At the Federal Command Headquarters on the surface of Gonggong Planet, the atmosphere was tense, and everyone moved with hurried steps.
This war had reached its most critical juncture; no one dared to be careless.
In the face of this massive campaign, special forces units and college entrance exam candidates alike were as insignificant as a single grain of sand.
The leader of the Special Forces Guidance Team rushed in urgently: “I have critical intelligence!”
The Deputy Commander frowned. “Regarding who?”
The team leader: “Lin Xiaohue, near the Casero Canyon hideout, has detected traces of the Iron Meteor Main Battalion. She speculates their target is Casero Canyon.”
“Hah, impossible.” The Deputy Commander suddenly recalled something, immediately pulled up a holographic map, and broke out in goosebumps upon seeing Casero Canyon’s geographical location.
Casero Canyon truly was a perfect ambush point.
If they could destroy the military airport atop it and establish an air force and missile base there, the Federation’s crucial air supply route would be severed.
The rebel army, centered on Casero Canyon, were strangling the Federation’s logistics line.
The 40 Federal divisions at the forefront would then face a pincer attack, cut off from supplies and reinforcements.
Cold sweat beaded on the Deputy Commander’s forehead. He immediately ordered the command staff to run simulations.
The simulation results showed a high probability of an rebel army surprise attack on Casero Canyon, with disastrous consequences.
The only remaining question was: how did the rebel army plan to execute this assault?
“Immediately notify the military airport at Casero Canyon to prepare for battle, and order the airbase to its left to provide support.” The Deputy Commander made a swift decision.
Everyone sprang into action.
But it was already too late. Both the military airport and the airbase came under large-scale simultaneous attack.
In the command center, the beep-beep of support requests blared continuously.
The Deputy Commander felt as if he’d fallen into an icy abyss, a chill permeating his entire body.
The Federation had fallen into a trap!
Federal forces were too dispersed. The frontline troops and follow-up units were entirely dependent on that single aerial corridor.
The rebel army, however, had been methodically consolidating their forces, their target clear: Casero Canyon.
“There’s still a chance!” The Deputy Commander stared intently at the dynamic map.
The Iron Meteor Main Battalion was assaulting the canyon, but the main rebel army force was still a considerable distance away.
If the Federal defenders at the canyon could just hold out long enough for reinforcements from other Federal directions to arrive, it could buy a sliver of hope for this war!
“Issue the order: all Federal units within two hundred kilometers of the canyon are to move to support it immediately! They must hold on until the carrier battle group reaches the battlefield!”
At this critical moment, calls flooded in from various departments.
The Deputy Commander’s eyes were icy, his attitude unprecedentedly firm: “Listen! How to handle the public opinion fallout from the complete annihilation of the exam candidates is a problem for you politicians to worry about! I am a soldier. My duty is to secure victory for the Federation. In the face of victory, in the face of tens of thousands of sacrificed soldiers, those ‘young masters’ and ‘examinees’ mean nothing!”
He hung up that call, only for another mysterious one to come through. The Deputy Commander raised an eyebrow but decided not to answer it.
He knew who was calling and why.
That certain person’s actions on the Sixth Star Ring couldn’t be hidden from everyone.
“Hmph, no wonder that bald old man wanted to protect her. She really does have talent. If that bald guy dared to do it, why wouldn’t I?” The Deputy Commander took a drag from his e-cigarette.
Amidst the swirling vapor, Lin Xiaohue’s ID photo flickered in and out of view.
This was a sapling of immense potential. Given enough time to grow into a towering tree, she could bring the Federation victory after victory.
Some would seek to destroy her for personal reasons.
But there were also strangers, who had never met her, willing to brave pressure and shield her for the Federation’s future.
…
Inside the tunnel, the group could intermittently hear explosions rumbling from the direction of the canyon.
Clearly, the main battalion had already launched its attack on the canyon.
The team leader’s expression was grim. The main battalion’s blatant aggression felt like they were dancing on the graves of Federal soldiers.
The exam candidates hung their heads one by one, silent, their eyes reflecting bewilderment.
This practical assessment was utterly different from any previous year.
The brutal reality of war and the threat of death were their constant companions.
Lin Xiaohue, sipping a tube of nutrient fluid, ambled over slowly. “Sixth Star Ring specialty nutrient fluid, 50 star coins a tube. Anyone want some?”
Wesley looked at her strangely. What was Lin Xiaohue made of? Didn’t she know how to be nervous or scared?
Lin Xiaohue met his gaze. “Man is iron, food is steel. You miss a meal, you feel the deal. You’ve probably finished your supply, right? Want some? Buy ten, get one free.”
“Are you just obsessed with money?” Wesley grumbled, but ultimately obediently bought twenty tubes.
After Lin Xiaohue had sold most of the nutrient fluid, she crouched by her mecha, fiddling with the dirt, and said casually, as if discussing the weather: “Command has ordered all units near the canyon to reinforce it.”
Upon hearing this, the faces of the exam candidates instantly turned ashen.
The distant explosions, still audible from so far away, painted a vivid picture of the battle’s intensity.
Sending them to help? Wasn’t that just sending them to their deaths?
The tunnel fell into dead silence.
As the saying goes, morale is highest at the start, wanes by the second attempt, and is exhausted by the third.
Having narrowly escaped death twice already, they simply lacked the courage for a third try so soon.
Lin Xiaohue jumped into her mecha, saying nonchalantly, “You all stay put. I’ll go alone.”
“What?!” Wesley looked up, startled at the girl in the cockpit.
Her skin was fair, the faint blue veins visible beneath.
Sitting in the cockpit, she looked like a child piloting a mini-mecha.
Yet, this was the person intending to go alone to support the canyon.
Wesley couldn’t describe the feeling churning inside him, except that it was deeply uncomfortable. “You’ll die.”
Lin Xiaohue just smiled. “If you’re touched, just transfer me some money.”
A surge of anger welled up in Wesley. He didn’t want to see her throw her life away. “Money! Money! Money! Is that all you know? Is money more important than your life?”
Lin Xiaohue sighed inwardly. Yes, money was very important. It could buy a life.
Getting from the Sixth Star Ring to the Fifth had cost nearly two million in transport and miscellaneous fees.
How much would it cost to reach the Third Star Ring to cure her mother and brother?
“Are you transferring it or not? If not, less chatter.”
“I will!” Wesley transferred 500,000 star coins in one go.
The others, according to their means, chipped in too—100,000, 50,000…
The special forces soldiers of Team C didn’t transfer money. Instead, they climbed into their own mechas.
Lin Xiaohue raised an eyebrow. “You’re low on weapons and energy.”
The team leader hummed in acknowledgment. “It’s okay. We can pool all the usable energy and weapons. We can still outfit ten mechas.”
His eyes crinkled with a slight smile. “We’re the real soldiers here. You’re just a military academy cadet. No need for you to go.”
Lin Xiaohue lifted her chin proudly. “Outside, you can call me a cadet, and I won’t hold it against you. But on the battlefield, what should you call me?”
They answered in unison: “Lieutenant Lin!”
