On Beagle Star.
Surviving Federal soldiers disembarked from the transport ship, and a medical hovercar was already waiting for them at the port.
They would be taken to the hospital for a physical examination first. If there were no issues, they would return to the battlefield.
The moment they were about to step onto the medical hovercar, the surviving soldiers halted in unison, turned their heads as if by unspoken agreement, and spun around.
“Salute!”
On Beagle Star’s night, a gorgeous pink aurora streaked across the sky like a dreamy ribbon, dancing freely in the deep blue night.
Beneath the aurora, the eyes of the surviving soldiers shone even more brilliantly than the lights above.
Lin Xiaohe was startled for a moment, then walked to the hatch and returned a standard military salute.
Their eyes met across the distance, as if connected by a shared thought, each sensing the other’s heartfelt wishes.
“What a touching scene. Lieutenant, have you ever been saluted like that?” Abel wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes.
The Lieutenant snorted coldly and turned to leave.
He would never admit it—he was just a tiny bit envious!
Back in his office, he opened a drawer and pulled out a box of e-cigarettes, eggplant-flavored.
Surrounded by swirling smoke, he squinted his eyes, crossed his legs, and activated his brain-computer interface. He pulled up Lin Xiaohe’s Fifth Star Ring practical assessment form.
Between the options of Fail and Pass, he chose Exceptional, and wrote a commendation of up to 500 words.
“I didn’t even write this much for my graduation thesis,” the Lieutenant muttered quietly, before typing a final sentence to conclude the assessment.
“Candidate Lin Xiaohe demonstrated astonishing combat effectiveness in the field, acute battlefield instincts, superb command abilities, and the courage to face death without fear. She united her teammates and displayed exceptional leadership skills. She is an impeccable, all-around hexagonal warrior, a bright future for the Federation!”
The Lieutenant’s gaze lingered for a moment on the word “hexagonal.” Lin Xiaohe’s physical constitution seemed rather weak, didn’t it?
His eyes skimmed past those words, and he pretended everything was fine as he clicked “Confirm” and submitted.
At the same time, the Fifth Star Ring military was locked in a heated debate over how to commend Lin Xiaohe.
The Commander of the Gonggong Star took time out to attend the meeting, strongly urging that Lin Xiaohe be promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant.
“The merits she earned on the battlefield are more than enough to warrant a commendation beyond the usual rank! If it weren’t for her, Casrow Gorge would most likely have been seized by the insurgents, our entire layout on Gonggong Star would have collapsed, and the morale of the Federal forces would have suffered a severe blow.”
The head of the Fifth Star Ring Military Region’s Logistics Support Department was firmly opposed: “You’ve said a lot, but you haven’t mentioned one point: when rescuing candidates from the mouth of the Epsilon Bird, Lin Xiaohe charged each person a fee of 500,000 star coins.”
He slammed the table, speaking with righteousness: “What kind of behavior is this?! A soldier, on the battlefield, saving his own comrades, and actually charging money for it! If word of this gets out, what will the public think of us?! What will they think of the military?!”
He took a deep breath, calming himself down. “Of course, I don’t deny that Lin Xiaohe performed excellently on the battlefield. But no matter how outstanding a person is, if they lack professional ethics and prioritize money above all else, how can we entrust them with important positions?”
The Gonggong Star Commander wanted to curse. It was just a First Lieutenant rank; there was no need for such a big meeting at all.
Wasn’t all that talk from the Logistics Department head just a way to suppress Lin Xiaohe?!
And saying we can’t prioritize money above all else—wasn’t the one who loved money the most him?!
Suppressing his anger, the Gonggong Star Commander asked, “In the Minister’s opinion, how should this matter be handled?”
The Logistics Minister pretended to think for a few seconds before slowly speaking: “Lin Xiaohe has contributions, but also faults. Let her merits and faults cancel each other out. Regarding her practical assessment, let’s be realistic and record it truthfully. Her abilities are excellent, but her moral character has flaws.”
How insidious!
The Gonggong Star Commander’s face instantly darkened.
Writing the phrase “moral character has flaws” on the assessment record, even if Lin Xiaohe later passed all the specialized talent assessments, the Central Military Academy could still use this point to refuse her admission.
This was that person’s counterattack.
Suddenly, someone rushed out from behind the Gonggong Star Commander.
It was the head of the Gonggong Star Special Forces Guidance Team.
He saluted and announced loudly, “Reporting, sir, I need to provide some information.”
“Speak.”
“Regarding the Epsilon Bird incident, I had explicitly ordered Lin Xiaohe to abandon the rescue. But fully aware of the immense danger she would face, she still chose to save them without hesitation. I do not believe she was wrong, nor do I believe her moral character has flaws!”
Silence filled the virtual meeting room for a moment.
The Logistics Minister smiled and said, “You believe that. But have you asked the soldiers and candidates she ‘extorted’ 500,000 star coins from, and their families? That’s 500,000 star coins! It’s more money than many ordinary people could earn in a year.”
Wringing his hands in exaggerated distress, he continued: “We are not denying her military exploits, but we must also recognize that she still has many shortcomings. If we were to praise her unconditionally, wouldn’t that be setting her up for a fall? How would that help her grow? Letting her merits and faults cancel out, and recording things truthfully, is actually our way of protecting her.”
The team leader was getting confused. He couldn’t pinpoint anything specifically wrong with the Minister’s words, but he felt this handling was unfair to Lin Xiaohe!
He pleaded, “Lin Xiaohe came up from the Sixth Star Ring. Her family is poor. The mech and ammunition she used in the field were all purchased with her own money. Her financial pressure is enormous. Besides, soldiers doing a little freelance work on the battlefield is an unspoken secret.”
The Logistics Minister nodded. “I understand. But Lin Xiaohe is not an ordinary soldier; she’s a Second Lieutenant. If she successfully enters the Central Military Academy, her starting point will be a finish line many soldiers could never reach in their lifetime. Naturally, we must hold her to a stricter standard.”
The team leader fell silent, casting a pleading glance at the Commander.
The Gonggong Star Commander wiped the sweat from his face.
What a black hole of a situation! If he couldn’t secure some recognition for Lin Xiaohe today, he wouldn’t have the face to meet the Federal officers and soldiers on Gonggong Star!
Those bastards from the 7th Division, the 11th Division, and the 23rd Division would mock him to death!
“Minister, we can all agree Lin Xiaohe is a hero, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then heroes deserve the treatment of heroes. Why must we always chase after a perfect hero? She didn’t break any laws or regulations, she didn’t disobey military orders. She just made a little money on the side while saving people.”
With the team leader’s testimony backing the situation, Lin Xiaohe wouldn’t have been wrong even if she had just turned and run at that moment.
She couldn’t be faulted for saving people, could she?
The Logistics Minister’s smile faded. His narrowed eyes revealed a hint of danger, and his voice carried immense pressure.
“The hero we present to the entire Fifth Star Ring must be a perfect hero!”
The two sides argued endlessly over this issue. Finally, the Commander of the Fifth Star Ring Military Region made the final decision: “The point of contention is this 500,000 star coins. Why don’t we go and ask those soldiers, candidates, and their families?”
