Firepower Is the True King

November 19th, 8:30 PM, Commonwealth Year 829.

127 Marine Gorillas and one Guard Team Minion from the 101st Company had arrived near Alchi Highlands. They lay prone amidst the steep peaks, observing their designated targets across a mountain ravine over a hundred meters wide.

Everything was going smoothly, so smoothly that Captain Winter and the officers of the 101st Company were somewhat surprised. In comparison, Yu Lian, who had anticipated the situation, was likely the most composed.

"See, Captain, I told you it would be fine. We've already made it this far, so we're halfway to victory."

Captain Winter agreed, but his gaze towards Yu Lian held a touch more surprise. "You predicted this from the very beginning?"

He had observed Yu Lian's performance throughout the journey. Even he, a veteran of many battles, had felt some tension, yet this "rookie" had been so relaxed, almost carefree, maintaining a cheerful expression as if going on a picnic, only missing some hot pot and a song.

"Yes, the chances of the enemy discovering us are very slim. I can be almost certain of that. Even if there are any unexpected issues, they are within our handling capacity."

Seeing Captain Winter and the brothers of the 101st looking puzzled, Yu Lian felt it was best to explain, lest they truly think he was crazy.

"The Sandfolk are gathered by the personal prestige of Great Elder Hessen. They are 'barbarians' themselves and simply cannot establish a reliable scout or surveillance network. The major tribes don't even speak the same language, and many even have old feuds. If they get rowdy, it creates quite a commotion, which will objectively cover our actions."

In fact, it wasn't just commotion. Two tribes of several hundred people had even started fighting, attracting over twenty times their number of onlookers. It was truly lively and noisy, almost comparable to last year's Celestial Galaxy Cup finals. The Great Elder had to send people to suppress them, and it still hadn't been fully resolved.

Furthermore, it wasn't just these numb, ignorant, carefree, and unawakened masses. Even the elite Tanker soldiers of the Sandfolk had objectively created convenience for them.

Yes, the Tankers had some education and a sense of national mission and honor. Yesterday's crushing defeat was naturally seen as a deep disgrace. The Sandfolk Tankers knew that this was largely due to their own lack of skill—which was understandable, as most of these Sandfolk War Chariot drivers had only learned the basics and been rushed onto the battlefield after a few hours of training. Poor skill was to be expected.

However, it didn't matter if their skills were poor, as long as they had at least a shred of shame. Fortunately, these Sandfolk elites were commendable. They had cleared several large open spaces within their vast encampment and practiced driving their War Chariots all night. Thus, the roaring of Tanks and the shouts of young Sandfolk could constantly be heard from the encampment, a scene of fervent training.

"With this kind of commotion, even if Sirica's Black Panther Vehicles and Tanks were accidentally exposed, they might be mistaken for friendly forces. But all our mechs have optical camouflage and silencing devices, maximizing concealment. The enemy is numerous but disorganized. The War Chariot drivers and artillerymen look down on the city lords, and the city lords are constantly wary of the nomadic Khans. They lack coordination and cooperation. The armies of each tribe and city-state are clearly demarcated, and the gaps between them are subconsciously treated as buffer zones, so they don't send anyone to monitor them. Instead, it's easy for us to exploit these openings."

"So, the marching route you led us on passed precisely through the gaps between the enemy's various encampments." Captain Winter nodded in admiration. "It was like a surgical strike!"

Uh, that was your original marching route.

"You observed for so many days on the mountain just for this, didn't you?" the Captain continued.

So what was it all for? I was just waiting for you guys to arrive and watch the show these past few days. At most, I carefully located Hessen's main camp, so I could go and save my senior sister from her six-month hospital stay. Yu Lian thought.

After so many days of careful reconnaissance, he must have memorized the divisions of all their camps, patrol routes, and exploitable weaknesses, and then analyzed the most perfect stealth route? the Captain thought.

Thinking of this, although Captain Winter didn't gasp, he couldn't help but further elevate his evaluation of this individual.

This young man is truly terrifying! Could it be that all 'Moonfolk' are like this?

He immediately denied it in his heart. He had served in the Outer Rim Fleet for a considerable time and had seen countless officers from prestigious families. He knew the caliber of those "elite bureaucrats" all too well. They strutted around like peacocks daily, but in reality, they were just groundhogs wrapped in feathered blankets and eating with silver cutlery. While "Moonfolk" were rare, they weren't unseen; essentially, their blankets were just more ornate, and their cutlery more exquisite than other groundhogs.

"Second Lieutenant, after graduation, have you considered serving in the Outer Rim Fleet?" the Captain asked abruptly.

Uh, what is this? Recruitment? Yu Lian was a little stunned.

"Oh, but I heard you're from the Strategic Research department. Even if you joined the Outer Rim Fleet, you'd likely go straight to Headquarters. Admiral Paris is a warm and honest superior; he would surely appreciate you."

Yu Lian felt like laughing yet also a little touched. However, he hadn't fully decided on his future yet, so he could only say, "This subordinate is very grateful for your trust and appreciation. However, I haven't fully considered my future path. Furthermore, as a soldier, I must prioritize obeying the orders of the National Defense Committee."

"Indeed, graduating from military school doesn't necessarily mean you have to serve in the army. You're so outstanding; you have a bright future wherever you go. It's a shame to join the army."

Even an excellent junior officer like Captain Winter held this view. The general atmosphere of the entire Commonwealth, and indeed the entire galactic civilization, could be imagined. It was not difficult to understand the outcome that awaited the future.

The topic ended there. They chatted quietly for a few more minutes, waiting for the start of the general offensive.

Yu Lian checked the time, estimating that Ina's battle should have begun, but there was no sound. He didn't know if that was good or bad.

Just as Yu Lian was contemplating whether to contact her, Ina's voice finally came through the helmet's built-in communicator: "Sir, everything is proceeding smoothly."

"...Does 'proceeding smoothly' mean your infiltration or your attack?"

"We have captured the enemy's position and are setting up our firing positions according to your prior arrangements!"

This is faster than I imagined!

"...Is that guy cooperating?"

"Mr. Steyn was a great help, very cooperative and brave. He seems to be able to deploy something like a domain to conceal our tracks. Upon arrival at the destination, he was the first to launch the attack, which is why everything went so smoothly."

Of course. The Traveler is one of the few psionics who can provide buffs to a group in the early stages, and he also has considerable stealth capabilities. This is precisely why I chose this path in my previous life.

"Also, there are indeed two quad-barreled anti-aircraft guns here, and Uncle Karl is working hard to modify them."

"Okay, don't rush. According to the original plan, complete the preset firing positions by 9 o'clock."

"The firing positions are basically complete, and most people are in position. Hmm, I can see you now, Sir."

Yu Lian looked in the direction of Ina's position upon hearing this, but naturally, he couldn't distinguish anything in the darkness of the night.

"When blocking the enemy, be sure to watch everyone carefully. Don't charge recklessly. If you can eliminate the enemy with artillery fire, use artillery fire as much as possible. We have sufficient firepower now! Ultimately, don't waste our advantage, understand?"

"...Understood," Ina replied with a less-than-firm tone. Of course, given her personality, once she agreed, she would definitely comply.

Yu Lian closed the communication and found Captain Winter looking at him with a strange gaze.

"There's a notion in the General Staff called the 'Infantry Useless Theory.' Second Lieutenant, do you agree with them?"

"Sir, that's just a bunch of idiots who believe robots and 'psionics' can completely replace ground troops and assault teams. Sir, I'm not against close combat or charging, nor am I against the existence of mechanized infantry. However, our army's tactics do have problems, at least in terms of timing. If we can eliminate the enemy with firepower, why should we risk getting closer to them? Firepower, more firepower, more intense firepower, more intense and accurate firepower—that is the essence of war!"

Captain Winter was somewhat moved but still asked, "What makes you say that?"

"During the Ten Years' War, deaths from orbital bombardment were more than three times higher than in ground combat. And within ground combat, deaths from long-range artillery and low-altitude bombing were more than three times higher than from firearms; finally, deaths from firearms were four times higher than from close-combat injuries like swords, axes, and hammers!"

Yu Lian had slightly twisted the concept here. He had ignored boarding actions in space and the close-quarters "duels" between Astral Knights and Bracers. It was important to note that even the death of a high-level psionic only added "1" to the casualty count, but the impact on the overall battle and morale could be as significant as the annihilation of a legion or the sinking of a dreadnought.

Despite this, Yu Lian remained convinced that he was right.

If it were someone with a deep theoretical knowledge, they would probably have debated with Yu Lian for a few rounds at this point, like his classmates who would become famous in later generations. However, Captain Winter was, after all, just a junior officer. He wanted to refute but didn't know what to say, and even felt Yu Lian had a point. After thinking for a moment, he finally sighed, "Doesn't this just mean infantry is useless?"

"I never said that. Orbital suppression, boarding and capturing ships, seizing strongholds, and mopping up remnants all require excellent mobile infantry. More importantly, the existence of mobile infantry, who do the most dangerous work, is the very source of the entire army's courage, the last line of defense for the nation and the people's will to fight. Sir, this is why I proposed the firepower theory. Assault teams, marines, your duty is to always be in the most dangerous battlefields, and our... or rather, my future duty, will be to create a relatively less dangerous battlefield for you as much as possible."

Captain Winter, and the other officers and soldiers around who had been listening intently, remained silent for a long time. This silence continued for several minutes until the Captain's timer in his helmet issued a reminder. It was time for the general offensive.

He took a deep breath, checked the firearm in his hand, the Vulcan cannon at his side, and the Chainsaw Sword on his back, before unable to help but ask again, "Second Lieutenant, are you really not considering serving in the Outer Rim Fleet?"

"Uh..."

"Heh, just kidding. Well then, please come with us and let's prove the meaning of our existence together!"