Chapter 123: The Solar System Crisis

Chapter 123: Crisis in the Solar System

Just as Liu Shaoyu decided to seek out Wang Weifu, China was facing an unprecedented crisis.

“Report, Commander. Enemy forces outside the Federation star domain are continuously increasing,” a young soldier reported.

Yun Shichu seemed unfazed by the news. He looked up, smiled faintly, and patted the soldier on the shoulder. “What is meant to come will come. Go prepare—we’re heading to the front lines.”

The soldier, startled by the commander’s touch, silently admired his calm under pressure and nodded firmly. As a member of the security forces, he realized they would be deployed to the front lines this time. Clearly, this was a grave crisis.

“All right, go. What’s your name?” Yun Shichu asked, noticing the young soldier’s unfamiliar face.

“Report, Commander, my name is Zhang Fan,” the soldier stammered, caught off guard by the sudden question.

Yun Shichu silently repeated the name to himself, then nodded for him to leave and prepare. Zhang Fan exited the office, sensing the commander’s attempt to remember each young soldier’s name. Even Yun Shichu felt powerless against this massive threat.

This was the full might of the entire galaxy, with forces from other star systems involved. The Vatican Sovereign State was sparing no expense to reshape the Solar System’s order, and the alien powers joining in were driven by one secret—the human genetic code of the Chinese Federation.

In the past, defending the star domain was easier; no fleet was better suited for defense than China’s. But now, China was beset by internal turmoil and external threats. Yun Shichu truly felt powerless.

Yet, as he had said himself, what is meant to come will come. He would not let the enemy advance another inch, even at the cost of his life.

All of China sprang into relentless motion, like a well-oiled machine.

Despite the problems, large-scale troop movements still relied on the “Radiance of the Republic” network, and Yun Shichu did not intend to conceal this fact. Some understood the principle of shared glory and shared ruin.

For the first time, all factions within China cooperated like never before. Previously, if it had been just the Vatican Sovereign State, some would have taken advantage of the chaos, as internal strife was nothing new to the Earth Federation. But gradually, they realized this conflict was different—alien invasion was unprecedented.

This crossed everyone’s bottom line, except for a few traitors. Historically, there were always collaborators. Some fringe families sided with the Vatican Sovereign State. Yun Shichu neither controlled nor wished to control such matters.

His focus was on the front lines.

One after another, space battleships departed the core star region, ferrying soldiers to the front. China had mobilized fully, its strategy clear: hold the front lines at all costs.

Beforehand, Yun Shichu had negotiated with the combat command about the defensive perimeter and recalled troops and civilians from star systems slated for abandonment.

Across China’s star domain, outdoor screens repeatedly broadcast the Chairman’s declaration. Every citizen felt the urgency of war.

“Chairman, you should take a break if you’re tired,” a secretary urged beside Hua Xuyang, who was drenched in sweat.

Indeed, the continuous mobilization and declarations over recent days had drained his strength. Just after finishing a live broadcast, he was signing documents one after another, having gone nearly 48 hours without rest.

“When will Director Xu arrive?” Hua Xuyang did not look up, absorbed in reviewing documents on the screen.

“In fifteen minutes,” the secretary replied without hesitation. Though the secretary position was newly created after being abolished for a long time, this one was evidently competent.

“All right, remind me when he arrives. Also, bring some strong tea,” Hua Xuyang said, then plunged back into work.

No longer overly reliant on personal computers, Hua Xuyang had to personally handle many tasks. Though inconvenient at first, his team was gradually adapting.

Compared to Yun Shichu, Hua Xuyang was more informed about the incident—perhaps even one of its planners. Defending against the Radiance of the Republic was his fundamental course, as it was for all Chinese chairmen. Only those in his position knew the true nature of the Radiance, though perhaps not all of it.

Hua Xuyang never expected such an event during his tenure. When it came, as Chairman of China, he had no choice but to shoulder his mission, even without full corresponding authority.

But since childhood, Hua Xuyang believed power had to be seized. That was why he was Chairman now.

An academic background was undoubtedly a shining halo, and he intended to maximize this advantage.

Soon, Director Xu appeared in Hua Xuyang’s study.

“All courses in the academy have been accelerated, and the new training program has been implemented. However, lower-grade students must remain at the academy,” Director Xu said straightforwardly.

What Director Xu reported was actually under Hua Xuyang’s own directive. The Earth Command Academy was only the main military academy. Various military command academies existed throughout the Chinese star domain, but Earth’s academy trained only elites.

The students referred to by Director Xu were those from all Chinese academies combined—a vast number. The reason was that the military had never operated at full capacity. Active soldiers made up only 60% of China’s total forces; the other 40% were reserves and officers, many studying or serving in military schools.

Releasing senior students meant leaving only a small core of basic instructors at the academies; the rest—both teachers and students—could be immediately deployed to various Chinese star fleets.

Moreover, the military schools focused on practical combat, so while some lacked battle experience, the numbers were not insignificant.

Hua Xuyang was satisfied with the current state and nodded after hearing Director Xu.

“But these people are China’s last line of defense. You must... protect them,” Director Xu said slowly, hesitating at the end. After all, it was a battlefield, and battle meant death. The word “protect” was perhaps too much to ask.

Hua Xuyang knew this was like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. These students would not be sent to frontline combat but would be assigned to logistics fleets to ensure ample supplies behind the front.

“Don’t worry, Director,” Hua Xuyang said simply. Those few words gave Director Xu some reassurance.

“All preparations are nearly complete. What about the Military Commission Chairman?” Director Xu began to voice his concern.

“He... I’ll talk to him. Rest assured,” Hua Xuyang answered.

Seeing this, Director Xu knew there was little more he could do. He took his leave to prepare, knowing he would soon send a large number of cadets to war.

What worried Director Xu most was still the Military Commission Chairman. Yet there was little he could do; it was up to those two brothers to handle the rest. What eased his mind was that since the Chairman had relented before, he would again.

After Director Xu left, Hua Xuyang finally exhaled. Things were unfolding as he had envisioned. This battle was only the first step.

Staring out the window, Hua Xuyang felt the reality of it all.

“Brother, if only you could see Earth become the home of humanity once more. Don’t worry—I will make it happen,” he murmured to himself.

There were many things he could never share with others, only to bear alone.

Turning back, Hua Xuyang opened his personal computer and signed the military mobilization documents. Only with his approval could the troops be truly mobilized. And only one person held that authority.

At the signature line, he signed “Hua Xueqiang,” Chairman of the Military Commission of the Chinese People’s Republic.

Once signed, the orders were swiftly transmitted to the military through the network. At last, the remaining forces began to mobilize.

Millions of ships departed from all corners of the Chinese star domain. This was China’s largest military deployment in history—even Yun Shichu had no idea the country possessed so many troops.

“Brother, trust me. I will lead humanity out of their grasp,” Hua Xuyang whispered, watching the warships ready to depart.

At this moment, the United Front Department officially announced sanctions against the Chinese People’s Republic, joining forces with various galactic powers to impose military sanctions.

The sole reason given: disrupting the peaceful development of the interstellar environment.

To this, our Commander Hu has only two words: nonsense!

If he were to add a few more, it would be: absolute nonsense!

A Word to Readers:

This segment was drawn out longer than intended. The delay stemmed from many pressing matters that left little time for thoughtful plotting. Having completed the framework, the pace will now quicken, leading into the next chapter, where the narrative will return once more to the vastness of space.