Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 967 - 677: Bug Race Progress

Bai E's display of personal strength and the mine star he occupied were both worth the effort.

However, they knew that, in essence, this was about seizing the opportunity ahead of other forces in the alliance, especially the Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance, to take control of the "former alliance country's" remaining assets and simultaneously take control of a dangerous individual.

Normally, the alliance might turn a blind eye, but the procedures had to be followed properly, and one couldn't act too brazenly.

But these were unusual times.

The appearance of the Bug Race fleet and that crushing defeat shook the entire leadership of the Peak Alliance, causing internal discord and diverting their strength.

Even worse, the latest intelligence indicated that those massive Bug Race bioships hadn't stayed put but instead started moving towards several populated planets on the alliance's edge, with unclear intentions!

What does that mean?

It means the Bug Race threat is no longer a distant "issue" that can be slowly discussed but is instead an imminent invasion that could cause billions of casualties!

Relying on technological research for now isn't feasible; the attention and elite fleets of all alliance member states must prioritize the Bug Race.

Who would care about the "property dispute" and "talent acquisition" happening on a remote mine star?

This was considered a "window of opportunity" by certain forces within Huowali.

They sent Glen leading a fleet intending to take advantage of the alliance's distraction, thus capturing the mine star and Bai E quickly and at a minimal cost.

If Bai E wisely surrendered, that would be ideal; if not, they would suppress him by force under the guise of "combating illegal armed forces and maintaining stability within the alliance territory," then fill out the necessary procedures afterward, making the situation irreversible.

The plan was good, but when it came to execution, they hit a hard snag.

Bai E's unexpectedly tough stance raised the event from an "internal dispute" to "national aggression" by invoking the Bauhinia Republic's sovereignty claim.

If Huowali acts by force under such a pretext, it would be hard to explain to the alliance later, especially once the Bug Race crisis subsides and the alliance refocuses on internal affairs.

Adding to Glen's pressure were messages from back home indicating increased panic due to the Bug Race fleet movements, with the alliance preparing to organize a larger joint fleet, requesting military contributions from each member state.

Huowali's main fleet was likely to be deployed away.

This border patrol fleet he led could be recalled or ordered to reinforce at any moment.

When that happens, what about the mission?

Abandon it halfway? The bigwigs back home pushing for this won't agree. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Continue the blockade? The longer it drags on, the more variables arise, such as... the opponent bringing in reckless mercenaries to mess things up.

"Continue the blockade and maintain high pressure." Glen finally ordered, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue, "Intensify surveillance on all incoming and outgoing routes, especially those involving unidentified vessels. Also... find a way to communicate further with home; we need more explicit authorization, or... a more flexible bottom line for handling the situation."

He looked out through the porthole at the gray-brown planet, his gaze complex.

This seemingly unimportant mine star had now turned into a hot potato.

Meanwhile, on the mine star, the Black Beast had contacted a "Dusk" liaison point nearby through multiple relays.

The communication connected, and a low, emotionless male voice came through: "State your purpose, assess the risk, and price."

The Black Beast took a deep breath and began to explain, following the agreed narrative with Bai E and Catherine:

"We need to break the blockade of a sovereign fleet over the planet. The opponent is the Huowali United States' second border patrol fleet, consisting of two battleships and six frigates. The goal isn't annihilation but to create enough chaos and deterrence to force them to lift the blockade or retreat."

"The target planet is a mining planet claiming independence, possessing some defensive power and future development potential. The employer is the planet's actual controller with a long-term trade contract with Golden Swallow Trading Company and... a possible legal path to restore national sovereignty in the Star Alliance. Payment methods can be pre-paid minerals, future trade splits, or assisting your side in obtaining certain 'special conveniences.'"

"As for risks: Huowali's fleet operation didn't gain full authorization from the alliance, which is currently focused primarily on the Bug Race. The chance of the other side escalating the conflict or starting a full-scale war with your side is assessed as moderately low by us. But there are subsequent political and diplomatic risks."

The other side fell silent for so long that the Black Beast thought they had hung up.

Finally, the male voice spoke again with a hint of interest: "Interesting. Send over information and preliminary proof of intent. We need to assess on-site. If feasible... the price will be high, potentially beyond what you can afford. But we accept diverse payments."

The communication ended.

The Black Beast exhaled and looked at Catherine and Bai E beside him: "They're interested. Next, it's about getting them to assess on-site and what price we can actually offer."

The opportunity to break the blockade seemed to have a glimmer of hope.

But how to seize it, how to deal with a group of war profiteers skirting the edge of the law without being backfired remained a huge test ahead.

...

Xing Zhuo had been keeping an eye on the mine star.

Upon learning of the Huowali United States fleet surrounding the mine star, he immediately realized this was an opportunity—