Chapter 326: Preparation (5-in-1)
by SunflowerA moment later, it was Su Ming’s turn in line.
The person responsible for registration was a rather young man in a Second Lieutenant’s military uniform. He was writing on a form with his head down and called out, “Next!”
“Here, this is my conscription order!”
Su Ming took out the conscription order and handed it to the man in front of him.
Second Lieutenant Li Yin took the conscription order and glanced at it, his expression immediately changing to one of surprise. He instantly stood up and saluted Su Ming!
“Officer!”
“Mm, I’m here to report.”
Su Ming nodded slightly in response.
“Uh, Officer, you don’t report here. I can’t process it.”
“Then where do I report?”
“Go that way, the first room for reporting.”
Second Lieutenant Li Yin quickly extended his hand, pointing the direction for Su Ming.
“What about them?”
Su Ming pointed to Rhein and the others.
“Are they all officers too?”
Second Lieutenant Li Yin was also surprised; there were at least dozens of people.
“Mm!”
Su Ming nodded in affirmation.
Second Lieutenant Li Yin quickly stepped forward, verifying the identities and information of Rhein and the others one by one.
At this moment, the people queuing nearby, seeing this scene, were also greatly surprised and discussed in low voices.
“My goodness, so many officers?”
“Are you stupid? They’re all from Royal Court Academy, so of course they’re all officers!”
“Sigh, I’m so envious! If only I had studied harder back then and gotten into Royal Court Academy!”
“What are you daydreaming about? Don’t you know how hard it is to get into that school? You couldn’t get in back then, and you still wouldn’t be able to if you tried again.”
“That seems right!”
At this point, Second Lieutenant Li Yin finished verifying Rhein and the others’ identities and quickly said to Su Ming, “They are all Second Lieutenants, they can report here with me!”
“Mm, Rhein, then you all report here, I’ll go report over there.”
Su Ming said to Rhein and the others.
“Okay!”
Rhein immediately responded.
Su Ming then turned and walked towards the reporting room.
Li Yin looked at Su Ming’s departing back and curiously asked Rhein, “Brother, what’s your relationship with that officer?”
“He’s our squad leader!”
“Wow, that’s impressive!”
“Of course!”
Rhein and the others replied with a smile.
On the other side, Su Ming followed Li Yin’s instructions and walked to a reporting room with its door ajar.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Thump-thump!
“Come in!”
A steady voice sounded.
Su Ming pushed open the door and walked straight in.
The reporting room was simply furnished, with only some filing cabinets, a simple desk, and a chair.
At this moment, a middle-aged man in a Major’s military uniform, with somewhat graying hair and rough skin, sat at the desk.
He looked up at Su Ming, a hint of surprise on his face. The young man who had just entered was too young; normally, he shouldn’t be here, as this place was for senior officers to report.
“Hello, I’m here to report!”
Su Ming said politely.
Major Zhang Rui’s expression changed even more when he heard Su Ming’s words. The other party didn’t call him “Officer,” which meant he was at least at the same rank, or even higher. So, he stood up and said, “Hello, please provide your information and identification.”
“Is this okay?”
Su Ming handed over the conscription order.
Zhang Rui took it, looked at it, took a deep breath, and extended his hand to Su Ming, saying, “Major Su Ming, welcome to report. My name is Zhang Rui!”
“Hello!”
Su Ming reached out and shook Major Zhang Rui’s hand.
“Please wait a moment, I’ll process your paperwork right away.”
Major Zhang Rui immediately pulled out a stack of documents for Su Ming to sign.
Ten minutes later, all the procedures were completed.
Major Zhang Rui took out a special instrument and scanned Su Ming’s body.
“What is this for?”
Su Ming asked curiously.
“To measure your body data and make you a military uniform. Since you just joined the military not long ago, you don’t have a uniform, so one needs to be custom-made quickly. But don’t worry, it should be ready in a few days!”
“No problem.”
“By the way, this is your officer ID card, and this is the latest model of military wristband. Remember to bind your identity information. In the future, if there are urgent tasks or notifications, they will be communicated through this wristband.”
Zhang Rui took out a wristband and an ID card and handed them to Su Ming.
“Thank you. What do I need to do next?”
Su Ming then asked.
“I cannot arrange your specific duties. There will be a meeting tomorrow morning at 8 AM in Conference Room 1, where an officer will make arrangements and assignments.”
“Alright!”
“Also, you will temporarily reside in Room 16, C-Zone. Here is the key.”
Zhang Rui took out another key and handed it to Su Ming.
“Thank you, I’ll be going now.”
Su Ming took the key, turned, and left the reporting room.
Zhang Rui watched Su Ming’s departing back and sighed softly, “A formidable young man, to be at the same rank as me at such a young age.”
On the other side, Su Ming left the reporting room and walked towards the hall, wanting to see how Rhein and the others’ registration went.
Just then, a hand reached out from behind and patted Su Ming’s shoulder, followed by a familiar voice.
“Su Ming!”
Su Ming paused slightly in surprise and turned to look.
He saw Gu Meng, dressed in a Sergeant’s military uniform, standing beautifully in front of him, her face filled with joy.
Qi Shen and Liu Xiao, as always, followed behind her, both wearing Corporal military uniforms.
“Gu Meng.”
Su Ming greeted her in a calm tone.
“Aren’t you surprised? It’s such a coincidence, I never thought I’d run into you here!”
Gu Meng said very happily.
“It is indeed quite surprising.”
Su Ming nodded slightly.
“You promised me last time that if we met again, you’d give me your phone number. Isn’t it time to fulfill that promise now?”
Gu Meng looked at Su Ming with anticipation.
Su Ming was also a bit surprised to hear Gu Meng’s words, not expecting her to be so persistent, so he said, “Okay, my phone number is…”
Gu Meng took out her phone and jotted it down, then said in a very good mood, “I’ve got it. I’ll contact you later, I need to go gather now!”
“Okay!”
Su Ming nodded in response.
Gu Meng then left with Qi Shen and the other person.
After they had walked a distance, Qi Shen said softly to the smiling Gu Meng, “Gu Meng, why are you still asking for his number? I heard he’s quite a scoundrel.”
“Exactly, I heard that too. After he won second prize in the Three School League, he got arrogant and changed girlfriends every day.”
At this point, Liu Xiao also said with all seriousness, “Right, right, right, I heard that Lin Chuyu, the school beauty he used to chase, later even fawned over him, but he still dumped her.”
Qi Shen immediately retorted.
“Shut up, I don’t want to hear you badmouthing him.”
Gu Meng said to Qi Shen and the other person with annoyance.
“Okay, I won’t say anything.”
Qi Shen, seeing Gu Meng get angry, quickly said ingratiatingly.
Su Ming stood rooted, watching the retreating figures of Gu Meng and the two others, lost in thought.
Just then, Rhein and the others, wearing Second Lieutenant military uniforms, walked over and excitedly said, “Squad leader, what are you spacing out about?”
“Nothing, are you all done reporting?”
Su Ming turned to them and replied with a smile.
“Mm, do you think we look handsome in these uniforms?”
Zhang Yi and the others asked happily.
“Quite handsome.”
“Squad leader, why haven’t you changed yours?”
“Mine needs to be custom-made, it’ll be a few days later!”
Su Ming briefly explained the reason.
Just then, Second Lieutenant Li Yin walked over in a hurry, holding a stack of folders. He first saluted Su Ming.
“Officer!”
“Mm!”
Su Ming nodded.
Second Lieutenant Li Yin then distributed the folders to Rhein and the others, and at the same time, he said, “Your assignments are out. You’ve been assigned to different mecha combat units as squadron leaders, commanding fifty mecha combat personnel. This afternoon, you need to pick up your team members and reorganize them. It’s best if you can train them!”
“Ah, we’re leading a team?”
Rhein and the others replied, bewildered.
“Yes, is there a problem?”
Second Lieutenant Li Yin asked, puzzled.
“No, it’s just that we’re still students, and you’re asking us to lead a team. We’ve never led one before!”
Ankajia and the others said, somewhat dumbfounded.
“Oh, come on, everyone has a first time! This is my first time doing this too!”
“Isn’t this just messing around?”
“Oh, there’s always a first time, you’ll get the hang of it. I’m leaving now, it’s getting crazy busy over there!”
After Li Yin finished speaking, he hurriedly left.
“Squad leader, what do we do now?”
Rhein and the others looked at Su Ming with bitter expressions.
Su Ming smiled and said to them, “Alright, it’s not a big deal. You need to believe in yourselves! Also, being assigned a captain position is pretty good; at least you’ll have more freedom. If you were assigned as team members under someone else, that would really be miserable; you’d probably be controlled to death.”
“Alright!”
Rhein and the others, hearing Su Ming’s words, reluctantly accepted reality.
“Alright, let’s put our luggage in the dorm first.”
Su Ming said to Rhein and the others.
“Okay!”
Rhein and the others nodded.
A moment later, Su Ming followed Rhein and the others to their dormitory.
Their dormitory was also in Zone C of the base, but it was a five-person room, and the facilities inside were very simple.
“It’s alright, barely manageable,” Su Ming said after a glance.
“Squad leader, where’s your dorm?”
“Just up ahead!”
“Take us to see it.”
Rhein and the others said curiously.
“Let’s go!”
Su Ming then led Rhein and the others to the front of his dormitory, and he opened the door with a key.
A spacious room came into view. This room only had one bed, equipped with a private bathroom and a small balcony.
“Wow, a private single room, that’s too much!”
Zhang Yi looked at Su Ming’s room and couldn’t help but complain.
“Too much my foot! I’ve been crammed into dorms with you guys for so long, it’s finally time to enjoy myself.”
Su Ming replied with a smile.
“I was just kidding!”
Zhang Yi said with a grin.
“Alright, you guys hurry up and get some rest. You still have to pick people up this afternoon, don’t you?”
Su Ming reminded Rhein and the others.
“Squad leader, we really don’t have confidence. Can we really be good captains? We suddenly feel a lot of pressure!”
Ankajia and the others felt a bit uncertain.
Su Ming reached out and patted them on the shoulders, saying, “People always have to take the first step. You need to have confidence in yourselves! If you don’t know how to lead, just use Teacher Mia’s method: beat them up first to establish your authority!”
“Uh, is that really okay?”
“What’s wrong with it? The way we got drenched, you make sure they get drenched the same way.”
“That makes sense!”
Rhein and the others broke into smiles upon hearing this.
“Alright, go!”
“Got it!”
—
Old Galaxy · Dark Starry Sky.
A fortress with a diameter of over a thousand kilometers, entirely covered in old, black armor, its surface dotted with launch ports and gun muzzles, floated silently.
Inside, on a quiet metal corridor.
Clang, clang, clang!
A heavy sound of footsteps echoed.
The Purple-haired girl slowly emerged from the darkness. She was wearing a dark gold colonial armor, which tightly conformed to her body, outlining her perfect curves.
Following behind her was a burly middle-aged man in a Lieutenant General’s military uniform, with a weathered bronze complexion, deep eyes, thick eyebrows, and sharp features. Also accompanying them was a tall, distinctly featured man with slightly darker skin, graying temples, a resolute face, and wearing a Major General’s military uniform.
The three walked to the end of the corridor and arrived at the entrance of the central control room.
The large door swung open, revealing a very dim interior.
The Purple-haired girl entered the central control room with firm steps, without a hint of hesitation.
The entire central control room was very spacious, with a hollow circular console located in the central area. In front of the console was a raised command platform with a command chair.
The Purple-haired girl led the two generals to the central control console.
She reached out and touched the dusty central control console, a complex look in her eyes.
“Miss, this fortress has been abandoned for so many years, can it still be used?”
Lieutenant General Feilong asked with some concern.
Major General Jon on the side also chimed in, “Yes, this fortress has been abandoned for at least over a hundred years!”
“It should be possible. This Star Radiance Fortress is excellent, and its battle achievements are illustrious!”
After the Purple-haired girl finished speaking, she reached into the control panel, found a special mechanical switch, and pressed it.
Click!
The center of the control panel split open, revealing a special mechanical slot.
At this moment, the Purple-haired girl took out a complex prism-shaped mechanical key and inserted it into the mechanical slot!
Click!
The Purple-haired girl turned the mechanical key.
Whoosh!
Countless patterns lit up on the entire surface of the control panel. Immediately after, light strips illuminated all the walls of the central control room.
A virtual projection screen instantly appeared, displaying a prompt.
“Do you want to activate Star Radiance Fortress!”
“Activate!”
The girl’s lips moved slightly as she spoke.
Star Radiance Fortress’s built-in fusion device was instantly activated and began to operate.
Countless lights inside the entire fortress lit up, and various devices began to function.
The sensor indicator lights on the fortress’s surface began to flash.
“Activation successful, it seems it can still be used.”
“What should we do now?”
“Send maintenance personnel in to begin inspection and repair!”
“Yes!”
The next day, Yuko Base.
Major Su Ming walked towards Conference Room 1.
Along the way, the soldiers he encountered all saluted Major Su Ming.
“Officer!”
Major Su Ming nodded slightly and continued forward.
Although Major Su Ming was not wearing a military uniform, this was the corridor leading to Conference Room 1, and those attending the meeting were all high-ranking officers.
Soon, Major Su Ming arrived at the main entrance of the conference room.
The two soldiers guarding the entrance, wearing second-generation exoskeleton armor, saluted and then pushed open the conference room door.
Major Su Ming walked straight in.
Whoosh!
All eyes fell on him.
Major Su Ming glanced around the conference room with slight surprise.
Dozens of officers were seated at the conference table, the highest-ranking among them being two Lieutenant Colonels.
Major Su Ming recognized one of the Lieutenant Colonels; it was Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En, who had participated in the same test at Light of Hope Laboratory.
Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En frowned slightly when he saw Major Su Ming enter, but he said nothing.
However, at this moment, Major Su Ming keenly noticed an unusual gaze.
He followed the gaze and saw a burly man in a Major’s uniform, with a short-cropped haircut, a broad waist, and a fiery temper, looking at him with ill intent.
Major Su Ming thought carefully for a moment and then remembered.
This was Major Hegas, who had cursed him for using connections at Light of Hope Laboratory; he hadn’t expected to run into him here.
However, Major Su Ming didn’t pay much attention; he walked straight to the front and found an empty seat.
“Damn it, Chen Ying, did you see that guy who used connections?!”
“I saw him.”
Major Chen Ying replied with a headache.
“Pah! That’s really impressive, someone who used connections even made it to Major rank. Are the people upstairs’ brains full of maggots?!”
Major Hegas said angrily.
“Alright, stop talking.”
Major Chen Ying warned Major Hegas.
“Hmph!”
Major Hegas suppressed his anger impatiently.
At this time, many officers in the room were also whispering.
“Who is that person who just came in? So young?”
“I’m not sure, but he looks familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before!”
Major Su Ming listened to their discussions and quietly waited for the meeting to begin.
At this moment, the conference room door opened again.
Major Su Ming and the others turned to look.
They saw a man in a Colonel’s uniform, handsome, with a pale face showing a hint of sternness, and an extraordinary demeanor, walk in.
“It’s Officer Kafu!”
“I didn’t expect him to join the Thirteenth Corps as well, that’s truly great!”
Many officers whispered.
Officer Kafu ignored the discussions and walked to the front row, taking his seat directly.
Major Su Ming raised his wristband and checked the time; it was already 7:30, still half an hour until the meeting started, so he waited patiently!
About half an hour later, the council hall door was pushed open again.
Whoosh!
The many officers present stood up one after another.
Major Su Ming also stood up, seeing this, and turned to look.
He saw a burly, broad-shouldered man with a full beard, a wide forehead, bright eyes, and wearing a Major General’s uniform, walk in with a powerful aura.
“General Vickers!”
Everyone saluted.
“Sit!”
Major General Vickers responded in a deep voice, then walked to the council platform.
Major Su Ming and the others sat down and looked at Major General Vickers.
Major General Vickers scanned all the officers present, and after confirming everyone was accounted for, he said seriously.
“Welcome, everyone, to the Thirteenth Corps. From today onwards, you are all part of one corps. Everyone must get along harmoniously and be united!”
“Yes!”
Major Chen Ying and the others replied solemnly.
“Also, although the Thirteenth Corps has just been established, it bears an extremely heavy responsibility. You should be very clear about the Federation’s purpose in establishing the Thirteenth Corps. We are about to face a fierce battle, and we must quickly integrate the corps, strive to achieve good coordination, and enhance our combat effectiveness!”
“Understood!”
“I won’t say any more unnecessary words. I will now begin assigning your positions. The entire Thirteenth Corps consists of twenty-six teams. The First Team will be led by Colonel Kaff as Commander, with Major Chen Ying and Major Qi Shen as Deputy Commanders…”
Major General Vickers began to assign positions.
“Yes!”
Officer Kafu and the other assigned officers responded in a deep voice.
“The Third Team will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En as Commander, with Major Hegas and Major Su Ming as Deputy Commanders!”
Major Su Ming’s expression shifted slightly when he heard Major General Vickers’s appointment.
At this moment, Major Hegas suddenly stood up and said to Major General Vickers.
“General, I object!”
Instantly, all eyes in the entire council chamber focused on Major Hegas.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure.”
Everyone began to discuss.
Major Chen Ying and Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En also frowned when they saw Major Hegas stand up directly.
“Major Hegas, why do you refuse my appointment?”
Major General Vickers asked in a deep voice.
“General, I refuse to be on the same team as Major Su Ming, someone who used connections!”
Major Hegas replied without hesitation.
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall of officers erupted in an uproar, and everyone looked at Major Su Ming, whispering.
“Used connections?”
“My goodness, to use connections and reach the rank of Major, his background must be incredibly powerful!”
At this moment, Timmy, sitting in the back, also frowned upon hearing Major Hegas’s accusation.
“Silence!”
Major General Vickers shouted with a dark expression.
In fact, he had reviewed Major Su Ming’s file and resume, which could be described as perfect and extremely outstanding. However, no matter how perfect a resume is, once it’s labeled as someone who used connections, the nature of it immediately changes.
Suddenly, everyone in the conference hall quieted down.
Major General Vickers looked at Major Hegas and asked in a deep voice.
“It seems you and Major Su Ming have had conflicts in the past!”
“That’s right, General, I request to have him transferred to another squadron, or to have myself transferred to another team!”
Major Hegas replied without evasion.
“Since that’s the case, then it’s even more impossible for me to separate you two. What is the purpose of establishing the Thirteenth Corps? It is for unity. As your superior, I order you: if there are conflicts, overcome them; if there are problems, solve them. You must be united!”
“But, Officer!”
“This is a military order, do you hear me?”
Major General Vickers roared, leaving no room for doubt.
“Yes, Officer!”
Major Hegas could only grit his teeth and agree.
Major Su Ming, upon hearing this, rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache. This was going to be troublesome.
He hadn’t expected to be assigned to the same team as this hothead; there would be a good show to watch later.
“Very good, sit down!”
General Vickers shouted sternly.
Although Major Hegas was extremely unwilling, he still sat down.
More than an hour later, Major General Vickers had arranged all matters, and he said to everyone.
“Alright, all positions have been assigned. What you need to do now is to organize your troops as much as possible. Of course, I also understand that it’s unrealistic to expect you to fully organize them in such a short time, but we will be departing soon, and time is very tight. You can roughly organize them first, and then slowly adjust during the journey after departure!”
“Yes!”
Major Su Ming and the others responded in a deep voice.
“Today’s meeting concludes here. Dismissed!”
Major General Vickers then waved his hand, dismissing everyone.
At this moment, many officers present stood up and walked towards their assigned Deputy Commanders to discuss the upcoming reorganization matters.
Major Su Ming also stood up and walked towards Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En, and Major Hegas also walked over.
Major Hegas snorted coldly when he saw Major Su Ming, venting his dissatisfaction.
Major Su Ming, however, didn’t bother with him. Although this guy disliked him, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
At least it showed that he was straightforward; compared to people who beat around the bush, he preferred this kind of direct personality.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En had a huge headache. The team itself was temporarily reorganized, which was already very tricky.
Now, both Deputy Commanders were directly at odds. And one of the Deputy Commanders’ abilities was still questionable; it was very possible he got in through connections.
Nevertheless, he spoke calmly.
“Gentlemen, we are now one team. Although you two had some unpleasantness before, I don’t wish to see any conflict between you. Our current responsibilities are very heavy.”
“Okay, I have no problem.”
Major Su Ming readily agreed.
Although Major Hegas disliked Major Su Ming more and more the more he looked at him, in front of Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En, he still suppressed his anger and said.
“Understood.”
“Good, the next task is mainly to reorganize the Third Team.”
Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En said.
“I will personally oversee this!”
Major Hegas proactively took on the task, fearing that Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En would hand the matter over to Major Su Ming. He worried that this person who used connections would mess up the team and create chaos.
“Alright, then Hegas, you’ll have to work hard and oversee it. Of course, I will also participate. As for Su Ming, if you have time, you should also patrol the Third Team more often. No matter what, there are ten squadron leaders in the Third Team, and five of them should rightfully be under your command.”
Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En pondered for a moment before arranging.
It should be known that the mecha formations of the entire Thirteenth Corps are: squadron leaders manage 5 people, company commanders manage 50 people, battalion commanders manage 500 people, deputy regimental commanders manage 2500 people, regimental commanders manage 5000 people, and Legion Commanders manage 130,000 people.
In other words, under normal circumstances, Major Su Ming would be responsible for managing 2500 people.
However, now, due to time constraints, Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En was not comfortable entrusting people to Major Su Ming. So he gave this arduous task to Major Hegas, as his qualifications and experience were evident.
As for Major Su Ming, he was simply too young and didn’t seem reliable at all.
He was very curious how Major Su Ming had been promoted to Major, but it was not appropriate to ask directly about such matters.
“Alright!”
Major Su Ming had no objections to this arrangement; he was happy to be idle.
“Good, then it’s settled!”
Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En then finalized the matter.
In the afternoon.
Major Su Ming lay in his dormitory, browsing his wristband to check the profiles of various officers in the Third Team.
Clang!
Loud noises interrupted his thoughts.
Major Su Ming raised his wristband and checked the time; it was already past three in the afternoon.
He stretched lazily, got up, put on his shoes, and left the dormitory.
Although Major Hegas had taken over all the work, leaving him very idle, he still had to go on patrol no matter what.
Soon, Major Su Ming walked out of the base.
Outside the base, it was incredibly lively, with Iron Heads moving things around.
From time to time, buses and military transport vehicles arrived at the base, carrying soldiers.
Major Su Ming walked towards the training area.
Along the way, he saw some officers lecturing their subordinates, while others began training their subordinates.
Every officer was very busy.
However, Major Su Ming noticed one thing: there were basically no officers above the rank of Major on the training ground. It seemed that the higher the rank of the officer, the more relaxed they were.
At this moment, Major Su Ming suddenly saw Ankajia.
Ankajia was sparring with a very muscular sergeant.
Beside them, groups of non-commissioned officers were shouting with red faces.
“Zhao Gou! Come on!”
“Come on!”
Unfortunately, the sergeant named Zhao Gou was no match for Ankajia at all; all his attacks missed.
Ankajia played with him like a monkey, constantly taunting him.
“Did you not eat?”
“Is this all you’ve got? Are the muscles on your body made of plastic?”
His actions directly infuriated Zhao Gou and the surrounding non-commissioned officers to the extreme.
“Hit him!”
“Beat him to death!”
The numerous officers shouted in anger.
However, no matter how Zhao Gou attacked, Ankajia could easily dodge him. Even though he was a bit fat, he was incredibly agile.
“Oh, how boring! It’s my turn.”
Ankajia suddenly exploded, brutally beating Zhao Gou without holding back.
Within a few seconds, Zhao Gou was knocked to the ground, and the surrounding officers looked like eggplants hit by frost, deflating instantly.
Su Ming couldn’t help but smile wryly at this scene.
Ankajia certainly knew how to stir up trouble.
Su Ming continued walking towards the Third Regiment’s training area. As he passed by the Seventh Regiment, Su Ming saw Rhine and immediately stopped.
He watched Rhine giving a proper lecture for a while, then continued towards the Third Regiment.
Not long after, he arrived at the Third Regiment’s training area.
He saw ten squadron leaders standing rigidly in the front row, with other personnel arranged behind them according to their positions.
At this moment, Major Hegas was speaking sternly.
“Listen up, all of you! The team I, Hegas, lead has never had cowards. No matter what danger we face, retreat is not allowed. I will lead the charge through mountains of knives and seas of fire, and I will be the first to cover your retreat. But if anyone is a coward, get out now!”
“Yes, Officer!”
The numerous squadron leaders shouted passionately, as if injected with adrenaline.
Su Ming stopped, watching this scene with interest. He had to admit that although this big guy didn’t get along with him, he seemed to have some real skills; he trained his soldiers well.
But was he trying to usurp his authority? If it were anyone else serving as deputy commander, they would probably have jumped up by now.
However, Su Ming didn’t care at all; he was too lazy to train these new recruits.
What Su Ming truly wanted to do was transfer Rhine and others under his command, but this matter would likely be difficult.
If they weren’t in the Thirteenth Corps, it would be very easy to manage. However, the Thirteenth Corps was established with the original intention of unity, which is why everyone was specifically dispersed to prevent people from various factions from gathering together.
“Sigh!”
Su Ming sighed slightly at this thought.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
“Cao Ran!”
Su Ming turned his head and saw a girl in a sergeant’s uniform, with a slightly baby-faced and rather cute appearance, calling out to him.
Behind this girl were several other girls, who corrected her.
“No, he’s not called Cao Ran!”
“Oh, right, he’s called… what’s-his-name, the spy!”
The rather cute girl blurted out.
Hearing the word “spy,” Su Ming’s mouth twitched as he asked, “Who are you?”
“That’s too much! You don’t remember us? I’m Lan Yue!”
Lan Yue said, hands on her hips, a little annoyed.
“Oh, it’s you guys. What a coincidence.”
Su Ming replied awkwardly upon hearing Lan Yue’s words.
“Hmph, you ran so fast in the City Lord’s Mansion, we searched for a long time and couldn’t find you. Now we’ve caught you! It’s all because of you; we were laughed at for so long.”
Lan Yue complained to Su Ming.
“Sorry, that was a competition, I really couldn’t help it,” Su Ming said with a smile, apologizing.
“Alright, I forgive you!”
Seeing Su Ming apologize, Lan Yue didn’t press the issue further.
“Thanks. By the way, aren’t you supposed to be training?”
“We are! We just finished and are on break.”
“I see.”
Su Ming nodded.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
Lan Yue asked, momentarily forgetting.
“My name is Su Ming!”
Su Ming introduced himself.
“Su Ming, why aren’t you wearing a military uniform?”
Lan Yue asked with great curiosity.
“This…”
Just as Su Ming was about to explain, his wristband suddenly vibrated, displaying a message.
“Respected Major Su Ming, urgent mission. Please proceed immediately to Base Combat Meeting Room 3.”
“Sorry, I have something to do. Let’s talk later.”
Seeing the message, Su Ming quickly told Lan Yue and the others, then turned and ran towards the base.
Lan Yue watched Su Ming run off and stomped her foot in annoyance.
“He ran off after only a few words, as if we were going to eat him!”
Just then, a woman in a second lieutenant’s uniform, with long blue hair, fair skin, clear eyes, and an excellent appearance, walked over and asked, “Lan Yue, what are you doing here?”
“Sister Eyin, we just ran into Su Ming,” Lan Yue quickly told Eyin.
“Su Ming? Where is he?”
Eyin turned her head, looking around, but didn’t see him.
The other girls spoke up, saying, “He ran off after only a few words, he’s super slippery! But up close, he’s really handsome, even more handsome than in photos and videos.”
Eyin heard this and immediately asked, “Did you criticize him?”
“Of course not! We just wanted to chat with him and make friends, but he ran faster than a rabbit,” Lan Yue said plaintively.
“That’s good. Never mind him, hurry up and rest. You still have intensive training later.”
“Okay!”
On the other side, Su Ming rushed to the entrance of Combat Meeting Room 3.
The soldiers guarding the door were about to stop Su Ming.
Su Ming showed them his officer’s card, and the soldiers immediately saluted.
“Officer!”
Su Ming then pushed the door open and entered.
Inside the meeting room stood five people: Colonel Kaff, Major Chen Ying, Lieutenant Colonel Aragon, Major Bolton, and Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En.
Seeing these individuals, a look of surprise appeared in Su Ming’s eyes.
They had gathered the commanders of the former three regiments and one deputy commander. What was this about?
At this moment, Colonel Kaff spoke coldly, “Everyone is here. I’ll briefly explain the mission: General Vickers has ordered me to lead a team to the Yellow Sand Land to bring the mothership back!”
“Understood!”
Su Ming and the others immediately responded.
“Let’s go!”
Colonel Kaff wasted no more words and led the team out.
Soon after, Su Ming, piloting his Slayer, followed Kaff and the others out of the base.
They flew at high speed through the sky, constantly passing over crimson land and towering mountains.
Su Ming also observed Hugh Eun’s mecha with considerable curiosity.
The mecha he piloted was also a third-generation custom model, but his mecha was a heavy-duty type, standing a full twenty-one meters tall, a head taller than regular third-generation mechas. It was also covered in thick black armor, with two large-caliber beam cannons mounted on its shoulders, giving the entire mecha a strong sense of oppression.
Most importantly, Hugh Eun’s mecha had a red star painted on its chest, which was very rare.
It could be seen that his strength should be very formidable.
Next, Su Ming looked at the other mechas. Except for Kaff’s Four-Generation Mecha, all the others were custom models.
“Let’s speed up a bit more,” Kaff said coldly.
“Understood!”
Hugh Eun and the others responded in a deep voice.
Everyone then pushed their power control levers forward, accelerating to follow Kaff.
More than two hours later.
Above the boundless desert, six mechas streaked across the sky, followed by a series of small interstellar transport planes.
At this moment, Kaff, piloting his mecha, decelerated and hovered above the yellow sand.
Su Ming and the others followed suit, slowing down.
“Is this it?”
Hugh Eun asked in a deep voice.
“That’s right!”
Kaff looked at the rolling yellow sand, replying with certainty.
“Then let’s begin!”
Hugh Eun said to Kaff.
Kaff then took out a special mechanical device and pressed it!
A minute later, the entire desert suddenly shook as if an earthquake had struck, and howling winds stirred up a sky full of sand and dust.
Then, the rolling yellow sand began to rise, accompanied by deafening roars, as a massive mothership broke out from the sand. As the mothership continuously ascended, a torrential downpour of sand poured down.
Su Ming watched this shocking scene, his mind slightly shaken.
Soon, the mothership completely emerged from the yellow sand.
Su Ming looked closely: it was a mothership 280 kilometers long, with a slender hull, covered in old armor. A long main cannon protruded from its bow, and its hull was covered with numerous launch ports and intercepting cannons.
“It’s the Level 5 Battleship Tsar!”
Hugh Eun and the others said with slight surprise.
“That’s right, this mothership belongs to our Thirteenth Corps. Let’s go up!”
Kaff piloted his mecha towards the mothership’s boarding entrance.
Su Ming and the others immediately followed.
Not long after, Su Ming and the others entered the Tsar’s hangar.
Hiss~
Accompanied by a venting sound, one mecha after another opened its cockpit.
Kaff and the others jumped down, and at the same time, many accompanying ship Operators also disembarked from the small interstellar transport planes.
Su Ming surveyed the hangar. The entire hangar was very large, but it looked very old, with some connection points already rusted.
“Let’s go to the central control room.”
Kaff led Su Ming and the others towards the central control room.
Su Ming and the others followed closely behind Kaff.
Soon, they arrived at the Tsar’s central control room via a moving platform.
Su Ming scanned the room. The entire central control room was very spacious, with a T-shaped layout.
The control panel equipment here looked very old and was covered in a thick layer of dust.
However, surprisingly, the control panel equipment could still be activated and operated, with various prompts appearing on the virtual screens.
“Received activation signal!”
“Tsar, intelligent auxiliary system starting.”
“CSZ-01 Type 2 Fusion Power Device starting.”
“Taking over ship!”
Kaff waved his hand, and the Operators behind him stepped forward.
“This ship is too old, isn’t it? It’s at least a century old!”
Chen Ying said, frowning tightly.
“To be precise, it was produced 300 years ago and retired a hundred years ago,” Kaff gave the accurate answer.
“Isn’t it too old to be used?”
“Although this Tsar mothership is old, it is equipped with a dual fusion power device, providing extremely abundant power. Moreover, it has extremely high maneuverability and also comes with a disguise device, giving it considerable combat power! Most importantly, this ship’s reputation is extraordinary. During its 200 years of service, it sank 3 Level 5 Battleships, 4 Level 5 Battleships, and countless other ships. Besides that, it also killed numerous monsters before honorably retiring.”
Hugh Eun added in a deep voice.
Su Ming was also very surprised to hear this. He hadn’t expected the Federation to even bring out such a meritorious ship.
He didn’t know whether to say the Federation valued the Thirteenth Corps, or if the Federation was truly stretched thin.
Several hours later.
The Tsar broke through the clouds and appeared above Yuko Base.
Everyone in the base stopped what they were doing, looked up at the mothership appearing in the sky, and discussed in shock.
“Isn’t that a retired mothership?”
“My goodness, this ship is ancient. Its surface armor is all rusted beyond recognition. Wait, this wouldn’t be the mothership we’re going to use for combat, would it?”
“It seems so!”
“No way, are they making us fight with an antique?”
“You can’t say that. This mothership used to be very famous and achieved great military successes!”
“Well, having something is better than nothing, I guess.”
Everyone comforted themselves.
At this moment, the Tsar slowly descended towards the wilderness on the side of Yuko Base.
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