Li Ruiqi nodded with great satisfaction. Although it was impossible to restore the Black Obsidian to its original state, the feedback indicated that the restoration had reached at least 95 percent.

Basically, it could be considered repaired and ready for continued sailing operations.

"Very good."

"Report, Lord Li Ruiqi, the Black Tooth fleet has been scanned. Lord Sperber and the others have returned."

An operator suddenly said excitedly.

"Prepare to receive the returning Black Tooth. Order the logistics personnel to start preparing. All returning personnel must undergo physical examinations and quarantine."

Li Ruiqi's expression did not show much surprise. He had known about Sperber and the others' return for some time. The crucial point was that this exploration operation was a loss overall. The so-called Titan Ruins were just a big pit.

"Understood."

The operators present responded quickly.

On the K-zone observation platform of the Black Obsidian, Mai Han gazed at the fleet returning from the distant starry sky.

A hint of gloom flashed in his eyes.

The Black Tooth returned earlier than he had expected, which was somewhat beyond his calculations.

He couldn't help but raise his hand and touch his nose, a sinister sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.

So what if they returned early?

......

At this moment, in a dark starry sky, a star battleship, 140 kilometers long, with dark green armor, an oval-shaped bow, a protruding plum-blossom-shaped XS particle beam main gun, two high-energy focusing secondary guns mounted on its sides, over 8,000 360-degree interception and self-defense guns densely covering the upper layer of the hull, over 30,000 missile launch ports densely covering the middle layer, and over 500 assault landing exits established in the bottom area, appeared intermittently.

Inside its command room, Rulawi stared with a distorted face at a red coordinate point within the holographic star chart displayed before him.

It showed a chilling smile.

The end was near for these damned rats. It felt inexplicably excited, and at the same time, it felt the blood in its body boiling. It couldn't wait to torture and kill them.

It had waited long enough.

These damned rats had forced it to sneak in all the way from the Gray Scorpion star system.

Originally, they had planned to lie in wait in the Gray Scorpion star system and ambush them.

But the whole plan had been disrupted.

At this moment, Aiman walked over and said respectfully, "Lord Rulawi, should we accelerate our advance to avoid any unforeseen events?"

"This is the sphere of influence of Star Ring City. We must be discreet when our strength is insufficient. As for those prey, don't worry, they can't escape."

Rulawi's eyes were filled with deep dread.

.....

---------------------------------------------

Black Obsidian, Special Medical Quarantine Zone. Su Mo stretched and walked out, finally finishing quarantine.

He walked out, encountering many others who had also finished quarantine along the way.

Everyone wore a bitter expression.

"Sigh, this time we've really lost out."

"Forget it, don't complain. We'll find a way to earn it back later."

"Do you think the sudden early termination of the operation means Lord Sperber and the others got something good? Like a huge profit?"

"That's for sure. I heard a rumor that the real target of our exploration was the Titan Ruins."

"Holy crap, really? Aren't Titans just a legendary race? Is your information reliable?"

"It's definitely reliable, otherwise why would we go to such a godforsaken place to explore? It's said that with the help of the Hongji remnants, Lord Sperber and the others opened the Titan Ruins, obtained the legendary treasure, and made a fortune!"

"Oh no, it's over. Does that mean the Black Obsidian is going to return?"

"Most likely, yes."

.....

Hearing this, Su Mo's expression became strange, wanting to laugh but holding it back.

He finally understood how rumors were born. If he hadn't heard the inside story from Obick, he would have really believed it.

This operation was just a pit, not a fortune.

Sigh, the information from Jialan and the others was a bit unreliable.

Su Mo was shaking his head when he suddenly paused. He immediately said to the Creator · Devourer in his mind, "Little Devourer, this time the information about the Titan Ruins was provided by Jialan and the others. Do you think Jialan and the others might have collected information about the Titan race before, and might recognize those characters?"

"Possibly, but are you sure you want to let them decipher it? No one in this world is reliable except yourself. Self-interest can distort people's minds."

The Creator · Devourer reminded him in a deep voice.

"You're right, but that's not always the case."

Su Mo thought for a while and replied. He had weighed it repeatedly and believed that Jialan should still be reliable.

"Whatever!"

The Creator · Devourer didn't say much more.

So Su Mo hurried to find Jialan.

After a long time, Su Mo arrived in the Upper City District. He looked around, searching for the area where Jialan and the others lived.

He was a little annoyed that he hadn't asked Jialan for a phone number.

He wouldn't have to search around like this at a critical moment. Lin Ming's location was a bit vague.

Suddenly, Su Mo's eyes lit up. He saw soldiers wearing the Hongji Empire's unique mechanical armor standing in front of a residential area.

He hurried over.

But he was stopped as soon as he approached.

"Stop, sir. This is a special control area. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from approaching."

The middle-aged man at the head replied politely. Although the Federation gave them enough rights, they were still guests, so they had to be polite.

"Hello, I'm Su Mo. I'm here to see Miss Jialan. Could you please notify her?"

The captain was stunned to hear Su Mo's self-introduction.

"You're Su Mo? Do you have any proof?"

"Um, is there a problem? Here's my ID card."

Su Mo showed his ID card to the other party, somewhat puzzled.

"No problem. Our chieftain has instructed us that you, Lord Su Mo, are free to move around in our area without any restrictions. The rights we granted you at the beginning are still valid. The doors of our friendship are always open to you."

"That's great."

"You're looking for Miss Jialan, right? She just returned recently. She's in the villa in the center. You can go directly there. If you encounter any obstacles, just give your name."

"Thank you."

Su Mo said gratefully.

A moment later, Su Mo arrived at the entrance of the central villa, following the directions.

Harik, who was guarding the place, was surprised to see Su Mo visiting.

"Mr. Su Mo? What brings you here?"

"I'm here to see Miss Jialan."

Su Mo looked at the man in front of him, who looked familiar. He seemed to have seen him next to Jialan before.

"In that case, I'll have someone notify her. Please wait in the living room."

"Thank you."

Su Mo nodded.

So Su Mo walked in. He looked at the environment inside the villa. It was planted with various plants, and the environment was very nice.

It seemed that Jialan and the others were indeed being treated very well on the Black Obsidian.