The atmosphere in the conference room was rather strange. Everyone silently wondered who the outrageously bold person Gilad had mentioned could be.
After his initial surprise, Nie Yun acted as though none of this concerned him and focused on fiddling with his fingers.
He was certain Gilad would not openly pick a fight with him on an occasion like this. After all, their difference in seniority was plain to see. Besides, he had not named anyone, so even an accusation of disrespecting a superior would lack sufficient evidence. Making a scene would only lead to endless bickering.
Gilad swept his sharp gaze over Nie Yun. Seeing how utterly unafraid he looked, he snorted inwardly.
"Why get angry, Admiral? Tactics must serve strategy. Some people cannot see the bigger picture, so naturally they question you. They are merely shortsighted fools." Just then, a young officer beside Gilad suddenly spoke up.
That remark verged on insulting everyone present. Quite a few people shot the speaker hostile looks, but he ignored them, even wearing a faint smile.
"Beckman, a prominent member of the Victor Family's direct line. In terms of status and background, he is every bit Alsace's equal among the younger generation of elites. Their factional ties have brought him close to Admiral Gilad, who reportedly holds his outstanding abilities in high regard."
Catherine had done a thorough job gathering intelligence. With a glance, Nie Yun recalled the brief profile of the young Sea Race man before him.
Ignoring everyone's reactions, Beckman began analyzing the battle on Gilad's behalf.
"Everyone, our opponent this time was no ordinary low-level civilization!
"As I am sure you all saw, our large-scale surprise attack did catch them off guard. In that respect, the operation was a success.
"Unfortunately, we did not anticipate that the Wulf Civilization