To use Warrant Officer Yu Lian’s hometown dialect, during the rest of the voyage, the Old General was ‘twisting himself into a knot’ the whole way!
General Paris was a very dashing old man. It was said that he arrived alone when he took office, and he was also leaving alone this time, without a single guard or adjutant. Now that he found Warrant Officer Yu Lian so much to his liking, he was naturally full of enthusiasm.
Every day thereafter, whether it was eating, drinking, or eating ice cream, or even fishing, playing cards, or mahjong, the Old General would always drag Warrant Officer Yu Lian along—don't wonder why the Old General's life was so colorful; this was, after all, a luxury cruise ship, so what entertainment facilities could it possibly lack?
Even at six o'clock every morning, the Old General would always call Warrant Officer Yu Lian's room on time to urge him to get up and exercise with him. It was even more punctual than an AI's wake-up service.
“It’s enough for young people to sleep until six o'clock. If you sleep past seven, you're clearly giving up on life! When I was your age, I got up at 4 AM every day. Don't you want to see the starry sky at 4 AM?”
…Aren’t the starry skies at any time the same?
However, such a self-disciplined Old General was indeed admirable. Although he was an old man nearing eighty, he still possessed a physique that would make most young men sweat in shame.
He ran ten kilometers every day, plus various weightlifting exercises, plus various sandbag workouts, and even dragged the combat coaches in the ship's gym into various sparring sessions, tormenting these combat athletes, who were on average fifty years younger than him, to death.
Warrant Officer Yu Lian had to confirm again that General Paris could truly defeat everyone in the Outer Rim Fleet Command HQ except himself, with his bare hands.
Of course, the Old General was reckless but not foolish. Although he had thrown all the coaches of various combat styles in the gym, to the point where he himself was a bit bored, he never came to bother Warrant Officer Yu Lian.
The bored Old General quickly found a new game and dragged Warrant Officer Yu Lian into playing wargames.
Thus, leading a large force of millions of people and thousands of warships in an epic battle in the vast starry river became a mandatory lesson after dinner every day.
The Old General could even eat a large bowl of ice cream while commanding, looking at the cannon fire, explosions, and various “casualty” figures on the screen. It was as if he could only fall asleep that way.
Warrant Officer Yu Lian was miserable but also very happy. Facing this experienced famous general, he could still maintain a win rate of over thirty percent.
To be honest, he didn’t have much confidence in his command ability over large forces. After all, in his previous life, he was just a rogue, so he had no shortage of small-team combat experience, but he truly had no experience leading thousands of troops.
However, looking at the current situation, he seemed to have some talent in this area, and many of his ingenious and tricky maneuvers also received the Old General's approval. Of course, without the systematic and complete military education of this life, and without those solid fundamental skills, tricky maneuvers would all turn into foolish ones.
No matter how much criticism there was outside regarding the “Elite Bureaucrat Group” or the “Moon People,” at least the military education they received was indeed complete and strict.
“It’s strange, you are a spiritual energy user yourself, but you don’t seem to like using spiritual energy users as the core of assault teams for boarding operations. You always prefer to use Armory Ships and Aircraft Carriers for ultra-long-range firepower strikes. But, in previous actual combat, it was also you who suggested I use spiritual energy users for boarding and decapitation, and you even personally executed it!”
“…Perhaps I feel that the assault effect of spiritual energy users leading assault teams is too much influenced by individual quality and too accidental.”
“So, you are actually very confident in your own quality as a spiritual energy user? Heh, I originally thought you were a hypocritical slippery fellow, but arrogance is carved into your bones. Now I understand the reason…”
What reason do you understand?
“Also, the combat power of spiritual energy users simulated by computers is not perfect. Even when playing wargames, I still hope to align as much as possible with reality,” Warrant Officer Yu Lian added.
“I always feel you’re not telling the truth.” The Old General pondered for a moment and said, “You should also be a firepower faction, right? Believing that larger warships, and more dense and fierce firepower, can determine victory.”
…Uh, actually, I am the most steadfast Titan and Colossus faction. Like the Alliance, it’s great that they exploded with over 200 Dreadnoughts, over 50 Titans, and twelve Colossuses fifty years later.
What tactics, what factions, what ideologies, what Bug Swarm disasters, what Leviathan, what ancient purifications, they are all fleeting clouds!
“Regardless of the inclination, just remember that battlefield situations are ever-changing. Whether you are a firepower faction or an assault faction, just don't go to extremes. However, unconventional tactical thinking often represents the evolution of military science. As a soldier, one should indeed firmly believe in their convictions and strive to prove them,” the Old General commented.
“Hurry up and prepare your graduation thesis. It would truly be a pity if a young fellow like you couldn't get into the Tiger Amulet Group. As for that spiritual energy user team currently being formed, heh, there’s no need to go. You are different from Chaimen and them, and you should take a different path. Which is more important to the country, a brave individual or a military commander, I don't need to nag, do I?”
The Old General ended their last wargame with these words.
The next day was the end of the journey, and also the time for farewells.
As the capital of the Blue Star Commonwealth, Earth and its Solar System were naturally the most prosperous and densely populated star systems in the entire Commonwealth.
Besides Earth, the cradle of humanity, Mercury, Mars, and Europa had been transformed into comfortable habitable planets through super-large-scale planetary engineering. In addition, dense space city clusters, numbering over a thousand, had been built on the Moon, the Asteroid Belt, and even in Saturn's orbit.
Currently, the total permanent population in the Solar System reached over 30 billion, accounting for more than one-tenth of the entire Blue Star Commonwealth.
At 11 AM on January 10th, 830. The Blue Swan slowed down and officially landed at its final destination for this flight, Guanghan City in Moon City.
There was no other way; to protect “the natural environment and historical traditions of the Sacred Mother Planet,” the Commonwealth Government had prohibited outer space passenger ships from directly breaking through the atmosphere and landing on the ground ten years ago.
Of course, considering logistics costs, cargo ships were not included. Environmental protection was insignificant in the face of economic factors.
And of course, some passenger ships with special transit permits were also not included. Environmental protection was even more insignificant in the face of class.
In short, all (unprivileged) passengers preparing to enter Earth had to transfer in Guanghan City, complete immigration procedures, and then take the orbital elevator to enter.
Taking the orbital elevator from the Moon to the ground only added less than an hour. Overall, the public did not have much complaint about this law.
Warrant Officer Yu Lian packed his luggage and disembarked with General Paris. The latter traveled in a first-class cabin bought for him by the Fleet Command HQ, and he used the VIP channel for disembarkation, so he didn't need to queue.
How could a thick-skinned person like Warrant Officer Yu Lian miss such a good opportunity to piggyback on privileges?
“After disembarking, you should return directly to school, right?”
“Yes, I’m already several days late, but fortunately, your subordinate had a valid reason. The school wouldn’t be so displeased with me as to deduct conduct points for this. By the way, Your Excellency, if you have free time, how about coming to my home for a visit sometime?”
“Is your hometown on Earth?”
“Yes, in Jin City, a medium-sized inland city in East Asia. The climate is humid, the scenery is beautiful, and it has a long history, making it very suitable for relaxation. Our family runs a restaurant on Fu Street, which is Jin City’s food street, called Rongxia Restaurant. Its fame naturally can’t compare to those big restaurants that make headlines every year, but if you ask the local gourmets, nine out of ten will praise it.”
After so many days together, Warrant Officer Yu Lian had long figured out the General's temperament. On the surface, he was a stubborn, resolute, and unyielding fierce general, but he was actually a fitness fanatic and an old gourmand, and he didn't like expensive, famous high-end restaurants. He always considered himself an old regular and loved to seek out street flavors.
“Oh, then I’m a bit interested,” the Old General indeed showed a moved expression.
Then, I can hang your photo on the wall to attract business.
Of course, Warrant Officer Yu Lian also genuinely wanted to prepare a grand meal to treat him well. These past few days, although the Old General had forced him to play, he had also truly taught him many things.
Paris smiled, “I’ll consider it. But first, you should think about how you're going to get away later.”
Warrant Officer Yu Lian was a bit confused. However, when he followed the General out of the VIP channel and saw a large group of men and women with microphones and various filming equipment approaching with the momentum of a zombie siege, he instantly understood.
The ones rushing to the front were surprisingly not Earth People, but Alliance reporters: “General Paris, is your dismissal this time to take responsibility for instigating the war? Can this indicate the true attitude of your country and your military towards this incident?”
“General, the hard-won peace has been broken, and innocent lives have been lost. Do you not feel any pangs of conscience?” This reporter, with a cat-like face, gritting his teeth even while asking questions, was clearly from the Kaitai Kingdom.
“General, General, an Elder from the Empire has commented that your side should bear all war crimes for this incident. Is it too lenient that you are merely resigning?” This was a Bakerville reporter, with a pointed nose and monkey-like cheeks, speaking like a cawing crow.
“General, some believe that you were incited by your staff. Is this true? Does this mean that you have completely lost control of the Outer Rim Fleet?” This one was a normal Earth person, but his face was full of the expression, “I want big news.”
“Your Excellency, a group of officers who fantasize about starting a war can now bypass you to command the fleet. Does this mean that we are likely to be dragged into war by these people?”
“General Paris, according to an insider's revelation, you listened to the slander of a certain intern officer. So, what is his relationship with you?”
“General, this incident is a complete counterattack against the Kaitai people’s provocation and aggression! So, what is your assessment of the future border situation in Gibraltar?”
“Your Excellency, I heard that the young brave pioneer who achieved great merit in this battle was a young intern Moon Person. What is your evaluation of him?”
A slightly more normal political reporter finally squeezed in, but the Old General had already lost patience. He raised his eyebrows and looked in Warrant Officer Yu Lian's direction, only to see that the latter had disappeared at some point.
“Slippery little rascal!” General Paris couldn't help but laugh, “See if I don't drink all the wine in your house! Hmm, it's called Rongxia Restaurant, right? Jin City, Fu Street?”
Several guards who had been waiting for a long time struggled to push through the crowd of reporters, escorting General Paris, and quickly got into a small car under the siege of reporters, speeding away.
From beginning to end, the Old General did not say a word.
Warrant Officer Yu Lian truly hadn't expected that one day he would have to use Field Shimmer to escape the siege of reporters. Even after decades of roaming the starry river in his previous life, he had never seen such a scene!
At this moment, carrying his bag, he tiptoed out of the side door of the airport building. He noticed that more reporters were continuously arriving, so he decided to climb over the nearby garden wall and slip away through the side truck passage.
This should allow him to avoid the reporters' blockade, right?
However, when he crossed the wall, he found a man in casual clothes, holding a microphone, smilingly blocking his way. Several sparrow-sized camera drones hovered beside him.
“Hmm, Warrant Officer Yu Lian is scaling the wall and fleeing in a panic, he must know he is in the wrong and cannot answer the reporters' questions.” He said to himself into the microphone.
“…”
Just as Warrant Officer Yu Lian didn't know what expression to make, the man showed a very infectious smile and leaned in with the microphone:
“Yo, handsome young man, you must be Warrant Officer Yu Lian, right? I'm Prince, John Prince, a GNN political reporter. I hope to interview you.”
“…You, how did you appear?”
The man smiled even more brightly: “Haha, I can also do Field Shimmer and stuff. I sensed your spiritual energy fluctuations, so I just followed you over. Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce myself, I am actually a ‘Walker’.”
…This guy is actually one level higher than me.