Chapter 1201: Frontline Intelligence (1)

After the Fengqi woman left, Yingzhou began to observe his surroundings.

At the neighboring table sat three men who looked like workers, talking in low voices.

Their uniforms bore the logo of a mining company.

"Did you hear? The southeast front lost three more planets."

One of them said, his voice kept very low, but Yingzhou's hearing could catch it.

"So fast? Didn't they say last week that they could still hold them?"

The second one asked.

"Hold them? With what?"

The third person sneered.

"Since the war started, how many Star Alliance fleets have been wiped out? Less than half of the main force is usable now. And those Space Marines of the Xiuluo Saint... they aren't even on the same level as opponents."

"My nephew is in the First Frontier Fleet."

The first person said, his voice filled with worry.

"He said their fleet encountered an attack by some 'White Scars' last month, and they lost four Cruisers in two minutes. Those Human warships are ridiculously fast; you can't hit them at all."

White Scars. The legion of the Khan.

Yingzhou's heart stirred.

He knew the Primarchs' rate of advance would be fast, but he hadn't expected it to be this fast.

The Fengkao Shield campaign had ended less than two weeks ago; had the front line already advanced to such a depth?

At a table on the other side sat a young man and woman who looked like students.

They were also talking about the war, but from a different angle.

"Did you watch Commander-in-Chief Valken's speech yesterday? He said 'victory requires sacrifice,' 'a temporary retreat is for a better counterattack'... it's all empty talk."

"What else can you expect him to say? The fact is we are losing, losing badly. But I heard not all fleets are like that... some fleets are fighting well?"

"You believe the propaganda? My cousin works a desk job in the Intelligence Department; he said the real battle reports are three times worse than what's public."

"The fleets of Horus of the Xiuluo Saint and the Khan are advancing at a terrifying speed."

"Our defensive lines are like paper in front of them."

Horus. The Khan.

Just as I expected, the fleet composed of Horus's Luna Wolves and a portion of the Iron Warriors is the largest, while the Khan's White Scars use high-speed maneuvers to increase the pace of the advance.

At this moment, Yingzhou's meal was delivered.

The standard set meal was a bowl of thick, paste-like staple food, accompanied by a few pieces of synthetic protein and pickles.

The cold drink was an extract of some local plant, bitter in taste but refreshing.

Yingzhou ate slowly, his ears continuing to collect information.

People in the market talked about rising prices, rationing, relatives and friends being conscripted, neighbors' sons dying on the battlefield... the war was no longer a distant event in the news; it had permeated every corner of daily life.

An elderly Fengqi man sat on a low stool at the shop entrance, listening to the news.

"... Repeat, all civilian ships in the Disan Zhimin Xingxi please proceed immediately to the designated assembly point... the military will implement an orbital blockade within twenty-four hours... repeat, this is not a drill..."

"Disan Zhimin Xingxi?"

A vendor nearby looked up.

"Isn't that still in the rear? Why is it being blockaded?"

"It means the front line is closer to us."

Another customer said gloomily.

Yingzhou finished the last bite of food, paid the bill, and left a moderate tip.

Neither too much nor too little, fitting the spending level of an ordinary soldier.

He left the eatery and continued to stroll through the market.

He stopped in front of a second-hand electronic equipment stall.

The stall owner was a one-eyed Fengqi person who had lost both eyes.

"Brother, what do you need?"

The stall owner asked, fiddling with an old-fashioned Communication Device in his hand.

"Military-grade equipment, guaranteed to work."

Yingzhou scanned the goods on the stall.

Most were outdated civilian models, but a few indeed had military backgrounds, likely parts stripped from decommissioned equipment.

Yingzhou spoke up and asked.

"Do you have equipment that can receive long-distance signals? I have a relative on the front line and want to hear news from over there."

The stall owner's only eye narrowed slightly.

"Front line news is strictly controlled now. Ordinary civilian bands can't pick it up. But if you really want it..."

He bent down and took an inconspicuous black box from under the stall.

"This can pick up some... unofficial channels. But the price isn't cheap, and there's risk involved."

"How much?"

The stall owner quoted a number.

Yingzhou pretended to hesitate, then bargained, and finally closed the deal at a reasonable price.

During the transaction, the stall owner said in a low voice.

"If you hear any... not-so-good news, don't be too surprised. The current situation is much worse than what the officials say."

"What have you heard?"

Yingzhou asked, following the momentum of the conversation.

The stall owner looked around and lowered his voice.

"I have a friend at an interstellar freight company who often runs the border routes. He said he saw the Xiuluo Saint's fleet with his own eyes; it wasn't a small-scale reconnaissance team, but a grand fleet.

Over in the 'Yigu Xingqu'. And they were moving extremely fast; our border defense fleet couldn't catch up at all."

"Yigu Xingqu..."

Yingzhou recalled the star map.

"Doesn't that mean they have already penetrated one-third of our territory?"

"So you see the problem."

The stall owner said bitterly.

"At this speed, if the Xiuluo Saint doesn't stop to rest, at most two months... some routes are already too dangerous to run, and insurance premiums have risen fivefold."

The transaction complete, Yingzhou took the black box and continued walking.

To the east of the market district is the port district.

Workers and crew members rest, trade, and pass on news here.

Yingzhou walked into a tavern frequented by sailors.

It was still early, but quite a few people were already sitting inside.

The air held a mixed scent of inferior alcohol, sweat, and fishiness.

A holographic projector was on, playing official news, but no one was watching it seriously; everyone was busy with their own conversations.

Yingzhou found a seat at the bar and sat down.

The bartender was a burly Fengqi male, his arms covered in tattoos and scars.

"What'll it be?"

"Alcohol, the regular kind."

Yingzhou said.

The bartender poured a large glass of cloudy liquid and pushed it over.

When Yingzhou paid, he intentionally let a few coins drop to the floor; this was a small trick he had learned to create a natural opportunity for conversation.

While bending down to pick up the coins, he heard the conversation of two crew members nearby.

"... just got back from running the 'Bianyuan Zoulang' route."

A stubble-faced Fengqi crew member said.

"It was damn dangerous. Almost got caught by a Human reconnaissance ship."

"Nowhere is safe anymore."

Another, younger crew member said.

"I heard that the 'Jijing Hangdao' has been completely sealed off; there are fleets exchanging fire."

"That's not all."

A third voice joined in, an old crew member with graying hair.

"I've been running these routes for forty years and have never seen a front line advance this quickly. That 'Khan' fleet of the Xiuluo Saint is practically like a ghost; here today, somewhere else tomorrow. Our reconnaissance network simply cannot keep up with their speed."

Yingzhou sat up straight and took a sip of the drink.

Hmm, it tasted terrible.