bioinnovel Chapter 471 The Decoy Plan!
Chapter 471 The Decoy Plan!
Zhang Yan stared at the star map projected by the system, his finger pointing at the dark red energy trajectory.
The trajectory is clear, extending outward from the core of the L2 point, like a ray of light that has been broken and pieced back together, intermittent but with a clear direction.
Pointing to Earth.
[Energy trajectory analysis complete.]
[This trajectory was formed by a weak resonance between the probe wave released by the advance team and the sub-core. It is a passive reflection type of trace and cannot be removed by conventional means.]
Based on the advance team's current speed, the estimated time to trace back to Earth along the trajectory is 39.7 days.
Forty days.
Zhang Yan compressed the data into a summary and sent it to Nie Qingcheng and Qin Xiao.
Three minutes later, Nie Qingcheng came downstairs. She had changed into a black turtleneck sweater, her long hair was casually tied back, and she was holding a tablet in her hand, her expression unpleasant.
"Waiting for defense won't work," she said, rejecting the most conservative option immediately.
Zhang Yan leaned against the control panel: "Reason."
"It's enough for the advance team to reach the outer reaches of the solar system." Nie Qingcheng walked to his side and drew a circle on the star map. "They don't need to enter the coverage area of the portal network. They just need to confirm Earth's precise coordinates and then transmit the information back to the mother planet."
"It's like giving that moving star a navigation system."
"Yes. The mother planet is currently moving at a constant speed in a straight line, which means it only has a general direction and no precise coordinates. Once the advance team locks onto Earth's position and sends the information back, the mother planet will adjust its trajectory and head straight for us."
Zhang Yan nodded, explaining why they couldn't "wait."
He pulled up the advance team's formation data—approximately three hundred individuals, with varying energy levels, but an average level above B. If they all flooded into the solar system, even with the Chaos Mechs at full power, they could only be annihilated in batches. There wouldn't be enough time; some would inevitably slip through and transmit their coordinates back.
"So we either have to annihilate them before they arrive," Zhang Yan said.
"Three hundred of them, scattered along a route three thousand light-years away, it's unrealistic to wipe them out one by one," Nie Qingcheng shook her head.
"Or lead them astray."
Nie Qingcheng looked at him.
Zhang Yan reached out and drew a line on the star map, extending the dark red trajectory to the side until it ended in a vast interstellar desert.
"The trajectory is formed by passive reflection and cannot be erased. But it can be extended," he said. "Place a new energy source outside the end of the trajectory to create the illusion of 'trajectories continuing.' The advance team tracks frequency resonance, not coordinates—as long as the signal at the endpoint is strong enough and the frequency is accurate enough, they will follow the trajectory all the way to that false endpoint."
"Missing."
"right."
Nie Qingcheng remained silent for a few seconds, her gaze falling on the hypothetical projection point on the star map.
"Frequency," she said, uttering a single word.
Zhang Yan knew what she was thinking.
"The energy frequency of the decoy must be perfectly synchronized with the Heart of the Creator," he stated bluntly. "A deviation exceeding three-thousandths will be detected, and the swarm's perception accuracy far exceeds our expectations."
"Can you do it yourself?"
"Yes, but the cost is too high." Zhang Yan pulled up the energy consumption calculation. "To directly create a synchronous energy source using the Heart of Heavenly Craftsmanship, we need to strip away at least 8% of our core reserves. My reserves are already not abundant, and if we cut another 8%, we won't have enough reserves to deal with the mother body later."
Nie Qingcheng frowned slightly.
Just as Zhang Yan was about to explain the next steps, the communication panel suddenly lit up.
The source identifier—that golden encrypted ID with ancient runes.
The descendants of the Mohist school.
Zhang Yan and Nie Qingcheng exchanged a glance, and he opened the message.
[Young Master, we have detected the advance team's movements and the predicament you are facing.]
Regarding the issue of energy frequency, we can provide solutions.
When Tiangong City evacuated 30,000 years ago, the Inner Palace carried away the remnant energy imprint of the City Lord's Mansion. The frequency of this imprint is of the same origin and structure as the Heart of Tiangong, with a deviation of no more than three ten-thousandths, which can create a perfect decoy signal.
We will prepare delivery immediately if needed.
Zhang Yan read it but did not reply immediately.
He projected the information onto the screen so that Nie Qingcheng could see it simultaneously.
Nie Qingcheng quickly scanned the entire text, her finger pausing for a moment on the words "homogeneous and isomorphic".
"Verify," she said.
"The system can verify the frequency matching degree," Zhang Yan replied.
"That's not what I'm worried about." Nie Qingcheng crossed her arms and looked at the golden text on the screen. "They have something that is the same as the Heart of Heavenly Craftsmanship, and they can deliver it directly to our vicinity."
The meaning is clear—this organization has the capability and access to the core. Whether or not trust is established cannot be determined by a single message.
Zhang Yan understood her concerns. But he was also aware of the current situation.
"Forty days," he said. "Doing it ourselves is too costly. Their solution, if usable, is the best option right now."
Nie Qingcheng didn't refute. She was never one to act on emotion and always kept things in mind.
"It can be used." She finally nodded, but added, "Do not hand over any of our information until the verification is successful."
Zhang Yan turned to look at the communication panel.
Thirty thousand years.
The remnants of a force of over a thousand have drifted in the sea of stars for thirty thousand years, preserving the relics of the city lord's mansion, awaiting the orders of a "young master".
He thought of the ancient books that the stargazer had shown him, the old man who had vanished in his dream, and the light-colored birthmark on his wrist.
He never believed in blood ties. But if a group of people are willing to stand up for you when you need them—whether it's called blood ties or not is irrelevant.
He started typing.
I accept your help.
After sending it, he paused for a moment and added another line.
[But there's one condition—after the bait is laid, I need to meet with your people. Face to face.]
The message has been sent.
Nie Qingcheng looked at his profile without speaking. She knew what Zhang Yan was doing. Accepting help was one thing, taking control was another. He needed to see the person, see their eyes, see their attitude and their purpose.
The wait wasn't long.
The reply arrived approximately four minutes later.
Only two words.
【Yes, sir.】
Nie Qingcheng let out a soft breath.
"What do you think?" Zhang Yan asked her.
"A two-word reply, no nonsense, no conditions, no questions." Nie Qingcheng leaned against the control panel, her eyes scrutinizing her. "It's either the reaction of a well-trained subordinate or a deliberately feigned subservience."
What's the difference?
"You'll know when we meet." Nie Qingcheng lowered her arm. "I want to come along."
"Of course." Zhang Yan never intended to exclude her—at least not until she gave a reason why she wasn't allowed to go.
He turned back to the star map and began planning the coordinates for the decoy's deployment point. It couldn't be too close to Earth, otherwise the advance team could confirm Earth's location during the pursuit; nor could it be too far, otherwise the energy attenuation in the extended portion of the trajectory would be too great, revealing a flaw.
Ultimately, he chose an interstellar desert region about three thousand light-years from Earth, located on the edge of the Milky Way's spiral arm—a place without stars, planets, or known civilizations, a dead zone in a vacuum.
When the advance team arrived there, they would only find a crystal that was continuously emitting signals.
There was no civilization, no planet, and no target worth reporting.
By the time they realize they've been tricked and turn back, they'll have had a buffer period of several dozen days. By then, he'll be much better prepared.
"Deployment coordinates confirmed." Zhang Yan synchronized the star map data with Nie Qingcheng and Qin Xiao. "Once the fragment is delivered and verified, execute immediately."
Nie Qingcheng has already started scheduling her activities on her tablet.
"I've notified Qin Xiao to arrange for the outer perimeter to be sealed off, and to set the communication security level for the deployment process to the highest level." She didn't even look up. "I also need to inform the Star Gazing team to have the locksmiths monitor the door network for any abnormal fluctuations."
Zhang Yan stood up.
The laboratory lights cast his shadow, making it long and straight.
The 40-day countdown begins now.
He glanced down at his chest—the pulse of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Heart remained steady, just as it had been for the past 30,000 years.
But this time, it wasn't just one person jumping.
Three thousand light-years away in the sea of stars, seventeen hundred people are waiting for its signal.