Counterfeit Hero

”A week?!” Douglas silently repeated in his mind, raising his eyebrows as he listened to Pang Mingjian continue.

”Additionally... the surrounding routes and obstruction zones of the Torreclais Star have been completely controlled. Given the terrain there, even if the Jiepeng Fleet reinforces the Longbow Star System, it will take at least two months to bypass and break through the obstruction zone from behind.”

Tall and handsome, Chief of Staff Pang Mingjian completed the report of the battle plan and set down the pointer in his hand.

Douglas nodded, looking at the electronic screen on the simulation table, pondering silently.

Pang Mingjian hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said: ”General Douglas... I don’t think we need the assistance of the Bandit Army. Moreover, I don’t believe their battle plan has any chance of success.”

Douglas, who was deep in thought about the battle plan, was taken aback and looked up.

He hadn’t expected Pang Mingjian to suddenly bring up the Bandit Army while reporting the battle plan; it seemed like he had been holding it back for a long time.

Douglas gave a silent, bitter smile. To be honest, not only Pang Mingjian couldn’t believe Fatty’s battle plan, but even he himself had a ninety percent doubt about the plan. The ambush location... was truly beyond imagination. If he hadn’t collaborated with Fatty in the past at Gazalin Mezrich, and if he hadn’t personally witnessed Fatty’s skill in turning situations around, he wouldn’t dare believe the plan Fatty submitted.

Even after ultimately agreeing to the plan, he only believed in it half-heartedly.

Seeing Pang Mingjian staring intently at him, Douglas said: ”Chief of Staff Pang, I don’t intend to entrust the outcome of this battle to the Bandit Army...”

Pang Mingjian breathed a sigh of relief; he was nearly driven mad by that entirely unfeasible plan. Just as he was about to speak, Douglas slightly waved him off and continued: ”I understand that General Tian’s battle plan seems unbelievable. However, this doesn’t prevent us from coordinating with the Bandit Army Fleet in a way that doesn’t affect our original strategies and tactics.”

”Moreover... you’re underestimating Hanfrey.” Douglas furrowed his brow, shifting the topic to the current battle situation: ”You just mentioned that in the second phase, we could resist the Binart Empire Fleet for at least a week. I’m telling you, that’s absolutely impossible. Unless we sacrifice our warships right here. Otherwise, our resistance against them won’t exceed forty-eight hours!”

”Forty-eight hours?” Pang Mingjian’s square face frowned heavily.

”Yes, forty-eight hours!” Douglas coolly picked up the pointer, gesturing to a red circle on the interstellar map: ”Choosing this location as the main battlefield for the second phase isn’t wrong, but the Staff Department has wrongly estimated Hanfrey’s capabilities. You must know, the Feiling and Feiyu Fleets have been controlled by the Hanfley Family for hundreds of years. Their combat style is a reflection of their commander’s personality.”

The pointer moved between an irregular white asteroid belt and a nearby tan planet, Douglas’s tone unwaveringly assured: ”Hanfrey is flexible and varied in warfare; his detail command is masterly. Even if we have the topographical advantage here, we can’t withstand his attack. Do you believe it? Here, he will commit all his forces! It might not even take forty-eight hours before he forces us out of this route.”

”Commit all his forces?!” Pang Mingjian widened his eyes, watching Douglas use the pointer to arrange the blue fleet icons representing the Binart Empire into a triangle on the electronic map.

”Hanfrey is both a fox and a hungry wolf!” Putting down the pointer, Douglas looked at the stunned Pang Mingjian and said slowly and deliberately: ”His tactical style is not only cunning but also fierce! His two fleets may not be the strongest of the Binart Empire’s, but in terms of offense, they are the sharpest bayonet among all the Binart Empire’s assault units!”

After a long silence, Pang Mingjian asked: ”Then our battle plan...”

”There’s no need to change it. Their appearance was never within the original plan. The Nineteen Group Fleet absolutely cannot match the two Binart Elephant-class Royal Fleets. I never hoped to hold Hanfrey off for more than a week on this route...” Douglas stared at the interstellar map on the simulation table, using an electronic pen to draw several more circles and arrows in different spots along the route, and suddenly, he punched the simulation table hard, face turning ashen: ”...I’m unwilling!”

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”Douglas might be unwilling too!”

Aboard the flagship space carrier Feiyu of the Feiyu Fleet, Hanfrey lay half-reclined in a soft chair, looking at the interstellar map hanging overhead, and sighed softly.

The shapely first adjutant poured golden Ball Dew Whiskey into a glass with ice cubes and handed it to Hanfrey, puzzled: ”Your Grace, why would he be unwilling... Does he still have a chance to defeat you?”

”War is not always measured by victory or defeat.” Hanfrey smiled slightly, raising the hand with the glass, letting the back of his hand gently glide over the adjutant’s delicate cheek: ”Remember I told you about my past encounters with Douglas?”