Chapter 112: Private Army, Part 2

Chapter 112: Private Army (2)

Du Yue had to stay a while longer due to the freighter, which served as a nice vacation for him. The internal regions of the Federation were in such turmoil that, if not for the need to make a living, Du Yue would have preferred to stay in some quiet corner until the war blew over.

Compared to Du Yue, Liu Shaoyu was far busier.

The mining fleet had already embarked on its next journey. Since the star chart coordinates were mostly outside the Huaxia star sector, the impact of the war on the mining operations was negligible.

Beyond that, Liu Shaoyu had other preparations to make. The equipment purchased from Du Yue was already being deployed, and he was occupied with sourcing other necessities.

While the ship equipment was indeed general-purpose, Liu Shaoyu was not interested in manufacturing civilian craft like shuttles, and he had no intention of purchasing these other specific components from Du Yue.

He did not want anyone to know the true purpose of his current endeavors.

For Liu Shaoyu, this war served as an excellent cover, as his ultimate target was the Ross Federation—the greatest manufacturer of military armaments. The chaos of the war provided the perfect opportunity to proceed with his plans in secret.

Liu Shaoyu had not returned to Young Dragon Star alone; he had piloted the War Dragon back. Thanks to the War Dragon’s emergency ejection mechanism, he had been able to sever his neural link with it. However, to re-enter and pilot the machine, he required a specialized set of equipment.

If he could make the War Dragon operational again, it would grant him a level of power that far eclipsed the simple strength of a fleet of carriers.

Reconnecting with the War Dragon would banish any fear of sudden crises and render the remaining War Dragon Unit 3 irrelevant. Though Liu Shaoyu did not know that Unit 3 belonged to the person he had briefly encountered, Dalu Chengwu, it mattered little. The priority was re-establishing the connection.

This equipment was not as complex as building a War Dragon from scratch, but that was only a relative comparison. Furthermore, Liu Shaoyu’s vision extended beyond a fixed connection point; he had ordered the largest freighter available from Du Yue—one spacious enough to house the War Dragon itself.

***

The war raged on.

The initial stages of war are always chaotic and brutal. In less than two weeks, nearly three hundred star systems of the Huaxia Republic had changed hands. This type of interstellar warfare was not defined by traditional landings and occupation, but by the strategic control of star gates.

To control the star gate was to control the star system. The inhabitants of the planets within those systems remained largely unaffected.

There were no ancient-style slaughters, nor were the common people displaced. For them, it was merely a change in administration. Yet, in the eyes of most, this simple transition was a profound humiliation.

They could no longer proudly declare themselves citizens of Huaxia. They did not want to be ruled by those with blue eyes and high bridges to their noses.

"Can someone tell me if the 'invincible' fleet you keep bragging about is nothing more than a bunch of trash that handed over three hundred star systems in less than two weeks?!"

Some in the conference room lowered their heads, unable to meet that furious gaze.

"Silent now? Do you think silence will change the facts?!"

"Minister Ju! I would like to ask, what exactly have your people been doing during this campaign?"

Ju Yehe had not expected to be called out first, but he could no longer remain silent.

"Commander Yun, I don't believe the Ministry of Defense needs to report its every move to you," Ju Yehe replied, his tone neither hot nor cold, yet unmistakably hostile.

Yun Shichu was not surprised by the response; in fact, it was exactly the answer he had been fishing for.

"True, Minister Ju never feels the need to report anything," Yun Shichu said, dripping with sarcasm.

Ju Yehe sensed the mockery and understood its purpose, but this was not the time for a war of words.

"If this is all you have to say, I have other matters to attend to. I shall take my leave." Ju Yehe did indeed have a pressing matter; he had been suffering from an upset stomach since the morning and had been struggling to hold it together throughout the meeting.

However, it was clear that Yun Shichu had no intention of letting him go.

"There is more, of course. In the current climate, I can't imagine what could be more important than this, Minister."

Ju Yehe had made that excuse only to end the conversation; he could still hold out on his physical needs.

"Very well. No more pleasantries. The following footage is recorded from the *Glory of the Republic*."

The recording lasted about twenty minutes. To those present, it was not merely footage—it was a record of shame. But showing it now meant the situation was far more grave than they had realized.

"This is the record of the Battle of the Wumu Square Star Gate, where the Third Fleet maintains a permanent military base," Yun Shichu finally said, pausing briefly. "But! It lasted only twenty minutes. Despite having comparable troop numbers, they held for only twenty minutes."

Yun Shichu’s words stung everyone present, especially the commander of the Third Fleet.

The commander opened his mouth to retort, but seeing that Yun Shichu wasn't finished, he swallowed his words.

"Look here." Yun Shichu rewound the footage and froze it on a specific segment, zooming in.

"This is the main force of the Vatican side we are fighting: the Crusader Fleet. This insignia appears on most of the ships in this campaign." Yun Shichu pointed to the cross emblem on the hull. "Minister Ju, this falls under your jurisdiction. Could you explain this to us?" He looked toward Ju Yehe, who was staring intently at the screen.

The moment Ju Yehe saw the mark, his pupils contracted. Then, he heard Yun Shichu’s question.

"This... this is impossible!" Ju Yehe exclaimed, visibly rattled.

The others in the room were stunned by his reaction. What could possibly have caused such a loss of composure?

Yun Shichu’s intention had not been to humiliate Ju Yehe; they were all in the same boat, and as Commander-in-Chief, he put the big picture first. However, Ju Yehe’s reaction made it clear that he had seen something even more shocking.

Yun Shichu’s keen instincts told him that what Ju Yehe was about to say would unlock the mystery behind the Huaxia military’s string of defeats.

Yun Shichu felt a surge of excitement. Like everyone else in the room, he stared at Ju Yehe, waiting for him to speak.

Finally, Ju Yehe composed himself.

A piece of buried history was about to be unearthed.