131st Asteroid

"Regimental Commander Ruan, has the military sent over any information about the planetary exploration, such as the composition of the participants and the allocation of areas?"

Lin Hao was the first to ask a question.

Ruan Xiongfeng casually pressed the remote control button in his hand, and a three-dimensional star map instantly appeared in the center of the command console.

A sea of stars shimmered with various colors, marked with blue representing areas under the actual control of the Federation and gray representing unknown areas.

As Ruan Xiongfeng pressed the button several times, the image zoomed in and finally locked onto a gray area.

As the image zoomed out, people discovered that it was a chaotic asteroid field with countless Meteorite Belt in the middle.

"As you can see, this area is where the Federation's edge intersects with the Beyond Domain Star River. But do you see the black area on the other side of the map? That belongs to the Endless Sea of Stars, a truly unknown region. After multiple verifications, the expeditionary Reconnaissance Ship discovered that these asteroids hidden in Meteorite Belt may contain astonishingly large reserves of high-density Crystal Mine, which would be of unparalleled value to the Federation in expanding its high-level fleet. However, according to data from the Reconnaissance Ship, traces of the Zerg Race have been found on several asteroids."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene flashed, and a terrifying creature with four segmented limbs appeared. Its brown compound eyes, mouthparts covered with green mucus, and enormous size were enough to send chills down one's spine just by looking at it.

"One of the typical Zerg Race creatures—the Guardians—is a familiar sight to those of you who participated in the border wars. Compared to the races in the Beyond Domain Star River, although the Zerg Race have a relatively short history, these creatures that drifted from the endless sea of stars are truly disgusting. This lowly race has primitive methods of combat, and they are far more adaptable to pristine planets than we humans. Therefore, the Federation Military needs to exterminate the native races on these asteroids. The good news is that the planets are not very large, and no advanced life forms have been found."

"... Each asteroid is relatively independent, and the distance between them is all more than 0.5 light-years. This area is about 11 light-years away from our Landu Star. The military has two requirements for the personnel participating in the cleanup: one is mandatory participation for active-duty military personnel, and the other is training for special personnel, which seems to be non-mandatory."

A laser pointer appeared in Ruan Xiongfeng's hand, shooting out red light and pointing it at an inconspicuous green and red planet on the holographic star map. He continued, "The Federation has extended invitations to the top 100 academies within its borders. Our academy has been assigned 131st Asteroid. That's the name for now. An official name will be given after the official announcement of the occupation."

"Asteroid 131, a pristine planet with an average surface temperature of 31°C and a humid climate. Oceans cover one-third of the planet, and vegetation covers 73% of the land. High-quality Crystal Mine were collected by mining ships from three meters below the humus layer, meaning that there may be numerous Crystal Mine on the shallow surface of this planet. The Expeditionary Force's current base is located here, which we call 131st Planet a1 Zone." The laser pointer pointed to an area near the low latitudes, predominantly light red in color, about four or five hundred kilometers from the ocean.

The image zooms in, revealing several small bases that are arranged in a triangular formation. This time it's a dynamic video, showing a huge base vehicle slowly driving out of an interstellar transport ship. Below the ship, in addition to patrolling Federation forces, there are also many automated space engineering vehicles performing metal welding.

"We've cleared a safe zone of about 35 square kilometers, and we have a group of experienced veterans leading the operation. The actual clearing operation is tentatively scheduled for 12 days. There are wormholes near Landu Star that allow for space jumps. That's all for now. I'm dying of thirst. Anyone have any questions? Wait until I finish my water."

After speaking, Ruan Xiongfeng grabbed a large jug of water from the side and gulped it down. After drinking it, he wiped his mouth.

"Go on."

"Sir, what form did our Special Operations Squad take in the past?" asked Luo Jianjin, the Luo Saihu captain of the Tiger Hunting Squad.

"Each squad brings one or two new recruits and exists as a squad, independent of the actual pioneering force."

"Please continue asking questions."

"Regimental Commander Ruan, regarding the safety of the trainees, aren't the Zerg Race too dangerous?" This time, it was a relatively young second lieutenant, who should have just graduated not long ago.

Ruan Xiongfeng glanced at him sideways, "What kind of soldier are you if you're afraid of dying? But don't worry, going this time is not mandatory for them. If they voluntarily give up their Reserve Special Recruitment status, they can choose not to go."

The officers below cursed in unison, thinking, "How shameless! Who would dare not go?"

"What if someone dies?" The officer did not back down, but mustered up the courage to ask.

"Before going, you will be required to sign an agreement that death will be treated as an officer's death. This is the military's requirement. You can think of this as a real small-scale war."

"Does anyone else have any objections?"

Ruan Xiongfeng glanced around; no one made a move.

"Very good, then it's decided. Lin Hao will make arrangements for the trainees tonight. They should be assembled and ready by 9 a. m. tomorrow, and then depart."

With a wave of his hand, Ruan Xiongfeng announced the end of the temporary meeting.

"Sir, are you leading this operation?" an officer asked hastily, standing up as well.

"Oh no, it's still Lin Hao. I'm no longer an active-duty soldier, and the academy won't be sending anyone else this time besides the students." This loud and carefree remark shocked the crowd, including Lin Hao, who was about to disperse.

Boss, why are you the one who has to deliver this message?

Lin Hao, in particular, thought that with Ruan Xiongfeng back, he would finally be free from such exhaustion, but he was unexpectedly dealt a blow!

"Instructor Ruan, what are you going to do...?"

"The dean has given me further notice; I might have to go out with him again. Alright, meeting adjourned!"

Salute!

Everyone instinctively saluted, and then watched as the bald man, who had been leading the way, strolled away leisurely.

He's a real veteran of the battlefield!

A group of veterans returning from the battlefield cursed inwardly once again.

When Mu Fan returned to the base, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere was a bit off.

Why is it so lively?

And everyone has returned.

They first encountered a group of aristocratic students, including self-important figures like Young Master Zhang Tang. They didn't give Mu Fan and his group a friendly look, but Mu Fan didn't bother arguing with them.

Next were the elite nobles who were chatting in twos and threes, keeping a low profile, such as Shi Sen and Qiao Bolun. They had their own small circles, and they even nodded kindly when they saw Mu Fan.

Then came a large group of ordinary students who gathered together for a heated discussion, and Mu Fan could feel the enthusiastic atmosphere from a great distance.

Of course, he also saw a White Hair man next to the group listening intently, occasionally interjecting with a few words.

Yin Shuai!

Behind Mu Fan were some trainees who were gradually returning to the base.

Now everyone is wondering what the next steps will be, and it turns out to be a notification to everyone!

"Hey? Mu Fan, over here!" Suddenly, the White Hair seemed to have a telepathic connection with Mu Fan, his eyes lit up, and he quickly waved.

"What's going on?" Mu Fan asked, looking completely bewildered.

"Hahaha, I don't know!" the White Hair replied confidently.

Seeing Mu Fan's pained expression, Yin Shuai chuckled:

"I don't know the specifics, but I know I can finally go out and have some fun!"