Chapter 856 - The Price of Blood!
"Observe the enemies closely. Our regiment commander said the people with the golden plates on their shoulders are our opponent." The team 01's leader, Yang Mingzhi, looked towards the Hailiya mecha operators who were getting closer and closer towards them. He calmly informed all the mecha operators of 250 Ace Mecha Clan.
"Understood, leader." His team member replied.
"Understood, Leader Yang." replied the members of other teams.
"Understood Leader Yang… but can I ask why?" It was Yan Three's question. They were able to use the same commlink channel as the mecha operator from 250 due to them being temporarily incorporated into the teams, so he heard Leader Yang's reminder. Although Yan Three said that he understood the command just like everyone else in 250 Ace Mecha Clan, he still spoke out the question he had in his mind.
Those who received Ling Lan's intel were only the 10 team leaders of 250 Ace Mecha Clan and their deputies. Yan Three's Evil Wind Mecha Team and other team leaders however, who were not part of Ling Lan's posse, weren't able to get any intel about the mecha operators with golden plates.
"Our regiment commander had said that those with golden plate are either elite ace mecha master or top-level ace mecha masters…" Yang Mingzhi stopped himself from continuing to prevent the Evil Wind mecha operators from becoming more terrified. Ling Lan's information, or rather guess, was that the golden plated battle team's leaders level mecha operators could possibility be at the imperial mecha operator levels of capabilities.
"Elite ace? Top-level ace?" As expected, Yan Three shuddered at the thought of it. Ever since he entered ace level, he learned that there were actually three levels differentiating ace mecha masters. It was standard, elite and top-level. Standard ace operators were ace operators like him, and this level had the most number of people. One level higher than standard was elite. Yan Three was close to being an elite. However, he was only close to elite, so it didn't mean much. Plus, there was still the top-level that he had to reach. That stage was considered to be halfway towards becoming imperial mecha operators. In terms of ace operators, top-level operators were considered to be invincible.
Hearing Yang Mingzhi's explanation, the mecha operators from Evil Wind all shuddered just like their team leader. They immediately began to look for mechas with a golden plate on their right shoulders. Finally, they found one sector among the Hailiyan army where there was a group of mechas with a golden plate on their shoulders. They numbered around 500 or even more.
"We only have 200 people, how can we fight them?" One member from Evil Wind couldn't help but shout out.
"Our regiment commander is already coming with reinforcements, but before he arrives, we must hold the fort and stop them from getting past us." Yang Mingzhi took a deep breath. Using 200 to go against 500 or 600 people was without a doubt a battle with the greatest disparity that he would fight in since joining the military. It was also the hardest battle. However, he knew that if they couldn't stop them here, more of their comrades would die at their hands.
"That's not possible…" Mecha operators from Evil Wind were not confident that they could do such a thing.
"Stop!" Yan Three suddenly shouted. "Has everyone forgotten how we all became mecha operators?"
Yan Three's question shut up all of the mecha operators from Evil Wind. Every mission for them in the past were considered to be suicide missions. They managed to get past hardships after falling into despair each and every time. The current scenario was just a bit more difficult than the ones they had experienced in the past, so why should they be afraid? Was it because when they had advanced to ace level, they had lost their willpower from the past?
"Our leader is right. We are all ace mecha operators who rose up from the very bottom. We fight against stronger enemies in every battle, and we managed to stay alive after every battle. Why does it matter that this time our enemies are elites or top-levels ace mecha masters? We just need to fight through it again." One mecha operator from Evil Wind Mecha Team suddenly shouted.
"Yeah, let us fight once again." The other mecha operators from Evil Wind also shouted.
This scene made the mecha operators from 250 Ace Mecha Clan look at those from Evil Wind in a new light. After being so used to the formality in their academies and the standard operating techniques from there, those from 250 Ace Mecha Clan could easily notice the flaws in the mecha operation of mechas by Evil Wind. Those from 250 Ace Mecha Clan had high regards in their operating techniques, so they even looked down on them somewhat. They always felt that Evil Wind's operating techniques shamed the word 'mecha piloting' in their hearts. However, Evil Wind's willingness to sacrifice their lives was the same as those from 250 Ace Mecha Clan. Even though they came from academies, they were still the same as Evil Wind in this aspect. Ever since they became soldiers and operated mechas, they had already given up their lives to do what they love most in their lives which was mecha piloting.
Seeing that those from Evil Wind Mecha Team was no longer afraid, Yang Mingzhi had a hint of approval in his expression. With the mecha operators from Evil Wind Mecha Team, they could probably stop one to two hundred mecha operators. This would no doubt decrease the amount of pressure on 250 Ace Mecha Clan.
"Ah, leader, our regiment commander is here." Right at that moment, the JMCs and the logisticians opened the doors for Ling Lan's group of mecha operators. In the most crucial moment, they arrived on the front-line right on time. Now, the original 200 or so mecha operators had another 200 added on top it.
"Regiment Commander, you're right on time." Yang Mingzhi instantly regained focus. Suddenly he realized that he was not sure when, this 23 year-old regiment commander became the pillar of hope that he relied on and trusted with all his heart.
"Alright everyone, don't be soft. Let's take care of this ace mecha clan from Hailiya." Ling Lan's cold voice rang through the commlink channel of 250 Ace Mecha Clan and Evil Wind Mecha Team. Her orderly and calm demeanor made the mecha operators who were anxious instantly feel more relaxed.
"Yes Sir!" 250 Ace Mecha Clan's mecha operators were after all veterans who came out on top from bloody battle in the past. Ling Lan's words instantly rose their willpower, causing them to immediately shout out in unison.
With the voices of mecha operators from 250, Evil Wind also screamed out wildly. Those screams made them shed some of their fears.
Before they know it, the Hailiyan army finally entered at their beam gun's range. In unplanned unison, both sides fired their beam guns…
Countless mechas fell to the ground and exploded due to their beam shields depleting from the overwhelming beam attacks. Both Hailiya and the Federation's side had mechas fall then explode. However, because of the advantageous positions held by the Federation's mecha operators, their losses were fewer compared to their opponent in this attack.
He'er Li put down his binoculars, revealing stern expression on his face.
Ni Duola continuously had sweat running down his forehead even after he continuously wiped it off.
"Tell me, why has their base already made preparations for our attack?" He'er Li asked softly.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because when their satellites suddenly stopped working, they decided to make sure everything was fine by sending out mecha operators to defend against any potential attacks," Ni Duola replied in a confused tone.
"When did the satellites stop working? No matter how fast they are, they still wouldn't be able to have this many mecha operators get into position and wait for us. They probably already began preparations when we left our base." He'er Li was quite sure that such a large army of mecha operators was definitely not possible to be arranged in such a short amount of time. 'Is there a spy in their base?'
He'er Li was somewhat dumbfounded by the situation. However, after seeing the Huaxia Federation suddenly revealed a group of 200 mecha operators who just ignored Hailiya's other mecha groups, and instead, they went straight for Hela Ace Mecha Clan. This made He'er Li instantly surprised.
Mecha operators from the Hela Ace Mecha Clan laughed coldly as they saw that there were 200 or so mecha operators rushing towards them without a care for their own lives. They raised their weapons and began their battle with the first wave of enemies.
It should be said that Hela's mecha operators were arrogant. To add on to their already arrogant nature, their arrogance was also bolstered by the fact that they had intel on Base 013. They knew that Base 013 didn't have any titled ace mecha operators stationed in this base. There were only standard ace mecha operators in Base 013. Thus, when they began their battle, they didn't think much of 250 Ace Mecha Clan.
Looking down on 250 Ace Mecha Clan made them pay in blood in the next second. One side used all their might while the other side only half-heartedly defended. After clashing once, Hela had already lost 30 or so mechas. Of course, 250 Ace Mecha Clan was able to do this because they had 30 or so top-level ace operators returned to their peak. Even if it was Hela's elite mecha operators, who only used half of their power with some not even using half of their power, they were easily killed in one hit by top-level ace mecha operators who gave it their all.
Of course, it was luck and Hela's mentality that let 250 Ace Mecha Clan to have such an opportunity. If Hela's mecha operators were careful at the beginning of the clash, there would only have been five or six that would be killed instantly, not as many as thirty.
"No, that's not possible!" He'er Li who was watching calmly, stood up in shock. He had an expression of disbelief. 'How can a base with no peak-level ace operators take out more than 30 of his mecha operators in one clash?' He'er Li felt his own heart bleeding. The elite ace mecha operators in his mecha clan were nurtured by him using a lot of resources. He couldn't accept the fact that he had lost so many of his men in an instant.
Ni Duola saw this scene, and his jaw just dropped wide open as he was stunned. 'Was I hallucinating just now? Shouldn't it have been them instantly killing the mecha operators from the Huaxia Federation? Why is it mecha operators from Hailiya? Plus, these mecha operators were from Hailiya's strongest ace mecha clan, Hela.'
He'er Li, who was still in disbelief, brought up his binoculars once again. He locked-on to one mecha that instantly killed one of Hela's mechas. He saw it move and fly with great agility, with mecha movements that were natural and well-rounded. It was as though it wasn't a mecha, but rather a human dancing in the sky. When it clashed with a mecha from Hela, it was clear that Hela's mecha couldn't follow its opponent's movements and was less agile by a degree. After flying around like that for a short while, the small flaw that would appear on Hela's mecha piloting, which was extremely difficult to discover, and it would accurately be used by the opponent. The opponent would then destroy that Hela's mecha in one hit.
"Those are top-level ace mecha operators." Now, He'er Li finally understood why he had suffered such a huge loss. Their opponent's capabilities was stronger than their own mecha operators by a large mile. He continued to watch as a few more mecha operators from the Federation killed a few of Hela's mecha operators, and instantly made such a conclusion.
"Ni Duola, didn't our intel tell us that Base 013 didn't have a single peak-level ace mecha operators? Why do they have them, and it is not just one of them?" He'er Li was livid and looked at Ni Duola angrily. It was because of the wrong intel that led to him to lose so many mecha operators.
"Senior Colonel He'er Li, I also didn't know." Ni Duola took out another handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his ever-wet forehead. He didn't know why the originally weak Base 013 would suddenly have so many strong mecha operators appearing among their force.
"What are those people doing down at the intelligence bureau?" He'er Li tossed the binoculars with great force and jumped out of his car.
"Senior Colonel He'er Li, where are you going?" Ni Duola saw that He'er Li had suddenly leaving, so he quickly put his head out the window and shouted.
"I'm going up to take down those bastards!" He'er Li's angry voice rang from afar. He was not going to allow someone to show him up in front of his face. Plus, those mecha operators had destroyed many mechas from his Hela Ace Mecha Clan. He would not consider himself a man if he did not take revenge.
"Ugh, be careful!" Ni Duola could only wave his right hand as an okay sign to He'er Li. He sat back down into the car and picked up the binoculars He'er Li had tossed away. He looked towards the mechas that were fighting with Hela Ace Mecha Clan, and he couldn't help but think where those strong mecha operators had come from.
"Those who are top-level aces try your best to kill off more enemy mechas. For the others, if you can kill then kill them, if not then keep them busy for as long as you can." Ling Lan sneaked up on a top-level mecha operator who was busy fighting with Li Lanfeng. Then, she notified all the other members who were fighting. She was afraid her mecha operators would get too into the fight. One impulsive move would cause harm to both sides and could even cause suicide explosions. She allowed the mecha operators from 250 Ace Mecha Clan into the battlefield with the intention of them reacquiring the blood-pumping feeling of a battle and returning to their glory days. She didn't lead them here to give up their lives needlessly.
Although the enemy had more top-level ace mecha operators, Ling Lan and 30 to 40 other top-level mecha operators hard work made the difference between their numbers shrink significantly. In other words, as long as they continue to hold on, victory would belong to them and not Hailiya.
What they hoped for was a happy ending, but a battlefield was a cruel and unforgiving place. As time went on, there were injuries and death from 250 Ace Mecha Clan. One mecha after another were shot down, but Evil Wind Mecha Team had it even worse with almost a quarter of their mecha operators being shot down. After all, they were overall less capable than 250's mecha operators. However, these mecha operators who were born in the battlefield were still strong-willed. Even if they were shot down, they still held onto their opponent's mecha and brought them down with them.
In this brutal battlefield where countless mechas were shot every second and every minute, two mechas from the Federation silently crept to the ground level. They slowly moved towards one of the Federation's mechas that were shot down.
"Look out, Luo Chao!" Their movement had been discovered by one of the Hailiya's mecha flying above them, and a beam of light shot straight towards them. Li Shiyu didn't even think for a movement and kicked Luo Chao's mecha away from the shot.
"Boom!" Luo Chao's original location was instantly struck by a beam of light, causing rubble to be sent flying, which blocked the Hailiya's mecha view.
Right as he was wanted to wait for the dust to settle to regain his vision, he suddenly saw two beams shooting towards him from two different directions. These two beams instantly locked up the position he could dodge towards.
The special-class mecha operator from Hailiya quickly turned on his beam shield, preparing to take the shots head-on. In theory, the beam shield should be able to take three beam attacks.
"Bang!" One beam instantly depleted his beam shield. In the next instant, the other beam instantly exploded his cockpit. The mecha began to have black smoke come out of his cockpit as his mecha fell towards the ground. It smashed into the ground, creating a dust cloud.
"Nice shot, Elder Brother Shiyu!" Luo Chao's voice of admiration rang through the commlink channel.
Li Shiyu looked at the seemingly standard beam gun in his mecha hand. His expression showed a hint of admiration, "I didn't think that the beam gun Chang Xinyuan had invented would be this powerful. Its power has nearly tripled." Beam shields could only endure one attack from this beam gun. For any mecha operators, this beam gun would be considered a nightmare.
"Elder Brother Xinyuan's invention are always good to use. Our mecha's beam shields have also been increased in power. Without at least 8 or 10 shots from the Federation's standard beam guns, its energy wouldn't be depleted at all." Luo Chao also admired Chang Xinyuan. "If it wasn't for the fact that Elder Brother Xinyuan hadn't discovered material that could automatically absorb energy, the beam shields wouldn't have become our strongest defensive equipment."
"He's always too eccentric," Li Shiyu smirked. It was only people like him who could invent things that could bring about awe in people one after the other.
"Why talk about others when you're like this as well, Elder Brother Shiyu?" Luo Chao smiled. Li Shiyu actually had the audacity to mock Chang Xinyuan. In 250 Ace Mecha Clan, he and Chang Xinyuan were the only crazy inventors, and Li Shiyu's name was even more feared than Chang Xinyuan… Of course, Luo Chao didn't understand why was that though as her Elder Brother Shiyu was so nice and caring.
'Yes, although those medicinal agents are terrifying, they are still for everyone's benefit aren't they?' Luo Chao was this type of person. If she believed someone to be good, she would not comprehend why people would think otherwise. Li Shiyu was like this and so was Ling Lan. In Luo Chao's mind, although Boss Ling Lan was cold and was ruthless to his friends, he was also doing it for the benefit of everyone. 'Why is everyone afraid Boss Lan?'
Luo Chao clearly knew that she wasn't afraid of Ling Lan. However, every time she sees Ling Lan, she would become timid, shy and not know what to say… Every time after Ling Lan leaves her vicinity, Luo Chao would be saddened at her own behavior. 'Isn't she perfectly normal at other times? Why must she be like that when Boss is around? This is so annoying!'
Although the two of them were talking, they didn't stop moving. They arrived beside a Federation's mecha that had its chest area completely destroyed. Li Shiyu checked it and said, "Not bad. Although the mecha cockpit was hit hard, there wasn't any significant damage. The mecha operator inside should still have signs of life."
Hearing this, Luo Chao piloted her mecha and took out the cockpit of the mecha on the ground. She lightly held it in her mecha's hand. This truly tested Luo Chao's mecha operating abilities. She couldn't use too much force because the pressure the cockpit could take was very low. If she used too much force, it would damage the cockpit even more. However, she couldn't she too little strength either, otherwise she wouldn't be able to hold onto the cockpit, causing the mecha to fall out of her hand which might potentially damage it even more. This level of force must be kept constant while she flew around her mecha or did other movements. In other words, although this type of action seemed to be easy, it actually tested the accuracy of a mecha operator.
However, Luo Chao's finger movement speed probably couldn't reach the level of an ace operator. Her accuracy however was similar to a standard ace operator's. This was why Li Shiyu was not worried in letting Luo Chao be responsible for the recovery of the cockpit.
Just like that, Li Shiyu and Luo Chao didn't participate in the battle. Instead, they looked for mecha operators from the Federation who could still be saved on the ground. They knew very well what their responsibilities were. Killing their enemies was indeed important and meant earning merits, but saving the lives of a comrade was also equally as important. Especially in the eyes of a doctor, this was even more important than merits that could be gained from a battle.
Chapter 857 - Regiment Commander's Mecha!
He'er Li's mecha was stationed at the very back of the Hailiya's transport group, so he got onto another multi-terrain vehicle and quickly drove towards the mecha docking line, while also being somewhat irritated. If he had known beforehand that Base 013 had such strong mecha operators, he wouldn't just watch the battle from afar, and would have instead, get on his mecha and smash some Federation's dogs personally. Plus, if he was there fighting, it would have been much easier for him to control situation himself.
Not long after, a huge mecha walked out from a large truck in the transport group. Finally with the roar of its engines, it flew up into the sky and quickly went towards the battlefield.
While flying, he was also contacting three mecha teams that were stopping the reinforcements from the nearby bases, asking them to return here as soon as possible. However, their current situation made He'er Li not know whether he should be feeling happy or depressed. It was because he was right in predicting that the three bases near Base 013 would send out reinforcements. However, it was also because he was right that those three mecha teams would not be able to return anymore. They were indeed stopping the reinforcements, but at the same time, they were also stopping themselves.
"Shit!" He'er Li could only swear loudly, but he wasn't going to force the issue. He believed that even if those three teams couldn't return, they could still defeat their opponent. When He'er Li was watching the battle he had already realized the threat that mysterious mecha team posed to Hela, even if that team had only 200 or so mecha operators. Although at the beginning they were caught with their pants down, and lost almost 200 mecha operators, they still had 400 or so left. Additionally, with him going onto the battlefield would definitely the odds into their favour. However, without the help of the three mecha teams, his mecha clan would still pay a hefty price to take down their opponent.
After thinking about this point, He'er Li began to be frustrated again. This was most loss Hela Ace Mecha Clan had taken ever since it had been established. All of this was because of getting the wrong intel about the strength of Base 013.
He'er Li was prepared to kick everyone off the intelligence bureau for not doing their job properly after taking out Base 013. He wasn't just going to swallow his frustration and have them possibly killing more of his countrymen needlessly.
"Boss, a golden plate mecha has appeared at the back lines of the enemy forces." Little Four's eyes and ears were everywhere, so he immediately discovered He'er Li's mecha.
"Zoom in." Ling Lan kicked away one mecha, managing to kick it towards Li Lanfeng who had just defeated a mecha. Li Lanfeng tacitly rose up his cold weapon and sliced with great force. He easily hit the unsuspecting mecha operator's cockpit who was still trying his best to balance his mecha.
After the cockpit took such heavy damage, the mecha operator inside was instantly severely injured from the impact. His mecha fell towards the ground uncontrollably, creating a large explosion as his mecha landing on the hard ground. If a Hailiya's mecha body exploded, the mecha operator would not have any chance of survival.
The two of them took out one elite ace mecha together and yet they hadn't even looked at each other a single time. This kind of mutual understanding was as luck would have it, developed from the time when they were still considered 'Rabbit' and 'Leopard' in the Mecha World. Now, as they spent more time together, their cohesiveness between them began to recover to its former glory. They didn't need to speak or make eye contact, and each of them could naturally do what the other needed them to do.
Little Four heard Ling Lan's orders and immediately zoomed in on He'er Li's mecha. As expected, there was a golden plate on its right arm, along with more flowers on its chest compared to other Hailiyan mecha.
"A leader's mecha! No, it's an even higher level one. A regiment commander's mecha!" Ling Lan instantly concluded He'er Li's identity based on the clue Little Four gave her. It was the same as her mecha. Beside the number '250', there was an elegantly written '1', indicating her mecha was the regiment commander's mecha.
Ling Lan had been fighting these mecha operators for quite some time. She was both relieved and worried. She was relieved because none of the mecha operators were beyond the top-level stage, reaching the imperial level that would pressure her ace mecha operators indefinitely. On the other hand, she also knew clearly that the person leading these elite and top-level ace mecha operators was definitely an imperial mecha operator. Even if he wasn't one, that person would probably had already reached pseudo imperial level which would still be an admirable foe.
Seeing the opposition's regiment commander appearing in her sights, Ling Lan immediately held Firmament and flew past everything elegantly… In a single moment, she had arrived at the back-lines of the enemy forces.
He'er Li's eyes narrowed. Ling Lan's seemingly simple movements actually made him feel a great amount of pressure. His opponent managed to find a clear path among countless enemy mechas. Not only was Ling Lan's spatial awareness better than most, her piloting skills had reached the point of having zero mistakes. He'er Li knew very well that this type of piloting was not possible by someone on the ace level. Even if someone was halfway into the imperial level, they still wouldn't be able to do something like that.
"Imperial level? Or perhaps pseudo imperial level?" Pseudo imperial level individuals were at the imperial level, but they still had a few flaws so they hadn't truly didn't reach that level yet. However, they still belonged to the imperial level, so they were still on a completely different level compared to the ace level.
He'er Li and Ling Lan both had similar conclusions about each other. Both of them couldn't be certain whether their opponent was imperial level or a pseudo imperial level. However, no matter what level they were, they look at each other as worthy opponents.
The two of them simultaneously lifted their cold weapons. He'er Li held a large broadsword in his hands while Ling Lan held a long and thin straight sword. Looking at the thicknesses and widths of the swords, most would be worried about Ling Lan. With Ling Lan's sword's thickness and width, she would definitely not be able to defend against a full force attack from her opponent.
He'er Li also felt this way, so he immediately lifted up his large sword and ruthlessly slashed towards Ling Lan.
Everyone thought Ling Lan would dodge, but instead, Ling Lan held Firmament in her hand firmly and clashed with the sword.
"Bang!" The sound of the metallic swords clashing was enough to cause people who didn't wear thick enough ear muffs to become nearly deaf. However, their next move instantly drew the attention of those fighting around them.
Ling Lan's Firmament was curved slightly from the pressure of He'er Li's large sword. However, no matter how much He'er Li pushed, Firmament still remained intact. There was no sign of it snapping and it also didn't curve anymore. Just like that, it blocked the broadsword that was two to three times heavier and thicker that it.
"What kind of metal is that?" He'er Li's expression changed slightly. It's actually that tough. It seemed there wasn't such a metal in Hailiya.
Ling Lan's eyes flickered, as her fingers danced around elegantly. Her mecha pushed towards He'er Li and sent him flying back a few meters.
"Such strength." He'er Li's eyes narrowed again. It should be known that mechas had a fixed amount of power they could exert. To be able to get past the fixed amount and create so much power required his opponent to do many vibration tests. To be able to do something in an instant, his opponent's finger speed had probably already reached a terrifying speed… He'er Li began to get his guard up. Piloting with finger speeds like that was something that he had previously believed to be impossible.
After sending He'er Li back, Ling Lan raised her Firmament and ruthlessly sliced towards her opponent. Changing from being on the defensive to going on the offensive only takes an instant to do. He'er Li was the attacker in the beginning, but now, in an instant, he became the one defending.
This seemingly simple change of offense and defense could actually be perceived as the two of them adapting to change of pace. At the end of this exchange, Ling Lan was clearly slightly stronger than her opponent.
Chapter 858 - Cracked!
Ling Lan's quick barrage of attacks were all blocked off by He'er Li. Now, Ling Lan had confirmed her opponent's mecha piloting level. He wasn't a veteran imperial operator who had been at the imperial level for many years. Instead, he was a newbie just like her and had only reached imperial level not long ago.
This realization made Ling Lan feel much more relieved. Ling Lan was afraid that would face against someone like Qi Yaoyang, who had entered imperial level for many years and had already grasped the secrets of the imperial level. Once these people become her enemy, Ling Lan believed that the person who would die in a confrontation would be her and not her opponent. The route of mutual destruction also wasn't viable not like when she did the examination for the activation of her battle team. Veteran imperial operators like Qi Yaoyang would definitely not give her that kind of chance on a real battlefield. This was the difference between a veteran and newbie imperial operators.
The invincible He'er Li was actually stopped by a nameless mecha operator from the Federation. It even seemed that He'er Li was at a disadvantage. All of the mecha operators from Hela Ace Mecha Clan saw this, and they were all stunned. 'Is there actually someone on the battlefield who is stronger than their regiment commander?' He'er Li was a famous figure in Hailiya. He had participated in dozens of battles, and had never lost any of those battles before.
Compared to the surprise of Hela Ace Mecha Clan, everyone from 250 Mecha Clan got fired up when they saw their regiment commander pressuring the enemy's regiment commander. Many who were originally pressured by their opponents and were in danger, actually managed to salvage their situation, and some even turned the tides into their favour.
This was how a battle between two opposing regiment commanders would affect their men, by affecting the willpower of the two clans fighting with each other. The side whose regiment commander was at an advantage would definitely have stronger fighting spirit and higher morale. The side whose regiment commander was at a disadvantage would have their entire clan become demotivated, making them not be able to give their 100% during their battles.
Although He'er Li seemed calm on the surface, but internally he was panicking. He didn't think that the nameless and unvalued Base 013 would actually have such a strong mecha clan hidden within it. He also couldn't believe that the regiment commander of that clan was even more capable than him.
"I can't lose!" He'er Li knew very well that if he were to be defeated, Ni Duola would not have the courage to continue the attack. Then, it would mean that this entire operation would have been all for naught. He'er Li was the person in charge of this attack, so he knew very well what price Hailiya had invested into this attack. If he lost, he couldn't even imagine what punishments he would face when he goes back home. Therefore, he couldn't lose, and he must win convincingly.
He'er Li, who was on his wits' end, bit his lip as he saw Ling Lan coming at him once again with Firmament. However, he didn't choose to dodge or block like the previous clashes, he instead side-stepped the attack. Then, his left hand snaked its way onto the sword, wanting to grab onto the ruthless sword.
Empty-Handed Weapon Grab! Although this technique was originally from the Huaxia Federation, almost all of the mecha operators from every country had managed to grasp this technique. Of course, there weren't many who could actually use the technique well.
When the mecha operators, who were watching their fight from the beginning, saw the Empty-Handed Weapon Grab, they actually slowed everything they were doing. They all wanted to know whether or not He'er Li was going to succeed or not. Although the Empty-Handed Weapon Grab technique was a well-known technique, the level designation of this technique had reached S level. It was the only S level technique that the Federation had let the public know about.
Having an S level designation meant that it wasn't something that could be easily learned just by practicing it. If an individual was not able to actually understand the secrets of the Empty-Handed Weapon Grab, they would fail at each attempt in using it. Most mecha operators didn't dare to use this technique because once they fail, they might have to pay the price with their lives, and of course, no one dared to use their life to experiment.
Ling Lan through He'er Li intention, and she just smirked. Firmament didn't change in any its direction, and it ruthlessly stabbed towards He'er Li.
"I caught it!" He'er Li felt his left hand holding onto the narrow sword and was overjoyed. He didn't hesitate as his right hand went straight for Ling Lan's cockpit.
Right at that moment, a soft 'shing' sound was heard by everyone. Firmament easily went through He'er Li's palm, cutting some parts off while it went its way. However, because the parts were too small, everyone spectating couldn't see what they were.
Everyone just knew that the sharp blade had sliced something off.
After piercing to the longest length, Ling Lan twisted the Firmament in her hand and got it out of her opponent's palm.
He'er Li had without a doubt failed the Empty-Handed Weapon Grab. Only He'er Li knew what parts had fallen off just then. His right hand had already clenched into a fist so everyone couldn't discover that his left fist actually had no fingers. He'er Li now understood why Ling Lan wasn't afraid of his Empty-Handed Weapon Grab. It was because his sword was not only heavy and tough, it also had a sharp property that all other large cold weapons didn't have.
He'er Li's left hand had failed, but he didn't give up hope. The attack from his right hand was his main priority. No matter his left hand failed or succeeded, its task was completed as it locked down the place his opponent could dodge towards.
He'er Li believed that he had successfully forced Ling Lan into a position where she couldn't dodge his right fist. However, what he didn't know was that Ling Lan wasn't planning on dodging in the first place.
"Bang!" Ling Lan held Firmament in front of her and blocked her opponent's strong attack. A clear sound of metal breaking was heard.
"Crack!" A soft cracking sound was heard at the place where the two weapons had clashed. He'er Li's heart dropped as he saw through his peripheral vision the location where Ling Lan's narrow sword had hit on his sword. He saw a thin crack running from the edge of the sword to the tip of the sword had actually appeared on his large sword. On top of that, his sword also had a part of it chipped off at the location where the two swords clashed. The crack was formed from the chipped area.
He'er Li was stunned. He had only just discovered that other than the chipped area, his sword had no other areas that were chipped. It meant that when the opponent was attacking him, no matter how he blocked, his opponent had struck his sword at the same area. This was the main reason his sword had a crack appear on it, and he only just realized this. This was enough to determine that his opponent's mecha piloting skills was pure and flawless
While He'er Li was stunned, Ling Lan's next attack had arrived, giving He'er Li no time to think as he instinctively blocked with his large sword again.
"Bam!"
He'er Li's large sword suddenly cracked in half. The upper half of the sword fell and stabbed into the ground. It instantly dug into the ground, and only had 30 centimeters left on the hilt.
It turns out that Ling Lan had hit the chipped area once again. After being struck at so many times, the large sword could no longer endure such a hard hit, and it split in half.
"Ah!" All the mecha operators from Hela noticed this, and they couldn't help but shout in surprise. Their regiment commander's sword was actually split in half by someone… It was even more of a surprise when they knew that their regiment commander's sword was specially forged and was almost impossible to break.
Chapter 859 - I Am Your Opponent!
Ling Lan constantly attacked the same area of her opponent's weapon by using Firmament's specialty, before it finally broke her opponent's weapon. When Ling Lan saw the weapon being chopped in half, she shifted Firmament backwards and sliced it towards He'er Li's cockpit like a flash of light.
If He'er Li was only a top-level ace operator, it would have been impossible for him to dodge her attack. However, he was after all an operator who had entered the imperial level. Even though he was piloting an ace mecha, his imperial level mecha piloting capabilities allowed him to dodge the dangerous attack.
Ling Lan didn't think much of her missed attack. If imperial operators were so easy to kill, imperial level operators wouldn't be restricted by each country to go on the battlefield. When Ling Lan saw her opponent dodge her attack, she didn't give up as Firmament just continued to slice towards her opponent once again.
Without a cold weapon to block, He'er Li could only dodge for his life. He knew he couldn't continue like dodging because he will eventually make a mistake in dodging. Only a successful counterattack could get him out of this disadvantageous situation.
He'er Li was a decisive person. Instead of waiting to fail, he decided to fight to the end.
His eyes instantly became sharp as he continued to dodge Ling Lan's pinpoint attacks. He then suddenly saw an error in Ling Lan's judgement. Originally, each of her hit was directed towards a vital point on his body, making him not dare to make any large movements. However, her current attack's trajectory was towards his left shoulder area. For a human body, it was perhaps a vital point, but for mechas that was not the case.
Chance! He'er Li didn't choose to completely concentrate on dodging this time. When he piloted mecha to dodge Ling Lan's incoming attack, his right hand sprang backwards. At the same time, a long beam gun from his back suddenly unlocked from its holster, falling right into his mecha's right hand.
"Shing!"
The joint connecting shoulder and the left arm of He'er Li's mecha was hit hard by Ling Lan's Firmament. The immense force and the sharpness coming from Firmament was actually able to cleanly slice through the joint because the material for the joint was made of a flexible and not so durable material. The left arm of He'er Li's mecha was cut off before it quickly dropped to the ground.
Another reason why it was able to be cut was because He'er Li was piloting an ace mecha. If it was an imperial mecha, no matter how sharp the edge of the Firmament was, it would still be unable to cut through the shield of an imperial mecha, not to mention cutting off an arm in one sword swing.
However, the spectating mecha operators didn't know about this information, especially those from Hela. Those whose mentality were not as strong and saw their usually invincible regiment commander get his mecha's arm cut off actually began to panic, resulting in them making a lot of mistakes in their mecha piloting.
If the mecha operators from 250 Ace Mecha Clan were only a newbie ace operators or no-brain operators, they might not have noticed those small mistakes. However, the mecha operators from 250 Ace Mecha Clan were all people from various divisions who had fought through hundreds of battles. Although some of them still haven't recovered to their full potential for certain reasons, they still had experience and insight they could rely on to take advantage of those mistakes. They were considered to be the best of the best ace mecha operators so they would definitely not miss out on such an opportunity.
After taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to them, they used their strongest techniques and destroyed their opponents' mechas instantly. Now, the situation seemed to be more in 250 Ace Mecha Clan's favour. The 30 or so strongest mecha operators from 250 Ace Mecha Clan were even taking on more than one opponent at a time. However, with the pressure lessening on the other mecha operators, they were now able to take on two opponents at a time, which lessened the burden on the 30 or so strongest mecha operator. The hard work of the others mecha operators gave these 30 or so mecha operators the chance to fight 1-on-1, so by fighting just one opponent at a time, they were able to take out their single opponents easily, then they pounced towards the other mecha operators to reduce the pressure off their comrades.
It should be said that the battle up until now, the morale on Hailiya's side was already at an all-time low. On the other side, almost all of the mecha operators from the base who had come out to protect the base were full of fighting spirit. After seeing the situation shifting towards Base 013's side, He'er Li became very scared and terrified of what was going to happen next. He didn't want to take the shame and disgrace from losing a battle when he returns. In his dictionary, there wasn't the word 'failure'. There was only win, win, win!
Although his mecha lost its left arm, He'er Li still got his beam gun. The only reason He'er Li was willing to pay the price to get his beam gun out was because his specialty was long-range attacks and not close combat. Thus, He'er Li didn't think that losing his left arm would affect him too much. Of course, He'er Li didn't think his opponent's weapon was so sharp that it could cut off his mecha's left arm, when he thought it would only damage it.
After slicing her opponent's left arm off, Ling Lan continued to move forward, planning to acquire the fruits of her labour, however her opponent's mecha suddenly side-stepped and kicked something towards her. He actually kick his mecha's left arm towards her like a football.
The immense force behind the kick alongside with the arm's weight actually caused the air to whistle as it went straight towards Ling Lan's cockpit.
Seeing the arm coming towards her, Ling Lan had no choice but to stop her next attack and dodge the flying arm as a cockpit's outer shell was quite weak, so Ling Lan had to be careful about things aiming for her cockpit area. Although she lost the chance to completely take down her opponent by choosing to dodge instead of pursuing He'er Li, she was not unhappy about it as there were enemies everywhere. Making one small mistake here could cause her to lose her life, and Ling Lan didn't dare to gamble with that.
Ling Lan's movement gave her opponent an opportunity to come back in this fight. He'er Li immediately piloted his mecha and backed up quickly. He wanted to increase the distance between him and Ling Lan for him to feel at ease to use long range attacks to snipe at Ling Lan.
Right as he was backing up quickly, one Federation's mecha that was in battle, suddenly ran from his opponent. Then, the large sword in that mecha's hand quickly sliced towards He'er Li's cockpit. This attack was too sudden. He'er Li was not prepared for someone to not care about his own safety, and decided to ambush him instead.
"Danger!" When He'er Li had discovered the attack, the sword was already about to pierce through his cockpit. He'er Li's nerves instantly steeled and his finger speeds reached a new height. In a life-or-death situation, He'er Li suddenly broke through the cap on his finger speed that he had not gotten past in a long time.
He'er Li's mecha suddenly made a strange move. It was as though it had crashed into something and side-stepped away. The large sword that was near his cockpit had only reached the metal outer shell, leaving a terrifying scar, but luckily, it did not damage the cockpit. In other words, He'er Li had successfully dodged this sure-kill attack.
Hela's mecha operators were overjoyed that their regiment commander had gotten out of that dangerous situation, even He'er Li was overjoyed in his own mind. If he hadn't broken through just now, he might have had a big problem.
He'er Li, who was relieved, wanted to see who had ambushed him. He only saw a number '6' behind the numbers '250' on the chest plate of that mecha… Before he could think about it, the optical supercomputer in his cockpit suddenly sprang up with warnings and alarms, "Locked-on, evade. Locked-on, evade…"
He'er Li suddenly realized it. He didn't even think and just crazily did what he could to pilot his mecha away. His finger speeds had reached a speed where his fingers were no longer visible. Right as the mecha began to dodge, three beam attacks had simultaneously hit his cockpit.
Ling Lan coldly put down the beam gun in her hands and said softly, "Your opponent is me. If you forget then you must pay the price!"
Chapter 860 - A Difficult Victory!
Right as Ling Lan finished speaking, a bang was heard.
A loud explosion sound rang through the air as He'er Li's mecha began to explode in mid-air. In that instant, a 3 meter long and 2 meter in wide oval object flew out of the fire and explosion.
Ling Lan aim her beam gun at the oval object and pulled down the trigger without any hesitation.
It was the cockpit! In the instant of the explosion, He'er Li actually managed to eject his cockpit from his mecha and live. His skill in mecha piloting along with his fearless attitude was proof of his capabilities.
Ling Lan was not going to allow such a strong enemy to get away from her. Ling Lan's personality was like this. She would either not do it or do it all the way by killing her opponent and getting rid of any possible future problems. The nurturing she got in the learning space for more than 20 years finally nurtured a ruthless side out of Ling Lan.
"Bang!"
The beam hit the cockpit, and it exploded once again. Ling Lan however did not relax, and instead became even more stern. She began to frown because she didn't think that the Hailiyan mecha operators would be willing to sacrifice their lives by blocking her shots from hitting their regiment commander. They used their lives in exchange for the life of their regiment commander. Their sacrifice saved the unprotected cockpit that could be destroyed with one hit.
Ling Lan decisively started shooting again. The beam gun in her hand was wildly shooting bullets and countless beams were slowly closing in on the cockpit on the ground.
"Bang, bang, bang…" But before the beams could hit the cockpit, they were all intercepted by Hailiya's mecha operators. In order to intercept these beams, they even stopped caring about their own battle. They would rather be hit by their opponents to save their regiment commander.
However, Ling Lan's beam attacks were not completely intercepted. In the end, there were still 4 beams shots that had gone past those mecha operators and were going straight for the cockpit.
He'er Li, who was laying in the cockpit and holding on to dear life, heard the cockpit's optical supercomputer begin to warn him with the locked-on alarm once again. He had a look of despair on his face. He knew that with his cockpit's current condition, even one beam was enough to turn him into dust, not to mention four.
"Bang!" One mecha suddenly flew up from behind the cockpit without caring for his life to face directly against the four beam. The immense energy from the beams caused the mecha to immediately explode, creating countless debris which fell onto the ground. Right after the explosion, a captain level Hailiyan mecha with three flowers on its chest plate, grabbed the cockpit and quickly flew towards their back-line.
At the same time, the Hailiyan mecha operators received Ni Duola's orders to begin attacking the Federation with all their might. This made those mecha operator from the Federation unable to have any time to chase down He'er Li. As for He'er Li's Hela Ace Mecha Clan, they didn't even need the orders. They immediately intercepted those from the Federation without any regards for their lives, creating an impenetrable wall of mechas to safeguard the captain who saved their regiment commander.
Even if Ling Lan wanted to chase him down, she would perhaps be held back by the wall.
Knowing this, Ling Lan could only put down her beam gun regrettably. She watched as He'er Li successfully get away from her. Although she couldn't kill the regiment commander, the scene of their regiment commander being forced to eject his cockpit and needing sacrifices from his subordinate to get away would still affect the morale of Hailiya's forces. Hela Ace Mecha Clan also no longer had the desire to fight. Just like that, Hailiya's forces continued to fight as they retreated out of Base 013's territory.
Ling Lan led all of her mecha operators to continue to chase them towards the outer border of the base and then ordered them to stop chasing.
After losing the connection with satellites, Little Four couldn't confirm whether Hailiya's forces had anything else up their sleeves. Faced with an area that should couldn't completely control, Ling Lan didn't want to take the risk in the case they get ambushed. Plus, although Base 013 had won this battle, the price they had paid for this victory was still heavy. They had almost lost three teams of mecha operators. For Ling Lan, this battle was a hard fought battle. If she didn't accidentally defeat the enemy's strongest mecha operator which brought down Hailiyan army's morale, then victor of this battle would still be unknown.
The large amount of injuries and deaths made Ling Lan feel sad. She immediately ordered everyone to do a search and rescue. The mecha operators who were shot down would have a higher chance of living the earlier they were saved. This was also one of the reasons why Ling Lan was willing to give up on chasing the enemy.
"All uninjured mecha operators work on search and rescue!" Ling Lan ordered coldly.
"Yes, sir!" The mecha operators replied with surprise.
Normally after a battle, they would return to the base and rest. A search and rescue was usually the responsibility of the logistics department which had nothing to do with them. They didn't think that Base 013's new commanding officer would actually order all of the mecha operators do a search and rescue. This made them feel comforted about the thoughtfulness of Ling Lan which immensely improved their impression of Ling Lan. After all, no knew who the next mecha operator that would be shot down would be. It could be someone else or themselves. When the injured are rescued by so many more people, perhaps, the ones doing the rescuing would be the ones needing the rescue next time.
Right as the mecha operators began to do a search and rescue, they saw a convoy suddenly came out from the base. It was a group of medic uniformed soldiers and logistics personnel. The logistics personnel were busy transporting items. Some were on logistics mechas and began to build something. Not long after, a simple temporary surgery treatment room had been built.
The base's logistics department managed to build an emergency surgery treatment room on the battlefield only 10 minutes after the battle. This sight was before seen in Base 013. Every mecha operator knew sending severely injured and near-death patients to the treatment room right after the battle was without a doubt the best course of action. This time, they not only looked at Ling Lan with a warm feeling in their hearts, but also respect. These mecha operators knew that all of this was brought to them by their Regiment Commander Ling.
Right then, two special class mechas slowly landed. The cockpit suddenly opened and two mecha operators jumped out from it. They quickly ran towards the temporary surgery treatment room. They took off their mecha operator's protective vest as they ran. These two were Li Shiyu and Luo Chao who had quietly taken the cockpits of the Federation mecha operators, who were on the brink of death, from the battlefield.
After reaching the door of the treatment room, they saw a familiar silhouette. That person was standing there while holding white cloaks in her hands. Seeing Li Shiyu and Luo Chao arrive, that person hand them the cloaks in her hands.
"Hey, Xuya, you're here too?" Luo Chao shouted with surprise.
"Yeah, wherever needs me, I will be there. Now we're just waiting for you two." Smiled Han Xuya.
Li Shiyu nodded towards Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was the most talented eastern medic in the logistics department. If Luo Chao or Han Xuya were busy, Li Shiyu would have him as his assistant. It seemed that Lin Zhong-qing, who was in charge of the base, knew what was needed in his department. He didn't waste Zhou Yu's talents and sent him to assist them. However, the logistics department of 250 were all talented. Any one of the individuals in it could take the role of an emergency medic, so Li Shiyu was not afraid that he would not get someone to boss around.
Chapter 861 - God Of Life!
With the help of all the mecha operators, the search and rescue proceeded quickly and efficiently. Not only did they save the injured mecha operators from dying needlessly, but they also found many mecha operators from Hailiya who managed to survive.
As a humanitarian, Ling Lan would, of course, choose to rescue them. However, they had to wait until all the mecha operators from the Federation were treated first before it was their turn. It was up to them whether they were able to last until then.
Ling Lan sat in her cockpit and looked at the busy logisticians below her. She quietly arranged the patrols and asked Little Four to use radio signals to supervise their surroundings. This was to prevent Hailiya from returning.
As she was observing everything silently and vigilantly, a familiar mecha flashed passed her screen.
"Li Lanfeng!" Ling Lan gritted her teeth. This bastard was still operating his mecha.
"Yes, regiment commander." Li Lanfeng felt frustrated when he got caught. 'Why did I let my mecha enter Ling Lan's sights?'
"You are injured, so why aren't you getting treatment?" Ling Lan questioned him.
Li Lanfeng was the one who almost succeeded in taking down attacked He'er Li. But, he paid a huge price for his recklessness. He took the impact of two heavy blows from He'er Li. One of the blows came close to his cockpit. Luckily, his cockpit was not damaged but the residual force from the blow was still enough to injure Li Lanfeng.
"My injury is nothing. Shiyu needs to attend to more serious patients," Li Lanfeng replied quickly. He mustn't let Ling Lan know that he was seriously injured. If not, he would die a terrible death.
Li Lanfeng didn't go back to the base to recuperate because he realized the secret Ling Lan had mentioned about the Qi exercises. They were not only useful for recuperation, but they could also let the mecha operator regained his strength and energy after operating his mecha for a long period of time. Li Lanfeng was elated at his finding. Li Lanfeng had spectre abilities as he was born with powerful spiritual power. He used his spiritual power when using his domain and not his domain energy like Ling Lan and his other friends.
Li Lanfeng knew what it meant to him if he could replenish his spiritual power during a battle. Once he mastered this technique, he would be able to fight for longer periods of time. This advantage might not be apparent when he fights with someone much weaker or stronger than him but when his opponent was on par with him, this advantage would be a decisive factor.
Li Lanfeng had found this secret so he didn't want to go back to the base. He operated his mecha and started experimenting with this newfound technique. Li Lanfeng had a natural talent in multitasking, so after some time, he was able to understand how he could operate his mecha while practicing the Qi exercises. He was so happy that he forgot to evade Ling Lan. That was why he accidentally appeared in Ling Lan's sights, and hence got caught by her.
Ling Lan was not satisfied with his reply. She said coldly, "Even if it's just a small injury, we don't need an injured person to carry out the rescue mission. Go back to the base immediately and get treatment."
Did this bastard forget about his weak body? If he gained some hidden trauma because of this, all her efforts in the past few years would be in vain. Li Lanfeng looked scheming and reliable but in actual fact, he was as worrisome as Qi Long and Luo Lang.
Li Lanfeng detected Ling Lan's emotions. He felt that his injuries were not serious so he really didn't need any treatment but he didn't dare to say so. Everyone in Lingtian Battle Team knew that once their Boss made a decision, he wouldn't let anyone go against it.
"Yes, regiment commander." Li Lanfeng had no choice but to listen to Ling Lan. He controlled his mecha and quickly entered the base.
Ling Lan rubbed her temples as she sighed in her heart. When she looked up again, the tiredness in her eyes just now was gone. She resumed her cold expression. It was as if her emotions never change.
Four hours passed. The sky started to turn dark. In the operation room, the logisticians had already hung a few lamps on top of the tents. Li Shiyu never stopped working for these past four hours as no one was able to replace him. Those with small injuries were taken by other people while the ones who were sent to him were those on the brink of death. Li Shiyu was like a god of life that was fighting with Hades for the life of the person lying in front of him.
Finally, Li Shiyu ended his last operation. When the patient got carried away, Li Shiyu picked up a new surgical knife instinctively, but a gentle small hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Brother Shiyu, the operations have all ended." Luo Chao's voice sounded beside him.
Li Shiyu looked up in a daze. He suddenly felt dizzy before he fell towards the ground. As he was falling, two small arms caught him. The small arms seemed weak but they were able to hold him up.
Li Shiyu closed his eyes. He had been looking down for a long time, so when he raised his head up again, he felt dizzy. It was normal. He just needed some rest.
When the dizziness subsided, Li Shiyu opened his eyes. He smiled at Luo Chao who was holding him. "I'm fine."
Luo Chao didn't say anything. She looked at Li Shiyu's pale face and took out an agent from her bag. Li Shiyu smiled. He gave Luo Chao and Han Xuya that strength recovery agent because he was afraid that something would happen to them. That agent would be able to save a person, as long as the person still had his last breath. It even had the ability to regrow an amputated limb. For the ladies, this agent had anti-aging effects too, an irresistible effect one might add. As long as a lady drinks this potion, she would maintain her looks for her entire life. She would only age when her life had reached its end.
The ingredient of this agent was the amazing plant they found during their land clearing mission. He named this ingredient the Nuwa plant. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he was only able to make 20 such agents using the available Nuwa plant.
Chapter 862 - Save Him Or Not
He gave ten of them to Ling Lan and threw five to his asshole of a brother so he could improve his health quicker. At the start of this mission, he passed Luo Chao and Han Xuya one agent each, and kept the other three agents for himself.
He had told Han Xuya and Luo Chao about the effects of the two agents before and the price those agents will get. Although they were not priceless, they could still fetch a few hundred millions of credits, so he didn't expect Luo Chao to pass her agent to him so nonchalantly. However… Li Shiyu also felt a little speechless as he didn't know if he should be happy or angry. Should he be glad that he was more important than the agent or should he be angry that Luo Chao gave away the agent he created so easily?
"We can't waste this agent like this…" Li Shiyu finally sighed and said. He raised his hand and pushed Luo Chao's hand back. In the past, he thought that Luo Lang was stupid because Luo Chao took all of his intelligence away. Now, he finally understood that stupidity was a trait in both siblings. Luo Chao's stupidity, however, was not shown in her intelligence. It was in other areas.
When Li Shiyu was thinking up to this point, he was stunned by a sudden realization. 'Isn't a recovery agent supposed to be used by someone sick like me? So, why would it be a waste to use it on me? Am I the stupid one?' He thought before shaking his head to get rid of these thought-provoking thoughts.
"Based on my condition, I just need a normal recovery agent. It will be a waste if it is used on me." Li Shiyu took out a normal recovery agent from the first-aid kit beside Luo Chao. He opened it and drank it in one gulp. If he really drank that agent, his heart would ache for a few months. After all, there were only 20 of those agents in the world.
Luo Chao thought for a moment and stuffed the agent back into her bag. Li Shiyu had been working for four hours, so Luo Chao felt that it was only right for him to take the best recovery agent. But, since Li Shiyu rejected it, Luo Chao decided to listen to him. After all, Li Shiyu is a military doctor, right?
All the seriously injured patients were all finished being treated so the medical department swiftly went back to the base. At the end of the day, this was the battlefield. It wasn't as safe as their base. Ling Lan waited for all the logisticians to go back to the base before bringing all the mecha operators back to the base.
She shuffled her legs back to her office tiredly. The moment she opened the door, she saw a tiring sight. It was Li Lanfeng.
Li Lanfeng knew who was coming the moment he heard Ling Lan's footsteps. He smiled and stood up. "You are back."
"Yes." Ling Lan replied lightly. She took off her military cap and plopped on the sofa in front of her desk.
Li Lanfeng suddenly walked up to her and passed a folder to Ling Lan. "This is an estimation of casualties of the battle just now. Lin Zhong-qing and his team are still collating the exact numbers. They will need another hour to finish everything up."
Ling Lan took the folder from Li Lanfeng's hands and scanned through it quickly. Shocking numbers kept popping in front of her eyes.
"A rough estimate of 7600 people?" Ling Lan's fingers turned white as she held the folder tightly. Five entire mecha clans were sacrificed in this battle.
'This is the battlefield…' Ling Lan finally understood how cruel war was. One battle in this war did not kill a hundred or a few hundred people. It killed thousands of people.
"It looks like a lot, but if you distribute it among the hundreds of mecha clans in this base, each mecha clan only sacrificed around 80 people, and that is not even the size of a team…" Li Lanfeng explained.
"80 people is not a lot?" Ling Lan slammed her hands on the desk and stood up. She shouted, "Aren't 7600 people many? That is five mecha clans and almost 40 mecha operators in 250…"
Li Lanfeng looked at her calmly. "So what?"
Ling Lan just stared at Li Lanfeng for a few seconds, before she slowly sat down. "Yes, so what?"
As long as this war continued, the casualties would only increase. More and more people would die here until the war ended.
Ling Lan sank into the sofa silently as she pondered over something. Li Lanfeng sat beside her. Both of them didn't move or talk.
Ling Lan suddenly said, "Leopard, I hate people dying needlessly. I hate war!"
"Yes." Li Lanfeng muttered in reply. It seemed like an answer or he was just acknowledging that he was listening to her.
"I want to end this war!" Ling Lan's eyes were glinting brightly. "Do you think that I'm aiming for unachievable?"
"If anyone else had said this, I will think that way." Li Lanfeng smiled and looked at Ling Lan. "But, if it is you, you'll be able to do it."
"The Rabbit I know, the leader of Lingtian, the Regiment Commander of 250 Ace Mecha Clan, is someone who can do anything what he sets his mind to," Li Lanfeng said firmly.
"Yes, Boss. I believe that you can do it…"
"Boss, don't forget that you still have us…"
"We will work together with you."
The members of Lingtian had all arrived without Ling Lan noticing.
"Regiment commander, if you need us to do anything, please tell us." Yang Mingzhi represented all of the veteran mecha operators and expressed their thoughts to Ling Lan. They had been through many wars and were sick of it. Their mental illnesses came because of their loathing for wars.
Ling Lan was touched but she didn't show it on her face. She kept her cold expression on.
After some time, she regained her composure and scanned the crowd. All the leaders and deputy leaders stood up straight in response.
"I hope that you all remember what you have said here. Now, you can all go back and take a rest." After this huge battle, everyone must be tired. Ling Lan was unwilling to hold them here any longer so she asked them to go back.
Everyone had reached their limit so they went back to their apartments and got some rest.
As Li Lanfeng was turning to leave, Ling Lan stopped him. "Lanfeng, wait for a moment."
Li Lanfeng stopped in surprise. He turned and waited for Ling Lan's order.
Ling Lan stared at him silently for a few seconds. Li Lanfeng got nervous. 'Did Ling Lan find out about my secret?'
Suddenly, Ling Lan said, "Leopard, did you hate me for not saving you and attacking our opponent instead?"
Li Lanfeng smiled when he heard this. The entire room turned warm. "If you had saved me, you will not be the Rabbit I know."
Li Lanfeng gave him an intense look.
"Actually, you didn't save me because you trust me. Ling Lan, I have to instead thank you for not saving me…" Li Lanfeng retracted his smile and said seriously, "Your choice made me understand that I've finally gotten closer to you."
Ling Lan stared at Li Lanfeng intently. After some time, she said, "Leopard, you have always been close to me. You just never realized it. I'm very happy today."
Finally, you became confident. You are willing to trust that I believed in you.
Chapter 863 - Humiliation
Ling Lan only rested for a short while before she walked over to the command center. The situation was currently very volatile, so anything could happen now. Therefore, she must be present to watch over the entire situation.
The command center was no longer empty as there were many people sitting on both sides of the command center. Ling Lan looked at them carefully with squinted eyes, and realized they were regiment commanders from the various mecha clans.
When they saw Ling Lan arriving, they stood up and greeted her.
"What is happening?" Ling Lan took off her military cap and asked Lin Zhong-qing who came beside her immediately.
Lin Zhong-qing took the cap off her hand and whispered back, "They probably knew that the situation around us is very bad currently, so they came here to discuss the issues with you." Little Four didn't allow anyone to go to 250 Ace Mecha Clan's camp, so these people could only wait for her at the command center.
There was a meeting room at the back of the command center, so Ling Lan asked Lin Zhong-qing to invite those people there first. She would join him after she finished her work.
Besides these regiment commanders, there were around 10 people busy with arranging materials and documents in the command center. Han Jijyun and Li Lanfeng were among these people. Han Jijyun saw Ling Lan so he took a document he had prepared and rushed towards Ling Lan.
"Regiment commander, this is the intel we received so far. The situation is very bad." Han Jijyun passed the document over.
"Continue." Ling Lan took the document and flipped through it. At the same time, she asked Han Jijyun to concisely explain the situation. Little Four had already told her about the condition of the base and the other bases when she was on the way here but she still wanted to know more information.
"Based on the replies from Base 012, 014 and 015, some of the bases around them had already been destroyed. Base 008, 010, 011 situated in front of Base 012 are destroyed. Base 017 and 019 situated on the outer border of Base 014 are also destroyed. Base 016 and 018 situated in front of base 015 are destroyed too." Han Jijyun quickly told Ling Lan the main points.
Ling Lan narrowed her eyes. She passed the document back to Han Jijyun and walked to the front of the 3D map in the middle of the command center. She looked at the position of the fallen bases and wondered what Hailiya wanted to do.
"They want to end this war. They want to use these points to break through our defenses on Planet Haijiao," Ling Lan said coldly.
"Yes. At first, they planned to destroy our base, but luckily, we managed to hold them off. Once Base 013 falls into their hands, Base 012, 014, and 015 will follow closely after." The Hailiyan army would be able to attack these three bases from two different sides once Base 013 falls.
"This is not good." Ling Lan raised the pointer stick and pointed to the bases that had fallen. "Our four bases are the only bases left in this area. This side, this side, and that side belonged to Hailiya now. Our enemy can now attack us in all directions. The only fortunate thing was, we have the three bases to help us fight off the enemy coming from three directions."
Han Jijyun thought about this too. That was why he said that they were in a bad situation at the start.
After Ling Lan finished speaking, she looked passed the area where Base 013 was located at. She stared at the middle and western parts of the map with a stern facial expression. She pointed at one empty spot. "That is not the worst thing. I'm also worried that all the other areas are facing the same circumstances." If that's the case, they would be in danger.
Han Jijyun narrowed his eyes. What Ling Lan said was possible. If that was true, they would inevitably die. All the bases that survived this first round of attack, including them, were going to be destroyed soon.
Han Jijyun was in deep thought as his mind worked furiously. He was too optimistic just now. He needed to plan based on the worst-case scenario.
"Base 012, 014, and 015 can't be under independent command anymore," Han Jijyun said sternly. They couldn't afford to lose anyone now. Those bases not being under their control might not be a huge problem in the past but now, it was not a risk they could take.
"We must gather them to form a large base that is able to attack and defend properly." A clear voice sounded behind Ling Lan. It belonged to Li Lanfeng. He too had a document in his hand. He wanted to pass this document to Ling Lan but when he heard what they were discussing, he just decided to just give his suggestion on the matter.
"You noticed it too?" Han Jijyun asked in frustration.
"Based on the strength of the three bases, they are not stronger than those bases that got destroyed. They might even be weaker than them. This proves that our opponents didn't choose who to attack based on the strength of the base. I took a look at those bases that got destroyed." Li Lanfeng pointed to the bases on the map. "First, they split the bases into segmented areas. Then, they would choose the weakest base among the bases in that area. After that, they would send two times the number of mecha operators than what the base has to attack the designated base, and the leftover mecha operators would be tasked to hold the mecha operators from the other bases back. This would prevent the other bases from helping the designated base."
"Based on this, we can tell what Hailiya's plan is. They would choose the weakest base to attack and once this base falls, they would then join the mecha operators at the next weakest base and continue their attacks. The difference in power allowed for such situations to occur. All the bases in some areas got annihilated while for others, one or two bases were left behind. However, these bases are now surrounded by enemies on all sides. Without any external help, it will just be a matter of time before they fall into our enemy's hand." Li Lanfeng told everyone his observation.
"The bases around us are also in this kind of situation. I don't believe that the bases in other areas are totally undamaged." Li Lanfeng looked at Ling Lan. "Plus, regiment commander told us that there is a strong mecha clan attacking us. The mecha operators in this mecha clans are all elite ace and above. Their regiment commander is an imperial operator but he suppressed his ability and used an ace mecha, hoping to use this method to fool everyone. This kind of mecha clan should be an elite ace mecha clan of the country. They wouldn't appear on a small battlefield." Li Lanfeng was serious. "Hailiya had been planning for this battle for a long time for them to send an imperial operator to attack a small base like us. This meant that they have probably sent imperial operators to attack the other bases too. There might even be more imperial operators sent to the other bases."
If 250 Ace Mecha Clan hadn't come to Base 013 and Ling Lan was not an imperial operator, this base would have fallen just like the other bases.
"Are you saying that the bases in the other areas had probably been destroyed?" Han Jijyun knew Li Lanfeng was right but he just couldn't accept this fact.
Li Lanfeng said firmly, "Not probably. They must have been destroyed already. The Federation was not prepared for this battle, so we never had any chance to turn the tides around."
"Thus, we can only plan our actions based on the assumption that our four bases are the only survivors of this battle." Li Lanfeng wouldn't place his hopes on uncertain things.
"Are you making plans in the case that we need to survive for a month while waiting for reinforcements from the Federation?" Han Jijyun was good with schemes too but he was less pessimistic than Li Lanfeng. When he heard what Li Lanfeng said, he understood why Li Lanfeng did what he did.
"One month is enough for the Federation to break through Hailiya's blockade. Our hardest mission is to survive this one month." Li Lanfeng frowned. "As time goes by, the danger around us will get greater." Li Lanfeng hoped that he was just being too pessimistic. The longer other bases stood their ground, the longer they would be safer.
"One month…" Han Jijyun muttered to himself. If the other bases all survived, it wouldn't be hard for them to survive this one month. However, If Li Lanfeng was right and only the four bases survived, they might not even be able to last a single day longer.
Ling Lan listened to the conversation between Li Lanfeng and Han Jijyun while talking to Little Four in her mindscape. Little Four was already controlling the other three bases in the area. The moment Li Lanfeng explained Hailiya's plan, she asked Little Four to control the other three bases' mainframes. If the commanding officers of the other three bases had the foresight and ability, Ling Lan was willing to work with them. She would reveal her trump card, Little Four. But, if she met another commanding officer like Du Mingyi, she would let this commanding officer accompany Du Mingyi.
Ling Lan was not working alone now. She was responsible for the life of everyone in Base 013. She couldn't afford to be hesitant or soft-hearted. This was who Ling Lan was. When she should be vicious, she would be vicious.
"Jijyun, contact the commanding officers of Base 012, 014, and 015. I want to have a video conference with them in five minutes." Ling Lan made her decision so she quickly gave an order to Han Jijyun.
"Yes, regiment commander." Han Jijyun received the order and went to carry it out.
"Lanfeng, thank you," Ling Lan turned and said to Li Lanfeng.
"Why are you thanking me?" Li Lanfeng raised his eyebrows.
"Han Jijyun is an optimistic person. He always thinks on the bright side. It's fine most of the time but on the battlefield… this trait is his weakness." Ling Lan grew up with her friends so she knew what all their weaknesses were.
"Actually, that's not a bad thing. It's better than being too pessimistic like me." Li Lanfeng mocked himself. "However, as an adviser, I must think about the worst-case scenario. If not, there would be loopholes in the plans. I just want him to know this. Even if he couldn't accept it, he mustn't forget this point."
"Since you know it, why don't you self-reflect?" Ling Lan asked him back.
Li Lanfeng was stunned. 'Weren't we talking about Han Jijyun? When did I become the main character?'
"Since you know that you are pessimistic, why not try to think in an optimistic direction?" Ling Lan patted Li Lanfeng's shoulder and said sincerely, "Don't reprimand others but ignore your own flaws." Ling Lan finished speaking and walked towards her office. She was going to wait for Han Jijyun to contact the other three commanding officers for a conference with them.
Li Lanfeng looked at Ling Lan's back thoughtfully? 'Does his Rabbit dislike my pessimistic side?'
At Hailiya's side, a badly injured He'er Li laid on a bed. He looked worse for wear. Luckily, his cockpit was specially designed for top-tier mecha operators. If not, those three shots would have blasted his cockpit opened, killing him instantly.
A few officers just stood beside his bed. One of them was recording He'er Li's accounts of what he saw with his communicator.
"Senior Colonel He'er Li, please confirm what you said is true." The person aimed his communicator at He'er Li.
He'er Li said coldly, "Yes, I confirmed what I said is true."
"Thank you for your cooperation. Senior Colonel He'er Li, have a good rest." The officers left. A few moments after he left, the door of He'er Li's ward opened again.
"Hey, He'er Li. I didn't expect you to fail your mission. I'm in disbelief." A frivolous voice was heard.
He'er Li looked up, and upon seeing what he saw, veins started popping up on his forehead. "Mo Li'er, what are you doing here?"
"I came to look at my old friend. Why are you looking so lonely?" Mo Li'er's words were infuriating. He'er Li almost died from anger.
He'er Li kept a stern face. He didn't want to talk to this person.
"Everyone from God-Killers succeeded in their missions except for you. They want me to ask you what had happened on your end." Mo Li'er retracted his irritating expression and turned serious.
He'er Li kept silent for a few seconds. "There is an imperial operator in Base 013."
"An imperial operator?" Mo Li'er was dumbfounded. "Didn't they say that Base 013 is the weakest base on the frontline?" This was why they sent the weakest person among them, He'er Li, there.
"We were fooled. Not only do they have an imperial operator, they also have more than a hundred elite ace." He'er Li told Mo Li'er everything he knew. He didn't even tell the officer some of this information.
"Base 013 is an interesting base." Mo Li'er touched his chin and smiled.
He'er Li said coldly, "Base 013 is my mission. I'll take care of them." This was his pride as an imperial operator. If he didn't go back and finish his mission, he wouldn't have the face to go back to God-Killers anymore.
"Then, you should recuperate quickly and come back as soon as possible. We only have one month. After we destroy all the other bases and Base 013 is still there, I'm sorry, even if you haven't healed by then, we will take care of it." Mo Li'er shrugged. He didn't care about this but his superiors told him that they must take over Planet Haijiao in one month. If He'er Li wasn't ready for battle then, they would have to help him destroy this base that humiliated the God-Killers' reputation.
"Don't worry, I'll be on time," He'er Li replied indifferently.
"I hope so. Since I know the truth, I'll go back now." Mo Li'er disappeared.
"013, I will personally take revenge for this humiliation you gave me." He'er Li grabbed the bedsheet tightly. He didn't want to see the doubting gazes by anyone else anymore. It was as though his imperial status was fake.
Chapter 864 - Conference Meeting Of The Commanding Officers
Luckily, the commanding officers of Base 012, 014, and 015 were all capable people with foresight. They knew what their main problem was now. They were unable to survive on their own until reinforcements come, so they must work together with the bases nearby. After the end of the conference, Ling Lan made a pact with the three commanding officers, that they would work together and follow a single command.
Ling Lan quickly went to another meeting room after that and communicated what she had discussed to the regiment commanders of the base. She told them about their dire situation and how they might be at the brink of death already. Thus after hearing that, the various mecha clans decided to put down their grudges with each other and cooperate with Ling Lan to prepare for the next battle. Everyone knew that if their base was to be taken over by the Hailiyan army, they would either die in battle or become fugitives. The choice between the two was rather easy, as the Federation had always taught them that it's better to have a glorious death than live shamefully.
No matter how much power they had, they needed to be alive to enjoy it.
Thus, the four bases managed to survive the first week after losing communication with the Federation. There were multiple small skirmishes all throughout the day and a huge battle would occur at an interval of three days. However, just like what Ling Lan had expected, the situation was getting worse and worse for them. Little Four superimposed the signals of the four bases together to lengthen their reach. He scanned a radius of a hundred kilometers from their base and realized that in the entire east side, almost 99% of the bases were destroyed.
Ling Lan ordered Little Four to send the news that there were still four intact bases from the Federation to the entire east side. She wanted to give those mecha operators whose bases were destroyed but managed to stay alive some hope. She wanted Base 013 to become Utopia of these soldiers. These people might just die on their way to Base 013 but having hope was better than living in despair. She just wished that they wouldn't act rashly. They should hide and wait for this darkest moment to be over.
At this moment, at the military headquarters of the Huaxia Federation, the people there couldn't withstand the pressure from the various divisions and the questioning from the government anymore, so they decided to have a video conference with the 23 generals of the 23 divisions.
"Ah Wei, hurry up…" There was a short-haired and well-dressed lady attending the video conference too. She was a news reporter from Internal Military Newspaper, and her name was Wen Qilian. She was an opportunistic person, as ever since she knew that her news agency had a pass to the video conference of the 23 generals, she used all kinds of methods before she finally got this opportunity to attend the conference.
She waved at her assistant and asked him to hurry up. She entered the conference hall at the military headquarters agitatedly. There were already many people in the conference hall. They were all from various news agencies under the military. They would watch the meeting and choose some information to display to the public. This was what the military always did. Anyone that came to attend this conference had their backgrounds checked. They were all soldiers. Yes, although there were reporters, they were qualified soldiers too.
Wen Qilian felt frustrated when she saw that she was a little late. She brought her assistant, Ah Wei, and squeezed through the crowd. The people around her were quite angry at the fact that someone was poking her waist and pushing them aside, but when they saw that she was a lady, they controlled their anger and unwillingly gave some space for her.
Finally, Wen Qilian came to the front of the crowd, and there was a huge screen in front of her. To prevent the reporters from coming too close, sturdy barriers were placed in front of the screen. Fully armed soldiers stood behind the barriers and just looked at them intimidatingly. They were there to remind the reporters to follow orders.
Wen Qilian looked around her and realized most of the people sitting at the very front were ladies. It seemed like the men didn't want to fight with them.
"General Ling Xiao will attend this conference, right?" Wen Qilian suddenly heard a lady speaking in a dreamy tone.
Wen Qilian cheeks twitched uncontrollably. This was a meeting with the generals of the various divisions so General Ling Xiao would definitely attend it. Which news agency sent such an insensible reporter? Although General Ling Xiao was the most handsome and gentle general of the Federation, they shouldn't just stare at him all the time. Plus, this conference would affect the life and death of all the soldiers on Planet Haijiao. How could the lady just have her attention on General Ling Xiao?
Wen Qilian would not admit that she fought so hard for this chance so that she was able to see General Ling Xiao too. After all, it was a rare opportunity to see this kind of close up video.
"All reporters, please turn off your communicators. From this moment onwards, you are only allowed to take photos. No recording, videotaping, and no other methods to record sounds or images are allowed." The rules of this conference were repeated through the speakers in the conference hall. Wen Qilian and the other reporters obediently turned off their communicators. The reporters who came to attend this very exclusive military conference were mostly experienced reporters, so they knew what to do.
One minute later, lasers appeared in the conference hall. They were used to check if the reporters followed the regulations.
Suddenly, the beeping of an alarm was heard and five fully armed soldiers rushed into the crowd to drag a reporter away. Wen Qilian looked at the dragged reporter with disdain. There were always people who wanted to have exclusive content in their articles so they would try to break the rules. The news agency which this reporter worked at would soon be questioned by the military. They might not be able to get any pass to such events in the future.
The inspection lasted for five minutes. No problems were found. Wen Qilian and the other reporters waited patiently for the conference to start.
"Time's up," someone shouted and the grey screen in front of them lit up. The various generals appeared on the screen. The screen was split into three rows. There were nine cubicles in each row. The three marshals appeared on the top row right in the middle. In the middle of the second row, the representative from the military was there.
"Ah! General Ling Xiao!" Ling Xiao appeared in the third row. His gentle aura was gone, revealing the stern and serious side of Ling Xiao. The moment he appeared, all the female reporters exclaimed in a low voice.
"Ah! Isn't that the General of the 13th division, Lieutenant General Qi Yaoyang?" Qi Yaoyang appeared in the 7th cubicles on the second row. He managed to catch the attention of many reporters since he was seated between 70-year-old men.
"Finally, a treat for the eyes." The reporters got tired of looking at the same faces over and over again. Hence, the appearance of Ling Xiao and Qi Yaoyang lightened everyone's mood up.
"I officially announce the start of the conference." The First Marshal appeared in the middle of the first row, announcing the start of the conference.