewhat concealed, enabling mass deployment in space, posing a significant nuisance for the enemy. If there are too many space mines, and they're well hidden, it becomes quite troublesome.
It is rare for warships to foolishly fly into mines, so the main function of space mines is to restrict the enemy's movement. Particularly on the outskirts of a Planetary Gravity Well, deploying space mines on a large scale makes it difficult for fleets to approach planets to launch attacks or bombard them.