Everyone's playing Red Giant? I, Black Hole, devour everything!

No one spoke in the meeting room, but everyone could tell how weighty Old Chen's words were.

"Yes!" Zhou Zhenguo was the first to stand up and gave Chen Lao a military salute.

Zhao Yuanshan also stood up.

Next up is Han Li.

Then came representatives from the State Council and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Everyone stood up.

Old Chen has already made the decision.

In the Great Xia Kingdom, anything Elder Chen decides is set in stone.

……

The meeting ended late that night.

When the meeting adjourned, everyone's face carried an indescribable mix of solemnity and excitement.

Before leaving the conference room, Zhou Zhenguo made a point of walking up to Lin Tian and shaking his hand.

"Kid, do a good job."

He didn't say much, but those few simple words were enough to express his attitude.

Lin Tian nodded: "Don't worry."

Zhao Yuanshan also came over and patted Lin Tian on the shoulder: "If there's anything from the Ninth Legion, just contact me. I'm online 24/7."

"Thank you, Commander Zhao."

After the two lieutenant generals and the major general left, the conference room became much emptier.

Su Li stretched, and her serious expression, which had lasted all night, instantly crumbled.

"Ugh, I'm so suffocated! These meetings are so unbearable, I'm never coming again!"

Lu Xuejian glanced at her: "Weren't you quite serious just now?"

"That's for outsiders!" Su Li argued. "We can't be all smiles and jokes in front of our leaders, or it'll make our Black Hole Legion look unprofessional."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Lin Tian, ​​her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

"Lin Tian, ​​how did I do just now? Did I have a particularly professorial air about me?"

"good."

"I kept a straight face the whole time, I didn't even smile once!"

"So I'd say you barely passed."

"You—" Su Li puffed out her cheeks in anger.

Lu Xuejian chuckled softly beside him, then walked over to Lin Tian and asked in a low voice, "Are you tired?"

"It's alright." Lin Tian's tone was noticeably gentler than during the meeting. "I just talked a lot, and my throat is dry."

"I'll get you a glass of water," Lu Xuejian said, then turned and walked out.

Su Li watched her retreating figure and clicked her tongue twice.

"Oh my, this secretary is so considerate! Lin Tian, ​​tell me the truth, with all these thoughtful things, haven't you two already—"

"Weren't you thirsty?" Lin Tian interrupted her.

"When did I say I was thirsty?"

"Didn't you just say you were feeling stuffy? Go get some water."

"How can that be the same? Don't change the subject!" Su Li pressed closer, "Lin Tian, ​​tell me the truth, what are your true feelings for Xue Jian?"

Lin Tian glanced at her but didn't say anything.

"You don't have to say anything," Su Li smiled even more slyly. "Then I'll take that as a yes! But let me make this clear first, you can't only like her. Although she's your personal secretary, I'm still the youngest and most promising professor in the research institute besides you. You have to treat them equally!"

"Where did you learn that word?"

"Self-taught!" Su Li patted her chest confidently. "How about it, want to consider it? I may not be able to cook, but I can help you organize data!"

Lin Tian couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing to see Su Li's determined expression.

This girl's shamelessness has probably reached the level of a black hole.

However, he didn't say anything discouraging, but simply said softly, "No rush, let's finish what we're doing first."

"So that means you agreed?!" Su Li's eyes lit up again.

Just then, Lu Xuejian returned with a water glass and happened to run into Su Li looking like this.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing! I was just helping you guys figure out the time. With such a busy expansion plan, how do you find time to date?" Su Li said with a grin.

Lu Xuejian's ears visibly flushed red, but her expression remained relatively calm.

……

The next morning, the military headquarters of the Great Xia Kingdom issued two announcements.

The first order was a commendation.

[Commendation Order from the Military Headquarters of the Great Xia Kingdom: In accordance with the "National Defense Forces Operational Regulations" and the special promotion provisions during the Space Domination period, and after deliberation and approval by the Supreme Joint Conference of the Military Headquarters, it has been decided to commend and promote all members of the Black Hole Legion.]

The original Black Hole Legion has been officially expanded into the "Black Hole Task Force," directly under the highest military command.

Lin Tian, ​​formerly a colonel, has been promoted to senior colonel and appointed commander of the Black Hole Task Force.

Fang Yan has been promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of the First Battalion of the Black Hole Task Force.

Li Changying has been promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Black Hole Task Force.

Zhao Zheng has been promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of the 3rd Battalion of the Black Hole Task Force.

[Su Li, in her capacity as a professor at the Black Hole Research Institute of Xinghua University and concurrently serving as a technical advisor to the Black Hole Task Force, has been awarded the rank of Major.]

Lu Xuejian has been promoted to captain and appointed as a staff officer in the Black Hole Task Force Command.

[The above appointments are effective from the date of this announcement.]

The second announcement was a conscription order.

[Great Xia Kingdom Military Recruitment Order: In accordance with the needs of the interstellar war, we are now urgently recruiting the second batch of black hole route repairers nationwide.]

[Selection is open to all awakened observers nationwide, aged 35 or older, regardless of star region.]

Those selected will be sent to the Black Hole Research Institute of Xinghua University for intensive training.

[This batch of selections has two hundred slots; subsequent batches will be announced later.]

The two announcements caused a sensation throughout the Great Xia Kingdom.

The messages on the public channel were flooding in so much that the screen almost crashed.

"Black Hole Task Force?! Holy crap, that name sounds awesome!"

"Colonel Lin Tian! An eighteen-year-old colonel, brothers! Have you ever seen an eighteen-year-old colonel?"

"This promotion speed is even more outrageous than the Three Tiger Marshals back then! They're both from the Lin family, how can it be so exaggerated?"

"Stop watching the show! It's a conscription notice! The second batch of Black Hole Route Cultivators! Two hundred spots! That's way more than the forty-seven people last time!"

"I just want to ask, what are the application requirements? I started my career as a superstar five years ago, do I still have a chance?"

"I've been a Blue Giant for eight years, is it too late to switch now?"

"Anyway, I've signed up first. What if I get selected?"

The channel was buzzing with excitement.

……

The selection process is in full swing across the country.

The military established selection points in each star sector, with the first batch of members of the Black Hole Legion taking turns to serve as examiners.

Every day, a large number of selected students are sent to Xinghua University to receive basic training.

Many of these students are top geniuses from their respective star sectors.

They come from different backgrounds and take different paths, but they have in common—extremely high talent and a strong desire to explore the black hole route.

The nationwide selection process lasted for a full two weeks.

Two weeks later, the second batch of two hundred trainees all arrived.

Compared to the first batch, this one is much larger in scale and more systematic.

……

Time passed slowly.

In the training hall of the Black Hole Research Institute at Xinghua University, one extreme training session after another takes place every day.

The two hundred trainees were divided into ten classes, with twenty students in each class, and were taught by the first batch of members of the Black Hole Legion in rotation.

Lin Tian would come to inspect the place every few days, sometimes giving a lesson or two, and sometimes just standing by and watching.

Every time he appeared, the atmosphere in the hall would suddenly change.

It was a gaze that bordered on worship.

After all, in the eyes of these trainees, Lin Tian was no longer just an instructor.

He is the pioneer of the black hole route, the one who passed the test of the cosmic will, and the lord of quasars.

Being able to stand in front of him and listen to his lecture is an honor in itself.

Besides training students, Lin Tian's own evolution has never stopped.

The dark matter in the super dark matter halo is almost endless, and each time he enters it, he can devour a massive amount of matter.

The mass of primordial quasars has been increasing at an almost exaggerated rate these days.

Thirteen million.

Fifteen million.

Eighteen million.

Twenty million.