Chapter 447 Fundraising (Five in One)
by SunflowerSoon after, the Central Control Room of the Fallen Light.
Su Ming walked in with Rhein and a few others. Timmy and the others respectfully reported to Su Ming.
“Commander Su Ming, everything is ready.”
“Very good. Detour and return to the Federal Government via the Cosmic Military Headquarters’ route. Although this increases the journey, it’s safer!”
Su Ming instructed Timmy.
“Understood. Set sail!”
Timmy gave the order to Li Menghan and the others.
“Yes.”
“Beginning to disconnect the interface.”
Everyone began their operations.
In the starry sky.
The Fallen Light began to detach from the headquarters and set off towards the distant starry sky.
At this time, on the observation deck of the headquarters.
Mia stood there alone, looking at the Fallen Light, which was gradually moving away. Her expression was a little dim, and she sighed sadly.
“Alas.”
The next morning.
Su Ming was sound asleep in bed when a knock on the door sounded.
Thump thump ~
Little Gray heard the movement and squeaked at Su Ming non-stop.
Su Ming woke up groggily, raised his wristband, and checked the time. It was already nine in the morning.
However, he was also a little puzzled. Who would come looking for him so early in the morning?
Su Ming got out of bed, left the bedroom, walked to the door, and opened it, seeing Colonel ONeill standing at the door, pushing a dining cart.
“Lord Su Ming, you’re awake!”
ONeill greeted him fawningly.
“ONeill, what are you doing?”
Su Ming asked in confusion.
“Lord Su Ming, I saw you hadn’t gone to eat, so I specially prepared breakfast for you. There’s soy milk, seafood porridge, bread, fruit, etc. What would you like to eat?”
ONeill asked with a smile.
Su Ming’s mouth twitched slightly. This guy was really good at flattery; even breakfast was prepared with such flair. He then said,
“Come in first.”
“Okay!”
ONeill quickly pushed the dining cart in.
Su Ming walked to the sofa and sat down.
ONeill was very perceptive and placed all kinds of breakfast on the table in front of the sofa.
“Next time, you don’t have to go to so much trouble, or just have someone from below send it over.”
Su Ming picked up the soy milk and drank it.
“How can that be? The people below are clumsy. It’s better if I deliver it myself! By the way, Lord Su Ming, this is our list of fallen personnel and the approval form for their pensions, as well as the list of seized spoils of war.”
ONeill picked up a report and said.
“Let me see.”
Su Ming then reached out, took the report, and opened it.
ONeill professionally said to Su Ming,
“In these battles, we lost a total of 136 comrades, and 26 were severely wounded and needed to retire. The casualties are relatively high, and the pension side will not be ideal.”
Su Ming looked through the detailed list on the report and said with a heavy heart,
“For the pensions of these people, you should report them normally, and whatever amount is approved, so be it. Then, allocate funds from our reserve funds to subsidize all of them to the highest pension level.”
“No problem, our reserve funds are still very abundant.”
ONeill said with a chuckle.
“Mm.”
Su Ming nodded slightly and continued to read the report.
As a result, he saw the Fallen Angel in the list of spoils of war in the report.
Su Ming immediately asked in surprise,
“ONeill, how is the Fallen Angel in our hands?”
“I recovered it, Lord. After you finished the war, I went in to clean up.”
“Wait, shouldn’t this Fallen Angel be confiscated?”
“Lord, what you said is not wrong. According to the Federal Government’s rules, it should indeed be confiscated. But this Fallen Angel was defeated by you, and when I recovered it, no one said anything!”
Su Ming’s mouth twitched slightly, and he continued to look down. As a result, the list included not only the Fallen Angel but also the Silver Executor and the wreckage of the fourth-generation Light Shadow mecha.
“ONeill, you even recovered the Silver Executor and these? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“Lord, there’s nothing inappropriate. If the recovered mechas can be repaired, they can be used by our own people. If they can’t be repaired, they can be dismantled and sold for equipment and materials. The profit is also very considerable.”
“…”
“Lord, one’s face still needs to be thick. Of course, this kind of thing definitely cannot be done by you, Lord, but I don’t mind!”
ONeill said with a chuckle.
“You did very well. Take me to see that Fallen Angel.”
Su Ming was not a pedantic person. He immediately got up, patted ONeill’s shoulder, and said,
“Okay, Lord, follow me.”
ONeill said with a smile.
In fact, ONeill did get some benefits from it, but he left the bulk for Su Ming.
Then Su Ming followed ONeill and left.
A moment later.
They came to the reserve warehouse, where the Fallen Angel was placed alone in a corner.
The entire surface of the Fallen Angel was severely damaged, and its main structure was deformed.
Su Ming walked to the Fallen Angel, reached out, and touched it. Although this mecha was already destroyed, it still gave off a strong sense of oppression.
“ONeill, have you had someone assess the extent of the damage to this mecha?”
Su Ming asked calmly.
“Lord, I had someone assess it. All the internal mechanical devices of this Fallen Angel are destroyed, and the main frame is deformed. It’s impossible to repair it; it can only be dismantled and melted down.”
“What a pity.”
“It’s indeed a great pity, but you don’t have to be disappointed, Lord. This mecha is a high-end version, and the materials used are exceptionally good! It can be melted down to produce a large amount of Eternal Metal, which is definitely a huge profit.”
ONeill said with a chuckle.
“Mm, by the way, ONeill! I remember this mecha was equipped with a chain gun. Was that weapon recovered?”
Su Ming suddenly remembered the weapon thrown away by the Fallen Angel and immediately asked.
“Lord, you can rest assured about my work. How could I make such a low-level mistake? Of course, the recovery is a complete set. That chain gun is over there.”
ONeill pointed to the chain gun placed on the distant weapon rack.
Su Ming walked over, looked at the dark chain gun, and said to ONeill with great satisfaction,
“Well done. I’ll credit you for this!”
Although this chain gun was not as powerful as the Dawn Spear, it also had its advantages and was very useful in specific battles.
“Thank you, Lord!”
ONeill said, grinning from ear to ear.
…
A few days later.
Inside the Central Control Room of the Fallen Light.
Su Ming sat in the command chair, leaning against the back, pondering some matters.
At this moment, Timmy reported to Su Ming,
“Commander Su Ming, we are about to end superluminal flight and arrive at the Cosmic Military Headquarters. Since the Abyss of Fallen is tight on supplies, we didn’t resupply much, so we need to stop at the Cosmic Military Headquarters for resupply.”
“Okay.”
Su Ming nodded slightly in response.
Cosmic Military Headquarters · Conference Room.
Commander Alec De stood on the conference platform, while below, in the conference seats, sat solemn-faced military officers.
Among them, the most conspicuous was the man sitting in the center of the first row, who was tall and slender, wearing a General’s uniform, with neat black short hair, an aquiline nose, and eyes like a deep, cold pool, revealing bone-chilling coldness, exuding a powerful sense of oppression.
This man was none other than General Xinlade.
“I’ll say one last thing, and all of you listen carefully! This escort mission is extremely important, and absolutely no problems are allowed. If there are any problems, I will hold all of you accountable!”
Commander Alec De directly laid down the harsh words.
“Yes!”
Everyone replied in unison.
“Meeting adjourned!”
Commander Alec De then said to everyone and turned to leave through the side door at the edge of the conference platform.
At this time, the generals present stood up and gathered around Sinrad, congratulating and flattering him.
“General Xinlade, congratulations!”
“With you leading the escort this time, it will definitely be foolproof.”
“Yes, with you here, we are all very relieved.”
“Don’t say that. I still need to rely on everyone. Please cooperate more.”
General Xinlade said very modestly.
“General Xinlade, look at what you’re saying. As long as you give the order, we will absolutely cooperate unconditionally!”
“That’s right, after this escort mission, you might even be promoted to Grand General.”
Everyone chuckled and flattered him.
“Thank you all for your kind words.”
Sinrad left the conference room surrounded by the crowd.
On the other side, Alec De walked towards his office, preoccupied.
“Commander, what’s wrong with you?”
General Tai Tate asked in confusion.
“Nothing’s wrong, I’m just worried about this escort mission. After all, this escort is different from usual. It’s hundreds of years of resources stocked in the headquarters. If anything goes wrong in the middle, it’s over!”
“Didn’t you deploy a massive amount of troops to escort it?”
“Not enough!”
“But all the available troops have already been deployed.”
“I know.”
Commander Alec De said irritably.
At this moment, a rapid sound of footsteps came, and a military officer rushed over to report,
“Commander, a returning vessel has applied to dock at the headquarters for resupply and is about to land at the headquarters.”
“Returning vessel? Returning from where?”
Alec De stopped and asked.
“Abyss of Fallen.”
The military officer responsible for the notification quickly replied.
“Abyss of Fallen? Wasn’t it just attacked by the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom and Kirami? They asked us for support before, and we only sent people there a few days ago. Why would there be a vessel returning?”
Commander Alec De frowned slightly and said in confusion.
“A bit unusual?”
General Tai Tate was also a little puzzled.
Commander Alec De then asked,
“Who is the Commander of the returning vessel?”
“It’s Lieutenant General Su Ming.”
The military officer quickly reported.
“Su Ming? It’s him?”
Taitaite was also a little surprised, not expecting Su Ming to be the one returning.
“You immediately notify him to come to my office to see me.”
Commander Alec De’s eyes moved slightly, and he said to the reporting military officer.
“Yes!”
The military officer quickly responded.
Cosmic Military Headquarters · Interstellar Airport.
The Fallen Light slowly landed at the designated docking position.
Inside the Central Control Room.
“Lord Su Ming, we have landed at the designated berth.”
Timmy reported to Su Ming.
“Mm, ONeill, how long will the resupply take?”
Su Ming nodded slightly, then asked ONeill, who was beside him.
“Lord Su Ming, we are just doing a regular resupply. We can set sail after 12 hours.”
ONeill said with a chuckle.
“Mm, we’ll leave after resupplying!”
Su Ming simply instructed.
“Okay!”
Timmy and the others nodded in response.
Buzz ~
At this moment, Su Ming’s wristband suddenly vibrated, and a message popped up.
Su Ming looked down at the message, his brows furrowing slightly.
“Boss, what’s wrong?”
Rhein asked curiously.
“Just received a message from the headquarters. Commander Alec De wants to see me.”
Su Ming didn’t hide it from Rhein and the others.
“Ah? Why would Commander Alec De want to see you?”
“Boss, I remember your relationship with him doesn’t seem very good, right? You seemed to have put Commander Alec De in a difficult position before.”
“He wouldn’t be trying to make things difficult for you, would he?”
Rhein and the others said in surprise.
“Don’t guess wildly. Commander Alec De doesn’t have the time to make things difficult for me. There must be something important.”
Su Ming stood up from the command chair and said.
“Yes.”
Rhein scratched his head and replied.
Soon after, the Fallen Light’s boarding ramp opened, and Su Ming and the others disembarked.
At this time, General Xinlade and the others returned to the Interstellar Airport. As they were about to walk towards the rapid transit platform,
A man on General Xinlade’s right, with a small mustache, round eyes, looking very astute, and wearing a General’s uniform, saw the Fallen Light docked in the distance through the glass curtain wall and exclaimed in surprise,
“Lord Sinrad, quickly look at that ship?”
“What’s wrong, Natz?”
Sinrad raised his head expressionlessly and looked at the Fallen Light.
“Isn’t that the Fallen Light you reserved, Lord? What a small world.”
Natz said to Sinrad, full of indignation.
Upon hearing this, Sinrad’s eyes flickered as he looked at Fallen Light.
At this moment, a refined-looking man in a Major General’s uniform, who was walking to Sinrad’s left, spoke.
“General Xinlade, we have an important mission at hand right now, so it’s not advisable to cause more trouble. Besides, this ship was given to Lieutenant General Su Ming by City Lord Gakels, so if we go looking for trouble now, it could easily lead to problems.”
“Clitor, when did I say I was going to cause him trouble? We’re all companions, am I that petty?”
Sinrad replied indifferently.
“General, you are right.”
Clitor quickly responded.
“Let’s go!”
Sinrad said coldly.
When Sinrad and his group reached the fast-moving platform.
Su Ming and his group came down from another fast-moving platform, and the two groups passed each other.
More than an hour later.
Su Ming brought Rhine and the others to the Cosmic Military Headquarters, where they took the elevator to the top floor.
In the long corridor, two fully armed soldiers stood every ten meters, guarding it very strictly.
“You all wait for me here.”
Su Ming instructed Rhine and the others.
“Yes!”
Rhine and the others immediately responded.
Su Ming walked straight inside, and the soldiers along the way saluted him.
Soon, he arrived at the door of Commander Alec De’s office.
Knock knock ~
Su Ming raised his hand and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A steady voice came out.
Su Ming pushed open the door and walked straight in, coming before Commander Alec De, and saluted him.
“Commander Alec De!”
“No need to be so formal, sit down!”
Alec De, changing his usual stern demeanor, said with a kind smile.
“Yes.”
Su Ming sat down, feeling a bit unaccustomed.
At this moment, Alec De also noticed, and he smiled at Su Ming, saying.
“Relax a bit, actually, I have a very good relationship with your Legion Commander.”
Su Ming was also very surprised and puzzled to hear Alec De’s words. If Alec De really had a very good relationship with Dragon White, then why did the previous Haunted Star event turn out that way?
However, Su Ming wouldn’t be so foolish as to question Alec De; he just smiled and replied.
“Yes, Commander.”
“Let’s not talk about that anymore. I heard you just returned from the Abyss of Fallen?”
“Yes.”
“How are things over there?”
Alec De looked at Su Ming and asked.
Due to the frequent invasions by the Mechanical Clan, network communication had become very insecure, and the Federal Government had activated wartime information transmission mode.
All information transmission was changed to the original paper reports.
Therefore, the Headquarters only knew that the Abyss of Fallen was attacked by the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom, barely won, and needed assistance.
As for the specific battle report, Commander Alec De was not clear.
“It’s very bad. The Apocalypse Divine Kingdom’s attack this time was particularly ruthless, and the defending troops suffered heavy casualties. However, fortunately, we successfully defeated the enemy in the end and executed Andefa on the spot.”
Su Ming briefly explained to Alec De.
“Andefa was killed?”
“That’s right.”
“Was he killed by General Angulate?”
Alec De asked, greatly shocked.
Andefa was not a small figure; his status in the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom was comparable to a General in the Federal Government.
“Uh, he wasn’t killed by General Angulate, I killed him.”
Su Ming explained, a bit awkwardly.
“You killed him?”
Alec De stood up in astonishment when he heard Su Ming’s words.
“Yes.”
Su Ming replied awkwardly.
Commander Alec De suppressed the shock in his heart, recalled Su Ming’s performance in the Haunted Star event, and thought carefully.
It seemed normal for Su Ming to kill Andefa, after all, this kid’s biological mecha piloting was exceptionally powerful.
“Well done!”
Commander Alec De showed a brilliant smile and praised Su Ming.
“Thank you for the Commander’s praise.”
Su Ming replied politely.
“So, Su Ming, where are you going now?”
Commander Alec De then asked.
“Commander, I suffered some injuries during my battle with Andefa. I’m preparing to return to the Federal Government for recuperation. My ship will depart once it finishes resupplying at the Headquarters.”
Su Ming explained simply.
“You’re returning to the Federal Government? That’s great!”
Alec De said with a smile.
“Huh?”
Su Ming looked at Commander Alec De in confusion.
“I happen to be organizing a fleet to escort supplies back to the Federal Government, and we’re a bit short on manpower. Aren’t you returning to the Federal Government? You might as well take on this mission along the way, and you’ll get some military merits for it.”
Commander Alec De said to Su Ming.
“Okay, then I’ll escort them along the way.”
Su Ming thought for a moment; since it was on the way, earning some military merits by going together was also an option.
The journey from the Cosmic Military Headquarters to the Federal Government was actually quite safe for most of the time.
“No, what I mean is for you to serve as the Deputy Commander for this escort mission.”
Commander Alec De said to Su Ming.
“I serve as Deputy Commander?”
“Yes, the overall Commander for this mission is General Xinlade, but I don’t really like his working style, nor do I trust him much. However, I’m short on manpower, and the cargo for this escort is extremely important and absolutely cannot have any problems, so I hope you can help keep an eye on it.”
“But is that appropriate? Suddenly parachuting in a Deputy Commander?”
Su Ming also felt a bit of a headache hearing the name Sinrad.
He had just intercepted the other party’s warship not long ago, and now parachuting in as Deputy Commander would be tantamount to indirectly undermining his command authority.
“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Everything is for the benefit of the Federal Government. If this batch of supplies has problems, the sky will fall.”
Commander Alec De said to Su Ming.
“Yes.”
Seeing that Alec De had said this much, Su Ming responded seriously.
“Go!”
Alec De nodded and said.
“Okay!”
Su Ming saluted Alec De, then turned and left.
Alec De watched Su Ming’s departing back, slightly relieved, feeling as if a weight had finally been lifted from his heart.
At this moment, Su Ming walked out of Alec De’s office and headed straight for the elevator.
Rhine and the others saw Su Ming come out and eagerly went up to him, asking.
“Boss, what did the Commander want with you?”
“Nothing much, just to help escort supplies back to the Federal Government, and I can earn some military merits along the way.”
Su Ming briefly told Rhine.
“That’s a pretty good job.”
“So when do we depart?”
Rhine and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
“After we resupply, but before that, I need to go to the Special Operations Department first.”
Su Ming said as he led Rhine and the others into the elevator.
“Okay.”
Rhine and the others didn’t ask further.
A moment later.
Su Ming and his group arrived at the entrance of the Special Operations Department.
Rhine and the others waited outside without access cards, while Su Ming walked in alone.
Not long after, he arrived at the training hangar, where it was still very lively, with special operations personnel conducting biological mecha training.
However, Su Ming looked around but still didn’t see Lin Chuyu, nor did he even see her mecha.
Su Ming also frowned, wondering if the previous matter hadn’t been resolved yet?
At this moment, a familiar voice came from behind him.
“Su Ming, why are you here again?”
Su Ming turned his head and saw Tigerdo walking over, so he asked with a smile.
“I’m here to find Lin Chuyu, how is she doing now?”
“Not long after you came last time, Lin Chuyu was released, but she’s no longer at the Cosmic Military Headquarters.”
Tigerdo explained to Su Ming.
“Where did she go?”
Su Ming was also slightly startled.
“It’s like this: didn’t the Dark Star Empire suffer a defeat in the Donao Star Sea before? Later, they started causing trouble in the Mist Star Sea, and not long ago, there was another alien attack, so they requested assistance from the Headquarters. Commander Alec De then ordered the Seventh Army to dispatch troops to support, and Lin Chuyu went to the Mist Star Sea with Lieutenant General Ames.”
Tigerdo said in a deep voice.
“I didn’t expect her to go to the Mist Star Sea, so I can only see her next time.”
Su Ming said with a touch of emotion upon hearing this.
“That damned Mist Star Sea is really eerie. I originally wanted to go with her, but the Headquarters didn’t approve it.”
Tigerdo said angrily.
“Ahem, you’d better stay here honestly and don’t cause any more trouble.”
Su Ming patted Tigerdo’s shoulder and said.
“Get lost, you can’t say a single nice thing for half a day.”
“Haha, I’m not talking to you anymore, I’m leaving!”
“Wait.”
Tigerdo suddenly called out to Su Ming.
“Is there anything else?”
Su Ming looked at Tigerdo somewhat unexpectedly.
“Take good care of your body, don’t try to be a hero in everything, and pilot the biological mecha less often, lest you lose your life.”
Tigerdo looked at the contaminated bloodstains on Su Ming’s body and reminded him.
“Thanks.”
Su Ming smiled, then turned and left.
Tigerdo watched Su Ming’s departing back and couldn’t help but sigh.
Inside the Star Destroyer Thunder Pole’s central control room.
General Xinlade sat in the command chair, constantly stroking the armrest, clearly very fond of it.
At this moment, Natz, standing beside him, flattered him obsequiously.
“General, if you successfully transport the supplies back to the Federal Government this time and are promoted to General, perhaps the Federal Government will allocate Thunder Pole to you.”
“If that were the case, then nothing could be better.”
General Xinlade was also very covetous of Thunder Pole.
Although this Star Destroyer was not comparable to the Legendary Star Destroyer · Gray Angel, it was still considered to have relatively good performance among Star Destroyers. Moreover, this Thunder Pole had only been in service for a little over ten years, so calling it practically new was not an exaggeration.
At this moment, Clitor respectfully said to General Xinlade.
“General, all the warships are waiting in outer space. Shall we depart?”
“Hmm, depart.”
Sinrad immediately issued the order.
“Yes!”
Numerous operators immediately executed the command.
The Star Destroyer Thunder Pole slowly ascended, beginning to detach from the Cosmic Military Headquarters.
When Thunder Pole traveled into space, it saw more than a hundred transport ships, with Level 5 transport ships accounting for half of them. There were seven Level 5 motherships and fifteen Level 5 Battleships for escort, and more than thirty Level 4 Battleships.
The entire fleet was incredibly massive.
At this moment, all the escorting warships sent communication requests to Thunder Pole.
Natz immediately answered the communication requests.
Swish swish!
One by one, square images appeared, and numerous military officers respectfully greeted them.
“General Xinlade!”
“Hmm, I won’t say any more nonsense, everyone, depart!”
Sinrad announced domineeringly.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, a message popped up on the operation screens of all the warships.
“Temporary notification: Fleet departure time postponed. Level 5 Battleship · Fallen Light will join the escort formation. Lieutenant General Su Ming will serve as the Deputy Commander of the escort fleet. Please wait patiently, everyone.”
“What’s going on?”
“Am I seeing this right? The departure time has been postponed? Lieutenant General Su Ming is serving as Deputy Commander?”
“Isn’t General Xinlade’s command enough? Why add a Deputy Commander?”
Numerous military officers discussed amongst themselves.
Sinrad looked at the prompt message, his expression unchanged, and sternly rebuked them.
“What are you all arguing about? This is an order from the Headquarters, and as soldiers, we should obey unconditionally. This is our duty!”
“Yes.”
The numerous military officers immediately straightened their expressions and responded.
“Everyone, await the departure order.”
After Sinrad finished his instructions, he cut off all communications, a trace of undetectable coldness flashing in his eyes.
At this moment, Natz said to Sinrad, full of indignation.
“General, it’s that Su Ming again, that guy is like a jinx. If he serves as Deputy Commander, won’t he take away a lot of your military merits?”
“Let him take it. Who told him he’s a favored person by Lord Gakels?”
Sinrad said coldly.
“Only you, General, have such magnanimity.”
Natz flattered Sinrad.
“Let’s not talk about those things. Just wait patiently.”
Sinrad said in a deep voice.
“Yes.”
Natz respectfully responded.
On the other side, Su Ming led Rhine and others back to the Fallen Light.
They came to the central control room.
“Commander Su Ming, you’re back.”
Timmy and others greeted him respectfully.
“Hmm, how’s the resupply going?”
Su Ming walked to the command chair, sat down, and asked.
“Resupply is complete. The logistics personnel from Headquarters expedited it for us.”
ONeill quickly reported.
“Very good.”
Su Ming nodded slightly in response.
“Commander Su Ming, should we depart now?”
Timmy looked at Su Ming and asked.
“Depart, but we’re not departing alone. We’re going back to the Federal Government with the main fleet. For now, let’s set sail to leave Headquarters and rendezvous with the main fleet.”
Su Ming briefly told Timmy.
“Okay!”
Timmy immediately executed the order.
The Level 5 Battleship · Fallen Light activated its anti-gravity system and began to slowly ascend.
Soon, the Fallen Light sailed out of Cosmic Military Headquarters and entered outer space.
Immediately after, Timmy displayed the optical image of the starfield ahead, and Rhine and the others were stunned when they saw the assembled fleet, discussing in shock.
“Oh my god! So many ships?”
“Look quickly, isn’t that the Star Destroyer Leiji?”
“Wow, wow, look at the ship in the center of the fleet! Isn’t that the Moonlight, known as the most luxurious interstellar cruise ship in the world?”
Su Ming was also somewhat surprised looking at the assembled fleet before him.
With so many Level 5 transport ships, how much material must Cosmic Military Headquarters be transporting back this time?
And the escort formation was also incredibly exaggerated, with more than twenty Level 5 Battleships and carriers, plus a Star Destroyer leading the way. Their combat power was directly maximized.
Who could possibly intercept this fleet?
However, besides that, Su Ming also saw many ships painted with the flags of various interstellar companies. These should all be accompanying the fleet.
Among them, the most conspicuous was the interstellar cruise ship in the central area.
The entire interstellar cruise ship was 300 kilometers long, its hull somewhat resembling a sea turtle, covered entirely in thick blue armor. The central top was a transparent cover, through which a bustling city could be seen inside.
Just then, Timmy spoke.
“Commander Su Ming, we’ve received a communication request from the Thunder Pole.”
“Connect it.”
Su Ming said to Timmy.
“Yes!”
Timmy entered the command to connect the communication.
General Xinlade’s virtual image appeared before Su Ming.
“General.”
Su Ming respectfully saluted.
“Hmm, General Su Ming! Welcome to the escort fleet. It’s getting late. Are you ready? If everything is ready, then let’s depart.”
General Xinlade said calmly.
“Okay!”
Su Ming nodded in response.
“Transmit my order: All ships, set sail!”
Sinrad then issued the command to all ships.
In the starfield.
The Star Destroyer Leiji led the mighty fleet, simultaneously activating its faster-than-light flight device.
The starfield immediately rippled.
The Thunder Pole was the first to enter Subspace, followed by the other ships in an orderly fashion.
The Fallen Light was responsible for bringing up the rear, and only after all ships had entered did it load its faster-than-light flight device to full power and enter Subspace.
Several days later.
Inside the Thunder Pole’s central control room.
Sinrad sat in the command chair, with Natz standing beside him, reporting from a statement.
“Sir, this year the Military Department only allocated 82.2 billion federal currency in military funds to us. This money is only enough to buy 8 fourth-generation standard mechs, which is nowhere near enough.”
“How much money do we still have in our accounts?”
Sinrad asked, his brows tightly furrowed.
“We currently have 178.9 billion federal currency in funds.”
Natz said to Sinrad.
“Not enough. This amount of money can’t do much.”
Sinrad stood up, annoyed.
If he wanted to expand his forces, he would need a large number of personnel, weapons, and ships.
All of these required money.
“Sir, the economy is very sluggish right now, and the Federal Government doesn’t have much money. It’s really too difficult to get a large sum of money.”
Natz replied with difficulty.
“Even if it’s difficult, we have to find a way.”
Sinrad snorted coldly and said.
Natz’s eyes darted around, and an idea came to his mind. He excitedly said to Sinrad.
“Sir, I do have an idea that could get us some money.”
“Speak.”
Sinrad turned his head to look at Natz and said.
“This time, we are escorting goods, and accompanying us are many Neutral Countries, Federal Government magnates, and nobles. Others may not have money, but they are all incredibly wealthy.”
Natz incited Sinrad.
After listening to Natz, Sinrad spoke coldly.
“You’re right. No one in this world is richer than them.”
At this moment, Clitor, with a deep frown, reminded Sinrad.
“Sir, these people are indeed rich, but they won’t part with their money so easily. They value money more than their lives, and this matter isn’t easy to handle. We can’t use force; if we don’t control the situation well, it will cause trouble.”
“Am I that unreasonable? Of course, this matter must be a voluntary donation from them.”
Sinrad said indifferently.
“Sir, that’s a brilliant idea!”
Natz quickly flattered him.
“However, to maximize their donations, we still need a host with significant influence.”
Sinrad said, his eyes glinting.
“Who?”
“Miss Hillis. No one is more suitable than her.”
“Sir is wise. I heard that Miss Hillis is on the Moonlight. As long as we can invite her to help host the fundraiser, coupled with your charisma, Sir, we can definitely maximize the donations.”
Natz said with a grinning flattery.
“Natz, you know what to do next, right?”
“Sir, rest assured and leave it to me.”
“Go!”
Sinrad said to Natz.
—
Moonlight.
Inside a towering building.
Hillis held a sky-blue long dress and asked, holding it up to the mirror.
“Lula, do you think this one looks good?”
At this moment, a girl with a doll-like face and a ponytail glanced at it and praised with a smile.
“Miss looks good in anything.”
“With that answer, I don’t know which dress to choose.”
Hillis replied somewhat helplessly.
“But it’s really hard to decide.”
Lula replied with some difficulty.
Just then, a tall, fair-skinned man with a somewhat feminine appearance, wearing a blue shirt, hurried over and said.
“Miss Hillis, there’s someone outside claiming to be a representative sent by the Federal Government, insisting on seeing you. His attitude is very firm.”
“From the Federal Government? Marsi, let him in.”
Hillis thought for a moment and then spoke.
“Okay!”
Marsi then left.
Not long after, Marsi led Natz in.
“Miss Hillis.”
Natz politely asked Hillis.
“You are?”
Hillis carefully sized up Natz, feeling completely unfamiliar; she had never seen him before.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am General Natz of the Federal Government, General Xinlade’s adjutant.”
Natz said politely.
“Oh, is there something?”
Hillis was also slightly taken aback. Although she didn’t know Sinrad, she knew he was the highest-ranking commanding officer for this escort mission.
“Miss Hillis, it’s like this! My General wants to hold a banquet, inviting various celebrities, nobles, and magnates from the Neutral Countries. He hopes you can appear and host the banquet.”
Natz explained with a smile.
Hearing this, Hillis’s bright eyes moved slightly, and she politely asked.
“General Natz, may I ask what the main purpose of your banquet is?”
“Miss Hillis, I won’t hide it from you. My General is inviting you to host because he actually wants your help to say a few words. As you know, the Federal Government’s situation has been very unstable recently, with frequent conflicts breaking out in various regions, and the monsters in the restricted zones are constantly stirring! My General wants to ask all the guests to be generous and voluntarily donate some funds to deal with these matters.”
Natz explained the situation tactfully.
In fact, the reason they wanted to invite Miss Hillis to host was because Miss Hillis held significant influence among the nobles and magnates of the various Neutral Countries.
After all, Hillis had always been dedicated to helping the affected people and nations, and the Neutral Countries were among the biggest beneficiaries.
At this moment, Hillis fell silent after hearing Natz’s words. Although Natz had spoken very tactfully, she immediately saw through his purpose.
They simply wanted to raise more funds to purchase weapons for war.
Hillis gently exhaled and politely declined to Natz.
“General Natz, I’m very sorry! I truly have something I can’t get away from and won’t be able to help General Xinlade.”
Upon hearing this, the smile on Natz’s face immediately faded, and then he said with a forced smile.
“Miss Hillis, you’d best think carefully. As the saying goes, ‘You’re good, I’m good, everyone’s good!’ But if you don’t give my General face like this, the consequences will be severe.”
Marsi, her agent, saw that they were about to fall out and advised with a slight change in expression.
“Miss Hillis, why don’t we just spare some time and help General Xinlade host it?”
Although General Xinlade was only a General, anyone who knew him even slightly knew that he was about to be promoted to General. He was a big figure in the Federal Government, a big shot who could make the ground shake with a mere stomp of his foot.
Moreover, they were currently in the same fleet as him, and offending him would definitely not end well.
“No.”
Hillis firmly refused her agent’s request.
Upon hearing this, Natz’s facial muscles twitched, and he said with a sneer.
“Miss Hillis, we’ve shown you respect, but you’re being a bit unreasonable now. You’d best agree to this; I’m not joking with you.”
“Sorry, I’m not available for this.”
Hillis refused very firmly.
“Alright, then I’ll go back and report everything truthfully.”
Natz flung his hand, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.
At this moment, Marsi, seeing the person leave, anxiously said, like an ant on a hot pan.
“Miss, this Sinrad is not to be trifled with. We cannot offend him; it will cause problems.”
“Marsi, you don’t need to persuade me.”
Hillis said with a very firm attitude.
At this moment, Lula, the assistant, asked curiously.
“Sister Marsi, is this Sinrad very powerful? Didn’t Miss often refuse others before?”
“Oh dear! What do you know? In chaotic times, don’t challenge those with power; it will lead to big problems.”
Marsi said with a worried expression.
“Marsi, don’t say anything else.”
Hillis replied calmly.
Seeing this, Marsi also let out a long sigh and replied.
“Sigh, alright.”
PS: Happy Chinese New Year’s Eve everyone!
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