Tian Hai and the others stared dumbfounded. Eight Wushan-class destroyers were enough to form a substantial fleet. Even if the enemy commander had his head caught in a steel sluice gate, he wouldn't send warships over one by one to be sacrificed like this.

To prevent the explosion from affecting the jump point, Zhong Yun always waited until the enemy ships had flown a certain distance before giving the order to fire. The enemy vessels had ample time to relay messages to the other side of the jump point.

Why was the commander over there so persistent in sending warships to their doom? Had the national strength of the Hongxian Federation become so great that they could afford to use Wushan-class destroyers as mere cannon fodder?

After the eighth enemy warship was destroyed, not a single vessel emerged from the jump point again. The other side finally ceased this idiotic, self-sacrificial maneuver.

After waiting for about thirty minutes, the tension eased from Zhong Yun's expression. A slender, delicate hand reached out, using a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow. His nerves had been taut moments before, leaving his forehead drenched.

He turned his head and offered Liu Yunqi a gentle smile.

"The Captain of Ship Three requests communication," the system voice announced.

Liu Yunqi obediently withdrew her hand. Having grown up in a military family, she understood certain military regulations clearly. Bringing an unauthorized person without military rank like Zhong Yun into the main control room of a warship was a severe breach of protocol. Even as the overall commander, he would face a military tribunal.

"Connect it," Zhong Yun commanded.

The flushed, excited face of the Captain of Ship Three appeared on the main screen. "Overall Commander, the port has been secured. What are the next steps, Commander?"

"Order the mech teams to land in the port and establish tight control. Disarm everyone inside the port and detain them in several locations. Anyone who resists—kill." As he uttered the final word, a chilling murderous aura radiated from Zhong Yun's eyes.

"Yes, sir." The Captain of Ship Three acknowledged and cut the communication. He certainly understood what needed to be done next; asking Zhong Yun was merely a gesture of respect. This complete, sudden strike had utterly subdued him.

Tian Hai and the others were still discussing the recent events. In Tian Hai's estimation, the opposing commander had completely lost his mind. No sane person would issue such an order.

"Their reaction is completely understandable," stated Chen Wen, who had remained silent until now.

"Hmph. Sending warships to certain death when the outcome is already known—you call that normal? I think your mind isn't normal," Tian Hai and Chen Wen frequently sparred; they'd pick a fight even when there was no reason to, let alone now.

"If you just consider what would happen if even one inhabited planet of Davor fell into enemy hands, you would understand why the Hongxian Federation commander issued that order," Chen Wen’s retort, as usual, was simple and cut straight to the heart of the matter. Tian Hai paused slightly; he hadn't considered that angle. If a populated world truly fell to the enemy, the military would fight to the death to rescue it.

Every inhabited planet held hundreds of millions, billions, or even trillions of lives. To abandon these citizens would guarantee the immediate downfall of any government, regardless of the nation.

These weren't resource planets that could simply be written off.

The reason Davor constructed its final defense line before 'Lanling Star' and intended to defend it at any cost was precisely because of the fifteen hundred million residents on 'Lanling Star.'

"If the Hongxian Federation command structure hadn't issued that order, their outcome would have been far more tragic," Chen Wen allowed a trace of sarcasm to touch his lips.

To him, this was all needless sacrifice. Since the loss was already a reality, the most rational course of action for a commander, upon learning the situation, would be to conserve strength and fortify defenses, not send warships and elite soldiers to perish senselessly.

Eight mainline warships and the hundreds of thousands of officers and men aboard them died for nothing.

"I'd bet the defenses on the other side of that jump point are extremely weak right now," Chen Wen’s words carried a strong undercurrent of temptation.

Tian Hai and Zhang Xiao understood the implication in Chen Wen’s words and turned to look at Zhong Yun. If they could take the other side of the jump point as well... they all felt their palms grow sweaty with tension.

It would be impossible for Zhong Yun to be completely unmoved. Attacking now offered a ninety percent chance of an easy victory. Imagine seizing two enemy jump points in succession—no commander could ignore such a tempting prospect.

However, after weighing the situation in his mind, Zhong Yun could only shake his head with regret. "Our strength is limited; splitting our forces is too dangerous."

"But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If we miss it, we’ll never see it again," Chen Wen urged, visibly anxious.

"I understand that principle," Zhong Yun replied with a helpless shake of his head. "But our strategic goal is sabotage, not occupation. Our strength is insufficient for that kind of operation. Dividing into two teams risks being picked off one by one. Moreover, we already possess sufficient leverage; there is no need to risk further."

Seeing that Zhong Yun's mind was made up, Chen Wen did not press further. He viewed his role as a staff advisor, responsible for proposing strategies. The final decision rested with Zhong Yun, the commander.

The Republic of Davor, Temporary Operations Department.

"Still no word from the 45th Fleet?" The Marshal sat rigidly behind the command console, his expression grim.

"None," replied the Minister of External Liaison, standing to report. "The 45th Fleet sent one signal reporting success fifteen hours ago, and we haven't been able to make contact since."

Regulations required them to send a signal every two hours. But the 45th Fleet had been silent for a full fifteen hours. After he finished speaking, the entire Temporary Operations Department fell into a terrifying silence. The Marshal raised his hand, motioning him to sit down, and the minister carefully obeyed, fearful of making the slightest sound.

It felt as if a massive stone pressed down on everyone present, heavy enough to stifle breath.

The Marshal kept his head lowered, pressing his fingertips against his brow, lost in immense distress.

Whether in public or private, the loss of contact with the 45th Fleet was a blow he could hardly bear.

Publicly, the 45th Fleet represented almost the last fighting force Davor could deploy. If anything happened to them, they would have to draw forces from other military districts—a last resort he would avoid until the final moment.

Privately, every major family had a direct heir aboard the 45th Fleet, a stipulation agreed upon long ago to demonstrate the families' resolve to fight to the bitter end.

The Yang family's representative was Yang Yunlong, the eldest son of the current patriarch, Yang Bingchang. Furthermore, only after the fleet departed did the Marshal realize his own genius niece was also on board.

Losing two such vital successors at once was a catastrophe the Yang and Liu families could not withstand.

The 45th Fleet's initial progress had been spectacularly smooth. When the Temporary Operations Department learned they had successfully navigated the jump point and reached the enemy's rear, elation swept through the headquarters. Then, good news followed continuously: they had destroyed seven enemy supply depots and rescued hundreds of thousands of citizens.

Subsequently, they annihilated an enormous enemy supply convoy, severing the enemy's lifeline in a short period.

This represented a turning point for Davor. The President immediately activated the national propaganda machine, not only informing the entire military of this massive victory but also broadcasting it ubiquitously across the nation.

The populace desperately needed such a success. Since the war began, Davor's forces had been in constant retreat, leading to widespread pessimism. Hoarding of supplies had even begun in the markets.

Both the military and the civilians were in dire need of a major triumph to boost morale.

Therefore, despite knowing this would make restraining Zhong Yun harder in the future, the Temporary Operations Department agreed to widely publicize the victory. They tried, however, to subtly diminish the credit and role of Zhong Yun.

Even so, the citizens of Davor directed an overwhelmingly intense focus toward the young hero.

A seventeen-year-old Major General commander (the media avoided mentioning that Zhong Yun was the fleet's overall commander, only referring to his Captain status) was inherently legendary. And he had led the fleet to such a monumental victory (which had been significantly exaggerated for propaganda purposes).

Zhong Yun became a household name virtually overnight, while the other five captains received far less attention.

However, amidst the flowers and applause, a segment of the public began to question: by what right did Zhong Yun obtain the rank of Major General at the age of seventeen?

Consequently, an article titled "The Military's Black Box and Corruption—The Tale of the Seventeen-Year-Old Major General" began circulating wildly across the virtual network.

This article exposed the monopolistic control of the military apparatus by several established families, using extensive detailed data and examples to prove the military's inherent darkness and corruption. The most salient example cited was this very seventeen-year-old Major General. The piece concluded with an authoritative claim that Davor's rapid military defeats were entirely due to the low combat effectiveness resulting from the military's hereditary structure and resulting decay.

The moment this article appeared, the public erupted in shock. The following day, large crowds gathered at the Presidential Palace to protest, demanding an explanation. In less than half a day, the entire Presidential Palace was surrounded, the populace seething with righteous anger.

The personnel at the Temporary Operations Department were furious. While ordering the National Security Bureau to immediately hunt down the fabricators of the rumor, they also assembled an emergency task force to rapidly resolve this crisis.

The emergency team quickly devised a solution: the rumor gained such traction because of the existence of the seventeen-year-old Major General, Zhong Yun. The remedy was simple: publicize the actual reasons why Zhong Yun attained that rank.

The people at the Temporary Operations Department felt helpless. The initial decision to conceal the details of that specific war had been made partly at Zhong Yun's request, and partly because they wished to avoid further consolidating the power of the Yang family. But now, concealment was impossible.

That day, a military spokesperson delivered a statement, which all media outlets broadcast live.

P: I estimate some brothers have already spent their second month's recommendation votes. Brothers with votes, please cast them my way. Thank you.