Counterfeit Hero Chapter 38

Zhou Zhi Sen shook his head, saying, "Not yet! But this no longer that important. We have just received information that the enemy's newly assembled space fleets have started to attack our fleets. The aircraft carrier battle group that was supporting the ground battles had been forced to leave the battle and regroup with our fleets. As the enemy took full advantage of this gap period to attack with their fighter aircrafts while simultaneously regrouping, they managed to take over Banfoli Mountain Pass and threaten the logistic channel to our rear. Forward command has given orders for all soldiers to return. If no accidents happen, then the war will return to its original stalemate condition, as both sides are currently occupying parts of each other's combat routes. I feel reluctant to say this, but it seems that a huge battle will be erupting soon. Oh yes, the soldiers who occupied the Banfoli Mountain Pass are from the Myth Legion. We have one aviation battalion and two divisions' worth of military power defending against their advance. However, despite this, it was all futile. Judging from the enemy's reactions, regardless of how we see this, your deductions are all accurate."

Seeing Tian Xing Jian's tense frown, Zhou Zhi Sen laughed. "Fortunately, we have at least ignited this bomb, preventing them from blowing it up in our key positions. Right now, it only resulted in us receiving some injuries on our limbs, so I can say it's a victory for us. At the very least, the divisions moving out will not face the danger of being isolated."

Tian Xing Jian frowned as he contemplated for a moment. "I have always felt that deductions are not holistic and the enemy could always take a backdoor or a short-cut. Now that it has happened, I had not considered that the enemy would have long ago driven the battle to this point. Even if their plan failed, they can still take the advantage against the Federation."

Zhou Zhi Sen had a habit of waving his hand as he laughingly said, "You are merely a vice company commander of the special scouts company. It's truly praiseworthy for you to reach this standard. If we had not seen your deduction at the last minute, the Federation might have even incurred an unexpected loss. Furthermore, your opponent has experience that is much richer than yours by a thousand times. Very soon, you will be in contact with him. This time, regardless of how we see it, you are considered to be a true hero of the Federation and should be awarded and protected. It is not appropriate for you to go to the front lines anymore. The forward command has decided to assign you to the combat planning team as a staff officer. These two staff officers came especially to bring you back to Jialipalan."

Seated by Tian Xing Jian, the colonel staff officer took out an appointment letter with a smile. "This is my very first official meeting with you. I am from the combat division and the director of the 2nd Research Unit, Compton. First Lieutenant Tian, we'll be work partners in the future. Welcome."

Fatty shook his hand blankly. After receiving the appointment letter, he opened it and took a look. What was written inside was very simple: Appointed under the direct subordinate to Aviation Squadron 16th Armored Division, First Lieutenant Tian Xing Jian of the Special Scouts Battalion will be assigned to the Miracolo Ground Resistance Army, subordinate to the Forward Command Department, Combat Planning Division as a staff officer. His previous assignment will immediately be terminated. Behind the letter was stamped with the sigil of forward command along with the current date.

Fatty flipped through the appointment letter a few times. Not even a month had passed since he was assigned to the special scouts company and had gone out on a mission, yet he has already been reassigned to the combat department to become a staff officer. This was truly bizarre.

He pondered in his heart, "Previously, after becoming a hero, I was assigned to the front lines under the glorified pretense of imparting my experiences to others. I've almost died from this mission, and now that I've became a hero, I'll be assigned back there again. By tossing me here and there, what do they think this father is? An omnipotent god? Saying that I should be protected is merely for the fact that they are afraid there would be a hiccup with their new hero, causing a stain on the media. I wonder... if I become a hero in the future, where will I be assigned then? With the pretense of telling me that I am a hero, that I should naturally sacrifice my life for the Federation and all the citizens watching, despite the dangers, they would tell me 'you will be going there'!"

The probability of such a thing happening is quite huge. With his self-declared superhuman logical thinking, Fatty immediately made a decision—he would henceforth pretend to be dead, so that he could no longer become a hero. Whoever loved this hero would have this hero assigned to their division. Whatever the reason, it seemed that this fatty would be retiring in the combat department.

At the moment when he left, Fatty used an extremely earnest expression to ask for a request from Division Commander Zhou Zhi Shen—he did not want to participate in any media-related activities and also requested for the forward command department to consider keeping his name a secret. It was fine even if he did not receive any rewards for his effort. The reason he gave was that he did not want to become a hero, and neither did he want to become a target which the journalists chased after; everything he had done was simply his responsibility as a soldier for the Federation.

Zhou Zhi Sen had a puzzled expression as he looked at Fatty. He was baffled and pleased at the same time with the requests. "If required, cooperating with the media is also part of your mission. However, since you have explicitly requested for this, I'll tell that to the forward command." Laughing, he patted Fatty's shoulders. "Very good! It seems that you truly understand the culture of the east. Succeeding yet not returning, becoming a husband but not bounded to home. Where it is is where you will go [1]."

This wretched person, who was not cultured, walked out the door with a fog in his mind regarding the last sentence. What success? Go where? [2]

As the opposing fleets were having an intense battle outside Miracolo Planet, the medium-sized transport ships had no way of leaving the atmospheric layer. Instead, under the protection of the fighter aircrafts, they proceeded through the recently-opened air channel, all the way until they reached Cato City's military airport.

The highest Supreme Headquarters and the President's Office would of course not forgo this perfect opportunity to spread propaganda. They held an enthusiastic and touching welcome ceremony, causing almost all the journalists on Miracolo Planet to start acting. The military had even used their website to advertise this ceremony organized by the Federation.

Fatty, who had slipped away through the safeguarded door of the transport ship, did not see the scene of the citizens welcoming them. He was currently looking at the Federation's 《Freedom Newspaper》, which had an article:

When Colonel Peter, the highest ranked soldier among the group of prisoners-of-war and the first person to exit from the transport ship's entrance, walked out, the crowd roared out with cheers that reverberated in the universe. They were in tears as they shouted out the names of people they knew amongst the Federation soldiers who were captured. The entire scene was truly very emotional.

On the makeshift information panel was the relevant information of all the soldiers that were rescued. Every single one of the soldiers that appeared at the ship's entrance would receive a cheer as if they were heroes that returned.

That's right, they were truly the heroes of the Federation! These Federation soldiers had fought for Miracolo Planet, for the freedom of the Federation, and for the glory of their nation!

They truly deserved to be called heroes!

Standing in a phalanx formation, the friends of the returning soldiers stood there quietly. As strong as they were, most of them had their eyes turn red from the scene.

They said to the journalists how they lived for the honor of the nation and how proud they were of the Federation Army for doing their best to rescue the prisoners-of-war. They believed that the Federation would never abandon any of the children she loved. Likewise, the soldiers and officers of the Federation would protect them till the very end.

Tian Xing Jian sighed before placing down the newspaper. Looking outside the windows of the transport ship flying towards Jialipalan, he was lost in thought.

To the Federation, saving these prisoners-of-war, who had been used as test experiments successfully, was more important than winning a large battle. To this nation, treasuring all lives and freedom was one of their most important traditions. The majority of the citizens loved peace and treasured life; they respected every person by their sides.

Tian Xing Jian seemingly saw that face of Ali, who tried his best to garner his favor—the dazed face that became pale and numb following the sound of a gunshot.

Resounding by his ears was the voice of Thoriko: Even if we die, we must never let this damned nation become our conqueror!

[1] Kind of having a meaning of not letting success get into one's head, nor claiming the credits for it. Instead, one just treated it indifferently and continued on with his journey of life.

[2] He had not really understood the idiom given from previously.

Chapter end