Chu Xuan looked down at the three people before him with an expression of detached indifference. He had laid out his plan in the simplest terms, and the sheer straightforwardness of it left the three listeners stunned. It wasn't that the plan was complex; quite the opposite, it was so simple it made everyone else wonder what the real game was.

"Wang Xia’s mission is to board a specific battleship, gather the soldiers, and have them watch the broadcast until the activation signal appears. The signal will be unmistakable. Once it drops, he is to lead the soldiers in seizing the entire ship. They should start by attacking any vessel that hasn't displayed its identification code."

"Ba Wang’s mission is identical, and he too can target any ship lacking identification codes. Afterward, Zero Point, Zhan Lan, and I will proceed to rescue Luo Gandao—if he's still alive. As for Zheng Zha, his task is direct: proceed straight to the flagship and intercept the members of the Southern Yan Continent team stationed there. Whether he kills them or not will depend on the heat of the engagement at that moment. However, if they are already neutralized, it would be best if you refrain from killing them. The reward points and side missions from these individuals should ideally be distributed among the team. Your personal strength being too overwhelming isn't conducive to the team's overall growth."

Chu Xuan delivered these instructions with such mild disinterest that the other three remained frozen in their daze.

Zheng Zha quickly asked, "After setting up such an elaborate trap, is the resolution truly this simple? That's unbelievable! I assumed it would be far more intricate." "The intricacy is here,"

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, stating, "The actual execution requires only simple steps. Think of it like a campaign: the complexity lies with the person conceiving the strategy.

The execution itself is simple, reserved for the common soldier. Every soldier only needs to march and fight. If a scheme becomes so convoluted that everyone must constantly be thinking through multiple layers, then it isn't a good scheme... I will handle the specifics. What's required now is merely waiting. In just over ten hours, the high command of the military will arrive. That will be the moment everything I’ve arranged comes to fruition!" The tense wait of more than ten hours finally concluded as the military high command arrived in the expeditionary fleet's sector, accompanied by over eighty new battleships. Beyond the symbolic weight of the brass arriving at the front lines, more crucially, they brought ten thousand new recruits and a substantial amount of supplies and ammunition.

In short, the expeditionary force, whose morale had been slightly flagging, saw a noticeable recovery after receiving the reinforcements.

The few thousand surviving veterans, hardened by their first engagement against the Zerg, now possessed the experience to serve as NCOs or even junior officers to the new recruits. New arrangements were made for the quartet of Zheng Zha, Chu Xuan, Zero Point, and Zhan Lan.

Initially, the high command hoped to install the four into staff positions or military academy commands.

However, another faction within the brass suggested that the four should continue leading the expeditionary forces. This was because the thousands of existing NCOs had become intimately familiar with the four's leadership style.

These four's command capabilities undeniably surpassed over ninety percent of the officers of that era. Consequently, after deliberation, the high command decided to award the four extensive medals alongside promotions to Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel ranks. Specifically, Zheng Zha would receive the rank of Colonel, while Chu Xuan and the other two would be made Lieutenant Colonels. A joint ceremony for the decorations and promotions, broadcast live across Earth with numerous reporters present, was scheduled for the following day.

"Tomorrow marks the beginning of the break," was Chu Xuan's cryptic reply to the others. In truth, the other three were utterly bewildered.

They couldn't grasp the significance of his words, nor why Chu Xuan seemed so unconcerned. Yet, trusting implicitly in his strategic mind and finding themselves with nothing else to do, they resolved to trust his judgment and await the next day's ceremony. Time slowly slipped by. Only Luo Gandao, confined aboard another battleship, was consumed by anxiety.

Upon the arrival of the military leadership, he had divulged everything: the strengths, skills, and weaponry of Zheng Zha’s team, even inquiring whether they had unlocked the Gene Lock. Naturally, he spoke these truths in a bid to stay alive. Holding back the final pieces of information was also part of that survival strategy. He knew that in this world, where profit reigned supreme, killing him would yield reward points and side missions. Revealing the last details and identities would guarantee his immediate demise. However, Neos had already given him a firm ultimatum: if he didn't reveal the remaining members of the Central Continent team when the ceremony began tomorrow, his soul would be searched post-mortem. Luo Gandao silently watched the television. In the room with him were two others—one Caucasian and one Black—both feigning sleep with closed eyes, yet any sudden move on his part would cause them to snap awake instantly, confirming their superiority. Without his Cartoon Bear Robot, he stood no chance against these individuals whose physical capabilities had been enhanced, at least in close-quarters combat.

(...Am I going to die? Must I die no matter what? Should I betray them, or not? I must wait until tomorrow...) Luo Gandao thought inwardly, constantly weighing the probability of death. Suddenly, his eyes caught a flicker of symbols and text at the bottom of the TV screen, a brief horizontal bar typical of advertisements.

It was the late-night programming slot, running previously recorded dramas or films looped by the ship's computer system. This string of symbols was jarringly out of place because it was distinctly pictographic—the very system of writing he had become familiar with. Chu Xuan had taught these pictograms to everyone after their return from the Zerg planet. As one who had unlocked his Gene Lock, Luo Gandao had committed them to memory and understood their meaning.

"...Inform the other team, excluding Zhan Lan, of the names and locations. Use the narrative that you want the last mental controller's identity and location as your bargaining chip. Just let them know this final person has no offensive capability. Then, state that you will only reveal this person once your own safety is guaranteed..." Luo Gandao carefully read the message. Thankfully, it repeated in an advertising loop, so he didn't risk missing any characters. Once he fully deciphered the text, a wave of relief was followed by mounting tension. Waiting with no hope was easier; hope, conversely, sparked anxiety, doubt, and wild speculation. It was clear this night would be sleepless for him.

The next morning, Zheng Zha and the others were already up and freshening themselves, not for the formal awards ceremony—the politics of this world mattered little to them—but for the decisive confrontation that was set to begin. While Chu Xuan had made it sound simple, Zheng Zha, who understood the full detail of both sides’ gambits, felt a knot of tension tightening in his stomach. Furthermore, having received no news overnight confirming Luo Gandao's death, he was deeply concerned for his teammate.

"One hour left... Chu Xuan, please don't let me down!"

On the other battleship, Neos and a few others stood grilling Luo Gandao. The blond youth, munching on chocolate, frowned as he pressed the prisoner: "This is your last chance. I will only ask once. If you tell the truth, or simply stay silent, I will kill you and search your memories via soul extraction... First, how many members are left in the Central Continent team?"

Luo Gandao stood calmly. "Two remain: a mental controller and a sniper. The sniper uses a Gauss Rifle; its power is terrifying, capable of penetrating this type of vessel. His name is Zero Point. You should be able to locate him through your soldier database..."

Neos turned and looked at the small girl standing beside him. The girl, eyes closed, nodded slightly. She stated, "Correct. He speaks the truth."

Neos turned back to Luo Gandao. "Very good. Now, about the mental controller? Tell me her name, and you will be free. We will even give you a Rune Stone so you won't be erased by negative points."

Luo Gandao shook his head. "I don't trust you. I will withhold the mental controller's name. However, I can tell you her skills: only Psychic Whip, Mind Scan, and Mind Chain. She is a girl with no special combat capacity herself. While her physical conditioning is several times stronger than a normal human, I doubt she alone can take on all of you. Only when you guarantee my safety will I reveal her name. Prior to that, I will not disclose anything further about her. Also, she has unlocked the Gene Lock. With such high reward points and side missions attached, I’m sure you won't let her go easily, will you?"

The little girl nodded again. "Yes, he is still telling the truth."

Neos popped half of his chocolate bar into his mouth, then tilted his head back, frowning in thought. After a long pause, he finally said, "Agreed. I allow you to keep her name; I will ensure you live. But now I need to ask you some other questions. Not answering will result in immediate execution, as will lying... First: Why did you suddenly decide to tell us all this today? Did someone prompt you? Who prompted you? When did they prompt you? Tell me everything!"

For more novels, visit storyread.net.