Chapter 427: Misfortunes never come singly (Five in One)
by SunflowerFor a moment, piercing alarm bells rang throughout the entire defense line, and red warning lights flashed wildly.
In the starry sky.
Within the defense line, mechanical gemstone-shaped fortresses, Crystal Sources, turned their dark muzzles, and rows of firing ports opened.
Giant space-based weapons shaped like sunflowers, Light Annihilation, unfolded large crystal wings, and their interiors began to furiously accumulate energy.
At the same time, a large number of fleets and countless mechas swarmed towards the No. 4 Curvature Interference Device area.
At this moment, a large number of Kirami, Zerg, and other monsters surged towards the defense line like a tide.
Bang! Bang!
Countless weapons within the defense line activated.
Beams of light and missiles instantly disintegrated the incoming monster tide.
Just then, the unidentified monster flapped its crystal-like wings and attacked the defense line, a terrifying pressure instantly impacting everyone’s minds.
Inside the central control room of the Black Snail Fortress.
Black alert boxes popped up one after another.
“Warning: Warning! Unidentified creature is attacking!”
“Hint: Automatically named Heruz.”
“General Gabres, the enemy is attacking us.”
Adorang reported with shock and anger.
“Lock on target, concentrate fire, and blast it back into Wormhole Spacetime! It absolutely cannot be allowed to break through the defense line!”
Gabres roared with fury.
“Yes! Defense weapons, launch attack! Black Snail Fortress, move forward! Main cannon, charge!”
Adorang immediately gave the order.
Following the order.
Sizzle~
The space-based weapon, Light Annihilation, fired dazzling red light beams.
At the same time, various weapons unleashed a deluge of missiles and light beams, obscuring the starry sky as they attacked Heruz.
Boom!
Various attacks exploded on Heruz’s body.
Its massive body immediately manifested a layer of red field armor, withstanding all attacks.
At this moment, Heruz slowly opened its mouth, accumulating destructive power, and a dazzling red light beam swept across the various defensive weapons that were attacking it.
Boom!
Countless fortresses and defensive weapons exploded, and the entire dark starry sky was directly illuminated by a star belt.
Adorang and the others were stunned when they saw this, their eyes wide.
These weapons all had energy shields, yet they couldn’t withstand the attack and were instantly disintegrated.
“Damn it! Adorang, I’m leaving this to you!”
Gabres cursed and turned to walk towards the lift platform.
In the starry sky.
Swarms of mechas, like bees, surged forward to meet the advancing Heruz.
Everyone continuously fired beams of light at Heruz.
These beams of light striking Heruz’s massive body were like raindrops on a calm lake, only creating tiny ripples before returning to stillness, completely unable to impede it even a single step.
Anxious voices continuously echoed through the public communication channel.
“No, Captain, our attacks are ineffective.”
“Even if they’re ineffective, we still have to fight! We absolutely cannot let it pass.”
At this moment, the Level 5 Mothership, Black Prism, led a fleet of battleships, firing dazzling light beams from a distance.
Boom!
Heruz was struck by the light beams, and huge fireworks erupted on the surface of its body.
Heruz instantly locked onto the Level 5 Mothership, Black Prism, and fired a brilliant red light beam.
The red light beam, carrying an incredibly terrifying aura, cut through the dark starry sky and instantly struck the energy shield of the Level 5 Mothership, Black Prism. The entire energy shield disintegrated in an instant, followed by the entire ship dissolving from the bow, completely turning to dust, and finally the light beam shot straight into the distant starry sky.
Everyone was terrified to the extreme when they saw this scene.
However, at this moment, a dark golden stream of light cut through the dark starry sky, and wherever it passed, space violently fluctuated.
The dark golden stream of light instantly crashed into Heruz’s body.
Bang!
A huge impact swept out.
Heruz’s body surface field armor vibrated violently. At this moment, its head finally moved, turning to look at the enemy that had attacked it.
The one who attacked him was none other than Dragon Destroyer, piloted by Gabres.
“General Gabres!”
Many soldiers saw the Dragon Destroyer mecha and shouted, their morale greatly boosted.
At this moment, Heruz raised its giant claw and swept it towards Dragon Destroyer. Wherever the sharp claw passed, space seemed to be tearing apart.
“Light Speed Flash!”
Gabres’s eyelids twitched, and his spirit instantly erupted.
Heruz’s claw swept through empty air.
At this moment, Gabres, controlling the Dragon Destroyer mecha, appeared on the other side of Heruz’s body, raised his two black blades, and forcefully chopped at its body.
Crack!
A ripple appeared.
Heruz’s field armor was incredibly sturdy.
Gabres’s expression was also extremely grim.
At this moment, seeing General Gabres disregard the danger and engage in close combat, many soldiers also rushed forward desperately, fiercely attacking Heruz.
Unfortunately, their attacks were useless; instead, they angered Heruz. Its crystal-like wings suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, and their surfaces flashed wildly like mirrors.
“Not good! Dodge quickly!”
Gabres shouted to everyone.
Those mirror surfaces rotated, locking onto the mecha swarm that was besieging him.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Beams of light scattered across the sky!
Boom!
The entire starry sky was filled with countless exploding fireworks.
“Ah!”
Screams continuously echoed through the communication channel.
Whether it was the Second Generation Mecha Iron Guard or the Third Generation Mecha Cyan Wing, they were like paper in front of its attack.
“Damn it!”
Gabres’s eyes were bloodshot.
At this moment, the voice of General Adorang echoed through the communication channel.
“Lord Gabres, get out of the way quickly! The fortress and planet-destroying battleship’s main cannons are fully charged.”
Upon hearing this, Gabres gritted his teeth and piloted the mecha away.
At this moment, a planet-destroying battleship, Gray Crystal, 260 kilometers long, completely covered in gray crystalline armor, with a ship body resembling a swimming fish, and a gray meteor cannon protruding from its bow, was the first to fire a gray light beam filled with destructive power.
Immediately after, the main cannon of the Black Snail Fortress flashed with terrifying black lightning arcs, firing a devastating light beam towards Heruz.
At the same time, Level 5 Motherships, battleships, and various defensive weapons fired light beams.
Boom!
Countless light beams struck Heruz’s body, and dazzling suns rose one after another.
Heruz’s field armor was forcibly torn apart by the massive number of fixed weapons!
Gabres roared when he saw this.
“Well done, unleash full firepower!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Missiles and nuclear thunderbolts shot across the sky.
Boom!
Heruz’s entire body was blown into pieces.
For a moment, Heruz felt pain, but instead of retreating, it accelerated the flapping of its wings and flew forward. At the same time, it opened its gaping maw, accumulating violent power, and swept it across!
Boom! Boom! Boom!~
Large areas of mechas and ships were annihilated like dust.
“Not good!”
Gabres was incredibly shocked and enraged when he saw this.
If Heruz continued to fly in the direction it broke through, it might reach Guangying Star Sea to attack the Shabask Kingdom or even reach the Federal Government.
That would definitely lead to catastrophic consequences.
Thinking of this, Gabres decisively controlled the Dragon Destroyer mecha to transform into a mechanical dragon.
He accelerated towards the front right of Heruz, accumulating energy and firing beams of light at Heruz.
Boom!
Light beams continuously exploded on Heruz’s body.
Heruz’s eyes instantly locked onto Gabres, and its massive body involuntarily changed direction.
“You bastard! Come and chase me!”
Gabres, controlling the Dragon Destroyer mecha, flew towards the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom while continuously attacking.
He wanted to lure this monster to the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom. No matter what, it was better for others to die than his own people.
Heruz was instantly enraged by Gabres and swept a violent light beam across.
Gabres activated his energy shield and sharply swerved his mecha!
Screech~
The energy shield was only grazed, and its strength plummeted.
However, fortunately, Gabres successfully shifted and dodged the attack just as the energy shield shattered.
Thump! Thump!
Gabres’s heart pounded, but he showed no fear. Instead, he opened his missile bay and launched two nuclear thunder missiles.
These two nuclear thunder missiles turned and flew backward, exploding directly on Heruz’s body!
Heruz angrily flapped its wings and charged forward, its terrifying gaping maw directly biting towards Gabres.
Gabres activated Light Speed Flash again.
Swish!
The entire mecha instantly vanished.
Heruz immediately missed.
Then, the Dragon Destroyer mecha appeared in the starry sky below, narrowly dodging the attack.
However, at this moment, Heruz’s entire body erupted with circles of colorful halos, its entire body began to dematerialize, and ripples appeared in the surrounding space.
Gabres’s expression changed drastically when he saw this, and he shouted.
“Damn it!”
Unfortunately, it was too late. Heruz instantly phased into Subspace and disappeared.
Gabres watched this scene and quickly checked the direction.
He found that Heruz’s final escape direction was precisely the boundary line leading to the Federal Government and Apocalypse Divine Kingdom, and he didn’t know where it would fly.
At this moment, many subordinates piloted their mechas to Gabres’s side, asking anxiously and uneasily.
“Sir, what do we do now?”
“What else can we do? Report to the Cosmic Military Headquarters immediately!”
Gabres roared with indignation.
“Yes!”
The subordinates present quickly responded.
—
Thirteenth District · Su Family Villa Living Room.
Su Ming, dressed in casual clothes, sat with Su Yuan in front of the tea table.
The father and son were rarely leisurely sitting together, brewing tea.
Zhao Ning sat nearby, peeling an apple.
Su Yuan poured Su Ming a cup of tea, then said with a chuckle.
“Although I don’t really like fighting, ever since the Federal Government went to war, the junkyard business has suddenly become very good.”
“Father, it’s good to do business in moderation, pay more attention to your health.”
Su Ming said, taking a sip of tea.
“That won’t do. I still need to earn more to save up some money for your wife.”
Su Yuan shook his head and replied.
Su Ming smiled upon hearing this and didn’t say much more.
At this moment, Zhao Ning, who was beside them, suddenly had a thought. She picked up a toothpick, speared a peeled apple slice, and handed it to Su Ming, saying.
“Son, have a piece of apple.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Su Ming took it.
“Son, let me ask you something. How are you and Lin Chuyu doing now? Have you two become a couple?”
Zhao Ning asked expectantly.
Su Ming’s expression stiffened upon hearing Zhao Ning’s words, and he replied awkwardly.
“Mother, Chu Yu has her own dreams and wants to achieve them first. Coincidentally, I also think the same way, so…”
“Hmph, dreams are so ethereal, how long do you plan to wait? I’m still waiting to hold my grandchild! The one I introduced to you last time was actually quite good, it’s just a pity she has someone she likes! But it doesn’t matter, my third aunt’s daughter, her current husband’s family has a nice girl, how about you meet her?”
Zhao Ning said eagerly to Su Ming.
Su Ming’s heart instantly skipped a beat. Not again? He immediately stood up and said.
“Uh, Father, Mother, I suddenly remembered that I have an appointment with someone. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going!”
“No, so fast? Stay and chat a bit more! I’ve seen that girl, she’s really good.”
Zhao Ning said, still a little unwilling.
“I’ll talk to you later, I’m leaving!”
Su Ming quickly slipped away.
Soon, Su Ming ran out onto the street and let out a long sigh of relief.
That was really close, he almost got set up again.
Su Ming turned to look around, then raised his wristband, found Chen Tong’s number, and dialed it.
It was rare for him to return to the Thirteenth District, and he didn’t know what Chen Tong was up to. However, the phone gave a busy signal.
Su Ming was slightly startled. This kid had actually changed his phone. He then dialed Mink’s number.
Soon, the call connected, and Mink’s voice came through the wristband.
“General, what’s wrong?”
“Call me by my name.”
“Oh!”
“Mink, did Chen Tong change his phone number?”
“Yes, he changed it a long time ago.”
“Then do you know where he is?”
“I know that. He’s in Thirteenth District, Echo Avenue. It seems he opened a shop.”
“Let’s go, let’s go meet him together.”
Su Ming said to Mink.
“Alright! Then I’ll see you on Echo Avenue.”
Mink said to Su Ming.
“Okay!”
Su Ming then hung up the communication and walked towards the nearby monorail station.
Echo Avenue.
Su Ming stood at the street corner, waiting patiently. Just then, Mink, dressed in casual clothes, ran over and shouted happily.
“Su Ming, I’m here!”
“Let’s go, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that kid.”
Su Ming said with a smile.
“Yeah, that guy is so uncool, he hasn’t called us for years.”
Mink grumbled along.
The two then walked into Echo Avenue.
Su Ming looked curiously at the shops along the way and asked Mink in confusion.
“Which shop belongs to Chen Tong?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s 135 Echo Avenue.”
Mink also couldn’t quite remember; he hadn’t been back for a long time since joining the Thirteenth Corps.
“130, 131, 135, this is it!”
Su Ming saw the house number, looked closely, and saw that number 135 was a stir-fry restaurant. He asked in surprise,
“Mink, are you sure this is the place? That kid Chen Tong can cook? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It should be here. I specifically asked a classmate about it before.”
Mink replied with certainty.
“Let’s go take a look!”
Seeing Mink so certain, Su Ming walked towards the restaurant.
This restaurant was located near the end of Echo Avenue, on the roadside. The location wasn’t great, and the storefront looked quite old.
Soon, Su Ming and his companion arrived at the restaurant’s entrance. The restaurant wasn’t very large, just a typical husband-and-wife establishment.
However, business was quite good, and most of the tables inside were filled with customers.
Looking inside, an open kitchen could be seen.
Chen Tong, wearing a neck-strap apron, was busily stir-frying dishes, while Zhao Ran, dressed in a khaki knitted top, stood beside him, occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel.
“It really is them. Let’s go in and treat them to a meal.”
Su Ming looked at the two, a brilliant smile on his face.
“Okay!”
Mink responded eagerly.
The two walked forward, pushed open the restaurant’s glass door, and went straight to Chen Tong and Zhao Ran.
At this moment, Zhao Ran saw Su Ming and Mink, and her face lit up with extreme surprise.
Su Ming made a shushing gesture to Zhao Ran, then asked Chen Tong, who was stirring dishes with his head down,
“Boss, what’s good here?”
“The signature stir-fried beef tenderloin is good, you can…”
Chen Tong scooped the dish into a plate. When he looked up and saw Su Ming and his companion, he was stunned.
“Can what?”
Su Ming and Mink said with a chuckle.
“Damn, it’s you two.”
Chen Tong immediately turned off the stove, excitedly walked out, and gave both Su Ming and Mink a hug.
Su Ming and Mink didn’t mind the grease on him at all and hugged him warmly.
“Aren’t you surprised!”
“Of course, I’m surprised. It’s been years! Have you two eaten?”
Chen Tong asked happily.
“No, we were just about to treat you, the big boss, to a meal.”
Su Ming said with a smile.
“Bullshit, what big boss? You two sit down first, I’ll go cook a few dishes for you!”
Chen Tong said to Su Ming and Mink.
“Okay, make it delicious, don’t let us complain about you.”
Su Ming and Mink teased him with a smile.
“Get lost, I guarantee it’ll be delicious.”
Chen Tong said in a very good mood.
At this moment, Zhao Ran walked directly to the storefront, hung up the ‘Closed’ sign, and then quickly returned to the kitchen to help Chen Tong.
Soon, Chen Tong stir-fried three dishes and brought them out, and Zhao Ran brought a case of craft beer.
“Won’t that be too much?”
Su Ming said with a chuckle.
“Pfft, too much for what? It’s rare to see each other! But when did you two come back? You didn’t even say anything in advance.”
Chen Tong picked up cans of craft beer and handed them to Su Ming and Mink.
“We came back a few days ago. We wanted to tell you, but your phone was unreachable!”
Su Ming took the beer and complained with a smile.
“That’s my fault. My phone was stolen, and the card was in my mother’s name, so it was troublesome to replace, so I just got a new card. But later I tried to call you, but couldn’t get through. You know, the communication in the Thirteenth District is super bad, and they’re not willing to invest money to upgrade it.”
Chen Tong explained to Su Ming and his companion.
“So that’s how it is.”
Su Ming and Mink realized then that it must have been during their voyage.
“How have you two been lately?”
Chen Tong opened a can, clinked it with them, and asked after taking a sip.
“We’re fine. How about you two? Are you together?”
Su Ming and Mink asked gossiping.
“Cough, cough, let me formally introduce you: this is my wife, Zhao Ran. We’re already married.”
Chen Tong said with a smile.
“Well, well, you sly dog! They say a rabbit doesn’t eat the grass near its burrow, but you ate it pretty quickly, you’re even married!”
Su Ming and his companion cursed with a laugh.
Zhao Ran, hearing Su Ming and his companion’s words, also smiled brightly, then softly said,
“It’s not really Chen Tong eating the grass near his burrow; I actually approached him first.”
“You got it, you sly dog!”
Su Ming and his companion teased Chen Tong.
“Of course!”
Chen Tong replied proudly.
“By the way, Chen Tong, how did you end up opening a restaurant after graduation?”
Mink asked curiously.
“I had no choice. Zhao Ran and I studied Mecha specialization, and employment would definitely require military service. But the front lines are fighting too fiercely right now, and Zhao Ran’s parents sacrificed themselves years ago. Her grandparents are also not well and have been seeing doctors and taking medicine. They didn’t want Zhao Ran to serve. So, through connections and some policies, she didn’t enlist. Later, she found out I was going to enlist and came to confess to me. I thought about it at the time and decided to leave it to fate, so I drew a red or black lot. Perhaps it was destiny, but I drew the red lot and stayed. Later, after getting married, I needed to support the family and couldn’t just do nothing. So, I learned cooking from Zhao Ran’s grandfather and inherited this restaurant.”
Chen Tong said with great emotion.
“Honestly, this is pretty good too.”
Su Ming said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, although life is a bit tough, it’s really good. Let’s finish another bottle.”
Chen Tong picked up two cans and handed them to Su Ming and Mink.
“Okay!”
Su Ming and Mink readily agreed.
The three opened their beers and drank them down, saying heartily,
“Refreshing!”
At this moment, a group of customers at a nearby table finished their meal and got up to leave.
As they passed Su Ming’s table, they greeted Chen Tong.
“Boss, we’re leaving.”
“Okay, take care.”
Chen Tong nodded in response.
Then these customers walked directly out of the restaurant and left.
Mink saw this scene and curiously asked Chen Tong,
“Chen Tong, are those your friends?”
“No.”
Chen Tong immediately replied.
“Then they didn’t pay, they just left?”
Mink said, bewildered.
“Pay what? They’re the area administrators here, how could they pay?”
Chen Tong said as if it were routine.
“Impressive, you even understand these social niceties now?”
Su Ming said with a chuckle.
Thinking back, Chen Tong was the most unyielding among the three of them.
“No choice, just trying to make a living.”
Chen Tong waved his hand and said.
“Chen Tong, if you ever encounter any trouble in the future, tell us two, we can help you.”
Su Ming said to Chen Tong.
“That’s right.”
Mink also nodded heavily in agreement.
“Alright, you two, you probably haven’t even graduated yet, have you? Let’s not talk about depressing things. Today is a rare happy occasion, let’s drink and eat meat.”
Chen Tong said with a smile.
“Okay!”
Su Ming and Mink responded with a smile.
Several hours passed in a blink of an eye.
In the entire restaurant, only Su Ming’s table remained, with beer cans covering the tabletop.
Chen Tong and Mink’s faces were flushed from drinking, and Su Ming was also slightly tipsy.
At this moment, Zhao Ran specially brought over a bowl of clear soup and said to them,
“Have some soup!”
“Okay, thank you.”
Su Ming and Mink nodded and thanked her.
At this moment, the door was pushed open again. Zhao Ran was about to tell the incoming customers that they were closed, but when she saw who it was, she froze.
Chen Tong looked up and was also startled.
Rhine and others walked in wearing military uniforms and went straight to Su Ming and his companions.
“Boss, everything is handled, and it’s almost time. We should return to Starlight City to report.”
Rhine, seeing outsiders present, spoke very formally.
Chen Tong and Zhao Ran were completely stunned when they heard this.
“Boss? Su Ming, are they calling you?”
“That’s right, Su Ming is a General now, and I’ve followed him to become a Captain.”
Mink explained to Chen Tong and Zhao Ran.
“General?”
Chen Tong and Zhao Ran were thunderstruck, completely dumbfounded.
“Good luck, I got promoted a bit faster.”
Su Ming said with a smile.
“That’s amazing, congratulations!”
Chen Tong recovered and quickly congratulated Su Ming.
“So, if you have any problems, just come to us, don’t be polite, we’re brothers.”
Su Ming sincerely said to Chen Tong.
“Okay!”
Chen Tong nodded in response.
“I have other matters, so I’ll leave first. Let’s gather again next year!”
Su Ming said to Chen Tong.
“Alright, I’ll be waiting.”
Chen Tong readily agreed.
Su Ming then got up, raised his wristband, scanned the bank card payment QR code on the restaurant wall, and directly transferred 100 million federal currency to Chen Tong.
Chen Tong and Zhao Ran were shocked to see Su Ming transfer so much money to them and both spoke up, saying,
“Su Ming, why are you transferring so much money to us? We can’t accept this money.”
“That’s right, we can’t accept this money.”
“Don’t say that, this is your wedding gift, you must accept it!”
Su Ming said with a smile.
“And my share, you must accept that too.”
Mink also raised his wristband and transferred 100,000 federal currency to Chen Tong and his wife.
“Alright.”
Chen Tong took a deep breath, calming his surging emotions, and replied.
“We’re leaving, no need to see us off.”
Su Ming waved to Chen Tong and Zhao Ran and left with Rhine and the others.
Chen Tong looked at the departing figures of Su Ming and Mink, a very complex expression on his face, somewhat downcast.
At this moment, Zhao Ran saw Chen Tong’s low spirits and asked with concern,
“Husband, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just a little touched. I remember when the three of us promised to make a name for ourselves together, but only I…”
Chen Tong sighed deeply at the end of his sentence.
“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.”
“Don’t say that. Although I lost my ideal, I never regretted coming back for you.”
“Mmm.”
Zhao Ran, listening to Chen Tong’s words, also leaned her head on his shoulder, a happy smile on her face.
The next day, inside the Wind Movement’s central control room.
After Su Ming had arranged everything, he walked to the command chair and sat down.
At this moment, Timmy reported to Su Ming,
“The summary information for the City Exam has been sent to your wristband.”
“Okay, set sail for Starlight City.”
Su Ming said to Timmy.
“Alright!”
Timmy nodded in response, then instructed Li Menghan and the others to set sail.
Su Ming sat in the command chair, tapped his wristband a few times, and projected the operating interface in front of him.
He curiously pulled up the scores of the Mecha Department candidates from the Thirteenth District.
Rhine and the others, having nothing to do, gathered around to watch. They looked at the displayed data, each saying with disdain,
“Damn, how did they get these scores? This person got 13 points in the Mecha elective?”
“This one is even more outrageous, only 3 points.”
“Normal. Look, this person named Cheng Hui is very good.”
Su Ming suddenly saw a student named Cheng Hui, whose grades were excellent, with a full 68 points in the Mecha elective and 260 points in the comprehensive paper.
“Indeed, impressive!”
Rhine and the others nodded in agreement.
“This one is also good.”
Su Ming continued to scroll, and soon saw another student named Bikeda, who also had 62 points in the Mecha elective.
He checked Bikeda’s cultural score, which was also 253 points.
Next, Su Ming scrolled down and saw several more students with very good grades.
“Boss, the students in the Thirteenth District don’t seem bad, at least there are many top students.”
Rhine and the others said with a smile.
Su Ming’s heart stirred when he heard Rhine’s words. He quickly scrolled through other students’ scores, opened their files to view them, and checked the academies they attended.
Lower City District · Kain Welfare Academy, Upper City District · Mit Academy, Upper City District · Mient Intermediate Academy.
Su Ming looked at the file information, the smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression became very serious.
“Boss, what’s wrong?”
Rhine, seeing Su Ming’s face become very serious, quickly asked.
“I feel like these scores aren’t quite right.”
Su Ming said with a gloomy face.
“Huh? Boss, don’t scare us. We swear we absolutely did not accept any benefits or engage in favoritism.”
Rhine and the others’ expressions changed slightly, and they quickly assured him.
“It’s not your problem.”
Su Ming replied with certainty.
“Then what exactly is going on? We don’t see any problems with these scores?”
Zhang Yi asked in confusion.
“I’m very clear about the Thirteenth District’s level; there shouldn’t be so many top students coming out of it.”
Su Ming said, completely puzzled.
“Holy crap, how did they cheat? We were already so strict.”
Upon hearing Su Ming’s words, Rhine and the others were even more horrified.
“Not sure.”
Su Ming took a deep breath and said.
“So, what do we do about this?”
Rhine and the others all looked at Su Ming.
“You don’t need to worry about this; I’ll handle it. Send me the previous records of those students.”
Su Ming said in a deep voice.
“Okay!”
Rhine and the others responded in unison.
A long time later.
The Wind Movement landed at the Royal Court Academy Interstellar Airport in Starlight City.
Su Ming had Rhine and the others handle the handover of the cheating students, while he went to the Royal Court Academy Comprehensive Conference Building for a meeting.
Not long after, Su Ming arrived at the Comprehensive Conference Building.
As he walked into the conference hall, he saw many supervising officers, all chatting and laughing about the City Exam.
“Su Ming!”
At this moment, a familiar voice came from behind.
Su Ming turned his head and saw Lieutenant General Alifei walking over, responding with a somewhat unnatural expression.
“Alifei, you’re here too, what a coincidence!”
“Yeah, damn it, I don’t know which bastard gave Vice Principal Fleck my name, making me go supervise the Rainy City exam. I almost died!” Lieutenant General Alifei complained with a belly full of grievances.
“Cough, cough, how was the supervision?”
Su Ming asked with an awkward expression.
“It was alright. Although there were some problems, at least a lot of good prospects were screened out. It wasn’t a wasted trip for me to supervise.”
Lieutenant General Alifei said with satisfaction.
“Are there many good prospects?”
Upon hearing this, Su Ming’s eyes flickered as he asked.
“Quite a lot. This batch of top students from Rainy City is considerable. By the way, why did you also come to supervise? Who conscripted you?”
Lieutenant General Alifei asked with a smile.
“Just like you, I was inexplicably conscripted.”
Su Ming replied awkwardly.
Just then, a series of footsteps approached.
Everyone turned their heads to see an old man in a senior administrative uniform, with black spots and wrinkles on his face, a kind expression, and a bald head, walking in with a group of subordinates.
“Minister Zhou Jing is here. The summary is about to begin. Let’s take our seats quickly.”
Lieutenant General Alifei glanced at the old man and said to Su Ming.
“Okay!”
Su Ming and Lieutenant General Alifei walked towards the front row, and the two sat in the first row.
At this moment, Zhou Jing walked to the conference table and said kindly and politely.
“Thank you all for your hard work. This year’s City Exam has finally concluded successfully. How do you feel about this year’s examinees?”
“Not bad. Although there were many cheating students in the Fourth District I supervised, there were quite a few top students!”
“Me too.”
“My side isn’t bad either. In a few years, we’ll definitely cultivate many talents, and then we’ll have successors.”
“That’s right.”
Many generals said in good spirits.
The better the City Exam results, the happier they actually were, as this meant a large number of talents would enlist in the future.
However, Su Ming’s expression grew increasingly gloomy.
“That’s great! Let’s start archiving one by one and proceed with the handover!”
Zhou Jing said to everyone with a smile.
“Okay!”
Lieutenant General Alifei and the others responded in unison.
Just then, an abrupt voice suddenly rang out.
“Wait a minute!”
Everyone in the entire conference hall was stunned, and they all looked towards Su Ming, who had stood up.
Zhou Jing looked at Su Ming and asked in confusion.
“General Su Ming, do you have any questions?”
“Everyone, don’t you feel that the results of this City Exam are problematic?”
Su Ming said calmly.
These words were like a thunderclap, stunning everyone present, who looked at Su Ming in disbelief.
“Did I hear that right?”
“The results are problematic?”
Zhou Jing suppressed the shock in his heart, took a deep breath, and then asked.
“General Su Ming, why are you suddenly saying this?”
“Haven’t you noticed? The students in this City Exam performed too well? Take the Thirteenth District I supervised, for example. In previous years, it was considered good if more than twenty students could get into the Royal Courtyard Academy Outer School. This year, there were actually over seventy!”
Su Ming said with a tightly furrowed brow.
Upon hearing Su Ming’s words, Lieutenant General Alifei and the others began to discuss amongst themselves.
“That’s right, it seems like there are more top students this year?”
“Could it be that this batch of students is just better?”
“Isn’t it normal for there to be more? We controlled the examination rooms, so cheating is impossible!”
“How is cheating impossible? What if they joined the Mechanical Cult and received their so-called ‘blessing’?”
Su Ming retorted directly.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jing immediately bristled, questioning Su Ming in extreme fear.
“General Su Ming, this is no joke. Do you have evidence? This concerns the fairness of the entire City Exam. If it’s not handled well, the whole thing might have to be invalidated and retaken!”
“Evidence? It’s not hard to get evidence. Just check the usual school grades of those high-scoring students, and it’ll be clear. And this matter isn’t as simple as just invalidating the City Exam. If these cheating students have joined the Mechanical Cult, once they get into various higher academies, they will infiltrate various legions and Federal Government agencies. Therefore, once confirmed, they must all be arrested and purged!”
Su Ming said coldly.
After hearing Su Ming’s words, Lieutenant General Alifei and the others all spoke with a chill down their spines.
“Su Ming is right. If these cheating students really joined the Mechanical Cult, they are a disaster!”
“This matter must be thoroughly investigated!”
Zhou Jing’s facial muscles twitched continuously as he said to Su Ming.
“General Su Ming, this matter is too big; I really can’t make the decision! How about you go find Vice City Lord Okens? He is responsible for the City Exam every year.”
“Okay! But I hope everyone here can keep today’s matter a secret and not let it spread, to prevent the enemy from reacting in advance.”
Su Ming also knew that he was indeed putting Zhou Jing in a difficult position.
“Understood!”
Lieutenant General Alifei and the others nodded seriously in response.
After giving his instructions, Su Ming turned and left.
Federal Government Administrative Building.
In the long corridor, Su Ming hurried towards the Vice City Lord’s office.
As he reached the corner, he ran head-on into Vice City Lord Okens.
“Vice City Lord Okens!”
Su Ming’s eyes lit up as he spoke.
“Su Ming!”
Okins saw Su Ming and called out happily.
“Lord Okins, I have an important matter to discuss with you.”
Su Ming immediately said to Okins.
“Coincidentally, I also have an important matter to discuss with you.”
Okins also added.
Su Ming was slightly startled and asked with some surprise.
“Lord Okins, you know?”
“Of course, I know.”
Okins replied as if it were obvious.
“Oh, that’s good then.”
“Su Ming, since you already know, then get ready quickly.”
“Prepare to arrest people?”
Upon hearing this, Su Ming was also a little surprised, not expecting Okins to be so decisive.
“Arrest people? Arrest whom?”
Okins looked at Su Ming in confusion.
“Then you said ‘prepare,’ prepare for what?”
Su Ming also looked at Okins, dumbfounded.
“Of course, it’s to mobilize troops to support the Wormhole Spacetime!”
Okins replied blankly.
“Ah? What’s going on?”
Su Ming nearly jumped when he heard Okins’s words.
He had only just returned from the front lines for a short vacation to recover from his injuries. What was going on?
“Stop. You speak first! What happened on your side? Arrest whom?”
Okins took a deep breath and asked.
“The City Exam was infiltrated by the Mechanical Cult, and suddenly many students with excellent results appeared. Once these students enter higher academies, they will spread like a virus to the Federal Military and important agencies.”
Su Ming said to Okins.
“What did you say? Then this City Exam will be invalidated?”
Okins was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling!
“Not only invalidated, but all these students must be arrested. And we also need to retroactively check last year’s City Exam to confirm if any students were infiltrated by the Mechanical Cult.”
Su Ming said, finding it troublesome.
“My heart.”
Okins clutched his chest, saying he was in great pain.
“Lord Okins, don’t be in pain yet. What went wrong with the Wormhole Spacetime?”
Su Ming asked in confusion.
“At the Wormhole Spacetime, the No. 4 Curvature Interference Device was tampered with and malfunctioned, which triggered a monster tide invasion. Now, an unknown creature, suspected to be Type VI, has broken in, and they are now requesting the Federal Government to send troops and top-tier combat power for support.”
Okins said with great helplessness.
“A Type VI monster…”
Su Ming’s mouth twitched continuously upon hearing Okins’s words.
“That’s why I thought of asking you for help.”
Okins said with a sigh.
“Thank you for that.”
Su Ming replied with a wry smile, thinking that Vice City Lord Okens really thought highly of him.
Just then, Secretary Nan Ying rushed over. She saw Okins and immediately called out.
“Lord Okins, urgent military intelligence.”
Okins’s expression changed slightly as he asked.
“What happened?”
“Affected by the monster tide in the Wormhole Spacetime, the monsters in the Mist Star Sea and the Abyss of Fallen have also shown abnormal activity. Now, both sides have sent warning messages.”
Secretary Nan Ying reported in panic.
Su Ming’s expression was extremely complex upon hearing Secretary Nan Ying’s words. Was this the legendary ‘misfortunes never come singly’?
Okins’s face turned green, but he still waved his hand and said to Nan Ying.
“I know about this. You may go!”
“Yes.”
Secretary Nan Ying immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.
Su Ming asked cautiously.
“Lord Okins, what do we do now?”
“Let’s go, let’s see the City Lord.”
Okins said, his expression changing repeatedly.
“Okay!”
Su Ming nodded.
Not long after, Su Ming and Vice City Lord Okens arrived outside Gakels’s office.
The two guards, dressed in Third Generation Mecha, saluted Okins and Su Ming.
“Lord Okins, General!”
Okins and Su Ming nodded slightly in response, then reached out to knock on the slightly ajar door.
However, a conversation was heard from inside the room.
Gakels was speaking hoarsely to a plain-looking man in a gray work uniform and glasses.
“Daeldo, just say what you need to say.”
“Lord Gakels, Lord Faraon! Our intelligence department just received confidential information that the Dark Star Empire is gathering a large number of troops, preparing to reinforce the Slok Star Sea. It seems they are preparing to retake the lost Donao Star Sea.”
“Hmph, they’re seeking death. I’m not afraid of them. If they want to fight, I’ll accompany them to the end.”
Faraon immediately bristled upon hearing this news. He hadn’t even settled scores with the Dark Star Empire yet, and these guys dared to actively seek death.
If they wanted to fight, it was perfect; he just wanted to avenge his deceased son.
“Calm down.”
Gakels advised Faraon.
“Hmph!”
Faraon snorted, suppressing the anger in his heart.
“Also, according to the information sent back by our moles, the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom is also preparing to launch a strong offensive against the Tidal Star Sea.”
Daeldo continued to report.
Gakels’s expression also became very grim upon hearing Daeldo’s words. It really was one problem after another.
“These two old dogs must be in cahoots.”
Faraon cursed angrily.
At this moment, outside the door, Su Ming and Vice City Lord Okens looked at each other.
“Lord Okins, why don’t you go in by yourself? I won’t go in.”
Su Ming lowered his voice and said to Okins with great awkwardness.
Going in at this moment would be like walking straight into a trap, wouldn’t it?
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