Chapter 323

Maia V. Branstein, the Commander-in-Chief of the Colony Integrated Army, had a head of bright blonde hair and a meticulously groomed beard. At first glance, he appeared to be a typical heroic warrior, but his steady demeanor gave him a regal air.

"... That is all." After the captain of the Bell finished his report, he added, "In this battle, thanks to the heroic performance of Lieutenant Li Boyong, this ship was able to survive."

This captain was an honest man; he had specifically brought Li Boyong and Natarle along when meeting the Commander-in-Chief, not coveting his subordinates' credit at all.

After hearing the Bell's captain's report, the Commander-in-Chief said, "You've worked hard. As for the intelligence on the Void Walkers, it must not be disclosed to the outside as always. All soldiers on the ship must sign a non-disclosure agreement. Those who performed excellently in this battle will be promoted at my discretion. After the Bell finishes repairs, it will be incorporated into the Second Squadron of the Colony Integrated Army. I will entrust you with heavy responsibilities in the future."

"Yes, this subordinate thanks the Commander-in-Chief for the cultivation. Everything is for the colonies." The Bell's captain hurriedly expressed his loyalty, then said, "Then, since the Commander-in-Chief is busy, this subordinate will take his leave."

"Dismissed..." Commander-in-Chief Maia waved his hand, but upon seeing Li Boyong, he suddenly changed his mind for some reason, "Lieutenant Li Boyong, stay behind."

"Commander-in-Chief?" Lieutenant Colonel Lily, who was in charge of adjutant duties, was a bit surprised, not knowing why the Commander-in-Chief suddenly wanted to talk to a mere soldier when there was more important work ahead.

"It's fine." Maia addressed his adjutant's confusion, "I'm just suddenly curious about what the Lieutenant feels after personally engaging with the Void Walkers."

"Yes." Lieutenant Colonel Lily stepped back, returning to Maia's side.

Natarle followed the Bell's captain out, leaving Li Boyong alone to talk with Commander-in-Chief Maia.

"Relax, Lieutenant." Maia smiled kindly, "Tell me your true feelings about fighting the Void Walkers. How strong do you think the enemy we are facing is?"

"Yes." Li Boyong didn't stand on ceremony, directly analyzing the situation within the allowed scope based on the intelligence he knew about the OG world.

"In this battle, the enemy units encountered are speculated to be for reconnaissance purposes, but their performance is not weaker than a R-1. As for weapons, their special attack methods are somewhat difficult for ordinary pilots to evade."

"Given that no enemy mothership was detected on-site, nor was there any bold invasion by enemy fleets, these reconnaissance weapons possess extremely powerful endurance."

"Finally, it is my personal intuition that these weapons are not piloted but controlled by AI. They likely belong to the cannon-fodder level that can be mass-produced, but they are already generally stronger than the R-1s currently in service with the Colony Integrated Army."

"In summary, I personally believe that if the enemy is truly an alien civilization, they should possess military technological strength far exceeding that of Earth. If Earth were to face a large-scale invasion by these enemies now, it would likely be difficult to resist effectively."

"If we need to fight these enemies, we need units far superior to those currently in service. I personally believe the mass-produced PTs that the Federation has been leading are not quite up to the task."

"Insufficient versatility and low endurance make it difficult to minimize the damage to civilians when dealing with such high-endurance enemies."

"As for the high-end main units the enemy might possess, I believe we should also assemble relatively high-end combat power."

"That is my personal opinion."

Hearing Li Boyong's answer, Commander-in-Chief Maia's eyes lit up. The intelligence that a company-grade officer could know about the Void Walkers was very limited.

Being able to draw such inferences based on a single personal combat experience showed that this Lieutenant Li Boyong was a talent.

Moreover, the disdain for the Federation between the lines and the attitude toward confronting aliens were exactly what Maia wanted to see in the soldiers of the Integrated Army.

This Li Boyong is quite good...

His personal ability is also strong; he seems worth cultivating...

Lieutenant Colonel Lily on the side immediately knew what her Commander-in-Chief was thinking, though she also agreed that this Lieutenant Li Boyong was no mediocre person.

"A very good answer. I see what I hope to see in you." Maia nodded with satisfaction, "Dismissed for now. I hope you maintain this line of thinking."

"Yes, this subordinate takes his leave." Li Boyong followed suit.

After he left the Commander-in-Chief's office, Commander-in-Chief Maia asked Lieutenant Colonel Lily directly, "Lily, I am very happy today. Do you know why?"

"Because... according to Lieutenant Li Boyong's thoughts, he is very likely to understand the great cause for human survival that you and Dr. Bian are working toward." Lieutenant Colonel Lily thought for a moment and said, "Congratulations on finding another like-minded person."

"Yes, this is truly a happy thing. If more people could understand Bian's and my thoughts, the Earth Sphere would have a few more chances of winning when facing an alien invasion in the future." Maia said, his face turning gloomy, "It's a pity that the corrupt Federation high-level officials will likely never understand; those guys will only wag their tails and beg before the aliens."

Speaking to the point of anger, the Commander-in-Chief of the Colony Integrated Army slammed his desk.

Lieutenant Colonel Lily gently held the Commander-in-Chief's hand and whispered, "Therefore, please take care of your health. Humanity needs an enlightened leader like you."

Enlightened?

He never thought so; he just felt he had a bit of backbone.

Maia held Lieutenant Colonel Lily's soft hand in return, "Time waits for no one. In order to protect the Earth Sphere from the aliens, we need to raise the banner of rebellion as soon as possible against the corrupt rule of the Federation government."

Feeling Maia's tenderness, Lily blushed rarely, "As for the space force, please don't worry. The vast majority of people in the Colony Integrated Army are loyal to you. Compared to the weak-willed President Brian, everyone is more willing to follow you. As long as you wave your hand, the Federation will be immediately blockaded on the ground. Now it just depends on how things are going on Dr. Bian's side..."

"Now we can only wait patiently. The technology developed by the EOTI agency he leads from Meteor 3 is our sharp sword against the aliens." Maia said, pulling Lieutenant Colonel Lily into his arms.

Lieutenant Colonel Lily's face turned even redder. She struggled symbolically, "There is an important meeting later."

Maia laughed heroically and reached out to twist Lieutenant Colonel Lily's chin. The loyalty and understanding of such a blonde beauty secretary were like a treasure to a man, "Then let the important meeting wait a while. There are more important things now..."

"Commander-in-Chief..." Lieutenant Colonel Lily closed her eyes shyly.

It feels a bit padded, but I've always wanted to write about these two characters, Bian and Maia, so I'll spend more ink on them.