Commander-in-chief

Hu Baili slowly stepped into Jiede's command center. Looking at the wrecked steel and scrap metal strewn everywhere, he laughed. "Hahaha, we're finally back..."

Yata looked at Hu Baili, whose laughter had grown almost manic. "Teacher, why are you so excited?"

"Home... This used to be my home. After the Nagang People occupied it, I dreamed of this place for centuries. It may be unrecognizable now, but I'm home."

A sudden sadness washed over Yata, and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She wiped it away, studied the glistening drop, and asked curiously, "What is this?"

Hu Baili smiled. "A tear. It seems you miss home too."

Yata fell silent. Lowering her head, she said, "I don't think this tear is mine. It was shed for the Overlord."

Hu Baili nodded. "Overlord Zhang Fan will surely find his way home."

To change the subject, Hu Baili suddenly smiled. "Matriarch Yata, I'm deeply impressed by how you adapted those tactics to new situations."

"You flatter me, Teacher. You laid out the plan. I merely carried it out."

"You're being modest. All I thought of was a surprise attack on Jiede. But you took that idea further, luring the enemy out and scattering their forces so they couldn't defend both front and rear. You did better than I could. Better than I could!"

Yata bowed humbly to Hu Baili. He seemed very pleased with this student of another race.

The Thunderflame Star System had been retaken. The Nagang reinforcements arrived to find the entire system filled with Insect Race forces.

The fall of the Thunderflame Star System was a foregone conclusion, and the two fleets sent to reinforce it withdrew. Han Bing, commander of the Frost System, sneered. "That idiot Huobao is done for this time. Hahaha, the Thunderflame Star System will be mine before long."

Clad head to toe in aqua-blue armor, Han Bing told the pilot, "Return to Huo Planet. Let's go witness the glorious sight of Huobao being dismantled."

When Binglan's personal ship landed on Huo Planet, he discovered that the commanders of the other four star systems had arrived at the same time.

"Nu Feng, Chi Yan, Zi Dian, Wolf 800, are you back to see what happens to Huobao too?"

Han Bing glanced at the cyborg with a wolf's head and a centaur's body, then said scornfully, "It's one thing for the others to come watch Huobao meet his end, but he's your good friend. If he hadn't saved you back then, how could a Liruwara like you have become a commander?"

"None of your damn business!" Wolf 800 said coldly, then walked straight toward the central command chamber.

Nu Feng glanced at Han Bing and shook his head. "I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed again."

Han Bing hastily asked, "What do you mean?"

Chi Yan, clad in fiery-red armor, patted Han Bing's shoulder and smiled. "You'll find out soon enough. We didn't come here today to laugh at someone's misfortune."

Han Bing entered the central command chamber, full of questions. His electronic components nearly overloaded: Huobao was actually seated high upon the throne, wearing a new suit of high-strength titanium armor.

Both the color and quality of the armor were exceptional. The complete suit made Huobao look sacred and inviolable, lending him the commanding presence of a ruler over all.

"What's going on?" Han Bing shouted. The other commanders all turned to look at him.

A deep, mechanical voice echoed through the central command chamber.

"As a reward for capturing King Pamir, Huobao is hereby promoted to commander-in-chief, responsible for all my affairs in the Western Universe."

Han Bing asked in astonishment, "Great Emperor, he lost the entire Thunderflame Star System, and you're promoting him to commander-in-chief?"

"Han Bing, it seems your programming needs a virus purge. You dare question my decision?"

Two heavily armored guards carrying Golden Long Axes seized Han Bing and began dragging him away.

Han Bing hurriedly begged for mercy. "Great Emperor, I obey you! I just... I just malfunctioned. A minor malfunction. Please forgive me, Great Emperor."

The two guards set Han Bing down and left on their own. The deep, mechanical voice spoke again. "I have important business in the Northern Universe. All matters here will be entrusted to Huobao. Be sure to conquer the Lilvara People as soon as possible."

"We obey the Great Emperor's sacred command!"

After the Great Emperor left, Huobao slowly approached Han Bing and smiled smugly. "Sorry I didn't give you a laughingstock to enjoy."

"You..." Han Bing pointed at Huobao, only to find him glaring back. Angry as he was, Huobao was now the commander-in-chief, with the Great Emperor backing him. If Han Bing refused to swallow this insult, he would probably be the one dismantled.

Seeing Han Bing lower his head in submission, Huobao laughed. "Hahaha, even our proud Han Bing knows how to bow his head! How satisfying!"

Huobao patted Han Bing's shoulder and smiled. "As you know, the Liruwara People now occupy the Thunderflame Star System. Go take it back. Until you do, Commander Wolf 800 will manage your Frost System for you."

"You... You're abusing your authority to settle a personal grudge! What right does Wolf 800, an inferior Lilvara creature, have to govern my Frost System?"

Huobao slapped Han Bing across the face, leaving four grooves even in his steel cheek. "What right? Wolf 800 is a commander recognized by the Great Emperor. And now I, the commander-in-chief, am ordering him to take over your Frost System. Do you agree?"

Han Bing touched the grooves in his face and was about to argue when Nu Feng suddenly coughed. Han Bing lowered his head. "Very well. I will obey the commander-in-chief's orders and surrender control of the Frost System. I'll lead my forces to retake Thunderflame."

After leaving the central command chamber, Han Bing clutched his face and cursed Huobao. He was about to board his personal warship when he spotted a strange creature wandering around it.

Han Bing studied the creature closely. It had two legs and four arms, and its body was covered in a spiked carapace. It didn't look like one of the Lilvara People.

How could such a creature be wandering freely around the warship landing pad? Han Bing summoned a guard and asked, "What is that thing?"

"The commander-in-chief brought him back along with King Pamir. The deputy commander-in-chief said he could roam freely on Huo Planet, and we were not to stop him."

Han Bing thought for a moment, then walked straight toward the strange creature.

Before he could speak, he detected a covert electronic pulse signal. This kind of signal had been used tens of thousands of years ago. No one used it anymore; hardly anyone even knew how.

"Get me out of here, and I'll help you eliminate Huobao!"

Han Bing stared in astonishment at the creature watching him. The look in its eyes clearly told him that it had sent the signal.

Han Bing glanced around, then sent a reply in the same way. "Follow me. I'll take you out."

Han Bing walked straight onto his personal ship without making any contact with the strange creature.

The strange creature seemed remarkably intelligent. Avoiding the guards' eyes, it darted aboard Han Bing's personal ship just as it was taking off, while they weren't looking.

"Who are you?"

"Zhang Fan, Overlord of the Li'erwala Insect Tribe!"

Han Bing looked Zhang Fan up and down. "You're the one who sold out King Pamir?"

Zhang Fan laughed. "No, I'm the one who's here to save you!"

"Save me? You really are a strange creature. Has your brain short-circuited?"

Zhang Fan countered, "Now that you've lost the Frost System and only have your own fleet left, do you think you can defeat my millions of warships? Going to the Thunderflame Star System now would be suicide."

Han Bing sneered. "With you, their Overlord, aboard my ship, why should I fear the Insect Race won't submit?"

As he spoke, Han Bing moved to attack, only to discover that his body couldn't move at all. Looking down, he found that, without his noticing, his feet had become covered in tiny, unknown black insects.