Chapter 517: Establishing Authority

The scene instantly became lively; this was quite a bold statement. The crowd began discussing it animatedly, though Maxis and the others didn't pay much mind. The three of them drank their water. "This isn't Li Ge's usual style, taking the initiative to attack."

"Hmm, it is indeed a bit different, but I find the Starship Department folks rather annoying too. I suppose our Mecha Department and theirs just don't get along," Basta waved his hand. "One against four, it's not much of a problem."

"They really don't know how deep Li Ge's waters run. Just wait and watch the show. I'm looking forward to it, though it's a pity we didn't prepare snacks and beer."

"I'll go get some in a bit, I'm hungry anyway," Maxis laughed. He was also very relaxed. It wasn't that he looked down on these people; the Golden Zone manifests differently in space than on a planet. These people's abilities would certainly be better suited for aerial combat. Some abilities of the Mecha Department cannot be utilized in space and might even cause self-harm. Of course, there are also bonuses, but regardless of the form, it takes time to adapt.

However, their opponent was Li Hao.

The words of Maxis and the others naturally caused considerable discomfort among the Starship Department members.

"It's fine, you can all come at once. If you win, I'll give up my position. You can decide among yourselves who becomes the Vice Captain. After all, my physical fitness is good, and since everyone just finished training, I'm taking advantage," Li Hao said with a smile, making it seem as if he didn't want to take the position.

Solomon had already prepared food and drinks; these refreshments were fully stocked in the lounge. Alcohol was not allowed during training periods. He occupied a good spot for watching the battle and waved at Maxis and the others, "Everything is ready over here."

Maxis and the others didn't stand on ceremony. "One-on-one, Li Ge probably has no interest." The Starship Department members on the side glared, watching a bunch of mecha soldiers acting arrogant here.

Ace's eyes sharpened as he stared at Li Hao. It was clear the other party truly didn't take them seriously, as if one against four was a sure thing. However, since the other party requested it, and was being so arrogant, wouldn't he be a bit too foolish if he didn't agree?

"Li Hao, since you requested it yourself, I won't be polite. But let's get this straight: don't whine if you lose later," Ace said coldly. He would first join forces to take down Li Hao; the remaining three would be no match for him.

The two sides entered the preparation stage. There were simulation training pods right here in the training room, but a one-on-four match still caused a sensation throughout the entire warship. Many crew members came over to join the fun, and not only that, many people began notifying their friends.

Kuangfeng was a very special existence within the entire fleet. Elena herself was a star Captain. This time, with the arrival of Aofei, plus the fact that most of the elites from the Starship Department and Mecha Department had gone to Kuangfeng, they might not have felt it much themselves, but other warships were discussing it. Some even felt that this warship must be shouldering some secret mission. Of course, more were just sighing at being able to breathe the same air as Aofei. Ever since winning the Starship S Tournament championship, Aofei had completely transformed, with a huge crowd of fanboys and fangirls. Who knows how many people had pulled strings to get into Kuangfeng during this time... it seemed only Solomon succeeded; one can only say that money power is still useful, though it's unknown how much he donated.

The personal communicators of Maxis, Basta, and the others began to chime. Dumela was the same. There really weren't many from Titan qualified to participate in this expedition, and even if they came, most were directly in the landing troops. It was impossible to get into a main warship. Dumela entering Kuangfeng was also a unique case; it was basically confirmed that she would be Titan's future public face, with a limitless future.

Li Hao's communicator also rang. "Second Brother, are those little brats causing trouble? I'll go hammer them to death," Cheng Konghai said, with a group of howling muscle men behind him.

"What kind of mess is this?" Li Hao was completely bewildered.

"We heard you just finished training and four top Starship Department warriors want to gang up on you. Damn it, these Starship softies only know how to bully the few with the many! We're coming over to beat them up every day, these brats just need a thrashing!"

"If it's about numbers, who's afraid of whom!"...

The crowd was impassioned. Li Hao was bewildered. What the hell was this situation? It had only been a few minutes, how could everyone know? In an instant, multiple versions had already appeared: Mecha god insulted? Puppet God can't adapt to space combat and is being beaten? Puppet is seasick and can't even stand... Puppet molested

Goddess Aofei is being hammered...

"That's not it, this is an internal sparring match. I requested it myself, don't add fuel to the fire!" Li Hao hurriedly explained. "It's absolutely true. You guys should use your words, not your fists. We are all comrades on the same warship; millions of people meeting on one ship, this is fate."

"Damn, should've said so earlier. Then it's fine. Puppet God, hammer them! Just these types, one against a hundred!" "Is a hundred even enough to watch? They really don't know the power of the God!"

"Even if you add up everyone in the entire fleet, they might not be enough for Puppet God to beat up!"

"They've been acting as proud as roosters one by one, they really should be taken down a peg!"

It was clear that Cheng Konghai had integrated very well. A large group of Mobile Suit warriors surrounded him, outputting all sorts of things. Li Hao could only offer a few polite words; this bragging was something he couldn't even keep up with.

In fact, inside Kuangfeng, the confrontation was completely within a controlled range. If nothing else, everyone had reached a certain height in their respective fields, so they had that much measure. Besides, Aofei was still there, and no one would do anything that would cause a loss of face. It was just that the outside world didn't see it that way. The conflict between the Mecha Department and the Starship Department had long existed, and neither looked down on the other. In the past, they were each responsible for their own area, but this time they were put together. Inside every fleet, they were fighting under the guise of sparring. But in space, in the field of space mecha combat, the Starship Department's specialty meant they basically won more and lost less, and the difference was still quite significant.

Originally, the Starship Department members considered themselves a cut above, and having won in mecha sparring, they certainly made the mecha warriors feel depressed to death. If you wanted to compare land mecha with them, they wouldn't even accept it. But they were unwilling, holding a belly full of anger. They were all on an expedition fighting for Human, so why should land mecha pilots be a cut below?

And now that Puppet God was about to make a move, most of the warships knew about it in a moment and were inviting others to watch.

Captain Elena didn't take this kind of sparring seriously. To put it bluntly, in her eyes, the reserves were just students who needed tempering. This time was mainly for learning, and they didn't even need to participate in actual combat. However, she still underestimated Li Hao's influence. In an instant, her communicator was also ringing non-stop. Several familiar captains were inviting her to connect the signal to watch this sparring match.

Elena could only agree. She glanced at Aofei, "Li Hao is afraid he's going to run into some trouble. These people's aerial combat levels are in the top ten of the Alliance."

Elena knew Aofei thought highly of Li Hao. She actually also had a good impression of this young man. A person who could withstand such a prosperous NUP and lead a declining team like Tianjing Mecha to win the S Tournament championship was simply a myth. If it hadn't happened, she wouldn't have believed it at all. What was quite magical was that this person wasn't a sharp-edged young man, which was very interesting. Internal sparring was fine regardless of win or loss, but once other warships were connected, the flavor changed. The issue between the Army and the Air Force had long existed and involved very complex problems of interest distribution. Li Hao was effectively caught in the middle.

"Captain, he is different." A Youyou was full of confidence in Li Hao; after all, this was a man who could fly.

This news soon made Kuangfeng boil over. Li Hao, Ace, and the others were also a bit surprised; they were just having a simple internal competition.

This attention was natural. They were very strong and had great futures, but the Starship S Tournament was highbrow, and the number of people paying attention was far less than the Mecha S-Tournament. Relatively speaking, the contestants were the same; they possessed the benefits of actual promotion, but mecha was different. Deep down, men could not resist the charm of land mecha.

Defeating Li Hao would make all the mecha soldiers in the fleet become obedient, and even make them recognize the status quo: this era was the era of the Air Force, and the mecha grunts should just follow behind and pick up the scraps.

The news continued to spread, not only throughout the Hanxing Fleet but even to other fleets. A long interstellar journey always required something to do. Unexpectedly, the ceiling of the reserves was about to clash. Although Aofei had won the Starship S Tournament championship, the most powerful in space mecha were Anluo Dan and Ace. The battle that was about to start was delayed for half an hour.

In the training room, Li Hao, Anluo Dan, Ace, Saiweilin, Aputa, and Zhang Guyu were all quite calm. They were all people who had seen the world, but they were clearly much more excited than before. Among young people, who would complain about having too many opportunities to make a name for themselves?

"Guyu, Saiweilin, Aputa, let me have the first battle. I originally wanted to educate him on his arrogant temper, but now the situation has changed, and we cannot tarnish the reputation of the Starship Department. If I lose, you guys decide what to do," Ace said. In such a situation, four against one, winning was still losing. He didn't mean to underestimate Li Hao; otherwise, with his status, it was unlikely he would accept a four-on-one situation. The outward calmness was just on the surface. He had watched the Mecha S-Tournament in its entirety, and he also felt a powerful threat. Even if they weren't in the same field, he knew the other party was not to be trifled with. It was just that they hadn't fought, so he was definitely unconvinced.

Anluo Dan was very calm. He was truly calm. Having been ranked first in total aerial combat for two consecutive years, his dominance in the Starship Department was much stronger, and he had the confidence to match.

Zhang Guyu, Saiweilin, and Aputa looked at each other and nodded, "Senior, you still need to be careful. He might have practiced in this area."

"Ace, this guy is very good at Hovering and Void Sway, which shows he has considerable proficiency in a state of Weightlessness. Don't go easy on him; I'm looking forward to working with you," Anluo Dan laughed. He really hoped Ace would take Li Hao down directly, which would save him the trouble.

Ace nodded, "I won't tarnish the reputation of our Starship Department."

Chao Qinglong, Aofei, Luo Bi, and others were very excited to hear this news, each leading a group of brothers waiting for the battle to begin. The glory of the S Tournament and the pride of the Army seemed to have suddenly lost their roots once they reached the warship. They hadn't had a good time during this period, fully experiencing the inexplicable sense of superiority of the Air Force. Chao Qinglong and the others were not bad at aerial combat, winning and losing, but the inability to change the situation of prejudice made them feel even more stifled, while the mecha warriors who participated in the war were already used to it.

"I can't tell, Li Hao actually has quite a lot of prestige among the warriors," Elena said strangely. Aofei on the side was also a bit curious why the Captain would say such a thing.

Seeing Aofei's curiosity, Elena opened her communicator, "This is the situation of all the fleets, especially the landing transport ships, they are already boiling. Is the influence of the S Tournament this big now?"

In the image, countless warriors were cheering and shouting. In this expedition, besides deploying a massive number of anti-air warships, there were also a large number of transport ships. The Four Great War Zones had all dispatched their most elite land mecha troops. After the Air Force secured air superiority, they still had to rely on the landing troops for ground combat.

And the idol of all land mecha pilots was Li Hao.

In the footage, the warriors were all cheering for Li Hao, waving their fists. The number of people conquered by Li Hao's performance in the S Tournament went far beyond ordinary spectators; there were also active-duty warriors. They weren't participating in this expedition for idols like Aofei, like the Air Force; they were going to fight alongside the War God.

Because on the battlefield, such a leader could lead them to survive and move toward victory. Aofei was also a bit curious, "Are Maxis and Basta like this too?"

"If they had this kind of appeal, I wouldn't be surprised. The S Tournament is aimed at military academy reserves. Although active-duty warriors also like to watch, it has never happened that it reached this level," Elena said.

She couldn't figure it out, and not just her; the captains of other warships were the same. High and mighty, they were used to glory, the iron camp and the flowing champions. But in the past, they were all powerhouse champions, and the championship configurations were the elite of the elite. However, Tianjing Mecha was different. Except for the Wu Family having some reputation, it was actually quite limited. Zuo Xiaotang, Ma Long, Zhou Naiyi, Cheng Konghai, and even Huo Ying, who was injured in the Mid-Season Tournament while competing for the S Tournament spot—these were all well-known after winning the championship. What kind of warriors were they before the S Tournament?

And Li Hao led such warriors to win the championship. Active-duty warriors already possessed mature personalities and knew very well that being strong alone was useless; at most, one was just a vanguard. But being strong and able to lead teammates to be strong was the true leader.

Undoubtedly, among active-duty warriors, Li Hao was the true leader. It wasn't pieced together by powerhouse academies. That kind of team and the kind of team led by Li Hao's Tianjing Mecha were in two different realms.

This was a person who could help his brothers, protect his brothers, and lead everyone forward together. Such a person was worthy of leading them!

People sitting in high positions for a long time often overestimate their own charm and ignore the ordinary warriors.

But in reality, the eyes of the warriors were sharp; they knew who the true powerhouse was.

Maxis, Basta, Fan Liweite, and so on—their personal strength was strong, but in terms of leadership, they were a hundred and eight thousand miles behind Li Hao. This was the perception of the active-duty warriors. Many warriors longed to fight alongside Li Hao, but they didn't have such an opportunity. And when they learned that Li Hao was going to challenge the top combat power of the Starship Department, one could imagine what their emotions were.

In their hearts, Li Hao had already become their spokesperson. The grievances they suffered, this person would definitely help them get back! Warriors actually wanted very little.

The news of this duel was still spreading, and more people were joining in. Whether it was the mecha troops or the starship troops, they all wanted to see who was stronger.

First match, Ace vs Li Hao.

Aisi Gelan, representative of the Starship Department at Eternal Academy, also held firm ties within the NUP fleet. Seniors looked after juniors, forming a legacy that gradually built power within the military. As a prestigious institution on the Moon, Eternal Star War Academy naturally wielded great influence, and Aisi was naturally the focus of much attention. Had it not been for the Galaxy producing a Dan Emperor, Aisi would have been the commander of this generation. Even so, in Anluo Dan's debut year, he was heavily suppressed by Aisi, and the two were known as the peerless twins of the starship field in this era.

At this moment, countless warriors on the fleet sailing majestically through the universe opened their Skycoms to watch this battle. Both sides began to select their own air combat Mobile Suits.

Manufacturers of air combat Mecha mainly came from several major military industrial enterprises of the NUP. Although Earth had production capabilities, after decades of struggling, it had gradually abandoned the competition in the field of air combat Mecha. Mars and TAS could be automatically ignored. This time, the Expeditionary Army was equipped with air combat Mobile Suits currently in service with the various major NUP fleets.

Upon feeling the attention, Aisi Gelan's desire for battle exploded. He loved grand scenes and was born for them. Countless officers and warriors of this expedition were watching; it was an absolute opportunity to show his face.

Aisi directly brought out his signature—the Obsidian 009 air combat Mecha. This signature Super Mobile Suit constantly possessed powerful space performance and was full of firepower. At the same time, it also possessed transformation capabilities, capable of switching between Mobile Suit and fighter jet forms. It was the pride of NUP military industry; upon its release, it directly garnered countless praises from the air force, and its actual combat performance was also stunning.

Obsidian 009 (NUP)

Configuration: 60-ton class, light type air combat Mecha

Dual-Engine Nuclear Fission Drive, K23 Titanium Blade, K23 Titanium Shield, Shoulder Laser Cannon

Loaded Thunder Missile System, Wing Deformation System, Obsidian Energy Defense System, Laser Gun

Everyone was looking at the famous "Puppet," but in terms of fame, Li Hao was definitely the greatest. This was also the only advantage of the Mecha Department; people liked watching the battles of ground-combat Mecha.

However, when Li Hao selected the Black Night Saber, the entire fleet went quiet for a moment, followed immediately by the air force bursting into uncontrollable laughter, while the army side fell completely silent.

What was going on? Did he habitually pick the wrong one?

"This ground-combat master seems to have not yet walked out of the halo of the S Tournament. This is space, and he's still picking the Black Night Saber? Is he joking?" "Ten to one he picked the wrong one; where would anyone pick a ground-combat Mecha for a space battle?"

"Perhaps his Mecha pool really only has the Black Night Saber and the Fries Brothers. Compared to the Fries Brothers, the Black Night Saber's performance is a bit better." "Could there be a possibility that we overestimated him, and too much glory has made him lose his head?"

Li Hao's choice was very impulsive, and he had no intention of changing it. Let alone ordinary warriors, even those at the Captain level who were watching became interested. Almost everyone thought Li Hao had some skill with air combat Mecha. No matter how bad the USE was, it was still an old-fashioned federation; it had also released a few air combat Mecha, and they could be used if one made do. Ground-combat Mecha could theoretically also fight in space; after all, the propulsion principles were similar, and the prototypes of air combat Mecha were also ground-combat Mecha. There were many aspects of improvement, such as the exterior design—conditions in a vacuum and conditions with air were different. For example, the transformation capability possessed by the Obsidian fighter was not just for show; it could truly produce diverse combat styles, and at the same time, it had stronger adaptability. Landing

on local warships was also completely adaptable. In terms of drive, it was also more flexible and agile. The frequency and speed of space warfare were faster, and the influence of inertia had to be considered more. A series of such detailed changes would directly affect the quality of the battle.

Theoretically, ground-combat Mecha could fight in space, but in reality, they couldn't beat air combat Mecha when facing them. The human's role in Mecha combat was core assistance, while the Mecha was the key; this was the basic philosophy of the air force.

Zhuang Zhou was excited. He was one of the embedded reporters. Thanks to being the discoverer of the Puppet, he had also become famous in the military academy's journalism major. Along with the Tianjing Martial Arts' victory in the S Tournament, his insight and discovery ability naturally received much attention, and this time he also obtained the opportunity to participate in the expedition. Student Zhuang Zhou was just not afraid of trouble; of course he had to go. Moreover, his intuition told him that this expedition would have big news. It was just that his Precognition ability was limited and he couldn't perceive it more clearly, but as the expedition approached, he might be able to have a more explicit perception.

It was just that after arriving at the warship, one could clearly feel the air force's contempt for the army. It was just that this topic was forbidden; the higher-ups wanted to resolve it, but this involved military reform.

Zhuang Zhou was excited. He knew the Puppet God definitely wanted to do something big. He must have wanted to prove it for the army. The reason for choosing the Black Night Saber was to tell everyone that the army was not a coward, not someone who followed behind the air force's butt to pick up scraps.

He thought of it, and soon many warriors thought of it. They didn't think this was just some simple sparring. Li Hao must have wanted to stand up for everyone, which was why he wanted to fight. And choosing the Black Night Saber made his stance even clearer—this was a battle of proof for ground-combat Mecha. We can not only fight on land, but the same is true in the air; it's just that the professions are different, and the division of labor is different.

Everyone has only one life; whose is cheaper than whose?

The battle hadn't even started, but the warriors' hearts were already boiling. This emotion was spreading. Li Hao was effectively betting the reputation of an S-Tournament Champion to try and salvage the dignity of ground-combat pilots.

"Li Hao has backbone, but he's a bit irrational. If the opponent were an average warrior, he could really win with his technique and ability," Elena said. It was right for a young person to have that kind of hot blood in their heart, but could he bear the consequences of failure?

A Youyou's Starry Eyes radiated a sweet light. She just liked this incredible boldness and courage of Li Hao. He was usually timid, but he would always inadvertently radiate a man's leader-like dominance.

Even the usually calm Wuzang was clenching his fists. He knew what Hao Ge was doing. Having experienced the difference between the air force and the army, he had been holding back anger during this period.

Zhou Naiyi and Ma Long were assigned to the same place. Ma Long was "in the camp of Cao, but his heart was in Han." Although he would be a bit smug, when he truly arrived in the fleet, he didn't have the airs of the Starship Department at all. Plus, having made a name for himself in the Mecha S-Tournament, Ma Laoshi also had quite a lot of supporters in the army. "Lucky No. 6" was everyone's affectionate nickname for him. The two saw this scene and looked at each other. Based on their understanding of Li Hao, in all likelihood, Li Hao just... picked it randomly and didn't think that much at all.

But a warrior, in the end, still had to decide the outcome on the battlefield. Everyone was sweating for Li Hao.

Both sides entered the space battlefield. Two Mobile Suits appeared on the surface of a cruiser in space. Black Night Saber vs Obsidian 009.

The Obsidian fighter's engine roared, and it took off directly, flying toward the Black Night Saber in the distance. The Black Night fighter entered the battlefield, the engine started, and the Mecha shook for a moment. Far from it—ground-combat Mecha could also fight in space, but without the balance and stability system of air combat Mecha, there was truly a huge difference in control difficulty and habits.

*Zeng zeng zeng*...

Lasers roared. Aisi didn't intend to give Li Hao time to adapt. Showing off had a price. Li Hao wanted to stand up for ground-combat pilots and wanted to be in the limelight; he could likewise prove the name of air combat Mecha. Not everyone could cross domains.

The Obsidian fighter's back wings unfolded, and the missile system was activated directly. *Zeng zeng zeng zeng*, more than ten missiles soared into the sky, cooperating with the laser gun's matrix point-fire to kill toward the Black Night Saber.

The Black Night fighter's engine roared, rushing directly into space at high speed. Greeting it were the brilliant stars of the sky and... missiles. In mid-air, two fires were unleashed. *Boom boom boom boom*...

Spiraling takeoff, precise point-fire, accompanied

by violent explosions, all twelve missiles were detonated by the Black Night fighter. At this moment, the Obsidian fighter had also already passed through the flames and arrived with a blade.

*Boom*...

The Black Night fighter was directly blasted away. In space, there was no such friction as on the ground; it relied entirely on the thrust of the Mecha's engine. The Black Night fighter resisted for a moment, but it didn't grasp that feeling well and was directly blasted away, leaving its defenses wide open. The Obsidian 009 succeeded in one move, and its confidence surged. Aisi piloted the Obsidian 009 and cut in at high speed, the K23 Titanium Blade radiating light as it bombarded the Black Night Saber. The Black Night fighter was a bit unable to parry, defending passively, losing the dominance it had on the ground. In space, the Black Night fighter was like duckweed, in a sorry state under the Obsidian fighter's wild attacks. From time to time, it tried to rely on a dash to open up distance, but facing the Obsidian fighter's performance, this opening up was meaningless. Moreover, the tonnage of ground combat meant nothing in space. Plus, the Black Night Saber followed the Ancient Martial Arts School, which seemed lonely and powerless in space where firepower was emphasized. At this time, even having a few missiles would have been able to relieve the pressure.

Aisi was also bursting with confidence. He knew his opponent's resilience was very strong, but he also keenly discovered the other party's awkwardness. For a ground-combat Mecha to maintain balance in space was itself a drain on the pilot; how could it compare to their space pilots who had undergone countless trainings?

*Boom*... *Dang dang dang dang*...

With one blade, it parried, and with an arc-shaped spiral displacement, it killed toward the Black Night Saber's vitals. The Black Night's scabbard suddenly swung, parrying in a rush, and was again subjected to a wild attack by the Obsidian fighter. But don't look at the Black Night Saber swaying; the Obsidian really couldn't break through this stable defense.

After a little while, Li Hao was able to adapt. It was his first time fighting a master from the air force, and he was also very curious to see their level. After all, arrogance always had its reasons.

*Pa*...

Facing the pursuing Obsidian fighter, the Black Night fighter began to counterattack. With a spiral drift in the air, it dodged the Obsidian fighter's thrust while slashing out. *Dang*...

A loud explosion, the Mecha clashed, and the two Mobile Suits slammed together. This time, the Black Night Saber did not retreat. Li Hao controlled the Mecha to completely stalemate with the Obsidian 009 in the air. After a bout of confrontation, Aisi roared fiercely, the wing system sprayed flames, suddenly pushing the Black Night Saber away, and at the same time, cut in with a blade as smooth as flowing water. *Peng*~~~

(Two-in-one)