Whether it was a sign of resignation or so deeper sche, the Luka civilization remained unusually quiet during the return journey. Apart from answering Xiao Yu’s questions, they would sit silently or engage in a peculiar “recreational activity” that Xiao Yu couldn’t comprehend.
Xiao Yu did not interfere. He commandeered a Luka spaceship, dismantled it, and ticulously studied every aspect of its technology.
As he absorbed and digested this new knowledge, Xiao Yu returned to the Tianyuan IV star system three months later. The escape plan began to unfold thodically.
Through detailed analysis of the Luka civilization’s technology, societal structure, and cultural systems, Xiao Yu devised a feasible escape strategy. The plan was to create three to five false targets to confuse the Luka fleet, leaving them uncertain about which direction to pursue.
The specific strategy involved spending three years constructing hundreds of thousands of decoy ships equipped with only basic propulsion systems. Xiao Yu would then divide these ships into four groups, sending them toward different targets. His actual fleet would blend among these decoys to head for the true destination.
The brilliance of the plan lay in the dilemma it posed to the Luka fleet, if they concentrated their forces on chasing a single target, they would waste precious ti upon discovering it was false. On the other hand, if they split their forces to pursue multiple targets, the fragnted fleets might be unable to overpower Xiao Yu.
The decoy fleets were directed toward destinations like Barnard’s Star and UV Ceti in the Cetus constellation. Xiao Yu’s real destination, however, was Tiancang V.
Tiancang V was a star with mass, brightness, radius, and temperature similar to the Sun. Xiao Yu had thoroughly observed it, confirming that it had five planets—three gas giants and two terrestrial planets. Additionally, it featured a debris disk resembling the asteroid belts of Tianyuan IV and the Solar System.
Tiancang V was approximately 8.4 light-years away from Tianyuan IV. With the Luka civilization’s technology boosting his maximum speed to 3,000 kiloters per second, Xiao Yu estimated the journey would take about 850 years.
The first step was gathering materials. Given the six-year tiline, Xiao Yu had little ti to build many new warships. Instead, he planned to construct several large transport ships within the Tianyuan IV system and load them with materials to continue manufacturing advanced warships during the journey.
Recycling the Tianyuan IV Large Hadron Collider was also underway. This massive collider, with a total mass of 700 billion tons, consisted mostly of refined materials that could be directly reused—an opportunity Xiao Yu wouldn’t miss.
However, the materials from the Large Hadron Collider were sowhat homogenous. To diversify his stock, Xiao Yu dispatched tens of thousands of ships to conduct large-scale mining operations across the Tianyuan IV star system.
With Tianyuan A destroyed, Xiao Yu had lost a stable source of materials. Thus, he turned his attention to the satellites of Tianyuan B and Tianyuan C, as well as the asteroid belt.
The construction of the decoy ships and large transport ships was already underway. After modifying the old space docks, Xiao Yu imdiately put them to use. The ships constructed this ti reflected a technological leap. Additionally, robot manufacturing factories operated at full capacity, producing tens of thousands of robots daily to et Xiao Yu’s various production needs.
Xiao Yu allocated three years to complete the entire construction plan. After three years, he would leave Tianyuan IV and embark on a new journey.
Within this period, Xiao Yu needed to produce at least 100 large transport ships, hundreds of thousands of decoy ships, and at least 10,000 new warships. He also needed to complete the modification of the current fleet of over 30,000 ships. The sheer magnitude of the workload kept Xiao Yu’s computational power at a constant 95% capacity.
The first vessel completed was the “New Holand,” a city-class spaceship designated for the Luka population. It was equipped with the latest energy shield technology, advanced materials, and the newest propulsion systems. However, it lacked any weapon systems. Moreover, Xiao Yu installed monitoring systems on every circuit and computational module of the New Holand. Thousands of caras ensured that every move made by the Luka people remained under his surveillance.
Once the New Holand was completed, Xiao Yu began forcibly relocating tens of thousands of Luka people aboard it. During the relocation, so Luka individuals mounted fierce resistance but were ruthlessly suppressed by Xiao Yu without hesitation. Under the watchful gaze of countless ard robots, the relocation proceeded smoothly.
During the relocation process, the Luka people’s resistance irritated Xiao Yu. In response, Xiao Yu implented a new policy: all Luka individuals were required to undergo two hours of “ideological education” daily from 7 to 9 a.m.
Xiao Yu encouraged them to take pride in submission and contribution while viewing rebellion and destruction as disgraceful. Moreover, Xiao Yu established a reward system for reporting disobedient behavior, offering incentives such as better living conditions and superior food.
Xiao Yu’s objective was to ensure that the Luka people obediently contributed their intellect to advancing his technological endeavors.
After the relocation was complete, the 1,900 Luka spaceships were imdiately dismantled and repurposed. Xiao Yu ticulously utilized all salvageable materials, transforming them into ships better suited to his operational preferences.
Following the construction of the “New Holand,” Xiao Yu upgraded his seven city-class ships into advanced models. He also rebuilt new versions of the Beijing, Xingtai, and Handan. The Beijing was equipped with the latest photon computer, significantly enhancing its computational capacity.
The Beijing once again beca Xiao Yu’s flagship.
Centered around the Beijing, Xiao Yu extended his control across every corner of the Tianyuan IV system. The intensive construction efforts proceeded thodically and efficiently.
A year later, the dismantling of the Tianyuan IV Large Hadron Collider was completed. Xiao Yu discarded insignificant elents, carefully collecting high-value materials.
Two years later, 100 large transport ships were completed. Each ship could carry over ten million tons of material, amassing a total reserve of one billion tons. This stockpile could be used to construct hundreds of city-class ships or tens of thousands of county-class ships.
Additionally, during these two years, Xiao Yu built thousands of new-model ships, with production continuing to rise.
After three years, all preparations were complete. Xiao Yu was ready to embark on his long journey of escape.
Before beginning his journey, Xiao Yu set up an enormous trap within the Tianyuan IV star system. This trap consisted of millions of communication satellites to monitor any incoming fleets and countless automated weapon systems.
Xiao Yu concealed a supercomputer within the asteroid belt. This supercomputer, equipped with a sophisticated and precise intelligence system, could use the satellite network spread throughout the Tianyuan IV system to detect foreign fleet incursions. If intruders were detected, billions of controlled mines scattered across the system would automatically move toward the target and detonate upon reaching a specific proximity.
Altogether, the controlled mines numbered in the tens of billions, serving as Xiao Yu’s first gift to the Luka fleet.
In addition to the mines, Xiao Yu refurbished solar sail weapons from the previous war and placed them under the supercomputer’s control. Upon detecting enemy invasion, these weapons would join the mines in attacking the intruders.
He also upgraded the ard satellite system and positioned nurous concealed turrets within the asteroid belt.
Xiao Yu had transford the entire Tianyuan IV star system into a colossal and perilous interstellar trap.
“If the Luka fleet dares to enter the Tianyuan IV system, they should be in for a big surprise,” Xiao Yu thought silently.
After completing all these arrangents, Xiao Yu dispatched the decoy fleets from Tianyuan IV. They set off toward false targets, including Barnard’s Star, UV Ceti in Cetus, and 18 Scorpii.
Xiao Yu knew the Luka civilization primarily tracked targets by analyzing the engine plu. The high temperatures generated by fusion engines—reaching tens of millions of degrees—heated the surrounding particles in space, imparting faint radiation. By analyzing this radiation, they could determine where ships had passed and how many there were. This radiation was impossible to erase.
The decoy fleets’ engine systems were identical to those of the true fleet. Therefore, using this detection thod, the Luka civilization would be unable to distinguish Xiao Yu’s actual fleet from the decoys.
These fleets moved at a speed of 3,000 kiloters per second. If left undisturbed and assuming no navigational errors, they would reach their respective targets in hundreds or thousands of years. Should those star systems harbor intelligent life, they would undoubtedly be astonished and baffled by these peculiar ships.
A total of four decoy fleets were dispatched. After sending out three, Xiao Yu led his massive fleet on their voyage.
The final decoy fleet would automatically begin its journey five hours later, departing from the Tianyuan IV system.
Propelled by powerful nuclear fusion engines, the fleet’s velocity continued to increase.
As Xiao Yu gazed at the familiar surroundings and the gradually dimming Tianyuan IV, a surge of emotion welled up within him.
“Tianyuan IV, goodbye.”
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