Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

The flawless assassination plan had failed once again, and this time, the consequences would be dire—far worse than anything they could withstand.

The two commanders were already in a state of frantic panic, desperately trying to think of a way to escape this crisis, but no feasible solution came to mind. Then, they overheard someone mention that, due to the recent suicide bomb attack, the young lady had not only survived but had managed to use the incident to her advantage, breaking through her bottleneck and advancing to a Level 7 Psychic. It was like a knife had stabbed straight into their hearts.

The next moment, everyone saw the commander spit out a mouthful of blood and collapse to the ground.

Fortunately, his aide was quick to catch him and, without hesitation, carried the commander, who appeared to have gone into a state of internal disarray, away from the scene. Otherwise, it would have been an embarrassing spectacle for him.

The vice commander, though pale and visibly shaken, managed to maintain his composure, standing there with a pretense of indifference. His remarkable calmness was, in itself, something to be admired.

Indeed, the vice commander’s resilience was stronger than the commander’s, but his real source of calm lay in the fact that he hadn’t been the one who issued the assassination order. So, if the suicide bombing incident were investigated, he wouldn’t be held as the main culprit. At worst, he might be accused of failing to report what he knew. His punishment wouldn’t be too severe, and the wrath of the Hua De family and the Second Prince would likely fall elsewhere.

Meanwhile, down in the crater, Ruo Manni, who had been faking unconsciousness, could barely resist the urge to open her eyes and give Sheila a thumbs-up. Her sharp, cutting remark had clearly struck a nerve, sending the commander into such a rage that he literally vomited blood. She’d outdone herself with that one.

It was oddly satisfying—worth the performance Ruo Manni had put on for the crowd.

Since there were no Psychics above Level 5 in the regiment, no one realized that Ruo Manni had already advanced to the early stage of Level 7 Psychic five days earlier.

However, her timing for advancing wasn’t ideal. She had unintentionally leveled up while practicing meditation techniques in her jade pendant space, so there was no disturbance, and no one noticed.

Ruo Manni felt that her publicly visible level was already enough to maintain control over the regiment at the base, so she decided to quietly keep her advancement a secret. She planned to use it as an element of surprise or reveal it at the most opportune moment when needed.

Honestly, it was fortunate that Ruo Manni had advanced to a Level 7 Psychic; otherwise, today would have been truly dangerous.

Her current psychic strength had more than tripled, which allowed her to quickly notice something off about the two soldiers approaching her—their aura and body temperature were unusual and didn’t resemble normal people.

Ruo Manni had a sharp memory, and she had seen these two soldiers earlier that morning; at that time, their aura and body temperature were normal. She immediately realized something was wrong with them.

As the director of the National Security Bureau, Hua Deqi had provided his cousin, Ruo Manni, with extensive safety training, sharing everything he knew to help her identify and respond to assassination attempts, hoping she could protect herself.

Ruo Manni was particularly interested in the various assassination tactics he taught her, as it was her area of weakness, so she devoted time and effort to studying them.

Among those tactics was detailed information on “human bombs.” So, as soon as Ruo Manni noticed something off about those two soldiers, she guessed the situation.

With her reflexes and speed, once Ruo Manni identified them as human bombs, she had ample time to escape before they detonated.

But with so many soldiers training nearby, she couldn’t simply dodge and let others take the hit. These people were now her troops, after all. Plus, with her defensive equipment, she would only suffer serious injuries at worst.

So, Ruo Manni took a risk, using her psychic power to immediately control the two soldiers, leading them to an empty area on the training grounds before triggering their actions. Luckily, her psionic strength was sufficient, and she successfully drew the two human bombs away.

A Level 7 Psychic is a high-level psion, while a Level 6 Psychic is mid-level. The difference isn’t just a matter of class but a massive gap in power.

Moreover, Ruo Manni had access to the best meditation techniques. Within just three days of leveling up, she had already mastered her newfound strength and speed. So when those two soldiers tried to drag her down with them, she’d already moved three meters away from the explosion’s epicenter.

As the two human bombs detonated, Ruo Manni activated the protective shield on her clothing and used her psychic energy to form a “protective barrier” around herself.

Under double-layer protection, Ruo Manni should have emerged completely unscathed, spotless even. But then, a thought of Hebrew Adam’s breakthrough after an assassination attempt flashed through her mind…

In that moment, as the explosion was ending, Ruo Manni dismissed her defenses, allowing herself to show subtle signs of the explosion’s impact.

She then settled herself in the blast crater, recovering her depleted energy source, preparing to stage a dramatic “breakthrough from adversity” moment for those watching.

Unexpectedly, Deputy Officer Ma had noticed she was already a Level 7 Psychic and understood her intentions without needing a hint, quickly stepping in to provoke those responsible.

But the real show-stealer was Sheila’s cutting wit, which pushed a Level 6 warrior to the point of spitting blood and fainting on the spot.

The commander had completely lost his composure. Seeing his extreme reaction, anyone present with even half a brain could tell who was behind the human bombs.

A nineteen-year-old Level 7 Psychic—an unprecedented feat! With her talent, who in the regiment would dare challenge her authority again?

Despite taking huge risks and sacrifices to bring her down, their scheme not only failed but backfired, helping Ruo Manni break through her bottleneck. No wonder the commander was so enraged he suffered a backlash and fainted in sheer frustration.

After the commander was carried off, the mecha camp soldiers, the thick-skinned deputy commander, and members from the first and second battalions all turned their gazes toward Ruo Manni, now seated in the center of the crater. Their eyes shone with awe.

If Ruo Manni had truly been meditating, she would’ve been deeply focused, but she was just putting on a show. With so many people watching her, even her relatively thin-skinned self couldn’t keep up the act indefinitely, so she opened her eyes.

“Lieutenant, have you successfully leveled up?” Sheila proved to be the perfect wingwoman today.

“Yes,” Ruo Manni replied calmly.

She stood, brushed some debris off her clothes, and, adopting a poised manner, lightly leaped out of the crater. She couldn’t resist quietly activating her clothing’s self-cleaning function—it ‘was’ a human bomb, after all, and who knew what might have settled on her!

As Ruo Manni emerged, the captains of the first and second battalions immediately stepped forward to congratulate her. “Congratulations, Miss Ruo Manni, on your successful advancement to high-level psychic!”

Their attitudes were very respectful. They’d come to terms with the fact that she was indeed a powerful force. As late-stage warriors, they no longer dared to oppose her.

After all, if their commander—with all his backing—couldn’t prevail against Ruo Manni, then with the commander’s impending fall, she or someone in her inner circle was sure to take his place. Building a good rapport with her would only benefit them.

“Thank you, sirs,” Ruo Manni saluted, recognizing that she was technically their subordinate.

She’d grown quite accustomed to being called “Miss Ruo Manni” and responded to the two captains with a composed demeanor—not overly friendly, but not cold either.

Her goal was to eventually win over these two battalions, but the timing wasn’t right. In their eyes, she had just survived a human bomb attack and had leveled up in the heat of the moment, so she’d need to stabilize her abilities.

Watching as the captains bid her farewell and led their units away, Ruo Manni had to admit they had handled the situation tactfully.

She instructed the mecha camp to continue their training under the guidance of captains Yu Paul and Gong Jiafeng, while she, along with her senior and junior aides, returned to her office.

“Deputy Tong, if the people from the First and Second Battalions come to negotiate again, make sure to talk things through with them. Even if an agreement is reached, the terms shouldn’t be as favorable as those for the Mecha Company—follow the second plan instead. These two battalion captains aren’t as straightforward as they appear. Though we can’t find any evidence of them colluding with outside forces, we should still stay vigilant,” Ruo Manni said.

Ruo Manni’s mood wasn’t too bad. While the human bomb incident had left her somewhat unsettled, it hadn’t shaken her psychologically. In fact, being able to use this opportunity to suppress the two commanders without sparking resistance from the First and Second Battalions was an excellent outcome.

“No need to rush. We’re in the perfect position to let them wait,” Deputy Tong replied calmly.

Having spent the most time on base and being in charge of intelligence gathering, he was particularly aware of the First and Second Battalions’ previous tendency to watch from the sidelines. He knew even better than others how they’d behaved.

None of them—not even Miss Ruo Manni—were altruists. Just because the First and Second Battalions suddenly showed interest didn’t mean they’d be eagerly welcomed with open arms. It wasn’t like Ruo Manni’s side would immediately start upgrading their training grounds and supplying them with resources for training.

“At the very least, we should delay any decision until the new commander is appointed. Let them cool off a bit and come to us, looking to cooperate,” Sheila suggested.

“That’s a great idea,” Ruo Manni agreed.

Their resources weren’t limitless, and Ruo Manni wasn’t inclined to waste them on people who weren’t truly loyal. Since her promotion to Level 7, she’d gained a heightened sensitivity to others’ emotions and intentions. Whether someone was sincere or simply putting on a facade, Ruo Manni could tell immediately.

Just then, a video call from Lin Changfeng came through.

“Uncle Lin!” Ruo Manni greeted.

“I just watched that footage. That was far too close. In the future, avoid taking risks if you can help it. You fulfilled your duty, yes, but you’re incredibly valuable to our empire,” Lin Changfeng said.

“I only did it because I was confident,” Ruo Manni replied.

“There are various types of human bombs, each with different levels of power. Today, you were lucky to encounter a mid-grade model. If it had been a special-grade bomb, your protective gear wouldn’t have made any difference,” Lin Changfeng cautioned.

“I understand. I won’t take such risks again,” Ruo Manni said, admitting her fault. Of course, she wasn’t about to reveal her backup survival plan.

“You don’t need to worry about this situation anymore. Those people won’t be able to make trouble for much longer. But to avoid any desperate retaliation, keep a low profile for now,” Lin Changfeng advised.

Ruo Manni didn’t ask, and Lin Changfeng didn’t explain further—they both understood who was behind this, and were simply waiting for instructions from the Crown Prince’s side.

After ending the call, Ruo Manni began to reflect.

“Lieutenant Hua De!” Deputy Ma’s voice cut in sharply, enunciating every word.

Startled, Ruo Manni looked up to see Deputy Ma’s expression, which practically screamed “We need to talk.”

Those unfamiliar with her or without psychic abilities might not have noticed, but her close allies had seen her deliberately lure those two human bombs onto open ground. They knew she had identified them as human bombs well in advance.

For a commanding officer, protecting the lives of her soldiers as best as possible is a primary responsibility. However, for those who served closely with Ruo Manni, her willingness to risk her own safety for others’ sake was seen as recklessly dangerous. To her family and those who cared about her, this kind of self-sacrificial behavior was deeply troubling.

After Deputy Ma’s thorough scolding, Ruo Manni had to endure Deputy Tong’s disapproving look, as well as Sheila’s exasperated “Are you out of your mind?” expression. Even Tamaki Kazia, usually mild-mannered, gave her a look that said she really shouldn’t have done it.

Ruo Manni suddenly felt like a terrible sinner, bearing everyone’s disappointment.

Then, someone must have reported to Hebrew Adam, because his call came through next.

Seeing his girlfriend safe and sound on the other end of the screen, Adam’s intense worry finally eased a little.

Ruo Manni put on her best repentant expression—eyes wide and contrite, promising, “I know I was wrong; from now on, I’ll be extra careful and won’t let anyone come within five meters of me!” She hoped to calm the prince down.

Adam, seeing her looking so sweet and obedient, still felt deeply uneasy, knowing she was in enemy territory. He wished he could fly to her side and protect her himself. When his informant reported that Ruo Manni had faced a human bomb attack, Adam had been terrified; it had been years since he’d felt that level of fear. At age eight, he’d witnessed someone die in a human bomb explosion. The memory haunted him with nightmares for five days, and he couldn’t bear to imagine Ruo Manni suffering something like that.

Just when Ruo Manni thought she’d finally settled things with Adam, another call came in—this time from Hua Deqi, who had seen the video of her ordeal and understood the full extent of her risk.

Then Lixi Amber called. She had been unable to reach her daughter earlier and had been frantic with worry. Only after contacting Sheila and confirming that Ruo Manni was safe did she calm down a little.

After one reproachful call after another, Ruo Manni’s smile started to feel strained. When her comms finally quieted down, she looked teary-eyed at Deputy Ma and sighed, “Why did you have to tell them everything?”

Both Deputy Ma and Deputy Dong rolled their eyes, which was the first time Ruo Manni had seen them so openly exasperated with her.

“You want to play hero, but we don’t want you to be a hero!” Sheila scolded. “You think it’s amazing, don’t you? Ignoring your own safety—feels like a real achievement, huh?”

Sheila had been frightened out of her mind just minutes earlier, only to learn that Ruo Manni, with her grand ideals, had actually chosen not to escape when she had the chance. Knowing the full story, Sheila felt an intense urge to shake some sense into her friend.