The results came back quickly.
Starting three years ago, an extremely faint set of gravitational-wave signals had been transmitting continuously from the outer edge of the Solar System.
Their frequency was irregular, their intensity so low that ordinary detectors would filter them out.
But they did exist.
And their frequency was gradually increasing.
Qin Zheng saved the data in an encrypted archive. He did not report it. Mr. Chen had told him to wait, so he would keep it for now and hand it over when the time came.
On the third day after Qin Zheng saved the data in the encrypted archive.
The Human Alliance Security Council convened an emergency closed-door meeting. Besides representatives of the five permanent members, those attending included three admirals from the Interstellar Expeditionary Fleet Command and Qin Ling, secretary-general of the Special Operations Department.
There was only one item on the agenda: the unidentified organisms at the outer edge of the Solar System.
The meeting lasted fourteen hours.
When the final resolution came through, Qin Zheng was eating a boxed lunch in his office. Qin Ling pushed open the door and slapped a document bearing the highest security classification onto his desk.
"It passed. Their official designation is the Gold-Eater Clan."
Qin Zheng set down his chopsticks, opened the document, and skimmed it.
"What about deployment?"
"The Third Fleet and the Seventh Fleet will form a joint force of four hundred and twenty capital ships, deployed beyond Jupiter's orbit to establish a defensive perimeter. The Ganymede outpost will be upgraded to level-one combat readiness. All noncombat personnel will be evacuated."
Qin Zheng nodded. Everything that needed doing had been done.
"What about the public?"
Qin Ling adjusted his glasses. "News controls are keeping it under wraps for now, but we can't hold it back