"Despite the high combat ability of the Thunder Fleet, there are too few of them after all. It is easy to crush the four families' coalition fleet, but it is definitely not something that can be completely annihilated or swallowed overnight."
Jin Yuyan analyzed calmly, "It must be noted that Yun Xuefeng is commanding an alliance of a million starships. Even if Yun Xuefeng is a pig and his subordinates are a million pigs that can breathe and fly in space, how long will it take Lei Chenghu to completely capture and butcher them?
"Also, according to your theory, what Lei Chenghu is going to do is not only to defeat and swallow Yun Xuefeng's fleet but also to control the fleets of the many warlords at the edge of the Imperium and even the garrison fleet of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors. It is a time-consuming job that cannot be completed in a hurry. All in all, can Lei Chenghu completely control the Seven Seas Space Zone in one month?"
Li Yao was lost for words.
Having been through the battles between the Black Wind Fleet and the Xing Yao Federation in person, he knew that it was easy to crush an enemy in the boundless sea of stars, but it was almost impossible to annihilate and capture them all.
The Thunder Fleet's sudden arrival was naturally invincible.
However, as time went by, the shining saber seemed to be sinking into a swamp and could not be drawn out so easily.
Li Yao felt that Jin Yuyan had greatly overestimated the capabilities of the Thunder Fleet when he said that it would take one month.
Like Jin Yuyan said, even if everybody in the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors and the coalition fleet of the four families was a pig, as long as they grasped the abilities to breathe in space and roam in space, Lei Chenghu would never be able to capture the Seven Seas Space Zone in a couple of months.
In other words, the moment Lei Chenghu's fleet jumped over, it would be stalled by the four families and the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors who had their own plans, losing the ability of free mobility.
Without the suppression of the Thunder Fleet, the capital would be wide open. As long as the highest commanders of the four families' ace fleets were not idiots and blind, they would certainly not let go of the "godsend opportunity"!
"Between the imperial capital and the Seven Seas Starfield, I believe I don't need to tell you which is more important."
Jin Yuyan continued coldly, "If I were the highest commander of the four families' ace fleets, and I were to reinforce the Seven Seas Space Zone after discovering that the Thunder Fleet went missing, I certainly wouldn't have chased after the Thunder Fleet for a war of attrition in the chaotic swamp that is the Seven Seas Space Zone.
"I will certainly seize the opportunity and put aside the conflicts with the other parties for now. We will launch our ace fleets at the same time to attack the capital and destroy the nest of the reformists. We will capture and annihilate Li Linghai, Yue Wushuang, and the traitors of the Reform Committee of the Council of Elders!
"If the Reform Committee of the Council of Elders is annihilated, and the capital falls into the control of the four families again, it will be the doom of the reformists. By then, even if the reformists secure a minor victory in the battle of Seven Seas, it will be useless. Everybody will be on the four families' side. Even the expedition army will not stand behind Lei Chenghu. It's over. Everything is over.
"Vulture Li Yao, if you are the highest commander of the four families' ace fleets, do you think my analysis just now makes sense?"
Li Yao thought for a long time and struggled to reply, "It does make sense. The Thunder Fleet is the key to stop the four families from attacking the capital. Right now, the Thunder Fleet has voluntarily withdrawn from the heartland of the four families to the edge of the Imperium. If I were the highest commander of the four families' ace fleets, I would certainly attack the capital without any hesitation!"
"Then, even if Wuying Qi has integrated all the forces in the capital, is it possible for him to resist the four families' ace fleets with the Imperial Guards that are too young to be tested?"
Jin Yuyan asked again, "Or rather, can Wuying Qi get another strong reinforcement that is as good as the Thunder Fleet from other places?"
"That's impossible."
Li Yao closed his eyes and sighed. "Even Wuying Qi cannot turn stone into gold and transform the Imperial Guards that haven't fought a tough battle for hundreds of years into invincible soldiers in only a couple of months.
"As for the other strong reinforcements, I'm afraid that the expedition army can only be the only one.
"However, the expedition army has not expressed clear support for the reformists yet. It's obvious that they are still observing the situation. Now that Wuying Qi has made such a serious, low-level mistake, it is even less likely that they will suddenly come out to help him at such a critical moment. It will already be a great honor for Lei Chenghu if they do not stab the reformists in the back.
"Besides, even if the expedition army does reinforce the capital from thousands of kilometers away, the four families' ace fleets will not necessarily be scared. Those few ace fleets are the last bastions of the four families. From the commanders to the middle-level officers and even the bottom-level soldiers, they are all made of the most loyal descendants of their respective families. From the resources that they consume in their daily training to the configuration of their warships, they are multiple times more than regular fleets. Even the Adamantine Fleet commanded by Yun Xuefeng is not as good as them.
"Many people say that the soldiers of the few ace fleets are even more expensive than the marrow crystals of the same weight. They are the real tough warriors and the greatest reliance for the four families to dominate the Imperium. Even if they run into the Thunder Fleet or other fleets of the expedition army, those hardcore nobles will never betray their families or back off.
"Even if the two parties have the fiercest collision in a head-on battle array, it remains to be seen who will win!"
"Therefore —"
Jin Yuyan smiled. "You said that the whole thing was Wuying Qi's arrangement. Then, what was his ultimate purpose exactly? Abandoning all the defense, luring the most elite fleets of the four families to stab at his heart?
"Tactically, it is true that the arrival of the Astounding Thunder Fleet can change the situation of the battle of Seven Seas, but strategically speaking, it is the most idiotic decision. Unless they are forced into desperation and have no choice, no supreme commander can make such a decision!"
"Yes …"
Inside Li Yao's head, the swirls made of mist grew larger and larger. He seemed to be lost in the hazy fog and could not find a way out however hard he struggled. He could only mumble, "I need to think. I need to think carefully."
"Then, please take your time to think, Black Wind King. After all, we have plenty of time."
Jin Yuyan said with a bitter smile, "The Thunder Fleet has successfully jumped over and joined the space battlefield. No matter how idiotic the decision is strategically, or how many schemes and traps it entails, our army has regained part of our advantages tactically. We won't be killed anytime soon!"
Hardly had Jin Yuyan concluded his sentence when explosive cheers burst out in the command center.
Li Yao was almost dizzy by the cheers. He did not know whether he should burst into fury or desperation. "Director Jin, how could you?"
"Let me repeat myself. I don't have a choice."
With helplessness popping up on his face, Jin Yuyan said in a low voice, "The Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors does not belong to me alone. So many scandals about me have been exposed on the internal network, which seriously weakened my control. Many senior managers and major shareholders already have a lot of opinions about me.
"Besides, I'm only the leader of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors in business and politics, but I'm not the highest commander of the garrison fleet or the military leader. How can I command the military affairs on my own accord?
"The reinforcement of the Astounding Thunder Fleet is exactly a military decision. The news was received by me, a few senior deacons, and a few commanders of the garrison fleet. How could I have stopped it when everybody else was jumping for joy? What reason did I have to stop it?
"Also, the news that the Thunder Fleet was about to arrive spread out in the Seven Seas Grand Market as quickly as lightning. Even the soldiers who were bleeding and sacrificing in the space battlefield knew that the reinforcements were coming. They considered the Thunder Fleet their last hope. It was exactly because of the life-saving straw that they summoned their courage to deal with the enemies ten times their size and managed to keep the battle formation steady.
"If we tell the soldiers right now that the reinforcements are gone and the Thunder Fleet can't come, guess what the consequences will be? They might as well surrender to the four families directly! "
Li Yao was rendered speechless again. Feeling cold all over his body, he sank into the ice cave of helplessness just like Jin Yuyan did.
"Black Wind King Li Yao, perhaps you are right, and the whole thing is really a scheme or a trap, but …"
With the most bitter smile, Jin Yuyan struggled to say, "However, Blackstar the Great's capabilities and calculations were far beyond our imagination. He seemed to have grasped every detail and forced us into desperation after every step, forcing us to dance according to his rhythm.
"Let's not talk about the fact that you came back so late. The space gate has been slowly opened, and all the soldiers and merchants have learned that the Thunder Fleet is about to come as reinforcements. There's no turning back at all. Even if you came back half a day earlier and told me the whole thing, and I trusted your every word 100%, we would still have no choice but to let the Thunder Fleet in, wouldn't we?
"In short, the current situation is completely out of our expectations and control. We are powerless to do anything. We can only wait and see."
"Says who?"
Li Yao clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. "Wuying Qi must have the craziest scheme that involves both the Seven Seas Space Zone and the capital. We have to unveil his scheme, stop him, and kill him in any case!"
"How can we stop him?"
Jin Yuyan opened his hands and said, "Look at the light spots on the hologram of the space zone. Lei Chenghu's fleet has jumped over and is about to launch an assault on Yun Xuefeng's general flagship. No matter who wins, the battle won't be over in a couple of days. In the meantime, the ace fleets of the four families should be marching at the capital aggressively. Whatever Wuying Qi's scheme is, it should be activated soon, right?
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