Chapter 20

The transport ship landed at the military airport in Kato City. The hatch opened, and Tian Kaiwen jumped out. He was the only passenger. This transport ship was responsible for material supply, loaded with some mecha parts, weapons, and ammunition. Tian Kaiwen's mecha and luggage were also on this ship.

Hundreds of various vessels were floating in the sky above the airport. Most of them were transport ships, and there were also some fighter jets responsible for air surveillance. In the distance, there was a maintenance dock for space vessels. The dock had four berths, with a dense network of I - beam steel frames erected. Four huge warships under repair were quietly suspended in the berths. Thousands of workers, like ants, were rushing to repair these vessels that glistened with black metallic luster.

On the ground, transport vehicles and loading - responsible mechas were shuttling back and forth, transferring the mountain - like materials piled up in the gaping - mouthed transport ships. These materials would be distributed to the front line or other units in urgent need through the federal's huge and efficient logistics department.

Whistles sounded one after another. Hundreds of signalmen in white signal uniforms were waving small triangular flags in red and green in their hands, directing the take - off and landing of vessels and the passage of transport vehicles.

This grand scene shocked Tian Kaiwen. When a country with three star - fields was fully mobilized, the power it unleashed was enormous. This power didn't disappear because of its dormant state during peacetime. When it was threatened, this power would erupt like a volcano, uncontrollable and unstoppable. Even if there was a more powerful force to counter it, the final result would surely be a lose - lose situation.

This power was the power of every federal citizen. Perhaps an individual was just a tiny speck of dust in the vast universe, but when millions of people gathered together and strived for the same goal, this power became immeasurable. And time would allow these people, whose lives were like a flash in the pan in the long river of time, to accumulate the enthusiasm they dedicated. This accumulation had achieved human civilization and conquered the vast universe.

And he himself was also part of it. This existence would eventually be forgotten by people, but it was a never - disappearing wave in the ocean of human civilization. When death truly came, was fear useful?

Since it couldn't be avoided, then facing a magnificent life head - on might be the most correct choice.

Tian Kaiwen didn't know how many people would have the same or similar thoughts when facing war and life - and - death situations, and what choices they would make. However, reality was telling him that these people were fighting, unhesitatingly engaging in a war of national defense where they could lose their lives at any time. Everyone was their own hero.

Perhaps, like him, they were also afraid, afraid of becoming the dust floating in the universe, afraid of becoming the sand blown up by the wind on the ground. But they still held fast to their positions, at all costs.

And he himself had no way back. Was there really nothing in the Federation, the country that had given birth to and raised him, that was worth defending?

What was this thing? Was it the beautiful girl he had secretly loved in his memory looking back with a smile, or the rusty swing from which he had fallen and cried bitterly in his childhood, or the poor mother of the young soldier who had died painfully on TV...

He had escaped enough. Twenty - one escapes over half a year, and he was no longer willing to taste that desperate feeling. Forget about the choice of life and death. This was an unsolvable proposition. Destiny would give the answer in the end. Before that, what he should do was to truly integrate into this great era.

...

Three hours later, the fatty, driving his tattered mecha named "Logic", arrived at the division headquarters of the 16th Marine Division.

This was a military base located in the southwest of Kato City. Anti - detection jammers were spread all around the base. If an aerial satellite took pictures of this place, all it would get was a pitch - black photo.

Tian Kaiwen handed his electronic soldier ID card to the guard standing outside the gate. One minute later, he was allowed to enter the base.

Passing through several rows of guard barracks filled with various standard mechas, this mecha that seemed about to fall apart at any moment attracted the attention of everyone along the way. Many female soldiers covered their mouths and laughed in surprise when they saw this thing.

The fatty remained calm. He deliberately made the mecha walk forward with a difficult gait as if its legs couldn't move. Whenever he saw a beautiful female soldier, he would jump down and leer at her, pretending to ask for directions.

There were at most a hundred meters left to the division - affiliated reconnaissance battalion. The fatty suddenly saw a pretty female soldier with a graceful figure by the roadside. He grinned and went up to her, continuing his trick of asking for directions and striking up a conversation. But this beauty was not as amiable as the previous ones he had met. She had a cold face and looked indifferent.

The fatty thought to himself, "Fine, you're ignoring me, huh? I'll pester you today."

This guy was naturally a rascal, a paragon of lewdness, baseness, and shamelessness. What he liked to do most every day was to look for trouble. His skin was thick, and he was never bored. Except for violent girls like Milan, there was no woman in the world from whom the fatty could get away without taking some advantage.

Moreover, the fatty had always loathed those who looked down on others and thought themselves superior. In his eyes, anyone who put on airs deserved to be knocked down.

The cold - faced female soldier was pestered and badgered by this guy. In the end, she really couldn't avoid it. Gritting her teeth, she carefully drew a map and explained it for a long time. When she looked up and saw that this annoying fatty finally seemed to understand, she was just about to heave a sigh of relief when she heard the fatty ask again, "I still don't understand. How exactly do I get there? Is this really a map you drew?"

Several soldiers watching from the side burst into laughter, thinking and cursing in their hearts that this fatty was really a piece of work.

Seeing that the female soldier was fuming with anger, the fatty then slowly poured cold water on her, saying, "Second Lieutenant, remember to salute when you see a superior officer in the future. I'll let it go this time, and I won't pursue it."

After saying that, he turned around, jumped onto the tattered mecha, and left with a swagger. A thick, black smoke, as if from an antique diesel engine, spewed out from the rear of the mecha, lingering in thick clouds.

This female soldier named Alice had been pampered and arrogant since childhood. She had never seen such a despicable and shameless fatty or been bullied like this. And since her rank was lower than the fatty's, she couldn't hit or scold him. A wave of grievance rushed to her nose, and she almost couldn't hold back her tears. She was both angry and resentful in her heart, thinking, "You dead fatty, I'll never forgive you!"

The news that the fatty had annoyed Alice, the third - most arrogant beauty in the whole division, even before reaching his company, quickly spread throughout the entire camp. Everyone was guessing what kind of background this fatty had. Some soldiers who had been insulted by Alice face - to - face or didn't like her were talking and gloating, while Alice's supporters were indignant and vowed to teach this fatty a lesson for shaming their goddess.

Arriving at the reconnaissance battalion headquarters, the fatty who jumped off the mecha was told by the guard that the battalion commander, Nadal, was holding a wartime intelligence briefing.

After waiting for a short while, the meeting ended. Nadal, tall and thin - faced, came out with a frown. He was going to see what kind of person this second - lieutenant vice - company commander, who was forcefully stuffed here by the front - line headquarters, was.

"Lieutenant Tian Kaiwen, vice - company commander of the 1st Company, Direct Reconnaissance Battalion, 16th Armored Division of the Federal Marine Corps, reporting for duty as ordered. Please give instructions." The fatty's military salute was standard and forceful.

"Damn it, a fatty as a scout, and a cowardly fatty at that." Nadal, who had already learned some information from his friend at the front - line headquarters, tried hard to control his contempt for the fatty in front of him.

"At ease, Lieutenant. Follow me, please." Nadal turned around and led the fatty into the office.

"Have a seat, Lieutenant. There's a chair over there." Nadal pointed with his finger.

"Thank you, sir." The fatty still maintained a standard military posture. When he sat down, his back was straight, his hands were placed on his knees, and his eyes looked straight ahead.

Nadal walked around the desk and sat down in his chair. He took out a cigarette from the cigarette case on the table, put it in his mouth, lit it, took a deep puff, and asked as if to himself, "I heard you were a mechanical maintenance soldier before?"

"Yes, sir." The fatty felt a bit nervous. His keen sixth sense, honed through intense training, indicated that this immediate superior's tone didn't seem very friendly.

"I heard you went through special training? The first special training was for scouts?" Nadal squinted at the fatty through the curling smoke with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Yes, sir." The fatty cursed in his heart, "Damn it, it's clearly written in my file. This guy has to be so sarcastic, saying 'I heard' all the time."

Nadal smiled slightly and still asked unhurriedly, "Since you received special training and your grades seemed to be quite good, how did you end up as a mechanical maintenance soldier?"

"Fuck, I can't tell you that I was afraid of death and didn't want to join the reconnaissance company, can I?" The fatty groaned in his heart, but his mouth didn't stop, "It was purely personal interest, sir."

"Interest?" Nadal fiercely extinguished the half - smoked cigarette in his hand and shouted angrily, "Lieutenant, war doesn't care about everyone's interests. If everyone made choices according to their own interests, I'd be a carpenter right now."

"Finally, he blew up." The fatty wailed in his heart. He jumped up from the chair as if electrocuted, stood at attention, and shouted, "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

The excited Nadal jumped up and roared, "I don't know why the front - line headquarters stuffed you, this fatty, into my unit. I only know that those so - called merits in your file are bullshit. Besides being good at running away with your tail between your legs, I don't think you, with that body of fat, are qualified to come here and lead a company! Fatty, I don't care what you did before, or how proud you are of the achievements you got from playing those childish games in the special training. But I'm telling you, there are no idle people here getting fat. Remember, I'll only say this once. Remember the full name of this battalion. It's not some bullshit reconnaissance battalion. It's the Special Reconnaissance Battalion directly affiliated to the 16th Armored Division of the Marine Corps."

"The only special reconnaissance battalion in the whole Federation! Got it? Get out!"

The fatty fled in a hurry.