023 Discovery

Radiation was one of the things apocalyptic survivalists feared the most. This invisible harm could only be detected with a Geiger counter. Once there was large-scale radioactive contamination, it meant all the potentially useful materials within that area would turn from life-saving treasures into deadly weapons. Venturing out required wearing heavy isolation suits, yet even that couldn't completely block out the radiation damage. Bai Zhongqi knew that once an area was massively contaminated, his only option was to escape as quickly as possible.

The dazzling light in the night sky gave Bai Zhongqi the sensation that this was definitely a super-sized "firecracker". He didn't know whether it was one or multiple nuclear nations on Earth attacking the aliens. At this moment, Bai Zhongqi was unaware that the alien fleet had already stationed itself in Earth's orbit, but from this nuclear strike, it could be inferred that humans had found the aliens' target to launch this attack. He didn't believe this was an attack by aliens on Earth, as no country on Earth had such powerful space counter-interception capabilities. If the difficulty level of attacking was 1, then the difficulty of interception could be over 100.

The one thing Bai Zhongqi felt slightly relieved about was that his junior was already a bit exhausted and seemed to feel the comfort of his warmth, sleeping unusually soundly today. Bai Zhongqi was terrified of seeing her panicked, wanting the person he liked to always be at ease; unfortunately, in such a crisis, tranquility might just be an illusion.

Bai Zhongqi couldn't sleep, so he held his phone and started reading various news articles. At this moment, having a bit more information might help him survive the coming days. It might not be long before people would lose access to regular communication and the internet, making it difficult to gather public intelligence then.

Soon, Bai Zhongqi saw the news about the huge flash in the sky that had occurred earlier.

"Breaking news, the United States unilaterally fired multiple nuclear missiles at an unidentified alien fleet in Earth's orbit, intercepted by the alien fleet at a height of 100,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface!"

This was another domestic message. For a long time, China had always been a step behind Western media in breaking major news. Unexpectedly, in this event of extraterrestrial contact, the state news agency had taken the lead. The reason wasn't hard to comprehend; China was displeased with the United States' obstinate and exclusive actions concerning extraterrestrial contacts. Moreover, China's space exploration capabilities were quite advanced, enabling faster status acquisition compared to some Western nations. On the other hand, the United States had its considerations, whether discovering aliens or the nuclear strike issue, aiming to keep a low profile. Concerning the nuclear strike, the United States was not sure how much the aliens knew about Earth, and preemptive announcement of plans might lead to intelligence leaks. While China might not be sufficiently capable of trailing the aliens, it had decades of experience in tracking American activities. Americans' missiles failed to launch properly, and China was quick to criticize and shift the blame, essentially, any issue could be attributed to the Americans.

China had established an Extraterrestrial Civilization Contact Strategy Office, which was authoritative and well-equipped in terms of capabilities and technology. However, China did not intend to join the ranks of those aggressively waging war against the aliens without direct provocation, as all communications had gone unanswered. Consequently, China was essentially reacting passively by maintaining the status quo. Bluntly speaking, it was a passive response. The office's assessment was that with Earth's capabilities, it was utterly impossible to oppose such an extraterrestrial civilization. The technology and weapons that they had already demonstrated could destroy decades of national achievements overnight, affecting the lives and property of over a billion compatriots. China's stance was that the aliens needed to understand that Earth had complex and diverse powers, and the United States could not represent everyone. Each country had its own voice, and before official contact, it was prudent not to get involved in any hasty conflicts.

With this attitude, China consistently counteracted the United States' position in the entire incident. The American side was also greatly annoyed, with CNN even having commentators point out: "The United States is fighting for the security of Earth and the welfare of humanity, but the Chinese, who only engage in internal strife, are dragging us down. This despicable behavior is nothing short of treacherous."

The petty squabbles among these nations were beyond Bai Zhongqi's comprehension. What truly captured his attention was the first high-resolution, large-scale image of the alien fleet taken by XH Corporation's orbiting satellite, published right after the news brief. There were over thirty selected pictures in the gallery featuring wide shots of the entire fleet as well as close-ups of individual warships and even detailed parts of the ship's structure. Capturing such images not only showcased the formidable power of China's aerospace industry but also served as a silent declaration of national strength. However, at this juncture, Earth's top-tier technology seemed negligible in the eyes of the extraterrestrials.

Bai Zhongqi opened the gallery, the first image displaying the entire fleet. The colossal interstellar battleship cruisers and even larger colonial base ships were at the center, flanked by lighter cruisers and escort ships. The images weren't refreshing quickly. Around the world, countless people eagerly awaited a glimpse of these mighty starships constructed by intelligent life from the universe, causing the web pages of XH Corporation's pictures to experience a massive surge in traffic.

"...It looks somewhat familiar." Bai Zhongqi stared at his phone, looking at the fleet's family portrait. The appearance of the starships might even disappoint some fans. Despite the ships still looking cool, filled with sci-fi and power, their shapes were quite similar to what people normally imagined. Generally, they resembled elongated objects, and one could vaguely make out the bows, sterns, and various weapon configurations. Perhaps it wasn't just Bai Zhongqi; many people found these warships familiar.

However, the familiarity Bai Zhongqi felt made him highly suspicious. He immediately swiped right, eager to see more images. But the loading speed of the gallery was painfully slow, and Bai Zhongqi could only endure the agonizing wait. He even had to close the news app and try opening it in a web browser, which was just as slow in refreshing.

After waiting probably ten minutes, Bai Zhongqi finally scrolled through to the 19th picture of the entire gallery. During this process, with each image he viewed, his emotions heightened as if being lifted, unable to comprehend why he was seeing these things, which surely should not exist in the real world. He felt as if the world was playing a significant joke on him, or perhaps he had been dazzled by a strong light earlier, causing some sort of hallucination.

But when the 19th picture refreshed, Bai Zhongqi could no longer deny what he was seeing; the wildly improbable guess he had made was infinitely close to being a proven fact.

The 19th picture was a close-up of the right side of the bow of that battleship cruiser. To make it clear, the picture had been brightened and sharpened, and on the silver hull, a simple yet mysteriously emblematic symbol was clearly emblazoned.

The emblem of the United Empire of Iridium Star—three-pointed lightning.