"Hey, Peng, do you think these aliens have spotted us?"
Nof's voice rang out over the comms. Zhang Peng was frowning, staring fixedly at the alien warships stretching as far as the eye could see, like a vast sea of stars. Their immense, mysterious formation inspired awe.
Zhang Peng swallowed and slowly replied, "If they've already spotted us, then they have. Otherwise, they probably haven't."
Even at a tense moment like this, Nof still had the heart to joke. "Oh, my dear comrade, I feel like you just said absolutely nothing."
Zhang Peng answered with a perfectly straight face, "Chinese culture is vast and profound. Great philosophical truths are often hidden in nonsense. You've still got plenty to learn, Nof."
As they spoke, the alien fleet silently swept into their attack range like a surging tide.
At this distance, both sides could readily detect each other's presence. Yet, for some reason, neither made a move, as though bound by an invisible force.
"Hey, these aliens' technology doesn't look all that impressive. They haven't even seen through our 'Invisibility Technique.'"
Zhang Peng felt secretly pleased. If his guess was right, their technological level might not be that far ahead of Earth's. That would mean Earth could put up a fight instead of being utterly defenseless.
"Then why aren't we firing? What are the higher-ups doing, fishing?"
Nof was growing anxious. In war, whoever seized the initiative gained the advantage in that brutal contest. He simply couldn't understand why they were still holding their position.
"Relax."
Zhang Peng said calmly, "You still don't understand our traditions. In war, we follow the principle of never firing the first shot."
He paused, then patiently continued, "We're a nation of courtesy. Under normal circumstances, we don't start by using violence to escalate a dispute. We