Big Shot

"First, I must affirm that this was a glorious victory, an epic triumph, a victory that may very well mark the beginning of a legend. In the near future, should you and your successors become an invincible iron army that roams the galaxy, this victory will undoubtedly be the genesis of all glorious history. You all have the potential to be etched in the annals of history."

Yu Lian's words made the soldiers a little embarrassed. They didn't harbor grand ambitions of historical fame, but being praised like this still brought them a sense of honor.

"Of course, I have a few minor, immature suggestions. I hope that in future battles, you will carefully choose the timing for your charges. If you can shoot them all dead, why charge in with an axe? Oh, Baka, I'm not singling you out; I understand the infantry manual teaches that way. But I need everyone to understand the purpose of combat. This was a battle of annihilation, not encirclement. In fact, several hundred of the enemy had lizard cavalry, so encirclement was unrealistic. But that makes it even more crucial to preserve yourselves carefully. Alright, overall, the same thing applies: we won, we saved a thousand ordinary citizens, and you all deserve your status as soldiers, and you've honored the Blue Star Shield emblem on your arms!" Yu Lian clapped his hands and stood up amidst the adoring gazes of the soldiers, beginning to assign tasks.

"Uncle Karl, Doctor Banks, take your people down the mountain to meet the civilians and escort them to the valley we found earlier. Yes, it's spacious and hidden enough for everyone to take shelter. Baka, maintain order among them, but be mindful of your methods; don't scare the children. Nurse... Miss, you go with them too, and make sure to comfort everyone."

"Youyou, Rul, you two head to the campsite. Yes, over by the valley, set up sentry posts in advance."

"Communications soldier? Communications soldier, are you there? Yes, it's you. Find a high point and continue calling Tulon on shortwave, remember to use the military encrypted channel!"

"Ina, come with me to scout the enemy's situation! Oh, right, don't forget to paint two stars on your Tank."

"I'm not planning to switch careers to become a Tank driver," the Sergeant Major replied.

After arranging everything, Yu Lian and Ina, the top two commanders and the only two psionics in the entire force, set off. He, of course, was unaware that a certain councilor was extremely displeased at not seeing his "Supreme Commander" immediately, but he likely wouldn't have cared even if he had known.

The psionics in Power Armor quickly scaled a mountain ridge and found a relatively hidden spot. They could already see the outskirts of Tulon in the distance, the massive landing pads of the central spaceport, and the city shield generators resembling skyscrapers.

However, they also saw the dense, overlapping Sandfolk barracks surrounding the city, like an ant colony.

They truly resembled oversized ant nests. It's important to remember that New Jade Gate is a dry, mountainous planet with less than thirty percent surface water coverage and sparse vegetation—though underground water is quite abundant. The Sandfolk, who evolved into civilized beings in such an environment, developed the ability to quickly bind mud and sand into nests. They genuinely enjoyed living in environments enclosed by earth, which evoked memories of their evolutionary origins.

Ina looked over and saw that the Sandfolk nests densely surrounded Tulon Port on three sides—the fourth side being an inland sea—making it impenetrable. The sheer size of their encampment was vast, extending beyond her line of sight.

She could even see many Sandfolk piling up high mounds within their camps, working tirelessly around them. They were cultivating a local New Jade Gate crop called Sand Potato, a primary food source for the Sandfolk. Their tall cultivation mounds also harbored a large number of insects and earthworms, which were another important protein source for them.

Of course, there were also many "normal" flat fields. The high-yield crops from other planets had already sprouted for the most part; only genetically modified crops could exhibit such growth. Just looking at this scene, anyone who believed the Sandfolk had no backers would be a fool.

It was clear that the Sandfolk were prepared for a protracted siege. Those massive camps were less like military barracks and more like colossal monsters formed by the convergence of tens of thousands of Sandfolk settlements—absurd, bizarre, and twisted, yet at this scale, they were awe-inspiring and terrifying.

"I thought the so-called over a million was just a boast..." Ina was truly astonished.

To be precise, three days later, on October 18th, 829, the total besieging force would exceed 1.8 million. In the cold weapon era, no civilization or political entity could possess such organizational capability, yet the Sandfolk had achieved it. On one hand, they had behind-the-scenes support; on the other, they genuinely possessed heroes and outstanding individuals born of the times.

Every person who fought unyieldingly for racial dignity and independence was a hero and deserved respect. Unfortunately, they were ultimately enemies of humanity...

Thinking this, Yu Lian felt a bit dejected and sighed silently, "...Never mind. Facing an enemy of this scale, there's nothing we can do now. We can only see if we can contact Tulon. Let's head back."

"A wise judgment," Ina agreed. She was the staff officer of the unit, brave but not reckless.

In reality, there were methods. Not to mention a million, even ten times that number could be dealt with by orbital bombardment in a few minutes. But currently, there were no warships in Tulon Port or in orbit capable of orbital bombardment. This was because the Commonwealth, as a member state of the Fairy Star System Joint Development Treaty and the Fairy Star System Military Expansion Limitation Treaty, did not possess a powerful standing fleet in this new continent-like star system.

In fact, the entire Commonwealth had only six destroyers and twelve assault ships in the Fairy Star System, purely for dealing with pirates and smugglers. Moreover, their permanent station was at Lushun 14 Starport, at least a seven-day journey from Tulon.

Atmospheric bombing was also an option. But wasn't government money money? Who would think of equipping the security forces with low-altitude combat aircraft! Didn't they know that such low-altitude military aircraft, which could be replaced by orbital bombardment, were rarely produced anywhere anymore? If they were to be equipped, the cost wouldn't be for weapons but for antique replicas!

And who would they equip them to fight? The native Sandfolk? Hahahaha!

Before the million-strong Sandfolk army gathered, everyone must have been laughing heartily like this.

While transport airships and drones could also perform attack missions, the former were too clumsy and the latter too fragile. More importantly, the Sandfolk now even had Tanks; would they not have anti-aircraft weapons?

"With our small numbers, we truly can't affect the overall situation. We can only wait for an opportunity," Yu Lian mused, returning to their temporary camp.

This was a valley they had found in a mountain hollow after emerging from the Enlightener ruins and crossing the mountains. Outside, sandstorms raged, but inside, it was quite humid and warm, with springs and grasslands. The place was large enough, sufficiently hidden, and naturally easy to defend, making it an excellent spot for camping and recuperating.

As soon as he entered, he saw Doctor Banks approaching with a troubled expression.

"Sir, this... uh, how is the enemy situation?"

"We'll have to wait to contact Headquarters. We can't expect our thirty exhausted remnants to charge into an enemy army of a million, can we?"

"This, this..." The doctor's face flushed and paled. He hesitated and then said in a low voice, "Sir, there's something I need to tell you, please don't be angry..."

The doctor's words were immediately interrupted by a slightly too enthusiastic, somewhat ostentatious voice: "You are Second Lieutenant Yu Lian, aren't you? Truly young and promising!"

Yu Lian turned his head and saw an Asian man in his mid-forties, of medium build, refined, amiable, and elegant. Although his smile was a bit forced, it was still kind and approachable; overall, he was a middle-aged uncle who could easily make a good impression.

Hmm, confirmed his face. A stranger. However, among the group over there, someone looked vaguely familiar. That striking bronze hair was too conspicuous.

Or rather, it wasn't familiarity, but a feeling of vague familiarity from some unseen connection.

The guy with the bronze hair seemed to sense something and turned his head, beginning to scrutinize Yu Lian and Ina with interest.

Hmm, confirmed his face again. Although much younger, it was indeed that guy!

Yu Lian continued to observe covertly while looking at the middle-aged uncle, who might be a significant figure, and politely saluted him, "Hello, Commonwealth Second Lieutenant Yu Lian. May I ask who you are...?"

The middle-aged uncle's expression instantly turned displeased, as if he were saying, "You don't recognize me when I'm famous," but he quickly resumed his amiable smile and shook Yu Lian's hand vigorously, "With excellent officers like you, we are reassured."

"Councilor Jiang Yudong! He has considerable prestige in the Colonial Council," the doctor whispered behind Yu Lian.

"Oh... Councilor, everyone must have been frightened. I apologize for being late," Yu Lian continued with cloying diplomatic language, rolling his eyes internally.

Meanwhile, Ina behind him was already rolling her eyes.

Speaking of which, it was quite normal for a semi-military-controlled zone like a colony to have a council. The halo of democracy and freedom had to be more important than practical issues; this was the foundation of the Blue Star Commonwealth and the Earthlings!

"Not late, not late at all. Thanks to you, none of us were injured. This is all thanks to your and your comrades' wisdom and bravery!" In terms of diplomatic language and demeanor, the councilor was far more proficient than Yu Lian.

"However, as you can see, there are too many elderly, weak, women, and children here. They are ordinary civilians who abandoned their property and homes to seek refuge in Tulon. They are tired, worried, and many are injured or ill. As their representative councilor, I truly cannot bear to see them enduring hardships outdoors. And you, as a soldier, must feel the same way, right?"

"Uh, sorry, Your Excellency, Councilor... Please get straight to the point."

"What I mean is, do you have a way to escort us into the city?"