Flying cars filled the city sky, their headlights like flocks of luminous birds, illuminating the night.
In a cinema, the screen in a theater, showing a movie that had just started ten minutes ago, suddenly lit up. The audience, immersed in the plot, was bewildered. Then, the small, thin manager, accompanied by the ticket girls, entered and bowed deeply in a line, apologizing profusely. They explained they had just received an emergency order: there was a terrorist attack, the entire city was under martial law and being cleared, and everyone should go home quickly. They promised that once normal operations resumed, everyone could come back for a free viewing.
In a hot pot restaurant, all the bubbling pots suddenly stopped. Diners, holding rolls of lamb and preparing to dip them, became anxious and called for waiters. However, the restaurant manager soon made an announcement, reading out the martial law order and stating that the waiters would help everyone pack within five minutes and all consumption would be free. The diners were confused, but since it was free, they couldn't say much and began to gather their belongings. Waiters filed out, carrying large plastic bags.
All shopping malls and shops were closing. The streets became crowded with people, and taxis that had been idly parked by the roadside instantly became highly sought after.
Police squads armed with assault rifles appeared on the streets, using loudspeakers to maintain order.
Military ornithopters roared overhead, their brilliant searchlights sweeping across the street. Some ornithopters hovered above tall buildings, and mechanical soldiers rappelled down, setting up anti-armor sniper rifles on the rooftops and releasing reconnaissance drones resembling small birds.
On the desolate plains outside the city, rows of armored vehicles were approaching, kicking up clouds of dust.
All cities on Jiang Ye Star were under martial law.
After a long silence, the muffled sound of gunfire finally echoed in the corners of the city.
...
Jiang Ye stood before his desk, looking at the images on the screen. The small dogs were still in pursuit, and the larger Earth-core worm's activity range had been surveyed. Thirteen kilometers underground, it was now as bustling as a marketplace.
The pursuit strategy was indeed effective, with many adult Earth-core worms appearing, spewing fire in a frenzy to stop the small dogs from advancing.
A few small dogs were caught off guard and killed or injured by the fiery blasts, but hundreds and thousands more followed behind, swarming forward to eliminate the resisting Earth-core worms.
The larvae had initially stopped, hoping to watch the adult worms defeat the intruders. But when the adults were also killed, the terrified larvae had no choice but to continue their escape.
His phone suddenly vibrated, and messages began to scroll out:
[Suspect encountered on Third Avenue, Chalk City. Brief exchange of fire with police. Suspect neutralized. Deceased is a middle-aged Caucasian male, identity unknown. No record of this person in the planetary database.]
[Approximately 6 suspects attempted to control a space station. Three were killed by the station's duty mechanical soldiers, and three were apprehended.]
[A violent explosion occurred at Mine No. 16, Gold Mine. Suspected vacuum bomb. Casualties unknown. Nearby personnel include 18 human workers and 498 mechanical workers.]
[A violent explosion occurred at the Seaside City garbage dump. Three fatalities confirmed, all duty personnel at the dump.]
[The three suspects killed at the space station detonated. Suspected intestinal bombs. Two police officers seriously injured and sent to the hospital.]
Jiang Ye was covered in sweat.
His judgment was correct.
There were indeed collaborators within the planet, and the Earth-core worms must be connected to them. Normally, they lived stealthily like rats, but now that the Earth-core worms' lair was about to be found, they had to emerge to create chaos and make a final desperate struggle.
As long as a group of people was captured, the entire conspiracy could be interrogated, and the Stellar Sickness could be completely eradicated!
The only thing that surprised him was the sheer number of hidden collaborators.
[The three terrorists apprehended at the space station are dead. Potassium cyanide was extracted from their mouths. Each of their collar buttons was a micro-poison capsule; they secretly absorbed the poison from the buttons.]
[A hostage situation occurred at the Lantian City Grand Theater. Approximately six terrorists released hypnotic gas into the air conditioning system, incapacitating all theater personnel. Local police are confronting them.]
[Gunfight at Iron Mine No. 5. Two killed, one at large.]
[Intense firefight at Copper Mine No. 12. Six killed.]
Messages continued to pop up.
The entire planet suddenly descended into chaos.
It was like throwing a firecracker into a latrine; all the flies lurking in the dark suddenly took flight.
There was nothing more Jiang Ye could do. He had already dispatched all available troops. Jiang Ye Star had ample military and police forces, with military bases near almost every city. As long as the terrorists didn't use any perverse weapons, the situation should gradually be brought under control.
On the screen, the small dogs were still advancing with difficulty, killing the adult Earth-core worms they encountered and chasing after the small Earth-core worms. This chase seemed endless. They didn't know that what was happening underground had turned the cities above ground upside down.
His phone suddenly rang.
It was Isabel.
"Hello, Old Yi?" Jiang Ye answered.
"Someone just called me and said they planted a tactical nuclear bomb in a container in the logistics city and told me to contact you!" Isabel's voice was panicked.
Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a darkness descend before his eyes.
"What did he say?" Jiang Ye asked.
"He wants you to immediately stop your military operations underground, or he will detonate the nuclear bomb in ten minutes. Subsequent conditions will be discussed in a later call," Isabel said.
"Tell him we've stopped," Jiang Ye said, tapping on his desk screen with his hand.
Thirteen kilometers underground, thousands of small dogs abruptly halted, as if collectively subjected to some spell. The Earth-core worms hesitated for a moment, then accelerated their escape, disappearing into the dark tunnels.
Although the small dogs were frozen in place, their processors were agitated, sending frantic messages to the underground mechanical soldiers:
[Why did we stop!]
[We were about to catch them, why did you make us stop! Let us go!]
[The worms got away! The worms got away! Let us chase!]
[Why, why, why?!]
The underground mechanical soldiers were also bewildered but could only reply to the small dogs with [Obey orders, hold position].
"I can't tell him. The number he called is strange, and when I called back, it was a dead line. I can only wait for him to call again," Isabel said.
"Okay, tell me immediately if he contacts you again," Jiang Ye said.
After hanging up with Isabel, his hands were already covered in sweat. He immediately called Shao Wan.
"There might be a remotely detonated nuclear bomb in the logistics city. Send people to investigate immediately," Jiang Ye said. "Have Shizhi Zhizi trace Isabel's call. A terrorist called her just now, and it was a dead line."
"Nuclear bomb?" Shao Wan was startled, then said, "I'll do it right away!"
Just as he hung up with Shao Wan, Isabel's call came in again.
"He demands that you immediately open up the streets in the logistics city, shut down the air defense system, and allow ground and air traffic to resume normal operations," Isabel said. "Within one minute!"