Global Crossing: Empire of Stars

Including the aircraft carrier, three destroyers, five frigates, one army transport ship, plus three pirate gunboats and twenty pirate raiders, a small fleet was formed. It left the starport grandly and headed towards the asteroid belt.

Sitting in the captain's chair of the transport ship, Wei Peng, bored, quietly opened the Earth Star Net and immediately saw reports filling the screen.

The most eye-catching was a live broadcast video of the carrier fleet departing the port.

"Holy cow, a carrier fleet! This fleet alone could sweep across the entire solar system, right?"

"You're underestimating the Earth Defense Fleet. They've equipped three battleships alone; the carrier is just a big pie in comparison."

"Meteor Mercenary Group is mighty! Has everyone found out? Commander Lin is our grassroots hero from East Continent, a first-generation entrepreneur!"

"666~ Great times create heroes!"

"Heh~ As if anyone can take off like that. Plenty of pigs have fallen from the wind."

"Meteor Mercenary Group is recruiting. Who's going?"

"If they don't provide spaceships, whoever wants to go can go."

"I'll go, I'll go! I'll even sweep the floor if I have to."

"A newly rising mercenary group rivals the fleets formed by old, thousand-year-old families. Psionic warships are terrifying."

"..."

"Big Brother, the internet has gone crazy," Wei Peng said. At this moment, several people had already established a local network using holographic communication, forming a small conference room.

"Your popularity has increased again. According to online polls, you're the top civilian fleet in the solar system right now!"

"You know it's the solar system, right?" Link chuckled. "When we become the Federation's number one fleet, then we'll have truly made it."

"Think more, and you'll have everything in your dreams," Wei Peng retorted without politeness.

"Alright, carriers are slow. It will take our fleet a month and a half to get there, which is too much of a waste," Wu Tianyi interjected.

"Big Brother, shouldn't we practice fleet combat formations and train the pilots while we're at it?"

"That's right, we definitely need to rehearse in advance," Lin Zhichen agreed. Fleet command combat is entirely different from single-ship combat; it emphasizes formations and coordination.

By training during this time, they wouldn't be flustered when operating in the asteroid belt.

For ease of command, the destroyers and pirate gunboats were formed into a team, with three ships grouped together on the left and right flanks of the carrier. The frigates formed a wedge formation, deployed in front of the carrier, giving the overall fleet a human-like shape, advancing like migrating geese.

Although the aircraft carrier was the largest ship in the fleet, Lin Zhichen still sat inside the "Qin Yuan," commanding the fleet's advance.

The "Qin Yuan" had already completed its second-generation upgrade, with a hull length exceeding 200 meters and a total of six small turrets.

Coupled with the newly built destroyers and frigates, the Meteor Mercenary Group's liquid capital had been completely exhausted.

"Fleet combat feels completely different from single-ship combat," Lin Zhichen said, watching the fleet formations displayed on the holographic projection and continuously commanding changes in formation.

Since they were just getting started, the warships changed formations slowly, and the assembled fleet looked wobbly and quite comical. He suspected that without the intervention of the fleet's electronic control computer, he wouldn't even be able to complete a basic formation change.

"Big Brother, every beginning is difficult. We're all self-taught, after all. We can't compare to the direct descendants of the Federation military who started training from childhood," Wu Tianyi comforted him.

"With the Qin Yuan, no matter what, we'll have time to switch our mindset."

Lin Zhichen nodded and opened his personal status panel:

Name: Lin Zhichen Elite Red
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Talent: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Purple): Effect 1: Effort yields rewards; practicing skills will improve; Effect 2: Members within the faction enjoy the influence of this talent;
Gate of Time and Space (Blue): Opens once a month, searches for temporal imprints, opens temporary dungeons;
Psionicist (Red): Effect 1: Awakens psionic energy; Effect 2: Skill learning speed +10%;
Profession: Captain Elite (Red), Apprentice
Skills:
1. Psionic Cultivation (Red), Warrior 37.14%
- Fatal Strike (Red), Novice 37.13%: Critical Hit +2%
- Fleet Command (Red), Apprentice 12.71%: Fleet formation change speed +7%
Psionic Battle Skills:
1. Ship Command (Elite Red): Effect 1: Ship Evasion +25%*10; Effect 2: Sublight Speed +25%*10. Psionic Energy Cost: 50. Duration: 30min.
- Sublight Assault (Elite Red): Effect 1: Sublight Cannon Accuracy +25%*10; Effect 2: Sublight Cannon Damage +25%*10. Psionic Energy Cost: 60. Duration: 30min.
Psionic Energy: 315
Evaluation: Behold my Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens!

Fleet Command had appeared. It differed from Ship Command by only one character, but they were entirely different domains.

"Some command-type skills, once spiritualized, will form pseudo-domains, providing buffs to the entire fleet."

Recalling what Liu Manyun had said before, his heart burned with passion.

Forming a pseudo-domain, while not allowing advancement to Hero, already touched upon the abilities of a Hero. Practicing this skill diligently would provide significant buffs to the entire fleet.

In the starry sky, the moving aircraft carrier suddenly opened its hangar doors, and space fighters swarmed out. They quickly formed formations in space, acting as escorts outside the fleet.

Due to their small size and high speed, these fighters could serve as reconnaissance aircraft, scouting ahead of the enemy.

Fighter squadrons and fleet formations shifted their positions from time to time, their originally dispersed forces gradually converging into a cohesive whole.

Suddenly, a holographic communication came in. Lin Zhichen looked down and saw it was from the Rockefeller Family.

Upon opening it, it was indeed Kadir Rockefeller.

"It's a pleasure to see you, my friend," Kadir Rockefeller said with a radiant smile.

"Welcome," Lin Zhichen replied with a polite smile. "How may I be of service to you?"

Kadir: "I heard you acquired an aircraft carrier? And you're heading towards the asteroid belt?"

"Yes," Lin Zhichen answered.

"My dear friend, an aircraft carrier is a rare war beast. You don't seem surprised at all?" Kadir said with a hint of exaggeration.

"May I be so bold as to ask, does the Meteor Mercenary Group still have any in stock?"

Lin Zhichen chuckled. "You jest, sir. To acquire even one such warship is fortunate, let alone a second? To be honest, even this one was obtained by chance. It's likely to be the last of its kind in the solar system for a while."

"So that's how it is, a pity then," Kadir shrugged. "If you happen to have a second one and don't plan to use it yourself, please consider the Rockefeller Family. We won't let you down on the price."

"Of course," Lin Zhichen readily agreed.

"Old friend, the situation in the asteroid belt is quite chaotic. If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime," Kadir said.

"Certainly," Lin Zhichen nodded.

The holographic image closed, and Wu Tianyi and the others exchanged glances.

"Big Brother, was that just a casual greeting?" Link couldn't help but ask.

"Of course not. This is a probe, and also a subtle warning. The Meteor Mercenary Group has risen too quickly, and we've already become a source of apprehension for the established powers," Lin Zhichen replied.

"There are no old powers in the solar system, just some scavengers from the Old Era," Wu Tianyi shook his head.

"I don't think we need to worry about them at all. We just need to be careful they don't unite."

"The asteroid belt has become a battleground for Earth's major emerging forces. There isn't enough territory to begin with. Our sudden entry as a major player has undoubtedly added fuel to an already chaotic situation," Lin Zhichen mused.

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way," Wei Peng said nonchalantly. "Worst case scenario, we'll fight and see who laughs last."

After a long voyage of 35 days, the small fleet finally arrived at the asteroid belt.

Lin Zhichen put away the two Killing Ship Spirits he had accumulated and looked at the nearby meteoroid field.

Large vessels like aircraft carriers were not well-suited for combat in the complex environment of the asteroid belt, as their slow speed would make escape difficult in case of trouble. However, there was no backing down now.

The "Qinyuan" led the way, carving out a passage for the fleet.

Psionic energy pulsed, like a giant hand pushing aside the floating meteoroids. A path was quickly cleared within the chaotic asteroid belt.

Warships sailed in. In such a chaotic terrain, the test for Fleet Command became even more apparent, as the commander had to consider more issues, making the task more difficult.

"Place this Frigate in this position to prevent any oil leaks."

"Launch the carrier-based aircraft as soon as possible to scout the surrounding star systems."

"The standard fleet formation takes up too much space. There aren't enough empty positions in the asteroid belt to deploy it. The fleet must be rearranged."

In an instant, the relatively leisurely Lin Zhichen became busy again, frantically directing the fleet to constantly change its formation.

Under these circumstances, the "Fleet Command" skill in his status panel rapidly improved. Lin Zhichen had spent a month without reaching the beginner level, but after entering the asteroid belt, he was close to intermediate level in just a few days.

At this moment, the Meteor Fleet finally encountered its first fleet battle. A miniature fleet composed of 7 Pirate Raiders and 2 Pirate Gunboats was discovered by the reconnaissance space fighters.

A fleet of this size could normally be easily destroyed by space fighter squadrons alone, as most pirate ships lacked anti-air capabilities. However, Lin Zhichen did not dispatch only the fighter squadrons.

Instead, he divided the four squadrons of space fighters into two groups, like pincers closing in on the enemy fleet. Meanwhile, the main fleet, leaving behind only one destroyer and 10 Pirate Raiders, pressed forward with the rest of its warships.

For this first fleet engagement, he wanted to experience the atmosphere of battle while the enemy was still weak.

Calculating their approach speed, the pirate fleet soon realized they were semi-encircled by enemies from the front and sides.

They did not choose to flee immediately. The opposition between the NPC and Natural Person factions quickly made them realize the true nature of the Meteor Mercenary Group. This pirate fleet immediately charged towards the main fleet.

Seated firmly in the Captain's chair, Lin Zhichen did not have the "Qinyuan" charge directly. Instead, he engaged in fleet combat as a conventional warship.