Chapter 229: 222 Strategic Reconnaissance
At Ruyi City Spaceport on Earth, the imposing and mighty Iridium Star Battleship Cruiser, Sacred Falcon, sat docked. As the Star Alliance's most powerful warship and the fastest, Sacred Falcon was undoubtedly Bai Zhongqi's first choice for strategic intelligence gathering.
"Even if the Sacred Falcon leaves the Local Interstellar Cloud, it won't matter. We have already completed two Bojiang Class Battleships, and soon a treasure-class aircraft carrier will enter service. In terms of our main battle ships, there are no issues with the defense of the Local Interstellar Cloud. Apart from the people of Teizene, there should be no one else who knows how to access the passage into our Interstellar Cloud, so no other risks are anticipated. I will entrust specific Star Alliance tasks to Du Peng and various Star Alliance institutions. You stay behind to oversee the establishment of the Universe Army and the reorganization of the fleet," Bai Zhongqi said to Xu Lanzhou as he stood on the dock of the spaceport.
Xu Lanzhou stood straight and firm, gazing resolutely at Bai Zhongqi, "Your Majesty, I will not let you down."
Bai Zhongqi nodded, he held special reliance and trust in this female general. The affairs of the Universe Army had grown with the expansion, from fleet logistics and operation to the training and internship of new crew members. All this had been entrusted to Xu Lanzhou by Bai Zhongqi, and Xu Lanzhou managed to organize everything in an orderly manner, making excellent use of manpower and AI resources to keep this vast institution of the Universe Army operating normally.
Turning to inspect the readiness of the Sacred Falcon, Xu Lanzhou's gaze inadvertently followed Bai Zhongqi's retreating figure, and inevitably fell upon the beautiful girl standing beside him.
Unable to control herself, Xu Lanzhou felt a faint surge of jealousy. As the Chancellor's girlfriend, Han Jiaxue was accompanying Bai Zhongqi on this strategic reconnaissance mission. Yet, she had to stay behind on Earth, the capital star of the Star Alliance, dedicating her efforts for the Chancellor.
At some point, Xu Lanzhou's second personality appeared beside her and whispered softly, "The most useful woman to a man is not necessarily the most favored one. Look at that woman; she merely had the good fortune of meeting the Chancellor on Earth. Having shielded the Chancellor from several dangers, she now firmly occupies a place by his side. You, on the other hand, have been devoted to becoming the Chancellor's strongest shield, protecting him at his side and even saving him from danger. However, the Chancellor does not think of you in private; to him, you are merely a subordinate, at best a highly reliable one."
Xu Lanzhou's breathing became slightly heavy, and her mind was in turmoil, her primary personality shouting at the second one, "I am the Chancellor's knight, never coveting his heart. Stop saying these useless things!"
The second personality rarely gave a cold laugh, "Let's see how long you can keep lying to yourself."
After speaking, the second personality slowly faded away.
Walking ahead, Bai Zhongqi was unaware of what had happened with Xu Lanzhou behind him. He watched as scores of robots automatically delivered vast amounts of material into the cargo hold of the Sacred Falcon, and squad after squad of bionic human shock troopers boarded the ship. These troopers would be on standby aboard the warship, ready to be activated for combat only when a real mission came.
Not far from the Sacred Falcon, a much smaller warship was docked, the Richelieu, an escort ship that had discovered the Eden Galaxy. Since its return to Ruyi City Spaceport, the escort had received some rest and refitting. For this important strategic reconnaissance operation, it would not do to dispatch only one large flagship; in some cases, smaller warships can be deployed more easily than larger ones.
The Tai'a Class Frigate was a very core and capable warship of the Star Alliance, and the refitted Richelieu would be equipped with a cruiser-class energy supply. This would enable it to carry more powerful weapons and support a stronger energy shield.
Chi Jia, dressed in the crisp uniform of a Star Alliance officer, stood beside the docking port of his own warship. On seeing Bai Zhongqi approach, he saluted the Chancellor.
"Colonel Chi, how are preparations going?" Bai Zhongqi asked. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
Chi Jia had a handsome appearance and an especially capable demeanor. Dressed in military garb, he could capture the hearts of many women. As the only officer to earn the title of Acting Captain in the first group of Star Alliance military academy student assessments, Chi Jia had also gained the recognition of many officers from the Iridium Star.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, we estimate that in three hours, the Richelieu will be fully prepped and ready to accompany the Sacred Falcon on the voyage," he said.
Bai Zhongqi nodded, his tone slightly grave as he spoke, "As you see, this voyage is fraught with unprecedented uncertainty. We don't know what awaits us at our destination, what kind of enemies or dangers we will encounter. For a veteran of space travel and adventure, such a mission could be very challenging. You and your crew have just boarded the warship and are relatively inexperienced in many respects, but we don't have much time for you to acclimatize and train. Therefore, the universe and all the dangers and enemies we will meet shall be your teachers. During this process, you may lose comrades and make sacrifices, but you must understand, it's all worth it."
Chi Jia responded solemnly, "Yes, Your Majesty. The entire crew of the Richelieu is fully aware of the mission's difficulties and the necessity and honor of our cause. The Richelieu guarantees to complete the mission!"
Then, Chi Jia couldn't help but ask a question, "Your Majesty, I heard that universe army officers and soldiers, quickly assembled from other prospective Star Alliance member countries, will be joining the crew of the Richelieu. Is that true?"
Bai Zhongqi didn't deny it and replied, "Yes, this time your crew will exceed the standard complement by about 70%, with roughly 40 officers from other countries, who have passed the assessment, joining the Richelieu's crew. However, you can rest assured that they have all undergone human enhancement, including the implantation of a language system, so they can effectively communicate in Chinese. Moreover, their professional skills are exceptional. Of course, as the captain, it's your duty to guide and supervise these crew members. Should any of them disobey orders or threaten the safety of the ship, you have full authority to deal with them."
Chi Jia nodded, saluted again, and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I am looking forward to cooperating with these new crew members."
Bai Zhongqi smiled, then walked away with Han Jiaxue at his side.
Standing beside him, Han Jiaxue remarked, "This Colonel Chi's respect for you seems like that of an Iridium Star person, you appear to be their supreme leader."
Bai Zhongqi seemed to realize something as well, shaking his head, "I don't care how others see me or where they put me. I just need to do what I must."