"Commander Yang Ying, the command seat might not be occupied now. It seems only we remain, doesn't it?" Lloyd stated plainly.

"That certainly appears to be the case. Does Commander Lloyd have some counsel to offer?" Yang Ying inquired, intending to gauge Lloyd’s next move before formulating his own.

"To be frank, I am determined to secure this command seat," Lloyd declared with a serious expression.

Watching him speak, Yang Ying was reminded of Istha. Truly, a son inherits from his father; Istha’s arrogance and overbearing nature clearly had a genetic source.

However, Lloyd was more polished, masking his inner hauteur beneath a veneer of amiability. But the core essence remained the same.

"Lloyd, are you so confident?" Old Locke asked irritably. Having just been excluded from the running for the command seat, he was eager to vent his frustrations.

Lloyd ignored him, addressing Yang Ying: "Commander Yang Ying, as far as I know, you control four space cities, and your forces emerged unscathed from Hras's offensive. Wait—before the offensive even began. The Ape Cult's Zhuo Jing caused a collapse of several buildings in Gray Port, resulting in a few deaths, er, perhaps a hundred?" Lloyd counted on his fingers. "Of course, only the Tran Mercenary Group knows the precise numbers."

"Commander Lloyd, what exactly are you trying to say?" Randolph frowned, confused as to why Lloyd was bringing up matters seemingly unrelated to the United Fleet.

Lloyd raised his voice: "What I'm saying is that the Tran Mercenary Group’s foundation is shallow, and their hatred for Hras is insufficient. Your mercenaries below may not be fully convinced that you will exert one hundred percent effort against the Pirate United Fleet. While you are universally acknowledged in the Asteroid Belt as having the strength of a Super Mercenary Group, exactly how strong you truly are remains unseen. Heh heh. Where is your main fleet located? Does its scale possess the power to suppress the other mercenary groups?"

Lloyd sneered at Yang Ying. "Maintaining an air of mystery before your subordinates aids leadership, but being so mysterious that your subordinates know nothing about you is excessive. Do you really think battle records alone will suffice to lead the entire United Fleet?"

The others exchanged glances. Though Lloyd’s words were sharp, they contained truth. On the surface, the Tran Mercenary Group possessed only four space cities, a stark contrast to the dozens commanded by the other three established Super Mercenary Groups.

Though everyone knew the Tran Mercenary Group was not supported solely by space city revenue, to many outsiders, this disparity was undeniable proof of their shallow foundation.

"Therefore, I maintain that the Tran Mercenary Group lacks the necessary prestige to command the entire United Fleet, making Commander Yang Ying unsuitable to be the Commander-in-Chief," Lloyd concluded.

After speaking, Lloyd calmly cleared his throat and took two sips from a glass of water at his side. Given his standing, he needed no external props to validate himself. No one interacting with him would look down on him for drinking plain water. Should anyone do so, that person was simply unworthy of dealing with Lloyd, and Lloyd would not spare them a second glance.

"Commander Yang Ying, what is your opinion?" William stroked his white beard and turned to Yang Ying.

Yang Ying knew that with the operational details of his recent campaigns kept completely confidential, competing with the three established Super Mercenary Groups would indeed be difficult. Fortunately, he had already devised an alternative path before the meeting began.

"It is not impossible for Commander Lloyd to become the commander," Yang Ying paused, waiting for the reactions to subside before continuing, "but a few conditions must be met."

When Lloyd heard the first sentence from Yang Ying, a ripple disturbed his previously placid heart. The corner of his eye twitched slightly; he could not maintain his characteristic poker face. He had not expected Yang Ying to agree so readily to him taking command of the United Fleet.

It was not just Lloyd; everyone else was equally surprised.

Randolph coughed heavily and asked, "Commander Yang Ying, are you certain?"

"I am certain," Yang Ying nodded.

"What are your conditions?" Lloyd quickly regained his composure and asked in a level tone.

"I require a degree of operational autonomy within the United Fleet," Yang Ying stated clearly.

Lloyd swallowed the word "No" that had risen to his lips and asked coolly, "How much independence are we talking about?"

"Before explaining that, I wish to ask: how critical is intelligence work to a unified fleet?" Yang Ying did not directly answer Lloyd's question.

Lloyd scrutinized Yang Ying, trying to discern something, but found nothing, cursing the 'little fox' internally. Though he knew Yang Ying's status as an Awakened, he chose to deliberately overlook it in this moment.

"Not just for a fleet, but for any military branch, for any battle, intelligence is the most crucial component," Randolph interjected, answering for Lloyd when he remained silent. "Possessing an intelligence advantage allows one to defeat the strong with the weak, the many with the few, and allows for the complete manipulation of the enemy, keeping them exhausted. It can also conceal one's own weaknesses and strike at the enemy's vulnerabilities. In short, an intelligence advantage is the bedrock for victory; absolute intelligence superiority can render one invincible."

Saint Lades picked up Randolph’s thread, adding a supplementary point, then turned to Yang Ying: "Commander Yang Ying, do you have any suggestions regarding intelligence operations?"

As expected of a Paladin.

Yang Ying inwardly acknowledged this, then smiled: "My requirement for Commander Lloyd is that our main forces of the Tran Mercenary Group operate independently of the Mercenary United Fleet. In exchange, we will provide accurate positional intelligence on the Pirate United Fleet anytime, anywhere."

"What!" The other five individuals around the meeting table were instantly astonished by Yang Ying's words.

"Independent of the United Fleet? Then why do you even need to participate in the United Fleet?" Lloyd asked with distinctly disgruntled tone.

The others awaited Yang Ying's explanation.

Yang Ying smiled and continued, "As a component of the Asteroid Belt mercenary faction, participating in the United Fleet is an undeniable obligation. However, as you all know, the Tran Mercenary Group is not an isolated organization; I have superiors and rules. The Corporate Headquarters requires that many new technologies undergo a period of closed testing to confirm their maturity before being revealed. In fact, our mercenary group's achievements are entirely due to the application of these new technologies."

Yang Ying shrugged. "But regrettably, the conventional weaponry supplied to us by the Corporate Headquarters is limited. This forces us to maintain secrecy in most engagements, which has led to a considerable amount of bloodshed. In truth, we are not as ruthless as the outside rumors suggest."

Yang Ying's statement was a mixture of truth and half-truth; most of it reflected genuine logistical issues, though he deliberately omitted what those "new technologies" truly were—the cloaking technology was not ready for exposure yet.

Randolph frowned. "Do all participants in the Mercenary United Fleet require such secrecy? The rules of your Corporate Headquarters seem excessively strict."

Yang Ying chuckled. "Strict they may be, but rules must be obeyed. That is why I devised this solution: upon joining the United Fleet, the Tran Mercenary Group will handle all intelligence requirements for fleet operations, but the combat forces we commit can only be symbolic—perhaps a few large warships of an outdated model. I ask for your understanding."

"Handling all intelligence requirements? What an arrogant fellow."

Lloyd snorted.

Lloyd now envisioned himself as the Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet. With Yang Ying choosing the path of independence, he clearly forfeited any chance of contending for the command seat. His command seat was within sight, and the glory of the Caesar Mercenary Group would follow. If the Mercenary United Fleet, under his command, Lloyd Caesar, defeated the Pirate United Fleet of Hras, the prestige of the Caesar Mercenary Group would soar, officially supplanting the Emperor Group as the number one Super Mercenary Group.

He briefly fantasized about returning to his family laden with glory.

He quickly snapped back to reality and continued, "If one can gain the right to independent action merely through smooth talk, then other mercenary groups could just as easily talk their way out of full commitment. Of course, if you genuinely believe your intelligence work can substitute for the fighting strength of a Super Mercenary Group, I welcome it—but you must prove it to us!"

How could he prove it during a video conference?

Lloyd sneered silently. To completely dismiss Yang Ying's proposal at this meeting, to secure his command seat and prevent the Tran Mercenary Group from asserting independence—perhaps he could even use this opportunity to investigate what kind of technology the Tran Corporation was protecting so fiercely.

Although a peace treaty was signed, it did not mean he would pass up an opportunity presented here. If he didn't push now, how could he justify the two Crown Fleets lost to the Tran Mercenary Group?

Yang Ying could more or less guess Lloyd's thoughts, but he was prepared for this level of challenge and was about to speak when—

"Commander Yang Ying," Saint Lades suddenly interjected, "I recall you just said you could provide accurate positional intelligence on the Pirate United Fleet 'anytime, anywhere.' Does this mean you can provide it now?"

"How is that possible? It must have been a slip of the tongue. You, a dignified Paladin, believe such nonsense? When has Hras ever been found, let alone found 'anytime, anywhere'?" Old Locke injected a jab at Saint Lades, as if compelled by some obsessive disorder, disregarding the risk of offending Yang Ying in the process.

Yang Ying surveyed the room, absorbing the expressions of the other five men at the table. He offered a slight smile to Randolph, who looked concerned, and said calmly, "I handle intelligence; you can rest assured. The Pirate United Fleet is currently in the Pythagorean Star System, twenty-three hours away from Ceres, and is heading toward it."