Chapter 11 - The Beta Lieutenant Colonel Who Died For His Country (11)
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Translated by: Niladri
Edited by: celes
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The First Institute was located at the southern end of the Capital Star. The Institute was one of the top universities of the entire Human Alliance. On this basis, the famous academic city, Siradi, had been formed. The shape of the First Institute was a giant white tower. The upper levels were laboratories for the senior researchers. Regardless of age, status, or qualifications, only academic standards and research results were used as standards.
At this moment, in the top level of the giant white tower, all the top researchers were sitting around a round table, and the person presiding over the meeting looked unexpectedly young, but no one dared to despise him – the youngest research chief ever, Alex Hart.
“The confidentiality level of this meeting is top secret, and the first-level emergency plan is being implemented.” Alex tapped the table with his finger.
Top secret? First-level emergency plan? This was the first time in two hundred years that such a high-level emergency plan was launched. Some smart researchers slightly guessed a possibility.
“An hour ago, the higher ups at Military Headquarters passed down this mission.” Alex displayed the material through a holographic projector, which Xiu Yi Te had gathered through bravely wrestling death from the Zerg planet. “Conduct a comprehensive analysis of this material, and present an exact and detailed analysis report with a three-day time limit.”
The meeting ended in an orderly manner, and Alex returned to the lab to dial a communication number. After connecting, what appeared was a young man with a serious military uniform, which was Lu Heng.
“Gege.” [T/N: Elder Brother]
“Reiner, I just received the task assigned by the military about the material you sent back.” Alex went straight to the topic.
“Just?” Lu Heng frowned. “We reported the information to the military three days ago.”
Alex smiled ironically: “Those great figures at Senior Level nowadays are really--”
“Gege, careful.” Lu Heng interrupted Alex. Although they were using an encrypted channel, it wasn’t completely secure.
Alex shrugged: “Now coming back to the proper business, I need you to tell me everything from your entry into the wormhole to your departure, which will be helpful for my research.”
Complete restoration of scenes from that time was not difficult with the spiritual power of 3S. As long as Lu Heng wanted to, the dimensions of every Zerg they had killed, including the Guardian Zerg’s, could be accurately reported.
Not long after, Alex got the information he wanted. Lu Heng was preparing to hang up the communication, but he heard Alex asking: “Have you ever regretted it?”
“En?” Lu Heng did not understand what he meant.
“In the beginning, regardless of our opposition, you insisted on joining the military academy. It was just because you didn’t like the intrigues of politics, but now the military…”
Alex did not finish, Lu Heng already understood what he meant. Nowadays, at the top of the Military Department, the intrigues were even more than those of politicians. For the position of marshal, all kinds of dirty schemes endlessly emerged.
“I am still on the road that I was in the beginning; I haven’t deviated.”
“It’s that Xiu Yi Te boy who took you away,” Alex said. “On the year of your third birthday, I brought him home to attend your birthday party. It’s the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life.”
“Gege, this is your 117th time saying this,” Lu Heng helplessly said.
“This shows how much regret I have! Not to mention this, Mother asked if you are coming back to the capital planet for the Star Festival this year. We haven’t had a family get-together in ten years.”
Hearing this, Lu Heng said a little guiltily: “I try my best, take good care of Father and Mother for me.”
The First Institute quickly came up with an accurate analysis report that the Queen was evolving. This was bad news, but it was also good news.
It was bad news, because once the Queen’s evolution was successful, the Zerg must expand vigorously and would encroach human living space; it was good news because the perfect time to kill the Queen was in the final stage of its evolution.
A thousand years ago, humans had successfully assassinated the Queen in the final stages of its evolution. After that, the Zerg waited for a new queen for two hundred years. During those two hundred years, various human territories, science and technology, and military aspects greatly developed, and finally, in the confrontation with the Zerg, they would not fall. If the queen could be killed again, perhaps humans could seize this opportunity to completely eliminate the Zerg within the next two hundred years.
The top-secret analysis report was supposed to appear in the military high-level meeting three days later, but it appeared on the desk of Wayne, the head of the Fifth Army, ahead of time. An hour had passed since the report was read. Wayne was silent, his eyes were deep, and the cigar held between his fingers was almost burnt to the end. The adjutant standing on the side did not dare to move. He knew that this was the habitual action of Wayne when he was thinking deeply about something.
Suddenly, Wayne gave a soft smile and spoke with an unclear expression: “This is a good opportunity to deal with Thunder Gale.”
Thunder Gale had always been a thorn in Wayne’s eyes. He and Reese were the most powerful contenders for the Marshal post. Their strength, prestige, and qualifications were nearly equal. However, Reese had a son named Xiu Yi Te. Although Thunder Gale was a special task force outside the independent legions, in the eyes of the people and in the eyes of the various forces, the father and son had an inseparable relationship. In recent years, the more powerful Thunder Gale was, the higher the possibility that Reese would sit at the position of Marshal.
“After the Military Department has finished the high-level meeting, find a channel to release this news. Then find some people, to build up support on Star Network and hold up both hands to [praise] Thunder Gale.”
“Hold up both hands?”
Wayne, who was in a good mood, was not guilty of his own confession: “The higher they rise, the harder they fall. Find an opportunity to contact Andrew.”
A few days later, at the high-level meeting held regarding this research report, there was a lot of noise. The heads of several military officers completely disregarded the image of their faces flushed in anger. It was lucky that they didn’t use photon guns to shoot each other. The conference table had been smashed by General Reese. He had just changed to a new table, and there was already a crack in it.
“The Third Legion’s residence is closest to the wormhole; it’s reasonable that you send troops to support Thunder Gale.”
“The border line we are responsible for has been repeatedly attacked by Zerg. It is already stressful. It’s really impossible to set aside manpower.” The head of the Third Army narrowed his eyes and looked to his left. “The Fifth Army seems to have no war recently? Although you are far away, if you are on the road at full speed, you should be able to catch up.”
“I naturally have no objection to the task of making such contributions to mankind. It’s just that our army is really too far away from the station, so I’m afraid…” Wayne’s eyes were firm, and then he regretfully said.
Admiral Reese, who was previously agitated, was silent. He looked at the appearance of these heads of the army and felt a bit disgusted. Whether it was public or private, he wanted to send troops to reinforce Thunder Gale, but the location of the Second Legion and the wormhole were at two completely different ends of the human domain. By the time his troops arrived, the Queen would have already evolved.
It was no wonder that Xiu Yi Te had chosen to stay away from the capital star and drift all year round. Reese sighed in his heart. The indulgence of the Military Department was already deep. Even if the Zergs could be successfully exterminated, it was not known whether the road ahead of the Human Alliance would be smooth.
Contrary to the tumultuous situation at the capital star, the people in Thunder Gale were living a quiet period. The top military officers still had not reached a conclusion to the debate, and Thunder Gale also passed a leisurely day without tasks.
This leisurely situation was broken on a certain day. Xiu Yi Te had disappeared. Lu Heng did not receive a request for communication from Xiu Yi Te for two days nor did he “accidentally” meet him at the cafeteria, which made him feel a bit strange. After all, these days, Xiu Yi Te was bored enough to send at least three communication requests a day.
After asking relevant people, he only got news that he left driving his mech two days ago. No one knew where he went. Lu Heng tried to dial Xiu Yi Te’s number, but the call could not be connected. Something must have happened. Although Xiu Yi Te was somewhat cynical, he had never disappeared like this time. Thinking of the call with his brother a few days ago, Lu Heng had a guess in his heart. Regarding the whereabouts of Xiu Yi Te, Lu Heng had a few ideas.
While Lu Heng was worrying, his light brain received a confirmation email from the Mercenary Association. When he was young, he and his team had set up a two-person mercenary team in order to sharpen their actual combat experience. Over the years, they hadn’t specifically written off the mercenary squad.
“Bit star, Kill 100 iron armored rhinoceros, obtain the eyes. Limit: 3 days.” Lu Heng frowned, “What a farce.”
Lu Heng thought about it and decided to go to Xiu Yi Te. Although Xiu Yi Te was a character who didn’t like to be bound, after the establishment of the Thunder Gale, his whereabouts would be informed to Lu Heng as an adjutant. It also coincided with the sensitive time of the high-level game of the military. There must be something happening.
Iron armored rhinoceros were covered with armor difficult to damage with photon guns. The only weaknesses were their eyes. This task actually required taking both eyes of the armored rhinoceros. Moreover, iron armored rhinoceros’ nature were fierce and violent, and they liked to live in groups. Once one of them was attacked, the whole group of rhinoceros would crazily attack the aggressor. This kind of task was generally given to a small team with a trap to slowly destroy the armor and complete the task. Xiu Yi Te actually wanted to kill them single-handedly.
When Lu Heng found Xiu Yi Te, he was being attacked by more than a dozen armored rhinoceros. The addition of Lu Heng made it a lot easier, and the two worked together in a tacit understanding. These iron armored rhinoceros were eliminated in a short time. After processing the material and then returning to the Mercenary Association to complete the task, Xiu Yi Te did not say a word.
Finishing the the follow-up matters, Lu Heng found that Xiu Yi Te had disappeared. Lu Heng rubbed his forehead and felt a headache. He could vaguely guess some reasons, but this behaviour has never been seen in Xiu Yi Te, and it seemed that the situation was not optimistic.
As for where Xiu Yi Te was, Lu Heng knew. The Atlantis star, where the Mercenary Association was located, was one of the first planets for habitation after humanity entered the Star Ages. There were still many blue-planet style buildings on the planet. The secret base of Xiu Yi Te and Lu Heng was an abandoned lighthouse by the sea. Each time they completed a mission of the Mercenary Association, they always went there to watch the sea and relax.
[Direct MTL] The author has something to say: Changed a new cover, happy, and finally you can climb the cover without the dog you made, thank you Mr. Bishui’s rabbit. [/Direct MTL]