Chapter 28:Corps Headquarters
“This name sounds very familiar~凸(艹皿艹)This big shot is the newly appointed commander of the Fifth Fleet~”
“According to insider information,this big shot’s battle has been highly praised by the government high-ups.A certain military bigwig believes that this newly appointed commander is growing at an astonishing rate and could very well become the Federation’s new hero!”
“666~Greetings to the future big shot!”
“…”
Casually browsing the internet,Lin Zhichen’s upturned lips revealed his pleasant mood,until he received another communication.
“Beep beep~”
The holographic communication activated once again,and Kadir Rockefeller appeared with a beaming smile:”Congratulations,my friend.Your flawless performance has completely won me over!”
“A trivial victory,”Lin Zhichen smiled.
Kadier Rockefeller clearly did not think so:”No,it’s not that simple.According to my military advisors’analysis,the combat power of the’Qinyuan’is not inferior to that of a battleship,and its value on the battlefield far exceeds that of a battleship!”
Lin Zhichen maintained a reserved smile:”When will your forces arrive?Approximately when will we start?”
“Don’t worry,my friend.You’ve already taken down the toughest opponent;leave the rest to me.I won’t let you down!”Kadier Rockefeller said confidently.”You will get everything you deserve,not a penny less!”
“I’m looking forward to it,”Lin Zhichen nodded.
After the communication ended,he turned to his companions:”Let’s go,we’re heading back to Earth.”
“Aren’t we going to wait?”Wei Peng asked,somewhat surprised.
“No need.Once they start,it won’t be too late for me to come back.Right now,the most important thing is to train this batch of pirates.I have something good that will come in handy,”Lin Zhichen said casually.”Next,it’s time for some rest and reorganization.We need some time to digest our gains.”
“Understood.”
The journey back was longer than the trip there.Fortunately,each pirate ship was already under the control of the clone army,allowing Lin Zhichen to pilot the”Qinyuan”ahead of the fleet to prepare for handling the affairs of the twenty-plus pirate ships.
There weren’t many personnel—just over a hundred people across the twenty-three ships,even fewer than the number of clone soldiers under Wei Peng’s command.
In the interstellar era,ordinary food items like grains,meat,eggs,and dairy products were abundant and inexpensive,easily sustaining hundreds or even thousands of people.
There was no need to worry about accommodations either.Even before Wei Peng and the others set out,the mercenary group’s base had already been selected,and the headquarters building was under construction.
The construction efficiency in the interstellar era was enough to astonish even the most fanatical infrastructure enthusiasts.In just over twenty days,a headquarters spanning several hundred acres had been completed,including office buildings,dormitories,a cafeteria,and a virtual military training ground,all ready for occupancy.
The base was located in a rural area,hundreds of kilometers from the nearest city.In the interstellar era,unmanned anti-gravity vehicles were widespread,so transportation was not an issue.
Earth has only recently joined the Federation,so anti-gravity vehicles had not yet become widespread,and urbanization remains prominent,with populations still concentrated in cities.
However,on a significant number of residential planets within the Federation,residents were more dispersed,and the phenomenon of population concentration wasn’t as evident.
For Lin Zhichen,purchasing anti-gravity vehicles now cost only a fraction of his resources,so he naturally preferred to choose a location far from the bustling city.
“Commander!”Led by several base administrators,dozens of management personnel saluted Lin Zhichen in the base parking lot upon his first arrival.
This was a military salute,as the Meteor Mercenary Group was,after all,a military force,and its internal management closely resembled that of the military.
Lin Zhichen returned the salute:”Those in charge,stay behind.The rest of you,carry on with your duties.”
“Yes,Commander!”The management personnel saluted and left in an orderly manner.
“Commander,my name is Wei Chenglin.I am the chief administrator of the base,responsible for its normal operations.”A middle-aged man stepped forward and saluted.He had a robust build and wore a green military uniform,exuding a strong military presence.
“I’ve heard about you from Da Peng.He mentioned that you have a military background?A retired officer?”Lin Zhichen asked with a smile.
“Yes,Commander!”Wei Chenglin replied,but did not specify his position in the military.
Lin Zhichen understood and nodded.With Earth joining the Federation and over two hundred countries suddenly merging into one entity,some changes were inevitable.Judging by their demeanor,it seemed that the others were in similar situations to Wei Chenglin.
“Commander,I am the head of the base’s industrial department.My name is Xu Wen.”A man in his thirties stepped forward.His appearance was slightly different,with gold-rimmed glasses giving him a scholarly look.
“Currently,we don’t have many industries,do we?”Lin Zhichen nodded in acknowledgment.”Manager Xu,do you have any plans?”
“That depends on your intentions,Commander.Are we preparing some side businesses,or is everything to serve the military?”Xu Wen asked in return.
“In the early stages,we will focus primarily on the military.If opportunities arise,we can develop some trade and commerce.In the mid to later stages,we will establish industries,”Lin Zhichen replied.
This was actually based on the development experience of various private corps within the Federation.Maintaining military strength alone was difficult over the long term.Without economic support,a single defeat could cause the entire corps to collapse and eventually disband.
There had been many such experiences within the Federation in the past.Therefore,the corps that managed to endure were those that balanced military and commercial interests.If they had the resources,they also invested in industrial sectors,becoming almost like states within a state.In fact,corps that followed this path often end up establishing their own nations,seceding from the Federation to become new human states.
The Federation welcomed this situation because it ultimately strengthened the power of civilized society and increased the overall strength against darkness.
“May I boldly speculate that the Commander has ambitions to establish a nation!?”Upon hearing this,Xu Wen’s eyes lit up,and he asked.
In the old era,such thoughts would have been considered treasonous and laughable.However,in this era,it only made people consider whether you had the potential,followed by either praise or ridicule.
Lin Zhichen smiled without answering,but the others had their answer.Immediately,the spirits of the responsible individuals visibly lifted—Lin Zhichen’s performance in the asteroid belt had already proven that he possessed such potential.
In this dark era where the future was unseen,those with vision were all chasing hope,and the only hope in the universe were heroes!
“Sir,if that’s the case,our industries couldn’t solely pursue profit.We need to consider some investments in the early stages,”Xu Wen’s tone had clearly changed,becoming more respectful:
“For example,we need a shipyard that can at least maintain our warships in the short term.To achieve this goal,we need a complete production base,
including food production,small-scale general alloy steel,a batch of ship engineers,and so on…The prerequisite for all this is that we need more energy credits to support it!
Sir,if possible,we need to occupy a few infinite mines…”