Counterfeit Hero

Thinking of Fatty outside the door, Helen’s heart rippled with a trace of inexplicable emotion. Was it shyness, security, or a young girl’s admiration for a hero? Even she couldn’t say.

Quietly finishing her bath in this strange mood, Helen stood up. Looking in the mirror, she saw her firm, slightly upturned full breasts, slender waist, flat stomach, and voluptuous hips. Suddenly, her face felt a bit warm. Her naked, white body also turned a shade of pink.

Shyly averting her gaze, Helen inadvertently glanced out the window... there, an astonished, gaping face was staring.

The peeper and the one being peeped at, both stared wide-eyed at each other.

They stared at each other for quite a while. Fatty was puzzled: ”Do you not like wearing clothes?”

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

Losing nearly half of the crucial Jump Points was undoubtedly a severe blow to the Fei Alliance member countries. The grave consequences slowly became apparent as the war progressed and time passed.

The Fei Alliance member countries, located in advantageous regions, were unable to form a coalition and were strategically fragmented by the Western Alliance’s territorial tactics. Those Fei Alliance member countries caught between neighboring Western Alliance countries found themselves in an extremely difficult position. Isolated and without aid, they could only rely on domestic production, resources, and a little determination to resist step by step.

In this arduous resistance, the rapid consumption of manpower and resources had already overwhelmed many countries. The people, who had enjoyed democracy for thousands of years, began to blame their governments. Even in wartime, several countries’ cabinets were forced to resign collectively. Various voices grew louder as the situation worsened. Democracy began to show its destructive force during wartime.

The citizens of the democratic countries seemed to have immediately forgotten that at the onset of the war, they were equally confident in winning it. They forgot how they had fervently declared in online forums, opinion polls, and various public venues to teach the enemy a lesson. They also forgot that the game of war and diplomacy is not one in which positions can be changed on a whim.

Meanwhile, in the Western Alliance’s imperial countries, many bizarre scenes occurred as well.

The oppressed races, exploited and at the bottom of society, seemed to have forgotten their racial hatred. When the Western Alliance was in a favorable position, these impoverished races would flood the streets to cheer, salute the proud nobles, and express their admiration and loyalty.

The federation countries fighting against their oppressors were naturally of little consequence. Various forms of mocking and ridicule were much more prevalent in the slums than in the noble estates. Even when sent to the battlefield as the lowest cannon fodder, the sense of superiority exhibited by these races’ soldiers over other subjugated peoples in conquered cities was even stronger than that of the typically arrogant imperial rulers.

Human civilization, at this moment, had become a complete deformity. The beauty and ugliness of human nature coexisted simultaneously. At this time, the boundary between foresight and ignorance was not so clear.

”Look at the Leray Federation. They’ve been fighting bloodily on the battlefield for three whole years!”

Old Tolstoy, dressed in an Admiral’s uniform with a chest full of various medals, stood in the command room of the Saleria Federation’s Longbow Local Fleet, addressing the gathered fleet.

In the resounding voice of Tolstoy, the Torreclais forward base of the Longbow Star System fell silent.

Torreclais is a very small Immigrant Planet with a total population of just 3 million. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it as a micro military fortress. Before the war, the Longbow Star System’s Local Fleet and the Saleria Federation’s 5th Fleet and 9th Fleet were stationed here.

Now, the 5th Fleet and the 9th Fleet had already set off, leaving the Longbow Star Domain. Amidst Tolstoy’s disputes with Congress, they could not make a choice.

”I do not like war. Even though I have been a soldier all my life and have made war my profession, I can firmly tell you, I do not like war!” Tolstoy said gravely. ”Some may ask, if that’s the case, why did I bear the charges of division and rebellion, and lead the federation into war with the Suss Empire?”

”I have only one answer to that question.” The old man’s eyes glistened with tears. ”I love this country... I absolutely cannot watch helplessly as those cowardly politicians hand this country over to the Suss Empire. That would be no different from defeat. We would disarm under the enemy’s threat, allowing them to leech off us, draining our blood and marrow.”

”Today, we fight not for the Fei Alliance,” Old Tolstoy roared with pride, ”We fight for the Saleria Federation! War is not a game where positions can be changed at will. Since we have decided to withdraw from the war and remain neutral, we must refuse all unreasonable demands. We cannot allow Blue Stone Star behind us to become a forward base for the Suss Empire’s invasion of the Southeast Star Domain! If we allow Western Alliance infiltration, we will all be recorded in Saleria Federation’s history as criminals!”

”Think about it!” Tolstoy raised his head, his voice booming like a bell. ”The current Suss Empire can make any demands on us, requisition airspace, lease Blue Stone Star. What about the future? They will make all kinds of demands within our territory without hesitation. When the Western Alliance wins the war, we will gain nothing but humiliation. And if the Fei Alliance wins, we will face the price of betrayal!”

”Therefore,” Tolstoy’s voice echoed through every corner of every warship, ”I order you to keep all enemies outside our borders! I order you to fight for the Saleria Federation! I order you to win a proud stance for the Saleria Federation with your bravery!”

”Remember, this is a war that concerns the future of the Saleria Federation! This is not a political game!”

”Depart!”

.

.

Financial crisis... let’s not even talk about it. (To be continued, for more chapters, please visit www.qidian.com, support the author, and enjoy official readings!)