Hundred Variations of Formations

"Forget all that useless knowledge from your textbooks!"

The moment those words fell, they instantly caused an uproar, especially among those sitting in on the lecture.

Li Fulai frowned in confusion.

What on earth was Lin Fan doing? Could he just say something like that? The contents of textbooks were useless? How many people was he trying to offend?

The other instructors also began looking at Lin Fan with hostility.

He had fought two battles and now he was getting cocky? He came here to show off? Was he trying to deny everything we had done?

What a joke. Let's see how he lectures. If there's even the slightest problem, he won't get off easy.

Yet every reaction beneath the stage had been within Lin Fan's expectations.

"Quiet! Whatever opinions you have, you can raise them after my lecture. But if you want to reject what I say before I've even begun, then all I can say is that you are frogs at the bottom of a well, unwilling to improve."

"Today, we are discussing fleet formations. This is also one of a commander's most basic qualifications. However, regarding the use of formations in current textbooks, I have to say that they can be thrown straight into the trash."

"First, what do you all think a formation is? Who can answer? Hmm, that student!"

Seeing that more than half the cadets below had instantly raised their hands, Lin Fan casually pointed to one of them.

"Reporting, a formation is an arrangement created in a specific pattern to maximize the effectiveness of an equal number of warships."

"Very good. Sit down! In other words, formations exist to serve tactics. Yet the guiding principle in today's textbooks is that tactics serve formations. That is completely backwards!"

"Why is that? Because humanity has confined formations to ten rigid patterns—the so-called Ten Great Formations in the textbooks. Restricted by these inflexible formations, tactics cannot undergo more variation. They can only be designed according to the formations. This is humanity's current state: tactics revolve around formations."

"Now then, you have seen Commander Liang's battle in the Asteroid Belt six years ago, as well as my previous two battles. Do you think Commander Liang and I used the Ten Great Formations as the basis when devising our tactics?"

Everyone below the stage fell silent and sank into thought.

That was right. According to textbook teachings, whenever anyone fought a fleet battle and devised tactics, they would inevitably first use the Ten Great Formations as their foundation, then begin designing tactics around that foundation.

Yet whether it was Liang Xingchen's great battle in the Asteroid Belt six years ago or Lin Fan's two campaigns more than a month ago, there had not been the slightest trace of any of the Ten Great Formations.

Everyone had marveled at how classic the tactics of those two were, yet no one had considered that their tactics were so brilliant precisely because neither of them had allowed tactics to be constrained by formations. Instead, they had made formations revolve around tactics.

Now that they had heard Lin Fan's words and thought it over again, it seemed as though those two had possessed no fixed formations at all. As their tactics continuously changed, their fleet formations also continuously changed, yet they had never resembled any of the Ten Great Formations.

It had been fine when they had not thought about it before, but now that they did, it was downright terrifying. Lin Fan and Liang Xingchen had completely abandoned the Ten Great Formations from the textbooks.

"All right, I think most of you already understand what I mean. Let's continue. Today, I will be talking about Hundred Variations of Formations!"

"What is Hundred Variations of Formations? First, you must discard the mindset in your head that treats the Ten Great Formations as the foundation. Instead, you must break formations down into finer components."

"Let me give you an example. It's like playing with building blocks. I give you ten components built from blocks. How many things can you assemble using those ten components? I imagine not many, right?"

"But if you take those ten components apart and return them to their original building blocks, how many things can you make with them? I think that as long as your imagination is broad enough, you can build countless things!"

"So, the first thing you need to do is stop treating the Ten Great Formations as your foundation. Instead, break all formations apart and use more detailed components as your basis."

"Only then can you rely on that foundation to transform into countless formations at any time. And once you possess countless formations, you will no longer need to use formations as the basis when devising tactics. Instead, you first formulate your tactics, then construct the corresponding optimal formation at any time based on those tactics."

"That is the general outline of the Hundred Variations of Formations I wanted to discuss today! Next, we will get into the more detailed content."

For a full six hours, everyone listened as if entranced. Even when it reached nine that night, no one remembered that they were supposed to eat dinner.

But after six hours, Lin Fan had still only covered more than fifty variations. In the end, he could only report to Liang Xingchen and ask to remain at the academy for another day so he could cover the remaining material tomorrow.

The cadets were all incredibly excited, especially those with high aptitude, who had benefited tremendously. Lin Fan had only taught half of it, yet to these cadets, it was as though he had opened a brand-new door.

After the first lecture ended, everyone gathered in small groups in the cafeteria, eating while excitedly discussing what they had gained.

Some of the more gifted cadets immediately understood why Wood had lost to Lin Fan in the first place—and lost so miserably.

They even felt that as long as they gained a basic grasp of Lin Fan's methods, they too could defeat Wood.

What bullshit leader of the Federation's younger generation? To hell with the Federation's brightest future general. Compared to our great Lin Fan, he was practically an ant.

"Lin Fan, you really are remarkable. I originally thought you were going to cause a huge mess today, but after hearing what you said, I realized that there are far too many problems with our teaching materials."

"You flatter me, Dean. There has never been perfect education. Perhaps before long, someone will propose ideas even more advanced than mine. The key is that when we discover problems, we must start solving them, rather than being frogs at the bottom of a well, clinging stubbornly to old rules and refusing to accept more advanced ideas. Only then can we continue improving, isn't that right?"

"Mm, you're right. Oh, I want to compile what you said about Hundred Variations of Formations into a book and make it a required course for the academy in the future. What do you think? Of course, your name will be credited!"

"As long as you think it's necessary, Dean, I have no objections. And I truly don't care about being credited."

"That won't do. Credit is mandatory!"

"All right, you have the final say. I have no objections!"

"Good. Then you two eat slowly. This old man will head back to sleep first. Ah, I'm old now. I just can't keep up anymore!"

"Hubby, have some meat!"

Not long after Li Fulai left, Liang Xue picked up a piece of beef and brought it toward Lin Fan's mouth.

What was going on? Hadn't this girl viciously declared before that she would not let him touch her for a month? Why had she suddenly changed her attitude?

Though he found it strange, Lin Fan still habitually opened his mouth and bit into the beef Liang Xue offered him.

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed Emma standing beside their table with a meal tray in her hands. After thinking for a moment, he immediately understood what Liang Xue was doing and let out a soft sigh.

"Ah, it seems my plan for a big wife and little wife is still a long way off!"