Rochez's expression flickered with surprise. He probably hadn't expected that kind of answer.
Yu Lian continued, "To be honest, Chester, I've always thought you should handle armaments first, then military administration. In the end, you could definitely become a capable Minister of Defense. Someone like you would be wasted if you did nothing but serve as my adjutant."
Rochez smiled. "I can feel that, sir. But may I take that to mean you lack confidence in my leadership?"
"You know that's not what I mean," Yu Lian said. "I just think that if your command ability is a 90, your military administration is a 95, and your armaments expertise is a 100."
Rochez was still a little flattered. He figured that since he was good at saying the right things, his commanding officer was laying on the praise.
He turned his face aside, looking as though he hardly deserved it, but still said, "All right. As a member of the Lionheart Society and a prospective Pioneer Party member, I'll accept your praise without demurring. But, sir, with the war unfolding as it is, what we're really short of is experienced frontline officers."
He added, "Excellent factory managers can certainly emerge from excellent workers, but it's very difficult to replace crew and officers with combat experience. After all, we lost more than four million seasoned veterans at the Ring of Miracles."
Yu Lian had to admit that Rochez was right. Ever since the war began, Marshal Pariss, Minister Maxwell, and the others had been doing everything they could to rebuild the armed forces, but the shortfall in crew was still enormous.
Although Yu Lian had won a string of victories in the continuous battles that followed, pushing the fleet to its limits, he had only barely evened out the horrific exchange