Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

When the two regimental commanders of the First Regiment at the base first learned of Ruo Manni’s arrival, even though they knew her identity, they still didn’t take her seriously. After all, this was their territory.

Even when the commander was forced to acknowledge her identity after being pressured by the Crown Prince, and had no choice but to accept her challenge, the commander still viewed the situation as a matter of losing face, rather than any serious threat. In the duel, he lost to Ruo Manni, but he only felt humiliated, and publicly, it was difficult to take any action against her.

This led to the later incident involving the flashbang attack—where, unable to act openly, they resorted to underhanded methods. After all, they had the support of the Seventh Army, as well as connections in the black market, and the fact that the young lady was in their territory seemed like an opportunity to deal with her.

However, unexpectedly, after just one attempt, they found themselves in a predicament. Somehow, the black market had failed, and Ruo Manni was unharmed. Instead, the people from the black market ended up being captured by Lin Changfeng’s direct subordinates. This caused the entire Topaz Star to fall into an atmosphere of strict investigation and crackdown, forcing the two commanders to lie low for the time being.

However, this young lady was quite the figure—she knew how to use her identity to win people’s loyalty.

The two commanders never expected that within less than a month of her arrival, she had already gained control of the entire Mecha Battalion.

It was unclear whether this was part of her scheme or if she genuinely had the ability. Since she had taken over as the chief instructor of the Mecha Battalion, every so often there had been reports of breakthroughs within the battalion, sparking a ripple effect that made the soldiers from the other two regiments stir with desire.

In fact, soldiers from the other two regiments had also made breakthroughs recently, but the number was lower. This also served to prove Ruo Manni’s influence, though not to the exaggerated extent that had been claimed.

The two commanders even made indirect remarks at a regiment meeting, suggesting that some people had inflated their achievements, taking credit for the hard work of others and boasting about results that weren’t entirely their own.

Having controlled the First Regiment for so long, the two commanders might not have had as much influence in the Mecha Battalion, but their authority in the other two regiments was still high.

At the meeting, the two commanders used data to support their claims, and afterward, they privately spoke with the battalion commanders of all three regiments. They discussed Ruo Manni, spoke ill of her, and leaked the “inside information” they knew.

The commanders of the other two regiments were more or less convinced by the two regimental commanders’ tall tales. Their minds became less restless, and they returned to their original plan of waiting and observing for the time being.

As for Colonel Yu Paul of the Mecha Battalion: he simply smiled and said nothing.

The two regimental commanders were extremely frustrated, but for the time being, they had no way to deal with Yu Paul, so they had to set him aside.

Once they dealt with this young lady, Captain Yu Paul would have no choice but to come back to them.

After suppressing the eagerness of the other two regiments to make a move, they relaxed their tense nerves, knowing that the situation wouldn’t change for the moment.

However, both commanders felt a growing sense of urgency and secretly decided that once the black market and assassination incidents settled down, they would team up with the Beery family to deal with the young lady as soon as possible.

If they waited too long, not only would the Mecha Battalion, which had already completely allied with the young lady, fall further into her control, but the other two regiments might also be swayed to defect. At that point, they would become nothing more than figurehead commanders.

The two commanders had a clear plan in mind. They originally intended to bide their time and wait for the right moment. However, they never expected things to change so quickly. This young lady was incredibly capable. Within just three months of her arrival, she had pushed them to the brink of a very dangerous situation.

After the two commanders made up their minds, they had acted cautiously like turtles withdrawing into their shells. They had stayed low for over two months, and now, a month had passed since the major crackdown on the black market. All the turmoil had settled down.

The two commanders had been waiting for something to happen, but as nothing did, their nerves began to relax, and their thoughts started to stir. They couldn’t help but feel the urge to stir things up.

One day, seeing the young lady’s influence continue to grow, they could no longer sit idly by. They decided to meet and discuss the situation. In the end, they agreed that the vice commander would take a couple of days off, leave the base, and try to make contact with their people in the black market, while the regimental commander would use a special signal to contact the person in charge of the Beery family. They planned to work on both fronts to stir up trouble.

To avoid leaking their plans and having others connect the dots later, the two commanders even found excuses to send their own adjutants away and kept them in the dark about what they were planning.

The vice commander “rested” for a night, and the next day at noon, he returned to the camp with a grim expression. He found the regimental commander, who was also in a bad mood, and the two top brass gathered again.

“I couldn’t find our people, and the other contact methods have no signal. They’re probably in great danger,” the vice commander said, suppressing his frustration. “After the last light grenade attack, I was afraid they left traces when they showed up, so I didn’t contact them. I don’t know why they’ve been exposed.”

“The situation with the Beery family is also off. The special contact number has no signal. When I called the Seventh Corps, the person who answered the line was someone I didn’t recognize,” the regimental commander also said, clearly frustrated.

The two sat in silence for a long while, feeling helpless and at a loss.

For a young woman to bring them to such a point, the regimental commander couldn’t stand it anymore. He gritted his teeth, “We can’t let that young lady continue winning people over like this. The morale in the First and Second Battalions is starting to waver again. In at most half a month, or if someone in the Mecha Battalion breaks through again, we won’t be able to hold them back.”

The vice commander sighed, “What can we do? We’re just out of luck. Everything has piled up at once, and we can’t use any of our tricks.”

The regimental commander sat down behind the desk, lightly tapping his fingers on the tabletop, but his gaze revealed the intense struggle going on in his mind.

They had been partners for years, and even though their minds didn’t always align, they knew each other very well. The regimental commander’s expression now was one that suggested he was about to make a ruthless decision.

“Use the military’s covert network to carry out a suicidal attack and kill her.” The regimental commander slammed his fist heavily on the table and said fiercely.

“Won’t this leave traces? If something goes wrong, it could cause a huge mess, and none of us will be able to escape,” the vice commander hesitated.

These covert agents were planted by the Beery family. Sacrificing them like this could make the Beery family blame them. Furthermore, the Seventh Corps was already facing many troubles, and if the young lady were to have an accident at the First Division’s base in this manner, it would likely implicate the Seventh Corps.

“With her cultivation level, unless we use this method, we can’t get close to her. If we can’t get close, how can we kill her? Not only is she highly skilled herself, but her subordinates are also strong. Only someone with a low cultivation, seemingly harmless, could approach her and deliver a fatal blow.” The regimental commander understood the vice commander’s concerns.

However, the First Division was the foundation of his power. Without control over the troops, the Beery family wouldn’t consider him important. So, for him, the most important thing right now was to maintain his military power before considering anything else.

The regimental commander knew that he and the vice commander didn’t always share the same stance on certain matters. Watching the vice commander hesitate, it was clear that the latter was leaning toward the benefits of the Seventh Corps.

The regimental commander didn’t want to say anything more. He issued two secret orders, and before the vice commander could stop him, he fell silent. Deep down, the vice commander knew that if they went ahead with this plan, the young lady would not escape. Once she was killed, everything would be easier…

In the urgency of some, time passed until 3 p.m. Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out from the Mecha Battalion…

One regimental commander was excited, while the other was a bit uneasy, but both moved swiftly toward the Mecha Battalion. At the same time, soldiers from the First and Second Battalions, which were closer to the Mecha Battalion, rushed over.

When they arrived, they saw a large crater in the training field of the Mecha Battalion, with the bottom charred. But what was most surprising was the young girl sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the crater.

Although the young girl appeared somewhat disheveled, it was obvious she was still alive, and her aura was surging violently. This state seemed like she was either advancing in rank or losing control. Since they were all martial artists and the young lady was a telekinesis practitioner, no one could determine her exact condition.

“Our company commander is healing. Don’t disturb her,” Officer Tong lied with a straight face.

Officer Ma and Officer Tong, using the excuse that the young lady was healing, boldly blocked anyone who tried to approach. Even the two regimental commanders were not spared; they were firmly stopped with no respect given.

“What happened? Why was there an explosion here? What illegal items are you using?” The regimental commander asked gruffly, his face dark and his teeth clenched.

Damn it, they sacrificed so much, and yet the young lady was unharmed.

Officer Ma glanced at the regimental commander, and with an air of authority, he suppressed them. The regimental commanders’ faces immediately changed. Only then did Officer Ma speak up, “Something happened here just now. Later, regimental commanders, you’ll have to give us an explanation for the young lady.”

As Officer Ma spoke, he activated his holographic communicator, and a three-dimensional projection appeared before everyone.

In the projection, at first, the young lady was standing at the edge of the field, watching the soldiers train. Suddenly, two soldiers approached her.

These two soldiers were clearly from the Mecha Battalion, and the young lady knew them. They easily walked up to her and started a conversation.

The young lady probably thought standing there would disrupt the others’ training, so she made a gesture and led the two soldiers to a quieter, more open area to continue their discussion.

During this time, it was obvious from the expressions of the two soldiers that they were filled with admiration for the young lady.

However, after they stopped, the two soldiers stood with their backs to the camera, so no one could see what they said or did.

As the young lady spoke to them in the more open area, she suddenly changed expression. Her hand quickly pressed against her chest, and she rapidly retreated. The two soldiers, without hesitation, lunged at her. In an instant, their bodies exploded without warning, and the screen went black.

Those who understood what they were seeing were shocked, cold sweat forming on their backs. Those who knew the two soldiers, who had been close with them, were trembling with fear.

How could there be such special “weapons” in their military camp? They had lived and slept alongside these two special “weapons” for three years!

“This is X-HELS explosive, commonly known as a suicide bomb,” Officer Tong’s voice was cold and emotionless.

Many people had heard of such cruel and bloody “bombs” but had never seen one in person. They never expected to encounter one even in a small place like theirs.

It is said that some prominent families train secret agents from a young age, embedding a substance into their blood. Normally, the substance is undetectable, and even with equipment, it can’t be identified.

However, when the time comes, after the person takes a special drug and uses a certain method to trigger it, the substance acts like a bomb, causing the person to explode. The blast is powerful enough to kill anyone within five meters.

This special weapon is typically used against high-ranking individuals, those who are especially hard to target. Considering the young lady’s status and her cultivation, she clearly meets these conditions, so it’s not surprising that such a weapon was used against her.

But who could it be? Who dared to use such a deadly method against the young lady?

Many people’s eyes subtly turned toward the two regimental commanders, making their faces grow even darker.

No one was a fool. The two regimental commanders were the ones who most wanted the young lady dead. The others had no particular enmity against her and didn’t have access to such weapons.

“You must give us an explanation. I have already sent this footage to Major Hua De, the head of the National Security Bureau, as well as to His Highness the Crown Prince. They have authorized me to pass on any crisis involving the young lady immediately,” Officer Ma said solemnly.

“If you don’t hand over the mastermind right now, I can assure you that within three days, people from the National Security Bureau will be here,” Officer Tong added, his expression equally serious.

Who doesn’t know the reputation of the National Security Bureau? Once they intervene, unless you have not committed any wrongdoings or possess extraordinary power, you will eventually be caught.

“We will investigate and give you an explanation,” the regimental commander said, reluctantly playing the part.

The faces of the regimental commander and the deputy commander were very grim. The human bombs were not planted by them, and even if the National Security Bureau investigated, they wouldn’t trace it back to them.

They had initially assumed that if the young lady were to die, the Beery family would definitely protect them, the two great contributors, and clear all traces.

But all their assumptions were based on the premise that the young lady had died.

The problem was, she hadn’t died. Now, they were very likely to become scapegoats, abandoned by the Beery family and forced to take the blame.

Damn it, with such close proximity, a human bomb like that — even a Level 7 warrior wouldn’t have escaped. How in the world did this young lady survive?

The regimental commander’s heart seemed to be on fire, burning with intense pain, and he couldn’t help but ask the question.

Deputy Commander Tong sneered at the regimental commander: “Do you really think our young lady is just anyone? Of course, she has defenses you don’t know about. Don’t talk about two bombers; even if there were four, the most she would have suffered is serious injury. Taking her life isn’t that easy.”

“Those idiots who tried once and failed, and are still too stupid to give up, never imagined that their schemes not only failed to harm our young lady, but actually helped her break through her cultivation bottleneck. She successfully advanced to become a Level 7 Psychic,” Officer Ma said with a cold smile.

Upon hearing Officer Ma, everyone looked down into the crater at the young lady. They noticed that her previously turbulent energy had now calmed down, but her pressure was even more powerful. If it weren’t for the bombers’ shocking poses, they would have noticed that the young lady had successfully leveled up.

“Our young lady had been stuck at a cultivation bottleneck for over half a year. She was searching for an opportunity to break through, and who would have thought that today, someone would do her a favor while trying to harm her?” Sheila added coolly from the side.