463. The Plan

Angus’s plan proceeded smoothly. During an inspection of the military camp, Chihuo was the target of an assassination attempt. If not for his personal guards risking their lives to protect him, the assassin would have succeeded. The rest unfolded exactly as scripted. Under Chihuo’s imposing presence, the assassin revealed the mastermind behind the plot—naturally, it was Chiyan. Chiyan, unable to contain himself, stepped forward, intending to kill the assassin outright, which only made him appear more guilty. Most of the Chidragon soldiers grew angry. Chihuo, however, refused to let the assassin die just yet, as he still held strategic value.

“Chihuo! You’re so vicious!” Chiyan hissed darkly. He had initially dismissed the swirling rumors as mere noise, but after this assassination attempt, he realized the situation was far more serious.

“Chiyan, I never expected you to send a killer after me! But your assassin seems rather incompetent. Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Chihuo sneered.

“I’m innocent! You’re framing me!” Chiyan’s anger nearly propelled him to attack Chihuo, but two elders nearby restrained him. They were not fools; the setup was clear. If Chiyan made a move, it would be his ultimate downfall.

“Hmph! Innocent? Who doesn’t know what you’re up to? I hereby strip you of your elder status, Chiyan. You will lead the next offensive. No mistakes allowed!” Chihuo said with disappointment, wishing Chiyan had charged forward so he could be dealt with once and for all. But with no other choice, he followed Angus’s advice to have Chiyan lead the charge, hoping he would fall on the battlefield.

“You…” Chiyan started to protest but was held back by the two elders. Since the decision was final, there was no need to rush to death.

Thus, under Angus’s orchestration, Chiyan’s crisis was resolved effortlessly within a month.

…

During this month, Badbad worked tirelessly day and night, and finally, the spaceship was completed.

Ye Feng stood outside the massive vessel, marveling at the colossal structure before him.

“Badbad, are you sure this thing can hold over a billion people?” Ye Feng asked, uneasy. Although the spaceship looked enormous, fitting over a billion inhabitants inside still seemed improbable.

“If you expect each person to have a house inside, that’s impossible. But you’ve probably seen those sci-fi movies, right? During space travel, people enter a state of hibernation, each occupying a biological pod. Once we reach a suitable planet, we disembark,” Badbad explained.

“Do we really have a planet to land on?” Ye Feng asked uncertainly.

“Actually, Earth has already discovered several habitable planets, some not far away. But I worry the Chidragon might follow us, making it more dangerous,” Badbad replied.

“How far can our energy take us?” Ye Feng inquired further.

“I’m not sure. It depends on how much energy the spaceship consumes for defense,” Badbad said.

“What kind of energy powers the spaceship? Can it replenish energy in space?” Ye Feng pressed.

“Of course, it can replenish energy, but only enough for normal operation. If attacked, the energy won’t suffice,” Badbad said.

“Is there no other solution?” Ye Feng asked, reluctant to accept this limitation.

“Nope,” Badbad answered bluntly.

Ye Feng hesitated, then said, “If there’s truly no other way, then so be it. Run one last full diagnostic. If everything checks out, prepare to board.”

“I’ve run five diagnostics already, but I’ll run another…” Badbad grumbled but began the checks anew.

“Make sure everyone gets inside. I’ll go discuss with Long Xiaotian and the others,” Ye Feng said, heading off.

Soon, Ye Feng found Long Xiaotian and his wife in their room. Recently, they had spent most of their time chatting with Long Xuan, recounting fragments of the past millennium.

“What brings you here?” Long Xiaotian asked with curiosity.

“To discuss our evacuation,” Ye Feng said bluntly.

“You agreed to flee?” Long Xiaotian exclaimed in surprise.

“Of course not! How could I abandon my people?” Ye Feng replied firmly.

“So what do you mean?” Long Xiaotian asked.

“I spent this past month building a manned spaceship. It’s enough to take us away from Earth,” Ye Feng said slowly.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s leave immediately,” Long Yunfeng interjected.

“There are two problems. First, our energy supply is insufficient; I don’t know how far we can travel. Second, I’m unsure which nearby planet is suitable for Earth’s people,” Ye Feng explained.

“The energy issue is hard to solve. Given Earth’s environment, there are many such planets along the way to Tianlong Star. We can pick any one,” Long Xiaotian said casually.

“Are you sure all those planets can support oxygen-breathing humans like us?” Ye Feng emphasized.

“There must be suitable ones. Don’t worry,” Long Xiaotian replied, harboring his own plans. If they were stranded in space and the Earth people perished, Ye Feng would have no choice but to return to Tianlong Star with him, allowing the Tianlong clan to evolve further.

Ye Feng somewhat suspected Long Xiaotian’s intentions but had no better options. Although Long Xiaotian’s motives were not entirely pure, they were not malicious either.

“Alright then. Let’s hope we still have time to evacuate,” Ye Feng said.

“How do you plan to evacuate? The Chidragon won’t let us go easily,” Long Xiaotian asked.

“I intend to stay behind as bait to attract the Chidragon, buying us more time,” Ye Feng revealed his plan.

“That won’t do. How will you get on the spaceship then?” Long Xiaotian asked anxiously. He would never let Ye Feng stay behind alone.

“I have my own way. That’s why I came—to ask if you and your family will board the spaceship or follow it from outside,” Ye Feng inquired.

“Let my wife take Long Xuan onto the ship. I’ll stay outside with you as bait,” Long Xiaotian said.

Long Xiaotian’s words surprised Ye Feng. “I have a way to leave; you don’t need to stay behind with me.”

“Actually, Chihuo’s main target is our Tianlong clan. You alone won’t be much of a lure,” Long Xiaotian said.

“Then how will you escape if you stay behind?” Ye Feng pressed.

“My wife and I have a special ability—we can teleport to each other over short distances. So don’t worry about me. But you—how do you plan to leave?” Long Xiaotian asked, concerned.

“Don’t worry, I have my own method. It’s settled then…” Ye Feng hadn’t finished when Badbad delivered some bad news.

[End of chapter]