If all of this was done by that four-hundred-warship Pluto Fleet...
Then Qin Bei Wang was simply too terrifying.
Wen Tingtao did not respond.
He slowly sat up straight, reached out to open the drawer on the right side of his desk, and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes.
An old brand—Stellar.
He took one out and placed it between his lips.
Wen Shiheng, standing nearby, almost reflexively pulled a lighter from his pocket and leaned in to light it.
A click sounded as the flame ignited.
Wen Tingtao took a deep drag.
He inhaled so deeply it seemed as if he were trying to draw the entire cigarette into his lungs.
Then he slowly exhaled.
White smoke curled upward in the office, blurring his face.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke, his voice hoarse.
"To be honest..."
"This is the first time I've seen a battle report like this."
Wen Shiheng said nothing.
Wen Tingtao took another drag from his cigarette and continued,
"I believe those guys in the Empire aren't foolish enough to build a Stargate next to a black hole."
He exhaled a puff of smoke.
"That old thing Strauss, even though Bei Wang runs circles around him every time, he's not stupid."
"He wouldn't make such a low-level mistake."
Wen Shiheng was momentarily stunned.
"So..."
Wen Tingtao's gaze fell on the intelligence report, on the line stating that an extremely large black hole had appeared near the B-380 Warp Point.
His voice lowered.
"The only possibility..."
"Is that Qin Bei Wang created that black hole."
Wen Shiheng's pupils contracted slightly.
Created a black hole?
What kind of weapon was that?
What kind of power was that?
As if sensing his thoughts, Wen Tingtao gently shook his head.
"As for how he did it..."
He took another drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled.
"We'll probably have to wait until that kid returns to find out."
Just then, a sudden knock on the door interrupted their thoughts.
"Come in."
Wen Tingtao's voice came from behind the desk.
The door slid open, and a soldier quickly entered, holding a paper intelligence report.
"Reporting, Commander! The Vault Fleet has sent urgent intelligence!
Shenxiu Fortress is under fierce attack by the Pandora Fleet and the Ares Fleet!
Our defensive fleet has only about twenty thousand starships remaining!
They request the Command Headquarters to dispatch reinforcements!"
He paused, then added,
"Additionally, monitoring stations on the border of the Elvira Star System have detected traces of large-scale starship movements."
Wen Tingtao took the intelligence report handed to him by the soldier and glanced down at it.
Just one glance.
Then he smiled.
The smile spread from the corners of his mouth, carrying an indescribable meaning.
It was excitement, a certainty that things had turned out exactly as expected.
He gently clapped his hands.
"They're trying to escape."
Wen Shiheng was taken aback.
"Escape?"
Wen Tingtao placed the intelligence report on the desk and pointed at its contents.
"The Vault Fleet reports that Shenxiu Fortress is under intense attack from the Imperial Fleet, with losses exceeding eighty percent."
He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.
"If anyone else saw this intelligence, they'd surely think the Empire was intensifying its attack to seize Shenxiu Fortress while they had the advantage."
Wen Shiheng pondered thoughtfully.
"You mean..."
Wen Tingtao stood up and walked over to the massive holographic star chart beside the office.
"This is likely the work of that old fox Strauss."
His voice carried the sharpness unique to a seasoned commander.
"Deliberately creating the illusion of a fierce assault, making us think they intend to continue fighting, so we dare not act rashly."
He turned to look at Wen Shiheng.
"Unfortunately..."
He reached out and pointed at the top-secret intelligence from Rose in Wen Shiheng's hand.
"With this intelligence, all their little schemes are laid bare."
Wen Shiheng lowered his head to glance at the intelligence in his hand.
The Stargate was destroyed.
Thirty-five thousand Imperial warships turned to dust.
Those three Imperial Sequence Fleets currently on the front line in the Ten Stone Starfield...
were now isolated forces.
Wen Tingtao's voice continued, tinged with barely suppressed excitement.
"Now that the Stargate is destroyed, their only line of retreat is..."
He reached out and quickly tapped four points on the star chart.
"Warp Points."
Four points of light simultaneously lit up.
Tyrol Galaxy.
Savannah Star System.
Turkmen Star System.
Garton Star System.
"The Warp Points in these four star systems are their only fast route back to the rear."
Wen Tingtao's gaze fell on those four points of light, his voice growing faster.
"If we dispatch three Sequence Fleets to directly attack the Opal Star Sector..."
His hand traced an arc on the star chart, bypassing the front line and thrusting straight toward the locations of those four star systems.
"Seize the Warp Points within these four star systems before the Imperial Fleet does."
He paused, enunciating each word clearly:
"Then the Empire's three Sequence Fleets..."
"will become turtles in a jar."
Wen Shiheng's pupils contracted slightly.
Turtles in a jar.
Three Imperial Sequence-class Fleets.
Hundreds of thousands of warships.
If they could devour them all...
His breathing grew rapid.
Wen Tingtao turned back, looking at the star chart, at those four points of light that would decide fate, unable to contain his inner excitement any longer.
His voice exploded in the office.
"Quickly!"
"Notify the Sirius Fleet, the Greedy Wolf Fleet, and the Golden Palace Fleet immediately..."
"Three Sequence Fleets, depart at once!"
"We must seize the Warp Points in the Tyrol, Savannah, Turkmen, and Garton star systems before the Imperial Fleet does!"
He paused, his voice suddenly rising.
"Prevent the Imperial Fleet within the Ten Stone Starfield from warping to escape!"
Wen Shiheng stood at attention.
"Yes!"
He turned and left quickly.
Only Wen Tingtao remained in the office.
He stood before the massive holographic star map, staring at the three Imperial Fleets that were about to become turtles in a jar.
He let out a soft sigh.
That breath emerged from his chest with a tremor he himself hadn't noticed.
It was the excitement of having waited a long, long time, finally seizing the opportunity.
He murmured, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
"Strauss..."
"This time, let's see how you run."
Joint Staff Department, Supreme Strategic Simulation Hall.
The top-secret intelligence from Rose circulated among everyone present.
The Wargaming Hall remained quiet for a long time.
Until the last person finished reading and gently placed the intelligence back on the table.
Then, a collective sigh of relief filled the room.
Not one of dismay.
But of release.
Admiral Tang Huaiqian leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply as he murmured.
"The Stargate is gone..."
He paused, his tone carrying an indescribable sense of relief.
"As long as that thing existed, I couldn't sleep soundly."
Several others nearby nodded in agreement.
Indeed.
That Stargate, capable of deploying an entire Sequence Fleet in a short time, was like a blade hanging over the Federation's head.
No one knew where it would open next, nor which star domain the next wave of Imperial Fleets would emerge from.
Now it was gone, vanished.
Swallowed by a black hole.
Major General Chen Qingyu abruptly stood up and walked to the center of the Wargaming Hall.
His voice echoed through the empty hall, carrying an irrepressible excitement.