Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 1601: Chapter 61: Backing

The spaceship is navigating through the boundless cosmos.

From Hanjing to the capital of the Feiyang Republic, Hydefield, requires traversing eight immigration star systems and fifteen public communications stations, totaling over three hundred navigation segments. This will be a long journey.

The President Ship is not an ordinary passenger ship.

This is a special spaceship with extremely strong defensive capabilities and high speed. It emphasizes comfort and survivability. The luxuriously decorated cabins rival seven-star hotels, with all sorts of living and entertainment facilities available. Meanwhile, the ship is equipped with a fleet of over a hundred fighters and powerful weapon systems.

If acting alone without escort, the President Ship can single-handedly crush a pirate fleet or an E-level fleet and escape before a B-level fleet enters a thirty-thousand-kilometer radius. Its radar system, navigation computer, and acceleration capabilities are stronger than most battleships.

However, obviously, in this extraordinary period, relying solely on the ship’s performance cannot ensure safety. After all, everyone knows that compared to Francis, Hastings poses a greater threat to some.

Francis’s death means that all previous restraint and endurance between the two parties have been torn to shreds. Narrow roads meet, a fight to the death is inevitable!

History provides countless examples to prove that when a strong and wild force reaches the limit and crosses the mountain of rules in a risky venture, their crazy inertia will make them unstoppable like an avalanche. They will keep charging forward until they crush all obstacles or end in destruction.

Margaret stands in the corridor, her bright green eyes focused on the two men in the ward.

”Your troops have already begun assembling?” Hastings leans carelessly against the pillow on the sickbed and says to Fatty.

Fatty is startled, the flesh on his face twitching awkwardly.

He hadn’t expected that Hastings’s first words upon meeting him would be this.

Despite the mixed forces on Mars, with all major powers under the control and integration of the bandit army, it isn’t difficult for Hastings to understand the movements of the bandit army.

”Yes.” Fatty nodded, uncertain if the old man had already seen through all his plans.

”It seems like you’re not planning to leave Feiyang any dignity,” Hastings’s deep eyes are like a calm lake, ”Are you sure you’ve prepared everything... including failure?”

Damn it! This old monster!

Fatty’s face twitched twice, finally squeezing out an awkward smile.

Hastings lies half-sick on the sickbed. Even when he’s healthy, he doesn’t have an entourage, no profound mystery, not even loyalty seen in movies and novels with devoted and formidable bodyguards.

The tone suggests he’s the Feiyang Military God, but he’d be more accurately described as an ordinary old man. Kind, approachable, sometimes his smile is as ugly as a wrinkled monkey.

The only thing that sets him apart may be his tranquility. No matter how difficult the situation, no matter what he encounters, he’s always like calm lake water, serene like an autumn sunset over a maple forest.

Not to mention facing Mount Tai, even if a saint suddenly pulls their collar and reveals two Big White Rabbits, Fatty suspects the old guy wouldn’t blink!

Yet, it is this elder who achieved final victory thirty years ago through a near-cold-blooded strategic sacrifice, allowing the Feiyang Republic to overshadow the Binart Empire and dominate the galaxy for thirty years!

This elder has also been seated on the military throne for thirty years. Several Feiyang Presidents are respectful and subservient before him. The entire Feiyang Republic relies on his protection.

If not for this former king being terminally ill. If not for him diverting his focus on the Southeast Star Domain and maintaining inexplicable silence in the wars crucial to the Feiyang Mainland. Not even given one thousand courage would anyone dare show disrespect or doubt towards him.

Now, he’s quietly lying far from people’s sight, like a lion with no fierce attack left, or an old clock ticking to its mechanical rhythm, moving towards death without rise or fall.

However, only when one sits in front of this man and truly looks into his eyes can they understand how unwise it would be to underestimate or challenge him. He’s walking towards death, his remaining time counted by the circle’s rotations. But, you never know what he might do before the second hand comes to a complete stop.

If Hastings dies quietly like this, he wouldn’t be Hastings.

He’s the chess master standing outside this world, with the human interstellar map as his chessboard. No one escapes his insight, not even the faraway bandit army on Mars!

”It’s not that I don’t want to leave people dignity,” Fatty stiffened his neck and asked, ”If I drive the Binart Fleet out of the Karsdon Star River, will I get help and reverse everything?”

”No! The Feiyang Republic is not Chuckna, maybe some people will feel grateful, but more will deem it only natural,” Hastings showed a slight smile: ”Even if you clash with Feiyang people, regardless of right or wrong, not many will stand on your side out of gratitude.”

”Uh...” Fatty suspiciously looked at Hastings, unsure of what the old guy intends with such frankness.

Hastings didn’t look at Fatty, continuing on his own: ”Since Feiyang people are this arrogant, selfish, and stupid, why not apply some drastic measures. After all, this war doesn’t truly rely on this country. Just let some know fear, to keep their distance from the Southeast Star Domain instead of heedlessly dragging it down, that’s good enough!”

Fatty’s cold sweat suddenly rushed down!

Hearing Hastings use his tone to pull out the thoughts from his heart one by one and expose them in the sunlight, this feeling made Fatty feel chills.

Hastings coldly chuckled: ”The specific method is to do the opposite of attempting to win over Chuckna, swing the big stick hard in a round of violent struggle, strike anyone who provokes me, then offer sweet dates. After all, Hastings has got their cover, and the Southeast Alliance is already formed. The bandit army’s current power is sufficient for self-defense. If provoked, start a big fight in Feiyang, just consider it training for the bandit army!”

”As for whether this will cause the splintering of the Fei Alliance, or what kind of trouble it might provoke, there’s no need to consider. Anyway, that old fellow Hastings has boarded the ship, and before he dies, the necessary groundwork will definitely be handed over. Not too much, just having half the forces of the Fei Alliance will be enough.” Hastings stared at Fatty, speaking slowly.

Fatty’s heart jumped with anxiety; he met Hastings’ gaze and suddenly felt uneasy: ”Isn’t this bad?”

”I’m curious, what exactly gives you such confidence?” Hastings rested his head on a soft pillow, closing his eyes slightly.

”I’m not telling you.” Fatty’s face showed a reckless disregard for consequences.

”Do you know what I’m thinking?” Hastings didn’t even lift his eyelids, smiled faintly, and said, ”If I were twenty years younger, or ten years younger, with your line of thinking, I’d have you sun-dried and hung up in my study as a decoration!”

Fatty’s triangular eyes flickered uncertainly as he looked at Hastings, his heart pounding.

”However, I’ve changed my mind now....” Hastings said calmly, ”Rather than let the Western Alliance bully us, we should take matters into our own hands. This time, when you return to Feiyang, take action; I’ll back you up!”

Fatty’s eyes suddenly opened wide.

”Do you think I’m not angry about Francis being assassinated?” Hastings opened his eyes, looking at Fatty, and in his pale green eyes there was unabashed fury, even ferocity. At this moment, Fatty suddenly realized that this seemingly mediocre and harmless old fellow was still the Military God who stood before the electronic sand table thirty years ago, as cold as a machine!

Even if both sides were bleeding rivers of blood!

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Fatty left, hugging Margaret afterwards, watching her enter the hospital room to accompany her grandfather by the bedside.

He understood why Hastings was willing to let him act against the precious things he’d guarded for thirty years. Since the outbreak of this war, he had remained silent, not because he didn’t want his nation to triumph, but because he knew better than anyone that he no longer had enough time.

The Fei Alliance is like a diseased elephant, needing to rely on itself to stand up.

And the Feiyang Republic is the brain of this elephant.

Hastings has always been in conflict and pain, interfering in the course of the war but not commanding the battles. He wants to watch coldly, yet cannot withstand the internal torment.

The soldiers, government, civilians... everybody doubts him.

To put oneself in a situation where life and death are at stake is not as simple as imagined; it requires enduring pains unimaginable to ordinary people. Without his shelter, Qian Bolin, Douglas, McKinley, Margaret, and other new-generation Feiyang soldiers are growing in the storm. At the same time acquiring the chance to grow, there are also the greed and desire he had always suppressed.

Fatty walked through the corridor toward the living area where the bandit army mecha pilots resided.

The ship will arrive at Hydefield in two days, and he had asked Hastings for leave to first visit Bernadotte. And now, he is ready to study Barbara and the information about her interest group thoroughly!

It is uncertain what kind of expression that woman will have when there is no evidence!

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”He is doing well.” Hastings said to Margaret, who was staring at him, as Fatty disappeared through the window.

Margaret smiled gently and lightly held Hastings’ withered hand.

”Make arrangements, I want to hold a banquet,” Hastings tiredly closed his eyes and said: ”Since he’s been chosen, now is the time for him to step onto the stage.”

With a hint of a self-satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth, Hastings fell into a deep sleep.

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.Request for monthly votes!

Also, let me say, I’ll often visit the QQ group. If book friends don’t want the hassle, there’s no need to download Sina UC or other IM software. Those book friends who don’t want to use QQ anymore can join YY. There’s already a group for the bandit army there.

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.(To be continued, to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com for more Chapters, support the author, support legitimate reading!)