Brother, just how powerful is our family?

Earth, the ancient land of the Dragon Kingdom.

Although the Dragon Kingdom no longer exists, its ancient buildings, winding rivers, and towering mountains remain.

These places have been preserved intact as part of the Earth Protection Plan for the Yanhuang Civilization, serving as a shared memory for the descendants of Yanhuang.

On the day the news came, many people spontaneously came to the ancient land of the Dragon Kingdom.

They stood on the Great Wall, in front of the Forbidden City, by the Yellow River, and atop Mount Tai.

They waved blue flags with golden dragons, sang ancient songs, and chanted slogans passed down from their ancestors.

A young father stands on the Great Wall with his son.

The son was only seven or eight years old, holding a small flag and waving it in the wind.

"Dad, why did we come here?" the son asked.

"Because this is our root." The father squatted down, pointing to the distant mountains. "Our ancestors lived here for five thousand years. They experienced countless wars and countless disasters, but they never fell. Every time, they rose again."

"Just like this time?"

"Just like this time." The father smiled. "The beasts are powerful, more powerful than any enemy we've ever faced. But we won. Why? Because we have five thousand years of heritage, five thousand years of backbone. We won't lose, because we can't afford to lose."

The son nodded as if he understood, then continued waving the little flag.

In the distance, the setting sun casts its golden rays upon the Great Wall, upon the ancient bricks and stones, and upon the winding walls.

For thousands of years, this ancient building has witnessed countless rises and falls, glory and disgrace.

Today, it witnessed yet another victory.

The day the expeditionary fleet returned home, the entire Yanhuang civilization was in an uproar.

From the starports of the Kuiper Belt to the various spaceports within the solar system, from the Yanhuang continent to Earth, from every node star system to every colonized planet, two hundred billion descendants of Yanhuang are waiting for that moment.

When the first Vengeance-class warship emerged from the rift and appeared on the outskirts of the Kuiper Belt starport, a deafening cheer erupted in the starport's observation hall.

"They're back! They're back!"

"Look, that's the Vengeance! It's the first one back!"

"There are more! One, two, three... they're all here!"

One after another, the Vengeance-class warships emerged from the rift, followed by the Shuttle-class, then the Conqueror-class, and then thousands of auxiliary ships.

They sailed slowly into the Star Harbor's berthing area in neat formation.

The blue flag with a golden dragon on the hull fluttered in the starlight, and the muzzles of the cannons still bore the marks of battle, while the armor was covered with craters and scorch marks.

But they came back. Not one was missing.

In the command center of the starport, the commander-in-chief announced to all Chinese citizens via the quantum communication network: "The expeditionary fleet has returned victorious. All warships are back in position."

Two hundred billion descendants of Yan and Huang, at the same moment, uttered the same sound—cheers.

Cheers erupted from every galaxy, from every planet, and from the heart of every person.

They converge into a river, flowing across hundreds of light-years, overcoming the barriers of time and space, and flowing into the hearts of every Chinese person.

That was a cheer of victory. That was a cheer of pride. That was a cheer of relief.

But before the cheers, there was a moment of silence.

The Executive Yuan issued a brief notice: "To commemorate the billions of citizens and warriors who sacrificed their lives in the invasion of the Beasts, the Yanhuang Civilization will hold a civilization-wide moment of silence tomorrow. At that time, all star systems, all planets, and all units will observe three minutes of silence simultaneously. All citizens are requested to be prepared."

The next day, the appointed time arrived.

The square in front of the administrative center on the Yanhuang Continent.

Qin Feng stood in front of the monument, with the core layer of the Yanhuang civilization behind him.

Their expressions were solemn, their gazes calm.

In the square, thousands of citizen representatives stood in neat rows, each wearing a white chrysanthemum pinned to their chest.

Further away, hundreds of thousands of citizens spontaneously gathered on the streets surrounding the square, without speaking or making a fuss.

Solar System, Kuiper Belt Starport. All warships' flags were lowered to half-mast.

The officers and soldiers stood on the deck, took off their hats, and bowed their heads.

Behind them were the empty bunks of their comrades who had sacrificed their lives in battle.

Their military uniforms, their photos, and their medals were laid out on the berths.

The ruins of the Tian Shu star system. That once prosperous star system, with stars, planets, and inhabited planets, is now nothing but darkness and a still-rotating black hole.

Several memorial spaceships hovered outside the gravitational pull of the black hole, and the Yanhuang citizens on board looked through the portholes at the black hole that had swallowed their homeland.

They were observing a moment of silence. A moment of silence for their loved ones who did not escape.

Ruins of the Tianxuan Galaxy. The same darkness, the same black hole.

On a civilian spacecraft, a middle-aged woman stands in front of a porthole, holding a yellowed photograph in her hand.

The photo shows her parents and her sister. None of them escaped.

She pressed the photo to her chest and closed her eyes.

Two hundred billion descendants of Yan and Huang bowed their heads at the same moment.

Three minutes. One hundred and eighty seconds. Every second felt like an eternity.

During those three minutes, every Chinese person silently recited the names of those who sacrificed their lives.

Some people silently mourned their loved ones, some their comrades-in-arms, and some the strangers who died for them.

After three minutes, Qin Feng stepped forward and placed a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of the monument.

Then he turned around and faced the crowd in the square.

"Four hundred and five billion compatriots," his voice echoed throughout the entire Yanhuang civilization via the quantum communication network, "your blood was not shed in vain. The monstrous beasts have been annihilated. The great revenge has been avenged."

Rest in peace.

In the square, thousands of white chrysanthemums were placed in front of the monument at the same time.

A sea of ​​white flowers, shimmering in the sunlight, resembles countless resting souls.

After the moment of silence, the celebrations began.

On the Yanhuang Continent, in the square in front of the administrative center, colorful flags fluttered, music played, and the crowd began to surge.

It was no longer a solemn moment of silence, but a joyous celebration.

People laughed, sang, danced, hugged each other, and congratulated each other.

Those who were just moments ago immersed in grief now have smiles on their faces.

It's not that we've forgotten our sorrow, but rather that we're using joy to comfort the departed.

Qin Feng stood on the steps of the administrative center, looking at the crowd in the square.

His expression remained calm, but there was a glimmer in his eyes. It was the light of a victor.

"Leader, please say a few words," Qin Weidong said softly from the side.

Qin Feng nodded and stepped forward. The crowd fell silent, everyone watching him.