Chapter 61

Chapter 61

In the year 7325 of the interstellar era, the long-dormant official account of the Fourth Legion suddenly came online, struggling like a revived corpse, and posted a video.

The video content is as follows:

The former aide of General Dempsey Ped of the Fourth Legion, Putian Xiangri, stood in front of the camera, holding General Dempsey's military medal in one hand and a projector in the other.

Behind him was a massive screen displaying the content he was playing.

A black mech, brandishing a katana, raising it, swinging it down, piercing. The singular motion repeated incessantly in the frame, with the thick green blood and shrieks forming an eternal backdrop to the action.

The only variables were the scenes he was in and the types of the insectoids.

He was a towering giant, forever standing before the abyss, thwarting the onslaught of the waves.

He was like a machine unaware of pain or fatigue, eternally swinging his blade, slaying and slaying again. The thick aura of killing intent seeped from each of his movements, sending a chill through the viewer even across the video.

And as the thick green blood splattered, every viewer of this video clearly recognized that the target of this steel giant's chilling murderous intent was those vile, ugly insectoids, those that treated humans as food!

All the chill turned into boiling blood in the chest at this realization, buzzing like a swarm of bees, eager to make noise.

This was the hero protecting them at the frontlines!

He moved from one planet to another, delving into the insect swarms, to the brink of life and death, all to secure the safety of those behind the lines!

The footage was violent and bloody, yet everyone couldn't take their eyes off it, staring fixedly at the video.

And such imagery abruptly stopped after five minutes.

Facing the camera, Putian Xiangri spoke in a steady voice, "As everyone has seen, this individual’s merits are all recorded in these videos. Every insectoid he has slain, every S-class planet he has reclaimed, it's all genuine. I believe few of our contemporaries can match him, and even General Dempsey, if he were alive, would praise him for his excellence as a soldier."

Indeed.

A chorus of agreement echoed in the hearts of everyone watching the video.

Nearly all of the previous generation of generals had passed away, and among the contemporary ones, he was the sole individual to have reclaimed S-class planets.

Even General Cheng Jiu, who suddenly appeared in the public eye two years ago and now presides over the Ninth Legion with growing renown.

Yet, he is young. To have achieved so much, the term "excellent" is far from sufficient praise.

In the video, Putian Xiangri continued to speak.

"The reputation of this individual is likely already known to those viewing this video. Indeed, he was a standout among military academy students even before joining the Fourth Legion. He bears an unenviable and ridiculed defect across the star systems, one that prevents him from being an ordinary guide. Yet, he is a guide, and not just any guide. As a guide, he is seen as disabled and unqualified in the eyes of many. As a soldier, however, he is unparalleled and unprecedented."

"His achievements are more than enough to warrant a promotion to general. However, for a guide to become a general is unprecedented. Naturally, a legion led by a guide is also unheard of. But after repeated deliberations within our military, and after collecting a wealth of opinions from senior officers and rank-and-file soldiers alike, it is unanimously believed that Colonel Lin Fu possesses the ability to break this precedent."

"Therefore, on behalf of numerous officers of the Fourth Legion, I make this declaration to the council and to the public: we will wholeheartedly support Colonel Lin Fu’s promotion to general and his ascension to command of the Fourth Legion."

The public was astounded!

It seemed as if the entire star network exploded overnight, with everyone discussing this matter.

Military affairs typically don't involve civilians and are not readily disclosed to them. Civilians usually only see generals after their appointments are confirmed, during the awarding ceremonies held by the council.

The Fourth Legion actually made a public declaration!

This suddenly gave the populace a sense of participation, as if their words could influence the military, and their support was a reason for Lin Fu's promotion.

Besides, Lin Fu was truly exceptional, so much so that everyone who saw his battlefield videos could overlook the divide between guides and sentinels, remembering only that he is a soldier.

He must become the general of the Fourth Legion! Every civilian of the empire would support this!

The Fourth Legion brought this matter into the open, catching the council off guard.

They weren't fond of secrecy, so before clashing with the council, they simply lifted the veil first, leaving no place to hide for anyone involved in the matter.

The opinion of the civilians might not seem significant, but a united civilian sentiment is crucial.

If this matter isn't handled well, the vast number of civilians will seriously question their fairness, even doubt the frontlines, leading to concerns about their own safety and resulting in a severe backlash.

……

Inside the council hall, people filled both sides of the long conference table, their expressions grave, their teeth clenched in frustration.

At the topmost council, an elder's face, lined with wrinkles, trembled slightly, his cloudy, heavy-lidded eyes finally widening as he intently watched the black mecha's maneuvers in the video, with the creatures' desperate shrieks filling the silent space of the council room.

The Fourth Legion had uploaded Lin Fu's battle footage to the council, petitioning for his promotion to commander.

Still acting first and reporting later on the StarNet, such a cunning manipulation of public opinion!

His lips quivered as he watched the mecha land on the snowy planet through the 3D holographic projection, cutting down insects with ease as if slicing vegetables, his facial wrinkles trembling even more intensely.

Someone banged on the table in disbelief, "This is impossible! He's just a guide! The video must be fake!"

Others hurriedly agreed, "Exactly! The news of the S-class planet being reclaimed has not even been verified. Who knows if it's true or false?"

"All you need is a skilled technician, and these videos can be completely fabricated!"

The Speaker of the Parliament looked at them and asked, "Falsify battle videos? And pass the StarNet Central System's verification?"

A council member choked, "Once... Cheng Su could do it, couldn't she? She has faked it several times, and not once did the Central System detect any issues..." His voice gradually faded.

The Speaker looked at them coldly, "If this is fake, do you know what it means?"

He slammed the table, "It means there's a second Cheng Su out there! Do you really think the Central System is so easily deceived!?"

Compared to the absurd possibility of a second Cheng Su, he'd rather hope the video is real.

He caught his breath, turned off the 3D projection, and half-closed his eyes, "Where is the Fourth Legion's fleet now?"

A council member, with a stiff face, said, "They have arrived 392 light-years away, and after four wormhole jumps, they will reach the Imperial Star... They are still aboard the battleship from three years ago."

Three years ago, they attempted to eliminate Lin Fu and Albert Harvey, but instead suffered the loss of a squad and a battleship.

The Speaker's hands trembled again.

He opened his eyes and after a long pause said, "Connect to the Imperial Palace's video communication."

*

In the star domain 392 light-years away from the Imperial Capital Star, a fleet was speeding.

It consisted of a flagship, three secondary ships, and five auxiliary vessels.

Such a formation was nearly invincible in the universe. If war were to break out, nearby planets could be destroyed.

On the flagship, Lin Fu was dressed in a dark green military uniform.

He leaned back in his chair, his crisp attire outlining his not-so-robust figure, his shoulders visibly slender.

His left leg rested atop his right, his jet-black military boots encasing his calves, sculpting an impressive silhouette.

Yet, not a soul in the cockpit dared describe him with a word as tender as "handsome."

Fearing a beating.

It wasn't just bluster; Colonel Lin could take on twenty of them without even breaking a sweat.

Lin Fu’s head was slightly bowed, his attention on the latest happenings on StarNet.

This was a rare moment of leisure in recent years; he needed to keep abreast of the current affairs on StarNet to navigate the political currents upon his return to the Imperial Capital Star.

Most of the data had already been uploaded into his cyber-brain by Putian Xiangri early in the morning, but witnessing the discourse on StarNet firsthand felt different.

As he scrolled through the comment section, he saw someone promoting a fan edit shipping him with the Crown Prince, with many hailing it as "adorably sweet," affirming the "comeback CP" as real.

Lifting a fingertip, he clicked into the video. Its light, refreshing music coupled with fragmented edits deliberately connected ambiguous scenes to spin a narrative of "You govern in the rear, I protect you on the frontline."

Him? Protect the Crown Prince?

If he didn’t decapitate the Crown Prince upon their next meeting, it would already be a testament to his restraint.

The consequence of such orchestrated hype meant that wherever his name appeared on StarNet, there were bound to be comments about how well-suited he and the Crown Prince were. Accidentally, Lin Fu stumbled into a fan fiction section about him and Simon Constans, which significantly soured his mood.

It was somewhat nauseating.

The emergence of such a situation was inextricably linked to the workings of the royal family.

The officers pacing back and forth in the cockpit noticed his grim expression, and one tentatively inquired, "Colonel, did you come across some unfavorable comments?"

Lin Fu responded, "I'm contemplating how to clarify a scandal."

An officer, catching on, suggested, "You mean the rumors with the Crown Prince? It's actually quite simple to handle. Don’t you have a platform account? Just issue a clarification statement there."

Lin Fu nodded but made no move to act.

Simply clarifying his side of the story is not enough.

Besides, he was so disgusted that he wouldn't let the matter slide easily without making the royal family pay a price.

As the neural implant flickered, Putian Xiangri suddenly sent a message.

"Colonel, according to reports, Major Harvey, Captain Tang, and Captain Zhong all fled from CT62 star recently. They knocked out the star's highest commander and secretly crossed the border in a flight vehicle. They were spotted in the Sokal star system half a month ago but quickly vanished. Should we commence a search immediately?"

Lin Fu's lips tightened in a straight line, not expecting Albert and his two companions to knock someone out and escape.

The flight vehicle simply couldn't support prolonged space travel; they had to land on a planet and hitch a ride to their destination aboard a civilian military ship.

The destination...

Lin Fu spoke gravely, "Announce publicly that I am en route to the Imperial Capital Star to prepare for the parliamentary review. Also, keep an eye on the Harvey family's movements and advise them against rash actions."