Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Ruo Manni slightly spread her legs and clasped her hands behind her back, releasing her aura as she surveyed the more than one hundred people below her. Minutes passed, yet she remained silent.

The soldiers and officers below did not dare to speak, as the presence of the new commander and her deputy was overwhelming, suppressing any disrespectful thoughts they might have had.

“You may think that I am too young and inexperienced to be your new captain. Indeed, I am young; I am only nineteen years old and still a minor. But tell me, is there anyone in this regiment with a higher cultivation level than mine?”

“I may be nineteen, but I am not only a mid-level fifth-tier warrior. Just that alone puts me ahead of the majority of you. However, my greatest strength lies in my cultivation as a telekinetic. At nineteen, I am already a late sixth-tier telekinetic. Is there anyone among you who can surpass me?”

“If you are unconvinced, then feel free to challenge me. Who among you wants to step up and give it a try?” Ruo Manni declared proudly.

Silence fell over the crowd. Ruo Manni used her telekinetic ability to “scan” the soldiers, getting a rough idea of how many could be swayed among them.

The deputy captain’s face turned pale. Unlike the other two squads, there were only about twenty individuals among the more than one hundred soldiers who came from other fringe planets; the rest were locals from Topaz Star.

These soldiers had previously obeyed their officers because the individuals trying to seize power here had not been particularly capable, allowing the officers to easily take control.

But this young lady was different. She already had a great reputation on Topaz Star, and almost everyone knew her. Therefore, any attempts to undermine her privately would likely backfire.

The deputy captain had been with these soldiers long enough to recognize that after learning their new captain was this young lady, their expressions had changed slightly, showing much less resistance.

One could say that the moment this young lady stood on the stage, half of the efforts they had made over the previous years were rendered useless.

Initially, the deputy captain had hoped that this young lady, who had just graduated from military school, was still inexperienced, thinking he could exploit her lack of experience to his advantage.

However, as she stood on the platform, first using her presence to assert dominance, making everyone accept her as a strong leader from the bottom of their hearts, and then promoting her own excellence, it became clear that no one could dispute her. Even the deputy captain had gained self-awareness; he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to match this young lady.

“Now, do you accept me?” Ruo Manni continued arrogantly.

No one responded, and the venue remained silent. However, Ruo Manni did not feel awkward, as she could sense the emotional fluctuations among the people; their sense of rejection had diminished slightly. But without anyone to take the lead, no one dared to speak up.

Ruo Manni raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly: “It seems that you all do not accept me. From now on, my deputy and I will challenge each of you one by one until we have convinced you.”

At this, the emotional fluctuations intensified. Who among them could possibly defeat this young lady and her two deputies? Even the mid-level fifth-tier warrior who had come with the deputy captain would likely not be able to win. Climbing onto the platform would only be asking for punishment.

Especially the deputy captain; he immediately realized that he was the perfect target to establish authority…

“Deputy Captain, since you are the first to express your dissent, why don’t you start?” Ruo Manni said with a smile. “Come up to the platform. It will be a good warm-up match for me; I haven’t fought anyone in a long time.”

The deputy captain’s face turned red. This young lady was so straightforward and aggressive! But the problem was, he found himself in a difficult situation. He was certain he couldn’t defeat this young lady, but under these circumstances, losing would mean losing his authority. On the other hand, if he backed down and refused to fight, he would only make his situation worse.

Ruo Manni’s plan today was to exert dominance through strength, so when the deputy captain stepped onto the martial arts platform, she unhesitatingly drew the long sword from her back.

The soldiers and officers in the front rows beneath the platform felt a chill run through them; the murderous aura radiating from the young lady was frightening, and the deputy captain’s presence was completely suppressed.

Although the beginning of the match made everyone tense, the actual process was rather uneventful. The deputy captain couldn’t last even ten moves under the young lady’s sword before he collapsed, covered in blood, and was taken to the treatment room by one of her deputies.

Ruo Manni wiped the blood off her sword and then looked at the officers and soldiers present, asking again, “Do you accept me, or does anyone else want to challenge me?”

Pointing her sword at the officers below, before she could say anything, one officer suddenly saluted and shouted, “Reporting to the captain, I accept!”

As he spoke, the soldiers behind him followed suit, shouting, “I accept!”

“I accept!”

…

Ruo Manni turned to the leading officer, her expression cheerful, and asked in the language of Topaz Star, “What is your name and position? You are from Topaz Star, right?”

“Reporting, officer, my name is Yang Zuxun, and I am a squad leader. I am from Huang Yuxing,” the officer replied, saluting her.

Ruo Manni’s smile became warmer: “I am also from Topaz Star.”

Her words undoubtedly won her some favor, and after she said this, the way many soldiers looked at her changed.

Ruo Manni then asked again, “Do you accept me?”

This time, at least seventy or eighty people responded affirmatively.

Although Ruo Manni wanted to assert her dominance through strength, she did not intend to humiliate anyone. Thus, having achieved her goal of setting an example, she waved her hand for everyone to stand at ease.

“Do you know why I returned to Topaz Star? I could have stayed on the Imperial Capital Star, where I would have had a better future,” Ruo Manni said, her expression serious.

Everyone was not foolish; the young lady’s appearance had been too sudden, and they hadn’t had time to consider this issue. Now that she mentioned it, they began to understand, and their expressions grew serious as well.

“It’s because I know that Ruo Manni will be the first planet to be reached by aliens, and this planet will face tremendous danger. I grew up on this planet, and I returned because I want to do my utmost to defend our homeland with all of you.”

“I am not here to vie for power with certain individuals. Our time is limited, and I do not want to waste it on petty schemes and rivalries.”

“Therefore, I need your absolute obedience so that I can provide you with the best training and help you become stronger as quickly as possible. Although I am young, I am not untrained; I graduated from the first military academy of Xuan Gu, and I was in the elite class. Do you know what that represents?”

“I know that many of you rely on others, but you need to understand who I am. I am not only a direct descendant of the Hua De family from the Imperial Capital Star, but I am also a Level 6 Mecha Craftsman. Do you understand what that means?”

“Do you really believe that the people you depend on can provide you with anything comparable to what I can offer, and lead you to defend our country as best as possible in that upcoming war?”

After saying this, Ruo Manni stood on the platform and fixed her gaze on the more than one hundred people below for a full ten minutes until the deputy captain who had gone to the treatment room returned.

“It is now noon. Let’s take a one-hour break. In the afternoon, when you line up, you will make a choice. Those willing to follow me, step to the right. Those unwilling, step to the left and continue with your deputy captain. If you truly believe he can lead you to achieve glorious victories in the future wars,” Ruo Manni said, glancing at the deputy captain.

The deputy captain’s face turned red; he had completely lost face in that last match. He initially thought his cultivation level would allow him to hold out for a while, but he didn’t even last through ten moves.

What could he possibly use to fight against such a strong adversary with both a powerful background and formidable strength?

“Deputy Captain, do you know that soldiers like you, who have been forged in the military, often have much higher combat abilities than their cultivation levels suggest? If you were one of my direct subordinates, I could make you a Level 6 warrior in two years,” Ruo Manni said with a smile.

Half a year ago, Dr. Paul had finally released a new potion specifically designed to assist in advancement. There were actually many people in the military who could benefit from this type of potion, so even though it was extremely expensive and in short supply, it remained in high demand.

However, who is Ruo Manni? She didn’t even need to take action herself. Once the date for her return to Topaz Star was set, Hebrew Adam had gotten fifty doses from his brother for her and even said to let him know if that wasn’t enough.

In the face of an imminent interstellar war, the deputy captain understood what it meant to be a Level 6 warrior, and when Ruo Manni dropped that bombshell, his expression immediately changed.

After dismissing everyone, Ruo Manni went to her exclusive office with her two deputies and four attendants.

Deputy Ma had already come over earlier to “clean” the office and redecorate it. He had discovered some “good items” here that the previous occupants hadn’t anticipated; they had underestimated the importance of the new arrival, wasting their credit coins.

As soon as they entered the office and everyone was seated, Sheila couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, Lieutenant, you were so cool just now! You had such a queenly aura that it left those people stunned.”

“I’ve never seen a lieutenant like that before,” Tamaki Kazia chimed in, supporting his girlfriend’s words.

“We are new here, and it will take a long time to untangle the complex relationships between them, so why waste that time? Besides, arguing with those people only lowers my own status. I have power and influence, so why shouldn’t I use it to assert myself? Even the regiment commander is helpless against me,” Ruo Manni said casually.

“Lieutenant, that was a great move,” Deputy Ma nodded in approval. “By combining both kindness and authority, you’ve managed to win over a large portion of the people. Once we start training, those who refuse to follow and side with the deputy captain will soon regret it.”

“That last sentence from the lieutenant even swayed the deputy captain,” Deputy Tong said lightly.

It’s not just soldiers; even ambitious practitioners want to become stronger. The difference between a Level 5 and a Level 6 warrior isn’t just about ability; it can add forty or fifty years to one’s lifespan.

Moreover, with an interstellar war looming, the stronger you are, the more likely you are to survive.

Ruo Manni made a gesture to silence them, as she “sensed” the deputy captain approaching her office. When his request for an audience came from the doorway, a smile appeared on her lips.

The deputy captain asked to speak with Ruo Manni privately, so no one else knew what he said to her.

By the afternoon, without even needing Ruo Manni to say anything, the deputy captain led the entire company in saluting her, and everyone realized that he had gone to seek her allegiance at noon.

With such quick results, Ruo Manni no longer had the air of uncertainty she had in the morning. She said seriously, “If you truly wish to follow me, then be prepared to grit your teeth and endure the upcoming training. The reason my four companions and I have achieved such high accomplishments at such a young age is not just due to our exceptional cultivation potential; it is more importantly due to the training we have received. The intensity of our daily training in military school was several times stronger than what you have experienced before. Starting tomorrow, I will train you using the same rigorous methods.”

After saying these words, Ruo Manni motioned for the deputy captain and the three platoon leaders, along with nine squad leaders, to leave, preparing to renovate their training grounds.

In Ruo Manni’s space device, there were complete sets of training equipment. This advanced training equipment was only available to a few powerful military legions.

In this small place called Topaz Star, only Lin Changfeng’s elite guard had it, which was a gift from the crown prince to Lin Changfeng.

With their leader gone, Ruo Manni ordered Deputy Ma to have the soldiers run laps.

Despite being nominally a civilian officer and a special staff member of the military, Deputy Ma, with his status as a Level 6 late-stage warrior, commanded respect as soon as he stepped onto the platform, and no one dared to disobey him.

Two hours later, as they looked at the completely transformed indoor and outdoor training grounds, not only the platoon leaders and squad leaders but even the deputy captain felt deeply moved.

“This set of training equipment was personally funded by our Lieutenant Hua De and brought from the Imperial Army Headquarters. It cost the lieutenant nearly ten million credit coins. Only the first, second, third, and fifth armies have one or two sets. Do you know how lucky you are to be following her? There are plenty of benefits ahead,” said Sheila.

The deputy captain and the others now understood a bit about their followers’ identities and realized that this young lady was also an elite scion from a prestigious family on Imperial Capital Star. With such a prodigious talent voluntarily choosing to follow her, they surely believed that being with her would lead to a bright future.

Thinking this way, they felt fortunate, knowing that with her identity and abilities, she wouldn’t stay in this position for too long.

As the first batch of subordinates to join the young lady after she entered the military, if they performed well in the future, they might become her elite guard…

In the office of the regiment commander, he was fuming: “In just half a day, they’ve all turned to that woman. All that effort was for nothing.”

The deputy commander wore a serious expression, but he felt little emotional fluctuation inside because he had already anticipated this outcome.

It wasn’t just a small deputy commander; even the regiment commander would struggle to hold on much longer if he didn’t take action.

However, the regiment commander’s daughter was married to a side branch of the Beery family, and he had a good relationship with the Seventh Army. It would be difficult to persuade him to switch his allegiance to the young lady, but the young lady clearly had ulterior motives…

The more the deputy commander thought about it, the more troubled he became, so he suggested, “Why don’t you report to higher-ups and see if there’s a way to suppress that young lady?”

The regiment commander paused and let out a long sigh. “Do you think I don’t want to? You don’t understand their own situation… Forget it, I’ll ask. After all, we will have to inform them about the young lady’s arrival sooner or later.”

The regiment commander sent out the information, and half an hour later, he received a response. However, after reading the message, his already gloomy face darkened further with anger.

“What did they say?” The deputy commander felt an uneasy sensation.

“They want us to eliminate that young lady.”