First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Belief

Before the holiday officially began, the selection competition organizing committee was hastily making adjustments to their event predictions. They also had to face numerous media interviews and conduct analytical reports on relevant star students. Organizing such a major competition was indeed an exhausting task.

The person in charge was checking his schedule, preparing to go back and change clothes for an interview. The secretary robot's red light lit up, announcing: "Colonel Liliana requests connection."

The man frowned and said, "Liliana? Put her through."

He sat back down and waited for the communication to connect.

Liliana sat opposite with the stern demeanor characteristic of military personnel. Seeing the figure appear, she raised her chin slightly and said: "Hello Director Wang, pardon the interruption—I'll get straight to the point. Regarding the students in the selection competition finals, if they're willing, the Expeditionary Force would like to take them to the 36th District in advance for military training."

The director was immediately displeased: "What authority do you have?"

Liliana replied: "The recruitment authority of the Expeditionary Force's 6th Army."

"The 6th Army doesn't have that kind of authority. You can only recruit some students," the director said. "You may select a few students—that's none of my concern—but if they leave, they'll be considered as having forfeited."

"The 6th Army alone doesn't, but all Expeditionary Forces together do. We have a joint declaration of intent from the recruitment departments of twelve army groups. Combined, how many can we recruit? Enough for the finals quota? If not, then we can't help the remaining students. We'll just say the organizing committee didn't want them to join." Liliana continued, "Of course, you could organize another solo mech selection competition just for them. I just wonder if you could even form two complete teams that way."

The director tugged at his collar and leaned forward: "What do you mean by this? Are you trying to interfere with the normal proceedings of our selection competition? Over the years we've only had a cooperative relationship, not some superior-subordinate hierarchy."

Liliana said: "Don't misunderstand. We don't want to do anything. We're just making slight adjustments for the future development of the Alliance."

The man angrily retorted: "Spare me the high-sounding rhetoric. What, just because the Expeditionary Force has grown stronger, you think you can look down on everyone now? Have you forgotten you're still soldiers of the Alliance?"

Liliana impassively stated: "I remember deeply, sir. Otherwise we wouldn't be standing on the frontlines at the cost of our lives. We've tried discussing this amicably with you, fellow Alliance citizens, but judging from the results, the political department ignored our proposal. Since that's the case, the military department can only express our opinion through action. Otherwise, I fear some accident might occur during information transmission, leading to another tragedy that the party committee would deeply regret afterward."

The man's expression grew even more unpleasant.

Liliana asked with feigned curiosity: "We've fully complied with the Alliance's recruitment rules. Sir, why are you so angry now?"

The man said: "I didn't know about this matter. You should have informed me in advance."

Liliana: "What a pity. But it's alright—I'm asking for your opinion now. So what is your response?"

The man turned sideways: "What exactly are you requesting?"

Liliana spread her hands: "All I'm requesting now is to recruit students early for training. As for the latter half of the selection competition, I support their participation. The 36th District has sufficient equipment—you needn't worry."

The man fidgeted with his fingers, pondered for a moment, but didn't answer.

Liliana said: "Rest assured. I'm just here to notify you. You don't need to feel troubled—this doesn't require your decision."

The man nearly spat blood in frustration.

Liliana looked at him and smiled: "If you agree, the Expeditionary Force will take them away. They'll still participate in the finals later. If you disagree and disqualify them, then to compensate for their loss of honor, the Expeditionary Force has decided internally to hold a preparatory cadet selection competition and open it to the public. Let everyone see their capabilities after training too."

If he agreed, then with so many people recruited away, the finals definitely couldn't proceed normally. They couldn't possibly hold another preliminary round—the attention would be incomparable, purely a waste of funds that would lower the selection competition's usual standards.

Moreover, the Expeditionary Force's internal selection competition would undoubtedly be more sensational than theirs.

This really wasn't a wise approach. Their results wouldn't affect the Expeditionary Force either.

But if he agreed, the consequences weren't something he could bear either.

The Expeditionary Force's goal was clearly to push military education to younger ages and implement it more openly.

This wasn't a simple matter—its impact would be no less than an educational system reform.

Though military training information wasn't publicly disclosed, that didn't mean all students were unaware. There would always be students with military backgrounds who understood the required capabilities better than others and started relevant training earlier. Naturally, their difficulty entering the military department would be much lower.

Not to mention that even top military schools like Alliance University taught very little about frontline combat, focusing mostly on physical training and theoretical analysis. The education systems of second and third-tier military schools were even more generalized and obscure.

But for remote areas or ordinary citizens, they could only follow military school step by step. Some people didn't even know the relevant contents when choosing military academies. Their situation was truly too passive.

To promote fair education and select more talented students, two methods were most obvious:

First, enhance the universality of education. Second, abolish special evaluations.

The second point was clearly impossible because the military department needed such standards. So the only feasible approach was the first one.

Yet the difficulty of the first point, involving the entire Alliance and the interests of the power class, was the most challenging issue.

And to what extent did the Expeditionary Force want to push this down?

Their proposal was this: For sensor-type mechs, training could start in high school with basic introduction and instruction. Adjust and standardize university courses to provide specialized, targeted technical training. As for manual operation coding training—though this was still on the agenda without mandatory standards yet—it might need to start from elementary school when adaptability was strongest.

Tsk tsk. Just think about it.

If they really agreed to this, the schools' equipment, teaching resources, and future changes would all involve tangled interests that couldn't be easily sorted out. Even within their own military department, many would oppose it for affecting the next generation's interests, yet they still wanted to force it through.

Taking students away in their third year and releasing them back in their fourth. At that time, the students still wouldn't be military personnel, so using them to transmit military training information would have nothing to do with them, right?

Was that the idea?

If the direct approach didn't work, they'd try roundabout tactics.

Who said only politicians had dark hearts? Look at them—their methods were thoroughly ruthless.

"I..." the director said, "will give you an answer the day after tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, but I'm very wary of your people's 'day after tomorrow.' Let's go by my timeline—before 5 PM tomorrow, June 23rd, I want to hear your answer. This will allow time for public announcements and notifying departments to make corresponding preparations. If there's no response, we can only treat it as a rejection."

The director nearly gritted his teeth to dust.

How utterly brazen! So full of themselves! How impressive!

And so, before final exams arrived, something more explosive than the exam schedule appeared—pinned and highlighted in red on the official website.

The announcement stated that due to new mech updates and many students' unfamiliarity with their operation, the Expeditionary Force would take over finalist training from military academies for the selection competition. Willing students could register with their preferred army group. After registration, until the finals ended, they would be under Expeditionary Force jurisdiction and couldn't leave the training base without authorization.

The base was located in the Alliance's Minor Ring Three-Star System, 36th District.

Decide quickly—no extensions.

Additional note: This training is not the Expeditionary Force's recruitment training. Specific results and explanations will depend on circumstances.

What did this statement mean?

That last line was practically an admission of guilt. It effectively equated to the Expeditionary Force starting recruitment training early, with all finalist students gaining this qualification.

Why hesitate over this? This was manna from heaven!

Why did they attend military academies? Aside from the few with connections just seeking diplomas for logistics department transfers, most embarked on this path with expectations for the profession and courage for the future, waiting to prove themselves.

Now this path had been moved right before them—how could they let themselves miss it?

Students who learned of this rolled on the ground in frustration. Especially those who'd narrowly missed qualifying in preliminaries or were eliminated due to teammates' failures.

"If I'd known it would be like this, I would've held on a bit longer! Just a bit more and I could've joined the Expeditionary Force! I was one step away from being an officially designated mech pilot!"

"That one step was pretty far, buddy."

"I'm drowning in jealousy. Damn this wretched world!"

"I should've repeated a year! Why was I born so early? Slap me twice! What was the rush to get fertilized?"

"Already submitted my repeat application. See you next year, dear seniors."

"I've decided to remain a junior until thirty. Time may age, but we won't part."

"Tragedy for the comrade above—you can only repeat twice before getting expelled."

"What's there to fear? First Military, Allied Military, National Defense, Alliance University—there are thousands more schools waiting for me!"

"Quietly asking—is everyone still preparing for finals?"

"Screw finals! I pulled all-nighters memorizing, but they get exempted!"

No one could stay calm, completely distracted from final exam preparations, constantly refreshing the announcement.

Lian Sheng sat in the library with Zhao Zhuoluo and the others, struggling through this year's theory courses.

Zhao Zhuoluo noticed her constantly holding up her optical computer: "Stop looking. Are you taking the exam or not? It'd be hilarious if you got disqualified for failing right before going."

Fang Jianchen shook his leg: "Papa Zhao is supervising us."

Lian Sheng asked: "What kind of place is the 36th District? Is it far?"

Zhao Zhuoluo searched his memory: "Probably the first training battalion in a remote, quiet mining area. There should be a military base there."

Lian Sheng: "...Mining?"

"Yes. Decommissioned older mechs have their weapons removed and assist local development teams under supervision. The environment's quiet and austere but relatively safe." Zhao Zhuoluo said, "Many wars revolve around mining areas—this lets everyone adapt in advance."

Lian Sheng nodded: "I see."

This was the advantage of manual operation mechs—once basic functions were mastered, they could be quickly utilized. They could easily handle undemanding tasks.

Though these couldn't really be called mechs anymore—just modified auxiliary equipment.

Ye Buqing looked up: "Are you going?"

Lian Sheng: "Oh, I already registered."

The others: "..."

Ye Buqing: "Then you should prepare more supplies. It's better to bring extra and store them there than be unable to buy things later."

Lian Sheng: "Like what?"

Cheng Ze said: "Ideally everything you'll need for the next six months. Just keep total weight under forty kilograms."

Fang Jianchen: "I suggest bringing food. It's a mining area—different environment, huge price differences, especially for food."

Lian Sheng asked: "Have you been there before?"

Fang Jianchen said: "Joking—who'd go to such a place for fun?"

Lian Sheng: "..."

Lian Sheng: "..."

Lian Sheng: "..."

After finals, Lian Sheng packed early. She traveled light wherever she went. The bulkiest item was her sensor, which she mailed home directly.

After this break, she didn't know when she'd return—perhaps not until graduation.

Her three roommates were reluctant to see her go and proposed a farewell dinner, wishing her safe return.

"I'm really happy for you, but also worried. The 36th District... sounds desolate. Remember to take care and protect yourself. As a girl, don't go out alone, seriously."

Lian Sheng let them grip her hands excitedly and nodded: "Understood. Got it. Don't worry."

After their meal, her former Materials Engineering Academy classmates treated her to another.

After several rounds, an unfamiliar professor patted her shoulder emotionally: "I know you're a very promising student with strong opinions who delves deeply into everything. But Lian Sheng, the military requires not just ability but resolve. Honestly, I selfishly wish you lacked such talent so you could stay safely in the lab..."

Lian Sheng was feeling a bit stressed.

Later, her classmates from the Command Department extended an invitation to her. Unable to decline their warm hospitality, Lian Sheng naturally accepted.

During the gathering.

Meng Jiangwu said to her with heartfelt sincerity: "To be completely honest, I was initially prejudiced against you when we first met. Although I've already apologized, I want to apologize to you again. You're truly the most admirable person in the Command Department. Watching you progress step by step to where you are today has been a real honor for me."

Zheng Lei: "The days when we teamed up with you were the peak of my life. Thank you."

Shen Yu: "Although we're not actually that close, and although we couldn't keep up with your pace, we look forward to you going even further. Then come back and continue putting us in our place."

The three of them said in unison: "We'll drink first! You do as you please!"

Then they all downed a glass of lemon water together.

These three had been assigned to the same team as Lian Sheng by the instructor during the initial training camp.

At first, they were unwilling, but later they became genuinely convinced.

They had witnessed Lian Sheng grow from a rookie in the Command Department into a formidable expert. Perhaps it was this connection that made them feel about Lian Sheng's growth like a father watching his daughter mature... Although the analogy was a bit strange, it was exactly that peculiar.

Although Lian Sheng had already moved far beyond them with little intersection in their paths, they were still students at the same military academy. Thinking that in the coming semester at least, she wouldn't be appearing at Alliance University, they felt an inexplicable sense of regret.

This familiar yet unfamiliar person. They hoped she could go as far as she wished.

Later, the students participating in the finals also had to host a banquet for the coaches who had been guiding them all along, as well as the academy leadership. Naturally, Lian Sheng couldn't avoid this either.

The coach pointed at Lian Sheng and said: "This student, although I haven't taught you much, you've left an extremely deep impression on me."

He turned around and said: "She's the only girl—not that she needs protection—but as guys, you should have some awareness. Don't be so pathetically straight. If anything unexpected happens, you must step forward to protect her."

Lian Sheng nodded.

"Remember her face!" the coach said. "From now on, she represents the dignity of Alliance University's Military Academy! In the 36th District, anyone who bullies her—unconditionally beat them up!"

The end of the semester was extremely busy.

After attending several banquets in a row, Lian Sheng finally realized how popular she was.

Later, she turned on her optical computer and browsed Sanyao's official website as usual, only to find that her name had already taken over the front page.

Sanyao netizens had learned that she had been selected for the finals and was about to enter the Expeditionary Force's training program, and they were very happy for her.

Separated by the internet, unable to send their blessings directly, they idly chatted using titles on the front page.

"Will she still be able to access Sanyao in the 36th District?"

"The military system can't connect to the external internet, right? Would she bring her own sensors there?"

"But she can still access forums, right? Great General, we look forward to your return! Come back and see us!"

"It's probably going to be very tough—how would she have time to go online and chat with us netizens?"

"What's wrong with us? Netizens are very humane, okay?"

"That guy upstairs who keeps pouring cold water—get out of here. Probably a hater! Don't try to shake our Great General Lian's radiant image!"

"Farewell with tears, General. Actually, being the overlord of Sanyao is pretty good too, but we can't hold back someone whose wings have already grown strong enough to fly."

"The light of Sanyao, Sanyao's mascot, bon voyage! We await your return!"

"Thinking of your departure, it's all too sudden!"

"Before you leave, give me a kiss—I'm willing to follow you to the 36th District to dig for ore together!"

"With looks like yours going to the 36th District—would the masses there even agree? They'd cry, you know?"

Lian Sheng scrolled down, but there was too much information to read through.

Smiling, she also posted a message using her own account.

—"I'll be back. Thank you for your concern, everyone."

Immediately, a string of replies popped up below, with the front-row netizens voluntarily adding titles like "lucky star" and "loyal admirer" to themselves.

Her post was accurately pushed to the top amidst countless others.

Lian Sheng rubbed her ears, a silly smile spreading across her face.

At the very least, this past year hadn't been wasted.

Then she turned to the name at the top of her contacts list, which still showed no activity.

Lian Sheng put away her optical computer, tucking it into her back pocket.

On the day of the holiday, Lian Sheng was stopped for a chat at school, and by the time she returned home with her backpack, it was already evening.

She stood at the door, surrounded by silence, as if all the noise had faded away.

But upon reaching her own doorstep, she was alone again.

Lian Sheng sighed lightly, pushed open the door, and closed it behind her. Turning around, her keen eyesight spotted a dark circular object on the living room sofa—likely a human head.

Lian Sheng walked in and said, "Why didn't you turn on the light?"

Lin Lie clasped her hands over her abdomen, leaning her head back against the chair: "I was thinking. I came back and sat here in the morning—didn't expect it to get so dark."

Lian Sheng: "Is the research institute done with work?"

From Ji Ban, she had learned that Lin Lie should have returned to the 2nd District long ago, but she hadn't come home or informed her.

Lian Sheng pretended not to know.

Lin Lie said: "No, I took leave."

Her eyes were bloodshot, dark circles evident beneath them, and her makeup couldn't conceal her exhaustion.

Clearly, she hadn't rested well for a long time.

Lian Sheng sat beside her, hugging her backpack to her chest.

After another moment of silence, Lin Lie turned her head and asked: "When I was doing research at the factory, were those things Ji Ban prepared for me at your request?"

Lian Sheng: "What things?"

Lin Lie: "The food."

"Oh." Lian Sheng said, "Well, you had to eat anyway."

Lin Lie said: "I figured he wouldn't care so much about a stranger—knowing what I like to eat."

Lian Sheng scratched her head.

"I came back today originally to stop you. No matter the reason, I didn't think I'd waver. I don't want you to go any further. I don't want you setting foot on any land that doesn't belong to the Alliance. Drifting between life and death, facing endless dangers, battling on a battlefield without end." Lin Lie lowered her head and said, "But after watching the recordings, I hesitated again. What can I give you? What can I do for you? What can stopping you accomplish? No one can hold back someone who wants to leave."

Lian Sheng didn't know how to respond to the first part. She just kept her head down. Then, regarding the last sentence, she asked: "What recordings?"

Lin Lie pressed a button: "You can take a look. You haven't seen them before."

The screen was pitch black, with only a faint light illuminating a young man's face.

His face was smeared with traces of black mud. But it seemed he had wiped it off, leaving only faint streaks. He squinted slightly, as if unaccustomed to the light.

Looking at his face, Lian Sheng suddenly realized who he was.

"Hello, this is Lieutenant Lian Heng reporting to you." Lian Heng adjusted the camera angle, but it was too dark to see anything clearly. Looking at the screen, he said: "Is anyone still alive and moving? Get some light over here first."

No one answered him. So he laboriously groped around, pulled out an optical computer, and turned on its light. Then he continued his report.

"It's very quiet here—a good place to sleep, but definitely not a good place to rest eternally. They say the feng shui here is bad. To avoid passing on the negative influence to the next generation, we're all trying our best to hold on." Lian Heng turned the camera toward the side. "But this brother here seems to have some last words to say."

The brother weakly kicked his leg: "Piss off..."

A soldier nearby said: "Company Commander, stop messing around—save your breath."

"Talking won't use up much breath, don't worry." Lian Heng said. "Get some light—don't want to go blind when we get out."

A young soldier said weakly: "Company Commander, I want to sleep."

Lian Heng crawled over, the video filled with his heavy breathing.

When he reached the soldier, Lian Heng said: "Don't sleep. We'll be out soon."

Soldier: "How long has it been?"

Lian Heng: "Eight hours."

Soldier: "How come my stomach feels like it's been starving for forty-eight hours?"

Lian Heng: "You used to eat too much."

The camera shook violently. Yellow sand drifted down from above.

The soldier let out a mournful whimper.

Lian Heng said: "It's fine, just sand in your eyes. Let me blow it out for you."

Another pitch-black scene, with torrential rain and the sound of water overwhelming the audio.

They shone a beam of light—raindrops turned into fragmented white streaks under the illumination, falling incessantly before their eyes.

The ground was uneven, and puddles reflected faintly in the light. The surroundings were too dark to see clearly.

Lian Heng crouched on the ground, pointing at a puddle ahead.

"Taking a break now—giving them a water quality lesson. This water smells like piss."

The soldier beside him looked at him in astonishment: "How do you know? The rain's so heavy—it's pitch black. How can you tell?"

Lian Heng pointed at someone with their back turned to them: "That bastard Liang Er just took a piss in the water."

The soldier's face twisted in disgust: "Disgusting." Then he turned and walked away.

"This is the martyrs' graveyard. May they witness the arrival of peace. These were the years they fought for."

"This is my mech—Jiugong."

"These refugees left behind on the battlefield. They haven't eaten in a long time—we're distributing food to them now. But supplies are limited, so we took half from our own rations. Even though our two armies are at war, they welcome us."

The scenes flickered past one after another.

Lian Heng held a bouquet of bright red flowers, with a group of soldiers in uniform behind him, all maintaining identical smiles. They followed closely behind him.

"I've seen it many times—the light that breaks through from the depths of despair, leading me toward hope for survival. I know I'm lucky, but I don't know if I'll always be this lucky. But every time, I charge toward that light without hesitation. And you—you are the new light in my life."

"Beautiful, gentle, kind, peerless, and incomparable Miss Lin Lie—will you marry me?"

The soldiers behind him tilted their heads, continuing to flash their pearly white teeth.

Later.

Lian Heng sat upright on a bench outside a hospital. The lighting was perfect that day, making his face appear especially pale.

Dressed in a suit, his expression looked extremely solemn.

"I'm your father. My name is Lian Heng. I haven't met you yet." Lian Heng said. "In our rating system, S is the best. You are my most S-tier achievement. So your name has one more S than mine—Lian Sheng (Victory)."

"Your father is a soldier, but I don't want you to become one too. I hope you can always stay with your mother."

"If you're a boy, I hope you're brave and kind. If you're a girl, I also hope you're brave and kind. But you must learn to stay calm—otherwise, you might grow up being scolded by your mother all the time."

"If, unfortunately, you don't learn to stay calm—it's not your fault. It's mine. Bad genes. You can let your mother scold me."

"And if, even more unfortunately, you end up like me—becoming a soldier, heading to the most dangerous places—it's fine. If you're ever in danger, no matter where you are, I'll rush to save you immediately."

"I will protect you with my life. Protect my family. Protect my homeland. So I will also cherish my own life. I will come back to find you."

He suddenly leaned closer to the camera and smiled: "Sweetheart. Daddy loves you."

Finally, in front of a medium-sized fighter jet.

"Alliance New Calendar Year 315, May 28th, 8:12 AM. Expeditionary Force Third Corps Leader Major Lian Heng and 231 Alliance soldiers preparing to board! Salute!"

The soldiers saluted in unison.

Lian Heng: "Board!"

Lian Heng stood at the very end.

The flag beside him flapped loudly in the wind, the soldiers standing ramrod straight.

They boarded the fighter jet bound for the front lines one by one.

Lian Heng stood at the aircraft's entrance, finally turning his head to flash a smile at the camera.

Handsome features, a sharply defined face, and eyes full of hope.

All the scenes froze. This moment became the final snapshot of his life.

"I suddenly remembered what he once told me. He said the hardest thing in life isn't life and death, nor is it separation. It's that no matter how painful it gets, you have to keep moving forward. Whether crying or smiling, fate doesn't give us the chance to stop and mourn the past." Lin Lie said. "But people are also fortunate. They always find a reason to keep going—this is the meaning of their survival. So you can never hold back someone who wants to leave, because nothing can break their determination to move forward."

Lin Lie turned her head and asked: "What about you? When are you leaving? When will I see you again?"

Lian Sheng stood up and saluted her solemnly. Firmly, word by word, she said: "I will protect my family. Protect my homeland. So I will also cherish my own life. I will come back to find you."

Her backpack slid to the ground with a dull thud.

Lian Sheng: "I love you."

---

This chapter marks the end of Part 1! I'll be taking a short break from this novel as I haven't proofread the chapters for part 2 yet. Those who want to read ahead can get the complete novel on my Ko-fi shop. Please note that further chapters might contain slight grammatical mistakes or continuity errors.

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