Chapter 31: Won't Lie to You

Meanwhile, the four arrived at Gate 1, a space primarily designated for physical and combat training. Pushing the door open, Shen Feiyan's keen eyes immediately spotted someone standing before the sparring android, repeatedly glancing towards the entrance.

"Little Wen isn't joining us?" Rong Qiu cast a quick glance at the person and scoffed, feeling even more disinterested.

Lu Sien shook his head earnestly, explaining, "The intensity of your training isn't suitable for him."

Rong Qiu: "Bullshit, who are you looking down on? Don't underestimate Wen Qi just because he's good-tempered. He's one of ours from logistics—his stamina is no worse than ours!"

Lu Sien raised an eyebrow with a smile, then nodded seriously and replied, "Yes, you make a very good point."

"Who are you looking down on now? Damn alpha..."

Lu Sien led the group to the person who had been waiting for some time, raising a hand to introduce him: "This is Song Can, who will be training with us. As soon as possible..."

"Where's Wen Qi?" Song Can interrupted Lu Sien, his teeth gritted in impatience. "I only stayed in this damn place because you said Wen Qi would be here too!"

Lu Sien's narrowed eyes opened slightly, a flicker of coldness passing through them.

"Wen Qi's combat level far exceeds everyone else's, so Captain Ji is arranging his training."

Lu Sien guided the group a few steps back, then turned to look at Song Can, who remained in place, his face contorted with rage.

Lu Sien: "Any other questions?"

Song Can: "Ji Yaoming... Ji Yaoming again! Why does it always have to be him?!"

He spun around and threw a furious punch, causing the android to tremble slightly. Song Can turned back, ripped off his training uniform, and slammed it onto the floor. "You're all liars! I'm done... I'll find him myself!"

Bzzzt————

Lu Sien raised an arm to restrain the trainees who were about to cry out in surprise. Watching the android slowly tilt its neck, he patiently explained, "Now for the first lesson: never strike an android with heavy force."

Hearing this, Song Can, who had been walking away in baffled disbelief just a second ago, suddenly found his arms locked! A gust of wind whistled past, and his neck tightened—

After a dizzying spin, he was slammed hard onto the ground!

"Congratulations, you've triggered its protection mechanism: 'Invincible Scissor Legs'." Lu Sien didn't forget to emphasize, "So, you must never let your guard down during training."

"Next, we should theoretically head to the firing range, but you've already been there before."

"Captain Lu, I've had a question for a while now." Jiang Liangping spoke up as soon as guns were mentioned.

"From what I understand, pheromone-based attacks are used when fighting Alien Species. But we betas don't have pheromones. Wouldn't weapons be useless against Alien Species then?"

Lu Sien: "No need to worry about that. While weapons like swords haven't yet been developed for beta use, firearms are different. Their bullets are specially made, containing compressed pheromones. Moreover, the guns are equipped with Crystal Sources that can absorb pheromones from those nearby. It's not as effective as direct injection, but it's more than enough for the guns."

Inside the black door, roars erupted.

The Alien Species stomped through sticky blood underfoot, using all their strength to swing their limbs at the two figures darting swiftly among their ranks.

"Screech—"

Two flashes of light sliced through the air, instantly severing those limbs. They clattered to the ground, mercilessly trampled underfoot. Ji Yaoming looked up at the floating screen showing their tied kill counts, then scanned the area for his evenly matched opponent.

"Boom—"

A blue light shot past, stirring his hair as a massive crash echoed. Ji Yaoming followed the sound. The person carrying the sniper rifle had, at some point, climbed onto the cage-like structural platform of the roof, kneeling on one knee, tilting his head expressionlessly yet landing every shot with deadly accuracy.

Even now, the highest record holder for Hylaite Combat Marksmanship practical exams was the person before him.

"Officer Ji, please stay focused during combat. Winning like that wouldn't be honorable—I'll pass on the bet."

The voice over the comm crackled. Ji Yaoming chuckled softly, twirling the knife in his right hand twice before thrusting it backward without even looking! He pulled it out mercilessly, black blood spraying and staining most of his body.

"Don't worry, I will win."

Wen Qi smiled in understanding. In an instant, four or five tentacles merged into a cluster and slashed toward him. Wen Qi's eyes glazed over for a moment before he rolled backward, weapon in hand, dodging steadily. Without hesitation, he fired, piercing through the layers of limbs and shattering the core.

"Attention: three Alien Species remain on the battlefield. The area must be completely cleared out before exit. All soldiers, remain vigilant."

The two looked up simultaneously at the large screen, which showed both their scores at 498. Wen Qi jumped down from the platform, meeting the alpha's gaze.

A moment later, he raised his gun toward Ji Yaoming.

"I forgot to ask—if I win, what reward should I ask for?" Ji Yaoming similarly raised his knife toward Wen Qi, his gaze dropping to meet Wen Qi's lifted eyes.

"Captain Ji, feel free to ask. As long as it's something I know," Wen Qi replied with his usual gentle smile, "and as long as it's within my ability."

Ji Yaoming closed his eyes briefly and chuckled. The next moment, he mercilessly hurled his knife.

"Bang—" "Sizzle—"

The knife flew from his hand, the bullet trajectory sliced through the air, and simultaneously, screams erupted behind both of them.

The countdown on the screen finally reached 1.

Wen Qi adjusted his aim toward the last giant Alien Species, lining up the sights. He had never been more focused than now, and he steadily squeezed the trigger.

Suddenly, a flash streaked across as Ji Yaoming shot forward like an arrow, sprang up into the air and spun around with knife reversed, poised to strike the Alien Species' abdomen.

In the space of a breath, the bullet and the blade pierced the Alien Species simultaneously...

The training ground, littered with corpses, finally fell silent. The deafening roars were gone, leaving only the sound of their heavy breathing.

"Training concluded. Total duration: 10 hours, 27 minutes."

Wen Qi thought to himself, so much time had already passed.

"Calculating results... Calculation complete. The top performer of this training session is..."

Both waited quietly for the announcement, but Ji Yaoming's comm bracelet vibrated wildly.

He glanced at Wen Qi, who smiled and gestured for him to go ahead.

"Trust me, I won't lie to you."

Ji Yaoming said nothing, only glanced at the person struggling to steady his breathing before leaving his access card with him and exiting. As he walked toward the office, answering the call, he passed through crowded hallways where people instinctively made way—

They had to; he was covered in black blood, with barely a clean spot on his face.

Ji Yaoming: "What is it?"

Lu Sien's voice came through the comm: "Sorry to interrupt your special training, but there's an emergency meeting about the Alien Species outbreak in two months. The generals and the marshal are already here."

"Understood. Buy me a minute."

A minute later, Ji Yaoming sat refreshed at the virtual conference table. Aside from a slight flush on his cheeks, there was no sign he had just undergone over ten hours of training.

"Hmph," the blond, bearded man at Table 2 rapped the table, "No basic sense of timing whatsoever. How are we supposed to fight a war like this?"

"Yes, General Huaide, having just finished his rare morning tea delivered fresh today from his lavishly decorated office's tea room, must have been able to sit here bright and early."

Another man at Table 5, burly, which made his smile seem somewhat threatening, smiled toward Table 2.

"Well, General Freanord... You don't always have to stick up for him. I know plenty about you and him."

"Enough."

The gray-haired, keen-eyed man at Table 1 spoke up: "This meeting isn't for your bickering." He then turned to Lieutenant Colonel Ji Yaoming. "Lieutenant Colonel Ji, this is unexpected. Just moments ago, headquarters received notification. Data analysis indicates the Alien Wave originally predicted to erupt in two months has been pushed forward. The reason for the early maturation of the mother organism is still under investigation. Headquarters requires you to immediately revise the battle plan and submit it."

As soon as he spoke, the gazes of all the generals focused on him, and Ji Yaoming didn't even bat an eye under the scrutiny of more than a dozen battle-hardened eyes.

"The importance headquarters places on this operation is something you understand better than I do," the Marshal added. "I've always had just one requirement for your First Unit: do not let the tragedy of last time repeat itself."

Ji Yaoming: "Understood."

The last major Alien Wave not only led to a massive reshuffle within headquarters but also cost numerous lives in Fierkebai, resulting in heavy losses.

"When exactly has headquarters detected the operation has been pushed forward?"

Marshal: "One month from now."

"I will report after revising the battle plan."

"Good." The Marshal, who had been tense from the start, finally relaxed slightly. "Does anyone else have questions? It's rare to have such a full meeting."

Everyone seemed to agree. Although, based on the information Ji Yaoming had gathered, any two of them could start a fight, they still began chiming in with their opinions.

"What about you, Ji Yaoming? Do you have anything to add?"

The Marshal asked him, and Ji Yaoming actually nodded.

He addressed General Huaide at Table 2: "General Huaide, two months ago, I submitted to headquarters an application form for posthumous recognitions for soldiers, along with supporting evidence. It was rejected two weeks ago."

Huaide's face darkened. Ji Yaoming continued calmly, "I've been racking my brain over it for days. I'd like to know if there was any issue with the materials?"

All eyes turned to Huaide, who said, "The application form you provided—"

"I've seen it," Freanord cut him off. "The materials are fine, and the application is clear and concise."

Huaide: "What do you know!"

"Of course I do, because I signed it."

As soon as he said this, the meeting room went quiet.

Headquarters had a standing rule: for major applications to be approved, they required the signatures of six generals and the Marshal.

"The other generals, due to their remote postings, have received it to varying degrees over the past month, but I haven't received any news. So, I'd like to know if there's any issue with the list of posthumous honors I submitted?"

The Marshal frowned. "Ji Yaoming, you know this isn't something to be approved casually. Are you sure you've thought this through, do you really want to do this? Adding three hundred and seventy-nine posthumous recognitions, do you know what consequences that will bring?"

Ji Yaoming closed his eyes: "That question should be directed at you. I thought this through two years ago."

"And you should have done it two years ago."