First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 150

Chapter 150: Waiting

Fang Jianchen couldn't accept this reality.

He froze for a second, then threw himself on the ground, covering his face as he began wailing dryly.

"Who did this? Who the hell did this?! I'm going to report this! Stealing from military academy students? How dare they reach for the heavens?"

Lian Sheng suddenly felt amused seeing him like this: "At least they left you half your bag. And put it back in place. How considerate."

Fang Jianchen pounded the floor: "No snacks, no life!"

Lu Mingyuan hesitated, deeply feeling this was beyond words of comfort. Though he couldn't fully empathize, he too felt like the sky had fallen. "My condolences," he said.

Fang Jianchen suddenly jumped up and went to check the other boxes.

The base provided almost all daily necessities, so they'd each brought three to four suitcases just to ensure enough snacks for the next six months to a year.

Lu Mingyuan looked at Lian Sheng. Lian Sheng looked at Zhao Zhuoluo.

The other three stepped forward and pulled out their luggage from various hiding spots.

Fang Jianchen's four suitcases were all made of leather or fabric—with a sharp enough blade and some effort, they could all be cut open.

Zhao Zhuoluo's suitcase, however, had a sturdy metal frame running through it that made it impossible to cut open. Even more cleverly, it contained a small safe inside—too heavy to carry away and too tough to break into. The thieves could only take a few snack packs stuffed in the gaps before putting the suitcase back.

Ye Buqing and Cheng Ze had each brought one high-end anti-theft suitcase—originally bought for traveling with valuables in college, designed to protect privacy even if stolen. The surface was a high-hardness data screen.

On the front, it read: "Forced opening will trigger an automatic alarm and destroy contents."

Fang Jianchen, finding this amusing, had added an extra intimidating line: "Do not attempt. May cause small-scale explosion."

Three suitcases had been opened—only this one survived intact.

Fang Jianchen stared at their luggage, then suddenly realized something and pounded the floor in grief: "Why didn't I write that on my own suitcase?! Why waste it on yours?!"

Cheng Ze sat on his fully stocked suitcase and said, "The real showstopper is Zhuoluo—why the hell did you bring a safe?"

"Shockproof," Zhao Zhuoluo said expressionlessly, opening it to show everyone. Inside were glass jars of pickles, bowls, a small pot, instant noodles, and—most precious of all—quick-prep sauce packets.

Lian Sheng: "..."

Lu Mingyuan was dumbfounded: "You people are something else..."

Who brought stuff like this when traveling? He'd come to the base with nothing but an eager heart.

How naive he'd been.

Lian Sheng walked to the window and looked outside. "They must've come prepared. This place is way too easy to rob. The electric grid outside the window's been broken for ages—deliberately sabotaged. If there really are thieves around here, thefts must've happened before. That landlord's either in on it or deliberately wanted to see us suffer. Definitely a shady operation."

Fang Jianchen: "Screwing with me? Does he have a death wish?"

Lian Sheng turned around: "What are you gonna do? Dare to report it?"

"I..." Fang Jianchen thought about it, then covered his face again. "Just let me die!"

They'd smuggled the snacks past military regulations. Reporting it would mean revealing their identities—and who knew what consequences that might bring? Clearly, ruining their futures over some snacks wasn't wise.

The thieves probably knew exactly who they were from the start. After all, what else could a group of young people suddenly arriving in this remote area be, if not military trainees? Especially when they were acting so suspiciously—perfect targets for exploitation.

Lian Sheng said, "They targeted you for a reason."

Fang Jianchen whimpered: "Daddy's never been bullied like this before!"

Cheng Ze and Ye Buqing had already opened their suitcases and were distributing the contents.

"Eat up. Enjoy it while it lasts. Once we're done, we'll cancel the lease here," Ye Buqing said. "Eat as much as you can."

"I'm so sick of the base's noodles, goddamn," Cheng Ze said, his gums aching at the memory. "Zhuoluo, light the stove! Let's have some authentic Alliance instant noodles—a thousand-year culinary tradition!"

Lu Mingyuan held a packet of dried fish, taking a deep breath. He was shaking with excitement, half-convinced this was a dream. But even his dreams weren't cruel enough to imagine his snacks being stolen. He turned his head: "You're just leaving the stuff here?"

"What else? Nowhere else to put it. Stolen or not," Lian Sheng said, biting open a package, "they can't take it now, so it's safe here."

Lu Mingyuan took a bite and nearly cried. What kind of life had he been living these past six months at the base? Between chews, he asked, "Why didn't they just take the suitcases?"

Lian Sheng said, "Look at these suitcases—hidden so well, who knows what's inside? If it's something valuable and we refuse to let it go, things could get messy for them."

Zhao Zhuoluo added, "Also, anti-theft suitcases might have trackers or alarms. No need for police—they'd become evidence themselves. An anonymous report would be enough."

Lian Sheng said to Fang Jianchen, "See how thorough they were? Now look at yourself."

She wasn't entirely surprised—more like resigned. Getting anything back at all was a bonus, though their suitcases and rent money were still losses.

Fang Jianchen chewed on a chicken leg, his soul soothed, but still said, "What I'm swallowing isn't meat. It's my tears."

They ate their fill in the room, then packed up the leftovers to save for later.

With a heavy sigh—

The mess in the room kept reminding them of the scam. So after eating, they decided to take a walk.

They headed toward the intersection.

Near the main road, small shops lined the alleys.

They had no idea about local prices or food, so they browsed shop by shop, hoping to find something to buy—maybe use Zhao Zhuoluo's sauces to replenish their supplies.

But food shops were scarce. The only restaurant they found sold only buns—and at outrageous prices, starting at fifty credits for the cheapest.

To hell with that.

Fang Jianchen said, "Is this entire street a scam?!"

Zhao Zhuoluo said, "Most of District 36's food is imported. Factor in shipping costs and profit margins, and it's not unreasonable."

Fang Jianchen: "But who can afford this?"

Lu Mingyuan: "No one buys, so they raise prices even higher."

A vicious cycle—but what could they do?

District 36's surface was all rubble, its soil nutrient-poor and rock-hard, impossible to farm. Even if they imported soil from other star systems, the water and air conditions meant it'd only last a year.

The Alliance had tried multiple times to cultivate the mining district, but with little success—eventually giving up.

Food imports here didn't cross borders—they crossed planets.

To make things worse, flights to this remote area were already scarce.

Lian Sheng said, "So the base has been treating us pretty well?" Eating such expensive food daily made her feel like her worth had skyrocketed.

Lu Mingyuan retorted, "Which makes wasting it even more unforgivable!"

As they sighed and walked, Fang Jianchen suddenly stopped and pointed.

The snack packaging looked eerily familiar—exactly like the vacuum-sealed chicken legs his mom had specially prepared for him.

Steal from him and sell it right on the street? How bold.

Fang Jianchen stormed over, shaking the packet in the shopkeeper's face: "Hey, buddy."

The shopkeeper didn't even look up: "One hundred per pack."

Fang Jianchen scoffed: "Real impressive. I bought these in District 2 for four-fifty. After stealing them, you jacked up the price twenty times?"

The man finally looked up, then slammed the table: "What nonsense are you spouting? Bullshit!"

Fang Jianchen stepped forward: "Who're you calling bullshit? My fingerprints are probably still on these—wanna test them?"

The man sneered: "Go ahead and report me!"

Fang Jianchen bluffed: "You think I won't? I've got a temper—can't stand being robbed, and I'll drag everyone down with me. Let's see who suffers more—you or me!"

The man hesitated, unwilling to risk it. He tried to snatch the evidence, but Fang Jianchen dodged, and the two began grappling.

The situation escalated.

Just as Lian Sheng was about to tell him to drop it, a child—around seven or eight—ran out from behind the man and lunged to bite Fang Jianchen.

"What the—?!" Fang Jianchen didn't dare hit back, quickly jumping away.

The two—man and child—grabbed the snacks on display and fled. As he left, the man shouted, "Brother Wang, watch the shop for me!"

Lu Mingyuan was stunned: "Do we chase them?"

Zhao Zhuoluo stepped forward and shook his head: "Let it go. Don't escalate."

Fang Jianchen: "But we have to go back the same way."

Lian Sheng said, "Then let's head back."

So the six of them jogged toward the base.

As they turned the corner, they saw the man and child being stopped by two local police officers.

At the sight of the uniforms, they panicked, quickly retreating behind a wall to avoid being spotted.

Fang Jianchen peeked out from a hiding spot, secretly pleased: "Karma's a bitch. Isn't this fate?"

The shorter officer—his uniform sloppily worn, with brown hair and sharp features but a thuggish demeanor—said, "Selling unlicensed products? Inspection passed? Taxes paid? Reported? Got more stock? You know the charges?"

The younger officer beside him said, "This looks like homemade food. Maybe for personal use."

The short officer slapped the chicken leg packet: "Homemade? Where in District 36 can you find 'homemade' like this? Packaged so nicely, just for eating? Who're you fooling?"

The man cowered: "A gift."

"From who? Name? Which shop sold the chicken legs?" The short officer cut him off before he could answer, adding, "If they're not here anymore, which flight did they take? Name? Relationship?"

He smirked, hands on hips: "Think I can't get the truth out of you? Don't know your own limits? Dare to lie to me?"

The man lowered his head, all defiance gone.

The short officer held out a hand, rubbing his fingers: "Understand?"

The man pulled out two bills, smoothed them, and handed them over.

The short officer said, "Not enough. Extra penalty for lying to an officer. Triple the fine."

The man jerked his head up: "I don't have that much!"

The young officer chimed in: "That's against regulations! You can't arbitrarily decide penalties."

The short officer snorted, poking the younger one's chest: "Regulations? What regulations? Shut your mouth if you don't know the rules! He's a known thief in this area—everyone knows it. Newcomers get cheated, ruining District 36's reputation. You protecting a thief is 'regulations'? Idiot!"

He turned back to the man: "Pay up, or come with me and learn the consequences. Choose. Now!"

Lian Sheng watched as the standoff grew tenser—though the sides seemed... off.

Lian Sheng said, "What... what's happening? Internal police conflict?"

Fang Jianchen: "They're not gonna fight, are they?"

"No way," Lu Mingyuan said. "Why would two officers fight in front of a suspect? Shouldn't they detain him first?"

No sooner had he spoken than the two uniformed men started throwing punches.

At first, it was just shoving—then the short officer lost patience and punched his colleague hard enough to knock him down.

The group flinched, ducking back behind the wall.

Lu Mingyuan stiffened: "What kind of place is this? Such complex social dynamics?"

Fang Jianchen marveled: "Damn, District 36's law enforcement is useless."

Lian Sheng was baffled: "Isn't public safety handled by the military?"

Cheng Ze said, "Cities have their own police. Our military personnel rotate yearly, mostly assigned to mining—how could we manage? We're on call for cooperation, that's all."

Zhao Zhuoluo added, "And this is a peaceful zone. The Expeditionary Force is just stationed here—no real authority. Different departments handle different things. We can't overstep."

Lian Sheng nodded: "Oh...!"

They muttered a bit more, then peeked out again—only to see the fight had intensified.

It was a one-sided beatdown. The young officer had no chance, kicked repeatedly on the ground. The accused thief stood to the side with his son, not daring to speak or leave.

Bystanders scattered, avoiding the chaos.

Lian Sheng said, "Look how sinful he is—two men fighting over him, and he won't even intervene."

No sooner had she spoken than the short officer grabbed the thief.

The group: "..."

The group: "..."

The group: "..."

Lu Mingyuan hesitated: "We're not stepping in, right?"

Should they show some military academy spirit?

Bullshit. Life was precious!

Lian Sheng said, "If we're leaving, now's the time. The more we see, the harder it is to resist acting."

Whether this was a fallout, a shakedown, or standard procedure here, they—as newcomers and mere students—had no power to challenge the system. Acting rashly would only get them in trouble.

Though they talked of leaving, they kept watching from behind the wall.

Then the child rushed forward again.

The group gasped as the boy was flung aside, hitting the ground hard.

They couldn't take it anymore, rushing out together.

"Stop!" Lian Sheng shouted. "Hitting a kid? What's your excuse?"

The man rolled up his sleeves, scowling: "Who the hell are you?"

Lian Sheng cracked her knuckles: "Your dad."

He stepped forward. Lian Sheng's five male companions stepped forward.

So he stepped back.

Not a fight he could win.

His eyes darted, then he pulled out a light brain and snapped a photo of them. Smirking, he said, "Military students, right? I won't fight you, but obstructing justice? Just wait."

He pocketed the device and swaggered off.

Ye Buqing helped the boy up. Aside from scraped hands, he was fine.

Eyes shining, the boy said, "I wanna be like you! If I become a soldier, no one can bully me, right?"

Lian Sheng snatched a snack pack from his father, tearing it open: "Give up. The military doesn't recruit thieves. No one's stupid enough to invite wolves in."

Fang Jianchen: "Or unreasonable biters. Stay here forever, follow your dad's footsteps."

The boy: "..."

Lian Sheng waved: "Let's go."

His father scrambled up, leaving the remaining snacks on the ground, and hurried his son away.

The young officer was badly beaten—kicked multiple times, plus that punch to the face.

Zhao Zhuoluo helped him up: "You okay?"

Blood dripped from his forehead. He'd taken off his undershirt to press against the wound, his uniform draped over his knees as he sat on a planter, fingers trembling uncontrollably.

The young officer sighed, venting: "Enforcement's tough. Even when you're right, you're restricted. These unlicensed vendors cause so many traffic hazards—occupying lanes in safe zones, who expects that? If you get hurt by some hothead during enforcement, they'll accuse you of brutality to the media. No one believes you—just because you're an officer."

Lian Sheng nibbled melon seeds: "And then?"

"Then I got transferred here."

"Hmm..." Lian Sheng mused. "You might get transferred again."

"..." The young officer. "..."

He sighed again: "I'm resigning today. Clearly, I lack the selfless dedication. Better live for myself. Aren't I a citizen too? My mom's heartbroken for me."

Lian Sheng said, "Not all officers are selfless. That guy earlier fit the public's image of a thug perfectly."

"He's not an officer!" the young man said heatedly. "He's the local gang leader! Stole our uniforms and insisted on patrolling with me—he's the thug, not an image!"

They'd never seen such a pathetic officer—in Alliance territory, no less. At this point, the military thug seemed preferable. Better one man getting crushed than the entire station.

The young officer said, "It's complicated. Productivity here's low, but living costs are high. With our limited resources, how much authority can we have? We're doing our best!"

Lian Sheng gave his face a sympathetic once-over: "Clearly."

"Besides, this is unsolvable," the officer said miserably. "Every place has its local bosses. Ours is practically turning into the White Snake."

Cheng Ze said, "That's insulting to the White Snake."

The officer studied them: "You're really military students? Here for training?"

Lian Sheng nodded.

He grew worried: "Then... is this bad? That photo. Will the military punish you?"

Lian Sheng said, "We'll find out when we get back."

Lu Mingyuan fretted: "We didn't really do anything, right? Just stepped forward?"

"Not a total loss," Fang Jianchen said, waving his chicken leg. "At least I felt mother's love again."

Their moods ruined, they split Fang Jianchen's snacks and returned to base.

But the response came faster than expected. Shortly after arriving, they were summoned to an office in another building.

An instructor in a dark military uniform sat inside.

At the base, their instructors were seniors. Orders came from veterans. Mining teams supervised their work.

This was their first time seeing a formal instructor since arriving.

"Explain," he said. "What exactly did you do today?"

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