Decision

The discovery of the Duoqi Star System, while seemingly of little use and unlikely to cause much trouble for the Duoqi Race behind enemy lines, did shatter a fundamental belief held by the Coalition Army about the Zerg: that the Zerg never surrendered.

"Does the Zerg want to capture us?" one of the representatives wondered after reading the message.

"Very likely."

"But what use are we? To be honest, apart from fighting, my other skills aren't very high, and my scientific research is even more mediocre," a representative from another ethnic group boldly confessed.

"Haha, what's so hard to guess? If we capture someone alive, they'll be taken hostage, of course. That's our greatest value."

"That's right. After all, there are hundreds of races here, almost half of the Alliance's races. If they capture us, at least our race will be more cautious in the upcoming battles, which will reduce a lot of pressure on the Zerg."

"I never expected the Zerg to play like this. I thought that although there were some variables in this battle, victory would ultimately belong to us. It turns out that in the end, I was the clown."

"Don't underestimate ourselves. This isn't our fault. The Zerg simply exploited an information gap. If we had known this information and prepared in advance, the Zerg wouldn't have been able to achieve what they have today."

"Who knows? The Zerg's methods are endless. Even if they don't use this one, they might use another next time. Moreover, judging from the Zerg's performance just now, they have a very good understanding of the structure of our warships. This isn't just happening in one or two units, but in all of them. This means that the Zerg definitely have spies within the Coalition Army, and at a very high level. I dare say that there is definitely a Zerg spy among you all!"

The foreign representative's words immediately caused a huge uproar in the meeting hall. Those who could enter this hall were all important figures from various ethnic groups, and now someone actually suspected them of being spies, which was an insult to their dignity.

However, after calming down and thinking carefully, everyone realized that this possibility was not impossible, and in fact, it was very high. Otherwise, the Zerg would not have been able to gain the upper hand at every step.

Thinking of this, everyone became more wary of each other.

"Actually, I'm quite curious about what benefits the Zerg offered that would make some people betray their own race and do such a thing."

"I'm curious too, but unfortunately I don't know."

"Who knows if you genuinely don't know, or if you're just pretending?"

"Only the parties involved know the truth!"

"..."

"Enough! I don't care who's a good guy and who's a spy. Our most important task now is to thwart the Zerg's plot and prevent future troubles for our people." Seeing the situation gradually spiraling out of control under the pressure of impending defeat and capture, Coalition Army Commander Conrads had no choice but to step forward.

"The Zerg haven't made a move yet, which means they're not ready. We must seize this opportunity. I need each of you to immediately assess the situation within your own fleets and determine if it's possible to eliminate any hidden dangers within your warships. If not, how long will it take to enter a retreat state?"

In this critical moment, Conrads stepped forward like a pillar of strength, issuing a series of orders in rapid succession. Finally, after a moment's thought, he added, "Outer-Ring Civilizations, retreat now!"

"Why..." A representative of the Mid-Ring Civilizations became anxious upon hearing that the Outer-Ring Civilizations's fleet could withdraw now. However, he was silenced by Conrads' murderous gaze.

"The Outer-Ring Civilizations's fleet suffered heavy casualties in the previous battles. And now, in the battle outside the field, the Zerg's units above 500 meters in size are less than 100 million. If we were to fight, even without them, we wouldn't suffer too many losses to defeat the Zerg. But if we were to retreat, they are the slowest. If we leave them at the back, they might be completely wiped out in the Zerg's pursuit. We cannot do this to our comrades."

His words were delivered in a grand and righteous manner, successfully winning the favor of all the Outer-Ring Civilizations while leaving most of the foreign races dumbfounded.

Their eyes were filled with deep confusion, their bewildered faces etched with unspoken words: When did the Lashudia Clan develop a conscience?

However, given the neurotic nature of the Lashudia Clan, anything they do is quite normal; perhaps their conscience has just kicked in. But Conrads' words secured the moral high ground, leaving the others with no room for argument. They could only acquiesce and allow the Outer-Ring Civilizations to leave first, while the others began compiling statistics.

The statistics were collected quickly, but there wasn't much to collect anyway. The situation wasn't optimistic; everyone was in a similar predicament. Zerg units had occupied important facilities inside the warships, making the cleanup teams hesitant to act.

If this stalemate continues, the situation will become increasingly unfavorable for the Coalition Army.

"It seems we have to retreat." Conrads' eyes revealed intense resentment. Their Lashudia Clan had come here specifically to achieve the first victory against the insects. But seeing the achievement about to be within their grasp, only to have it slip away, would leave any normal person feeling resentful.

"Commander, as long as we can withdraw to our Frontline Base, we still have a chance. Next time, we will be better prepared and will not be harmed by such underhanded tactics again." A representative of the Mid-Ring Civilizations could only offer words of comfort as he watched Conrads posing without giving any further instructions.

"Yes, Commander, as long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn."

"We'll come back after we've rested!"

"..."

Conrads looked at the group of foreign representatives before him, nodded slowly, and said, "I have already communicated with the rear about the current situation. They have cleared part of the waterway for us, so let's withdraw for now."

The stubborn Lashudia Clan finally nodded, and the various races, who had long wanted to escape, scrambled to turn their ships around. They were already on guard against the Zerg activating their Stellar Bomb, and everyone was ready to retreat at any moment.

Although it wasn't due to the Stellar Bomb this time, the outcome was similar; the retreat route had already been rehearsed and calculated countless times. For a time, the Coalition Army's retreat did not appear chaotic; on the contrary, it looked very orderly.

However, some foreign races encountered trouble because they faced unforeseen circumstances. The Outer-Ring Civilizations, which had advanced earlier, were now positioned around the Mid-Ring Civilizations's lines.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they deliberately occupied and blocked the waterway, slowing down the retreat of the Mid-Ring Civilizations.

"...&*! These bastards, are they looking for death?!"

But this was merely impotent rage. No matter how much they looked down on those backward Outer-Ring Civilizations, they dared not order an attack on their own forces under these circumstances.

They were about to go home and didn't want to cause themselves any trouble.