446: Control the infection

Soldiers quickly donned their battle armor, the heavy metal components assembling on them. Soon, landing pods carrying reinforcements rained down, striking areas dense with infected. The moment the hatch doors opened, the Soldiers charged towards the infected, tearing through the battlefield's silence.

Li Yang stared intently at the Command Center's light screen, his fingertips sliding across the data panel.

When the last batch of reinforcement Soldiers completed deployment, the curve for cleanup efficiency suddenly leaped upwards—the number of infected cleared per second had astonishingly surpassed the 'hundred million' mark.

That constantly flickering string of numbers carried the force of thunder, and the red infected areas on the light screen receded at a visible pace.

"It's not enough."

Li Yang suddenly spoke, his tone steady but with an undeniable decisiveness.

"Send a message to all civilizations to continue dispatching more Soldiers. A portion will be directly deployed to the main battlefield, while the rest will be divided by star system and immediately set off for other infected planets, commencing synchronized cleanup."

He pointed to the distant star systems on the star map that still glowed red.

"We cannot only focus on this planet in front of us; the roots of the infection have long since taken hold in every corner of the Galaxy. Dividing our forces and advancing with synchronized cleanup is the only way to completely sever all potential sources of spread."

Oliver immediately understood, nodding to his subordinates.

"Transmit Comrade Li Yang's order: have the transport starship adjust their routes and prioritize transporting Soldiers to the nearest infected planets."

The moment the order was issued, the starship fleet began to re-group. A portion continued to deploy forces to Gray Rock Star, while another portion changed course, carrying fully armed Soldiers, and sped towards the red-marked planets deep within the Galaxy.

On the light screen, the green dots representing allied forces spread like ripples, gradually engulfing the red areas symbolizing infection. A Galaxy-wide cleanup battle had thus begun...

Another hour's time limit had just arrived, and the starship fleet precisely deployed a new batch of intelligent creatures.

Unlike last time, the number of new infections clearly slowed. The green tide that had previously swallowed more than half in an instant now covered less than sixty percent, and the number of newly appearing infected was less than half of the previous round.

The surviving intelligent creatures were also quickly retrieved by the starship.

On the Command Center's light screen, the curve for the total number of infected continued to fall, no longer fluctuating violently, but slowly decreasing at a steady rate.

Good news also arrived from other areas of the Galaxy: the red markers on the infected planets being cleared by the divided forces of various civilizations were extinguishing one by one, and the Galaxy-wide infection count on the data panel also showed a downward trend.

"Reporting, Division Commander!"

His subordinate's voice came through the communication, carrying irrepressible excitement.

"The latest data projection shows that within half a day, the number of infected on Gray Rock Star can be controlled to a single digit!"

Li Yang nodded, but his gaze did not leave the red dots on the light screen that had not yet completely extinguished, reminding them in a solemn tone.

"Remember, before other infected areas are thoroughly cleared, we must never completely zero out the infected on Gray Rock Star in one go."

Oliver, who was beside him, instantly grasped the key point.

"You mean, we should use this place as an 'infection anchor point'?"

"Exactly."

Li Yang's fingertip tapped the icon for Gray Rock Star.

"Once Gray Rock Star has no infected, according to the rules, the infection will immediately spread to other planets. But as long as we keep a small number of infected here and regularly deploy intelligent creatures for them to 'consume', we can firmly lock the source of infection for the entire Galaxy on this planet, buying time for cleanup in other areas."

This was a gamble of fighting fire with fire—using the controlled infection of one planet to achieve the ultimate peace of the entire Galaxy.

His subordinate quickly recorded the order, and a new deployment plan popped up on the light screen.

"Understood! The reserved number will be set to 5 to 10, intelligent creatures will be deployed hourly, and the spread of infection will be strictly monitored."

Li Yang looked at the plan, confirmed it was correct, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The scales of the battlefield had begun to tip. As long as they held this critical node, Gray Rock Star, victory was only a matter of time.

In the distant starry sky, transport starship were still shuttling, sending batches of supplies and Soldiers to various front lines, while the cleanup operation on Gray Rock Star was proceeding at an even more precise and orderly pace.

Seeing that the situation was completely under control, Oliver quickly walked over to Li Yang, patted his shoulder vigorously, his face filled with undisguised admiration and a smile.

"Comrade Li Yang, I am truly convinced! No wonder the higher-ups have always praised you endlessly. With your calm judgment in times of crisis and precise planning, a lieutenant colonel rank truly does you an injustice."

Upon hearing this, Li Yang quickly waved his hand, humbly and sincerely.

"Comrade Oliver, you flatter me. The successful stabilization of the situation this time is entirely due to your division's full cooperation. Whether it's troop support or material allocation, it wouldn't have worked without any one link. This credit belongs to everyone; I wouldn't dare claim it all for myself."

His words not only highlighted that the success of the operation was inseparable from teamwork but also subtly elevated Oliver, which made Oliver feel exceptionally comfortable.

Oliver looked at Li Yang's frank expression and couldn't help but nod inwardly.

No wonder he could bear such a heavy responsibility at such a young age; not only was he exceptionally capable, but he also handled interpersonal relations flawlessly.

He neither took credit nor was arrogant, and he knew how to consider others' feelings. This composure and perceptiveness were even more valuable than mere military talent.

He smiled and shook his head, his tone now carrying more genuine sincerity.

"Oh, what you're saying..."

Oliver smiled and waved his hand, his tone carrying genuine affirmation.

"To stabilize the situation this time, the core still relied on you. I'm clear-headed about it; your ability, holding a lieutenant colonel rank, is indeed too much of an injustice. If word gets out, people might laugh at our military for burying talent."

He was praising him in every word, but he understood the situation clearly in his heart.

Li Yang was currently on a rising trajectory, and sending out this favor now might lead to mutual support in the future, which was far more practical than vying for this small bit of credit.

Li Yang heard the goodwill in his words and smiled, shaking his head.

"The later matters are not urgent. Let's finish clearing the current infection first. Once Gray Rock Star is stable, other planets will be easier to advance on."

"What you said is indeed practical, but the core of strategizing still lies with you. Alright, let's not talk about these superficial things. For the subsequent cleanup operations, we'll still need your comprehensive coordination, and our division will cooperate fully!"

Li Yang nodded in response.

"Absolutely, we will work together to completely resolve this crisis as quickly as possible."

The atmosphere in the Command Room became more harmonious due to these few exchanges, and the tension that had gripped the air due to the critical situation also quietly eased considerably...