Counterfeit Hero

The study was quiet.

A five-meter high, dark coffee-colored wooden bookshelf occupied half of the wall. It was neatly filled with various types of books.

No matter how times progress, humanity seems to still maintain some traditions that can seemingly be completely discarded, such as watches, and these fragile yet heavy paper books.

E-books, electronic documents, the ubiquitous internet, household supercomputers... all these could be substitutes for paper books, yet ultimately, they exist as themselves; none have truly replaced the other.

In certain aspects, humans are extremely stubborn. Many enjoy sitting in a recliner, basking in the sun, hugging a thick book, savoring the smell of its pages, immersing themselves in leisurely browsing or free thoughts, and they are not just a few.

The little kid struggles to comprehend this.

As a super-intelligent being capable of navigating through humanity’s vast textual information even greater than the universe, it really can’t understand why it should hold a tome that is not much smaller than itself and pose on a chair.

Is this the irrational behavior of humanity?

Sighing, the little kid somewhat gloomily moistens a finger with ”saliva” from its mouth, flips the page of the book in its hand, maintaining a standard reading posture, and looks up at Russell standing on the sliding ladder of the bookshelf: ”Buddy... have you decided when we set off?”

Russell was flipping through a reference book on interstellar navigation technology, and after a while, he glanced back at the little kid and casually put the book back in its place, ”Why, in a hurry to leave?”

”Not really,” the little kid rubbed its fingers between its white little toes, ”I’m just afraid that Fatty won’t hold up and will fall.”

Seeing this fool, who wouldn’t have skin itching or athlete’s foot even in ten thousand years, retract its finger and place it under its nose, furrowing its brows while sniffing, Russell couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly and stepped down from the ladder. It’s said that proximity to vermilion results in red; proximity to ink results in black, yet he truly couldn’t tell who was the darker one between the little kid and Fatty... These two guys are the common enemy of all elegance in humanity.

He walked slowly to the desk. On the ultra-light metal structure’s silver-white tabletop, the virtual screen of the central computer hovered quietly. Intersecting light rays formed an interstellar map of the Longbow Star System, a navigation map of the Bermuda channel, and a battle plan including a simulation process.

Russell gazed at the virtual screen and couldn’t help but sigh silently. He had already examined these contents multiple times, yet ultimately couldn’t make a decisive decision.

It was a difficult decision.

The textual part of the plan was sent by Tian Xingjian through the civilian network.

Because all civilian network information in the Bermuda Star System was under the surveillance of the Western Alliance SkyNet. Therefore, this battle plan was so simple that it only contained a few data and place names.

Nonetheless, it was sufficient.

Over the past few days, through the civilian network, Russell had come to understand everything happening in the Longbow Star System. Initially, this information couldn’t enable him to make any decision. For a Commander, this intelligence was too little and inaccurate. Without professional military intelligence, using such information as the basis for decision-making would be suicide.

However, once this information combined with Fatty’s plan, it immediately underwent a chemical reaction. Given Russell’s military acumen, deducing Fatty’s entire plan wasn’t difficult.

Clearly, Fatty initially wanted to use the Feiyang 19th Group Fleet to surprise the Longbow Star System, accomplishing a reunion with the Hidden Blade Fleet. But the appearance of the Binart Empire Fleet disrupted Fatty’s plan.

Now, the Longbow Star System was still in the hands of the Feiyang Fleet, and both sides still had a phase of combat to go through. And the Hidden Blade Fleet, wanting to break through Bermuda and Longbow Star Systems, to enter the Southeast Main Channel, must utilize the time difference when the Jiepeng Fleet was mobilized from the country to Bermuda. Otherwise, by the time the Feiyang Fleet collapses or leaves the Longbow Star System, and by the time the Jiepeng Fleet fills the entire Bermuda to Longbow Star System channel, the Hidden Blade Fleet will lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

However, there was one critical point in the entire plan.

That was, the Binart Empire Fleet must be firmly tied up or defeated! Otherwise, once the Hidden Blade Fleet’s whereabouts are exposed, it might face the encirclement and interception from the Western Alliance!

It’s easy to imagine how shocking and infuriating it would be for the Western Alliance when they discover hundreds of Leray Battleships breaking through Bermuda Jump Point towards the Longbow Star System.

It’s certain that the Binart Empire Fleet will unhesitatingly turn around to block the way. Then, there will immediately be a sandwich situation. Even if able to contact the Feiyang Fleet to jointly attack the Binart Empire Fleet, no matter the advantage in troop strength and terrain is with them, the most dangerous entity would still be the Leray Fleet!

Russell dared not make a decision lightly; he must be responsible for the hundreds of warships and tens of thousands of Leray soldiers under his command. Any loss resulting from an irrational decision is unacceptable to the entire Leray nation.

These days, Russell couldn’t help but envision the figures of the Leray elite politicians who handed the fleet to this Gazalin man. They were the elite of this nation, wise, straightforward, foresightful, and courageous.