Ten years had passed. The once young man had already become a slightly aging middle-aged man; his gaze had grown resolute, his thinking steady.

He was not particularly gifted, nor especially quick in thought, and yet that was precisely his greatest strength. He never made reckless decisions; whenever he was faced with a major choice of his own to make, he would always think it through with exceptional thoroughness. The Zhuo Yihang of today had already grown into a reliable Acting Governor.

Zhuo Yihang: "My Lord Viscount, the communications office has received a brand-new detailed Star Map provided by South Nine Star. The latest intelligence within the Tenglong Nebula is as follows… Compared with ninety years ago, there has not been much change in either the commercial route or the exploration route. If we take the commonly used commercial route, we only need to adjust navigation parameters at 391, 644, 1214 and more than sixty other nodes to make slight course corrections. If we take the exploration route…"

Within the Tenglong Nebula there were two safe routes in total. One was the route commonly used over the past millennium for interstellar trade between Source Star and the Empire, known as the commercial route. It had the fewest occluding bodies along the way and did not pass through unstable radiation zones. On this route, ships could basically proceed at full speed, with an estimated transit time of 2.5 to 2.8 years.

The other route had been named the exploration route. According to historical records, when the first-generation humans of the Source Star civilization walked out of Source Star and entered the Great Cosmic Era, this was the path they took. It was of course not a process accomplished overnight, but one carved out by generation after generation of Pioneers who advanced one after another, exploring with their lives and forging a hidden, winding path of glory and suffering.

The exploration route, abandoned for many years, was more concealed and longer in distance, with more large celestial bodies blocking the way, and electromagnetic isolation zones along the route that severed the path. It required as many as several thousand large-angle course changes to pass through. The fleet had to slow down on the exploration route, with a total transit time of more than six years.

If the commercial route was a mountain tunnel later generations blasted open through rock, then the exploration route was a goat trail measured out step by step by the ancients.

After Zhuo Yihang finished his briefing, Zheng Tian turned her head to look at Ren Zhong. "My Lord Viscount, we'll enter the Tenglong Nebula tomorrow. We have to decide which route to take."

The Zheng Tian of today had not fully forgiven Ren Zhong. Stepping forward again was more about fulfilling her responsibility. She no longer addressed him as boss, Brother Ren, President Ren, or chief as she had in the past, but, like the others, used the respectful yet distant "My Lord Viscount."

Ren Zhong nodded. "I know."

Zheng Tian asked, "Do we need a meeting to discuss it?"

Ren Zhong shook his head. "No. There's no need for discussion."

There were times when he needed collective wisdom, but in the face of this kind of situation, discussion was of no help.

The Empire had only provided the Star Map, and had not dispatched elite explorers this way, nor any military intelligence.

The Vanguard Team had already gone ahead at full power into the nebula, but had not returned any effective intelligence either.

The small Reconnaissance Ships also reported that everything was normal.

This Tenglong Nebula looked utterly ordinary, peaceful.

But no one dared guarantee whether there might be a Patrol Team of Ascenders Lurking within.

The reason was simple. Although the Vanguard Team's Armed Battleships had been additionally equipped with scanning devices, and the Reconnaissance Ships had far better exploration performance than ordinary small vessels, they were ultimately low-end products independently developed on the C-class Tracer colonial team's native technological foundation, and could not be compared to the high-tech equipment within the Empire.

Enemies bold enough to operate in these regions could evade even Imperial Reconnaissance Ships, let alone a marginal force like the Source Star Fleet.

Ren Zhong slowly closed his eyes, attempting an intense deduction in his mind—or perhaps… a guess.

After a long time, he gave up, opened his eyes again, and once more studied this complex, detailed Star Map.

It was merely a binary choice, yet it stumped him. He had no idea which route to choose, and could not activate his precognition ability.

Precognition was never omnipotent. He knew nothing about the enemy, could not even be completely sure they were Ascenders; with his subconscious unable to supply an answer, that was only natural.

"Let me start with an assumption. Suppose there really is a group of cruisers Lurking inside, preparing to ambush and intercept us. This is still Imperial territory, and they too face the risk of being hunted by the Empire, so let's further assume they only have a single Patrol Team. Then, how would they analyze our movements? Where would they ambush us? Zheng Tian, what do you think?"

Zheng Tian thought for a moment. "Our information has already leaked. The enemy should realize that we can think of this. Then, according to conventional reasoning, the enemy might believe we'll try the exploration route to avoid their ambush."

Ren Zhong gave a small smile. "But is it possible they anticipate our anticipation? That they infer we'll consider the most dangerous place to be the safest, and instead place their ambush on the commercial route?"

Zheng Tian was taken aback. "Uh…"

"So when faced with this kind of choice, psychology is meaningless." Ren Zhong waved his hand. "Recall the Vanguard Fleet. Have the rear formation surge forward and close with the main force, tighten the formation, and take the commercial route. Recover all Reconnaissance Ships, shut down all radar scanning equipment, switch to passive mode, shut down all medium engines, switch to gravity traction engines, and adopt silent running. Awaken all Frozen Soldiers on every ship, then convene all Level Eight and above Combat Professionals for a network conference. Zheng Tian, you'll conduct a war mobilization. Tell them that for the next three years, no one is allowed to go into sleep; everyone is to stand by around the clock."

Zheng Tian: "Yes, sir!"

"Zhuo Yihang, send out a notice to all civilians. Tell them that even the transport ships may need to fight. Everyone has to be mentally prepared—no panicking the moment battle starts."

Zhuo Yihang: "Yes, sir!"

After that, Ren Zhong walked over again to the wheelchair in front of Qian Wangshen. "Brother Qian, you've worked hard."

Qian Wangshen's eyes, rarely leaving the tablet, lifted to glance at Ren Zhong, then he raised his hand with some effort and pointed at the screen.

Following his gesture, Ren Zhong saw a save progress bar.

An electronic voice sounded beside the wheelchair, the sound read from the brainwaves of Qian Wangshen's inner thoughts.

"President Ren, I've just整理ed my ideas on the new analysis instrument again and saved them."

Ren Zhong: "Mm."

"By the way, the Super-speed Missile capable of cruising at one-quarter light speed has been developed. Its maximum range has reached sixty billion kilometers. It can also serve as a range extender for the Tracer High Explosive Missile."

Ren Zhong: "Mm."

A sudden light flared in Qian Wangshen's clouded eyes as he slowly said, "President Ren, this is as far as I can go with you."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye."

Old Qian's head slowly sagged, resting against the wheelchair as he fell into an eternal sleep.

Old Qian—once the unruly, unrestrained first War Artist of Source Star—had finally burned through the entirety of his life.

The era that belonged to Old Qian had come to an end.

But the knowledge he left behind continued to be inherited and flow within the fleet and on Source Star.