Qianyuan: My crew comes from the world of anime.

The lieutenant general nodded in agreement: "Yes, Lieutenant, your submarine is a modified T1 reconnaissance submarine. Its firepower far surpasses that of a typical T2 armed ship. If we could send a fully loaded T3 attack submarine, we might be able to take it down..."

He was interrupted by the major halfway through his sentence: "That's still impossible, sir."

The lieutenant general glanced at the major with some displeasure, but Soloviev calmly explained:

"Sir, the T3 attack submarine is almost 100 meters long. If you add the length when it's fully loaded—I estimate its speed is slower than that of submarines from World War II on Earth."

"That damned beast is quite agile. Even if we send out specialized reconnaissance submarines, it's difficult to catch up with it. As soon as our submarines go out, they are easily outmaneuvered by the enemy."

The lieutenant general clearly realized where his 'mistake' lay.

To deal with a cunning and swift behemoth, what is needed is not firepower, but how to capture it and escape unscathed from its attack.

Seeing an opportunity, Luo Tianming said, "If we can find another chance to prevent it from escaping, I can find a chance to annihilate it."

Colonel Ivan hesitated for a moment: "Not giving it a chance to escape... Lieutenant, that's too difficult."

“You don’t know enough about that behemoth yet… ‘Crimson Queen’ is its code name—I found two top-secret files in the records of the colonization of Europa… I won’t tell you laymen the contents.”

"All you need to know is that it has appeared twice—the first time was during the Europa colony era, when that damned beast killed all 350 people in the newly established colony. The second time was in your area—do you know why Polaris Station has always been an 'outpost'?"

Luo Tianming: "Could it be!"

“You guessed right.” Colonel Ivan confirmed Luo Tianming’s idea. “When the Polaris Station was first established, there were four planned colonies in front of it, but that beast had previously turned it into a hunting ground—we had to evacuate 2000 people during the emergency evacuation, which caused serious economic losses to the Alliance.”

"Now, it has designated our Red Star Station, along with the surrounding stations, as a new hunting ground."

boom--!

The sound of a table being slammed came from the lieutenant general's side: "--Damn intelligence blockade, taking pleasure in fooling the public, do you really have to bury all the information in the history archives?"

Colonel Ivan calmly replied, “Please call this ‘information protection in necessary circumstances.’ Information such as that of the giant beast is top secret, and if it were leaked, it would cause great panic among the people on Europa who know nothing about it.”

"Moreover—this kind of creature that can't even be killed by a nuclear bomb is itself a gigantic 'weapon.' If it falls into the wrong hands, it could cause unimaginable harm to the Alliance."

"On the other hand... we can also use these behemoths to deal with our enemies."

Luo Tianming: "...!"

Sensing the implication in his words, the lieutenant general pressed, "You mean... to use behemoths to deal with the Jupiter separatists?!"

Colonel Ivan smiled but said nothing.

But everyone could see the threatening look in his eyes.

Major Soloviev said uneasily, "This...this won't work, will it? What are you going to use to lure it into attacking that fortress-like station?"

Luo Tianming, who was standing to the side feeling uneasy, was also curious that the Alliance actually had a tool to lure giant beasts.

Colonel Ivan: "It's actually very simple. None of you have considered this—with human brains evolving for so many years, do you think these giant beasts wouldn't have brains?"

"We have been studying these creatures on Europa and have finally determined that they locate themselves underwater using a kind of whale-like sound."

"The reason why the creatures on Europa sometimes attack our submarines without regard for anything is because they can detect the sounds made by the submarine's equipment and the noise emitted by the sonar equipment."

"This noise will drive them into a frenzy... Imagine you're planning to take a nap on a Sunday morning, and your neighbor suddenly starts banging on the wall with a hammer drill without warning. How would you feel?"

Luo Tianming: "..."

That would make me very angry...

"But if that's the case," Luo Tianming asked疑惑地, "why don't our submarines switch to a quieter, stealthier method that they won't detect?"

Colonel Ivan interjected, "Lieutenant, do you know how difficult it is to convert a submarine into a completely silent one? How much does it cost to just put a noise-damping hull on a submarine? Each gram of this material costs hundreds of marks. This isn't Earth; we don't have that many resources."

"..."

"Back to the method of luring the behemoth, we can remove the warhead of a high-speed torpedo and install an infrasound generator. This will provoke the behemoth and make it follow the torpedo to where it is supposed to go."

"However...behemoths generally do not leave their hunting grounds. This method can at most induce them to change their route, but it cannot make them change their hunting grounds."

"Regarding the hunting grounds, we suspect it's related to the magnetic field... but we're currently struggling to find a way to study this. If only we had the carcass of a giant beast to study."

The lieutenant general waved his hand dismissively: "This plan is not bad. If things go well, we might be able to kill two birds with one stone. We can deal with the behemoth and also deal with the annoying Jupiter separatists."

"I agree with your plan. When can we implement it?"

Colonel Ivan: "The military site is currently modifying the torpedoes. Once we have news, we'll find a trustworthy captain to transport the torpedoes."

"Lieutenant Luo, are you interested in this mission?"

He looked at Luo Tianming, who was standing ramrod straight in the office.

Luo Tianming: "..."

Before he could answer, Major Soloviev said, "I oppose this inhumane plan. Jupiter separatists are, after all, part of humanity. What if the enemy discovers this and uses it to attack us while you are considering this kind of operation?"

Colonel Ivan said in a sinister tone, "Then we'll have to get the intelligence department to handle this. Currently, only the four of us know about this plan. The scientists working on this project think they're developing a new type of sonic weapon... Believe me, in the end, no more than ten people will know about this. Once it's leaked, it'll be easy to investigate."

"..."

Everyone present fell silent.

Having lost his way, Soloviev looked at Luo Tianming for help: "Lieutenant, what do you think?"

"..."

What do I think?

Luo Tianming glanced somewhat awkwardly at the three men staring at him. He was just a lieutenant, yet he was being asked for his opinion by three superiors.

To be honest, he has no interest in either alliances or separatism; it's a dog-eat-dog situation...

However... Chongshan Station had treated him quite well before, and he was planning to make it his next foothold, so he didn't really want it to be destroyed now.

Can we oppose the alliance's plan?

This was an operation authorized by a colonel and a lieutenant general; it was not his place to object.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to change the subject: "Colonel, I do have some thoughts on this mission—would you mind if I spoke of them now?"

Colonel Ivan glanced at the lieutenant general, whose eyes also held a hint of curiosity, so the colonel didn't ask them to leave: "Alright, what questions do you have?"

Luo Tianming: "I want to ask—who is in charge of this operation? If something goes wrong, they won't make a lowly lieutenant like me take the blame, will they?"

Three people: "..."

His words silenced all three people present.

Luo Tianming knew very well that if he didn't clarify the matter, and if the launched torpedo failed or malfunctioned, they would definitely come after him, the transporter.

If we don't determine who is responsible now, he will definitely be unable to defend himself later.

Now, two positions have emerged on the field: Major Soloviev, who openly opposes the plan, and Luo Tianming, who is conflicted about who should bear the responsibility. They do not support the plan and therefore certainly will not take the responsibility.

The colonel and lieutenant general who supported the implementation of this plan must be held accountable.

"..."

Colonel Ivan cleared his throat and said, "Well, how about... the four of us sign the battle plan at the same time, and of course, everyone gets credit for the division of labor afterwards?"

Lieutenant General: "No, no, no, that's an oversight."

Major: "I will not sign it. To carry out such an operation would make me a sinner against humanity."

Luo Tianming: "..."

With both big shots speaking, it's no longer his turn as a nobody.

In the end, the meeting ended on a sour note.

Chapter 61 Monsters Within the System

"..."

'Tsk...the big shots are so hypocritical it's disgusting.'

From the communication device, Levi's complaining voice came through—Luo Tianming had kept the communication device on the whole time, and it was difficult for ordinary people to notice the inconspicuous tiny device on his ear.

Ultimately, the Europa Alliance is not much better than Jupiter's 'free government'. When it comes to things that require taking responsibility, everyone just shirks responsibility and attacks each other... a hypocritical bureaucracy.

Luo Tianming thought that he would have nothing to do after the meeting ended, but Soloviev called him back.

"Wait, Lieutenant... if it's convenient, sit down and have a drink."

Luo Tianming: "..."

The major was still as addicted to alcohol as ever. Judging from the way he was drinking with his head down, he must have been to the infirmary quite a few times.

However, Luo Tianming was not in the mood for drinking at the moment. He asked, "Major, why did you ask me to stay?"

Soloviev: "..."

His melancholy eyebrows furrowed into two 'caterpillars' as he spoke in a rather deep voice.

“Lieutenant, I know you used some exaggeration when you reported to your superiors. In your actual experience—how threatening do you think that ‘beast’ is?”

Luo Tianming: "It's huge. You could say that if we hadn't scared it away, we might not have made it back... At least, it would be impossible for a regular submarine to escape if it encountered it."

"If this threat is to be resolved, I suggest forming a dedicated joint fleet."

“Sigh,” the major sighed, “the fleet… it’s easier said than done. You’ve seen what the Alliance’s higher-ups mean. They want to resolve the behemoth problem in the way that minimizes the losses.”

"The operation to lure the behemoth will definitely continue—Colonel Ivan will surely find a perfect 'scapegoat,' a hopeless bastard who knows nothing about the seas."

"Lieutenant Luo, you need to prepare in advance."

Luo Tianming nodded in deep agreement.

“If possible…” Soloviev suddenly wanted to say something, but then he thought it was inappropriate.

"never mind."

Luo Tianming guessed: He must really want him to tamper with that high-speed torpedo so that this operation would fail.

But that's simply not realistic.

Luo Tianming is just a lieutenant. If he dares to have any crooked ideas, those superiors will definitely blame him. After all, he is one of only two people who have handled torpedoes. If something goes wrong, who else will they blame but him?

Soloviev opposed this operation...

The major was simply unwilling to admit that the Europa Alliance had gone against his 'belief'—the belief in fighting for the survival of all humanity.

"..."

Since the last terrorist attack, the Alliance leadership has become increasingly intolerant of Jupiter separatism.

The brutal suppression has bred even more people who oppose the alliance's rule, further exacerbating the conflict between the two sides—if 'inducement warfare' was indeed used this time, then future battles will become increasingly ruthless...

The major said with some emotion, "Lieutenant Luo, if you see the situation is bad, just run..."

Luo Tianming: "!"

This is something a high-ranking officer in the alliance shouldn't say to his subordinates, but Soloviev still said it.

Major: "In the eyes of the higher-ups, the more useful you are, the more dangerous places they will put you in, until you die."

"Why don't you switch to an office job?"

"..."

The major, as if offering him a way out, said, "Then take on a mission to develop a site, and naturally break away from the submarine shipping system to become an officer in charge of operating the site, how about that?"

Luo Tianming: "..."

Soloviev was referring to another path within the army, one that also constituted the main ruling system of the Europa Union:

The path to advancement involves accumulating merits through operating sites.

First, he will receive a quest to restart an abandoned beacon or install one—after which, he will clear the monsters from the old site and repair the abandoned site.

During this period, he will automatically be promoted to stationmaster of the station, and his submarine crew members will become official Alliance officers.

From then on, they began to manage the site, work hard to invite immigrants, recruit soldiers, and so on, and the site became an outpost of the Alliance.

Then, by continuously bringing in immigrants and expanding the site's scope, he can choose to upgrade the site into several specialized types: a residential site, a military site, a research site, or a mining site.

If he's lucky, the booming trade will attract a large number of immigrants, and he could upgrade to the size of a 'colony' in a few years.

Luo Tianming believed that if he couldn't turn the site into a colony within 5 years based on the knowledge he had accumulated in the game, he might as well just die and start over.

"..."

But he didn't want to take this path of promotion because there was an insurmountable barrier at the end of it: radiation.

In recent years, as Europa's radiation has become increasingly severe, people have had to gradually move towards deeper and more dangerous areas. Otherwise, once the site is covered by radiation, it will soon be abandoned.

To find the source of all radiation, we must venture to the deepest part of the ocean, the 'Eye of Europa'...