The Ink蛤 Research Institute on Meteorite Star had commenced construction.
The institute was situated in the suburbs, one hundred kilometers from the capital city, on the grassy plains of a small basin.
The Galactic Empire military had mobilized twenty thousand construction equipment units and over fifty thousand mechanical engineers, working around the clock.
The institute quickly took shape, its appearance resembling a large airport, though without expansive aprons and runways. Instead, it featured numerous block-like metal warehouses, spread across the basin like shipping containers at a dock.
Concurrently, Jiang Ye's troops were advancing rapidly along the railway lines.
The number of Ink蛤 far exceeded initial estimations, with over thirty trains encountering them daily, leading to fierce battles. All trains had been equipped with flamethrowers. Swarms of Ink蛤 would invariably leap into the fiery torrents, becoming disoriented by the flames before being blown away by the intense airflow.
The vicinity of the railway tracks was littered with the scorched corpses of Ink蛤. Soldiers would shovel the bodies into sacks, and then transport these full sacks to the newly constructed research institute.
Occasionally, a few live Ink蛤 would be found huddled fearfully amongst the hot, charred remains, motionless and silent. Soldiers could simply walk up, reach out, and scoop these surviving Ink蛤 into cages.
Based on the experience of the frontline soldiers, the Ink蛤 exhibited behavior similar to locusts: docile when few in number, but fearless and aggressive when their population swelled. The unit's biologists claimed this was a significant discovery, crucial for mapping the evolutionary lineage of the Ink蛤 and understanding their gregarious and reproductive traits.
All armed trains had been lengthened. The last carriage was designated for sacks of Ink蛤 corpses, and the second to last carriage for live Ink蛤. Numerous rectangular iron cages were stacked within the carriages, each holding a single, massive Ink蛤. Mechanical soldiers would continuously spray water into the cages, causing water droplets to drip from all the iron bars.
The spraying was intended to maintain the Ink蛤's vitality. When handled by humans, these toads were extremely timid, urinating incessantly out of fear and secreting mucus from their bodies, causing their internal ink to diminish. Without continuous watering to replenish their moisture, only foul-smelling desiccated corpses would remain in the cages.
Both dead and live Ink蛤 were transported to the research institute and stored in metal warehouses outside its premises. During the researchers' work, large contingents of mechanical soldiers would emerge, operating forklifts to move Ink蛤 from warehouse to warehouse into the institute. After some time, the mechanical soldiers would reappear with forklifts carrying white medical waste bins, each large enough to contain a person.
On a flat expanse two kilometers from the institute, piles of Ink蛤 corpses and disposable white waste bins accumulated like mountains. There were bodies already processed into minced meat, resembling burial mounds of flesh, flowing thinly like porridge. There were also relatively intact corpses, such as Ink蛤 that had lost their skin, limbs, heads, internal organs, or bones.
As research progressed, the Ink蛤 graveyard expanded, and standing at its center, one was surrounded by bloody, foul-smelling toad corpses in all directions. A single step would result in ink splattering, creating a rather spectacular scene.
The Ink蛤 graveyard was merely a microcosm; Meteorite Star was dotted with piles of animal carcasses everywhere. The first batch of slain Hell Tigers had been rotting and stinking in the fields in hundreds of tons. Fortunately, the planet had no flies, otherwise, black dust storms of blowflies would have certainly swept across the plains.
Various fungi grew on the continuous stream of corpses, secreting milky white or dark yellow mucus. This mucus flowed like river water into the soil, seeping under the railway tracks, bubbling and emitting an unending stench.
The soldiers traveling in the armed trains endured immense hardship. The external wind, carrying a nauseating stench of decay, drifted through the firing ports. Even a public restroom left uncleaned for half a month would smell sweeter than this corpse-laden wind. Many soldiers would rather clean toilets or work at garbage dumps than sit behind a firing port and travel.
The soldiers devised various methods. First, they wore gas masks, adding a layer of fruit-scented pads to the filter mouths. Some soldiers brought incense onto the trains, or sprayed floral water and cheap perfume on the windows. Others simply carried large pots of fresh flowers onto the carriages, allowing the living flowers to counteract the odor of the dead. A type of chewing gum called "Man Tian Xiang" (Sky-Filling Fragrance) also became popular in the army. These medicinal tablets could temporarily alter the sense of smell, making one perceive an orange-like aroma. Many soldiers began chewing gum incessantly upon boarding, experiencing a cool sensation that traveled from their mouths to their nasal cavities.
As the combat continued, the number of corpses would only increase.
Jiang Ye received reports from unit officers, which gave him a severe headache.
As a vast organization engaged in brutal conquest, the Galactic Empire military possessed specialized methods for dealing with planets inundated with corpses. The method was quite simple: bone-dissolving fluid, a potent corrosive and decomposing agent. A spray over the piles of corpses would cause the flesh of various animal carcasses to split open and melt like ice, emitting countless bubbles.
After the Galactic Empire launched devastating attacks on certain alien planets, the planetary surfaces were often littered with mountains of corpses. In such cases, large agricultural sprayers would fly over plains of bloody corpses, showering them with bone-dissolving fluid. The entire plain would then emit a sound of disintegration, with thick, turbid gases rising into the sky. After a few days, the corpses would all turn into dirty water integrated with the soil, leaving only bone fragments resembling small pebbles.
Jiang Ye also considered using bone-dissolving fluid, but after reviewing the food safety regulations of the Crocodile People, he discovered that bone-dissolving fluid was prohibited on Meteorite Star.
Large-scale incineration was also not feasible. Burning such a vast quantity of corpses would severely damage the planet's soil, water quality, and air.
One noon, Jiang Ye was pondering this problem at his desk.
His mobile phone suddenly rang.
It was Li Nannan.
"Hello?" Jiang Ye answered.
"You brat, you don't even call me 'Commander' anymore?" Li Nannan said.
"Hello, Commander! Long live the Commander, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!" Jiang Ye replied obsequiously.
"What are you busy with?" Li Nannan asked.
"Nothing much, just worrying," Jiang Ye sighed. "There are too many corpses on Meteorite Star, and the entire planet will soon stink like a septic tank. But there's no cheap and effective way to clear the bodies. I've considered over twenty methods, including chemical agents, incineration, scavengers, and natural composting, but none are satisfactory."
"I know you're worried about this. That's why I'm calling – to help you solve it," Li Nannan said.
"Oh?" Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, Commander! How can this be solved?"
"Besides Isabel, I have another best friend," Li Nannan said. "She's a boss in the food industry, incredibly wealthy, and can help you deal with those corpses. When are you free? I can arrange for you to meet, alright?"
"Food industry?" Jiang Ye was bewildered. "These are corpses! They're all rotten!"