Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 1617: Chapter 71: Each Other’s Trump Cards

”Stop, I give up!” Fatty sat on the ground, bruised and swollen, waving his hands repeatedly. His left eye socket was blackened, his somewhat swollen mouth corner occasionally sucking in a breath of cold air, and his face and body were covered with bruises and footprints.

Farley and Hei Ge stared at Fatty, panting heavily, their chests rising and falling rapidly. After a bout of fighting with Fatty, their bodies were exhausted and cramping, feeling as if they had fiercely fought with a humanoid Tyrannosaurus.

Although the scars on their bodies seemed fewer, they hadn’t escaped unscathed; each of them had been punched twice and kicked once by Fatty. Taking a breath was painful.

This Fatty, he’s practically a monster! To think the two strongest fighters of the Feiyang Republic were gathered in this study, yet had to join forces to defeat him. If word got out, the aces of the Double-headed Eagle Unit they trained would probably think it’s an April Fool’s joke!

In the study, which had been turned upside down, a temporary quiet settled, apart from the crisp sound of Hastings turning pages, leaving only the sound of breathing.

Bang, with a sound, Fatty looked at Hastings in horror, only to see the old man tossing the book onto the desk, taking off his glasses, and looking at him expressionlessly.

”Get up!” Hastings said.

”I’m not getting up!” Fatty shouted, letting go, simply laying on the floor spread-eagle, like a big-bellied frog with asthma.

Farley and Hei Ge exchanged a look, their expressions as bizarre as could be. Even Hastings’ usually calm and unruffled face showed a touch of helplessness.

Locking this Fatty in the study for a beating is perhaps the toughest lesson he can offer this lawless, rule-ignoring fellow.

However, despite Farley and Hei Ge already being thoroughly exhausted, the effect seems not that good.

This Fatty, his thick skin and tough flesh are enough to drive one mad.

”Let’s talk business,” Hastings, ignoring Fatty, gently pushed his wheelchair to the heavy bookshelf, while placing the book back, said, ”You’ve already met Farley and Hei Ge. They used to be my assistants, but from today onwards, they will be your assistants.”

”The greeting is to give me a beating?” Fatty rolled over on the floor, lying face down like a pug with face pressed against the floor, continuing to pant.

”Don’t be overly reliant on your strength,” Hastings shut the cabinet door, turned the wheelchair, and looked at Fatty, saying, ”Sometimes, relying too much on your strength can blind you with illusions of power. You can defeat one of them, but facing both at once, you’ll get beaten.”

”It depends on whom you face!” Fatty retorted unwillingly, ”Try a couple of different people.”

”No need to change people,” Hastings magically produced a sleek, black energy pistol, pointed at Fatty: ”Maybe you can give it another go.”

Fatty jumped up, swiftly raised his hands. After years of training under Milan, reacting to such threats has become second nature. His gesture of surrender was extraordinarily brisk and decisive.

”Watch out for misfire!” he shouted with indignation.

”Hei Ge!” Hastings said.

Without a word, Hei Ge punched Fatty in the face. Fatty fell to the ground with a groan.

Hastings handed the pistol to the gloomy-faced Farley, indifferently saying, ”No energy box loaded.”

”Alright then!” Fatty rubbed his itchy face, realizing that arguing with the old man over this issue would sooner or later lead to his demise. He boldly got off the floor, shook hands with Hei Ge and Farley, and his bruised face suddenly bloomed with a sunny smile saying, ”Welcome to the bandit army!”

Hei Ge and Farley exchanged a glance, each extended a firm handshake with Fatty, their palms wide and powerful.

The three of them looked at each other, simultaneously broke into laughter. After the laughter, when Farley and Hei Ge turned their heads to look at Hastings again, their eyes were faintly filled with tears.

”This is my last trump card,” Hastings met Fatty’s gaze with his deep eyes, calmly saying, ”Farley has followed me for thirty years, knows every general of Feiyang. Hei Ge is the Legion Commander of the Phantom Legion, all the Hastings family’s hidden powers are in his hands.”

He turned to look out the window.

In the bright sunshine, green grass-covered paddock, a few ponies full of inexhaustible energy were freely strolling, chasing, nibbling, and playing within the white wooden fence.

Margaret and Ann Lei stood by the fence, chatting while feeding the horses carrots.

On the other side of the slope, several Second Generation members of the Hastings family were seated on lounge chairs chatting with the bandit army’s Mechanical Warriors, while the younger Carli and Gray watched eagerly as a Rampage Mecha from the bandit army instructed a guard Mecha in combat.

”Remember our conversation on the spaceship?” Hastings’ voice slowly echoed in the quiet study.

Fatty rubbed his mouth corner without responding. To him, Hastings’ suspicions were downright unimaginable. If true, it would mean humanity’s war is, at its essence, a tragedy.

He inherently detested such conspiracies.

”My health prevents me from fighting them any longer. It’s a blessing to be able to participate in this Southeast Star Domain campaign. However, before I leave, there are some things I must understand!”

Hastings’ frail body was bathed in sunlight streaming through the window.

Even though his body was extremely weak, Fatty couldn’t help but feel that he was so tall, like a mountain he could never climb over, as he watched the old man’s back.

The true masters of the world were people like Hastings and Hamilton. Compared to them, he was always just a foot soldier.

For all the people of the Fei Alliance, these unparalleled heroes are the real Saviors!

”Starting tomorrow, Farley will arrange a series of meetings and activities for you,” Hastings turned around, ”Conquer them and show them your strength. This is crucial for the assignment of the allied forces gathered in Aksa, and it’s your first confrontation with him.”

”As for the presidential election, Margaret and Hei Ge will assist you to ensure that the presidency does not fall into the hands of those who would bring disaster to this country,” Hastings said.

His gaze focused on the ceiling: ”I must admit, before you and your bandit army appeared, he was the only candidate capable of winning this war.

I gave him too many chances. But this time, I hope you don’t give him any chances. At least until we get the truth, the power of this country cannot fall into his hands!”

”Actually.......” Fatty noticed that several times when mentioning Leefer, the old man used ’him’ instead of directly naming him. He sighed and said, ”If you want to stop him, it would be easier for you than for me.”

”This is your matter.” Hastings shook his head, as if wanting to say something, but finally closed his mouth. He turned his head away quietly, looking out the window, and gestured to Fatty and Farley Hei Ge to leave.

”Make haste. While I am still alive.”

Gently closing the door behind Hastings, Old Farley and Hei Ge led Fatty and walked towards the outside of the building.

”Does Leefer now resemble the Marshal from thirty years ago?” Old Farley suddenly spoke as they reached the corner of the silent corridor.

Fatty paused, turned to look at Old Farley, but found this hunched figure, still capable of beating him into submission, staring straight ahead.

Old Farley muttered as if talking to himself: ”When the Marshal prematurely led Feiyang into full-scale war, resulting in losses that seemed unnecessary, if the people and warriors then discovered the Marshal negated his former self, what would they think?”

”They would think the Marshal was an old fool!” A trace of a mocking smile appeared on Old Farley’s face. He slowly turned to look at Fatty, ”But the most important thing is not that!”

”What is it?” Fatty sighed deeply, looking back towards the dark brown corridor and the study at the other end.

Even if the door was closed, Fatty seemed to see Hastings’ frail figure by the window in the study. As the guardian deity of this country, he was making decisions that seemingly didn’t align with the national interest. In the warm sunlight, his hidden loneliness and struggle, the pressure he bore, were evident.

”For the Marshal, what is even harder is...” Farley walked towards the sunlight at the end of the hallway, slowly, ”Although the whole world thinks he is suppressing Leefer, in his heart, Leefer was once his most outstanding student. He originally thought that once Leefer truly understood, he would take over his legacy. But unexpectedly, Leefer went further down another path!”

Farley clenched his fist: ”The Marshal has already told me his suspicions. If it’s true, I will risk this old life to personally send that bastard to hell!”

”Old Farley!” Fatty suddenly turned back and shouted.

Old Farley and Hei Ge stopped in their tracks, turned around, and quietly looked at Fatty.

”You don’t need to risk it all. Perhaps, you should truly understand the bandit army, understand our future.” Fatty took out a file from his pocket and handed it to Farley, ”Take a look! Let that old fellow take a look too!”

Fatty rubbed his bruised face, put on his coat, turned and strode out of the corridor, merging into the golden sunlight.

Farley and Hei Ge watched Fatty’s departing figure, puzzled, then opened the file and started reading.

On the first page of the document appeared a paper titled New Space Jump Technology, followed by other documents on bandit army ship technology, bandit army ground forces combat evaluations, Mars logistics support, and so on...

A moment later, their eyes widened in disbelief as they looked at each other. Suddenly, Old Farley shouted and bolted towards Hastings’ study.

At this moment, his frame was so agile that even Hei Ge couldn’t keep up with him.

Farley laughed heartily as he rushed into Hastings’ office, just like thirty years ago when he entered Hastings’ office with the trepidation and excitement of a young man.

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