The major saw Ling Lan saunter out of the captain's room, while his own captain stood there staring blankly. Without a word, he walked over and nudged his old friend, "What are you zoning out for?"
Senior Colonel Tian Fang smiled wryly and said, "We did not lose randomly."
"Why do you say that?" asked the major curiously.
"Ling Lan is General Ling Xiao's son ..." mumbled Senior Colonel Tian Fang. Earlier, he had actually said he would go teach General Ling Xiao a lesson — this was absolutely a path towards death ...
The major was greatly shocked by the news. "What?!" However, he soon calmed down again. Thinking back on all Ling Lan had done over this period of time, as well as the ruthlessness and determination with which he threatened Tian Fang — this was definitely not something a normal student would be able to do ...He sighed softly and said, "Only General Ling Xiao could raise such an aberrant child ... sure enough, a tiger would never father hounds 1 ." That said, he shared a glance with Senior Colonel Tian Fang, each seeing the excitement and joy in the other's eyes. Knowing that the person they idolised had an inheritor made them extremely glad, and their initial sense of defeat was significantly reduced.
********
By this time, Ling Lan had already arrived at the central control room. The central control room was presently under Han Jijyun's command. Seeing Ling Lan enter the room, Han Jijyun quickly rushed over to ask, "Boss Lan, any instructions?"
"If you all have had your fun, I hope that we'll be able to land properly on the landing frame the next time." Ling Lan's tone was light, as if just here to pass on a comment.
Ling Lan's words made Han Jijyun's face flush red, and he immediately responded, "Understood. Boss Lan, we'll definitely land successfully the next time!"
Just as Ling Lan said, the cadets here under Han Jijyun had indeed gotten caught up in playing. This was because piloting a ship to land accurately was an extremely rare practicum to encounter, so the cadets in the central control room had not wanted to end it so soon. Thus, this had resulted in the ship's multiple failures to land correctly, because the cadets still wanted to try one more time.
Ling Lan and Han Jijyun's conversation was not something Senior Colonel Tian Fang and the major could know of, because Little Four had long screened off this scene from the cameras. Frankly, in the captain's room, Ling Lan too had found the multiple failed attempts at landing objectionable. However, she could not scorn her followers in front of outsiders, which was why she had acted as if she was not at all bothered by it and fooled the other two in the room with her.********
Meanwhile, at this time, within the control tower of the fortress, the air control staff responsible for guiding the 7th Bugle Call could not help but shut off the communication device linked to the ship angrily and growl, "Godd*mmit, what the hell is wrong with the 7th Bugle Call? Are the pilots all drunk off their asses?! Actually failing to land so many times ..." The 7th Bugle Call had never been this troublesome to handle before — one coordinate was all it took for them to land efficiently and end things. When had it ever been necessary for him to roar out coordinates again and again?
"Be a little more patient. Senior Colonel Tian Fang of the 7th Bugle Call is not someone you want to offend. He protects his own the most." A friend beside him, who was also an air control staff, piped up with quiet words of caution.
"I know. Otherwise I wouldn't have turned off the communicator and just scolded them outright already," grumbled the air control staff.
"Alright, you see, the 7th Bugle Call seems to have found the correct position now ..." Another companion inadvertently saw the 7th Bugle Call move and immediately raised his voice to alert him.
"D*mmit, finally! I really was about to be frustrated to death. I have never seen such an incompetent ship pilot — does he actually have a license?" Grumbling to himself, the air control staff once again turned on the communicator and issued the subsequent instructions. Of course, from the moment he turned on the mic, his voice became calm and patient, as if his earlier displeasure was just an illusion.
"Attention, a notification came from the surveillance station, another ship is coming ..." The staff receiving messages in the control tower alerted the free air control staff so that someone could step up to direct the new incoming ship.
"I'll do it!" The first air control staff who had cautioned his companion accepted this assignment. He then connected to the other's comms signal and said, "Hello, I am number 72, an air control staff at Fort Genesis ..."
********
This time, the 7th Bugle Call cleanly and efficiently alighted on the landing frame of the fortress dock. Han Jijyun had directly passed on Ling Lan's original words to caution the overly excited cadets, bringing them to heel instantly to obediently listen to Han Jijyun's orders, no longer daring to fool around.
This caused the spectating flight crew enjoying the show to be a little disappointed, but they were silently impressed at the esteem Ling Lan held among the cadets. Of course, they were also very admiring of the way Han Jijyun had used Ling Lan's authority to swiftly take control of the central control room.
Meanwhile, landing alongside the 7th Bugle Call was another spaceship slightly smaller than the 7th Bugle Call. It landed to park at the dock neighbouring theirs. Perhaps the cadets on that ship were fewer, for the ship doors opened a little earlier than that of the 7th Bugle Call, and ten or so students disembarked one after another from the ship.
Just as with the previous ships, these new cadets had their heads bowed in timid silence, walking hesitantly onto the platform. Then, under the instructions of the fortress guides, they swiftly departed to wherever they needed to go. The speed with which they moved was as if they were running away from some dragon's lair or tiger's den — footsteps in clear disarray.
The soldiers on duty at the platform looked on expressionlessly as these dejected and skittish youths emerged and ran away. Only those with a keen eye could see the trace of contempt in their eyes — they did not like this cowardly manner of the youths, believing that this was a disgrace to soldiers.
However, they were already used to this. Almost no cadet would behave differently — even those rare few who had some fight on their faces would hold back and forcefully repress the indignation they felt, merely gritting their teeth to walk into the fortress. If any youth were to strut out proudly with their head held high from a ship, now that would be a shocking sight for these soldiers.
Initially, the soldiers had thought that this scene would never happen, but reality would soon prove that anything was possible.
The doors of the 7th Bugle Call finally swung open, and the new cadets, who had already gathered their belongings, stepped out of the ship with faces filled with excitement. Their eyes were brimming with curiosity, and some of the more daring ones were even asking those staff on duty in low whispers what the weapons they were carrying were. This sort of unusual behaviour made all the staff on duty share baffled looks with one another, beginning to doubt whether the people from this ship were truly new cadets for this year? Or were they a group of tourists here to sightsee at the fortress?
Of course, the latter possibility was impossible — Fort Genesis was a secret fortress of the Federation, and so was not open to the public. Thus, there would naturally be no such thing as tourists here to sightsee. The reason why the soldiers on duty would have this mistaken impression was entirely because these new cadets had no fear in their eyes, no trepidation, no shame, and no rage or indignation. All there was was excitement, curiosity, as well as that conspicuous confidence and haughtiness.
After the cadets disembarked, they did not move according to the instructions of the fortress guides. They remained standing on the platform, patiently waiting for the students after them to disembark as well. This made the guides rather annoyed, beginning to blame the comrades on the ship for not doing their part and educating these new cadets well.
Once everyone had gotten off the ship, Ling Lan threw a look at Qi Long.
Qi Long immediately raised his voice and shouted, "To thank all the staff of the 7th Bugle Call, salute!"
All the cadets from the ship were seen to stand at attention, and facing the crew of the 7th Bugle Call who remained on the ship, they collectively executed their scout's salute! This was something they had decided even before they had left the ship. Over the course of this one day and night, the staff members of the 7th Bugle Call had helped them all immensely — every student had learned a little of whatever they had wanted to learn to some extent. This made the students all extremely grateful.
"Salute!" Inside the ship, Senior Colonel Tian Fang's booming voice rang out. At that, the soldiers at the entrance of the ship, as well as those in places the cadets could not see, who were looking at the cadets saluting them with serious faces on various screens, responded primly in kind with the exclusive military salute of the Federation soldiers!
"Thank you!"
This solemn and grateful reciprocal military salute caused everyone present at the scene to be stupefied!
Several new cadets from the other ship who had yet to leave also revealed flabbergasted expressions at this scene. However, very quickly, their faces darkened — they were all new cadets of the military academy, why was the other party treated so differently?
"Where are those new cadets from?" One of the more daring new cadets asked a guide beside him.
"They're from Doha." This was not a secret to begin with, so the guide responded without any reservations.
"Doha? That place which is the so-called gathering grounds of the prodigies of the Federation?" said the new cadet through clenched teeth. Just because their talent was better, they deserved this preferential treatment? Their eyes filled with envy and dislike ...
At this moment, Ling Lan and the others of her party did not know that their actions had drawn the envy and disgruntlement of the cadets from the other various planets. Those cadets were all secretly plotting how they would show these elites a thing or two at the military academy ...
********
At the command centre of Fort Genesis, the supreme commander of the base, Major General Jing Ren, was seated as he watched all that was happening after the 7th Bugle Call parked at the dock. He could not help but mutter to himself, "How strange, that fellow Tian Fang is not someone that nice ..."
Right at this moment, the main door to the room was shoved open roughly, and a hulking figure walked in unceremoniously to slump into the large sofa before the Major General's desk, hiking up a leg to rest his ankle on the other leg's knee without any concern for decorum.
Major General Jing Ren could not help but shake his head and say, "Tian Fang, could you please maintain some decorum? No matter what, you're still one of the poster children for the Federation soldiers."
"It's not like I want to be one!" Senior Colonel Tian Fang said dismissively, with no sign that he was planning to change.
Major General Jing Ren knew the temperament of his old friend well, and so did not continue to harp on the topic. He pointed at the screen in front of him, which was still playing the scene where the two sides had saluted one another, and asked, "What exactly was this about? Could it be that you had a sudden fit of kindness?"
Tian Fang looked at the image and instantly grimaced. "Don't bring that up anymore, otherwise I'll be frustrated to death."
Major General Jing Ren was taken aback and quickly asked, "What happened?"
Tian Fang could not help but lift a large hand to cover his face as he said, "This embarrassing thing, I really don't feel like talking about it ..."
Right then, a clear voice rang out from the doorway, "Of course he doesn't want to talk about it. This time, we were defeated soundly." The major from the 7th Bugle Call had arrived.
"Luo Yang, you've come as well." Major General Jing Ren's expression was pleased as he quickly stood up in welcome.
Major Luo Yang shut the door as he came in and then walked forward with a smile. He bumped fists with Major General Jing Ren — this was their special way of greeting one another.
