Chapter 452: Honor

On the other side, Su Ming, controlling the Pseudo V-generation Mecha, Shadow Lord, opened the communication channel and asked Timmy.

“Timmy, tally the number of destroyed transport ships.”

“A total of 3 Level 5 transport ships and 7 Level 4 transport ships sank. Fortunately, these ships were transporting various ores, so it doesn’t matter if they sank; the ores are still there.”

Timmy said to Su Ming with relief.

“That’s good.”

Upon hearing Timmy’s words, Su Ming’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

“Commander Su Ming, what do we do next? General Xinlade seems to be seriously wounded.”

Timmy hesitated before asking.

“I will make arrangements.”

Su Ming said to Timmy in a deep voice.

“Alright!”

Timmy replied respectfully.

Su Ming then opened the general communication channel and said in a deep voice.

“Everyone, I am Vice Commander Su Ming. Since General Xinlade is injured and unable to command, I will now assume command. We will now begin search and rescue operations. At the same time, Thunder Pole and all other ships will retreat and form a defensive formation. We will wait for reinforcements here.”

“Yes.”

Sparse responses echoed through the communication channel.

Although many generals followed Su Ming’s orders, it was clear that many of them harbored resentment towards Su Ming.

If it weren’t for the rear being unable to hold, General Xinlade wouldn’t have had to risk his life to forcefully break through and kill the V-Type Fortress Class Mogafa.

Celes listened to their responses and reminded Su Ming.

“Su Ming, they seem to have an issue with you.”

“It’s normal. We just need to do our part.”

Su Ming replied indifferently.

Several hours later.

In the distant starry sky, large ripples appeared, and Level 5 carriers and battleships emerged from the Subspace one after another.

Inside the central control of the leading Level 5 carrier, Tianxing.

A burly man in a lieutenant general’s uniform, with a full beard and a bald head, looked at the wreckage of the distant space battlefield through the optical imaging device, stood up from the command chair in shock, and was speechless for a long time.

At this moment, a communication prompt popped up on the Operator’s screen.

The Operator immediately reported.

“General Mengdu, we have received a communication request from Fallen Light.”

“Connect it.”

Mengdu replied, regaining his composure.

“Yes!”

The Operator immediately executed the command.

Su Ming’s holographic image immediately appeared before Mengdu.

“Hello, I am Lieutenant General Su Ming, the Vice Commander of this escort fleet.”

“Hello, I am Lieutenant General Mengdu of the Seventh Army. I apologize, we arrived late. How is your situation now?”

“We encountered an attack from the Mechanical Clan, and our losses are very severe. However, fortunately, General Xinlade fought to the death to kill the V-Type Fortress Class Mogafa, successfully forcing the enemy to retreat. But General Xinlade was also seriously wounded as a result! Now, please help us with the rescue and transfer the supplies from the damaged transport ships.”

“No problem.”

Mengdu immediately responded.

“Thank you!”

Su Ming cut off the communication after speaking.

The supporting fleet immediately moved forward, releasing a large number of mecha formations to join the rescue.

The next day.

Inside the central control room of Fallen Light.

Su Ming sat on the command chair, drinking coffee and looking at the rescue progress displayed on the operation screen.

At this moment, Timmy reported to Su Ming.

“The rescue is nearing its end, and the sunken supplies and the wreckage of the Mechanical Clan have also been transferred to new transport ships.”

“Mm.”

Su Ming nodded in response.

At this moment, prompts popped up on the operation screen.

“Commander Su Ming, we have received a communication request from Thunder Pole.”

“Connect it.”

Su Ming replied in a deep voice.

“Yes!”

Li Menghan immediately began operating.

Sinrad’s virtual image then appeared before Su Ming.

He was sitting in the command chair, with a bandage on his forehead and a pale complexion.

“General Xinlade, are you alright?”

Su Ming saluted and asked with concern.

“I’m fine, just a minor injury. How is the rescue progressing?”

Sinrad asked in a deep voice.

“The rescue is nearing its end.”

Su Ming reported truthfully.

“Very good, you’ve worked hard. Once the rescue is complete, set sail immediately and return to the Federal Government. As for the battlefield cleanup, leave it to the supporting fleet.”

Sinrad said to Su Ming.

“Understood.”

Su Ming nodded in response.

General Xinlade then cut off the communication.

Soon after, the fleet concluded the rescue and headed towards the Azure Blue Star Defense Line.

—

The next day.

Outside the Azure Blue Star Defense Line, large ripples appeared in the starry sky.

Star Destroyer Leiji was the first to emerge from the Subspace, followed by Fallen Light and other ships.

Inside the central control room of Fallen Light.

Timmy looked at the defense line in the starry sky ahead, let out a slight sigh of relief, and reported to Su Ming.

“Commander Su Ming, we have arrived at the Azure Blue Star Defense Line.”

“Very good, we are finally safe.”

Su Ming nodded. Once they entered the Azure Blue Star Defense Line, they would be in a safe zone, and this escort mission could be considered settled.

At this moment, a message popped up on the operation screen.

Timmy quickly reported to Su Ming.

“Commander Su Ming, we received a message from the Azure Blue Star Defense Line General Command, requesting all our ships to enter the Azure Blue Star Defense Line and then log into the Space Defense Fortress, Emerald Heart, for identity verification.”

“Alright!”

Su Ming nodded slightly in response.

Since the Federal Government had entered a special state of war, all identity verification was done through physical document recognition.

Therefore, everyone had to undergo tedious checks when passing through, including blood draws and interrogations.

A moment later, Fallen Light sailed into the Azure Blue Star Defense Line, heading towards a space defense fortress the size of a planet, entirely covered in dark green armor, shaped like a nutshell, with numerous launch ports and interceptor cannons densely packed on its surface.

Click!

Soon, Fallen Light docked onto the surface of Emerald Heart.

Su Ming led Rhein and others through the connecting passage into the interior.

They saw guards in exoskeleton armor already waiting. The captain, who was at the front, saluted Su Ming.

“Hello, Commander, I am Major Onlie. I am responsible for your identity verification.”

“Alright!”

Su Ming nodded slightly, took out his officer card, and handed it to Major Onlie.

Onlie took the identity card, carefully verified it, then handed it back to Su Ming, and politely said.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Commander. Please go over there to have your blood drawn, then pass through the security gate. There’s a waiting lounge inside, you can rest there. Once all personnel in the fleet have had their identities verified, you can proceed to the Third Planet.”

“Mm.”

Su Ming took his officer card and turned to look at the security gate in the distance.

That security gate was a giant special instrument that could detect abnormalities in the body, such as being parasitized by Kirami, or having nanorobots implanted, and so on.

Soon, Su Ming, Rhein, and the others finished their blood draws, passed through the security gate, and arrived at the waiting lounge.

A large number of officers who had completed their checks were gathered here. Some were talking in low voices, while others sat on chairs, raising their wristbands to browse the Star Cluster Forum.

“Su Ming!”

At this moment, a familiar shout came.

Su Ming turned his head and saw Alifei walking over with a smile, then he spoke in greeting.

“Alifei, you’re here.”

“Yes, we finally returned safe and sound. But this mission was truly worth it. How fortunate I am to witness the birth of the Sun’s Glory with my own eyes.”

Alifei said with great emotion.

“Indeed, putting aside personal prejudices and character, General Xinlade’s strength and bravery are beyond doubt.”

Su Ming replied in agreement.

“You’re right. Although I really don’t like him, he truly created a miracle. Although this miracle was achieved with the help of Star Destroyers, many ships, and countless brave warriors, it is still astonishing!”

“Mm!”

“He got the Black Sun this time, so his position as a general is probably secure. You’ll probably have to avoid him from now on.”

Alifei turned his head to look around and reminded Su Ming in a low voice.

“I know.”

Su Ming nodded slightly in response.

“I have other things to do, so I won’t chat with you anymore.”

Alifei reached out and patted Su Ming’s shoulder, then turned and left.

Su Ming looked at the retreating figure of Lieutenant General Alifei and sighed slightly.

At this moment, Rhein and the others asked with some concern.

“Boss, what do we do now? If Sinrad becomes a general, won’t he come looking for trouble with us?”

“What’s there to fear? He needs an excuse to find trouble with us. Everyone just needs to be careful and not let him catch us with anything.”

Su Ming replied calmly.

“Mm, that makes sense.”

Rhein and the others nodded in response.

“Rhein, you guys go keep an eye out, make sure nothing goes wrong during customs clearance.”

Su Ming instructed Rhein and the others.

“Alright!”

Rhein and the others then turned and left.

Su Ming turned his head and looked around, found an empty chair in the corner, sat down, raised his wristband to connect to the Azure Blue Star Defense Line’s network, and logged into the Star Cluster Forum.

The entire Star Cluster Forum was extremely lively. Someone had uploaded a combat video of the escort fleet and the Mechanical Clan.

Among them, the post about Sinrad’s battle was pushed to the top, reaching hundreds of millions of clicks and millions of comments in a very short time.

Su Ming clicked on the post and browsed the popular comments.

“So powerful! He actually defeated the Mechanical Clan’s V-Type Fortress Class Mogafa!”

“General Xinlade is indeed the most amazing rising star. With this Black Sun, his position as a general is absolutely secure this time.”

“I’ve been following General Xinlade for a long time. For a hundred years in the military, he has always fought on the front lines. From his emergence in the Battle of the Tegert Star Sea until now, General Xinlade has always charged at the forefront. His effort and bravery inspire me.”

“Where are those Su Ming fans from before? Why are they gone now? I’m putting it out there, if the general’s position this time isn’t taken by Sinrad, I’ll eat from the public restroom on the west side of Future Street to the public restroom on the east side, regardless of gender!”

“Nonsense! General Xinlade is very powerful, but General Su Ming is even more awesome, alright? How many years has Sinrad been in the military, and how many years has Su Ming been? His position as a general is absolutely secure, alright, it’s just a matter of the next term.”

“Everyone, discussion is discussion, there’s really no need to compare who’s better.”

Su Ming scrolled through the many comments, a little surprised at how quickly the news had spread.

Now, the entire forum had many people frantically supporting General Xinlade, almost as if they were building momentum.

However, this was also normal, as Sinrad was currently at a turning point in his life.

Although there was only one rank difference between a general and a grand general, their authority and resources were vastly different. Moreover, the number of grand general positions in the Federal Government was limited; it wasn’t a guarantee of promotion just because you met the standards.

Because when one is promoted to a grand general, the Council has to allocate a large amount of resources to support the grand general.

Time passed second by second.

Su Ming sat quietly in the waiting lounge. After a long while, Rhein and the others hurried over.

“Boss, the security check is done, we can set sail.”

“Mm, let’s go home!”

Su Ming slowly stood up from the resting chair and said.

—

Starlight City, within the City Lord’s Mansion.

In the ancient study, Dragon White sat on an old mahogany chair, her index finger gently tapping the armrest, her purple eyes constantly flickering.

Gakels stood before Dragon White and asked worriedly.

“Miss, what do we do now? Lord Long Chen and the other two insist on seeing you. Will you see them or not?”

“Seeing or not seeing is not important. The key point of this matter is not with Lord Long Chen and the other two; they are irrelevant to the Federal Government’s situation.”

Dragon White replied calmly.

“Why do you say that?”

Gakels was slightly startled and asked.

“From the moment this incident happened, it was destined that our situation would be pushed to the cliff. Because the Council President has no way to come out and refute the rumors, any cover-up is useless! The enemy’s methods this time are very clever; they must have been guided by an expert.”

Dragon White replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Gakels’ expression grew even more somber. Indeed, as he had guessed, the Council Speaker’s situation was very bad.

He sighed and asked hoarsely.

“Miss, what do we do now?”

“Take it one step at a time, try to delay for as long as possible. First, go see Lord Long Chen and the other two.”

After discussing with Gakels, Dragon White slowly stood up and said.

“Alright.”

Gakels slowly nodded.

Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, inner hall.

Lord Long Chen, Long Shadow, and Dragon Lan were seated on chairs.

For the past few days, they hadn’t gone anywhere, just waited in the City Lord’s Mansion for Dragon White to return.

At this moment, a sound of footsteps came.

Lord Long Chen and the other two looked up at the inner hall door, saw Dragon White and Gakels walk in, and immediately stood up.

“Third Uncle, Fifth Uncle, Seventh Aunt!”

Dragon White, changing her usual cold demeanor, greeted them respectfully.

“Niece, you’re back. It must have been a tough journey.”

Lord Long Chen and the other two greeted her with smiles on their faces. They were very polite to Dragon White, completely devoid of their previous aggressive demeanor.

“Thank you for your concern. May I ask what urgent matter you have to see me about, Third Uncle?”

Dragon White asked calmly.

“Niece, we won’t hide it from you anymore. Not long ago, the Federal Government’s central system was infiltrated, and rumors about Father are flying everywhere. We, as his children, haven’t seen Father for a hundred years, and we truly miss him very much. Do you think you could take us to see Father?”

Lord Long Chen replied tactfully.

“That’s right, isn’t our request reasonable?”

Long Shadow and Dragon Lan echoed.

Dragon White heard this, sighed slightly, and said.

“Third Uncle, your requests are reasonable and there’s nothing wrong with them. In fact, I also want you to see the Council Speaker, but…”

Lord Long Chen and the other two heard this, their nerves tensed, and they eagerly asked.

“Dragon White, has something happened? Tell us quickly.”

“I originally didn’t want to tell you, but given the current situation, I have no choice. Grandfather’s condition is indeed very bad, so I can’t let you see him.”

Dragon White said to Lord Long Chen and the other two.

Upon hearing Dragon White’s words, Lord Long Chen’s aged face immediately darkened.

A faint, almost imperceptible glint flashed in Long Shadow’s eyes.

Dragon Lan, on the other hand, exclaimed in shock.

“How could this be? If that’s the case, we need to see Father even more to visit him.”

“No, you cannot see him.”

Dragon White shook her head and replied.

“Dragon White, don’t go too far! Father’s condition is already bad, and you’re still stopping us from seeing him. What are your intentions?”

Dragon Lan immediately demanded furiously.

“It’s not that I won’t let you see him, but that Grandpa doesn’t want to see you,” Dragon White calmly replied.

“How is that possible? I don’t believe you,” Dragon Lan retorted, somewhat losing her composure.

“Seventh Aunt, have you ever considered why Grandpa chose me to be his caretaker and not you? It’s because he trusts me. If Grandpa trusts me, what reason do you have to doubt me?” Dragon White said assertively.

Dragon Lan was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

In their hearts, any decision their father made was never wrong; questioning Dragon White was questioning their father.

At this moment, Lord Long Chen sighed deeply, saying wearily, “Dragon White, we understand.

If that’s the case, we won’t see Father, so as to avoid any trouble.

However, please take good care of Father, and inform us immediately if anything happens.”

“Alright!” Dragon White responded indifferently.

“Let’s go,” Lord Long Chen said to Long Shadow and Dragon Lan.

Long Shadow and Dragon Lan silently followed Lord Long Chen out.

After the three left, Gakels breathed a slight sigh of relief and said to Dragon White, “We’ve temporarily appeased them, but the situation is truly getting worse.

I just received news that the Cosmic Military Headquarters’ convoy of supplies was attacked by the Mechanical Clan.”

Upon hearing this, Dragon White turned to Gakels and asked, “How is the situation?

Are the supplies alright?”

“Miss, there’s no need to worry.

General Xinlade, who was in charge of the escort, risked his life to kill the V-Type Fortress Class Mogafa and successfully repelled the Mechanical Clan.

The supplies have been safely transported back.”

“That’s good.”

“However…”

“However what?”

“Sinrad was already on the promotion list for General.

Now that he’s made such a great contribution, he’ll likely be the one chosen for General this time!

But the problem is, while his strength is impressive, he’s too cunning and his character isn’t good.

And he’s also Long Shadow’s person; if he gets promoted, it won’t be a good thing,” Gakels said, rubbing his temples.

Upon hearing this, Dragon White said coldly, “I originally planned to promote Mia to the position of General, but her character isn’t good either.”

“Alas, what do we do now?” Gakels asked, looking troubled.

They currently had no suitable candidate to contend with Sinrad.

If Mia hadn’t caused so much trouble, she would have been a very suitable choice.

“Since things have come to this, there’s nothing much we can do but let nature take its course,” Dragon White said with a hint of a sigh in her calm tone.

Starlight City, Central Interstellar Airport.

Broadcast announcements continuously echoed.

“All staff, please note: The Interstellar Airport is about to activate its outdoor life support system.”

“All security personnel, please confirm that all passengers within the Interstellar Airport have been evacuated.”

Inside the Interstellar Airport.

Soldiers in exoskeleton armor orderly sealed off the entire Interstellar Airport.

All docking berths were cleared.

Numerous Federal logistics personnel entered, busily laying out a red carpet, and the Federal honor guard stood in neat formation.

A throng of reporters stood beyond the cordon, holding professional cameras, discussing anxiously.

“They’re not here yet?”

“Soon.”

Just then, a tremendous roar echoed from the sky.

Everyone looked up, seeing the Star Destroyer Leiji slowly descending.

“They’re here!” Many reporters excitedly took photos of the sky.

Soon, the Thunder Pole landed smoothly at Berth 1, and then the gangway opened.

General Xinlade, along with Commander Su Ming and other generals, walked down the gangway, step by step.

At this moment, countless flashes went off, and countless reporters continuously took pictures.

Commander Su Ming was also a bit surprised by such a large-scale welcoming ceremony, not expecting the Federal Government to receive them with the highest protocol.

At this moment, Vice City Lord Okens walked forward with a beaming smile, excitedly shaking General Xinlade’s hand and saying, “Welcome home, you’ve worked hard!”

“It’s no hardship; this is our mission and responsibility as soldiers,” General Xinlade replied with a serious expression.

“Good.

I’ve already arranged a place for you to rest.

Please take a short break.

Tomorrow morning, the Federal Government will hold a grand award ceremony for you at Dawn Hall of the Government Administrative Building!” Okins said to General Xinlade.

“Thank you, Lord Okins,” Sinrad replied politely.

“It’s nothing.

Nan Ying, please take General Xinlade and the others to their quarters.”

While Okins was exchanging pleasantries with Sinrad, he suddenly noticed Commander Su Ming standing behind Sinrad, and was slightly surprised.

He then spoke to his secretary, Nan Ying.

“Yes! General, please follow me.”

Nan Ying then led Sinrad inside.

At this moment, Okins walked up to Commander Su Ming and asked in surprise, “Commander Su Ming, weren’t you going to the Abyss of Fallen?

How did you return so quickly?

Did you have a conflict with Soleia Commander?”

“No, I just sustained some injuries and came back to recuperate,” Commander Su Ming replied with a wry smile.

“Where were you injured?

Is it serious?” Okins asked with concern upon hearing that Commander Su Ming was injured.

“It’s nothing serious; a few months of rest will do.

However, Soleia Commander asked me to bring back a confidential file when I returned this time, to be given to City Lord Gakels.

But I applied for several visits and was told to wait,” Commander Su Ming said, producing a file.

“Ah, that’s normal.

Too many people want to see City Lord Gakels lately.

Give me the file; I will personally hand it to City Lord Gakels,” Okins said to Commander Su Ming.

“Alright, thank you for your trouble,” Commander Su Ming said, handing the document to Okins.

“It’s a small matter.

You should quickly go with the team to rest; the award ceremony is tomorrow morning,” Okins said to Commander Su Ming.

“Alright!” Commander Su Ming then followed the team and left.

Federal Government, Administrative Building.

Okins, holding the document, rushed to the office door and knocked.

“Lord Gakels!”

There was no response for a long time.

Okins was a bit puzzled, then opened the office door and walked in.

He found the office empty, with no sign of Gakels.

Okins was very perplexed; Gakels was not there.

He then raised his wristband and dialed Gakels’s number, but a prompt appeared: “The user you are calling is temporarily unreachable.”

Okins looked at the prompt, also very puzzled that he couldn’t reach Lord Gakels.

After some thought, he placed the file on the desk.

This way, Gakels would see it immediately upon his return, and there was no need to worry about security.

Even though he entered so easily, it was because Lord Gakels had granted him that authority.

After placing the document, Okins turned and walked towards the door.

The next morning.

Federal Government Administrative Building, Dawn Hall.

Council members, dressed in light blue striped robes, exchanged greetings with smiles.

“Council Member Chen, you’re here too.”

“How could I not come to such an important ceremony?”

“That’s true.

I heard the Federal Government brought back a lot of supplies this time; this year’s deficit might be resolved.”

“Yes, but that’s not the main event.”

“You know about it too?”

“Of course!”

Just as everyone was discussing.

Lord Long Chen, Long Shadow, and Dragon Lan walked in together.

“Lord Long Chen, you’ve come too.”

Many Council members walked towards the three, greeting them warmly.

“Yes, just happened to be free and came to take a look,” Lord Long Chen replied with a smile.

At this moment, a strong sound of footsteps approached, and Lord Long Chen and the others turned to look.

They saw Faraon walking in with his hands behind his back and a stern expression.

Lord Long Chen and the other two went up to greet him.

“City Lord Faraon, you’ve arrived.”

“Yes, Long Shadow, Dragon Lan, why are you two also free to come?” Faraon was a bit surprised; usually, at most, Lord Long Chen would attend, and Long Shadow and Dragon Lan rarely showed up.

“It’s just been a long time since we returned to the Third Planet, so we took advantage of the free time to come back and see, and attend the meeting,” Long Shadow said with a smile.

“Alright.

Where’s Gakels?

Hasn’t that fellow arrived yet?” Faraon didn’t pay much attention, turning his head to look around and ask.

“Lord Gakels hasn’t arrived yet,” a Council member nearby quickly said.

“Hmph, that fellow is getting more and more out of line, always dilly-dallying.

He’s really regressing,” Faraon said irritably upon hearing that Gakels hadn’t arrived yet.

The Council members present chuckled awkwardly.

At this time, Su Mulong, Farsad, and Berudo sat in a corner of the Council seats, chatting in low voices.

“Old Su, did you hear that a new General might be nominated this time?”

“Yes, I heard it’s implicitly decided to be Sinrad.”

“No wonder that Long Shadow fellow is here too.”

“Alright, stop talking.

It’s better to discuss less about such important matters,” Su Mulong said cautiously.

“Alright,” Farsad nodded in agreement.

The birth of every new General would bring significant changes to the entire Federal Government’s power structure, implicitly affecting everyone’s interests.

At this moment, the Council Hall door was pushed open again, and Gakels and Dragon White walked in side by side.

The previously noisy Council Hall immediately quieted down, and everyone took their seats.

Faraon, Lord Long Chen, and the other two also walked to the first row and sat down.

Dragon White walked directly beside Faraon, sitting in the empty seat of City Lord Alicia.

Gakels walked directly to the Council platform.

With his cloudy eyes, he scanned everyone present and spoke solemnly, “Thank you all for attending this meeting.

Today’s meeting is to commend our heroes.

Now, please welcome General Xinlade and other generals!

Everyone, please stand and applaud!”

Everyone stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Clap, clap ~

Accompanied by the warm applause.

Sinrad, Commander Su Ming, and others, dressed in military uniforms, walked out from the left exit of the Dawn Hall backstage and ascended the Council platform under everyone’s gaze.

“Hey, hey, Old Su! Look who that is!

Isn’t that Commander Su Ming?” Farsad exclaimed in surprise.

“How did he come back?” Su Mulong was also very shocked that Commander Su Ming had returned, and was even standing to Sinrad’s right, clearly in a prominent central position.

“Your great-grandson has made another contribution,” Berudo said enviously.

“Haha, it seems I came to the right place today,” Su Mulong also said excitedly.

Dragon White was also a bit surprised to see Commander Su Ming on the stage, not expecting him to be involved in this escort mission.

At this moment, Gakels raised his hand, signaling all Council members to sit down.

Many Council members reseated themselves.

Then, Gakels delivered an impassioned speech to everyone.

“Everyone should be well aware that the Federal Government’s situation has been grim recently, with the Dark Star Empire, Apocalypse Divine Kingdom, and alien races eyeing us from outside.

Internally, the Mechanical Cult, JD, and lawless elements are causing trouble.

Under these impending storms, the Federal Government decided to transport trade supplies stored at the Cosmic Military Headquarters back.

However, the Mechanical Clan remained persistent and intercepted our fleet midway.

At this critical moment, General Xinlade led numerous soldiers in a brave resistance, not only successfully defeating the Mechanical Clan’s surprise attack force but also killing the V-Type Fortress Class Mogafa, creating a miracle.

Let us congratulate them with the warmest applause.”

Clap, clap!

Upon hearing this, Faraon and the others applauded enthusiastically.

Sinrad stood even straighter, a proud expression on his face, then spoke with fervor, “Thank you, but the honor of this escort and the killing of the V-Type Fortress Class Mogafa is not mine alone, but the result of the combined efforts of all the generals and soldiers who participated in the escort.”

“Well said!

Now, I officially announce that the generals who performed outstandingly in this escort mission will be awarded the Medal of Honor!” Gakels formally declared.

At this moment, staff members came up carrying trays, on which were placed various badges.

The most conspicuous among them was the black sun badge; the entire badge was made of special rare metal, with intricate patterns and a sun carved upon it.

Gakels personally took the black sun badge and pinned it on General Xinlade.

“Thank you!” General Xinlade saluted City Lord Gakels solemnly.

City Lord Gakels smiled and nodded.

Then he walked to Commander Su Ming, picked up the black moon badge, and pinned it on him.

Commander Su Ming raised his hand and saluted Gakels, saying, “Thank you!”

Gakels nodded slightly, reaching out to pat Commander Su Ming’s shoulder in encouragement.

Before long, Commander Su Ming and the others had all received their Medals of Honor.

At this moment, a photographer walked onto the stage and said to Commander Su Ming and the others with a smile, “Everyone, please move a little closer.

I’ll take a group photo for you, and then some individual shots.”

“Alright!” Commander Su Ming and the others replied cooperatively.

Gakels walked down from the Council platform and sat beside Dragon White, waiting for the photography to finish.

This award ceremony was different from previous ones; due to the internal unrest within the Federal Government, they decided to start creating heroes to divert everyone’s attention.

At this moment, Okins rushed over and said to Gakels, “Lord, so you were here.

I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“What’s wrong, Okins?” Gakels looked at Okins with some surprise.

“This is a top-secret file that Commander Su Ming brought back from the Abyss of Fallen.

He asked me to personally hand it to you,” Okins said, taking out the file and handing it to Gakels.

He had originally placed the file on the desk, but this morning, he reconsidered and felt it was improper, as he had promised Commander Su Ming to personally deliver it to Gakels.

So, he returned to the office and retrieved the file.