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墨書 Inktalez
The army was stationed on the outskirts of the city, always ready to receive the first rays of morning sunlight. When a slender yet resilient beam of light pierced through the dense forest and landed on Ouyang Chang's face, he slowly awakened from his slumber at his desk.
Suddenly, two round objects appeared before him, moving and startling him awake. He squinted at the sight, his eyes widening in surprise.
Startled, he leaned back against his chair and, once he recognized that the two objects were Qi Fa's eyes, he exclaimed with lingering fear, "What’s wrong with you this early in the morning? You scared me to death!"
Qi Fa ignored the curse in his words and thought about last night’s events. He admired how Ouyang Chang could still sleep soundly. However, knowing it was a sensitive matter for him, he refrained from teasing further. Instead, he said, "I don’t want to either, but your dear Commander is inspecting the troops' daily training. Aren't you supposed to accompany him?"
During wartime, even during rest periods, soldiers had to maintain their combat readiness through training. Each military unit had its own traditions, and generally, the training guidelines issued by the National Security Council were often disregarded.
It was only after being roused by Qi Fa that Ouyang Chang remembered that Jufeng, the newly appointed commander, was still residing there. Not wanting to continue being lazy with Qi Fa, he quickly freshened up and headed to the training ground with him.
The training ground was two kilometers away from their base. After morning exercises and a brief meal break, they would run over to start their training. By the time Ouyang Chang arrived, Jufeng and his entourage had already been observing for a while.
Jufeng watched as Ouyang Chang jogged toward him; he looked nothing like the refreshed person from last night. Instead, he appeared sluggish and burdened with melancholy.
Considering last night’s unexpected developments, Jufeng guessed that someone as loyal as Ouyang Chang must be feeling sorrowful inside. He chose not to disturb his thoughts.
"You’re late on my first day in office; this isn’t the style I expected from you," Jufeng remarked.
He observed the Dragon Breaker Army soldiers who were full of energy despite having their rest interrupted last night. Joy filled his eyes; anyone who could command such a spirited army would surely find it hard to sleep at night out of sheer delight.
However, Jufeng was different; while enjoying this success, he had already prepared himself for the responsibilities that came with it. Unlike most people who only reveled in good fortune without considering whether they could handle its consequences.
His tone carried a hint of teasing, causing Ouyang Chang to feel somewhat embarrassed. Last night, Jufeng had demonstrated enough strength and attitude that Ouyang Chang had no choice but to admit that there was nothing he could criticize for now.
"Commander, I will reflect on this and ensure that similar incidents will never happen again."
Jufeng waved his hand and said, "Forget it. It's not reasonable to punish someone right after taking office. You just need to handle the truth about Longshu's departure appropriately. We can't let me be wronged, nor can we stir up conflicts among our allies."
To say Jufeng would be wronged meant that without any legal basis, most people would think that Jufeng, upon taking office, was intolerant of officers who criticized him and forced them out. Stirring up conflicts among allies referred to the fact that he couldn't disclose the truth to the soldiers; otherwise, it could escalate the situation. Since there was no evidence, a public uproar would not be beneficial for the Dragon Breaker Army.
Ouyang Chang acknowledged this; it was indeed his oversight, and he naturally had a responsibility to make amends.
Banners fluttered in the wind, and every soldier resembled a tiger hunting in the forest, exuding a fierce energy from their bones to their skin.
Jufeng had been away from the Underworld for many years, and he had long since parted with this feeling. Now that he could reunite with it, his heart felt sweet.
But what would be the outcome this time?
"Commander, do you have anything to add?" Ouyang Chang asked as they walked past several training areas with Jufeng. There were physical training sessions, shooting drills, and indoor simulation rooms featuring Mecha Combat and Battleship exercises. Then he turned to Jufeng.
The Dragon Breaker Army had stood at the top position among the five Dragon Head Armies in Cosmos for many years. Training in such fundamental matters was naturally done rigorously and without flaws. However, after observing it all, Jufeng had some questions.
"First of all, don't call me Commander; just call me Jufeng privately or Brother Jufeng like they do."
"I wouldn't dare to add anything," Ouyang Chang replied. "It's just that when I was watching the Battleship training earlier, it seemed there weren't many participants, and the training appeared rather simple. Is there any particular reason for that?"
Ouyang Chang admired Jufeng's keen eye; he had spotted an issue just by glancing over everything. However, this issue wasn't really a problem because anyone who had spent enough time in the military would understand that this was tradition.
"The Dragon Breaker Army uses light Battleships while the First Army employs light mechs; this has been a tradition for decades. We all know that learning from others' capabilities won't allow us to surpass them, so we should just strengthen our own strengths."
Ouyang Chang's words truly startled Jufeng, as they evoked a feeling of being bound by another's will.
"What if we find ourselves on opposing sides? Should we let dozens of mechs explode in a mutual destruction with one of the Battleships?" Jufeng asked, somewhat displeased.
Ouyang Chang was even more surprised by Jufeng's statement. After a moment of silence, he replied, "We... are all part of the United Nations military. How could we become enemies?"
As soon as Ouyang Chang spoke, he realized something was amiss. Sure enough, Jufeng snorted coldly and mercilessly mocked Ouyang Chang.
"Three years ago, did you ever think Huankezhao would spark this war?"
Ouyang Chang was left speechless by Jufeng's words. Although his reaction at the time had been quite prescient for a soldier, it was merely due to his sharp instincts and a stroke of luck—not because he had uncovered Huankezhao's covert operations.
The inspection concluded here, coinciding with lunchtime. Ouyang Chang led Jufeng and his group to the cafeteria. Originally, Jufeng could have chosen to eat elsewhere, but that was canceled; all future meals would be taken in the cafeteria.
Once seated, Jufeng's table naturally attracted quite a few curious glances, as it was filled with high-ranking officials rarely seen together—two Masters and the newly appointed Commander. What a striking combination it was.
Many people were astonished upon seeing Jufeng for the first time, unable to close their mouths in disbelief that the new Commander was so young, seemingly not much older than the soldiers themselves.
Unfazed by the attention, even Sisi and Vera showed no signs of awkwardness. This behavior further impressed Ouyang Chang and Qi Fa regarding Jufeng.
In recent days, these individuals had been closely following Jufeng around, engaging in intimate conversations—clearly friends. How one perceives a person often begins with their friends; there's a saying that birds of a feather flock together.
Midway through the meal, Jufeng suddenly looked up and said to Ouyang Chang and Qi Fa, "Could you help arrange things? These four people beside me want to enlist. Do we have designated female soldier dormitories here?"
Jufeng glanced at Vera and Sisi while speaking. After all, the military was predominantly male, and he felt uneasy about them living among the boys.
Ouyang Chang paused for a moment, also looking at Vera and Sisi, and said with some difficulty, "There is a possibility, but that's the Phoenix Special Operations Team. The members there are all Mecha Pilots, and I'm afraid these two would suffer if they went."
Ouyang Chang's concern stemmed purely from thinking of the girls. After all, Vera and Sisi appeared so beautiful and dignified, with their graceful figures; they hardly seemed like soldiers who could endure life in a military camp.
However, what Ouyang Chang did not anticipate was that his words ignited Vera and Sisi's tempers.
Vera placed her chopsticks down on the plate, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ouyang Chang, making him feel a chill run down his spine.
In a cold voice, she said, "Do you look down on women, Master Ouyang?"
(To be continued)
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