For the next few days following the fight, the duel became the hottest topic in Gray Harbor. Herman’s tyranny had long been established; anyone who dared to defy him was dragged to the arena for physical obliteration—a classic case of a man who ate people without spitting out the bones, his infamy reaching its absolute nadir.

Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Gray Harbor knew that Herman, this contemptible scoundrel, was rotten to the core. Though the Devil Squad numbered only fifty, they were his right and left hands, their deterrent power no less significant than his full five thousand men.

It was crucial to remember that powered armor was not commonplace equipment. Even the Earth Coalition military could only issue it to their most elite special forces units. During a campaign, a special forces soldier in powered armor was the sharpest dagger in the hands of ground troops, always targeting the enemy's most formidable fortresses.

While powered armor lacked the firepower of tanks or the mobility of fighters, its flexibility was unmatched by other heavy equipment, making it highly favored by the military as specialized gear.

Herman possessed only two units equipped with powered armor: the Devil Squad and his personal bodyguard unit. However, although his bodyguards numbered over a hundred men, they possessed only twenty suits of powered armor, and those models were far inferior to the Devil Type-Three suits.

The Devil Squad had only recently upgraded from the Devil Type-Two to the Devil Type-Three, and before they could even display their full might, they were crushed in the arena. Ninety percent of them were killed on the spot. Those who survived fled Gray Harbor under the command of their captain, vanishing without a trace. The Devil Squad, Herman’s most elite armed force, was utterly annihilated!

Once the arena battle was broadcast across Gray Harbor via Gray Harbor Television, everyone in the city—except for the Pirate Faction—applauded the outcome.

As the heroes who defeated the Devil Squad, the Tran Mercenary Group burst onto the scene like a sudden dark horse, capturing the attention of Gray Harbor’s residents.

Previously, the machine gunners from the office rarely wore powered armor when deploying, carrying only a handgun for self-defense, which kept their profile low. But in this duel, the machine gunners were fully armed. The Gauss guns in their hands, with their intense penetration, punched through the Devil Squad members hiding behind alloy barricades—one shot, two holes; two shots, four holes; three shots, six holes. This scene was filmed from several angles and replayed endlessly by the people of Gray Harbor.

For those inclined towards conflict and thrills, this was like a jolt of pure adrenaline. Gray Harbor, serving as a buffer zone between two major factions, was a hotspot for frequent clashes, ensuring a large population of such individuals. They cornered everyone they met, asking, “Did you see it?” spreading the fame of the Tran Mercenary Group throughout the small, sprawling Gray Harbor. Before this, only social elites and mercenaries knew about the Tran Mercenary Group when Yang Ying hosted banquets at the Crown Hotel; the common folk remained largely unaware.

Previously, the Tran Mercenary Group had gained some recognition for eliminating a Triceratops warship, but the Ancient Legion was too far removed from the people of Gray Harbor; they treated it as ordinary news, forgotten as soon as it passed. This time, however, the duel took place right in Gray Harbor, and one combatant was the universally despised Herman. Consequently, after the Tran Mercenary Group’s victory, they instantly became a household name.

The surprise the Tran Mercenary Group delivered next was even greater. On the very night of the duel, Robin, the Gray Harbor representative for the Tran Mercenary Group, hosted another banquet at the Crown Hotel to celebrate the victory.

During the banquet, the office deployed twenty-one squads of machine gunners to maintain security around the hotel.

A total of two hundred and fifty-two men, all clad in powered armor, stunned every faction in Gray Harbor.

This was the equivalent of five full Devil Squads!

Herman only had one Devil Squad!

Some elements within the Pirate Faction, hearing the news, assumed the office was left vulnerable and dispatched small raiding parties to launch surprise attacks on the office building. The advanced weaponry and equipment of the Tran Mercenary Group were intensely enviable, and they hoped to fish in troubled waters, testing what treasures they might find inside the office.

However, upon arrival, they discovered that the firepower protecting the office building still exceeded their limits of endurance. These small raiding parties were riddled with holes, their blood staining the streets. This served as a stark warning to any potential imitators: the two hundred and fifty-two machine gunners in the hotel were clearly not the full extent of the Tran Mercenary Group's strength!

In reality, the military strength deployed by the Tran Mercenary Group at the Gray Harbor office had already reached twenty-five squads, totaling three hundred machine gunners. After sending out twenty-one squads, four squads remained on standby, alongside two Ghost Agent squads and four Medic squads ready at a moment's notice. The arson capabilities of the flamethrower troops caused too much collateral damage in an urban setting, so only two squads were kept ready for emergencies. This military force was more than sufficient to defend a single office complex.

Furthermore, there was a contingent of armored units. All armored vehicles were stored in a highly secured warehouse behind the office.

The quota originally granted to the office by the Gray Harbor municipal government allowed for only one hundred infantrymen and strictly forbade the presence of armored vehicles.

Robin had blatantly disregarded this regulation because it had been made clear before the duel began: the victor is always in the right. The machine gunner corps had earned the right to expand their garrison size through this victory.

In direct contrast, Herman was obliged to compensate the Tran Mercenary Group for their losses.

According to whispers circulating, after returning from the arena, Herman raged, summoned his subordinates, subjected them to severe reprimands, and smashed the conference room into wreckage. Several individuals involved in planning the confrontation suffered the consequences.

Yet, the very next day, Herman still sent representatives to deliver payment to the Gray Harbor office: medical fees, nutritional supplements, death compensation, equipment loss reimbursement, mental distress compensation, lost wages, and a host of other expenses, totaling six hundred and fifty million credits.

Though Herman deeply resented paying, he had no choice. In the asteroid belt, strength was the ultimate law. The power displayed by the machine gunner corps had been a profound shock to him, especially now that the office housed three hundred such troops! With the Devil Squad entirely wiped out, Herman was reduced to a toothless tiger. He could only arm a new Devil Squad using the older Devil Type-Two powered armor frames that the original unit had just replaced, purely for appearances, and dared not default on the payment.

Other factions within the Pirate Faction also held the right to object to the Tran Mercenary Group’s troop increase, but having witnessed Herman suffer such a significant blow, they certainly weren't inclined to jump into the fray and invite trouble for themselves while the situation was so volatile.

During this period, the number of people approaching the Tran Mercenary Group office to commission tasks increased exponentially.

The types of missions ranged from bodyguard duty to escorting cargo ships, and even wiping out pirates in specific sectors—the variety was endless.

However, Gray Harbor, being a neutral city, did not host many missions involving pirate eradication. If such information leaked, the client's life would immediately be in jeopardy once the Pirate Faction on the other side of the city found out.

In these recent days, the office had only received one mission to eliminate pirates: the target was a pirate gang operating from a small skiff, smaller than a corvette, called the 'Ting,' numbering less than twenty petty pirates. A single Ghost fighter dispatched from the base completed the mission effortlessly.

Yang Ying had fully entrusted Gray Harbor affairs to Robin. The base, meanwhile, focused entirely on development. As resources accumulated, base construction accelerated rapidly; the third and fourth levels were excavated, and various equipment installed, soon to be put into service.

When Kalia tracked the alloy barricades back to Rübern, she immediately notified Yang Ying.

“It must be Isaac. To manufacture that batch of alloy barricades overnight and deliver them to Gray Harbor, only a nearby industrial city could manage it. Rübern is a high-ranking industrial city in the asteroid belt; they could easily accomplish this.” Yang Ying sat upright at his desk, reviewing the evidence Kalia had compiled. The evidence was extremely detailed, constituting irrefutable proof, even including shipping manifests from the Rübern port.

“How does the Commander plan to handle this?” Kalia inquired.

“First, connect me to Isaac. I want to ask him face-to-face what this means.”

Since Isaac did not maintain a public communication channel, Yang Ying instructed Catherina to connect through Isaac’s assistant, who then transferred the call to Isaac’s office.

“Commander Yang, long time no see. I heard you soundly defeated Herman’s Devil Squad a few days ago. I was truly surprised. I’ve been swamped these past few days and couldn't offer congratulations. Please accept my apologies.” Isaac appeared on the holographic screen with a congratulatory smile, offering Yang Ying a brief bow gesture.

“Commander Isaac, I’m not here for pleasantries. We have confirmed that Herman acquired a batch of alloy barricades from Rübern to counter our Gauss guns. What explanation do you have for this, Commander Isaac?” Yang Ying got straight to the point, letting his anger show. This was not a time for polite exchanges or subtle insinuations.

“Alas, I truly thought this matter could be kept quiet. I didn't expect the secret to slip out, and Commander Yang discovered it. I am truly sorry.” Isaac’s expression immediately soured, and he shook his head. “This is my oversight; I failed to properly manage my subordinates. The Giant Mercenary Group has a traitor who colluded with the pirates.”

Yang Ying frowned. He had expected Isaac to offer some sort of apology, not immediately shift the blame to his own personnel.

Isaac continued, “In fact, I only discovered this this morning. That traitor colluded with Herman, ordered the materials from the Rübern Industrial Group, and then had the pirates haul them away. I have already executed this traitor. If Commander Yang doesn't believe me, the confession and the body are in Rübern; you can send someone to verify at any time!” Isaac spoke with a grave tone, perfectly executing the role of a superior who failed in his duty to supervise—more convincing than reality itself.

“Oh? Commander Isaac is quite the friend,” Yang Ying remarked dryly.

“I know this is difficult for Commander Yang to believe, but I truly hold no ill will toward the Tran Mercenary Group. Furthermore, the Giant Mercenary Group is willing to assume full responsibility for any trouble caused by these alloy barricades against your mercenaries. Commander Yang can send someone to negotiate the compensation details with my assistant.” Isaac adopted a submissive posture, speaking with sincere earnestness.

Yang Ying presented the evidence Kalia had gathered, questioning Isaac point by point. Isaac countered each claim with the traitor’s confession, a document crafted so perfectly that it absorbed almost all of the evidence Yang Ying possessed, successfully pinning every fault onto the now-executed scapegoat.

I sincerely hope this book can at least make it onto the Sci-Fi recommendation lists. If fellow readers do not find this ambition presumptuous, please lend me your support by casting a vote. Thank you!