"The anti-gravity device is activated!"

"The ship's engines are functioning properly and ready for takeoff at any time!"

"Take off!" Yun Yi's voice, slightly low, issued the command. The battleship slowly lifted off the ground and soared into the sky.

In the spacious command room, Yun Yi stood alone by the window. He gazed at the remnants of the Thunderclap on the planet, which grew smaller and smaller until they were no longer visible. For a long time, he remained silent.

"Finally... I've left."

After gaining control over everyone, Yun Yi didn't take them with him. Instead, he provided them with ample supplies and left them on the planet. Taking them along would inevitably expose the planet's location. Yun Yi wasn't a bloodthirsty person, and most of these people were researchers who hadn't been involved in the empire's atrocities.

The most crucial point was Santan's repeated assurance that, apart from his brother, no one else knew the coordinates of this planet.

After interrogating everyone separately, the information he obtained was consistent.

The man named Sanchiras was a lesser son in their family, not well-regarded. To secure greater benefits, he had cautiously kept the planet's coordinates a secret, even with the family's support.

With this in mind, Yun Yi felt at ease leaving them on the planet. Whether they could survive or live well was beyond his concern. Thinking of their terrified expressions when they saw the monsters that night, a smile appeared on Yun Yi's face.

Soon, the ship broke through the atmosphere.

With today's advanced technology, a single person could fully control a ship with the help of a large onboard computer. Although it wasn't possible to control every aspect comprehensively, setting a correct course allowed the computer to handle the rest.

After leaving the atmosphere, Yun Yi eagerly opened the communicator, attempting to establish a link with the base.

"My lord! We've received a strange communication!"

In the Restoration Army's base, a communications soldier hurriedly reported to Lord Difu, who was in charge.

"Communication?" Lord Difu asked in surprise. "I don't recall dispatching any ships recently. Can you identify the source?"

The communications soldier operated for a moment and quickly said, "My lord, it's from a government military ship, commonly known as the White Eagle!"

"That's impossible!" Lord Difu exclaimed. "How would the government military know our secret communication channel? Is there a spy among us?"

The communications soldier was at a loss, staring at the blinking communication signal on the screen. "My lord, should we accept the communication?"

Lord Difu paced back and forth, then gritted his teeth and said, "Accept it. Let's see what they want."

The communication was established, and instead of a government military officer, a young man in worn Restoration Army uniform appeared on the screen.

"Who are you..." Lord Difu stared at the old uniform. It was indeed a Restoration Army uniform. But who was this young man?

Yun Yi, through the screen, clearly saw Lord Difu's insignia and quickly performed the salute reserved for nobility in the Zhao Song Empire. "Respected Lord Difu, my name is Yun Yi, from the third mecha squadron of the flagship of the 302nd Squadron, Third Fleet. My rank is private."

"Yun Yi...?" Lord Difu was certain he had never heard this name before. But then, the young man mentioned the military unit, which shocked him.

"You're saying... you're from the 302nd Squadron?" Lord Difu seemed to recall something, his face showing a hint of excitement.

After receiving the young man's confirmation, he hurriedly asked, "Then tell me, the name of your commander and your mecha squadron leader."

Yun Yi nodded and said, "My lord, our fleet commander was Count Telenso, and our mecha squadron leader was Lord Short Chris."

"Where are they now!"

Yun Yi's face showed a trace of nostalgia as he shook his head. "They have sacrificed."

Lord Difu's face darkened. Over the past year, the communications department had received intermittent signals daily, all from the flagship Thunderclap of the 302nd Squadron. However, no matter how they tried to decode it, the signal, heavily interfered with by electromagnetic waves, remained unreadable. They had attempted to send messages back, but there was no response.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Almost everyone believed that the 302nd Squadron was trapped in some remote corner of the universe. But without accurate information about their situation, any rescue attempt was impossible.

But now, right before Lord Difu, was a young man claiming to be a soldier from the 302nd Squadron.

"Ah, I see." Lord Difu nodded. Regardless, this young man had escaped that dire situation and was piloting a government military ship. From the video, it was clear that he was alone on the ship. Escaping in a government military ship, no matter the circumstances, made him a hero. And the Restoration Army desperately needed a hero to boost the low morale of the base. Without hesitation, Lord Difu said, "Send us your current coordinates. We'll send someone to pick you up."

After receiving Yun Yi's exact coordinates, Lord Difu hurriedly left.

Soon, the high-ranking officials of the base were informed of the news. As Lord Difu had anticipated, everyone showed disbelief. But no one opposed bringing the young man back, even at the risk of falling into a government military trap.

Everything seemed to proceed smoothly. The day after Yun Yi provided his coordinates, a small fleet of ten ships found him and brought him back to the base. Of course, he didn't forget to memorize and then delete the planet's coordinates from the ship's computer.

The operation was entirely confidential. The soldiers on the ship didn't question Yun Yi but conducted a physical examination and took a DNA sample for comparison.

The Restoration Army's base was located in an asteroid belt within an uninhabited star system in the southernmost part of the former Zhao Song Empire. The entrance was extremely hidden and followed a specific pattern. Without the exact timing, finding the entrance was impossible.

Upon returning to the base, Yun Yi was secretly escorted by the Restoration Army's military police. All actions were under the control of the base's high command, and the news of Yun Yi's return was not leaked.

"Are you Yun Yi? The sole survivor of the 302nd Squadron?"

Less than an hour after Yun Yi returned to the base, he was taken to a small meeting room. Inside were the base's influential figures. After he sat down, an elderly man with graying hair eagerly asked.

Yun Yi didn't find this unusual. After all, he was just a seventeen-year-old boy. Facing these great figures who had once seemed so lofty and led their battles, he only felt a bit nervous inside.

"Yes, my lord."

Yun Yi was somewhat restrained. He wasn't accustomed to this kind of interrogation-like questioning.

"Ha, child, don't be nervous. We're just curious about your experience."

The elderly man was about to ask more, but the amiable-looking old man in the center stopped him. "First, let me introduce myself. I am Zhao Xuanxin. I believe you've heard of me?"

Hearing the old man's kind words, Yun Yi immediately felt relieved. "Zhao Xuanxin? Could you be the Prince of Zhenbei?" Yun Yi's face showed a hint of respect. Before joining the army, this name had been legendary to him. After the fall of the Zhao Song Empire, the remaining resistance had been led by this old prince in their arduous struggle.

For Yun Yi, who had grown up in the base, this name was very familiar.

"Prince of Zhenbei..." Zhao Xuanxin smiled self-deprecatingly. "The empire is now reduced to this dilapidated base. What Zhenbei..." For a moment, everyone present felt a sense of sorrow and remained silent.

Seeing Yun Yi's curious gaze, Zhao Xuanxin smiled gently. "Alright, child, we old men are very curious. Could you tell us what happened to your 302nd Squadron?"

Although Yun Yi knew he would have to recount his story upon returning, he took a moment to organize his thoughts. He then narrated everything from the moment he boarded the Thunderclap to the present. Of course, he kept the secret of the necklace to himself. As for his martial arts progress, he attributed it to his relentless training on the alien planet.

Regarding the mysterious planet, Yun Yi described it as a harsh world filled with electromagnetic storms, with a powerful magnetic field nearby that made it impossible to accurately record its coordinates. Thus, the government military had only found the planet after over a year, and he had seized the opportunity to take their ship.

As for the abundant rare minerals on the planet, Yun Yi decided not to mention them.

He knew that if he revealed this, the base would immediately send people to search for the planet. If they didn't find it, that would be one thing. But if they did, and through some clues discovered his secret, his precious family heirloom necklace would likely be confiscated immediately.

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

It was only after a long while that Zhao Xuanxin said with regret, "Poor Count Telenso and the 302nd Squadron, they have fallen..."

At this point, a distinguished middle-aged military officer spoke up. "Hmm, I'm very interested in the planet Yun Yi mentioned. If our Restoration Army were to relocate there, could we better recuperate and lay the foundation for our future counterattack?"

As soon as he said this, several people's expressions changed, and they quickly voiced their agreement.

"General Zhao is right. From what I heard, the planet has a strong magnetic field, so those vile government forces wouldn't be able to find us."

"I also agree. Yun Yi lived on that planet for over a year, mostly outside the mecha. This clearly shows that the planet is habitable."

Yun Yi sighed inwardly. The officer wasn't wrong. In this small base, the Restoration Army lived in constant fear. If not for the cause of restoration, they would have fallen apart long ago. Even now, some had likely lost hope.

He could only pray that they wouldn't find the planet. And if they did, they wouldn't discover his secret.

At this moment, Prince Zhao Xuanxin spoke.

"Do you think it's hard for us to survive here? That it's dangerous here? That there's no guarantee of life here?"

As soon as he said this, those who had voiced their agreement earlier blushed.

"This base is the result of over a decade of effort by nearly a million people. Are we to abandon it just like that?" The old man's words carried authority, and no one dared to interrupt, listening quietly.

"Let's not even discuss whether we can find that planet. Even if we do, according to Yun Yi, the planet has only a small amount of water and is covered in yellow sand. Can such an environment support large-scale human migration? Can the land be transformed to grow plants and food? Will the large groups of monsters pose a threat no less than the government military? The sky is filled with electromagnetic storms, and even communication is impossible. How would we control it? Have you thought about all this?"

Zhao Xuanxin's words left everyone speechless. Yun Yi also secretly admired the old man's sharp insight, as every point hit the mark.

"However, I personally believe that we should still search for this planet." Zhao Xuanxin spoke again, but this time, his words didn't sit well with Yun Yi.

"Once we find this planet, we'll send a team to investigate the issues I mentioned. If possible, we'll establish a logistics base there. This way, even if our current base is discovered by the government military, we'll have a fallback and won't be trapped here."