Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 152: Volume 3 Chapter 44 Christina

[Apollo] at the space dock outside Mezrich completed transactions with dozens of small shuttles that came to trade, slowly started the engine and high-temperature protection panels, slid into Mezrich’s atmosphere, passed the space control department of the Gazalin Empire’s inspection, and finally landed at a small airport 120 kilometers from the capital, Tanville.

After finally confirming the contact method with Ivan and Audrey, Tian Xingjian drove the truck that [Logic] transformed into, pulling [Hurricane] out of the transport ship.

After a series of complex identity checks, with a wave of a Gazalin Empire Captain’s impatient hand, Fatty quickly left the airport, following guidance to head towards Tanville.

Mezrich is the largest, most beautiful, and resource-rich Immigration Planet of the Gazalin Empire, controlling 23 surrounding Resource Planets and is the most important agro-industrial center of Gazalin. After thousands of years of immigration and hundreds of years of development by the Morton family, this planet’s population has reached 1.6 billion. The small towns and farms, rarely seen on other Immigration Planets, are everywhere here, showcasing a pastoral scenery reminiscent of Ancient Earth.

Moreover, the capital Tanville, along with 66 large cities and 7 mega cities scattered across the globe, concentrate over 80% of Gazalin Empire’s wealth. Besides industry, commerce, and other industries are extremely developed. Almost all wealthy individuals reside in the capital Tanville. In the eyes of the Gazalin Empire people, the best way to squeeze into the upper class with wealth is to live among the aristocrats, and Tanville is undoubtedly the place with the highest concentration of Vibo aristocrats.

Yet in these small towns and farms, the vast majority are of medium or low ethnicities. Their daily life consists of working diligently in small town factories or farms, while the revelry in the nearby mega cities seems as distant as the Horizon. Their income does not allow them to consume, and the harsh class distinctions in these cities further bar them from integrating. They are like a poor, blind, mute, and crippled child, sitting lonely at the side, listening to the joyous laughter of the healthy and wealthy children playing nearby.

On the heavy truck’s expressway, Fatty drove steadily towards the skyscraper-laden, highway-encircled Tanville at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. His mind was filled with images of countless Federation Battleships dancing above this vast city, Mechas, and fully mechanized Infantry advancing into Tanville in a rain of gunfire. As for himself, he would be the vanguard of these forces, with the Freedom Front stirring up this currently war-tarnished city.

[Logic] increased its speed, roaring into Tanville.

***************************

In the Galileo Star System, the Gazalin Empire and the Leray Federation had entered a delicate balance, whether in space or on the surface war on Lucerne Planet. However, everyone knew that this balance would soon be broken by the Federation’s powerful backup forces, and the economic impact on the war was becoming increasingly apparent.

If Russell didn’t make a mistake, leveraging the Leray Federation’s advantage to gradually crush the Empire’s military strength through attrition, and if Liebgoet couldn’t engineer a campaign victory significant enough to offset the Federation’s economic advantage, then everything was just a matter of time.

”Bam!” An antique vase was smashed to pieces, and the enraged Stephen seemed not yet satisfied. He grabbed another vase and slammed it against the visual screen’s player. With a light ”sizzle,” the reader stopped working, a black line streaked across the screen, and the entire display shut down.

Stephen glared furiously at the screen, the last image still lingering before his eyes—a loathsome Federation Fatty standing at the podium, unabashedly mocking, ”Of course, the most pitiful is still Stephen. I heard this was his first real strategic command, and evidently, I passed, while he didn’t.”

After venting his rage, Stephen quickly calmed down and regained his confident and serene demeanor, exuding charm. He elegantly sat on the sofa and asked, ”Who is this Federation clown?”

In Stephen’s private secret office, there were only two people. Apart from himself, standing beside the sofa was the Royal Attendant, Guard Colonel, and head of Group One of the Royal Intelligence Department, Ritter.

Ritter was only twenty-six this year, with a standard build, blond hair, and blue eyes, bearing quite a resemblance to Stephen. In fact, he was Stephen’s cousin. Ritter’s father, Duke Victor, was Stephen’s mother’s brother.

In the Gazalin Empire, the Howard family had always had a tradition of intermarriages with the Morton family. Emperor James’s six wives all came from traditional noble families of the Gazalin Empire. Among these families, the Howard family’s power was undeniably preeminent, being Stephen’s greatest support in domestic struggles.

Hearing Stephen’s question, Ritter slightly bowed and said, ”The Intelligence Department has no specific intelligence on this person. The current investigation results only know that he is Russell’s new student in the Leray Federation, a former Army Captain. He was expelled from the military for drunkenly assaulting the Federation Supreme Command’s Admiral Mihailovich in public.”

”Drunk? Assault on an Admiral?” Stephen raised his head and asked in surprise.

Ritter’s face revealed a slightly strange smile as he nodded, ”Yes, he... he spat at Mihailovich!”