188: Chapter 187 Amidst the Flames of War! Dense Defenses Prepare for a Formidable Enemy, While an Internal Traitor Lurks to Disrupt the Nation (2)

After Lin Wei left, the door to the Command Center was pushed open again. Professor Zhang hurried in with several technicians. Their faces were clearly exhausted, their eyes bloodshot from days without sleep. Faint residues of Xuanguang Energy still clung to them, but their eyes shone with an irrepressible excitement as they tightly gripped a testing report. "Engineer Mu, good news! Based on the records in the ancient books provided by the Nightwatchers, we have successfully developed a Xuanguang Energy Amplification Device!" Professor Zhang's voice was slightly raspy but filled with excitement. He walked quickly to Mu Li and handed over the report. "With this device, the power output of the xuanguang core can be increased by 50%. Furthermore, we can use it to gather dispersed Xuanguang Energy and transform it into an all-encompassing Defense Barrier covering the entire surface of our Home. It can effectively resist Dark Energy attacks; even the main guns of the Dark Fleet's cruisers will find it difficult to break through."

"Excellent! This is exactly what we need!" Mu Li was overjoyed, a long-absent look of relief finally appearing on his face. He quickly took the testing report and scanned the data. Every indicator met or even exceeded their expectations. "Deploy the device to the core nodes of the Near-Earth Orbit Defense Ring immediately. Organize the technical staff to complete the calibration and put it into use as soon as possible. With this Defense Barrier, we can effectively resist the Dark Fleet's Dark Energy attacks, hold our Home, and provide a solid foundation for the frontline operations."

"We are already fully deploying it. The technical staff is working in three shifts, 24 hours a day, to ensure it's operational as soon as possible." Professor Zhang nodded with a hint of pride before adding, "However, Engineer Mu, there is another piece of unexpected good news. While cracking Li Wei's personal terminal, we accidentally discovered an encrypted file. After the technical team's full efforts to decrypt it, we found records of some secret Dark Fleet strongholds within the country. Besides the abandoned factory in Zhongyuan City, there is a hidden dark energy weapon manufacturing workshop in Xijing City, located very discreetly near the Xijing City Xuanguang Energy Base."

Mu Li took the copy of the encrypted file from Professor Zhang and scanned it quickly. The file detailed the specific location of the secret workshop in Xijing City, the surrounding environment, and even the approximate personnel deployment. The diagrams and text were clear, obviously something Li Wei had intentionally preserved. "So that's how it is. They wanted to secretly establish a dark energy weapon manufacturing workshop next to our pilot base to monitor our Xuanguang Energy Base at all times. Given the chance, they would launch an attack to completely sabotage our Mystic Light Energy layout. Their intentions are truly sinister." Mu Li's voice was cold, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"Engineer Mu, should I have Old Yang send people to Xijing City for a raid? We should take out this workshop and eliminate the threat before they can start mass-producing dark energy weapons," Professor Zhang asked with some urgency. He knew very well that the power of dark energy weapons could not be underestimated; once mass-produced, they would pose a massive threat to the Xuanguang Energy Base.

"Not for now." Mu Li slowly shook his head, his tone calm and firm. "This is a critical period in our confrontation with the Dark Fleet; we cannot afford to disperse our forces. Every bit of strength is vital. Have the security department in Xijing City closely monitor that workshop's movements 24 hours a day, recording their personnel flow, material transport, and production progress. Report any abnormalities immediately. Once Lin Wei finishes the matters in Zhongyuan City, have her lead a team for a raid. We will concentrate our strength to destroy it in one fell swoop, avoiding alerting the enemy and preventing unnecessary losses. Additionally, have the technical team continue to fully crack Wang Qian's personal terminal. Don't miss a single clue; see if we can find more secrets about the traitor organization and the Dark Fleet, especially their next plan of action."

"Understood. I will arrange for the technical team to continue cracking it immediately and notify the Xijing City security department to intensify their surveillance." Professor Zhang nodded, turned, and left the Command Center with the technicians to return to their intense work.

Meanwhile, on the space defense battlefield, the Interstellar Alliance fleet had officially engaged the Dark Fleet's vanguard. In the deep reaches of space, blue quantum beams and black Dark Energy beams collided, creating deafening roars. Brilliant bursts of light bloomed in the sea of stars like deadly fireworks, each collision accompanied by the explosion of warships and the scattering of debris. The Interstellar Alliance's galaxy-class capital ships, with their powerful firepower and sturdy shields, continuously destroyed the Dark Fleet's Shadow-class cruisers, their battery volleys possessing immense power. However, the Dark Fleet's drone swarms swarmed in like locusts, vast in number and highly maneuverable, constantly battering the Interstellar Alliance's shields. This put significant pressure on the Interstellar Alliance fleet, with cracks appearing in many ships' shields and energy consumption rates far exceeding expectations.

"Mr. Mu, requesting Xuanguang Energy support! The energy shields of some of our warships are nearly depleted. Without an energy recharge, the shields will shatter, and the ships will suffer heavy losses from Dark Energy attacks!" Marshal Rex's voice crackled through the communication channel with urgency, the background filled with the roar of exploding ships and the shouts of soldiers. Clearly, the battle had reached a fever pitch.

"Activate the Xuanguang Energy support protocol immediately! Maximize the xuanguang core's power output and prioritize supporting the heavily damaged frontline warships!" Mu Li ordered immediately, his tone brook no argument as his fingers flew across the control panel of the command console, flipping the energy transmission switches.

The xuanguang core at the center of the command console instantly erupted with brilliant golden light. A massive, pure torrent of Xuanguang Energy surged through the encrypted quantum communication channels, rapidly transmitting to the Interstellar Alliance fleet. Instantly, the shields of the Interstellar Alliance warships on the verge of shattering flared with brilliant golden light. The cracks quickly repaired and stabilized, and their battery firepower increased as they launched a fierce counterattack against the Dark Fleet.

"Thank you for the support! Mr. Mu, that was incredibly timely!" Marshal Rex's voice regained its composure, tinged with gratitude. "The Dark Fleet's vanguard has been successfully repelled with heavy losses, but this is only the beginning. Their main force is less than 300,000 kilometers from the Mars Defense Ring, approaching aggressively. They are expected to launch a full-scale offensive in 24 hours. You must be prepared."

"We have made full preparations." Mu Li's tone was firm, his eyes flashing with determination. "The Xuanguang Energy Turrets in the Near-Earth Orbit Defense Ring have all been calibrated, and the Xuanguang Energy Amplification Device is about to be fully deployed. If they dare to come, we will make sure they never return. We will not allow a single Dark Fleet ship to break through our defenses. We will protect our Home."

While the space battle raged, the abandoned factory in Zhongyuan City remained dim, with only a few old searchlights casting weak light on the scene. Several people in black combat uniforms sat around a battered metal table, whispering in a conspiracy. Their expressions were cold, and they radiated an eerie Dark Energy aura. Leading them was a man wearing a black mask, with a tall build and an intense, oppressive presence. His voice, processed through a special electronic filter, was raspy and low, devoid of emotion but carrying a heart-chilling coldness: "Li Wei and Wang Qian have been exposed; their movements are known to the Core Laboratory. Keeping them will only lead to further complications. Send someone to deal with them immediately. We cannot allow them to leak any of our secrets."

"Understood! I will arrange the personnel immediately to ensure no traces are left." One of the individuals in black combat gear responded instantly, bowing as he stepped aside to quickly pull out a communicator and issue orders in a respectful but cold tone.

"Additionally, notify the workshop in Xijing City to accelerate the production of dark energy weapons. Work day and night without delay," the Masked Man continued, his finger lightly tapping the metal tabletop with a soft 'thud-thud,' each sound carrying an unquestionable command. "Once the Xuan-guang Energy Defense Shield is completed, our Dark Energy attacks will struggle to be effective. To destroy the Xuanguang Energy Base, we must complete all preparations and manufacture enough dark energy weapons before the shield is finished. When the Dark Fleet launches its full-scale offensive, we will strike from within and without to completely destroy the three Xuanguang Energy Bases in the country, leaving Mu Li unable to attend to both ends and plunging human civilization into despair."

"Yes! I will convey the order immediately and urge the Xijing City workshop to speed up!" another person in black gear responded, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. They all knew this was their last chance; failure would mean a devastating blow.

Meanwhile, Lin Wei had arrived in Zhongyuan City. Dressed in light combat gear and accompanied by elite security personnel, she hid in a wooded area near the abandoned factory, draped in camouflage netting to avoid detection. Through her high-powered binoculars, she clearly saw the activity in the factory. Every person in black combat gear moved with high alertness, and every entrance was guarded. It was a well-fortified secret stronghold. "It seems this is their secret base. There are many personnel, and security is tight; a direct assault will definitely cause casualties." A cold light flashed in Lin Wei's eyes, her tone grave. She slowly lowered the binoculars and whispered to the head of the security department beside her, "Notify headquarters and request backup. Dispatch the core members of the Xuanguang Assault Team. We need to take out this stronghold completely before they make a move, capture everyone involved, and find the clues linking them to the traitors and the Dark Fleet."

Just as Lin Wei was preparing the raid plan and waiting for backup, her communicator vibrated. It was an encrypted message from the Core Laboratory's technical team. She answered quickly, keeping her voice at a minimum: "Director Lin, we successfully cracked Wang Qian's personal terminal and discovered a shocking secret—the leader of the traitors is actually a high-level executive of the Core Laboratory! We also found a detailed plan in her terminal; they intend to activate a virus pre-planted in the core system the moment the Xuan-guang Energy Defense Shield is completed, paralyzing the entire Global Defense System and opening a gap for the Dark Fleet's invasion!"

Lin Wei's expression changed drastically, her heart sinking as her fingers trembled slightly. She couldn't believe her ears. A high-level executive of the Core Laboratory was the leader of the traitors? This meant every step of their plan might have been known to the enemy. The consequences were unthinkable. "A core executive? Who? Is there any specific information?" she asked urgently, her voice carrying a faint, undetectable tremor.

"The information is highly encrypted, and we can't crack it yet. We can only confirm it's a core executive with the highest clearance to access the xuanguang core and the defense system." The technical team's voice was anxious and helpless. "However, we discovered that this executive has had multiple close contacts with Professor Zhang recently. Their conversations involved technical details of the xuanguang core's energy calibration and the Defense Barrier, which is highly suspicious."

"Professor Zhang?" Lin Wei's heart jolted, her face showing a look of disbelief. She couldn't believe that Professor Zhang, who had always been dedicated to Mystic Light Energy research and had sacrificed so much for their Home, could be in close contact with the traitor leader—or even be the leader himself? But she quickly forced herself to calm down. The more critical the moment, the less she could afford to panic. "Continue to put all your efforts into cracking the information. Use all available computing power to find this executive's true identity as quickly as possible. Also, notify Engineer Mu immediately to be on high alert and closely monitor Professor Zhang's every move. Do not alert the enemy, and prevent them from activating the virus early to destroy the defense system."

"Understood! We will continue cracking the data and notify Engineer Mu immediately!" The technical team's voice faded as the communication was cut off.

Inside the Core Laboratory Command Center, Mu Li received the news from the technical team and was shocked, as if struck by a thunderbolt. Professor Zhang was one of the people he trusted most. Since the early days of Mystic Light Energy research, Professor Zhang had been by his side, fighting day and night, contributing so much to the civilian application of Mystic Light Energy and breakthroughs in defense technology. He couldn't believe Professor Zhang was involved with the traitors. However, he also knew the technical team's news wasn't baseless. In this critical period, any suspicion could not be ignored. He immediately pulled up Professor Zhang's recent activity logs and communication records, examining every detail for any sign of a flaw.

"Engineer Mu, we have repeatedly reviewed Professor Zhang's recent activity logs and communication records, and we found no abnormalities," the head of the technical team said gravely, standing to the side. "He has been in the lab recently working on the Xuanguang Energy Amplification Device, rarely leaving. His communication records are all work-related exchanges with the technical team, with no contact with unknown persons. Everything looks normal."

"The more normal it seems, the more likely there is a problem." A complex light flashed in Mu Li's eyes—disappointment, doubt, but mostly determination. "Assign people to secretly monitor Professor Zhang's every move. Whether it's his work in the lab or his private actions, record everything. Do not disturb him to avoid alerting the enemy. Additionally, activate the core system's Emergency Isolation Procedure immediately. Partition independent security zones and temporarily revoke the xuanguang core's control permissions. If a virus intrusion is detected, isolate the core system from the outside completely to ensure the safety of the core data and the defense system. We cannot let their plot succeed."

"Understood! We will arrange for personnel to monitor Professor Zhang and activate the Emergency Isolation Procedure immediately!" The head of the technical team responded and turned to lead his team into action.