Chapter 330: Operation Begins (Five-in-One)

Three days later.

Deng Yu and the others were drilling the soldiers, having them control the Mechs for basic operations like running, jumping, and prone flying.

Su Ming sat in his chair, operating his wristband, constantly modifying his training plan.

At this time, the various teams nearby were also training with great enthusiasm.

“Pause, rest!”

Deng Yu raised his hand and shouted to his subordinates.

All the soldiers immediately controlled their Mechs to stop, letting out a long sigh of relief.

At this moment, Deng Yu looked at Hegas’s training. They had already entered simple combat drills, and he could see Iron Guard Mechs fighting each other.

Seeing this, Deng Yu couldn’t hold back anymore, so he walked up to Zhang Bi and the others and said,

“This won’t do. Everyone else is already in combat, and we’re still practicing basics here.”

Zhang Bi and the others said worriedly, “Let’s go find Commander Su Ming.”

“Yes, let’s go!”

Deng Yu nodded and led Zhang Bi and the others towards Su Ming.

Soon, the five of them arrived in front of Su Ming and called out,

“Commander!”

“Hm.”

Su Ming only responded with a sound, not looking at them, still lowering his head and operating his wristband.

Deng Yu wanted to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat, and his face turned beet red.

At this moment, Su Ming put down his wristband, looked up at the five of them, and said with a smile,

“Say whatever you want. I won’t eat you!”

“Commander, then I’ll speak. I question your teaching method. Everyone else is already in combat training, and we’re still teaching basic movements here.”

Deng Yu said, mustering his courage.

Upon hearing this, Su Ming’s expression turned serious, and he said to the five of them,

“What do you know? It doesn’t matter how you people train since your foundations are good. But have you considered those new recruits? Many of them have only learned theoretical knowledge and undergone a few simulator trainings. Their foundations are a mess; they even have to fumble for button locations for a long time. Do you think there will be any good results if we speed up the training under such circumstances? And once they are thrown into a real battle, won’t they be flustered?”

“It seems so.”

Deng Yu and the others were slightly startled.

“What I want now is for them to master the basics, form muscle memory, and be able to skillfully control their Mechs. Before becoming a warrior, you must at least become a normal person, not a disabled person with cerebellar atrophy!”

“Yes, Commander!”

“From now on, excluding eating, going to the restroom, and eight hours of sleep, all of you will work overtime to train your basics!”

Su Ming directly issued the order.

“Yes!”

Deng Yu and the others immediately responded.

Late night.

Su Ming sat at his desk, his wristband on the table, in projection work mode.

Thump thump!

Su Ming constantly tapped the projected keyboard, planning accelerated training.

At this time, Boat Spirit squatted beside him, looking at Su Ming who was working, and yawned.

Then it got up and walked to Su Ming’s side, rubbing its head against his leg.

Unfortunately, Su Ming didn’t pay attention to it, so it flew onto Su Ming’s shoulder and lay there.

After lying for a while, it jumped onto the table, looking pitifully at Su Ming.

Su Ming glanced at it, sighed, and got up to walk to the kitchen.

He washed a bunch of grapes and placed them in front of Boat Spirit.

Boat Spirit immediately joyfully plucked a grape, threw it into its mouth, swallowed it directly, and then plucked another one.

Su Ming continued to work.

At this moment, Boat Spirit plucked a larger grape and threw it into its mouth again.

As a result, the grape got stuck in its throat.

“Yi yi~”

Boat Spirit painfully clutched its neck.

Su Ming heard the commotion, turned his head to look, his mouth twitched, and he grabbed Boat Spirit, turning it upside down.

Then, like squeezing toothpaste, he squeezed it from bottom to top.

Pfft!

A grape was immediately spit out.

At this time, Boat Spirit also let out a long sigh of relief.

Su Ming looked at this scene, both amused and exasperated. It truly lived up to its name as the most useless protected animal, almost choking itself to death just by eating a grape.

“Sigh!”

Su Ming shook his head and continued to work.

Ten days later.

Su Ming walked towards Training Ground No. 3.

From afar, he saw Deng Yu and the others finishing their training, sitting dejectedly on the ground to rest.

At this moment, several officers from the 4th Legion walked past.

They discussed in low voices,

“Did you see those guys from the 3rd Legion?”

“I saw them.”

“They’re still training basics even now. I almost died laughing.”

“No way, the people from the 1st and 2nd Legions already held large-scale space combat drills yesterday. I heard they fought quite well.”

“Exactly, others are in combat, and they’re still practicing walking here. It’s really pathetic!”

The soldiers under Deng Yu, hearing the discussions of the passing officers, became even more demoralized.

Su Ming then walked over and stood in front of Deng Yu and the others.

As soon as everyone saw Su Ming, they all got up and stood straight, calling out,

“Commander.”

Su Ming looked at their aggrieved expressions and asked with a smile,

“What, feeling wronged?”

“Commander, we are indeed wronged! Why is it that after more than ten days, we can only practice basics? We’ve already practiced them very well.”

“Now, even when we go to the cafeteria to eat, we get mocked by soldiers from other legions.”

Soldiers spoke up, one after another.

“I’ve said it before, haste makes waste, but since you all feel you’ve practiced well, I’ll give you a chance. Now, everyone get into your Mechs. I will personally inspect your basic operations.”

Su Ming looked at the many soldiers and sternly issued the order.

“Yes!”

Many soldiers, hearing Su Ming’s words, rushed towards their Mechs.

Deng Yu and the others stood beside Su Ming, accompanying him in the inspection.

Soon, all the soldiers controlled their Mechs to line up, coming forward one by one to demonstrate basic operations like running, continuous jumping, and prone flying in front of Su Ming.

Su Ming watched the soldiers demonstrate with a poker face, thinking to himself,

“Not bad, these guys’ basic training is pretty good. It seems they really haven’t been lazy these days and have trained very hard!”

Deng Yu and the others, seeing Su Ming’s tense expression and his silence, couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Soon, all the soldiers had demonstrated once.

Everyone disembarked from their Mechs again and gathered in front of Su Ming, looking at him nervously.

At this moment, Su Ming suddenly showed a hint of a smile.

“Alright, you’ve passed. From today onwards, no more basic training!”

Su Ming solemnly announced.

“Really? That’s great!”

Everyone cheered with great surprise.

“Yes, from now on, I will conduct accelerated training for you. Everyone, get into your Mechs!”

Su Ming issued the order to everyone.

Many soldiers, as if injected with a stimulant, rushed to their respective Mechs.

Soon, everyone drove their Mechs and assembled in front of Su Ming.

Su Ming raised his wristband and tapped it a few times, transmitting several videos to the Mech operation screens of everyone, then solemnly said to them,

“This is accelerated training I specifically tailored for you, mainly divided into four simple modules: close combat offense, close combat defense, shooting, and flying! I want you to conduct intensive training unconditionally according to the requirements listed.”

Su Ming’s accelerated training was designed for the Second Generation Iron Guard Mech. And all the offense, defense, shooting, and flying were actually a set template.

This was somewhat like assembly-line training. Of course, there were definitely drawbacks, but this could make them grow up the fastest.

“Yes, Commander!”

Many soldiers responded with enthusiasm.

“Also, from today onwards, all squad leaders, platoon leaders, and company commanders are responsible for supervising soldier training before 5 PM. From 5 PM to 12 AM, everyone will gather to receive personal training from me!”

Su Ming then announced to Deng Yu and the others.

“Yes!”

“Begin training!”

“Understood!”

The many soldiers on site shouted excitedly.

They controlled their Mechs to spread out and drew their alloy blades. Following the actions demonstrated in the video, the Mech body stepped forward, slashing diagonally downwards, with all the slashing angles clearly marked.

Su Ming, looking at the soldiers who had begun to drill, also showed a hint of anticipation.

—

Time flew by, and the day of the inspection arrived.

Star Radiance Fortress specifically ended its superluminal flight and hovered in the vast starry sky.

On the training ground.

The soldiers of the twenty-six teams were neatly arranged in formation.

The scene was incredibly magnificent!

The officers of the various teams stood straight in front of their respective teams, waiting for the Legion Commander to inspect.

At this time, Hegas asked Su Ming in a low voice,

“Are you confident? Your troops started training almost half a month later than others.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t drag the team down.”

Su Ming replied with a smile.

“I hope so.”

Hegas, seeing Su Ming so confident, didn’t say much more.

At this moment, the Purple-haired girl walked over, accompanied by Lieutenant General Feilong, Jon, and Major General Vickers.

“Legion Commander!”

Everyone shouted, their spirits taut.

At once, a loud voice echoed throughout the training ground.

The Purple-haired girl scanned the soldiers of each team and calmly said,

“Very good, all team leaders and deputy team leaders, come forward!”

Su Ming and the others heard the order and all walked up, arriving in front of the Legion Commander.

“Grant seats!”

The Purple-haired girl directly said.

Soldiers came up, carrying chairs.

Su Ming and the others looked at each other, exchanging glances as they sat down. They had a bad feeling.

At this moment, the Purple-haired girl spoke to all the team leaders and deputy team leaders,

“Today is the day to check the training results. You will watch your soldiers perform from above. I believe it will be very exciting. You don’t have to be too formal; you can speak freely.”

“Oh no, if we mess up today, we’ll probably lose all face.”

Many team leaders and deputy team leaders whispered, their heads aching.

At this moment, Su Ming heard Currifa, the leader of the 4th Legion, quietly ask his deputy leader beside him,

“Fuda, are you confident?”

“Yes!”

“It better be as you say, or I’ll skin you alive!”

Hearing this, Su Ming also felt a little uneasy, as the time was too short.

At this moment, the Purple-haired girl turned to Major General Vickers, nodding slightly to signal him to begin.

Major General Vickers then stood up, looked at all the soldiers, and said,

“As you can see, your team leaders are watching you. Your results will determine their achievements!”

“Yes!”

Many soldiers responded loudly.

Major General Vickers turned to Kaff and other officers, asking in a deep voice,

“Does anyone want to say something to their soldiers?”

“Yes!”

At this moment, Team Leader Currifa stood up and said solemnly.

“Speak!”

Major General Vickers replied sternly.

Team Leader Currifa looked at his team’s soldiers and said with great passion,

“Although our time together has been short, in this past month, I have witnessed your hard work and sweat. I believe you are the best, and you will definitely complete the inspection perfectly. Do you have confidence?”

“Yes!”

Many soldiers responded with enthusiasm.

“Legion Commander, I’m finished speaking!”

Currifa turned to Major General Vickers and said.

“Very good, I hope your soldiers can live up to your words.”

Major General Vickers replied in a deep voice.

“Yes!”

Currifa replied solemnly.

At this moment, Major General Vickers looked at all the soldiers and coldly issued an order.

“All personnel of captain rank are not participating in the test; all of you jog out of formation!”

Colonel Kaff, Hugh Eun, and the others’ expressions immediately changed upon hearing Major General Vickers’ words.

Su Ming also showed a strange expression when he saw this scene.

At this time, the officers sitting around whispered with very ugly expressions,

“It’s over!”

All personnel of captain rank, to put it bluntly, were veterans with military ranks or those who had participated in actual combat. They were equivalent to the backbone of the team; removing them was like removing the backbone of the entire team.

At this moment, all the soldiers on site showed uneasy expressions, feeling somewhat at a loss without the captain’s command.

Then Major General Vickers continued to speak,

“Listen up, everyone. I am now opening the hangar’s exit and entry points. Each team will have two entry and exit points. After exiting the fortress, you need to fly to the designated location, complete the target shooting, and then return to the fortress. The team with the shortest time will be superior!”

“Understood?”

“Understood!”

“Very good, I now announce that the assessment has begun.”

As Major General Vickers’ words fell, tens of thousands of soldiers on site swarmed towards the hangar.

The scene was a mess, and many people crashed into each other.

“Sigh!”

The numerous Legion Commanders and Deputy Legion Commanders rubbed their foreheads, looking at the chaotic scene with a headache.

Su Ming, on the other hand, watched this scene with great interest. He had originally thought today’s test would be boring, but he didn’t expect it to be so entertaining.

This Legion Commander was truly unconventional, not playing by the rules.

Major General Vickers spoke in a deep voice.

“Open the projection, display the hangar!”

“Yes!”

The subordinate beside him replied respectfully.

Instantly, the image inside the hangar appeared before everyone. Groups of soldiers rushed in, jostling each other!

The faces of the many Legion Commanders and Deputy Legion Commanders watching were a bit unpleasant.

Although this was a competition, it was still for a single Legion, and unity was important.

They cautiously glanced at the Purple-haired girl, but the Legion Commander wore a mask, so her expression couldn’t be seen.

At this moment, soldiers climbed into their Mechs one by one.

Swish!

Mech after Mech started up, rushing towards the exit in a scramble.

As a result, two soldiers from the 12th Regiment, controlling their Mechs, simultaneously rushed towards one entrance, and whether it was due to nervousness or some other reason, they directly collided.

The Commander of the 12th Regiment gnashed his teeth in anger when he saw this scene!

The Legion Commander next to him also suppressed a smile and said,

“Oh dear, the 12th Regiment’s soldiers collided!”

“Yes! Someone was damaged, so a perfect entry and exit is definitely out.”

At this time, Su Ming noticed some soldiers from the 1st Regiment actively stepping forward to direct.

“Don’t be chaotic, exit in an orderly fashion, one by one!”

Seeing this scene, Su Ming couldn’t help but secretly praise that what Senior Kaff taught was indeed good.

At this moment, Su Ming noticed Hugh Eun and Hegas’s faces were tense, seemingly a bit nervous.

He then looked at the 3rd Regiment and found that the soldiers on Hegas’s side were quite orderly, and many people stepped out to direct. As for his own side, there was a bit of small-scale chaos, after all, he hadn’t expected the captains to be drawn out.

Fortunately, the problem wasn’t very big, and order quickly stabilized.

Swish!

More and more Mechs exited the fortress, flying towards the targets for shooting.

At this moment, a grid image appeared before Su Ming and the others, showing a space shooting range.

Numerous incoming Mechs raised their beam guns and fired.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Beams of light shot out, and targets were blown up one by one.

Mechs that hit their targets immediately turned around and returned at high speed.

Since the intelligent assistance system could be used, the shooting level looked very impressive, with basically seventy percent of the soldiers able to hit the target with one shot.

Swish! Swish!

Inside the hangar, Mech after Mech rushed in from the entrance.

Many Mechs began to return.

Soon, the 1st Regiment was the first to perfectly complete the task, followed by the 2nd Regiment completing it perfectly.

As for the soldiers trained by Hegas of the 3rd Regiment, they also completed it perfectly. However, the soldiers taught by Su Ming, although they also completed it perfectly, took too long.

This directly caused the 3rd Regiment to fall to fifth place, being surpassed by the 18th Regiment and the 4th Regiment.

Hegas looked at Su Ming with a dark face, but he didn’t say anything. Although the soldiers Su Ming trained were a bit slow, they at least completed this task perfectly.

At this time, Legion Commander Currifa and others beside them also discussed with interest.

“The 3rd Regiment actually dropped to fifth place!”

“The troops trained by that Su Ming are a bit lacking.”

“Hmm, but the 18th Regiment is so strong, who leads this regiment?”

“It’s Major Timmy!”

“So it’s her, no wonder!”

Su Ming didn’t care about their discussion at all; he hadn’t really trained them much in exiting and entering.

However, he still glanced at Timmy, who was sitting not far away, and saw that she was very calm and had great confidence in her soldiers.

At this moment, Hegas took a deep breath and suddenly turned to look at Su Ming.

When Su Ming saw Hegas’s gaze, his mouth also twitched, and he thought to himself, “It’s over, I’m about to get scolded.”

However, the next scene was unexpected for Su Ming; Hegas actually gave him a thumbs up.

Su Ming also smiled and nodded in response.

Soon, other teams also completed the first test one after another.

Major General Vickers activated the broadcast device and spoke calmly.

“All personnel who collided are eliminated. All remaining personnel return to the training ground to assemble.”

Upon hearing Major General Vickers’s words, everyone opened their Mechs, jumped out, and hurried back.

Soon, all the soldiers re-formed their ranks and stood.

Major General Vickers scanned everyone and said,

“First, I want to criticize the 12th Regiment, 15th Regiment, 23rd Regiment, and 25th Regiment. All four of your regiments had collision incidents and did not meet the perfect condition. Emergency entry and exit are the most basic requirements for combat. Failing to do even this is truly too shameful.”

For a moment, the faces of the Legion Commanders and Deputy Legion Commanders of the four regiments burned, and many soldiers lowered their heads as well.

At this moment, Major General Vickers continued to speak.

“Also, I want to praise the 1st Regiment, 2nd Regiment, and 18th Regiment; you performed very well. However, this is just the most basic. What comes next is the key!”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Major General Vickers, their hearts suspended, secretly speculating what the next test would be.

Major General Vickers didn’t keep them in suspense and announced directly,

“The final test is an elimination promotion battle. Each team will randomly select ten soldiers to be matched with other teams for a free-for-all. The winners advance until a champion is determined.”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded.

Major General Vickers waved his hand, and a virtual projection screen appeared with countless changing human figures.

Finally, the changing figures froze, and ten people were selected from each team.

Su Ming saw that among the names selected from the 3rd Regiment, five were trained by him: Cao Zhi, Song Hui, Xu Wen, Babita, and Bai Rui. The other five were trained by Hegas.

He then looked at the selected names of other teams and found that they were all the same. Five soldiers trained by each Deputy Legion Commander were chosen, exactly five per person.

It seemed the Legion Commander wanted to observe the training results of all officers comprehensively.

“All selected personnel step forward!”

Major General Vickers calmly issued the order.

Soldiers walked out of the ranks one by one, standing nervously in the front row.

“Now, we begin drawing the list for the first match.”

Major General Vickers then issued the order.

Soon, the virtual screen displayed the drawing results.

“First match: 1st Regiment VS 3rd Regiment!”

When Hugh Eun saw this result, his face immediately darkened.

Hegas, with a very grim expression, said to Su Ming,

“We’re doomed.”

“Calm down.”

Su Ming, on the other hand, said very calmly.

“Sigh~”

Hugh Eun, beside him, also sighed helplessly.

At this moment, other regimental officers around them also began to discuss.

“The 3rd Regiment is finished!”

“Definitely finished, the 1st Regiment is personally taught by Kaff, their strength is super strong!”

“If the 2nd Regiment had drawn the 1st Regiment, maybe they could have fought, but the 3rd Regiment drawing the 1st Regiment is tough!”

“It’s not just tough, it’s hopeless, alright? You probably don’t know that half the people in the 3rd Regiment practiced basics for half a month!”

“Alas, I hope they don’t lose too badly. Otherwise, with Hegas’s personality, he’ll probably explode.”

At this moment, in the combat area of the training ground, two opposing metal platforms rose.

On each metal platform, ten specially modified Iron Guard Mechs were placed. These Iron Guard Mechs had sensing devices installed on various parts of their bodies and were equipped with rubber soft knives at their waists.

At this time, all the people drawn from the 1st and 3rd Regiments walked onto the platforms and entered their Mechs.

Everyone’s gaze was focused on the battle arena!

At this moment, Major General Vickers wasted no time and directly announced,

“Begin!”

Instantly, soldiers from both sides drove their Mechs and charged towards each other.

Su Ming’s gaze immediately fell on Song Hui, who was the first to engage Qiu Kai from the 1st Regiment.

Song Hui immediately initiated with a diagonal slash, fiercely cutting towards Qiu Kai.

Qiu Kai was also startled but quickly reacted, raising the soft knife in his hand to block!

Clang!

At this moment, Song Hui controlled his Mech to kick Qiu Kai, his movements very skilled.

Qiu Kai quickly controlled his Mech to retreat, dodging the attack.

Seeing this, Song Hui controlled his Mech to lunge forward like an arrow, slashing towards Qiu Kai.

It must be said that Qiu Kai from the 1st Regiment was indeed very strong, continuously raising the weapon in his hand to block.

Bang!

But Song Hui’s attacks came one after another, never stopping for a moment.

Qiu Kai’s pressure steadily increased, becoming more and more flustered.

Just then, Song Hui suddenly seized an opportunity, directly activated his thrusters, and used his Mech’s body to violently ram Qiu Kai’s Mech.

For a moment, Qiu Kai’s Mech tilted backward, losing its balance.

Song Hui immediately slashed his soft knife at the cockpit area of Qiu Kai’s Mech.

Beep!

The red sensing device sounded, and Qiu Kai was directly eliminated.

When Su Ming saw this scene, he turned to look at Cao Zhi and the others, only to find that they had already finished their battles, taking down their opponents in just a few moves.

At this moment, Hegas slammed his hand on the armrest and spoke, frustrated at their lack of progress.

“Oh, no!”

Su Ming immediately turned his head to look at the soldiers trained by Hegas.

It turned out that all of them had been defeated by the 1st Regiment’s people, though they had also caused some damage to the 1st Regiment’s people.

At this moment, Currifa and others began to discuss.

“What’s going on? Hegas’s trained soldiers were defeated, but Su Ming’s trained people defeated the 1st Regiment?”

“This is too incredible.”

Colonel Kaff frowned as he listened to everyone’s discussion.

He hadn’t expected half of the soldiers he trained to be defeated.

At this moment, the remaining Mechs from both sides charged towards each other.

The result was a surprising sight: the remaining five people from the 1st Regiment were defeated by the soldiers trained by Su Ming in just a few moves.

“Holy cow, the 1st Regiment lost?!”

“Are these really new recruits? They feel like veterans.”

“Alright, no need to fight anymore. The strongest 1st Regiment lost, so the 3rd Regiment’s people will definitely win in the end!”

The crowd at the scene was in an uproar, discussing animatedly.

Major General Vickers showed a very surprised expression when he saw this scene. He hadn’t expected Su Ming, who was called a ‘connected’ person, to have such strong training abilities.

Colonel Kaff looked at this scene, unable to utter a single word.

One must know that these selected individuals were all carefully chosen. They were all new recruits when they enlisted, their skill levels were the same, and they basically had no combat experience.

Lieutenant Colonel Xiu En was very pleased and praised Su Ming.

“Impressive!”

“Just good luck.”

Su Ming smiled and said to Hegas.

“There’s not that much luck. As expected of someone from the Royal Court Academy.”

Hugh Eun replied sincerely.

At this moment, Major General Vickers stepped forward and solemnly announced,

“Next match!”

Several hours later, without any suspense, the soldiers of the 3rd Regiment defeated the soldiers of the other regiments, successfully securing victory.

At this moment, Major General Vickers walked up to the Purple-haired girl, saluted, and reported.

“Legion Commander, inspection completed. The 3rd Regiment is victorious!”

The Purple-haired girl, after listening to Major General Vickers’s report, slowly stood up from her chair, walked to the front of the crowd, and said calmly,

“The training was very good, especially the 3rd Team, whose performance was quite stunning. Everyone, give them a round of applause!”

Clap! Clap!

Everyone applauded.

“Alright, the inspection ends here!”

The Purple-haired girl said coldly.

Upon hearing the Legion Commander’s words, everyone’s hearts sank, and they thought to themselves,

“It’s over this time, the Legion Commander is definitely not satisfied.”

At this moment, the Purple-haired girl said to everyone,

“I’ve seen all your performances. Although there were some minor imperfections, overall, they were good. Everyone trained very well! I announce a collective day off tomorrow. Dismissed!”

After the Purple-haired girl made her announcement, she left directly with Feilong and the others.

“Day off? No way, we didn’t mishear, did we?!”

“Why a sudden day off?”

The soldiers present discussed uneasily.

At this moment, Su Ming clapped his hands and shouted to his subordinates,

“Everyone, assemble!”

Upon hearing this, Rhein and the others quickly formed neat ranks.

Su Ming looked at the two thousand five hundred subordinates before him and said to them with a smile,

“You performed well!”

“The Legion Commander taught us well!”

“…”

Deng Yu took the lead in shouting.

Everyone else also followed suit and shouted.

“Good, very good. To celebrate your successful completion of the assessment, I, your Deputy Legion Commander, have decided to treat all of you to a meal!”

As soon as these words were spoken, many soldiers cheered excitedly.

“Commander, mighty!”

“That’s great.”

Deng Yu and the others looked at Su Ming in disbelief. Feeding over two thousand people was no small sum.

Especially when not eating in the mess hall.

Hugh Eun and Hegas, who were nearby, couldn’t hold back; they didn’t have that kind of wealth.

“Su Ming, where are we eating? It seems like there’s no place that can accommodate so many people.”

Rhine shouted excitedly.

“Right in Training Area 3, it’s spacious enough there!”

“Are you sure it’s okay? Won’t it be a violation?”

“What are you afraid of? I’m here! Rhine, you guys go buy the grills, ingredients, and seasonings.”

Su Ming arranged directly.

“No problem!”

Rhine and the others eagerly went to get things ready.

At this moment, Hegas’s subordinates looked at him with anticipation.

Hegas really wanted to grit his teeth and treat everyone to a meal, but the problem was that his wallet simply wouldn’t allow it!

After all, his expenses were also very high; not to mention his family and such, the maintenance cost for his Third Generation Mech alone was a struggle.

Hugh Eun also saw Hegas’s difficulty, so he said to his subordinates,

“You all disperse. Later, I still need to discuss something with Deputy Legion Commander Hegas.”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded with a hint of regret.

At this point, Su Ming saw that Hegas and Hugh Eun hadn’t invited their subordinate soldiers to a meal, so he walked over and said with a smile,

“Commander Hugh Eun, Hegas, why don’t we all go together!”

“This, wouldn’t be good.”

Hugh Eun said with some hesitation; 5,000 people in the entire corps was no joke.

“There’s nothing bad about it. We’re all from the same corps, aren’t we?”

Su Ming looked at the many soldiers and asked loudly.

“Yes!”

The many soldiers shouted excitedly.

“Alright!”

Seeing this, Hugh Eun and Hegas no longer declined.

Several hours later.

In Training Ground 3, grills were set up one by one.

Elu led a group of female soldiers skewering meat, while officers like Rhine were grilling the skewers.

The fragrant smell of char filled the entire area.

The soldiers sat on the ground, happily eating grilled skewers.

At this moment, Su Ming stood up and spoke.

“Everyone, listen to me!”

Everyone present looked at Su Ming.

“Does the barbecue taste good?”

“Delicious!”

Everyone replied excitedly.

“If it’s delicious, eat more. Today, you can eat as much as you want!”

“Yay!”

“Also, since it’s an extraordinary period, I won’t treat you all to alcohol. Let’s drink with water instead!”

Su Ming picked up a bottle of happy water and said with a smile to everyone.

“Good!”

Hugh Eun and the others all picked up water, stood up, and shouted happily.

Everyone took a big gulp.

“Everyone, eat your fill!”

After Su Ming finished speaking, he sat back down and picked up a skewer of grilled meat to eat.

At this moment, Hegas, who was sitting next to him, was also impressed and said to Su Ming with great admiration,

“Brother, I didn’t expect you to not only be strong in combat, but even stronger at training soldiers. I am thoroughly convinced!”

“It’s a minor matter!”

Su Ming replied with a smile.

Hugh Eun, on the other hand, asked curiously,

“How did you train them to be so strong in such a short time?”

“First, practice the basics, then formulate a rapid combat method and popularize the training.”

Su Ming and Hugh Eun started chatting.

—

Two days later, on the training ground.

Su Ming stood on the elevated command platform, watching the many soldiers train.

At this moment, his wristband vibrated, and a message popped up.

“Dear Major Su Ming, please proceed immediately to Star Radiance Fortress · Operations Room. Your presence is mandatory!”

Upon seeing this message, Su Ming immediately returned to the city and headed towards the peak.

Just as he passed through layers of checkpoints and arrived at the peak.

Suddenly, Su Ming noticed that a fork in the road to the left was cordoned off, with a metal sign hanging on it.

Su Ming looked closely, and the metal sign clearly indicated:

“Xiguang Laboratory Exclusive Area, unauthorized entry strictly prohibited.”

Upon seeing this, Su Ming frowned slightly, not expecting Xiguang Laboratory to have established an agency within the fortress.

However, Su Ming didn’t join the commotion but continued towards the castle.

The Legion Commander had previously announced a day off, which Su Ming felt was a bit off. Now, suddenly notifying them of a meeting, it all felt problematic.

Soon after, Su Ming arrived at the castle and walked along the side corridor towards the Operations Room.

On the way, he encountered several majors who had all received last-minute notifications to come.

Soon, they entered the Operations Room.

The entire Operations Room was circular, with rows of chairs on the outer ring and a raised metal platform in the center.

At this time, many officers were already seated in the Operations Room.

“Su Ming, over here!”

Hugh Eun waved and called out to Su Ming.

Su Ming saw him and hurried over to sit down, asking in a hushed voice,

“Commander, do you know why the Legion Commander called us here?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t received any news. But calling us to the Operations Room, I guess…”

Hugh Eun stopped halfway through his sentence.

“I think so too.”

Su Ming replied with a deep frown.

Just then, footsteps came in, and the entire Operations Room immediately fell silent. Everyone turned to look at the main door.

Only to see the Purple-haired girl entering with Feilong and several generals.

Su Ming and the others immediately stood up and greeted them,

“Legion Commander!”

“Sit!”

The Purple-haired girl raised her hand, signaling everyone to sit down, and walked straight onto the central raised metal platform.

Click!

At this moment, the wide-open door closed.

The Purple-haired girl scanned everyone, and said coolly,

“I called you here today to announce a major event. In five hours, Star Radiance Fortress will end its superluminal flight and directly begin combat!”

For a moment, everyone was stunned.

They had thought that this meeting might be to discuss combat. But they hadn’t expected that fighting would begin in five hours. They didn’t even know where or whom they would be fighting.

Seeing everyone startled, the Purple-haired girl then explained,

“The reason I didn’t notify you in advance was to ensure that the information would not leak.”

“Yes, Legion Commander.”

Kaff and the others responded in a deep voice.

“Alright, no more irrelevant talk. We will now begin to arrange the combat plan.”

The Purple-haired girl raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

A holographic projection of a virtual star sea appeared before the Purple-haired girl, and she began to speak methodically,

“This is the Slok Star Sea. This star sea is located in the central area between the Donao Star Sea and the Dark Star Empire.”

As the Purple-haired girl spoke, she zoomed in on the entire star sea.

A planetary fortress came into view, with small planets scattered around the surrounding star sea. And near the direction of the Donao Star Sea, there was also a transit planet.

In addition, the entire star sea was densely covered with various space fortresses and defensive weapons.

“Isn’t this the Imperial Army’s largest external transit zone?”

Kaff and the others said with a slight change in expression.

“Exactly. Let me introduce it to you in detail. This planetary fortress is called Hams, and it’s a mobile planetary fortress. The Imperial Army has placed it here as a springboard for their expeditionary forces. According to intelligence from our people, this planetary fortress is garrisoned by the Dark Star Empire’s Fifth Army · Black Crow Legion, with one-third of the entire legion’s forces inside.”

“Also, this transit planet near the Donao Star Sea belongs to the Ulakahn Neutral Country.”

“This Ulakahn Neutral Country is the second strongest among the six Neutral Countries in the Donao Star Sea that have sided with the Imperial Army. The Ulakahn Neutral Country’s Second Ace Legion · Water Snake Legion is stationed on this transit planet, and once war breaks out, this legion will definitely come out!”

“There are also the Kudike Neutral Country and the Fabidun Neutral Country, which also have two legions stationed at the edge of the Donao Star Sea. Among them, the Gray Gun Legion stationed by the Kudike Neutral Country is expected to arrive at the battlefield five hours after the start of the war, and the Rock Corps stationed by the Fabidun Neutral Country is expected to arrive twelve hours later.”

“In addition to these, the Imperial Army has also stationed defensive troops at these several space defense points…”

The Purple-haired girl explained the distribution of the Imperial Army and Neutral Country forces to everyone in great detail.

Upon hearing this, Su Ming’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

This Legion Commander had actually figured out the full details of the Imperial Army and Neutral Country forces. It seemed that it wasn’t just the Federation that was infiltrated; the other side wasn’t doing much better either.

However, according to the troop distribution currently explained by the Legion Commander, the situation didn’t look optimistic no matter how he looked at it.

Obviously, the strategic objective this time was the Imperial Army’s planetary fortress, Hams.

But if they were to try and forcefully break through the various defensive strongholds and capture the Hams fortress with their current forces, the difficulty would be extremely high.

The most important point was that those people from the Neutral Countries wouldn’t just sit by and watch.

If their master was attacked, as loyal dogs, they would definitely rush to rescue them desperately. Although their combat power couldn’t be compared with the Imperial Army’s forces, there were simply too many of them.

However, Su Ming didn’t say anything. Since the Legion Commander had such a clear understanding of the enemy’s situation, it was impossible for her not to know about the disparity in forces. There should be a solution.

“Alright, the general situation has been introduced to you. Now, let’s begin to arrange the specific combat missions.”

The Purple-haired girl said directly to everyone.

“Yes!”

Kaff and the others replied in a deep voice.

“First, our strategic objective is to capture the Hams planetary fortress. This matter will be handled by Lieutenant General Feilong; you will not participate in the battle!”

The Purple-haired girl said directly to everyone.

Kaff and the others were stunned. They didn’t have to participate in the main battlefield?

Su Ming’s eyelids twitched, and he immediately realized. If they didn’t have to attack, it meant there was another force within Star Radiance Fortress, and that force was the main force.

At this moment, the Purple-haired girl ignored the astonished crowd and spoke,

“Deputy Legion Commander Vickers!”

“Present!”

Vickers immediately stood up with a determined look.

“I am entrusting you with the Tsar carrier, the Twin Battleship, and all the Thirteenth Corps’s Mecha units. You will be in command, responsible for eliminating these defensive strongholds and intercepting the Ulakahn Neutral Country’s Second Ace Legion · Water Snake Legion. Subsequently, you will also need to intercept the Gray Gun Legion and the Rock Corps! I don’t care what methods you use, but under no circumstances are the Neutral Country forces allowed to enter the main battlefield area, or else you will be held accountable!”

The Purple-haired girl said directly to Deputy Legion Commander Vickers.

“Yes, Legion Commander!”

Vickers replied with a resounding voice.

Upon hearing this, everyone showed excited expressions. So, after all this, they weren’t going to face the Imperial Army, but the Neutral Country’s legions!

Su Ming also couldn’t help but show a slight smile. This battle would be easy to fight!

Although they were leading a group of new recruits, the Neutral Country’s forces wouldn’t be much stronger, probably just evenly matched, like rookies pecking at each other.

Seeing her subordinates’ joyful expressions, the Purple-haired girl reminded them coldly,

“Listen carefully. Although you are facing the Neutral Country’s forces, and your equipment is more advanced than theirs, you must not underestimate them. After all, they are their ace legions and still possess a certain level of combat power. You absolutely must not take them lightly.”

In fact, the Federation’s equipment was definitely superior to that of the Neutral Countries, because even the Neutral Country’s ace legions used many modified First Generation Mecha.

Even if they were both Second Generation Mecha, their Mecha were definitely better than those of the Neutral Countries, because they were all armed with the latest Iron Guard, whose performance would absolutely crush the opponents.

“Understood!”

Vickers and the others replied seriously.

“Good, now everyone begin preparations.”

The Purple-haired girl then issued the order.