255: Chapter 255 A crisis is looming over Earth; an alien fleet may be right overhead!

Lu Li detached the crystal module, stored it in his Battle Armor's storage compartment, and then proceeded to dismantle several relatively intact core components deep within the ship.

These items were enough to confirm many of the Dragon Kingdom's suspicions.

However, his eyes did not relax because of this.

"Let's go."

Lin Qinglan was stunned.

"Are we not looking for The Alien anymore?"

"We are."

Lu Li looked up at the depths of the base.

"But I estimate that it is no longer in this base."

Over the next ten minutes, the two successively broke into three suspected detention areas.

Biological laboratory.

Cryogenic isolation chamber.

Underground independent medical area.

But no matter where they went, there were only traces left after a hasty transfer.

Obviously, after discovering the spy infiltration last time, the United States had long since made preparations in advance.

Just then, a hurried voice suddenly came from the communication channel of Lin Qinglan's Battle Armor.

"Team Leader Lin, Mr. Lu, Dragon Kingdom satellites have captured large-scale aerial reinforcements."

"Estimated arrival at the outer airspace in seven minutes."

"Ground armored units are also approaching."

Lin Qinglan immediately looked at Lu Li.

"Enemy reinforcements are almost here."

Lu Li narrowed his eyes.

He actually wanted to dig deeper.

But he also understood that since the United States had already transferred The Alien, staying here was of little significance.

Moreover, the core purpose of this operation had already been completed.

They had obtained the ship's logs.

They had obtained key components of The Alien wreckage.

They had also confirmed the most important thing—

That The Alien was, in all likelihood, still alive.

"Retreat."

Lu Li did not hesitate.

Both sets of Battle Armor ascended simultaneously, rushing out at high speed from the blasted-open passage.

Several minutes later, when the United States reinforcements arrived, they only saw a chaotic underground base, demolished Robots scattered everywhere, and the wreckage of The Alien ship with its key components stripped away again.

The general in charge of the scene had a grim complexion.

And far away in the underground command room of the White House, President Trump looked at the transmitted footage, his expression already looking terrible to the extreme.

...

Dragon Kingdom.

Inside the top-secret conference room.

After Lu Li and Lin Qinglan returned, they met Elder Wu immediately.

The ship's crystal module, the Robot's energy core, and several pieces of alien alloy parts were all placed on the conference table.

But what really plunged the entire conference room into deathly silence were the few translated log segments that Lu Li had brought back.

[Pilot seriously injured and unconscious.]

[Emergency landing target: nearby habitable planet.]

[Emergency distress beacon failed to send.]

Elder Wu stared at the screen for a long time without speaking.

The old man had seen too many storms in his life.

But at this moment, his expression still sank.

"In other words."

"That The Alien is alive."

Lu Li nodded.

"At least from the current information, he did not die back then."

The expressions of several high-ranking military officers in the conference room changed simultaneously.

A living alien.

These few words themselves carried enough weight to change the landscape of the entire Blue Star.

If the other party were just a corpse, or just ship wreckage, then the countries of Blue Star would still only be fighting over technology.

But if the other party was still alive, the situation would be completely different.

Could a civilization that could travel across galaxies to reach the vicinity of Blue Star not have interstellar communication technology?

Would it not have records of its home planet's coordinates?

Would it not have some kind of distress mechanism that would eventually be activated?

Once the news reaches the other civilization, no one knows what will greet Blue Star.

Rescue?

Judgment?

Colonization?

Or complete cleansing?

Elder Wu leaned back in his chair slowly, his voice low.

"This is not just the United States' trouble."

"This is the trouble of the entire Blue Star."

Lu Li did not refute.

Although he had confidence in his own technology, he would not underestimate a civilization that could already perform interstellar travel.

The mark 45 armor was very strong.

The technological reserves in his hands were also exaggerated enough.

But Blue Star's current overall industrial foundation was still too far from a true interstellar civilization.

If the other civilization really came looking for it, Blue Star's existing order would likely be crushed instantly.

Elder Wu looked at Lu Li.

"Little Lu, what do you think?"

Lu Li was silent for a moment, then spoke:

"First, find a way to find The Alien."

"Second, figure out how much technology the United States has actually obtained from him over the years."

"Third, our country cannot continue to develop at the original pace."

He said this, his eyes slightly cold.

"If the other party's civilization can really find us, the time we have left may not be as much as we imagined. This is a critical moment for the survival of human civilization."

No one in the conference room spoke.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as the sky before a rainstorm.

Elder Wu slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, there was no hesitation in the old man's eyes.

"From now on, the relevant information is classified as top secret."

"Establish a special task force to fully track the United States' transfer route."

"At the same time, the priority of all research projects related to alien technology will be upgraded."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lu Li again.

"Little Lu."

"Next, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you."

Lu Li leaned back in his chair, his expression still lazy.

But in the depths of his eyes, there was no slightness.

"Don't worry."

"Although I hate working."

"But I also don't want to wake up one day and see an alien fleet parked overhead."

As soon as these words came out, the extremely tense atmosphere in the conference room relaxed a little.

But everyone knew.

The true crisis of Blue Star had only just revealed the tip of the iceberg.

...

Meanwhile.

United States, White House underground security conference room.

The heavy alloy door closed slowly, isolating all sounds from the outside.

At the end of the long table, President Trump had a gloomy face, his fingertips pressing on a newly unsealed top-secret file.

The file cover was yellowed and worn at the edges, like a relic dug out of a piece of history that had been forcibly sealed.

On the cover, a cold code name was printed.

[Prometheus Project]

The lights in the conference room were ghastly white.

No one spoke.

Because everyone present knew what this file meant.

Decades ago, the United States discovered a severely damaged alien ship deep in a remote farm in Nevada.

And, a seriously injured and unconscious alien life form.

After that day, that alien life form was secretly transferred into Area 51, which had not yet been fully built.

Initially, the United States high-level officials had given a promise.

They would help the other party repair the ship.

They would help the other party return to the home planet.

But when the first batch of technical data was translated, everything changed.

Energy systems.

New materials.

Micro propulsion structures.

Ultra-long-distance communication theory.

Every single item was enough to cause the existing technology system of Blue Star to tremble.

Thus, the promise was torn up.

Cooperation turned into imprisonment.

That The Alien also changed from a "guest" to a living treasure vault.

Relying on partial technology dismantled from the ship's wreckage, the United States achieved one key breakthrough after another.

Even behind the Apollo moon landing, the shadow of the "Prometheus Project" was hidden.

Externally, that was a great step in human space history.

Internally, that was the first cluster of fire stolen by the United States from the wreckage of an alien civilization.

They dared not let The Alien leave.

Even less could they bear to kill him.

To prevent him from sending signals to the home planet, the detention chamber in the deepest part of Area 51 had been completely remodeled.

Metal was removed.

Conductive materials were isolated.

Even the fixing structures were replaced with special ceramics and composite materials.

For decades, The Alien had been kept there.

Like a treasure vault.

Also like a bomb.