"The academician's consideration is thorough. We do indeed need to be prepared for a large-scale invasion of the Zerg or the collapse of our defenses as soon as possible. We should also inform the other civilizations in the alliance to prepare. If necessary, we can provide them with some Third Reversed State. We have a slight shortage of Second Reversed State even for our own use, so we cannot provide them with them."
"A few technological civilizations aren't a problem, the key issue is the Tree Race. Their concealment methods are too fragile; a simple gravity bomb or a large warship passing by can force their space to open. Moreover, their planets are as large as stars, and there are quite a few of them. Currently, their number of elders hasn't increased, which is indeed a bit troublesome. The only solution is to have them move a few thousand light-years to the outer edge of the galaxy, and we'll help transport the materials there. That way, they'll be safer."
"That's right, I'll talk to Ninety-Seven. By the way Zhonghua, Ninety-Seven on Earth Four right now?"
"He's here, you can't get rid of him no matter what. Now that he's merged space and consciousness, he hasn't changed at all. You don't need to persuade him. I've already talked to him about it. He said it wouldn't affect the root system's division. I told him to just use branches, but he said the distance is too far and he can't control the branches. Anyway, there's no use in persuading him, so I can only let him be."
"This 'Ninety-Seven,' what kind of clan leader is he? He's utterly incompetent," Academician Zeng laughed. "However, Ninety-Seven has indeed cultivated many talents for us. Over the years, he has educated approximately one million children, of whom 18 have become academicians and more than 5,000 have become ordinary scientists. Now, many teachers are learning Ninety-Seven's teaching methods to develop children's intelligence to the greatest extent possible, and they have made good progress."
"We're overjoyed, but I bet the old patriarch of the Tree Race and Grand Elder Zhigu are green with envy."
"Haha, General, we should retreat now. We still need to figure out how to get through the Insect Zone."
The academicians have left, leaving only generals such as Hu Yu Wen Zhonghua. The academicians are determined to go to the Matter River, and no one can change their decision. All that can be done now is to ensure their safety as much as possible. Each of these academicians is capable of being a trillion-ship Reaper, the backbone of their fleet. Even losing one would be unbearable for the fleet, let alone the fact that there are more than just one or two academicians going this time.
Everyone's research has hit a bottleneck, and they are eager to go to the Matter River to find new inspiration. Hu Yu can understand this. If the Matter River were not in the Insect Zone, it wouldn't matter if it were a little dangerous. Unmanned ships and robots could take their place to complete the dangerous explorations. But this time it is to go to the Insect Zone. According to Heavenly Peak Civilization, the high-level insects have the ability to cut off communication, so only the academicians can go there in person.
Moreover, inspiration can only be felt by being there in person; data and images alone may not be enough to convey anything. Sometimes Hu Yu feels that humans are strange creatures, wondering why they have so many strange ideas and inexplicable feelings. These questions still don't have a definitive explanation.
"The clan leader is so busy." Hu Yu Wen Zhonghua arrived at Earth Four and saw Ninety-Seven lying in the open space outside the school. His branch was already busy inside the school.
"General, Chief of the General Staff, you're teasing me again."
"Haha, doesn't the title 'Clan Chief' sound wonderful?" Wen Zhonghua laughed.
"It is indeed quite nice, but I feel more comfortable calling me Ninety-Seven. You're not the Tree Race, so calling me Clan Chief feels a bit strange."
" Ninety-Seven, I heard the old patriarch and Grand Elder Zhigu are green with envy. You should stay with the Tree Race more, otherwise the old patriarch might really lash out at us."
"Chief of Staff, rest assured, the old clan chief and Grand Elder Zhigu are very supportive of me now. As long as I return to the clan regularly to split the root system, my work here will not affect the rise of the Tree Race."
"Real?"
"Yes, you risked so much to rescue my branch and people last time, which was a great kindness to our Tree Race. The Clan Chief is a reasonable person and naturally won't hold it against us. Although Grand Elder Zhigu is stubborn, he's not without vision. Making friends with humans is always beneficial, so he won't object."
"So you infiltrated our ranks as a spy," Wen Zhonghua joked.
"It's a pity that I, a mere spy, can only do this insignificant work to repay humanity."
" Ninety-Seven, how many reserve elder clansmen do you have now?"
"General, I have been fully restored for over 16,000 years. Originally, the Tree Race only had one billion elders, but through my efforts in splitting the clan over the years, we now have around five billion reserve elders."
"So many, not bad. As expected of the new patriarch who has merged with space, you're much stronger than the old patriarch Ninety-Seven, you haven't lost any weight, you've split off so many."
"Haha, Chief of Staff, my root system isn't all here. More than half of the planet is my root system. It's just that I need to return to these roots when they need to split. Otherwise, the roots will grow naturally, and I don't need to worry about them. Of course, only my root system and the old patriarch's are this vast, and the old patriarch's root system is even more extensive, covering the entire planet. It's just that the old patriarch split too many times. Over countless years, there have probably been trillions of elders who split. It's a pity that all those elders have died. I'm still young now, but as time goes by, my root system will grow as well, and then there will be even more clansmen who can split."
"I see," Hu Yu said. There are 5 billion elders with internal space reserves over 16,000 years, and these elders need to absorb energy to grow. It is indeed slower than the shipbuilding speed of humans.
"General, I have tried my best, but our Tree Race cannot rise to power through hard work alone. It all depends on the accumulation of time. The longer the time, the more energy and power the elders accumulate. General, you and the Chief of the General Staff did not come here to hear me say this, did you?"
"Oh, I almost forgot. Yes, we came to see you about something else."
"General, please speak. Whatever your request, our Tree Race is willing to do."
"Real?"
"Of course, don't forget I'm the clan leader now," Ninety-Seven said confidently.
"Alright, I'm going to make your Tree Race move out of the Alliance territory."
"What, General? You don't want our Tree Race anymore? Our Tree Race may be weak, but we can still contribute to the Alliance," Ninety-Seven said excitedly.
"Don't rush, don't rush, let me finish. The Tree Race are important friends of ours. How could we possibly abandon Tree Race? The reason we're asking Tree Race to move out of the Alliance now is to prepare for a potential insect plague. Our two recent star explosions have attracted swarms of insects, indicating unusual activity. We must prepare all possible countermeasures in advance. The Alliance's defense system, the protection of our civilized population, and the construction of our fleet all need to be strengthened. Your Tree Race is somewhat unique; your individuals are too large to hide inside warships, and your spatial concealment methods are quite fragile. For safety's sake, we suggest that Tree Race move out of the galaxy, and we will regularly supply you with energy until your elders have grown up and are capable of handling a major catastrophe."
"General, why don't the other civilizations in the alliance just move along with us?"