Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

“Thank you, Mentor, and Uncle Lin. You both have done so much for me these past few months…” Ruo Manni said sincerely.

However, she wasn’t quite sure how to express her gratitude; sometimes, true appreciation can’t be fully conveyed in words.

“It’s because you’re a good child. You should continue to study hard and not let me and your Uncle Lin down,” Mentor Fang replied somewhat shyly.

As the teacher and student felt awkward due to the emotional moment, they were unaware that Captain Lin had been summoned to the Topaz military headquarters for an inquiry regarding the attendance soldiers he called in late last night.

In total, there were twelve attendance soldiers, and he had only called in two. Moreover, the replacements had arrived within a minute. Even in wartime, this wouldn’t be a significant issue, let alone in peacetime.

The reason it had escalated was likely due to someone trying to suppress him. Captain Lin listened expressionlessly to the accusations, not even glancing at his direct superior.

Since he was promoted to a Level Six warrior a year ago, he had faced this kind of subtle suppression.

The tipping point came over two months ago when he obtained a personal-level whip technique from his superior. Although he should have shown gratitude, he refused to engage in an act that violated military principles.

If his direct superior had taken action, this incident would never have blown up.

However, Captain Lin understood that this would likely just cause a commotion and wouldn’t lead to severe punishment; after all, the consequences would affect more than just himself.

Thus, aside from making the necessary statements, Captain Lin’s demeanor remained unchanged.

The one who brought this incident to light was his rival, who would gladly take his place. After Captain Lin finished his statements, his opponent eagerly stood up to deliver a passionate rebuttal, hoping to undermine Lin.

Just as he was speaking fervently, something unexpected happened. The serious-looking commander received a brief communication that seemed to change his attitude toward Captain Lin.

“Let’s call it a day. This matter concerning Captain Lin doesn’t need further discussion; he hasn’t violated any military regulations,” the commander said, his expression grim.

Everyone present could tell that the communication was from someone important, as the commander had not uttered a word before this.

The fourth-in-command, who had been eager to continue attacking, felt frustrated but was wise enough to recognize the shift in the commander’s demeanor after receiving the message. Understanding that something was amiss, he fell silent, and the inquiry meeting ended abruptly.

As the commander stood to leave, he turned back to glance at Captain Lin, his expression troubled, and remarked meaningfully, “You truly are a good guardian.”

Captain Lin had been wondering who had sent the message to the commander and why they would suppress the complaints against him. Was it for his benefit or for another purpose?

However, upon hearing the commander’s words, he immediately realized that this matter involved Ruo Manni. The person who had contacted the commander was doing so on her behalf.

The reason he had urgently called in the attendance soldiers was to rescue Ruo Manni.

Captain Lin had already mentioned Ruo Manni during his earlier statements and naturally wouldn’t reveal anything further to draw attention to her.

With a mysterious expression, he saluted the commander and was about to say something when he received a communication that ignored the silent mode.

Looking at the display, he saw it was a message from the capital’s military department.

With no other options, Captain Lin opened the holographic interface. Upon seeing the familiar, handsome face, his surprise was evident, catching the attention of everyone in the conference room.

He also saluted formally, saying, “Captain Lin Changfeng greets Major Huo.”

As senior officers, their communication channels were set to private, meaning that even in a room of over a dozen people, no one could see who he was talking to or hear his voice.

However, those who had risen to such ranks were not ordinary individuals; many of them could read his lips and discern what he had said.

Major Huo…

Was it the Major Huo they suspected?

Curious glances turned towards Captain Lin. Wasn’t he the discarded child of the Lin family from the capital? Had they misjudged the rumors, or had Captain Lin truly broken the stigma of being useless, forging new connections since becoming a Level Six warrior?

After finishing the communication, Captain Lin unsurprisingly noticed that everyone in the conference room, including the highest-ranking commander of Topaz Star, was looking at him with complex expressions.

“Changfeng, do you have a connection with Major Huo?” asked the second-in-command of Topaz Star kindly.

“We used to know each other, but he sent me a secret order. I need to take my leave,” Captain Lin replied, saluting and walking briskly out.

The others present didn’t dare to ask about the secret order or try to stop him.

Major Huo was someone they absolutely wouldn’t interfere with.

As Captain Lin stepped out, he saw his aide, Officer George, waiting outside the conference room for news.

Noticing Captain Lin’s serious expression, George’s relaxed demeanor immediately tensed up, and he asked sternly, “What’s going on?”

Captain Lin gestured for him to wait, walking ahead, and George followed closely, remaining silent.

Once back in Captain Lin’s office, George could no longer hold back and impatiently said, “It’s just a small matter. Why are those people making such a fuss? Even if they want to suppress you, they don’t need to make it so ugly.”

“Usually they can’t find any flaws in us, but now they’re making a mountain out of a molehill—guess they just had bad luck,” Captain Lin replied lightly, though his serious expression didn’t ease.

George picked up on the underlying meaning and looked at him questioningly.

“The commander and I both received communications right after each other during the meeting,” Captain Lin said.

“Who called?” George asked, surprised.

In that moment, the conference room had lifted the barrier against communications, so anyone getting through had to be from high military ranks.

“I don’t know who the commander received a message from, but mine was from Major Huo,” Captain Lin said calmly.

“What? Huo? The eldest son of the Huo family from the capital, the first aide to the crown prince? When did you meet him?” George asked, clearly astonished.

Officer George had been by Captain Lin’s side since military school, and he was familiar with Lin’s connections in the capital. Therefore, he understood that Major Huo likely did not know Captain Lin very well.