Although he used some anti-scanning materials on several asteroids, the fact that the Insect Queenās body was so large and somehow went undetected still made him feel that the Mechanical Race here was quite ridiculous.
This left him very conflicted and eager to understand the reason behind it all.
Chen Ming found that every time he encountered certain situations, there were always a bunch of puzzling questions.
So after not understanding at first, he skillfully controlled his emotions and jotted these questions down in his mind, to see if he could find answers later.
At least one thing is certain now, during the subsequent attack on the Mechanical Raceās city, he must destroy all these orbital defense facility satellites immediately.
Otherwise, his spaceshipās shield would inevitably suffer severe damage.
The first step of the preparatory work is essentially complete here.
At least the goal has been achieved.
The body of the Insect Queen landed on the planet, and Chen Ming confirmed the Mechanical Raceās space scanning range, which could come in handy for the next attack.
And Chen Ming needed to begin the second step immediately.
He needed to deploy more tactics.
Currently, the Mechanical Raceās actions were in the open, while Chen Mingās were hidden, and if he didnāt deploy more strategies in advance, heād be letting himself down.
So Chen Ming wanted to prepare something to block and interfere with signals inside the star system.
Although the Mechanical Race utilized a hive mind, they are mechanical life forms, relying on electrical signals for all activities, and fiddling with such things is feasible.
Moreover, Chen Ming knows that the Insect Raceās hive mind network, before he reforged it using Spiritual Energy, used brainwaves primarily and pheromones secondarily for its construction.
Surely there is some unseen element linking the Mechanical Raceās hive mind as well.
Although what heās doing may not be useful, doing it is better than doing nothing at all.
Even if the blockade is ineffective, interference will still have some effect.
Itās just that planet-level signal blocking devices are quite tricky to manage.
Even without considering if they exist, if there was any chance to acquire such a device, only Bai Quan might be able to help.
After all, the scenarios where this kind of thing can be applied are really limited.
Coincidentally, Chen Ming was multitasking, attending Bai Quanās lecture at the same time.
So, Chen Ming abruptly interrupted the class and said, "Hold on, Bai Quan, I have a question."
Bai Quan didnāt mind Chen Ming interrupting him and just asked, "Whatās the question? Was there something unclear about the wolf pack tactics I just explained that seemed suitable for you?"
"No, I understand the wolf pack strategy; I want to ask about something else. Do you have any technology over there that can block communication signals on a planet?"
Bai Quan immediately replied, "Yes, thereās something that can create high-energy particle turbulences."
"Using the magnetic fields of stars and planets, it can enhance the particle radiation from the star to a very high degree, which could significantly interfere with the communication equipment of a specific planet within the star system."
Chen Ming was a bit surprised, not expecting there genuinely to be something available.
"Can we get one?"
"What do you need it for?"
Chen Ming knew that such a large-impact device couldnāt be taken away without a reason, so he explained honestly, "Iāve encountered a planet that the Mechanical Race has just begun colonizing, and Iād like to snatch a few things."
"Oh? Where?"
"Behind the Mechanical Race Star Realm."
Chen Ming didnāt give specifics, and Bai Quan, knowing a general location, didnāt press further, only saying, "I can help you get a set, but youāll have to handle the deployment yourself."
"Youāll need to locate the magnetic poles of the planet, set up one at each pole, and then place another where the starlight directly shines."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Quan immediately followed up with a question that Chen Ming had also considered at first: "But is a planet that the Mechanical Race has just started colonizing really easy to attack?"
"Itās not easy, but itās worth a try. Thereās no loss in trying. Also, I need something to block the Teleportation Engine; can you handle that?"
So determined...
Bai Quan adjusted his glasses, mentally updating his impression of Chen Mingās abilities, adding the ability to directly control the Mechanical Race to the list.
He then returned Chen Mingās inquiry with a question, "Are you looking to block incoming ships, or do you want to prevent your ships from escaping?"
Chen Ming, considering the possible scenarios he might encounter, replied, "Both."
"Thatās not feasible; to block ships at least the Cruiser level, youād need the cooperation of at least a dozen Cruisers."
"Only by blocking the entire star system would it work, otherwise the ships inside could easily fly out of the blockade area."
Initially, Chen Ming only had a rough idea about this kind of technology, speculating that Bai Quan might have it; he wasnāt clear about how this technology actually worked to achieve the desired effect.
So Bai Quanās words didnāt surprise him too much, if it canāt be done, then it canāt be done.
Besides using technical means to block, there are other ways to prevent that Mechanical Race Cruiser from escaping.
For instance, the simplest way is to directly destroy the engine; without the engine, the Cruiser wouldnāt be able to rely on its Teleportation System to flee at all.
Hence, Bai Quanās words only led Chen Ming to ask, "So, youāre saying you can only block the Mechanical Race coming from other locations, right?"
Bai Quan promptly answered, "Thatās right, but there are limitations too."
"This device, known as a teleportation beacon disruptor, has a short operation time and a small effective range."
"It must be able to lock onto the positions where enemy ships might teleport over to exert its effect."