On July 20, 2066, exactly one year, one month, and thirteen days after leaving Earth, the travel-worn Expedition Two arrived at Mars, bringing ample supplies and thirty-two crew members.
The ship and its vessel docked at an orbit nine thousand kilometers above the surface. The entire crew, led by Liu Wenwen, gave a warm welcome to Ou and Xu.
They were surprised to find many familiar faces among the crowd. Almost all the members of Group A, who were eliminated in the first round, were present. The rest were primarily from Group B.
Since they were not strangers, things became straightforward. All the crew members immediately entered a state of work, loading the weapons and equipment carried by the ship onto the Martian spacecraft.
This process was not complicated, as all equipment was highly modular and only required simple assembly.
The two individuals who were to remain also conducted a comprehensive handover with Ou and Xu. Ou Zhanpeng and Xu Qing left nothing unsaid, clearly explaining the situation on Mars, without any omissions.
Privately, the two couldn't help but sigh, noting that conditions had improved. At least there was a fully functional spacecraft now, and they no longer had to cram into narrow fighter jets.
Their words, however, carried a tinge of envy.
Four days later, the modification project concluded. After bidding farewell to their comrades staying on Mars, Expedition Two embarked on a new journey, heading towards the even more distant Jupiter.
Ou Zhanpeng remained by the window, gazing at the receding Mars with a lost expression.
“What are you thinking about?” Liu Wenwen’s sweet voice entered his ears. She floated to his side, casting a casual glance at Mars.
“Nothing,” Ou Zhanpeng replied. “I’m just feeling a bit emotional. Mars was fine when we arrived, but when we left, it was already scarred. And this isn’t the end; our destruction of Mars will continue for a long time.”
“You’re feeling so emotional?” Liu Wenwen’s gaze was surprised. “To be honest, when I was eliminated from the training team, I felt like I was dead. I couldn’t eat or sleep. It wasn’t until the Second Team was formed and I was recalled that I felt alive again. Since then, I’ve felt that there’s no need for so much sentimentality in this world. Mars? Let it explode. The most important thing is whether we can eliminate the alien species.”
Ou Zhanpeng couldn’t help but be taken aback. “Are you saying you’ve benefited from disaster and achieved great enlightenment?”
Liu Wenwen shook her head. “Benefiting from disaster is true, but it’s not what you think. You’ll understand when time passes; Two is much more perfected than One… Keep watching, I’m leaving now.”
With that, she floated away without looking back.
Ou Zhanpeng watched her figure depart, a strange feeling stirring in his heart. After a while, he gradually sorted his thoughts: Was she here to gauge my reaction?
“Oh, you’re still lingering after all this time?”
The elusive Xu Qing suddenly appeared behind Ou Zhanpeng, speaking in a sarcastic tone, as if she had been watching him for a long time.
Ou Zhanpeng’s lips curled into a wide smile, and he pulled Xu Qing into his arms. “Oh my, why is my little vinegar pot overturned?”
“Get away, who’s yours?”
“You are!” Ou Zhanpeng chuckled foolishly. “You’re worried about us having psychological problems!”
Xu Qing rolled her eyes. “Do I need to say it?”
After a few playful bickering remarks, Ou Zhanpeng ended up holding Xu Qing, and they both looked at Mars together, enjoying a moment of peaceful tranquility.
Staring at Mars, which seemed to have a changed face, Xu Qing suddenly said softly, “Don’t you think the aliens aren’t as powerful as we imagined?”
“Why do you think that?” Ou Zhanpeng glanced at her. “The power of the alien species far exceeds your imagination.”
“Just this?” Xu Qing pointed at Mars. “I don’t think so.”
Ou Zhanpeng’s thoughts drifted into memory. “That’s because their warships were destroyed. Ever since the alien warships inexplicably broke apart, it was like their backbone was snapped, and they’ve been in decline ever since… However, the broken ships were not something we could deal with. When we were on the Moon, even half a warship could still carve out a gap on the horizon. If it weren’t for sheer luck, who knows whose hands the Moon would be in now.”
He then added, “Look at the speed at which the alien species built on Mars. If the Moon had fallen into their hands, Earth would be in danger.”
Xu Qing was extremely curious. “Since their warships were so powerful, why did they just break apart like that?”
“I’ve been thinking about this question for a long time, but I still haven’t found an answer.” Ou Zhanpeng’s gaze was solemn. “I think it’s possible they suffered a fatal blow before passing through the wormhole, but it was some kind of delayed strike that we don’t understand, which is why the alien warships suddenly broke apart after arriving at Earth… It couldn’t have been the underground civilization that destroyed them, could it?”
“Get lost, can’t you be serious!” Xu Qing playfully slapped Ou Zhanpeng.
Ou Zhanpeng laughed like a mischievous child who had succeeded in his prank.
To be honest, the breaking of the alien warships not only caused the aliens to lose their superluminal flight capability but also forcibly dragged them down from their high perch.
On one side, they lacked technological advantage and relied entirely on luck for support. On the other side, they possessed the technology but had no way to utilize it. As one side declined and the other rose, the aliens were almost on the same level as humans, turning an undoubtedly one-sided crushing battle into a back-and-forth skirmish between novices.
Putting the overall situation aside, the pursuit between the escape pods and the Expedition was destined to be a difficult and arduous journey.
Furthermore, although the two Expedition Two ships were only a few months behind the first, the second was indeed much more formidable than the first.
According to Ou Zhanpeng’s understanding, the second applied far more alien technology than the first. In addition to the bow, force field shields were added to the flanks, covering one-third of the warship.
It wasn't that they couldn't increase the coverage area further, but after considering all factors, the most reasonable result was achieved.
In addition, the second ship also utilized magnetic levitation armor technology.
At first, Ou Zhanpeng was a bit confused. It was still solid-state smoke armor, so why was it magnetically levitated?
After a detailed understanding, he learned that because it wasn’t rushed like the first, magnetic modules were added inside the armor of the second ship. All the armor was pieced together by magnetic force. Even if it was hit by enemy fire, only the armor absorbed the impact, with no effect on the warship itself.
The reactor of the second ship was also redesigned after carefully studying the alien warships’ reactors. It had higher reaction efficiency, stronger output power, and a longer service life.
Without a powerful heart, the second ship would not have been able to equip so many shields.
The weapon systems were also comprehensively optimized. Although there was still a considerable distance to go before it could fire through the horizon with a single shot, the plasma cannons were not spared, and all other advanced weapons were readily available.
It was no exaggeration to say that from the moment of its birth, Expedition Two had replaced the first ship, becoming the strongest warship in human history.
Bar none.