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Chapter 216 - The Ship's Mainframe!

An excellent logistics specialist meant a team would have several extra lives. To become a top combat team, the position of logistics specialist could not be left unoccupied. After careful consideration, Lin Zhong-qing chose this without any regrets.

Of course, this did not mean Lin Zhong-qing had given up on mecha piloting. Students from other specializations could still choose to take mecha piloting courses, but their studies in the area just would not be as specialised and systematic than if the student had actually signed up for the specialization. In the end, their combat power would also naturally be incomparable with those students from the mecha piloting specialization.

Overall, Lin Zhong-qing's decision was a great sacrifice. He had completely given up on his own path to become a super strong fighter, choosing instead to invest in the possibility of his combat team becoming a top team. Han Jijyun too had made his decision for this objective.

Han Jijyun believed that only by becoming a starship captain would he be able to better serve his current team. Yes, Han Jijyun could not accept that their lives would be placed in the hands of an unfamiliar starship captain.This made Han Jijyun feel very unsettled and insecure, so he decided that he would step up personally.

It could be said that every single member of Ling Lan's team was using their own way to better the team. This was also why Ling Lan wanted to help Han Jijyun settle into his role quicker — if he could have practical experience operating a starship ahead of time, this would undoubtedly give Han Jijyun a head start over the other students in the starship navigation specialization ...

After arranging everything, Ling Lan quickly left the central control room. Her objective was now the captain's room. Only by obtaining the control rights of the mainframe would she be able to truly claim control of this ship.

Han Jijyun looked at Ling Lan's disappearing figure, and very quickly rallied his spirits. His gaze became sharp and discerning. Just as Ling Lan had said, this was a great chance for him to familiarise himself with a spaceship's controls. If he could fully utilise the remaining 1 day and 1 night, he believed that when it came to practical control of a spaceship, those peers at the academy would definitely be no match for him after this.

Of course, to let these staff members lay down their grudge and mentor them sincerely — that would depend on how he, Han Jijyun, could spin things. Han Jijyun swept his gaze over the remaining cadets guarding the central control room and was suddenly struck by a realisation. He had just noticed that Ling Lan's arrangement still had another deeper meaning ...

Han Jijyun smiled lightly, thinking to himself: Boss Lan sure enough is Boss Lan!

Han Jijyun was an ambitious person. Although he had applied for the starship navigation specialization, he did not truly want to give up on military strategy. He wanted to develop both fronts at the same time, learning from both specializations. Han Jijyun's goal was very ambitious. He not only wanted to be an exceptional captain, but also an indispensable military adviser for the team, coming up with plans and tactics for his brothers to protect them in their missions.

Han Jijyun silently cheered himself on, telling himself that he needed to complete this trial before him; he could not let Boss Lan down.

********

As Han Jijyun was cracking his head on how to obtain sincere instruction from the staff members, Ling Lan's group of six had arrived at the captain's room at greatest speed.

Before they even got close to the captain's room, Little Four already spoke up to remind Ling Lan that there was still one person guarding the captain's room!

Ling Lan did not waver. She instantly directed Little Four to crack the passcode on the door of the captain's room. The door was swiftly unlocked, and without even stopping to think, Ling Lan led Lin Zhong-qing and the others straight into the room.

At this time, the major inside the room was staring at the virtual images in front of him. The main video was focused on the scene in the cafeteria; the other images were all in small windows around the edges of the screen for his convenience to check on them every so often.

In the cafeteria on the main screen, the captain was already in a fight with Qi Long. Probably because he was pleased to find this talent and eager for sport, the captain was not going all out. Instead, he was holding back his strength to fight Qi Long at an equal level, sparring with Qi Long with the intention to instruct.

Qi Long was a battle maniac from the start — he very quickly sensed the intentions of his opponent. When he discovered that the other had no ill will and intended to instruct him, he reeled in those highly offensive power moves, and began learning from his opponent in earnest.

The major could not help but nod his head in approval at this scene. The extremely talented young fighter in the screen was, as expected, a fellow with extraordinarily strong comprehension when it came to battle. No wonder he had achieved such a level at this age.

Right then, he suddenly heard the A.I. controlled door emit a soft click, and then it slid open on its own. He turned back in shock. Mind you, only he and the captain had the access code to the room — no one else should be able to get in. And right now, the captain was in the cafeteria ... so who could it be that was entering now?

A youth dressed in a black windbreaker came into view, walking ostentatiously into the room with five sentries trailing him. Seeing him look back, the youth's face remained unmoved as he stated some preposterous words in an icy tone. "Sorry, I'm here to inform you that I'm taking charge of this ship!"

"You — impudent!" The major burst out into laughter in his extreme anger. Still, this did not affect his rational thinking. "Looks like that youth in the cafeteria is part of you all."

The major instantly figured out Ling Lan's plan. That Qi-Jin youth in the cafeteria had been so blatant, all so they could lure the most capable captain of the ship out of his room, making it easier for them to conquer this area ... but, was it really going to be that simple?

The major quickly calmed down. He pointed at a small screen on the virtual monitor and said, "I'm just a little curious. How did you all avoid the ship's surveillance devices?" That image was precisely the video feed of the passageway to the captain's room. He should have seen them pass by that area on the way here, but there was nothing in the logs.

Ling Lan stepped forward without a care. The moment she had walked through the door, she had taken stock of the other. This soldier of major rank breathed deeply and steadily, his aura thick and settled. If she was not mistaken, he should also be a Qi-Jin stage expert. However, this was no threat to Ling Lan. At present, Ling Lan's capabilities were at the level where no one below the stage of Domain could rival her.

Ling Lan strode over to the captain's exclusive seat and sat down, a hand casually sliding across the mainframe's light source before her. She said calmly, "You mean this?"

Following Ling Lan's words, the image on the screen suddenly changed. A person actually appeared in the initially empty corridor — it was the image from when the captain had walked out of the room ...

With this, the major finally understood. His expression shifted slightly and somewhat rattled, he said, "You all have a high-level hacker." Only a high-level hacker could change the video feed, but shouldn't hackers of this level all already be in the control of the military since young? Why would such an expert be among this group of youths?

"Do you all really think that you can crack the mainframe in a brief amount of time to obtain the control rights of the ship?" The major did his best to smooth out his expression. He smiled coldly as he surreptitiously adjusted his body temperature.

Once one's ability reached a certain level, one did not need to touch one's communicator to send out a warning signal — one could do that just by changing one's body temperature.

Ling Lan glanced coldly at the major and said evenly, "Don't waste your strength. It's useless!"

The major too had sensed that something was wrong, because the temperature of his wrist was already extremely low, but his communicator still was not responding. This meant that the communicator had already lost the function to contact the outside. This was definitely not something a high-level hacker could do — what in the world was going on?

Ling Lan no longer bothered with the stunned major. She continued to touch the light beams of the mainframe, as if shifting something around.

In fact, inside the mindspace, Ling Lan was currently telling Little Four, "Little Four, help me connect to the mainframe. I want to get the administrative rights of this ship."

"Okay, Boss, I'm already talking to it! This little fellow is very interesting, actually having developed a little bit of self-awareness ..."

Ling Lan quirked a brow in surprise, "Oh? An existence like you?"

Little Four huffed discontentedly, "How could that be? Who do you think I am? I am without peer under the heavens ... I just said that it was seeking the path of evolution, having sparked the barest inkling of desire to shake off the restrictions of its programming. It's like the mainframe has been invaded by a virus, except this virus will not destroy the mainframe's programming, instead giving it the tiniest bit of awareness towards evolution ... This is the first time I'm sensing this. In the past, no matter how humanistic a mainframe appeared to be, it was still within the confines of its programming."

"Boss, let me first talk with it a little. It seems to be very afraid of me." Little Four had tried to communicate with the other, but had not received a response from the mainframe.

Just a while later, the mainframe finally spoke up, "Hello!"

Little Four cheered inside Ling Lan's mindspace. "Boss, it is willing to talk with us now."

"I want to become the master of this spaceship," Ling Lan said calmly to the mainframe.

"..." The mainframe fell silent once more.

"Little Four? What's going on?" Ling Lan asked inside the mindspace.

"Wait a bit. It seems to have some feelings for its original master." Little Four had sensed the mainframe's reluctance, feeling the mainframe's affection for the captain.

In the mainframe's world, Little Four had already found the mainframe's true self. He was holding up a naked little brat of about one years old 1 by the scruff of his neck as he chided, "What, being disobedient now?"

The mainframe whined pitifully, "The master has always treated me well."

Little Four said exasperatedly, "We're just taking control temporarily — temporarily , understand?" He believed that his boss would not really want to keep such a small ship as this one — she was definitely just taking control temporarily for her major counterattack this time.

"But the master will be sad." The mainframe still wanted to help his master even though the being before him now was so strong beyond his understanding. If he made him angry, he believed the other would definitely kill him without any mercy, and then take full control of the ship anyway. Although he did not want to disappear, the rules set within his chip, as well as the feelings in his heart, made him unable to just agree to their demands.

The mainframe was unsure whether this feeling was a requirement of his programming, or was it truly his own heart being reluctant to betray his master ...

"Then step aside, I'll take over temporarily. I'll return control to you later on." Little Four did not want to continue bickering with this immature mainframe endlessly, so he threw down this offer.

"Please no! The programming is set so that I will die with the ship." The mainframe hugged Little Four's calves as he bawled, "If you take over, the programming will destroy my consciousness ..."

With his life hanging in the balance, the mainframe instantly threw aside his reluctance for his master. He revealed a flaw within the system. "As long as you crack the programming set by the master, I can temporarily become your master's ship." The system was a dead thing — as long as one obtained the control rights, the mainframe would not have to self-destruct, but this should not count as a betrayal of his master, right ...? The mainframe consoled himself, thinking.

1. T/C: What is it with this author and naked little boys as sentient A.I.? @.@

Chapter 217 - Proclamation of Battle!

"Say that earlier!" huffed Little Four exasperatedly. Cracking defences or whatever was a minor case for him, as easy as pie.

With just a thought, Little Four hacked through the defensive measures set in place by the captain around the mainframe. The mainframe stared admiringly at Little Four, abruptly having the desire to abandon his current master to follow after this amazing senior ...

Little Four sensed the mainframe's thoughts and hurried to say, "You still can't move around freely, and your concealment ability is poor. Once you leave, you'll be discovered by the monitoring staff immediately. You might as well stay here and grow steadily and become even stronger ..."

For the mainframe of this ship to have the possibility of evolving, it was clear that that rough and brutish-looking captain typically still cared for this rather naive mainframe very well; he could be considered a good master.

Little Four did not want to kidnap a minor — this would really make him feel like a criminal, so he immediately stopped the mainframe. However, seeing the mainframe looking a little dejected, Little Four consoled him, saying, "Don't worry. Once you grow up, I'll come and take you with me ..."

Little Four's innocent words of comfort gave the mainframe a drive of its own, causing it to develop rapidly within a short period of time. This would even lead to a time later on further along the line when Ling Lan and the others would receive major assistance from the mainframe of this ship ...

It could only be said that this simple-minded little mainframe had 'married' himself off to Little Four due to this chance meeting ...

"Weeding out the set commands of the previous master. Now awaiting the new master's commands. Master, please rename this ship." The mainframe finally recited the words which represented a change of ownership, causing the major's expression to change drastically, "You can't do that!"

If these new cadets really obtained the administrative rights of this ship, the crew would definitely become the laughingstock of all their peers, perhaps even becoming unable to lift their heads for the rest of their lives.

The major knew that he must stop Ling Lan. He leapt forward desperately, his aura out in full force, trying to force Ling Lan away from the captain's seat. By now, he could already tell that the concealed high-level hacker was in fact this youthful but cold and dominant young man before his eyes.

The major's attack was fierce, but Ling Lan was not scared by it. This was because although the major's attack seemed fierce, Ling Lan could not sense much killing intent behind it. The other's objective was just to force Ling Lan aside and not to kill her ...

However, the major's level was originally already weaker than Ling Lan by a bracket, and now, because he did not want to hurt Ling Lan, his attack power was diminished by another 30%. If the major truly gave his all, using all the killing techniques and ultimate moves he knew to attack, perhaps Ling Lan would have to be a little more cautious and choose to put all her focus into defending. But under these circumstances, Ling Lan did not feel threatened at all ...

Still, even though Ling Lan did not feel threatened, she did not self-conceitedly decide to take the attack with her body. Extremely careful with her life, she still chose to lift a palm to block the attack. Ling Lan lightly pushed out a right palm, sending an invisible wave of Qi-Jin right at the other!

At that moment, the major felt his own attack being blocked by an invisible wall. The force behind the block was thick and powerful; he had no way of budging it easily. It should be said that the other's strength could only be more than his, no less.

This truth made the major's expression pale once more, and he blurted out in shock, "Peak of top-level Qi-Jin?!"

The major was already at the middle-stage of top-level Qi-Jin — on this ship, he was the second strongest under the captain. But even so, he could still feel the helplessness he felt when going up against the captain now, just slightly less obvious than when with the captain. Could it be that the other had truly achieved the peak of top-level Qi-Jin?

The major found himself somewhat poleaxed. He shook his head violently in disbelief, trying to throw this horrific notion aside ... This was absolutely impossible! How could two Qi-Jin stage students emerge from within the Central Scout Academy? The early-stage Qi-Jin in the cafeteria could perhaps be explained as the result of an aberrant culmination of talent, but how about this peak top-level Qi-Jin here? How did he emerge? This definitely went against all the theories on human limits ...

Ling Lan easily blocked the major's attack, even as she answered the mainframe primly, "Retain original name!"

Ling Lan had never really wanted to claim ownership of this spaceship, so she did not want to go too far. Besides, not long after, this spaceship would be flying to the true registration point of the First Men's Military Academy. If she changed the name, and the ship was mistaken for an enemy and was attacked mercilessly, that would be such a terrible misunderstanding. Ling Lan would not do such a foolish thing.

"Continue to retain the name ' 7th Bugle Call 1 ', understood!" The mainframe recited mechanically. In front of outsiders, the mainframe would not reveal his more human-like aspects. This was a warning from his previous master — he always kept it in mind.

The mainframe's response made the major reveal a frustrated expression. However, it was less pained than before, and the gaze he directed at Ling Lan actually carried a faint trace of gratitude. At least outsiders would not know that the 7th Bugle Call had changed masters ... they still had a chance to salvage the situation.

The major did not have the confidence to defeat Ling Lan. Moreover, there were still five Refinement stage students staring at his every move. The major knew that trying to force things would not end well. As the military adviser of the ship, he recognised that this was not the time to act, and so stood aside without putting up any resistance, lifting both hands up to show that he would not make any move to attack.

The major was very clear that he could only wait for the captain to return to turn this situation around.

The major was cooperative, so Ling Lan did not want to make things difficult for the other either. After all, Ling Lan did not really want this ship — she only wanted to show the crew in charge of testing them on the ship that they, this new batch of cadets, were not pushovers to be kicked around.

Thus, Ling Lan let Lin Zhong-qing and the other four keep an eye on the major to make sure he did not do anything funny, while she remained calmly seated in the captain's seat, patiently waiting for news from Wu Jiong's and Li Yingjie's teams.

She had initially thought her party would be the slowest to complete their task, but it had been unexpectedly smooth sailing all the way, so they had not encountered many delays. This had let Ling Lan's party accomplish their mission the fastest.

Time passed quickly, but of course for the waiting people, the five minutes were still somewhat slow. Ling Lan received Wu Jiong's and Li Yingjie's reports back to back, finding out that they too had completed their assigned tasks.

Li Yingjie actually had not had any trouble — it was just that the number of crew members remaining at their living quarters was greater than they had expected, so they had had to expend a little more effort to completely subdue them. Ten or so students had been slightly injured in the process, but his party's task could still be considered completed rather perfectly.

In contrast to Li Yingjie's rather straightforward success, Wu Jiong's side had encountered some unexpected circumstances. They had not expected one of the crew leaders guarding the engine room to have achieved the peak of Refinement, just one step away from Qi-Jin. If not for Wu Jiong and Ye Xu's decisiveness in using their respective family's secret techniques, harming themselves in the process of dealing heavy damage to the other, they still might not have conquered the engine room by now.

Of course, all the students had brought enough medicinal agents to ensure they would not sustain any lasting damage. Meanwhile, they had also fed recovery agents to the leader that had been heavily injured to secure his survival. However, the leader would still have to rest up for several months to fully recover.

Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie's success proved that the ship was now truly in the hands of the cadets. This almost impossible accomplishment made Wu Jiong and Li Yingjie display clear signs of excitement and disbelief as they made their reports. Even for Ling Lan — under that calm and unflappable facade, her heart was pounding with triumph.

Ling Lan yelled a loud 'YES' in her heart, and then took a deep breath to calm her flying emotions. After feeling that she was sufficiently calm again, she ordered the mainframe, "Help me connect to the ship-wide video communications channel." In the mindspace, she instructed Little Four to immediately notify Qi Long to start looking for a chance to escape.

********

Qi Long's communicator made a sound, and he glanced at it from the corner of his eyes. There was just one word: "Escape!" Without even thinking about it, he retreated and began to run, not forgetting to yell out a reminder to Luo Lang and Xie Yi, "Tight winds cut breath!"

This was the coded signal Ling Lan had taught them; it meant that 'things are not looking good, run quick'. Qi Long and the others found the concept very interesting, so whenever they wanted to escape, they would not forget to shout out this code phrase as a reminder to their companions.

Luo Lang and Xie Yi naturally understood what it meant — it was likely that Boss Ling Lan had succeeded and was afraid that they would not be able to take the captain's resultant wrath, and so wanted them to run away. The two of them did not hesitate — with a quick stomp of their feet, they sprinted out from the cafeteria, leaving behind a befuddled group, including both captain and spectators.

********

Meanwhile, in the captain's room, the mainframe received Ling Lan's command and had begun the countdown timer to activate the ship-wide comms channel. When the countdown ended, all the screens of various sizes stashed in all corners of the ship abruptly turned on.

Subsequently, a cold-faced handsome youth appeared on the screen. His icy gaze swept out at everyone standing before a screen, sending a chill through the hearts of the less strong-minded people.

The youth opened his mouth and began to speak in a cold tone, "I declare that, from this moment onwards, the 7th Bugle Call is under the control of us military academy cadets! I am the interim captain, Ling Lan!"

This announcement caused everyone on the ship to go into shock. In particular, those new cadets not from the Central Scout Academy were even more perplexed, having no clue at all what had happened.

Suddenly, one of the cadets shouted, "I recognize him! He's the boss of the Central Scout Academy!"

At this moment, the image on the screen turned, and Wu Jiong's and Li Yingjie's faces appeared at the same time on the wide screen.

"The engine room is also under our control! Mobility is not affected. We can continue moving forwards!"

"We've already locked down the living quarters of the crew!" Li Yingjie's smug and proud face was backdropped by a horde of angry faces of the crew who had been subdued by the new cadets.

"This fellow ..." Ling Lan frowned. This sort of arrogant action would obviously provoke the anger of those crew members on the ship who were still able to move freely. She signalled for the image to shift to that of the central control room. Just now, she had received news from Han Jijyun that the area had fallen completely under his control.

Han Jijyun's serious face very quickly appeared on the screen. "We have successfully locked down the mecha hold and frozen the ship's weapon's vault! We have also decrypted the true destination of the ship and will ensure that we will arrive safely at our destination!"

Finally, the image switched back to Ling Lan. "We are the cadets of the First Men's Military Academy. We are the elite of the elites, the future pillars of the nation. No one can trample on our pride. For this, we have already prepared ourselves for battle! What about the rest of you? Will you continue to bear the humiliation, or will you join us and fight together?"

1. 柒角号: pronounced 'Qi Jiao Hao'. Could not find any particular Chinese cultural reference for this. The only thing that came to mind were the 7 trumpets which brought down the walls of Jericho in Christianity.

Chapter 218 - Negotiation!

Ling Lan's bleak gaze once again swept across the crowd, and the frustrations bottled up in the cadets' hearts were unleashed. Someone roared, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Ling Lan's words had ignited the flames of their rage, along with the pride in their hearts. No one could just calmly accept the senseless humiliation that had been heaped upon them — they had just been riddled with doubts before this. After all, they were on the other's home ground, and there was a great gap between their capabilities, so the cadets had had no choice but to tolerate. But now, everything was different. Their doubts were gone. Ling Lan had given them a chance to reclaim their pride — of course they would not let it pass ...

Fight! All of the cadets' discontentment coalesced into this one word. They shouted it out in unison, causing the expression of the crew members by their sides to pale. Even the expression of the formidable captain could not help but shift.

The youth on the screen was very adept at using words to fuel the indignation of the young. Some of those new cadets who had initially still been a little hesitant no longer retained their reservations, swiftly joining Ling Lan's party. Their eyes were trained vigilantly on the crew members beside them, their entire body on the defensive ...

At every location on the ship, as long as it was an area cohabited by cadets and crew members, the atmosphere became tense. The two sides faced each other with strong fighting spirits; the entire situation was like a powder keg waiting to blow.

Standing in the cafeteria, the captain abruptly recalled Qi Long's sudden escape from their fight. He instantly realised that that brat must definitely be in cahoots with the youth on the comms channel. He almost spewed blood in his rage, and could not help but stomp his feet in anger. "Godd*mmit! This bunch of brats! I've bloody been had!"

With a quick turn of his feet, the captain disappeared like a gust of wind from the cafeteria!

Although Qi Long and the other two had reacted with godlike speed, escaping at first notice from the cafeteria, who was the captain? While fighting with Qi Long, he had long logged Qi Long's aura into his memory. Even though there were countless auras of other people on the ship, it was still an extremely easy matter for him to seek Qi Long out among all of them.

The captain's personality may be a little rough and unpolished, but he still knew that he would need some trump cards to negotiate with the cold youth in the captain's room. For that purpose, Qi Long would undoubtedly be the most valuable one, so he definitely could not let him go.

Completely showcasing his strength as captain, he only needed several seconds to catch up to the fleeing Qi Long and company. Seeing the furious and somewhat savage-looking captain on their tail, Qi Long and the others knew they were in trouble. They had not expected the captain to have such a high hate value towards them ...

Sure enough, in the next second, the captain flew at them, his hand reaching out towards Qi Long in an attack.

Luo Lang and Xie Yi running by Qi Long's side saw Qi Long in danger and instantly stopped and turned to help. Without prior arrangement, the two of them attacked the captain at the same time, shouting as they did so, "Leader, go find Boss!"

Only Boss Lan would be able to resist the captain. In their minds, Ling Lan was the greatest — there was nothing he could not do.

"Too naive!" huffed the captain. He waved a hand each at the two attacking boys, sending an invisible energy surge each at Luo Lang and Xie Yi respectively.

Luo Lang and Xie Yi felt themselves thrown back by a powerful wave of Qi-Jin, and they crashed heavily into the metal walls of the spaceship! Due to the captain's rage, the strength behind his blows was obviously a little stronger than he intended. The two boys threw up a mouthful of blood!

The captain was taken aback by this and paused momentarily. Qi Long, who had managed to run a distance away in the meantime, saw Xie Yi and Luo Lang get injured, and with a clench of his teeth, he actually turned back to leap at the captain, throwing his best killer punch.

He, Qi Long, was not a coward who would abandon his companions!

The captain saw Qi Long choose to return and rescue his friends, launching an attack against him, and a trace of approval flashed through his gaze. He shouted, "Good!"

This time, he no longer held back his strength, unleashing the full force of his aura. Qi Long's fist had barely gotten close to the captain when he felt as if he had become entrapped in a quagmire, actually finding it extremely difficult to move ... this feeling was very familiar — it was just like when he had first fought against Boss Lan!

Qi Long's expression changed slightly. Experienced from fighting against Ling Lan, he knew that this move of his was absolutely useless in this scenario. Unwilling to give up just yet, he immediately switched attacks. He swept his right leg out in a savage kick at the captain. This was an ultimate move Ling Lan had thought him as a last resort —— Total Annihilation 1 !

Total Annihilation was a foot technique Ling Lan had developed out from her research based on the One-Inch Punch — it too had the ability to stack up Qi-Jin to achieve a multiplying effect on strength. At present, Qi Long could only stack up to four levels, allowing Qi Long's attack to leap up in a flash from beginner level Qi-Jin stage to advanced level Qi-Jin stage. This horrifying technique which allowed Qi Long to cross two ranks in an instant was Qi Long's most powerful offensive attack at the moment.

However, this kicking technique also had a side effect. Its feedback force was also very high, so it was a move which harmed oneself by 800 while dealing 1000 damage to the other. Except in cases when his life was in danger, Ling Lan had banned Qi Long from using it during normal times. Because if this move was overused, it would leave long-lasting latent issues within Qi Long's body.

But right now, there was only one thought in Qi Long's mind. Even if he was wounded grievously by the great feedback force, he was determined to give the captain a certain degree of serious injury. Qi Long knew very well that the captain's next target would definitely be Boss Ling Lan in the captain's room. If he could injure the captain seriously here, Boss Lan would not have to fight so hard in the upcoming battle.

Qi Long had not forgotten that Ling Lan's body was still not fully recovered. Thus, even if he had to use all his strength, he would protect his Boss Lan!

Qi Long's aura which suddenly leapt up by two ranks made a trace of astonishment flash across the captain's face. However, Qi Long's had still miscalculated in his idealistic plan ... this was because he had misjudged the captain's strength. The captain's level was much more terrifying than he had imagined.

The captain's aura rose once more, and the sudden pressure that descended caused Qi Long to hover, frozen in the air temporarily. The captain's hands danced, drawing layers of afterimages in the air ... it was perhaps only a second or two, or perhaps it was just a blink of the eye — Qi Long suddenly fell from the sky and before he could touch the ground, a pair of large hands scooped him up and held onto him ..

The captain then immediately threw Qi Long over a shoulder and swiftly began running towards his room. Right now, he was most worried about the captain's room — had the other truly taken control of the mainframe? And what of his sworn brother, his good military adviser — had he suffered a bad outcome? At this thought, the anxiety in the captain's heart flared, and his speed as he sprinted towards the captain's room increased once more.

Lying on the ground, Luo Lang and Xie Yi saw the captain disappear between blinks with Qi Long hefted over his shoulder. The two of them struggled to their feet as quickly as they could, shared a glance, and shouted out in unison, "After him!"

Just as Qi Long was unwilling to give up on his companions, they too would not give up on a companion. Even if they would all be lost by chasing after the enemy, they would not cower.

********

The captain ran desperately all the way. Observing that not a single sentry appeared in the passage where they had been stationed in hiding, he knew that these people must have all been cleared away by the cadets. Right now, his only hope was that their head would be merciful and not cause too many casualties. Otherwise, he had no idea whether he would be able to hold his temper and stop from turning this spaceship into a sea of blood ...

The captain charged without stopping straight into his room, and instantly saw his sworn brother, the military adviser major, staring back at him with a wry smile. The captain instantly let out a breath of relief. From the looks of things, the situation was not beyond salvaging. Meanwhile, in his exclusive seat, a black-attired youth was sitting there with a frigid expression, as if waiting for him.

"Captain, I've been waiting!" said Ling Lan coldly. The captain's shift in expression as he came in, though minor and fleeting, had still been caught by her. Inspiration flashed through Ling Lan's mind, and an idea took form. Perhaps she would not have to fight the captain.

Ling Lan was not afraid to fight, but she would also be very happy if she could avoid fighting. Ling Lan was a girl, and did not really like all this fighting and killing ... Um, you don't believe that? Well, alright, she actually just found it troublesome and tiring. So, if she could avoid it, of course she would avoid it.

"Hand over the administrative rights of the ship and I'll pardon you all," said the captain brusquely, not at all concerned by the threat Ling Lan posed.

The captain believed that even if the other had temporarily taken control of the ship, he would still be able to snatch it back with his capabilities. Moreover, there were still other brothers of his free to move around on the ship; he was not fighting a lone battle.

Of course, he had the confidence to back him up also because he knew the mainframe of his ship was definitely unlike those robotic existences tied to their programming — he did not believe that Ling Lan had really taken full control of the ship.

"What are you using to negotiate with me?" Ling Lan pointed at Qi Long on the captain's shoulder, and said calmly, "Him?"

At this moment, Qi Long was flushed red. He had not expected that he would be so useless, being taken down in one move by the captain, even ending up as a bargaining chip against his own boss.

"Is he not worthy enough?" sneered the captain, "A Qi-Jin stage comrade, and you're willing to sacrifice him?"

Ling Lan tapped on the mainframe lightly, and the crew members locked up in the sealed room appeared on the screen of the captain's room. "Then what about these people? Are you also willing to sacrifice them?"

Seeing this, the captain almost bit hard enough to crack his teeth. As expected, all his sentries had already been captured by the other. He asked darkly, "Are they still alive?"

"Just like my companion on your shoulder, they are alive and well!" Ling Lan said airily, "To negotiate with me, that one on your shoulder is not enough."

Right then, Luo Lang and Xie Yi finally arrived, breathing heavily. The captain's level exceeded theirs by too much — even though they had chased after him desperately, they had still dropped behind by a large margin. The moment they entered the captain's room, they were faced with this standoff ...

The captain began laughing. He pointed at the two of them and said, "And if I add the two of them?"

At these words, Luo Lang's and Xie Yi's expressions paled. They had not expected their arrival to add to the bargaining chips the opponent had against Boss Lan. At this moment, they somewhat regretted their impulsiveness. They should have been more cautious, figuring out the situation before deciding their next step.

Seeing the remorse and frustration in the gazes of the two youths, Ling Lan silently chuckled in her heart. In fact, Ling Lan was very glad internally that they had not chosen to abandon a companion, chasing after the captain fearlessly to attempt a rescue — however, their way of doing things was indeed rather brave but foolish. It was good to let them feel a little frustrated to teach them not to be so reckless all the time and cause real problems in the future.

Ling Lan sighed lightly and said, "Your bargaining chips have indeed increased. Now I'm troubled."

At these words, the remorse and frustration in Luo Lang's and Xie Yi's eyes deepened. They were just about to speak when they saw Ling Lan's cold gaze sweep over them. This penetrating gaze made them shut up in a hurry, patiently waiting for Ling Lan's negotiation with the captain.

1. The original phrase here literally translates to 'sweep away thousands of soldiers', basically meaning to eliminate a large amount of enemies in one move.

Chapter 219 - A Successful Mutiny!

Ling Lan saw Luo Lang and Xie Yi settle down in silence — only then did she close her eyes softly and tap the arms of her seat contemplatively. Soon after, her eyes snapped open and she pointed at the major standing to one side, and said calmly, "I forgot to tell you. This person here is also my hostage! Tell me, what will you use to trade for him?"

"Impossible!" The captain's first reaction was disbelief. He knew the capabilities of the major. On this ship, the major was the strongest after him.

Ling Lan cast a slightly mocking gaze in the direction of the major. "Why don't you tell him the truth?"

The major sighed softly and said, "What he says is right. I am indeed his hostage!" The major would not tell a blatant lie. If Ling Lan had truly wanted to bring him down, it was not impossible ... although Ling Lan would have to expend quite a bit of effort, the major believed that as long as Ling Lan had the time, he was definitely no match for Ling Lan.

Furthermore, during this period of time, the major had come to understand that this seemingly cold and unfeeling youth was in fact very good at toeing the line of propriety. None of the crew members who had been captured by him were in any danger of dying, and even the guard-chief who had been seriously injured in the engine room had already received appropriate treatment to safeguard his life. Thus, he did not want to break his word and escalate the conflict between the two parties. If possible, he wanted to resolve this incident peacefully.

The major's words impacted the captain. His expression changed as he found that the matter was more complicated than he had thought. However, Ling Lan's mental blows did not end there. "Well then, let me show you two more video feeds!"

Ling Lan then pulled out the video feeds of the engine room and the living quarters. In the living quarters, all the crew members were all tied up and locked up in a room together. Similarly, in the engine room, the guard troop was also tied up together, but their guard-chief was not tied up, instead just lying weakly on the ground. On the screen, the captain could clearly see a significant amount of blood below the area he was lying on ...

"What happened to Xiao Wan 1 ?" bellowed the captain. Could it be that his guard-chief of the engine room was dead?

"Not dead. He's still alive!" Without any expression on her face, Ling Lan enlarged the image to let the captain see the rise and fall of the other's chest. "However, if you insist on not admitting defeat, then I cannot guarantee how long he will live." Ling Lan's tone was glacial, as if she were not at all concerned whether the other lived or died.

The captain's chest heaved violently; it was clear to see that his emotions were extremely unstable at this moment. However, it was just as Ling Lan had warned — the lives of the entire ship's crew all depended on him.

"Captain, do you still think you have enough bargaining chips to negotiate with me?" Ling Lan quirked a brow at the other, her tone slightly mocking. For some reason, this distinct difference from his initial calm stoniness — this mocking tone — made the captain's sense of danger rise exponentially.

Ling Lan rested her jaw on her right hand and said with a half-smile, "Indeed, with your strength, you can certainly kill any of us here within a second, and perhaps even reclaim control of this ship very quickly ... However, do you think I was just waiting here for you idly, doing nothing at all?"

The captain's face twitched but he held it back. He did not stop telling himself in his heart that the other was just trying to scare him — he could not be terrorized by a 16-year-old youth ...

"In fact, during this period of time, I have already given the mainframe a command. If I die, this ship will immediately go 'boom' and become a hunk of debris in this starry sky. In other words, both you and I will not survive. Not just that, those comrades who follow you would die along with us here all because of your choice."

Ling Lan described this horrific outcome in a nonchalant and indifferent tone, that half-smile still on her face. It was as if she were talking about a trivial matter, but there was a wildness in Ling Lan's eyes, proving that everything she said was real.

This psychopathic appearance of hers made even Qi Long and the others who knew Ling Lan well to shiver. Was this somewhat insane Boss Lan still that cold-faced and righteous Boss Lan of theirs?

As if sensing the captain's doubts, Ling Lan prodded the light circles of the mainframe gently, and asked it cheerfully, "Isn't that right, my little mainframe?"

"Yes, it is, my master!" replied the mainframe mechanically. In the back, however, it was weeping: Oh previous master, I'm sorry for lying to you, but my great great great great senior is watching me like a hawk, so I have no choice but to say this!

At these words, the captain's expression darkened. He threw Qi Long from his shoulder onto the ground and pointed at Lin Zhong-qing and the few other people in the room and said angrily, "Do you not value their lives? After they've put so much trust in you, willingly supporting you in this crazy endeavour?"

Ling Lan turned to face the people he indicated, and her cold gaze made Lin Zhong-qing and the others shiver involuntarily. "Do you all want to live on in oppression? Dying with dignity will undoubtedly make them feel honoured. I believe they would all choose this path." With a casual quirk of an eyebrow, Ling Lan asked calmly, "Right?"

Without even thinking about it, Xie Yi replied, "Yes, we'll do as Boss says!" He did not want to be tormented to death by Boss Lan ... in that case, he might as well choose a clean death here.

"Being able to die alongside Boss, it would be our honour!" said Luo Lang with a smile. That smile was unbelievably lovely, not a hint of coercion within it. Luo Lang truly believed in anything Boss Lan decided, so these words of his had no hesitation behind it whatsoever.

"Boss's decision is our decision!" Lin Zhong-qing was very cool about the issue. But it was precisely this cool calmness that convinced the captain that they were truly prepared to sacrifice themselves.

Due to the overwhelming shock, the captain did not notice the small actions that passed amongst Xie Yi, Luo Lang, and Lin Zhong-qing. Meanwhile, the other four also took the hint from the three of them and all began speaking out in support of Ling Lan's decision.

"You're all lunatics!" The captain could only bite out these words in response. Ling Lan's decision gave the captain no avenue to utilise his skills. He dared not move for fear of killing Ling Lan by accident, for the entire ship would self-destruct if that happened.

He roughly wiped a hand across his face and growled, "Speak. What exactly do you all want?"

"For this one day and one night, we are the masters of the ship. Meanwhile, you will all have to satisfy our every need, including teaching us what we wish to learn. When we arrive at the true registration point of the First Men's Military Academy, then I will hand over the administrative rights to the ship," responded Ling Lan, "This is our offer. You are free to reject it, then we shall both perish together."

The captain pointed a trembling finger at Ling Lan, finally choking out, "You're ruthless!"

"If I'm not ruthless, could I have gotten what I wanted?" asked Ling Lan with a quirked brow. If she had not snatched the administrative rights of the ship, would the captain have agreed so easily?

"Also, stop with those tests. They're pointless!" Ling Lan's subsequent words made the captain's and the major's expressions turn awkward — so their actions had long been figured out by the opponent. "If it weren't for those tests, I would not have made such a big deal of things ..."

Ling Lan decisively threw all responsibility for the matter on the other party's shoulders, as if saying that this dramatic outcome was completely the fault of the captain and his team. This frustrated the captain and the major so much that they almost spewed blood.

Hells, they had never seen such a shameless cadet before. Were all new cadets nowadays so arrogant, despicable, and shameless?

"That aside, little mainframe, don't disobey me!" Ling Lan coldly prodded at the mainframe's light rings once more, causing the little body of the mainframe within the virtual space to tremble involuntarily. He hurriedly hugged the thigh of Little Four standing to one side, crying, "Boo hoo hoo, senior's master is really scary!"

Little Four could not help but roll his eyes, wondering somewhat irritably why this little fellow was so gutless? His boss was so nice! Not only was she gentle ... er, maybe not that, and kind-hearted ... er, she seemed to bully him quite a lot too?

Little Four felt himself becoming somewhat confused, but he very quickly cast aside all those doubts, telling himself firmly once more that his boss was the best boss ever! And that was that!

To complete the task that his boss had set for him, the now doubt-free Little Four could only continue to cajole and counsel the mainframe. This patient manner left the impression that his senior was a great and wonderful person in the little fellow's mind, which would eventually lead the little mainframe to help them without any reservations later on in the future when Little Four requested his aid ...

After that, things were much simpler. The captain announced in the ship-wide comms channel that in the duration before they arrived at the destination, the ship shall be controlled by the cadets! This declaration acknowledged the shift in administrative rights. The initially arrogant crew were instantly knocked down to become servants, while the cadets finally achieved their goal of overthrowing their overlords, becoming the masters of the ship from their initial lowly positions of easily bullied peons.

However, the Central Scout Academy students soon received Boss Lan's instructions, hoping that they would take advantage of this opportunity to learn whatever knowledge they were interested in with regards to spaceships 1 . Of course, how they could convince and persuade those crew members to teach them with sincerity all depended on the students' own abilities.

Meanwhile, under the captain's tacit agreement, the crew also began mentoring the cadets in whatever they wanted to learn. Thus, the initially tense atmosphere between the two sides swiftly settled into a calm harmony, with completely no sign that a large conflict had occurred not too long ago.

Just as Ling Lan had predicted, everyone on the ship — from captain to crew member, from mecha operator to repairman and odd-job worker — was actually soldiers of the Federation. Therefore, they would not hate the cadets out of anger at their revolt. They may perhaps be somewhat peeved that they were bested, but they were still extremely admiring of the new cadets' spirit and capabilities — this was also the greatest reason why they were willing to mentor the students despite all that had happened.

These soldiers knew very well that these cadets before them would become the central pillars of the Federation armies six years later ... they were extremely pleased to see a bunch of exceptional warriors appear within their military ranks.

Meanwhile, those students not belonging to the Central Scout Academy did not receive Ling Lan's guidance on what to do. For one, they had not participated in the operation this time (those that did were also advised by Ling Lan), so Ling Lan felt that she was not obligated to give them any hints. And second, if the student was mindful, he would definitely be able to figure out the objectives of the Central Scout Academy students. Just by observing their speech and actions, those students should know what to do.

As for those that were a little slow who just did not sense anything ... Ling Lan did not believe they would be able to progress much in the future anyway. The opportunity was the same for everyone — whoever could grab hold of it would make their own luck.

And those who were truly strong would not let these lucky chances slip by!

1. Still the diminutive 'xiao' here.

2. subtext being that they should not be arrogant and mistreat the soldiers.

Chapter 220 - Space Fortress!

A particular meteoroid zone within the Federation was once an intergalactic flight course of the Federation. However, several centuries before, the meteoroids in this zone began to drift about wildly, their movement trajectories becoming extremely erratic and unpredictable, resulting in multiple tragic collisions due to the spaceships' inability to dodge them in time. Thus, this flight course was gradually abandoned by the Federation ...

What everyone did not know was that at the heart of this meteoroid zone, there was a space fortress disguised as a large meteorite mountain. Inside it was a hidden Federation military base ...

Meanwhile, those erratically moving little meteoroids surrounding the area were actually defensive satellites of the space fortress. The moment they discovered any unidentified spaceships deviating from the permitted flight path, they would hurtle over to chase the other away. If the other party insisted on keeping their path, the defensive satellites would then collide with the ships in earnest, directly destroying the offending spaceships.

********

It was one o'clock in the afternoon in the Federation. Inside the space fortress, the few surveillance staff responsible for monitoring the situation around the meteoroid zone were currently cosily seated together drinking some hot tea. After a busy morning, they could finally take some time to relax and chitchat for a bit after having their lunch.

"Who could have expected that in just one morning, we've already received nine ships ferrying the new cadets. It's really been crazy busy ..." One young surveillance officer of corporal rank complained as he stretched.

" Xiao Lin 1 , you're new here, so you don't know. This is our busiest time every year. All the students who managed to get into the First Men's Military Academy will come through here," said another young officer of second lieutenant rank with a smile, "And this is just the beginning. Most likely we'll be even busier in the afternoon. All of the respective spaceships picking up the new cadets from the various planets will definitely arrive by the end of today."

The second lieutenant's words received nods of agreement from all of the other officers. They had already been working here at this fortress for two to three years, so they were familiar with this situation.

The corporal called Xiao Lin slapped a palm to his forehead and moaned exaggeratedly at those words. "Heavens, there'll be more this afternoon? I'll definitely be wiped out!"

The second lieutenant cuffed him on the head exasperatedly, chiding him teasingly, "Wiped out from just this little thing? What a useless fellow."

Chastised, Xiao Lin hurriedly proclaimed his tenacious spirit which had no fear of difficulty or fatigue with a serious face to his leader. His antics caused the surveillance station to be a riot of laughter; the weariness of the morning seeming to fade away slowly between the peals of laughter.

Although the fortress had pretty good working conditions on all fronts, the work there was relatively monotonous compared to those of the other bases. In particular, these surveillance staff had to face the same unchanging meteoroid zone every day, so it was very easy for them to become somewhat sick of the job. Therefore, they had learned to self-calibrate their mentalities, learning not to just stay silent and grim the whole time they were working. Instead, they would do as they were doing now, joking around light-heartedly to ease their minds.

After a round of laughter, Xiao Lin suddenly snorted loudly, as if recalling something.

The second lieutenant glanced at him and asked, "What's up with you now?" This fellow would always come up with some situation or another every day; the second lieutenant was no longer surprised by this.

Xiao Lin covered his mouth as he snickered, "I'm just laughing at those new cadets. When they get off the ships, they're all so cautious, obedient like little rabbits. I've always thought that those who could enter the First Men's Military Academy would all be the super elites, that they would be somewhat cocky and unruly, or maybe haughty in their expressions or something ..."

The second lieutenant smiled and said, "That's just how it is now. They were not like that in the past. They were cocky and unruly just as you said ..."

Xiao Lin's curiosity was piqued by this statement. He asked hurriedly, "Leader, why do you say that?"

The second lieutenant said, "Honestly, I did not experience that time either. I've only heard about it from the last leader. He said that the new cadets did not use to be so obedient — like you said, they were all sorts of trouble, making a mess out of this area. In the end, the chief of base could not take it anymore and reported it to the superiors. And later, the situation became better, gradually becoming like what you see now, where all the new cadets are docile and obedient."

"Could it be that the quality of the cadets improved? Or perhaps they had been instructed by their scout academies?" asked Xiao Lin.

The second lieutenant smiled and said, "How could that be? Our Federation has always lived by the law of survival of the fittest. In order to cultivate strong fighters, the scout academies would never curb the students' competitive spirit and wilfulness."

"Then what could have caused the new cadets to become so docile?" Xiao Lin just could not figure it out.

Right then, one of the staff sergeants chortled and said, "That's because the ships sent out to pick up these new cadets are all the most outstanding of our army fleets. The members staffing them are all battle-experienced soldiers. Even if these new cadets are prideful elites with prodigious talent, they can only submit and give way before these hardened soldiers. Furthermore, military headquarters' instructions to these old soldiers on the ships were to beat down these elite princes a little, letting them understand that they are still really small fry right now and still haven't earned the right to be cocky ..."

Xiao Lin gaped in shock. "In other words, these new cadets have all been suppressed by our veteran soldiers?"

"Bingo!" Another sergeant chimed in with a laugh, "It's rare that our Xiao Lin is so smart for once ..."

Xiao Lin did not seem to sense the teasing nature of the sergeant's words. In an extremely thick-skinned manner, he said, "That's right, I've always been unbelievably clever!" This once again caused the entire surveillance station to become a sea of laughter.

"Attention everyone, another ship is incoming!" The smiling second lieutenant suddenly noticed a ship entering their surveillance range, and quickly alerted his subordinates.

The group immediately kept away their laughter, returned to their work stations, and began attending to their respective tasks.

"Checking data. Primary identification as the 7th Bugle Call from planet Doha!" A sergeant extracted the data of the ship and found a corresponding match.

"The other is sending a signal requesting permission to enter. The signal code has been authenticated!" Xiao Lin deciphered the signal source transmitted by the 7th Bugle Call, and after verifying that everything was in order, he reported to his leader.

The second lieutenant nodded and instructed, "Accept communications from signal source!"

Subsequently, a transparent pane of glass at the front of the surveillance station suddenly lighted up, and then a familiar figure appeared on it. Apparently, this viewing window which looked out at the starry skies also functioned as a giant screen.

The second lieutenant saw the figure and immediately stood at attention and saluted, "Senior Colonel Tian Fang! Greetings!"

Senior Colonel Tian Fang, who was the captain of the 7th Bugle Call, smiled wryly at this and said, "Greetings!"

"Please wait a moment. We shall arrange the parking port for your ship." The second lieutenant sent the data of the 7th Bugle Call to air control. Soon, the department had responded and connected to the 7th Bugle Call's voice comms.

Only after Senior Colonel Tian Fang's figure disappeared from the large screen did the second lieutenant breathe out weakly. Even just as an image, the pressure Senior Colonel Tian Fang exuded was still extremely overwhelming — this was probably what the presence of someone strong was all about.

Xiao Lin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said somewhat hesitantly, "Just looking at Senior Colonel Tian Fang's virtual image is enough to make me feel like I can't breathe. He's so strong! What kind of godly being is Senior Colonel Tian Fang exactly?"

The second lieutenant's face was filled with admiration and respect as he said, "He is the only one among the fleet captains who has entered Domain stage. Even though he is not a specialised mecha operator, his mecha control is also already at ace operator level. He is the 'earth powerhouse' of the 'heaven and earth powerhouse duo' of our Federation!"

"Ah! So he is the earth powerhouse of the heaven and earth powerhouse duo ..." Xiao Lin's eyes revealed his brimming admiration and respect. Compared to the god-class operator, who were like beings from legend, ace operators were undoubtedly closer to the grass roots. As such, they were respected and looked up to by countless warriors, who viewed them as their goal.

"Why would such an amazing person be sent out on this kind of mission?" Xiao Lin felt indignant on Senior Colonel Tian Fang's behalf.

"The place he went to is Doha. The cadets there include those from the Central Scout Academy, the gathering grounds of the cream of our Federation. Without someone like Senior Colonel Tian Fang, could they hold the fort against those top-notch prodigies?" The second lieutenant chided Xiao Lin for his shallow thinking. Although Doha had indeed not produced many top-notch prodigies over the past couple years, it was never wise to underestimate these sort of established brand schools with substantial roots. Who knew if an aberrant would suddenly appear?

********

Senior Colonel Tian Fang knew nothing of this discussion in the surveillance station that had been sparked by his appearance. Right now, he had already relinquished the captain's seat again and was standing in front of the screen, sullenly watching the new cadets bustling around the central control room.

Even though the cadets had gone through a day and a night of learning, they were still noticeably inexperienced in controlling the ship. Many times, they failed to pilot the ship to the coordinates provided by the fortress, and air control was beginning to become a little irritated.

Senior Colonel Tian Fang felt so embarrassed he could die. He knew that the staff in the fortress would certainly be speculating that he was drunk again ... his lifelong good reputation would definitely be lost here, but he could not explain things to the outside world, because the truth was even more embarrassing.

Senior Colonel Tian Fang looked at Ling Lan sitting in the captain's seat, as composed as ever, as if not at all concerned that the cadets would ruin the ship through their bumbling efforts. He could not help but ask, "Why aren't you at all nervous?"

" If the sky wants to rain, if your mother wants to remarry 1 ! What will be will be!" replied Ling Lan breezily. As long as the ship was not utterly destroyed, she had no objections. After all, this spaceship wasn't really hers anyway.

Senior Colonel Tian Fang instantly choked on a breath and said moodily, "I have never met anyone as daring as you."

Ling Lan's lips curved up subtly. "Otherwise I would not have been able to take over your ship." Completely uncaring that she was adding yet another stab to Senior Colonel Tian Fang's heart.

Senior Colonel Tian Fang was infuriated, and he muttered angrily, "I can't imagine who could have raised such a crazy son like you ... hells, doing this kind of things beyond human understanding."

The corner of Ling Lan's lips quirked, "Why, you wish to know? Perhaps you want to spar a little with my father?"

For some reason, Senior Colonel Tian Fang once again felt a surging sense of danger like none other he had felt before. His gut told him that he definitely should not respond and take the bait, but the indignation in his heart made him blurt out, "Of course, this old man should not bully the young, but why can't I go fight the elder?"

Ling Lan slowly approached Senior Colonel Tian Fang and then said airily, "You are welcome to go seek out General Ling Xiao!" Ling Lan's tone was filled with teasing mockery, obviously greatly looking forward to Senior Colonel Tian Fang seeking out her father for a fight.

"General L-Ling ... Ling Xiao?!" Senior Colonel Tian Fang gaped, struck dumb by Ling Lan's answer. Still, he had no doubts that this was true. After spending one day and night with Ling Lan, he knew that the other did not bother with lies. Besides, only someone like General Ling Xiao could give birth to such an aberrant son like Ling Lan. At this moment, Senior Colonel Tian Fang had completely forgotten the research proof of the Federation — the theory that said that the gene potentials of the descendants of god-class operators were destined to plummet.

1. Yes, this is actually the same moniker as one of those men who had been killed by Ling Lan during the GAM (same characters even in Chinese). Again, do note that 'xiao' is often just a diminutive prefix in nicknames, so it would not be uncommon for someone to be called the same nickname even if their names are actually completely different, due to the sharing of just one character. And well, this shouldn't be a strange concept since people have the same English name all the time.

Anyhow, this is a new character, while the other Xiao Lin is well and truly dead. No miraculous return from the dead for him.

2. 天要下雨,娘要嫁人: This phrase was just too interesting not to keep in its original form, even though I could probably think up a good English localised equivalent. It basically means that there are some things that cannot be stopped or avoided even if you wanted to do so. This phrase is actually not quoted in its entirety here, the full version goes, 'If the sky wants to rain, if your mother wants to remarry —— it is out of your control!' I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

Chapter 221 - Salute!

The major saw Ling Lan saunter out of the captain's room, while his own captain stood there staring blankly. Without a word, he walked over and nudged his old friend, "What are you zoning out for?"

Senior Colonel Tian Fang smiled wryly and said, "We did not lose randomly."

"Why do you say that?" asked the major curiously.

"Ling Lan is General Ling Xiao's son ..." mumbled Senior Colonel Tian Fang. Earlier, he had actually said he would go teach General Ling Xiao a lesson — this was absolutely a path towards death ...

The major was greatly shocked by the news. "What?!" However, he soon calmed down again. Thinking back on all Ling Lan had done over this period of time, as well as the ruthlessness and determination with which he threatened Tian Fang — this was definitely not something a normal student would be able to do ...

He sighed softly and said, "Only General Ling Xiao could raise such an aberrant child ... sure enough, a tiger would never father hounds 1 ." That said, he shared a glance with Senior Colonel Tian Fang, each seeing the excitement and joy in the other's eyes. Knowing that the person they idolised had an inheritor made them extremely glad, and their initial sense of defeat was significantly reduced.

********

By this time, Ling Lan had already arrived at the central control room. The central control room was presently under Han Jijyun's command. Seeing Ling Lan enter the room, Han Jijyun quickly rushed over to ask, "Boss Lan, any instructions?"

"If you all have had your fun, I hope that we'll be able to land properly on the landing frame the next time." Ling Lan's tone was light, as if just here to pass on a comment.

Ling Lan's words made Han Jijyun's face flush red, and he immediately responded, "Understood. Boss Lan, we'll definitely land successfully the next time!"

Just as Ling Lan said, the cadets here under Han Jijyun had indeed gotten caught up in playing. This was because piloting a ship to land accurately was an extremely rare practicum to encounter, so the cadets in the central control room had not wanted to end it so soon. Thus, this had resulted in the ship's multiple failures to land correctly, because the cadets still wanted to try one more time.

Ling Lan and Han Jijyun's conversation was not something Senior Colonel Tian Fang and the major could know of, because Little Four had long screened off this scene from the cameras. Frankly, in the captain's room, Ling Lan too had found the multiple failed attempts at landing objectionable. However, she could not scorn her followers in front of outsiders, which was why she had acted as if she was not at all bothered by it and fooled the other two in the room with her.

********

Meanwhile, at this time, within the control tower of the fortress, the air control staff responsible for guiding the 7th Bugle Call could not help but shut off the communication device linked to the ship angrily and growl, "Godd*mmit, what the hell is wrong with the 7th Bugle Call? Are the pilots all drunk off their asses?! Actually failing to land so many times ..." The 7th Bugle Call had never been this troublesome to handle before — one coordinate was all it took for them to land efficiently and end things. When had it ever been necessary for him to roar out coordinates again and again?

"Be a little more patient. Senior Colonel Tian Fang of the 7th Bugle Call is not someone you want to offend. He protects his own the most." A friend beside him, who was also an air control staff, piped up with quiet words of caution.

"I know. Otherwise I wouldn't have turned off the communicator and just scolded them outright already," grumbled the air control staff.

"Alright, you see, the 7th Bugle Call seems to have found the correct position now ..." Another companion inadvertently saw the 7th Bugle Call move and immediately raised his voice to alert him.

"D*mmit, finally! I really was about to be frustrated to death. I have never seen such an incompetent ship pilot — does he actually have a license?" Grumbling to himself, the air control staff once again turned on the communicator and issued the subsequent instructions. Of course, from the moment he turned on the mic, his voice became calm and patient, as if his earlier displeasure was just an illusion.

"Attention, a notification came from the surveillance station, another ship is coming ..." The staff receiving messages in the control tower alerted the free air control staff so that someone could step up to direct the new incoming ship.

"I'll do it!" The first air control staff who had cautioned his companion accepted this assignment. He then connected to the other's comms signal and said, "Hello, I am number 72, an air control staff at Fort Genesis ..."

********

This time, the 7th Bugle Call cleanly and efficiently alighted on the landing frame of the fortress dock. Han Jijyun had directly passed on Ling Lan's original words to caution the overly excited cadets, bringing them to heel instantly to obediently listen to Han Jijyun's orders, no longer daring to fool around.

This caused the spectating flight crew enjoying the show to be a little disappointed, but they were silently impressed at the esteem Ling Lan held among the cadets. Of course, they were also very admiring of the way Han Jijyun had used Ling Lan's authority to swiftly take control of the central control room.

Meanwhile, landing alongside the 7th Bugle Call was another spaceship slightly smaller than the 7th Bugle Call. It landed to park at the dock neighbouring theirs. Perhaps the cadets on that ship were fewer, for the ship doors opened a little earlier than that of the 7th Bugle Call, and ten or so students disembarked one after another from the ship.

Just as with the previous ships, these new cadets had their heads bowed in timid silence, walking hesitantly onto the platform. Then, under the instructions of the fortress guides, they swiftly departed to wherever they needed to go. The speed with which they moved was as if they were running away from some dragon's lair or tiger's den — footsteps in clear disarray.

The soldiers on duty at the platform looked on expressionlessly as these dejected and skittish youths emerged and ran away. Only those with a keen eye could see the trace of contempt in their eyes — they did not like this cowardly manner of the youths, believing that this was a disgrace to soldiers.

However, they were already used to this. Almost no cadet would behave differently — even those rare few who had some fight on their faces would hold back and forcefully repress the indignation they felt, merely gritting their teeth to walk into the fortress. If any youth were to strut out proudly with their head held high from a ship, now that would be a shocking sight for these soldiers.

Initially, the soldiers had thought that this scene would never happen, but reality would soon prove that anything was possible.

The doors of the 7th Bugle Call finally swung open, and the new cadets, who had already gathered their belongings, stepped out of the ship with faces filled with excitement. Their eyes were brimming with curiosity, and some of the more daring ones were even asking those staff on duty in low whispers what the weapons they were carrying were. This sort of unusual behaviour made all the staff on duty share baffled looks with one another, beginning to doubt whether the people from this ship were truly new cadets for this year? Or were they a group of tourists here to sightsee at the fortress?

Of course, the latter possibility was impossible — Fort Genesis was a secret fortress of the Federation, and so was not open to the public. Thus, there would naturally be no such thing as tourists here to sightsee. The reason why the soldiers on duty would have this mistaken impression was entirely because these new cadets had no fear in their eyes, no trepidation, no shame, and no rage or indignation. All there was was excitement, curiosity, as well as that conspicuous confidence and haughtiness.

After the cadets disembarked, they did not move according to the instructions of the fortress guides. They remained standing on the platform, patiently waiting for the students after them to disembark as well. This made the guides rather annoyed, beginning to blame the comrades on the ship for not doing their part and educating these new cadets well.

Once everyone had gotten off the ship, Ling Lan threw a look at Qi Long.

Qi Long immediately raised his voice and shouted, "To thank all the staff of the 7th Bugle Call, salute!"

All the cadets from the ship were seen to stand at attention, and facing the crew of the 7th Bugle Call who remained on the ship, they collectively executed their scout's salute! This was something they had decided even before they had left the ship. Over the course of this one day and night, the staff members of the 7th Bugle Call had helped them all immensely — every student had learned a little of whatever they had wanted to learn to some extent. This made the students all extremely grateful.

"Salute!" Inside the ship, Senior Colonel Tian Fang's booming voice rang out. At that, the soldiers at the entrance of the ship, as well as those in places the cadets could not see, who were looking at the cadets saluting them with serious faces on various screens, responded primly in kind with the exclusive military salute of the Federation soldiers!

"Thank you!"

This solemn and grateful reciprocal military salute caused everyone present at the scene to be stupefied!

Several new cadets from the other ship who had yet to leave also revealed flabbergasted expressions at this scene. However, very quickly, their faces darkened — they were all new cadets of the military academy, why was the other party treated so differently?

"Where are those new cadets from?" One of the more daring new cadets asked a guide beside him.

"They're from Doha." This was not a secret to begin with, so the guide responded without any reservations.

"Doha? That place which is the so-called gathering grounds of the prodigies of the Federation?" said the new cadet through clenched teeth. Just because their talent was better, they deserved this preferential treatment? Their eyes filled with envy and dislike ...

At this moment, Ling Lan and the others of her party did not know that their actions had drawn the envy and disgruntlement of the cadets from the other various planets. Those cadets were all secretly plotting how they would show these elites a thing or two at the military academy ...

********

At the command centre of Fort Genesis, the supreme commander of the base, Major General Jing Ren, was seated as he watched all that was happening after the 7th Bugle Call parked at the dock. He could not help but mutter to himself, "How strange, that fellow Tian Fang is not someone that nice ..."

Right at this moment, the main door to the room was shoved open roughly, and a hulking figure walked in unceremoniously to slump into the large sofa before the Major General's desk, hiking up a leg to rest his ankle on the other leg's knee without any concern for decorum.

Major General Jing Ren could not help but shake his head and say, "Tian Fang, could you please maintain some decorum? No matter what, you're still one of the poster children for the Federation soldiers."

"It's not like I want to be one!" Senior Colonel Tian Fang said dismissively, with no sign that he was planning to change.

Major General Jing Ren knew the temperament of his old friend well, and so did not continue to harp on the topic. He pointed at the screen in front of him, which was still playing the scene where the two sides had saluted one another, and asked, "What exactly was this about? Could it be that you had a sudden fit of kindness?"

Tian Fang looked at the image and instantly grimaced. "Don't bring that up anymore, otherwise I'll be frustrated to death."

Major General Jing Ren was taken aback and quickly asked, "What happened?"

Tian Fang could not help but lift a large hand to cover his face as he said, "This embarrassing thing, I really don't feel like talking about it ..."

Right then, a clear voice rang out from the doorway, "Of course he doesn't want to talk about it. This time, we were defeated soundly." The major from the 7th Bugle Call had arrived.

"Luo Yang, you've come as well." Major General Jing Ren's expression was pleased as he quickly stood up in welcome.

Major Luo Yang shut the door as he came in and then walked forward with a smile. He bumped fists with Major General Jing Ren — this was their special way of greeting one another.

1. 虎父无犬子: Literally 'a tiger father does not have dog sons'. A close English equivalent would be 'like father, like son'. Here, the meaning is along the lines of — how could someone as great as Ling Xiao have an average son?