Chapter 32: Hidden Currents

Before long, there was a knock on the door, and a young and beautiful lieutenant with short hair walked in, carrying a stack of documents.

“Colonel Gu, this is the latest summary of the dark races’ activities, our defensive forces’ deployment, and the intelligence to be sent to the 131st Company.”

The man gave her a look, his stern expression softened slightly. “Here, do not call me colonel, nor use my name.”

“Yes! C— I mean, sir.” The lieutenant immediately corrected herself.

The man first opened the intelligence summary, which was a vast map, marking the latest distributions and movements of the dark races’ tribes and military forces. Such battlefield-level intelligence could only be collected and summarized regularly by units at the expeditionary army level.

In the man’s eyes, although the distribution map still had many flaws and inaccuracies, such as blurry data and outdated annotations, it was still far better than nothing. At least, it provided a high-altitude perspective of the battlefield for the troops fighting in this area, rather than seeing only a small part of the field.

After a quick glance, the man said, “It seems the dark races have been more active recently. What’s the reason?”

The lieutenant replied, “According to the intelligence, there seem to be clues about the Dark King’s treasure in this area, attracting many elite dark races.”

“The Dark King’s treasure?” The man chuckled, shaking his head. “This legend has been around for over a hundred years, with countless crucial clues discovered, yet no one has found the so-called treasure. These dark-blooded beings still haven’t given up!”

The lieutenant added, “The wealth left by a Great Lord of the dark races is too tempting. Even if the clue is false, many would come to check. After all, they have nothing better to do. It’s said that the sudden appearance of the Eternight Councilor in Dark Blood City last time was for the same reason.”

The man opened the 131st Company’s document envelope, first pulling out an equipment list. Seeing the clearly overpowered weapons, he raised an eyebrow and tossed it aside. He then opened the classified intelligence to be sent to the 131st Company, saying, “True, the dark races don’t understand construction; most of their efforts are focused on conflict and power.”

His voice suddenly stopped.

The lieutenant looked up, puzzled, and saw his cheek muscles twitching, his face pale as he stared intently at the intelligence in his hand.

Startled, she sneaked a peek at the paper, shocked by the map’s coverage and the dense markings and information.

Even without reading the text, she knew from experience that this was intelligence only a battalion or higher should possess, and it should never appear in a small independent company’s files.

According to the imperial military law, this was a severe breach, punishable by execution for the officer directly responsible, with all related personnel also facing repercussions, the lightest being dismissal from the military.

The lieutenant was first shocked, then sighed, her expression dimming.

This was the empire’s abandoned land, where the expeditionary army was known for its lax discipline. Here, strict laws were interpreted in various ways, and as long as it didn’t catch the attention of the inspectors, anything could be dealt with leniently.

Undoubtedly, this intelligence appeared in the 131st Company’s file because of Miss Qiqi’s instruction. As a noble scion under the guise of a defensive aid, Qiqi was someone the generals of the expeditionary army dared not offend. After all, Qiqi was only in the Eternight continent for a year, using this region as a training ground. The achievements of her troops would eventually be included in the expeditionary army’s reports, benefiting the generals without any harm. Why upset her?

What to do now? Report her?

The lieutenant immediately thought of her fate. If Qiqi threw a minor officer under the bus, she would be implicated in some obscure matter, ending up in prison and suffering torture, possibly even involving her family.

The man began to breathe deeply, trying to calm his anger. He knew Qiqi well, very well. Since the engagement, he had meticulously gathered all information about her.

Over the ten years, she had grown from a girl to a woman, from an unremarkable second daughter to a contender for the Yan family’s succession. In these years, he had only seen her a few times at official Yan family gatherings, but he might know her better than she knew herself.

Sending equipment was trivial, but considering the intelligence showed Qiqi’s concern for the 131st Company, and specifically for its new commander, Qi Ye!

In the past, she had never shown such interest in her numerous “lovers.”

The lieutenant’s expression changed, and she suddenly hugged the man from behind, whispering, “Li Yu, don’t be like this, calm down! This kind of thing has happened before, hasn’t it?”

The man was Liyu, Qiqi’s nominal fiancé. He wasn’t in the military headquarters but had secretly come to the Eternight continent and was hiding in this outpost.

The expeditionary army was a melting pot, filled with various people and factions. It was common for units to appear and disappear, and even the supreme commander couldn’t keep track of his own forces.

But this wasn’t a big deal. The expeditionary army was just one of many in the imperial ranks, and the commander only needed to ensure the generals’ numbers were correct, with special care for a few unique officers.

Given Liyu’s connections and position in the military, manipulating a small outpost was child’s play.

Liyu finally calmed down, gritting his teeth, “This time, it’s different!”

The lieutenant hesitated, not daring to ask.

Liyu answered himself, “Ji Yuanjia’s reaction is different this time.” He seemed to dislike the name, pausing before continuing, “No matter how loyal, he’s still just a dog.”

The lieutenant didn’t dare speak, but Liyu suddenly turned, picked her up, and pressed her onto the desk, lifting her skirt and pressing his body against hers.

A fierce storm of assault followed!

The lieutenant clamped her mouth shut with one hand, clutching his strong back with the other.

Liyu looked up at the ceiling, thrusting wildly into the compliant female body beneath him, roaring like a beast, “Qiqi! Just you wait! No matter what, I won’t let you break off the engagement! We will get married! I’m waiting for the wedding night!”

After the frenzied exertion, he suddenly lost all his strength, collapsing onto the lieutenant. The beautiful short-haired lieutenant, too weak to move, occasionally twitched and moaned weakly.

Moments later, Liyu stood up, carried the lieutenant to a cot, and wiped her sweat-drenched face. Then, he sat at the desk, unfolding the 131st Company’s classified intelligence, and took out a blank military map, marking the dark races’ strongholds and troop movements.

He was clearly experienced, quickly filling the map with data, turning it into a battalion-level intelligence chart in less than half an hour.

Liyu added a few words to the strategic guidance section, changing “Contract defenses” to “Conventional war preparations.” He double-checked the changes, folded the map, and put it back in the 131st Company’s intelligence packet.

The lieutenant had already stood up, straightening her clothes.

Liyu handed her the modified packet, saying, “Take this to the 131st Company. Hmph, I hope that brat isn’t so stupid that he can’t read this.”

The lieutenant’s eyes flickered with complex emotions. She said softly, “The former captain Bao Zhengcheng and the original non-commissioned officers are still there. Even if that Qi kid doesn’t understand, others will. I think they’ll follow your plan.”

“Good. This time, they’re as good as dead. A mere fourth-level combatant, hmpf!” Liyu nodded, his expression softening.

Finally, the lieutenant couldn’t hold back, saying, “Don’t be too angry. I was scared earlier.”

Liyu pulled her into his arms, sighing, “Xiao Wei, I’m sorry. I care too much. Once I have Qiqi, I’ll take good care of you. Trust me!”

“Um,” Ye Muwei agreed, her heart heavy with a deep sigh. She caressed the man’s handsome features, her heart racing as his serious expression relaxed slightly.

Upon returning to the camp, Qi Ye gave the entire company a three-day leave. He stayed in the barracks, practicing military tactics, maintaining his equipment, and reflecting on the recent battles.

Replacing a commander on the eve of battle was a major taboo, so Qi Ye used the original team, led by Bao Zhengcheng, for both strategy and on-site command. He only chose his position as a skilled sniper, a right he deserved.

The 131st Company was indeed experienced, and Qi Ye learned much from Bao Zhengcheng and the non-commissioned officers, as if extending his Red Scorpion days. When he was a rookie, he had fought solo and in squad roles, and normally, he would have been ready for a non-commissioned officer’s command.

That noon, two trucks entered the 131st Company’s camp. Qi Ye, in his room cleaning the two short guns of the Marquis Ross, heard a knock on the door. Bao Zhengcheng, beaming, pushed the door open.

Seeing his joy, Qi Ye smiled and asked, “What’s the good news?”