For the next few days, Siren and Aredia consolidated all their deployed forces, sealing off the camp until it was impenetrable. (Read the full novel at Shiliu Literature Network) Just to the side of the valley floor where Siren's camp lay, there was a small Zakra crystal vein. Siren and Aredia absorbed every raw Zakra crystal from this vein. Siren summoned ten thousand uniformed girls armed with various weapons to join their ranks, while Aredia concentrated her energy to summon three Lava Rhinos, each at the mid-Jupiter level.

During these days, Gu Xiachen and Xin Jia circled Siren's camp relentlessly. He moved like an old, seasoned weasel casing a nest full of chicks, his mind entirely consumed with schemes involving Siren and Aredia. However, his manpower was too thin, and subduing two Jie Shi felt nearly impossible. After days of pacing, he still hadn't devised any viable strategy.

It was on the seventh day after Gu Xiachen blew up Siren's forward base that Gu Xiachen, while eating lunch perched on a tree branch, spotted a small fleet slowly passing overhead in the sky.

Eight heavy patrol cruisers, seventeen medium patrol cruisers, and nineteen massive transport ships, each six hundred meters in length, drifted slowly in circles above the dense forest. The skull-and-angel emblem painted beneath their hulls was strikingly conspicuous. Reinforcements from the Hell's Angels Mercenary Corps had finally arrived, having received the intelligence broadcast by Gu Xiachen.

This fleet had been assembled by Commander Qiuran ever since Gu Xiachen departed Earth. By the time Gu Xiachen reached the Alpha Sector, the fleet was already traversing hyperspace. However, the treacherous Da’Lain had not provided the correct wormhole coordinates, so the fleet had been drifting aimlessly throughout the Alpha Sector like a headless fly. Gu Xiachen broadcast the relevant intelligence, including the wormhole coordinates, over the public channel, and the fleet immediately set course for the destination.

The only complication was the asteroid field outside the wormhole—it was too dangerous, and the terrain too complex—which is why the fleet took seven days to arrive.

Gu Xiachen, overjoyed, piled up dry branches and dead leaves on the ground and lit a signal fire. A column of black smoke shot into the sky, and the fleet immediately turned toward Gu Xiachen’s position. The transports brutally crushed swathes of forest with their massive hulls, clearing a flat landing zone. Long gangways lowered from the transports, and torrents of engineering equipment poured out with a dull roar, followed closely by great contingents of Hell's Angels mercenaries.

Seven main battle groups, totaling over thirty-six thousand elite mercenaries; more than three thousand assorted artillery pieces; twenty high-energy cannons of medium and small caliber; over two hundred and thirty medium and light magnetic levitation vehicles; and more than three hundred standard heavy and medium combat vehicles, plus over thirty atmospheric fighters and one hundred and thirty helicopters of various types—this formidable force instantly stiffened Gu Xiachen’s posture considerably.

Standing by the landing zone carved out by the transport ships, watching a heavy patrol cruiser descend slowly from the air, Gu Xiachen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a broad smile on his face.

Large numbers of soldiers, cooperating with the engineering machinery, worked intensely: erecting alloy defense walls, constructing various fortifications, and setting up barracks. Everyone covertly gazed upon Gu Xiachen with genuine awe. Single-handedly manipulating the elite forces of the Sacred Unicorns, transmitting intelligence under such unfavorable conditions—no mercenary could have performed better.

The patrol cruiser settled onto the ground with a muffled whistle. As the hatch opened, the brothers Banruo and Mohe charged out first.

“Evil Dragon, brilliant!” Mohe excitedly rushed forward and embraced Gu Xiachen heartily. Then, unable to wait, he called out, “Where are those Unicorn whelps? Brothers, let’s grab our gear and wipe them out!”

Banruo silently grabbed Mohe by the ear and hustled him aside. The commanders of the other six main battle groups of the Hell's Angels Mercenary Corps stepped out of the patrol cruiser. They lined up alongside Banruo, and at Banruo’s sharp command, ‘Salute,’ all seven main group commanders rendered a crisp military salute to Gu Xiachen.

Gu Xiachen stood tall and returned the salute to the seven commanders. He knew that after this engagement, his authority in the eyes of these main group commanders was officially cemented.

Besides the brothers Banruo and Mohe, who were already familiar with Gu Xiachen, the main group commanders who arrived for reinforcement this time included:

Commander Bobov of the First Main Battle Group: a burly man covered in black fur resembling a polar bear, a mid-Saturn level Fighter, and a battle maniac. Commander Holm of the Second Main Battle Group: a lean, powerful Black man built like a leopard, a mid-Saturn level Fighter, and an expert in sniping and assassination. Commander Linghu of the Fifth Main Battle Group: a small, plump old man resembling a wealthy landlord, a high-Saturn level Fighter, and a senior staff officer for the mercenary corps. Commander Billy of the Eighth Main Battle Group: a short, withered old man, a mid-Saturn level Fighter, and a specialist in medicine… no, anatomy. Commander Medusa of the Ninth Main Battle Group: a devastatingly beautiful green-haired woman, a high-Uranus level Fighter, and, true to her name, a master of poison. Commander Andoff of the Eleventh Main Battle Group: a quiet, strong blond man, a low-Neptune level Fighter, and an expert in computers and mechanics.

Combined with the Banruo and Mohe brothers, who specialized in combined assault techniques from their inherited secret arts, five True Innate Fighters and forty-eight Pseudo-Innate Fighters who accompanied the troops, Gu Xiachen’s personnel was now exceptionally talented. Looking at the seven main group commanders before him, Gu Xiachen asked plainly, “The situation has changed. Do you bring any new intelligence?”

Banruo pulled a document from his pocket. He stated, “This is our letter of appointment from the Earth Military Department, issued according to the Federation’s wartime decree.”

“Letter of appointment?” Gu Xiachen blinked, taking the document and scanning it quickly.

The Hell’s Angels Mercenary Corps is appointed as the ‘Planet Heaven’ Independent Army, tasked with establishing defensive positions locally and coordinating with the Earth Federation Army. Gu Xiachen is appointed as the Commander of the Earth Federation Planet Heaven Independent Army, with the rank of Federation Colonel, reporting directly to the Command Post of the Earth Federation Expeditionary Force on Planet Heaven, responsible for commanding the Independent Army. Siren is appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Earth Federation Planet Heaven Independent Army, with the rank of Federation Colonel, serving under the Independent Army Commander, Colonel Gu Xiachen. The Sacred Unicorn Mercenary Corps has been designated an illegal violent organization; all Sacred Unicorn mercenaries must lay down their arms immediately and accept incorporation into the Planet Heaven Independent Army. Any resistance will result in summary execution.

“Planet Heaven?” Gu Xiachen subconsciously looked toward Banruo.

“The planet beneath our feet, named Planet Heaven by the Earth Federation due to its perfect natural environment.”

“Uh, Commander of the Planet Heaven Independent Army?” Gu Xiachen frowned.

“This grants us a semi-official status within the Hell’s Angels Mercenary Corps, allowing us to receive supplies and limited intelligence support from the Federation Military Department henceforth.” It was clear that everyone present, including the other main group commanders, was thrilled about this new status.

“But, the commander of an independent army, commanding at least thirty thousand soldiers—are they dismissing us with just a Colonel rank?” Gu Xiachen felt he might have been shortchanged.

“You should be content. Ninety percent of our mercenary corps soldiers were thugs and scum recruited from Federation prisons. The fact that the Military Department granted us one Colonel, twelve Lieutenant Colonels, forty-eight Majors, and several hundred company-grade officers is already taking a huge risk,” Mohe interjected from the side. “If we were on Earth, would those military bureaucrats dare give us official posts? If the brothers got the urge to cause trouble and pulled a stunt, wouldn’t the Military Department be under immense pressure from the Council?”

Gu Xiachen shrugged. That was true; if the Hell’s Angels fleet hadn't been cruising the Alpha Sector, and if they hadn't been certain to arrive on Planet Heaven before everyone else, the Federation Military Department might never have issued such an appointment.

Shaking the appointment letter in his hand, Gu Xiachen said calmly, “Alright, this is both good news and bad news. If the Romans arrive here before our people do, we’ll have to steel ourselves and take them on head-on. Hey, but making Siren my second-in-command… what does Old Man Beard mean by that?”

The kind-faced old man Linghu grinned broadly, speaking affably, “Beard says the Sacred Unicorns have had an utterly terrible run of luck this time. Their commander is now a wanted fugitive by the Federation. Which means their brothers will soon have no money for food. So, Beard wants us to be generous. We should take care of those Unicorn whelps from now on. Especially that Siren—his clan members have been placed under protection by the Federation Intelligence Bureau, leaving him no choice but to obey orders.”

“Is that so?” Gu Xiachen and the old man Linghu exchanged a look and smiled with equal nonchalance.

An hour later, Gu Xiachen was sitting cross-legged in Siren’s command center.

“That’s the situation,” Gu Xiachen said with a smile to the ashen-faced Siren and Aredia before him. “Both of you come from clean, established backgrounds. Ah, especially Miss Aredia, your grandfather and father were both famous musicians in the Federation! That is truly remarkable; musicians are who I admire most!”

After a few appreciative tuts, Gu Xiachen narrowed his eyes and chuckled, “In short, that’s the story. You two now have two paths. One is to follow me wholeheartedly!”

Aredia looked at Siren. Siren gritted his teeth and coldly sneered at Gu Xiachen, who was clearly beaming with the joy of victory, “And the other path?”

Gu Xiachen slowly rubbed his fingers together and chuckled lightly, “The other path is for the two of you to take your thousands of troops and fight us to the death to cover the landing of the main Roman army, then cooperate with the Romans to annihilate the Federation Expeditionary Force, lead the Roman fleet to attack Earth, utterly crush the Federal forces, and ultimately successfully rescue your families. Well, which path do you choose?”

Aredia’s eyes were literally on fire, two intensely hot beams shooting more than a foot out from her pupils.

Every pore on Siren’s body exuded faint wisps of silver light. He clenched his fists tightly, glaring fiercely at Gu Xiachen. After a long pause, Siren slumped into his chair as if deflated like a balloon. “You lucky bastard! You, you, you son of a—I, I’ll be your damn deputy!”

Just as Gu Xiachen and the Hell’s Angels officers in the room were about to applaud and cheer, Siren suddenly roared hysterically, “But, how the hell did you manage it? Our Sacred Unicorn plan was foolproof, you, you…”

Siren choked and spat out a mouthful of blood. Aredia rushed forward in alarm, her small hands frantically patting his chest to help him breathe.

Gu Xiachen spread his hands helplessly and sighed, “How should I know why you failed to catch me? In any case, I won now!”

Amidst Siren’s spray of blood, the Earth Federation Planet Heaven Independent Army was formally established that day.

Gu Xiachen’s first order as the Commander of the Independent Army was: Install as many remote-controlled weapons as possible throughout the camp, and bury as much explosive charge as possible underground.

Nearly a hundred exploration teams were dispatched, all ordered by Gu Xiachen to drill deep into the remote mountain valleys.

Vast quantities of engineering machinery swarmed toward veins of metal ore and energy crystals, and countless ingots of metal and energy crystals were refined.

All supplies from the transport ships were unloaded and moved to secret caves in the nearby mountain ranges.

Everyone understood clearly: the first fleet to arrive at Planet Heaven would undoubtedly be the technologically superior Roman fleet.

A fierce battle was imminent.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××× Pig Head ran out today and was busy the whole day, utterly exhausted... Comrades, please throw more recommendation votes to give Pig Head some excitement... Recommendation votes—throw them down like an exhilarating stimulant...