"They actually fired..."
The Fleet Commander who hadn't yet broken through the atmosphere was momentarily at a loss.
"The first-phase mission target has disappeared, please assign the next-phase mission from command."
To speak honestly, the rescue fleet was composed of sixty Level 5 assault ships forming the Sharp Blade Fleet, but the Colonel really didn't want to engage this warship in battle.
This warship had made a startling appearance at the Land of Bright Star, leading a hundred ships, deeply imprinting itself in everyone's minds.
A warship that walked away unscathed from the Great Harmony Cannon...
Simply wasn't something their Level 5 warships could contend with.
Especially with the bizarre method of attack that had just occurred, their own radar had no response whatsoever to that Light Spear-like strike.
"Abandon the rescue, change the formation, and initiate a flanking strike with the third and fourth fleets. Maintain attack distance, as the enemy's ship-borne weapons have strong penetrative power."
The voice from command came through the communicator, repeatedly stressing the importance of maintaining distance.
Clearly, the strength of this mysterious flagship had aroused the Military Department's wariness.
However, Mu Fan wasn't even looking this way, he just stood there deeply gazing at those brilliant fireworks... for one minute.
He never expected to so directly witness how powerful his own fleet was.
It was only when Black alerted him that the military fleets were beginning to increase that Mu Fan finally spoke:
"Let's go back."
Now a certain indescribable aura started to emerge from him, if Youshi Jun and others saw it, then they could definitely, without hesitation, identify it.
This is...
The bearing of a superior.
Mu Fan had been growing all along, at a speed beyond what ordinary people could hope to reach.
In the underground command center of Zhongjing City, people were hurriedly coming and going.
"That fleet has entered the Chaotic Stone Zone, the monitoring from the surveillance satellites is heavily interfered by the intense magnetic fields of the meteorite belts."
"That fleet has strong radar evasion capabilities, reporting to the commander, we... have lost them."
A middle-aged military officer with the insignia of a Major General nodded: "Long Xiang is not under our control; we can only rely on ourselves. Have the existing fleets prepare to assemble and in ten batches search within 0.1 light-years around Blue Capital Star for possible hiding spots, detecting traces of the interstellar motherships. The fact that one ship fled and instantly four escort ships were added indicates that their supplies must be very close."
"Yes, Commander."
Six minutes later, a silent, bat-like miniature flyer attached itself to the underside of a cruise ship heading back to Blue Capital Star, and after people inside quietly boarded the cruise ship, the flyer also discreetly left.
The empty and deserted Shadow Fleet, thanks to Black's heaven-defying intelligence and computational capabilities, had miraculously carved out a top-secret passage within the Chaotic Stone Zone that only it could navigate.
After Mu Fan entered the cruise ship and confirmed it was safe, the Shadow Fleet quietly returned to Planet 131.
The military likely couldn't even guess in their wildest dreams that the mysterious fleet that had brazenly confronted the three major powers was actually right under their protection.
The blockade order for Planet 131 had been issued by the Federation's Central Military Department.
When the cruise ship and the military warships crisscrossed paths, probably no one would imagine that the root of it all was peacefully lying at the bottom of the cruise ship, the two sides completely missing each other in such a coincidental manner.
After some hesitation, the military still ultimately chose to report the incident of Donald being attacked.
"The government and military exerted active efforts in the rescue operation, but the criminals disregarded human conscience, still committing atrocities, the military expresses its outrage and strong condemnation of this violent act..."
In the Military Department's report, it took the chance to once again embellish the military's image. In just a few minutes after the spread of the information, the number of people aware of Donald's death began to multiply.
Mu Fan had already begun to enter the atmosphere, but the uproar over Donald being killed by Cannon Execution was growing ever larger.
Some high-ranking military officials, after witnessing that one-shot kill by the warship, remained silent.
Destroying a spacecraft with a cannon shot, the ruthlessness of that fleet was plain to see.
But what had angered the military and political circles the most was that the identity of the person killed was far too sensitive.
Prominent star entrepreneur, the first heir to a super family...
Upon hearing the news, Tang Zhi, the family head of the Tang family, smashed the most valuable porcelain teacup in his hand to pieces, tears streaming down his face.
"My Natello..."
An old man who had his son late in life, and the most extraordinary among the direct male descendants at home, he had been designated as the young master of the clan a few years ago.
Yet, he hadn't expected that just as he had turned 27 years old, he would be completely lost.
"Who is it! Who killed my child! Daring to challenge the Tang family on Blue Capital Star, this time I don't care who you are, I will tear you to pieces bit by bit, and then feed you all to the rats!"
"Come here." Tang Zhi lifted his bowed head, the sorrow in his eyes not yet faded, but now a sinister expression, similar to that of Donald's, emerged.
"Please give your orders, family head."
"Send a team to the Military Department to find Tang Yuan, by whatever means necessary, I want the detailed information on that fleet."
"Go organize Natello's social relations before his death, list all his companions and rivals, and compile everything that might have influenced Natello's mood recently. Remember, I want it spotless, and if I find a single error, I guarantee you won't leave this hall."
"Yes, family head."
After everyone had dispersed, the middle-aged man, his hair already streaked with gray, had an extremely ruthless look in his eyes.
Natello, your killer, father will go find.
Those who were your enemies, I will clean them out.
All this, just to accompany you in death!
...
An hour later, a convoy began to depart from the Tang family compound, while troops from the duty forces emerged and entered the unified aircraft, scattering in all directions.
The entire city, the whole planet, finally began to stir with fear.
Mu Fan, at this moment, had already changed into the neat uniform of Dingchuan Academy and was standing next to the academy's self-service medical capsule.
Everything had gone just fine, successfully avoiding everyone, with Black's alibi seamlessly fabricated.
Moreover, this time he hadn't gone for morning exercise, and hadn't encountered Lu Qingxue.
He had just finished talking to White Hair and his buddies, who were all excited to come worship him.
No help for it, who would have thought that this kid had caused such a commotion at Villa No. 1 yesterday.
However, these people lacked a certain timeliness in their grasp of information.
The Military Department's blockade naturally worked well for anyone outside the senior ranks; the sudden attack outside the atmosphere still hadn't spread to the campus.
Fatso was currently walking beside him with sweat on his brow, looking up in admiration at his awesome teammate, too distracted to care about the Battle Net forum in his hand, but Mu Fan was in a great mood, chatting while tirelessly sharing his level-beating experience with Fatso, which moved him quite a bit.
However, before the two could reach their destination, Black's voice suddenly rang in Mu Fan's ear.
"Mu Fan, soldiers from the military have entered Dingchuan Academy."
"This operation is highly confidential, I didn't receive any notice in advance."
"It seems they are coming for you, do you want to avoid this?"
Black was sending information at an extremely fast rate.
"Are you sure there were no mistakes or omissions?"
"Positive." This time, Black was decisive.
"Then there's no need to pay attention."
Ten minutes later, while White Hair, William, Li Xiaoxi, and others were still on their way,
A message appeared before their eyes—
Mu Fan had been arrested.