In any case, the interview concluded peacefully, with both parties seemingly satisfied.
The reporters then boarded the Blue Faction's ship to begin their next round of routine interviews.
Yu Lian really wanted to observe their expressions, but his sense of responsibility overcame his mischievousness at that moment.
He clapped his hands and loudly declared, “Alright, everyone, conduct one final check and preparation!”
The crew suppressed their excitement and nervousness and got to work.
Zhi Xia double-checked all the supplies and energy status inside the ship three times, then suddenly said, “Yu Lian, Miss Laisa is truly a good person.”
“Oh, she’s indeed not bad… Luo Ming, go check the shield and weapon battery status one last time; we must ensure everything is foolproof!”
“Yu Lian, Miss Laisa blinked at you four times and then secretly looked at you five times,” Liu Li said faintly.
“Your data is too precise, that’s why I don’t believe it… Hey, don’t use important military communication lines for such nonsense!
By the way, Liu Li, where are you?”
“Of course, I’m outside the ship checking the supplies and energy status, making the final preparations for departure! I’ll be there in a moment.”
Yu Lian shrugged indifferently: “Ris, are all communication group units functioning well? Okay, I understand.
Xiao Bai, you hear my voice, right? I need you to do one final check on all pipelines and energy lines.
Lu Ke, is Lu Ke online? Are all armaments and attachments for the mobile infantry and fighters in the hangar ready?
Good, prepare an extra ammunition base for Kou Shan’s people.”
“Daina? Daina, do you hear me? Hmm, good, run the shield one more time, then check the operation of our backup core.
Yes, Aisen will go with you! Our ship’s biggest modification is here; it must be foolproof!
I don’t have OCD, yes, I know you’ve checked at least twenty times! So what? We’re idle anyway.”
“Lilia, and whoever that is, main cannon operation status? Secondary cannon command pathway?”
“My name is Mota!” the ship’s first tonnage, second main gunner, wanted to cry without tears.
“Tamir, check your backup operation pathway.
If there’s any problem, I need you to take over the gun position command at any time!”
After issuing the commands, he glanced over and saw the chief helmsman, Miss Annie Romanova, shrinking in her seat, covered by a military cap, seemingly dozing off.
“You have nothing to do? Then see if you can get the party scene footage in here.
Before we start fighting, let everyone listen to Miss Serena sing!”
“You actually want to see Fina host, don’t you?” Annie took off her military cap, licked the corner of her mouth in a very carnivorous way, and chuckled.
“Check your helm! The lives of the entire ship are in your hands! Get a grip!” Yu Lian said exasperatedly.
“I’ve checked it several times already.
Besides, every time I go to the race track, I have to close my eyes and meditate for twenty minutes!
That’s how I set the record of 82 minutes on the Siberian light rail! Don’t talk to me now!” Annie shouted.
Miss Romanova, who was still just a Russian girl, burst out with the aura of a Russian grandmother at this moment, and Yu Lian decided not to bother with her.
Of course, all of the above was just a final formality.
Yu Lian and his companions were, after all, future SR or even SSRs, and after three months of training by a certain someone, they had forcibly awakened the attributes of “serious, responsible, and rigorous.”
In short, after the final check, everyone confirmed that the status was perfect.
Even Gongsun Qing, who had been in a dazed state, stated in the hangar that her power exoskeleton, used to simulate an Emblem Machine, was in perfect condition.
“But it’s too strange to simulate spiritual energy effects with various sensors!
Why not get a real one? I’ve always wanted to try one.”
If you’re preparing to join the military, never mind trying, you could get a few to play with!
If it weren’t for everyone thinking you’d become an Imperial Count in the future, Uncle Wang next door would probably have been eager to win you over long ago.
Then, it was time to prepare for departure.
He was actually a little excited.
One must know that in his previous life, the most subordinates he had commanded were only about fifty, and the largest ship was the Free Ship with more than thirty pirates, no, more than thirty rangers.
But now, the Red Tiger already had over three hundred people.
Yu Lian was not yet twenty-two years old, but at least in terms of leadership, he had already surpassed his peak in his previous life.
Yu Lian straightened his military cap, ready to utter a majestic and powerful “Depart!” in the most formal and imposing voice.
But then he heard a “sizzle” behind him, and saw Kou Shan and Luo Ming each carrying a large brass basin into the bridge.
Yu Lian was immediately startled and had a very ominous premonition.
He looked at Liu Li and found that she had changed into a red and white miko outfit at some point, holding a makeup box.
“Does Yu Lian want African or Native American war paint? Or Kabuki makeup?
No matter which, I can do it!”
“Liu, Liu Li… what are you doing!”
“A prayer ceremony for Victory! Doesn’t Yu Lian know?”
“But why me…”
“You are our Captain, our Navigator, and the strongest spiritual energy user!” Zhi Xia said as a matter of course, then magically pulled out a whole row of terrifying Nuo opera masks: “You don’t have to wear makeup! Pick one yourself.”
“Gong, Gongsun Qing?”
“Xiao Qing, she’s still getting familiar with her exoskeleton.
Besides, her ring count is a bit higher than yours, but considering you are the Captain after all, it really requires you to personally take action!”
Yu Lian really wanted to seriously discuss the social harm that feudal superstition could bring, but seeing everyone on the ship looking at him expectantly, he really couldn’t say anything.
“This one…” Yu Lian really couldn’t accept smearing a bunch of greasepaint on his face, and finally pointed to the row of Nuo opera masks, choosing a red-faced Guan Erye.
“May the universe spirit bless our Victory!” Liu Li, dressed in a miko outfit, started swaying around the bridge with a Kagura suzu, then pulled out a handful of beans from her sleeve and scattered them into the air.
Yu Lian’s face was covered in black lines, and he simply gave up, taking a paper-mâché Green Dragon Crescent Blade from the pile of offerings Lilia brought over.
He performed a vigorous display, drawing cheers, before finally throwing the large blade into the brazier.
“Pray for Victory!” Zhi Xia clenched her small fist and shouted, “Our army will win!”
“Victory!” The crew’s chuunibyou-like battlelust surged, almost tearing off the bridge’s dome.
Then, because he was wearing a mask, Yu Lian could now roll his eyes with impunity while throwing paper-mâché offerings like the Golden Cudgel, Xing Tian’s Axe, Thor’s Hammer, and Athena’s Spear, one by one, into the fire.
“Victory! Victory! Victory!” The crew’s morale soared even higher.
At this moment, Daina also brought the last offering, the “Goddess of Victory of Aurora” doll, and handed it to Yu Lian.
It must be said that this doll was far inferior in craftsmanship to the one from the Outer Rim fleet; it was completely the difference between a street stall item and a brand-name store product.
Even the head-to-body ratio was poorly done; it wasn’t cute enough to be a Q-version and its head was too big to be a standard version.
Yet, even so, holding this blonde, blue-eyed doll in a princess dress, looking at its crookedly stitched features and soulless green eyes, Yu Lian still felt a bit unnerved.
He gritted his teeth, about to throw the doll into the fire, when he suddenly heard Zhi Xia shout loudly, “Hold the fire!”
“…”
“Ah, sorry, I watched too many costume dramas yesterday, got a bit mixed up.” Zhi Xia stuck out her small tongue, then said, “Yu Lian, I just remembered, we haven’t named our ship yet.”
“Name?”
“Yes, the exercise directors and supervisors will refer to us as the Red Tiger, and Wien’s Blue Faction will be the same.
But we need to give our ship a formal name ourselves! Soon, she will be our comrade!
If she doesn’t have a name, even if the universe spirit wants to bless her, it can’t!”
“…Hmm, indeed, the ship’s name is very important!” Yu Lian pondered for a moment, feeling that what she said made some sense.
“Then, you decide the ship’s name,” Zhi Xia said.
Yu Lian paused for a second, then slammed his hand hard on the captain’s chair in front of him and loudly declared, “Good! Then let’s call her the Red Tiger.”
“…”
“Don’t think this name sounds a bit ordinary! I tell you, this name represents historical facts, causal laws, physical and mathematical constants, and even the respect for the rules of the entire plane, the entire world!
It is truly a god-tier ship name with a causal strike effect!”
“But, Yu Lian, I think our ship’s name could actually be a bit more elegant.
Because everyone, and Yu Lian, are elegant people!” Liu Li, uncharacteristically, wanted to offer an opinion, saying seriously, “So, why not call her Snow…”
“That one, and only that one, is not allowed!
Anyway, I’m calling her the Red Tiger! Who agrees, who objects?”
Since even the great deity had jumped, Yu Lian felt he had lost quite a few things that weren’t too important, and simply decided to completely let himself go.
Thus, he asserted his dictatorial will and finally settled on the ship’s name.
“May the universe spirit grant us Victory! May the Red Tiger achieve immediate success!” He raised his fist and said to everyone.
Then he threw the doll into the great fire.
Perhaps due to the material, the doll burned much faster than last time, turning to ash in no time.
“Where the aurora is, there is the protection of the Goddess of Victory!”
This was probably a good omen.
Although everyone still had various opinions about the ship’s name, their morale was soaring.
“Red Tiger, invincible! Red Tiger, respected by the plane!” Yu Lian loudly chanted the slogan.
“Red Tiger, invincible! Red Tiger, respected by the plane!” Although everyone was a bit confused, humans are, after all, incurably conformist creatures, and they couldn’t help but join in the chanting.
Amidst this sound, the Red Tiger, officially named the “Red Tiger,” slowly sailed out of the lunar military port.
Sailing out alongside her, of course, was the Blue Faction’s ship.
He wondered what name Wien had given it.
Given that guy’s character, names like “Blue Emperor,” “Victory,” or “Most Sacred Honor” were all possible.
Thinking about it this way, the Red Tiger really did have more taste, didn’t it?
Just as the young people, driving one red and one blue ship, left the military port and began to head towards the exercise point near the Azure Princess, a small transport ship was also approaching the enormous cruiser, which was like a fortress.
The passengers on the transport ship sat silently in their seats, hidden in the dim light.
The staff on the Azure Princess also received a docking request from the ship.
“They say it’s food, fresh produce, and drinks?”
“That’s right, there’ll definitely be a banquet after the party ends.
But, is it this early?”
“The ship’s code is indeed correct, hmm, it is indeed the transport ship scheduled to deliver ingredients.
Let the security robots go check it.
If there’s no risk, let them dock.
It’s good to start preparations early.”
“Understood.”