Ch. 140 - The So-Called General

“That’s basically all I need to say. I’ll contact you if anything else comes up.” Ling Feng’s gaze slid over to the nearby holographic tactical sand table. “Sometimes, run through the battle scenarios more often. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what you learned before.”

“Not at all, but as for simulating battle scenarios, isn’t that your job?” The female general’s words hinted at laziness, but she said it without blushing or skipping a beat, even seeming to wear it as a badge of honor.

Ling Feng’s lips lifted slightly, but the barely-there smile quickly faded. “As a general, leaving all the battle planning to me, the Chief of Staff, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

Fei Mei spread her hands and replied irrelevantly, “Did you know? There was a time when I attended Liu Jinglin’s classes at Qing Academy. I still remember him talking about a game from the Inverse Universe called *‘chess.’*”

“They used pieces to represent different types of military units and pitted them against each other. In this game, there’s a term called *‘check,’* do you know what that means?”

Ling Feng replied calmly, “I obviously never took Professor Liu’s classes, so I didn’t know there was such an interesting game in the Inverse Universe.”

Fei Mei sighed lightly. “So there are things you don’t know, too. Let me tell you, then. So-called *‘check’* means that a single move can determine the game’s outcome!”

She leaned back a little. “I am the general of the Storm Corps. My purpose here is to deliver a fatal blow to the dark creatures at a critical moment, making their position completely collapse!”

Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it struck with a forceful conviction that left no room for argument.

Ling Feng pressed down lightly on the armrest and stood up. “Yes, I almost forgot. A fortress’ general doesn’t necessarily have to lead troops into battle; their presence means…”

“With their strength alone, they can match an entire army!”

“I’m leaving.”

“Not seeing you off.”

As Ling Feng exited the tent, it seemed he had run into someone. Fei Mei heard voices outside, and then someone lifted the tent flap and entered.

To be exact, two people entered.

A man and a woman.

The man, nearing forty, still had an irreverent look about him. When he smiled, crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes, and two pronounced laugh lines stood out.

He reeked of alcohol. In fact, he was holding a pewter flask, and from the look of it, it was filled with liquor, not water.

There was a scar on his face that divided it diagonally in two—a grotesque, centipede-like scar. Even though he was smiling, he still looked a bit fierce.

As for the woman, she was clearly older than Fei Mei, but she was well-preserved. Her skin, though no longer dewy, was still smooth.

Her black hair was still glossy, and as it moved, it gave off a faint fragrance.

Even though time had begun to leave its marks on her face, it was easy to see that in her youth, she was a beauty not inferior to Fei Mei.

Her brows and eyes held an innate pride, though it was different from Fei Mei’s winter-plum-like coldness.

A beauty mark at the corner of her mouth added a touch of mature charm. At the very least, the man walking behind her hadn’t taken his eyes off her alluring figure.

The black-haired woman with the beauty mark suddenly stopped. “Zhang Dongcheng, if you keep staring at me, you can say goodbye to your eyesight!”

The man named Zhang flinched, quickly looked away, and greeted Fei Mei with a grin, “I ran into Ling Feng outside just now. That kid hasn’t changed a bit. He was cocky when he was a rookie, and he’s still the same after all these years.”

“He’s not the only one who hasn’t changed.” The black-haired woman sneered, “And you, Zhang, haven’t changed either. You were a major back then, and now you’re still just a bare major. Ten years, unwavering, quite commendable.”

Zhang Dongcheng looked at her with a pained expression, “Yin Qi, I only looked at you a few times. Did you have to roast me like that? And by the way, I’m still your senior. Shouldn’t you show me some respect?”

If Tianyang were here, he’d certainly be shocked. The black-haired woman before him was none other than the *“Yin Qi”* he’d seen in Su Lie’s recordings.

The only difference was that she was more mature and charming than in the recordings.

“Pardon the interruption.” Fei Mei stood up, her face showing a smile that was just right, “Today, you two have worked hard.”

Yin Qi shook her head, “When the battle isn’t going well, clearing obstacles is our duty as [Ruin Breakers].”

Zhang Dongcheng, who had moved over to the holographic sand table, glanced at it and said casually, “The general didn’t call us over just to say thank you, did she?”

With her hands clasped behind her back, Fei Mei nodded. “You’re right. There’s something else I need your advice on.”

Zhang Dongcheng turned around, smiling. “Looks like it’s not a small matter. Let’s hear it.”

“It’s related to the Black Prince.” Fei Mei’s smile faded as she looked at the two of them intently, “Seven years ago, the fortress organized an operation against the Black Prince. At that time, I had just joined the Night Walkers and wasn’t qualified to participate in that operation.”

“But I know that the two of you participated in that operation. So I would like to ask you to tell me—what exactly is the Black Prince?”

Zhang Dongcheng's face, which was smiling a moment ago, immediately changed upon hearing the female general’s words. Not only did the smile disappear, but his expression also showed some displeasure.

He clapped his hands and walked toward the tent entrance. “I just remembered there’s something I haven’t done, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Fei Mei narrowed her eyes slightly but didn’t stop him. Her gaze shifted to the other Ruin Breaker.

Yin Qi faced the female general’s gaze calmly. “Although I was assigned in name at the time, I was injured in the previous mission, so I didn’t participate.”

“Unfortunately, I’m unable to provide any information on the Black Prince.”

Fei Mei shook her head gently. “It’s all right. Thank you for today. Sister Yin Qi, you should go back and rest. I’ll come find you if I need anything.”

“Alright.”

Yin Qi turned around neatly and left the command tent.

Fei Mei exhaled softly, looking at the holographic sand table that flickered with changing lights and shadows. “One was injured and didn’t participate; the other is unwilling to talk. Even those above me aren’t giving me any information on the Black Prince…”

“Why does it feel like those who were involved back then are all hiding something together?”

…

When Tianyang woke up, he saw a small red glow floating in the dimly lit tent.

It was the light from the captain’s cigarette.

The young man got up from his sleeping mat, stretched his nearly stiff body, and reminded his captain with a hint of complaint, “Captain, smoking in the tent isn’t very good, is it?”

“Huh?”

Han Shu seemed to just realize it, chuckled dryly, and threw the cigarette on the ground, putting it out with his foot. “Why not sleep a little more? It’s still early.”

Tianyang stood up, did a few stretches, and heard a few light pops from his joints.

“No more sleep. If I sleep any longer, I might not be able to get up.”

Han Shu turned on a small lamp, and the orange light illuminated the space between him and Tianyang.

“Young people should eat, sleep, and exercise more. When I was your age, my record was sleeping for three days straight!”

*Captain, are you sure you weren’t in a coma?* Tianyang thought to himself, slightly amused.

“Oh, I heard you ran into a Marauder yesterday. Lucky you made it back alive, your luck’s really off the charts.” Han Shu’s expression was more curious than anything else.

In fact, he voiced his curiosity directly. “Come on, tell me about the Marauder. Is it really a fusion of biological and mechanical parts? I heard Old Xu mention it before but have never actually encountered one.”

Tianyang was about to answer when a thought struck him. “I don’t mind telling you, but could you answer a question for me afterward, Captain?”

Han Shu was stunned for a moment, then smacked Tianyang on the head. “You cheeky brat, making requests of me now! You’ve changed, getting crafty. Now spill—what does the Marauder look like?”

Tianyang clutched his head, feeling that the smack had enough force to knock his electronic eye loose.

He then described the Marauder’s appearance, its abilities, and how it had almost self-destructed in the end.

Han Shu seemed genuinely moved this time. “The Inverse Universe is truly bizarre. Among all those dark creatures, there’s even a fusion of biological and mechanical elements. Speaking of which, a Berserker of the same kind showed up on the main battlefield yesterday. Luckily, the Ruin Breakers arrived in time; otherwise, that thing would’ve smashed my crown jewels.”

*Ruin Breakers?*

Tianyang asked eagerly, “Captain, that’s actually what I wanted to ask you about. Are Ruin Breakers part of the Night Walkers? I noticed their uniforms are like ours, only with different colors and insignias.”

Han Shu gave him a strange look. “You sure know a lot.”

Tianyang’s heart skipped a beat, realizing he’d let his eagerness slip. He wanted to cover it up, but Han Shu didn’t seem to mind.

The captain took out a cigarette, didn’t light it, just held it under his nose and sniffed it. “That’s right. Ruin Breakers are indeed part of the Night Walkers. But there are few of them, and they report directly to the commander and the fortress’ higher-ups, so we don’t usually see them.”

Tianyang restrained his excitement, carefully choosing his words to make it sound like casual curiosity rather than an attempt to pry into Ruin Breakers’ affairs. “Why do we have this position within the Night Walkers? So, what exactly is a Ruin Breaker’s role?”

Han Shu tucked the cigarette behind his ear. “Just like the name suggests, their role is to break through enemy formations and drive the battle in our favor. Of course, they also take on certain secret missions, sometimes in pairs or even alone, exploring the Inverse Universe.”

“If you consider regular troops, the Storm Corps, and us Night Walkers, we’re the fortress’ shield and sword. Then Ruin Breakers are the heavy artillery! The orbital cannon! The stellar particle cannon!”

“Their only purpose is destruction, to eliminate any obstacles hindering the progress of the battle!”

Tianyang listened in shock.

Han Shu glanced at him, his tone carrying a slight warning, “But remember, they’re all dangerous types. Don’t go near them, don’t try to learn about them, don’t even talk to them… not even a single word!”

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