Chapter 50: The Return of the E37 Sturgeon

It wasn't uncommon for the base security team to undertake external operations.

However, this time, it was a little different from Tian Xiao's original plans.

Not only had he recently been promoted to Deputy Leader of the Base Security Team, surpassing Chen Wuling, Old Lu, and the others, but he was now about to lead a team on an external mission…

It was happening fast.

He hadn't quite prepared himself for a combat mission yet.

Base duties were relatively easy and safe, with little risk involved. However, external operations…

That was another story.

They were dispatching a small investigative team simply because of intelligence gathered from the Galaxy Gale Group. The goal was to obtain items that were difficult for them to transport—after all, Feiying Corporation was far from wealthy and needed resources and funds to fuel its development in every aspect.

The mission could go smoothly.

Or, anything could happen.

Tian Xiao wasn't lacking in courage.

The real issue, however, was that with Wu Hao, Tie Xiong, and Zhao Jia—the three formidable experts—missing, and Luo Fei needing to stay behind to oversee base operations, who could he take with him on this mission?

It was a headache.

But there was no denying it.

Luo Fei had good intentions, hoping to give Tian Xiao an opportunity to extract some profit from the Galaxy Gale Group's stronghold as a form of "payback" for his generous reward package.

Two days quickly passed.

The meteorite crater had been completely excavated, and all the miners were back to their normal routines. Meanwhile, the security team members rotated their shifts without incident.

During this time, Zhu Xiaotian had visited the training grounds on the 15th floor every day, seeking guidance from Tian Xiao on methods to improve muscle strength and agility.

Tian Xiao didn't refuse. He allowed Zhu Xiaotian to train alongside him.

Although Zhu Xiaotian lacked the assistance of pancreatic supplements, simply adapting to the extreme military training regimen would yield significant improvements.

Zhu Xiaotian was a quick learner. In just two days, his physical condition had improved by two units.

This brought some comfort to Tian Xiao.

After all, Zhu Xiaotian had managed to unleash the same tenacity he'd shown during his time in Earth's military. His future accomplishments would surely rival that of a battalion commander.

"Master."

"According to feedback from the company's headquarters, the investigative team's transport ship, the E37 Sturgeon, will reach low Earth orbit in half an hour."

Tian Xiao was resting on the 12th floor when Qinglong's voice came through, informing him: "The Sturgeon's captain has stated they will not land for now. They request that you lead the security team to rendezvous at low Earth orbit, after which the Sturgeon will head directly to the Galaxy Gale Group's stronghold."

"I understand."

Tian Xiao stood up, donned his combat suit, and instructed Qinglong to notify the entire second team and the first team led by Chen Wuling.

This operation would involve the first and second teams of the security team, a total of ten personnel.

Although Tian Xiao was now the Deputy Leader, he still served as the captain of the second team.

One minute later, Tian Xiao piloted the modified No. 2 Bluebird, appearing above the base.

Three minutes later, the other nine Bluebirds had taken position.

"First team, all present!"

"Second team, all present!"

Chen Wuling and Zhu Xiaotian reported.

Tian Xiao, as expected, assumed control, forming the Bluebirds into a squadron. His serious yet handsome face appeared on everyone's main screen.

"Proceed as planned."

"Let's go!"

One modified Bluebird and nine Bluebirds took off in a triangular formation, quickly ascending and breaking through the atmosphere into low Earth orbit.

Beep! Beep! Beep…

The signal from the Sturgeon ship began to emerge from deep space.

Soon, the Sturgeon, a ship over three hundred meters long, appeared from the darkness.

The Sturgeon was smaller than the Feiying No. 3, but it was still more powerful than the main ship of the Galaxy Gale Group. Its bow featured a row of main cannons with a caliber exceeding 300 millimeters, flanked by two close-in defense guns. The sides and rear of the ship were similarly equipped with a combination of main cannons and close-in defense weapons, giving it a formidable appearance.

On both sides of the Sturgeon were no fewer than eighty large-caliber guns, with hundreds of smaller-caliber gun positions. Between the gun positions, eight airlocks were hidden behind thick armor.

At the sight of this, the members of the security team in the formation were deeply shocked:

"F-level close-in defense guns with a firing rate of over thirty thousand rounds per minute!"

"That's an E-class main cannon!"

"The headquarters actually sent an E-class attack ship!"

"Impressive!"

Everyone was stunned.

Even Chen Wuling, who had seen many ships in his time, couldn't hide his awe. It was the first time he had participated in a mission involving an attack ship, and his rookie-like excitement was evident to all.

The only one who remained unfazed was Deputy Leader Tian Xiao.

As the side door of the Sturgeon opened, Tian Xiao guided the squadron to change formation and entered the ship in a single file.

Inside the Sturgeon, twenty Bluebirds and three shuttle-like spacecraft were quietly positioned on the spacious opposite side of the hangar.

Upon seeing this, Tian Xiao instinctively took control, directing the ten Bluebirds to line up on the left side.

"Everyone, stand by."

Tian Xiao gave the order.

His expression remained calm, contrasting sharply with the excited whispers of the others.

The group was utterly stunned.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Chen Wuling finally spoke:

"Tian Xiao, have you been on the Sturgeon before?"

"No."

Tian Xiao replied:

"I did some research on the Sturgeon's specifications before coming here."

"That explains it."

Everyone was relieved.

The door closed.

A voice and image transmitted to Bluebird No. 02:

"Tian Xiao, long time no see, I trust you're well."

"Captain Zhang."

Tian Xiao immediately recognized the voice, quickly standing and saluting.

"I heard from Old Luo that it was thanks to your recommendation that I got the opportunity to serve as Deputy Leader of the Base Security Team."

Captain Zhang Lian smiled and returned the gesture:

"Tian Xiao, you're a capable and talented person. Even without my recommendation, it was only a matter of time before you rose through the ranks. Besides, I'm not one to hold debts. We all remember when you single-handedly saved Feiying No. 3."

After a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

Zhang Lian spoke:

"You've seen it—this operation was largely arranged by me. Based on the intel from the Galaxy Gale Group's black box, we know that their stronghold is lightly defended, with only a small number of armed personnel. However, there are three relatively intact F-class ships and various goods."

"..."

Tian Xiao was slightly taken aback.

The intel from the black box was massive and complex. Despite Qinglong's computational power, it had only managed to analyze a fraction of the data so far. However, it seemed that the Feiying No. 3's chip analysis capabilities were far superior, as they had cracked the entire content.

Even the most basic of F-class ships would be worth hundreds of millions, making the operation worth the risk.

Note:

Writing this with a few dollars of income per day, it's tough to make ends meet. Would anyone be willing to support me?

Even the power of love won't fill my stomach~