Chapter 43 Firepower Is the Only Absolute Truth

November 19, 829 of the Common Era, 8:30 PM.

One hundred and twenty-seven marine gorillas from the 101st Regiment, plus one garrison grunt, had already arrived near the Archie Heights. Lying low amidst the steep peaks, they observed their designated target across a ravine over a hundred meters wide.

Everything was going smoothly—so smoothly that Captain Winter and the officers of the 101st were somewhat surprised. In contrast, Yu Lian, who had anticipated the situation all along, was probably the most nonchalant of them all.

"You see, Captain, I told you there wouldn't be a problem. Since we've already slipped in here, we've practically won half the battle."

Captain Winter nodded in agreement, but his gaze toward Yu Lian carried a hint of extra astonishment. "You guessed this from the very beginning?"

He had watched Yu Lian's performance the entire way. Even he, a battle-hardened veteran, felt a bit tense, yet this "student soldier" remained carefree, almost recklessly relaxed, wearing the casual expression of someone going on a weekend picnic. He practically lacked only a hotpot and a song.

"Yes, the enemy's chances of discovering us are extremely slim. I am almost certain of it. Even if there are any accidents, they are well within our ability to handle."

Seeing that Captain Winter and the big guys of the 101st looked somewhat doubtful, Yu Lian decided it was best to offer an analysis, lest they really take him for a lunatic.

"The Sand People are gathered together based solely on the personal prestige of Grand Elder Hesen. As 'barbarians,' they are fundamentally incapable of establishing a reliable scouting and surveillance network. The various tribes don't even share a common language, and many harbor blood feuds. A slight disturbance among them creates a massive commotion, which objectively covers our movements."

In fact, it wasn't just disturbances. Two tribes numbering in the hundreds had actually started fighting, drawing over twenty times as many onlookers. It was truly a bustling, noisy spectacle, practically rivaling the finals of the Celestial Galaxy Cup last year. It forced the Grand Elder to send people to suppress the brawl, a mess that hadn't even been fully cleaned up yet.

Moreover, it wasn't just these numb, ignorant, carefree onlookers who were beyond medical salvation; even the elite tank crews among the Sand People were objectively making things convenient for everyone.

Yes, the tank crews had read a little bit of books and possessed some sense of national mission and honor, so yesterday's disastrous defeat was naturally viewed by them as an ultimate humiliation. The Sand People tank crews knew that this was largely due to their own lack of skilled craftsmanship—which couldn't be helped, as most of these Sand People tank drivers had only learned some basic tutorials, driven for a few hours, and then been ruthlessly shoved onto the battlefield. Unskilled craftsmanship was understandable.

However, poor skill was fine; what was truly terrifying was lacking even a shred of shame. Fortunately, these Sand People elites were fine fellows. They simply cordoned off several open areas within the massive encampment to practice driving tanks overnight. Consequently, the encampment constantly echoed with the roaring of engines and the shouts of young Sand People, presenting a thriving spectacle of intense military drills.

"With this kind of commotion, even if the Panther vehicles and tanks from the Cillica side accidentally exposed themselves, they would probably be mistaken for friendly forces. Meanwhile, all our mechs are equipped with optical camouflage and silencers, achieving maximum concealment. The enemy is numerous, yet fragmented under different commanders. The tank crews and gunners look down on the city-state lords, while the city-state lords regard the nomadic khans as bandits and guard against them day and night. They lack coordination and cooperation. The military barriers between tribes and between city-states are distinct, and the empty zones between them are subconsciously treated as buffer zones, so no one is sent to monitor them. Instead, it makes it easy for us to slip through the gaps."

"So, the marching route you led us on just now happened to pass right through the gaps between the enemy encampments?" Captain Winter nodded in admiring realization. "What a surgical march!"

Uh, well, that was your original marching route to begin with.

"You observed from the mountain for so many days precisely for all this?" the captain asked again.

Just what precisely was "all this"? I spent those days on the mountain waiting for you guys to arrive while watching the show. At most, I carefully located Hesen's main camp so I could rescue my senior sister from her tragic fate of lying in the hospital for half a year when the time comes, Yu Lian thought.

After so many days of meticulous reconnaissance, he must have memorized all the enemy camp divisions, patrol routes, and exploitable gaps in his head, and then analyzed the most perfect infiltration route—or so the captain believed.

Thinking of this, although Captain Winter didn't draw in a cold breath, he couldn't help but elevate his evaluation of this young man once more.

This kid was truly terrifying! Could it be that all "Moonlanders" were like this?

He immediately dismissed the thought in his heart. He had served in the Outer Rim Fleet for quite a long time and had seen countless officers from prominent backgrounds. He knew the standard of those "elite bureaucrats" all too well; they strutted around like peacocks every day, but to put it bluntly, they were just a bunch of gophers wrapped in feather blankets and eating with silver knives and forks. The so-called "Moonlanders," though rare, were nothing he hadn't seen before. Essentially, they just had flashier blankets and more exquisite cutlery than other gophers.

"Sub-lieutenant, have you ever considered serving in the Outer Rim Fleet after graduation?" the captain asked abruptly.

Uh, what was this? Recruitment? Yu Lian was slightly bewildered.

"Oh, but I heard you're in the Strategic Research Department. Even if you did join the Outer Rim Fleet, you'd probably go straight to the command headquarters. General Paris is a warm and honest officer; he'll surely appreciate you."

Yu Lian felt a mix of amusement and warmth. However, he hadn't completely made up his mind about his future yet, so he could only reply, "I am deeply grateful for your trust and appreciation. However, I haven't fully decided what path to take in the future. Besides, as a soldier, one must ultimately give priority to the assignments of the National Defense Committee."

"True, graduating from military academy doesn't necessarily mean you have to serve in the military. With your excellence, you'll have a bright future anywhere. It really would be a pity for you to be a grunt."

If even an outstanding frontline officer like Captain Winter held this mindset, one could easily imagine the prevailing ethos of the entire Commonwealth, and indeed the entire galactic civilization. It wasn't hard to understand why the future would end up the way it did.

The topic ended there, and they chatted in whispers for a few more moments, beginning to wait for the general assault to commence.

Yu Lian checked the time, estimating that Elena's side should have started their battle by now. Yet, hearing no movement at all, he couldn't tell whether that was a good sign or a bad one.

Just as Yu Lian was debating whether to call them, Elena's voice finally came through the helmet's built-in communicator: "Sir, everything is going smoothly."

"—Does 'everything is going smoothly' mean your infiltration is smooth or your attack is smooth?"

"We've already captured the enemy position. We are setting up the firepower positions according to your prior arrangements!"

That was even faster than I imagined!

"—Is that guy cooperating?"

"Mr. Stein helped a great deal; he was very cooperative and very brave. He seems to be able to deploy some kind of domain-like ability to conceal our tracks. After reaching the destination, he was also the one who launched the attack first, which is why it went so smoothly."

Naturally. Travelers were among the few psions who could provide buffs to groups in the early stages, and they possessed quite decent stealth capabilities. That was precisely why he had chosen this route in his past life.

"Also, there are indeed two quadruple anti-aircraft guns set up here. Uncle Carl is modifying them at full speed."

Plans are subject to change.

"Alright, don't rush. According to the original plan, it will be fine to complete the preset firepower positions by nine o'clock."

"The firepower positions are basically finished, and most personnel are in place. Um, I can actually see you now, sir."

Hearing this, Yu Lian looked in the direction of Elena's position, though naturally, nothing could be distinguished beneath the veil of the night.

"When intercepting the enemy, be sure to keep an eye on everyone and do not make rash charges. Use artillery fire to eliminate the enemy whenever possible—we have plenty of firepower right now! Bottom line, don't throw! Understood?"

"—Understood." Elena replied in a less-than-firm tone. Of course, given this girl's temperament, since she agreed, she would definitely follow through.

Yu Lian cut the communication, only to find Captain Winter sizing him up with a strange look.

"There is a notion in the General Staff known as the 'futility of infantry,' Sub-lieutenant. Do you agree with them?"

"Sir, those are just a bunch of mentally handicapped individuals who think robots and 'psions' can completely replace marines and stormtrooper units. Sir, I am not opposed to close combat and charges, nor am I against the existence of mechanized infantry, but our army tactics do have problems—at least the timing of choices is flawed. If we can eliminate the enemy with firepower, why make everyone risk closing the distance with them? Firepower, more firepower, more fierce firepower, more fierce and precise firepower—that is the very essence of war!"

Captain Winter was somewhat moved, but still asked, "How so?"

"During the Ten-Year War, the number of people who died from orbital bombardment was more than three times that of land warfare. Within the scope of ground warfare, those who died from long-range artillery shelling and low-altitude bombing were three times that of firearms; and finally, those who died from firearms reached four times those who died from close-combat damage like swords, axes, hammers, and fists!"

Yu Lian was actually shifting the goalposts just a fraction here. He had ignored space boarding actions and the close-range "高手对决" (expert duels) between Astral Knights and mercenaries. One had to realize that even if a high-level psion died, it only added one to the casualty count, yet the blow to the overall battle situation and morale was no less than having an entire legion wiped out or a dreadnought sunk.

Despite this, Yu Lian firmly believed he was right.

If this were someone with profound theoretical knowledge, they would probably debate Yu Lian back and forth for a few rounds by now—say, his illustrious classmates from posterity. However, Captain Winter was, after all, only a frontline officer. Wanting to refute him, he didn't know what to say, and even felt that Yu Lian made sense. After pondering for a moment, he finally sighed, "Doesn't that just prove that infantry are useless?"

"I never said that. Orbital suppression, ship-boarding, stronghold capture, and mopping up remnant enemies all require outstanding mechanized infantry. More importantly, the existence of mechanized infantry doing the most dangerous work is precisely the source of courage for the entire military, the ultimate bottom line of a nation and a people's will to fight. Sir, that is why I propose the theory of firepower. Stormtroopers, marines, your duty is to be at the forefront of the most dangerous battlefields at all times. As for us... or rather, my future duty, it is to try our best to create a relatively less dangerous battlefield for you."

Captain Winter, along with the rest of the officers and soldiers who had been listening spellbound, remained silent for a long time. The silence lasted for several more minutes, until the captain's timer chimed in his helmet. It was time for the general assault.

He took a deep breath, checked the firearm in his hand, the Vulcan cannon at his side, and the chainsword on his back, while unable to help asking once more, "Sub-lieutenant, do you really not want to consider serving in the Outer Rim Fleet?"

"Uh..."

"Heh, just kidding. Then, please come with us and together prove the meaning of our existence!"