Several orders were issued, and the nearest military base immediately dispatched a team of guardian spiders to rendezvous with the frontline troops.
Soldiers on leave were also urgently recalled and, departing from the main camp, rushed to the front lines.
In short, Jiang Ye committed all his forces to the front line, which was all he could do at the moment. He did not mobilize the police force, as they had not been trained on spider armored vehicles, and the journey was too long to rely on them.
Switching back to the panel, he continued to monitor the frontline situation.
More than a dozen spiders had already displayed damage icons. The most severely damaged one had an integrity of 52%, while the others were not faring much better, with integrity around 70%.
All spiders were firing and simultaneously retreating towards the Chalkland. It was clear that the encountered monsters were outside the Chalkland; they had met them as soon as they exited.
Jiang Ye waited anxiously for five minutes, and finally, Che Zhen's voice came through:
"Reporting, Commander. We encountered jumping worms on the sandy terrain outside the Chalkland. Some armored vehicles sustained damage, but all have been withdrawn to safety. A few soldiers suffered minor abrasions, but there were no casualties. We are currently shelling the worm zone, hoping to clear out a few more."
"The military base has dispatched the remaining troops to meet you. Contact them," Jiang Ye said.
"Understood!"
Jiang Ye leaned back, heaving a sigh of relief. Damaged armored vehicles were not a problem; as long as no one died, it was fine.
Regaining his composure, he clicked continuously on the screen to view the scan results of the frontline team, and soon found the enemy's information:
[Species: Jumping Worm]
[Species Information: A semi-finished species that leaked from a laboratory. Due to transportation accidents, it has spread to numerous planets, becoming an invasive species that troubles armies everywhere. Jumping worms are entirely black. Young worms are about one meter long and weigh about 50 kilograms. They can jump half a meter high. They are active only in sandy areas and feed on various organic matter. Their feces are highly valuable. Adult jumping worms can weigh up to 5 tons, be about ten meters long, and can leap eight meters high. Their hunting method involves moving rapidly beneath the sand and suddenly leaping up to attack creatures walking on the sand.]
Jiang Ye was stunned.
Just hearing the name "Jumping Worm," he had imagined many small, hopping insects.
As it turned out, they were giant worms ten meters long!
These were not worms at all, but colossal pythons! Another hundred years of cultivation and they might even become dragons!
No wonder the frontline troops were caught off guard. Suddenly encountering a swarm of giant pythons would be enough to scare anyone to death.
Che Zhen's voice came again:
"Reporting, Commander. We've used up all our shells. There are still many jumping worms in the desert ahead, and we cannot advance further."
Jiang Ye decisively ordered:
"Retreat, retreat, retreat. Head back to the base first. I'll think of something. Be careful on the way."
"Yes!" Che Zhen's voice was clearly relieved.
This was his first time leading a team on an expedition, and he had encountered a major crisis. Che Zhen's pressure must have been immense. Fortunately, he remained calm and handled the situation properly, bringing the entire unit back intact.
Furthermore, according to the combat record, Che Zhen had not stayed behind and let others take the lead; he had consistently been in the position closest to the jumping worms. His spider armored vehicle still had 65% integrity remaining.
Jiang Ye was very pleased and decided to award him a second-class merit.
The retreat was smooth, as the jumping worms could not pursue them without the desert. The spiders pushed their engines to full capacity and returned to the military base within two hours for rest and recuperation.
Jiang Ye relaxed and opened the chat channel, sending a private message to Li Nannan.
Jiang Ye: "Commander, we encountered jumping worms while claiming territory. There are quite a few of them. How should we deal with these things? Just bombard them?"
Li Nannan: "[Attachment: Jumping Worm Prevention and Control Plan 3.0]"
Jiang Ye blinked and clicked on the file Li Nannan had sent.
The file was over 20 pages long, totaling 30,000 characters, all about dealing with jumping worms in different situations.
Jiang Ye read it carefully twice and finally understood.
He purchased two barrels of aviation fuel from the Galaxy Mall, carried them out, and headed to the seaside to find the long-parked gyrocopter.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he last flew it. There hadn't been any rain recently, and a thick layer of dust covered the wings, making it look like a gyrocopter unearthed from a Terracotta Army pit.
Jiang Ye first added the two barrels of fuel and then used a rag to wipe the dust off the seats.
He sat down and started the engine!
The gyrocopter roared to life, its sound no different from before. Despite not being flown for several months, it was still full of power.
Jiang Ye accelerated, and the gyrocopter surged forward. After a few dozen meters of taxiing, it lifted upwards.
Many people in the settlement looked up; it was their first time seeing this gyrocopter take off.
Jiang Ye increased speed, quickly reaching the foremost military base, and slowly descended, parking the gyrocopter on the open ground outside the base.
He entered the military base, and the guards on duty immediately saluted.
Jiang Ye was taken aback, returned the salute, and continued walking inside the building, only to be saluted by guards again.
It hadn't been stated before that they should salute when seeing superior officers. Jiang Ye guessed that the troops had figured it out themselves.
As he reached the second floor, Che Zhen, who had heard the news, rushed to catch up.
"Reporting, Commander. The troops have all been brought back and are resting," Che Zhen said loudly.
"Have all squad leaders come to the small conference room in ten minutes. We'll have a strategy meeting," Jiang Ye said.
"Yes!" Che Zhen turned and ran off to notify everyone.
Jiang Ye calmly went to the top floor, to the small conference room at the end of the corridor, and entered using facial recognition.
The conference room's long table could easily accommodate 30 people. Jiang Ye walked directly to the end of the table and sat down, crossing his legs.
As soon as he sat down, the door opened. A young woman in a dark green suit entered, her high heels clicking. The curve of her calves was sharp; she was surprisingly beautiful.
"Greetings, Commander! I'm here to bring the water," the young woman said crisply, carrying a large bag of bottled water, the bottles still bearing the soda factory's label.
"Hello, hello," Jiang Ye nodded.
The young woman placed a bottle of water in front of each seat and adjusted the angle of the blinds to ensure the indoor lighting was just right.
"Which unit are you from?" Jiang Ye suddenly asked.
"I detached from my previous squad and am now stationed at this base, working as a secretary. I was selected the day before yesterday, and yesterday was my first day," the young woman explained.
"Who selected you?" Jiang Ye asked again.
The secretary's expression became noticeably nervous, and she stammered, "Che... Che Zhen."
Jiang Ye nodded and said nothing more.
He had handed over the management of this military base to Che Zhen a few days ago, and less than a week later, a beautiful female secretary had already been chosen.
Was this appropriate?!
Jiang Ye subtly glanced at the secretary's figure. Her curves were quite elegant and particularly pleasing to the eye.
Hmm, it seemed quite appropriate.
Soon, the squad leaders rushed in, reported their arrival, and then took their seats.
The secretary found a chair in a corner behind them and sat down, remaining unnoticed.
Jiang Ye quickly counted everyone. They were all present. The purpose of this meeting is simple: I will explain how we will deal with the jumping worms next. I already have a complete combat plan. Listen carefully, and you can ask questions if you don't understand.
The squad leaders attending the meeting's eyes lit up. They had just retreated from the chaotic front lines, still shaken, and were worrying about how to deal with the jumping worms. They hadn't expected the Commander to have a solution already!
A few squad leaders looked skeptical. They had just encountered a new enemy, and now there was a solution? Could the Commander really be that amazing?