It was a glorious and stirring history, one that had inspired countless people to fight for it. When the squadron leader, Lei, mentioned the term “Outer Mongol Left Rotating Arm,” his eyes were already brimming with tears.
Steve also became excited, waving his arms energetically: “Elder Hurd and Situ Hai accomplished an unprecedented feat. Such a victory can only be compared to Yang Hao’s recent triumph in destroying the Empire’s massive fleet. Therefore, Yang Hao becoming our leader is the natural choice of everyone.”
As Steve shouted, the surrounding crowd erupted into applause and cheers. Even Yang Hao felt a little lightheaded. After all, Yang Hao was still a passionate young man; seeing everyone constantly praising him, even a clay Buddha would become proud.
“Ah, it’s nothing, really… just a small accomplishment. Truthfully, the Imperial army was just too small. If they had ten or eight times more troops, I’d still turn them upside down. If the Emperor himself had led the charge, I would’ve captured him already, and we wouldn’t need to be here holding this meeting—we’d already have marched straight to Earth.”
“Beware of overconfidence turning into misfortune,” murmured Hun Yuanzi coldly, watching from the sidelines. “There’s not a single good person here. Letting you be the Grand Leader will definitely bring trouble.”
His words cooled Yang Hao’s rising excitement slightly: “Even if my achievements are great, I don’t necessarily need to be the Alliance Leader. This position is too important, and my experience isn’t enough. I should let someone else take it.”
Yang Hao pointed his finger toward someone nearby. Oddly enough, no matter who his finger pointed at, that person would casually dodge away, as if Yang Hao were pointing at a plague carrier. Even more exaggerated was Elder Hurd, who had been snoring asleep just moments ago. Yet when Yang Hao’s finger turned toward him, the old man suddenly slipped off his chair with a thud and crawled under the table, continuing to nap as if nothing had happened.
Eventually, Steve stepped forward and grabbed Yang Hao’s annoying finger: “Mr. Yang, when it comes to qualifications, you’re the most suitable one here. Think about it—there have only ever been two great victories for the Resistance Alliance. The hero of the Outer Mongol Left Rotating Arm battle, Situ Hai, betrayed us, and Elder Hurd is too old. Only you, the commander of this great victory at Bear Star, are worthy of leading us.”
“Well… organization…”
“Not to mention,” Steve continued, leaning in close to whisper in Yang Hao’s ear, “there’s absolutely no danger in being a leader. All the front-line fighting will be left to your subordinates while you stay safely in the command center far from the battlefield. Plus, you’ll control the wealth of hundreds of billions of people. You’ll have money, women—whatever you want. If you do well, you might even rival the Emperor himself. Perhaps you could even become another Emperor. Such a great opportunity…”
“I’m in!” Yang Hao decided immediately, afraid that someone might change their mind, loudly declaring his acceptance.
“Hey… Hao was convinced long ago.” Yang Hao felt he had just struck gold. Previously on Raymon Star, he was merely the owner of a small pharmacy—his life was comfortable but ordinary. Even after arriving at Bear Star, though he was the Grand Leader, Bear Star itself had little wealth and even fewer women—Yang Hao had gained nothing. But now, it was completely different. Hundreds of star systems and hundreds of billions of people were now under Yang Hao’s command. He could do anything he wanted. Yang Hao had already decided—he wouldn’t bother fighting against the Empire anymore. Being a local warlord would be just fine. He could build a harem of hundreds of beauties and live a life of leisure and luxury.
Of course, Steve and the others had no idea what Yang Hao was scheming. As soon as Yang Hao agreed, everyone in the meeting hall stood up.
“Wonderful, wonderful,” Steve was so excited he could barely speak coherently, nearly shedding tears of joy.
“Finally, someone is willing to take it…” murmured someone else, clapping and secretly relieved, “It’s not easy. Such a rare fool…”
Even the snoring Hurd immediately crawled out from under the table and stood on a chair, grinning slyly at Yang Hao.
Poor Yang Hao had no idea how tragic his fate would be. Confidently, he took the leadership seat that Steve had vacated, smiling broadly and accepting the insincere congratulations of the others.
“Now that we have a leader again, our counterattack against the Empire will begin soon,” Steve, the most organized among them, stood up and spoke again. “Under the leadership of Leader Yang Hao, we will soon be free from the Empire’s oppression.”
Yang Hao wasn’t even listening to what Steve was saying. His gaze had already gone beyond the conference room’s glass wall and into the vast universe. The Tri-Crystal Sea Star System was truly boundless, like an enormous assembly machine continuously producing massive warships.
The warships were neatly lined up, floating on thousands of orbital paths around the star system. From now on, he would command tens of thousands of these mighty vessels. His heart swelled with excitement he could barely contain. After all, what man wouldn’t dream of making a name for himself on the battlefield?
“There’s still a small matter that needs to be taken care of before we fight the Empire,” Elder Hurd’s sudden reminder silenced everyone. Instantly, dozens of eyes focused on Yang Hao, the newly appointed leader.
“Sure, sure,” Yang Hao waved his hand confidently, still immersed in his dream of power.
“Oh, in that case, Leader Yang Hao should depart immediately,” Elder Hurd nodded, smiling so hard his fur seemed to tremble.
“Depart?” Yang Hao was stunned, as if someone had hit him with a hammer. “Where am I going? I thought the Alliance Leader didn’t have to go to the frontlines?”
Yang Hao’s expression was clearly full of innocence, but everyone in the room was pretending to be clueless while secretly knowing exactly what was going on. Among them, the worst actor yet most enthusiastic performer was still Elder Hurd, that old bear. He turned to Steve, feigning shock: “What? Didn’t you tell Leader Yang Hao yet?”
“Tell me what?” Yang Hao’s heart began to race. He could sense something serious was about to happen.
Steve wore an expression that made Yang Hao want to punch him. He sighed dramatically: “Oh, I was going to tell you, but you accepted too quickly—I didn’t even have time to speak.”
“Is it too late to tell me now?” Yang Hao asked nervously. What if they were about to say something like the leader must castrate himself to take the position?
“Not at all. It’s just a small matter,” Steve said mysteriously, nodding to everyone around him. Clearly, everyone in the room already knew what he was about to say. “Earlier, I mentioned that the gods are on our side. According to our agreement with the gods, whoever becomes the leader of the Resistance Alliance must undergo special training from the gods, gaining the strength to rival the Empire.”
“That sounds good,” Yang Hao murmured, confused as to why they had kept it a secret.
“Exactly, exactly, it’s a good thing,” Hurd and the others chimed in.
“Woah! Does that mean I’ll really be receiving training from the gods themselves?” Yang Hao’s imagination ran wild, drool almost dripping from his mouth. “The gods are so powerful. Once I learn their techniques, maybe I can become as mighty as them!”
“Just afraid you’ll become a ghost before you become a god,” Hun Yuanzi muttered coldly.
“You’re just jealous because you can’t become a god first and then a leader of billions,” Yang Hao, now riding high, couldn’t hear such sarcasm.
“I just don’t understand,” Hun Yuanzi hit the nail on the head. “If being the leader of the Resistance Alliance is so great—no need to fight, billions of people loyal to you, and even divine training—why doesn’t anyone else want it? Normally, people should be fighting tooth and nail for this position. How did it end up with you, you little pervert?”
“Well…”
“It’s not because you’re handsome,” Ming Huanghou, though unaware of Yang Hao’s conversation with Hun Yuanzi, still reminded him with some concern. “This matter carries some risks.”
“No! No risk at all!” Hurd jumped onto the table, using his furry body to block Ming Huanghou. “Absolutely no risk at all! Hahaha!”
Among everyone in the hall, Elder Hurd, that old bear, was the most cunning and deceitful. Only Ming Huanghou seemed to genuinely care for Yang Hao, at least a little. Looking at Hurd’s eager expression, Yang Hao’s heart was filled with suspicion.
“Is participating in the gods’ training really difficult?”
“Not difficult at all,” Steve declared passionately. “Leader, after you leave, we will carry on your legacy, leading the Resistance Alliance in our battle against the Empire. We will take care of your parents, your wife will be taken care of, and your children will be raised by us…”
“STOP! STOP! Taking over other people’s wives? How come going for this training feels like going to die?”
“Ahhh!” Steve let out an earth-shattering scream, and the others, well-trained, screamed simultaneously. “Ahh! Ahh!”
Yang Hao nearly went deaf from the noise.
“Silence!” Steve clenched his fist, and the crowd obeyed instantly, leaving only him to speak. “Didn’t I tell you?”
“Tell me what?” A chill ran up Yang Hao’s spine.
“The part about it being a suicide mission,” Steve actually had the nerve to smile. “Didn’t I tell you that this divine training is actually a suicide mission?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage