Chapter 407: Not Knowing a Good Person's Heart

Qian Jun, notify everyone: start the strategic remote conference within three minutes.

Virtual Strategic Command Room.

Around the huge round table, every seat was filled.

Zhou Shaoqing, Qian Yin, Nangong Lin,

as well as the commanders of all the fleets, and even the heads of the logistics and industry departments, all were present.

Every face bore a solemn expression.

They had never seen Qin Hao so stern.

Even when facing the encirclement by the seventy-billion-strong United Fleet, they had never shown such an oppressive, extreme sense of urgency.

Qin Hao sat in the chief seat.

He wasted no words, lightly tapping his finger on the tabletop.

The holographic projection instantly unfolded in the center of the hall.

It was a stream of data from a billion light-years away.

The image was very blurry, filled with noise and distorted color blocks.

Yet the content of the image made everyone present's heart skip a beat.

It was a dazzling river of stars.

Stars were densely packed, their light brilliant.

However.

At the edge of the image, a darkness was spreading.

It was not a black hole.

A black hole bends light, devours matter, and emits high-energy radiation.

But this darkness had nothing.

Anything it touched—planets, asteroids, even light—vanished instantly.

"What is this?"

A fleet commander's voice was hoarse, his Adam's apple rolling violently.

"Overlord."

Qin Hao spat out two words.

The temperature in the command room plummeted to freezing.

"To be precise, it is a high-dimensional strike means carried by the Overlord."

Qin Hao pulled up another set of data—a wild jumble of scrambling code that ultimately resolved into a bright red 'NULL'.

"Qian Yin, explain."

Qian Yin rose to her feet.

On her personal terminal, data streams rushed like a waterfall.

"We have just run a simulation on this data."

Her voice was somewhat grave, yet she retained a scientist's rigor.

"This is not a conventional attack."

"It is a far more terrifying meme virus, a logic-deletion instruction based on underlying rules."

She enlarged the hologram, focusing on one of the stars that was disappearing.

"At the moment of contact with the darkness, the strings that make up matter ceased vibrating."

"Matter that originally possessed mass, volume, energy… had its definition of existence stripped away."

"They were no longer matter, not even energy, but had returned to the 'void' state that existed before the birth of the universe."

"I have named it—Zero Return, letting all existential meaning dissolve into nothing."

"Its current speed is extremely fast."

Qin Hao took over, his finger tracing the star chart and pulling out a red line.

"At this speed, in one year the darkness will begin to devour the Laniakea Supercluster."

"All civilizations, all life, and even us will become nothing."

Zhou Shaoqing shot up, his chair scraping harshly against the floor.

"One year? How can it be so fast?"

"Wasn't the Overlord restrained by higher-dimensional civilizations?"

Qin Hao gazed at the darkness, his voice devoid of any inflection.

"It has broken free."

"Or rather, to completely erase the variable that is Yanhuang Civilization, it would rather pay a huge price and forcibly descend."

"Convey my orders."

Qin Hao rose to his feet, hands braced on the table, and that suffocating pressure instantly enveloped everyone.

"Yanhuang Civilization, immediately enter Level-1 Combat Readiness."

"Raise resource allocation for the Project Mending Heaven to the highest level, and mobilize all industrial capacity without restriction."

"Suspend all ongoing civilian projects."

"All fleets exploring outward shall immediately return and take up station at the nodes of the Sea of Tranquility."

"We will turn the entire Sea of Tranquility into an impregnable stronghold."

Order after order was issued in rapid succession, like a volley from a multi-barrel cannon.

Besides.

Qin Hao paused.

Connect to the Laya Council's communication channel.

Although I don't like that mess, we still need them as a meat shield right now.

……

Laya Council.

Representatives of hundreds of sixth-level civilizations appeared in the venue via holographic projection.

When Qin Hao's figure appeared on the central screen, the noisy chatter in the venue vanished instantly.

The previous 'ten galaxies' compensation left all civilizations with a deep psychological shadow toward Qin Hao.

The projection of the Heavenly Patrol Council Chair flickered slightly, looking somewhat fatigued.

Your Excellency Qin Hao, initiating a communication this late—could it be that someone has upset you again?

His tone carried a hint of helplessness, along with a barely perceptible tension.

Fearing that Qin Hao would again make extravagant demands.

I don't have time to joke with you.

Qin Hao directly threw the observation data of 'Zero Return' onto the public screen.

Look for yourself.

The image played.

Stars went out, all things returned to void.

That eerie and terrifying scene caused many civilization representatives to exclaim in shock.

This is... some kind of new weapon?

Which lunatic is conducting this experiment?

No.

Qin Hao interrupted their speculation.

This is the Overlord.

It is coming.

It is expected to arrive in one year.

As soon as these words were spoken, the venue erupted in an uproar.

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible! The news from the high-dimensional battlefield clearly indicated a stalemate!

One year? What a joke! Even with our jump drives, it's impossible to cross a billion light-years in such a short time!

Voices of doubt rose and fell.

Fear led them to subconsciously choose denial.

Silence!

The Heavenly Patrol shouted loudly, suppressing all the noise.

He stared fixedly at Qin Hao on the screen.

Qin Hao, is this news certain?

If you're trying to intimidate the council this way to gain more benefits, I advise you to stop.

The previous compensation has already reached the limit of all civilizations.

Qin Hao coldly gazed at the Heavenly Patrol.

Do you think I need to fabricate such a story?

The data is right here; believe it or not, it's up to you.

I'm merely informing you to prepare in advance.

Absurd!

A piercing voice suddenly sounded.

The speaker was a creature covered head to toe in heavy crystal armor.

That was the representative of the Crystal Armor Civilization, also a well-known hardliner in the council, belonging to the steadfast conservatives.

He suffered heavy losses in the previous compensation and has long harbored a deep hatred for Qin Hao.

I think this is nothing but a self-directed, self-performed farce of yours!

The Crystal Armor representative stood up, waving his thick arms.

Zero Return, the Overlord's personal arrival—all are excuses!

You just want to use an external threat to force us to hand over more resources, and even make us hand over fleet command to you!

Such tyrant's tricks have happened countless times in history!

Don't let him fool you! That video can easily be faked with holographic technology!

These words immediately resonated with many people.

After all, acknowledging the Overlord's descent means acknowledging the apocalypse.

And acknowledging Qin Hao's lie not only preserves the current comfort but also lets one take the moral high ground to condemn this domineering young man.

Human nature always seeks profit and avoids harm.

Even the leaders of sixth-level civilizations are no exception.

Exactly! We need more concrete evidence!

The Yanhuang Civilization must disclose all original observation data and accept inspection by the council's technical team!

Before this, we refused to cooperate with any form of war mobilization!

Looking at the impassioned council delegates, a hint of mockery appeared on Qin Hao's face.

Only by looking at a group of people about to die did one feel pity.

"Check?"

Qin Hao let out a light laugh.

"You think I'm negotiating with you?"

He raised his hand and lightly pointed in the void.

"Since you don't believe me, let me help you wake up."

The order was issued.

Yanhuang Heavenly Court's ultra-long-range dimensional strike system instantly locked onto an abandoned barren planet at the edge of the star field where the Crystal Armor Civilization resides.

Qin Hao used the system to create a miniature pseudo-four-dimensional closed loop around that barren planet.

Then it instantly withdrew all dimensional support.

Although it could not achieve the Overlord's complete return to zero, it was enough to simulate the effect of matter disintegration.

On the La Ya Council's large screen, the image instantly switched.

That was the territory of the Crystal Armor Civilization.

A barren planet with a diameter of several thousand kilometers.

Before everyone's eyes.

It vanished like melting ice, silently and without a trace.

Just three seconds.

Only a vacuum remained in its place.

Not even cosmic dust was left behind.

"This..."

The Crystal Armor representative's arrogant voice suddenly caught in his throat.

He stared at the screen in terror, his body trembling uncontrollably, his heavy crystal armor emitting creaking collisions.

That was his doorstep!

If that strike had been aimed at his homeworld...

The entire hall fell into silence once again.

"Now, who still thinks this is fake?"

No one dared to speak.

That power, beyond comprehension, utterly shattered all their hopes.

"Listen."

Qin Hao restrained his smile, his tone turning icy cold.

"I'm not here to cooperate with you."

"I'm giving you a last chance to survive."

"From now on, all sixth-level civilizations in Laniya Kaiya must unconditionally share all sensor data with the Yanhuang Heavenly Court."

"All rare resource mining sites must triple their output, with priority given to supply."

"Who dares to hoard resources or lag behind at this critical juncture?"

Qin Hao's gaze swept over the trembling Crystal Armor representative.

"That barren planet is your fate."

Having said that.

Qin Hao directly cut off the communication.

The screen went black.

Only a group of pallid, sweat-drenched civilizational leaders remained in the council hall.

They knew.

The heavens have changed.

Returning to the command room.

Qin Hao looked at the people around him.

"Those foolish members of the council civilizations are unreliable; the only thing we can rely on is ourselves."

"Alright, everyone, go prepare now!"