“Marquis Liaohai, I’m afraid this is another misunderstanding. I don’t think you should hold such a preconception that we doubtlessly mean harm to you and the Astounding Thunder Fleet. Getting to the bottom of it, we share the same purpose, which is the stability and magnificence of the Imperium.”
Dongfang Bai took a deep breath and hid his real emotions again. Gloomily, he said, “This is an important matter, and we will not do anything without concrete evidence. So, we do not need Marquis Liaohai to provide more intelligence. We are visiting you mainly to ask Marquis Liaohai to make a public statement.”
Lei Chenghu raised his eyebrow. “What statement?”
“In the name of ‘the highest commander of the Astounding Thunder Fleet, the commander of the Third Battle Area of the expedition army, admiral of the Imperium, Marquis Liaohai’, you will make a public statement to express your firm support on all the decisions the Council of Elders make to strike the rebellion forces, including the Blood Oath Alliance, reprimand the grave betrayals that the radical organizations such as the Blood Oath Alliance committed, and call for the middle- and bottom-level officers to return from the lost journey and pledge loyalty to the Imperium, the Council of Elders, and His Majesty.”
Rolling his eyes, Dongfang Bai said, “You are free to choose the specific words and phrases. We guarantee that we will not change any of it. As long as the three intentions listed above are expressed, it will be fine.”
Lei Chenghu narrowed his eyes. “So, you want me to be absolutely loyal to the Council of Elders?”
Dongfang Bai raised his voice slightly. “The Council of Elders represents the ultimate glory of the Imperium and His Majesty. Is it not worth your absolute loyalty?”
Lei Chenghu’s voice gradually turned tough. “The Council of Elders certainly deserves the absolute loyalty of every soldier of the Imperium. But when it comes to a specific elder, it may not necessarily be the case!”
“Marquis Liaohai, it appears to me that you do not have a clear understanding of the current situation!”
Grinding his teeth like a hyena, Dongfang Bai sounded even more gloomily than before. “We all absolutely trust your loyalty, and we want to settle the aftermath of the incident of the Blood Oath Alliance appropriately in the greatest kindness, so that the aftermath would not spread to all the troops in the frontline and escalate to the point that it is beyond rescue!
“A public statement by you will be the simplest and most effective approach!
“As long as you make such a statement, the Council of Elders will absolutely trust you immediately and end the so-called ‘investigation’.
“If you can go one step further and cooperate with us to investigate the radicals hiding in the Third Battle Area and the Astounding Thunder Fleet, making all of them lay down their weapons and surrender, we will even punish most of them less severely, and they will still have an opportunity to return to the fleet after some time of isolation and investigation!
“Isn’t it the best choice for both of us?”
Lei Chenghu thought hard; his small and round eyes were completely hidden behind the wrinkles and the scars.
As to whether or not it was Dongfang Bai’s proposal that he was considering, that was something nobody could tell.
Half a minute later, Lei Chenghu asked calmly, “What if I make such a public statement to express my absolute support for the Council of Elders and cooperate with all the operations of the special investigation committee after I return to the Astounding Thunder Fleet and stabilize the situation in the frontline? Is it acceptable?”
“About that…”
Dongfang Bai smiled again, like a sharp-mouthed cub. “We think that there is no need for you to return to the Astounding Thunder Fleet in such a hurry. Out of admiration for you, I can reveal a piece of news that is probably true to you in private.
“To award your remarkable contributions in the Imperium’s counterattack in the past ten years, the Council of Elders has been discussing whether to grant you the rank of ‘Supreme Commander’. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know that the Imperium hasn’t had a new Supreme Commander for a hundred years. It will certainly be an unparalleled glory.
“Then, once you are truly accolated as a Supreme Commander of the Imperium, your place as the commander of the Third Battle Area of the expedition army will certainly not deserve Marquis Liaohai anymore.
“The Council of Elders is thinking to establish a new ‘Coalition Command Headquarters’. It is hoped that you can return to the capital and work as the leader of the Coalition Command Headquarters. We believe that you will make great contributions to the Imperium, the Council of Elders, and His Majesty like you did in the past.”
“Coalition Command Headquarters?”
Lei Chenghu pondered about the new department carefully. There was no telling what was rolling on his mind from either his eyes or his wrinkles. He said peacefully, “What is that? We have the ‘Department of National Defense’, ‘Department of Military Orders’, and ‘General Staff’. Are those bloated agencies that hamstring each other not enough to accommodate the descendants of the noble families? Why are you making a new, useless department?”
Dongfang Bai’s eyelids twitched quickly. Ignoring the thorns in the old general’s words, he continued his smile, “What you said is very true, Marquis Liaohai. It is exactly because of the overlapping architecture of the government and army of the Imperium that many problems such as low efficiency, corpulence, and uncoordinated orders have appeared. That is why we need to establish the ‘Coalition Command Headquarters’ to lead and balance the different departments that are in conflict.
“In the meantime, the Imperium’s counterattack that has lasted a decade has achieved the strategical purpose preliminarily. In the next phase, our main focus is to stabilize the defense areas and restore the productivity of the recovered worlds. With the new situation in mind, the ‘expedition army’ will no longer be necessary.
“Right now, the Council of Elders is planning to regroup and reorganize the troops in the expedition army’s base and frontline. Part of the expedition army will be regrouped into a border defense army and stationed in the frontline. Part of the troops that have come after a long journey will return to their hometowns. Part of the expedition army will be distributed to the recovered worlds as the first forces to build the new worlds.
“The interests involved will definitely be overwhelmingly complicated. We need a prestigious and selfless leader to organize everything. In the entire Imperium, who else is qualified to shoulder the responsibility if not Marquis Liaohai?”
Lei Chenghu was amused by the guy’s self-righteousness. Staring at Dongfang Bai for such a long time until the head of the intelligence agency felt creepy, he finally said, “Got it now. You want me to leave my own fleet and hassle with the Department of National Defense, the Department of Military Orders, the General Staff, and the glut of nobles. Is that all?”
“Of-Of course not.”
Although his real body was far away, Dongfang Bai was still sweating hard under Lei Chenghu’s scorching eyes. In an even more obsequious smile, he said, “If Marquis Liaohai is willing to return to the capital to lead the Coalition Command Center, the Council of Elders promises that the ‘Splendid Lake Sector’ of the recovered worlds will be set as Marquis Liaohai’s eupatrid fief. The Splendid Lake Sector will be your property as long as the Imperium exists!”
“The Splendid Lake Sector is the most prosperous one out of the dozens of newly-reclaimed worlds. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Council of Elders is truly generous. I’m beginning to be convinced that you are here with utmost sincerity and kindness.”
With an even more brilliant smile, Lei Chenghu said, “Anything else?”
“Yes.”
Staring at every wrinkle on Lei Chenghu’s face, Dongfang Bai raised the trump card. “It is only natural for the first Supreme Commander of the Imperium after a hundred years and the leader of the Coalition Command Headquarters to enter the Council of Elders as one of the supreme elders of the Imperium, right?”
“Supreme Commander of the Imperium, elder of the Imperium, lord of the Splendid Lake Sector, leader of the Coalition Command Headquarters…”
Lei Chenghu seemed to be really thinking about it carefully. “This is your part of the deal, and all I need to do is to make a public statement and leave the Astounding Thunder Fleet?”
“Regarding the arrangement of the Astounding Thunder Fleet, we can talk about it slowly. I’m sure that Marquis Liaohai will find the result satisfactory.”
His eyes glowing, Dongfang Bai said, “Frankly speaking, Marquis Liaohai, the Astounding Thunder Fleet has indeed made the greatest contributions to the Imperium in the past hundred years. It was an iron wall that resisted the Covenant Alliance. But the situation of the war has been reversed. The Covenant Alliance is crushed without any ability to fight back. It is unnecessary and unaffordable to keep so many regular armies in the frontline.
“The brothers of the Astounding Thunder Fleet have been immersed in the bloody hell for a hundred years. How can we bear to watch them continue suffering in the frontline? Shouldn’t we try to let them live a few comfortable days?
“There are so many prosperous resource worlds in the recovered territories. Or rather, the Council of Elders is even willing to find a peaceful, beautiful, and resourceful planet in the rear to settle the soldiers who have made remarkable contributions. The Imperium will definitely not wrong any hero.
“Besides, the incident of the Blood Oath Alliance involves many aspects of the troops in the frontline. At such a delicate time, we are not especially targeting the Astounding Thunder Fleet, but it is not very good for everybody to keep any deep-sky fleet in the frontline on such a large scale and such high independence, right?”
Lei Chenghu chuckled in a low voice. Baring his teeth that had been dyed lead grey by fire and smoke, he said, “It sounds fair enough. But what if I refuse?”
“The Council of Elders trusts Marquis Liaohai’s loyalty and judiciousness. They know that you will consider the future of the Astounding Thunder Fleet and the Imperium even if you are not considering the future of yourself and your family.”
Dongfang Bai bent his back and glimpsed at Lei Chenghu from down below. “If you are truly considering for the Astounding Thunder Fleet and the Imperium, and you do not want a superstorm to sweep across the sea of stars and involve many people of the Astounding Thunder Fleet, you will certainly not refuse it.”
“You’re wrong. I refuse it,” Lei Chenghu replied casually, without hesitating for even half a second.
Dongfang Bai’s dry, adulatory smile on his face was entirely gone.
He was just like a hyena that had rushed out of the bushes at the dead body of a giant beast, ready to enjoy a great deal, only to discover that the beast suddenly woke up and bulged its giant brown eyes at it.
“W-Why?”
Dongfang Bai’s face couldn’t have been paler. He said, one word after another, “Marquis Liaohai, General Lei! You must trust the sincerity of the Council of Elders. This is all for the big picture! The big picture!”