Counterfeit Hero

The audience in the huge main hall stands was already less than half remaining. Although many were reluctant to leave, when fully armed Feiyang Soldiers walked coldly to them, they chose to depart. The electronic lights throughout the venue illuminated it brightly. The central virtual screen picture had frozen. Amid the now scattered noise, the main hall appeared wide and silent.

Fatty blocked Margaret’s mouth and then turned his gaze toward Carolina.

Carolina glanced at Zhang Pengcheng, who was expressionless beside her, bit her teeth secretly, and said to Fatty, ”Alright then, I’ll let you leave first. I trust you won’t hurt Colonel Margaret. If there’s any misunderstanding, we can... later...”

As she spoke, the urgent electronic tone of a communicator interrupted Carolina. At the same time, Zhang Pengcheng and Fatty’s communicators also started ringing urgently!

A few seconds later, when the few people simultaneously answered the communications and looked at each other, their expressions had already changed.

Fatty released Margaret, jumped out of the cockpit, and looked into Margaret’s eyes: ”I’ll make a trade with you!”

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

Feiyang Capital, Hydefield, even with the war ongoing, still presents a scene of peace and prosperity.

As humanity’s largest superpower, the Feiyang Republic possesses overwhelmingly strong capabilities. If a war could bring Hydefield to despair and gloom, in the words of the Feiyang people, it would surely be the apocalypse.

The confidence of a superpower is engraved in the bones of the Feiyang people. Even if the current situation looks grim, no one believes Feiyang will lose the war. Although the effects of war have started to show in this country, it is still far from impacting life in Hydefield.

On the streets, traffic rolls, and people rush in waves. This largest city in the universe has nearly two hundred million residents. Managed for thousands of years, the land no longer bears the shape of early human migration; even at the universe’s end, dust and sand won’t bury this giant. To destroy it, one must destroy the entire planet.

The city continues to expand, to modernize. Old buildings are torn down, replaced by more advanced and larger Space Cities. Streets are repeatedly widened; industrial zones and commercial districts constantly breed younger entrepreneurs and larger enterprises in time’s loop, passing human civilization through relentless construction and life proliferation.

The city’s prosperity remains, and in the west, the towering Glory City stands majestic and solemn.

Although from the outside, this Space City looks no prettier than those in Central City, it might not even be as grand, but those who know this Space City always regard it with awe, regardless of time or mindset.

This is the control center of the military might that allows this vast nation to traverse the cosmos.

Inside here, every small document affects the entire cosmos’s situation. Especially in this war sweeping through human society, this is the eye of the storm.

A deep brown desk three meters wide and six meters long sits alone in the room’s center. It’s an old wooden desk, hard, solid, heavy, with simple lines and a meticulous finish.

This desk appears mismatched in the huge silver-white room, surrounded by walls and space dominated by a central computer, interstellar map, and electronic simulation sand table. Its only suitable match seems to be a high back wooden chair with a soft cushion and the old man seated in it.

In front of the wall-mounted interstellar map, Admiral Qian Bolin, Commander of the 5th Group Fleet, is reporting on the Karsdon Star River battlefield’s situation, his thin electronic pointer moving with the map’s various colored arrows.

”...In conclusion, our forces still hold an absolute advantage in the Karsdon Star River Battlefield, the left-wing actual control line of the A80 Star Domain is completely under the command of our 3rd Mixed Group Fleet. The 9th Mixed Group Fleet has met up with the 3rd Fleet and completed the preparations to attack the Sand Snake Corridor via the A80 Jump Point. Centrally in the Noah Star System, our 5th and 2nd Mixed Group Fleets already hold 65% of strategic points, and the surrounding Jump Point obstacle zones and transit routes are entirely under our control. The right-wing’s Montoya Interstellar Corridor offensive progresses the fastest; the 4th, 6th, and 8th Mixed Group Fleets have approached the Binart Empire’s Saliska Star System. If Sobel doesn’t reinforce, the warfire will engulf their national borders. Reliable intelligence indicates the Binart Empire’s 8th and 9th Elephant-class Royal Fleets have already left Capital Sedon, presumed reinforcing direction to be the Saliska Star System; the intelligence department closely monitors enemy movements. According to the Combat Department’s simulations, over the next three months, the Binart Empire will continue in a defensive posture...

Admiral Qian Bolin’s nearly hour-long report concluded, this Feiyang Great Generals quietly stood before Hastings, having rushed back from the front line, his lean, sharply defined face still carried the fatigue of long interstellar travel.

He awaited Hastings’ commentary on the Karsdon Star River battlefield’s situation. Though already an Admiral, the elderly man behind the heavy wooden desk, who couldn’t even stand on his own, still exerted an irresistible pressure.