Shadow of Deep Space

Chapter 447 Fundraising (Five in One)

Not long after, in the central control room of the Meteorite.

Su Ming walked in with Rhine and others, and Timmy and others reported to Su Ming respectfully.

"Commander Su Ming, everything is ready."

"Very good, let's take a detour and return to the Federation via the Space Army Headquarters route. Although this will increase the distance, it is safer!"

Su Ming instructed Timmy.

"Understood, set sail!"

Timmy gave orders to Li Menghan and others.

"Yes."

"Begin disconnecting the connector."

Everyone started to take action.

in the starry sky.

The Falling Light began to leave the headquarters and head towards the distant starry sky.

At this time, on the observation deck of the headquarters.

Mia stood there alone, looking at the Falling Light which was going farther and farther away. Her expression was a little gloomy and she sighed sadly.

"Ugh."

The next morning.

Su Ming was sleeping soundly on the bed when there was a knock on the door.

dong dong~
Xiao Hui heard the noise and kept squeaking at Su Ming.

Su Ming woke up in a daze, raised his bracelet to check the time, it was already nine o'clock in the morning.

But he was also a little confused. Who would come to see him so early in the morning?

Su Ming got up from the bed and left the bedroom. He walked to the door and opened it. He saw Colonel Onnette standing at the door, pushing a food cart.

"Master Su Ming, you are awake!"

O'Neal greeted flatteringly.

"Onit, what are you doing?"

Su Ming asked doubtfully.

"Master Su Ming, since you didn't have dinner, I specially prepared breakfast for you. There are soy milk, seafood porridge, bread, fruit, etc. What do you want to eat?"

Ornette asked with a grin.

The corner of Su Ming's mouth twitched slightly. This guy is really good at flattering. He even prepared breakfast in such a fancy way. Then he started talking.

"Come in first."

"Ok!"

O'Neal hurried in pushing the food cart.

Su Ming walked to the sofa and sat down.

Onnette was very discerning and placed various breakfasts on the table in front of the sofa.

"Don't be so troublesome next time, or just ask someone below to deliver it to you."

Su Ming picked up the soy milk and started drinking it.

"That won't do. The people below are clumsy, so it's better for me to deliver it myself! By the way, Master Su Ming, here is the list of our casualties and the pension approval form, as well as the list of the spoils of war seized."

Ornette said, picking up a report.

"Show it to me."

Su Ming then reached out to take the report and opened it.

O'Neill said to Su Ming very professionally.

"In these battles, a total of 136 of our companions were killed, and 26 were seriously injured and had to retire. The casualties were relatively large, and the pension would not be ideal."

Su Ming looked through the detailed list in the report and said with a heavy heart.

"For these people's pensions, you apply for them normally and get the amount approved. Then we will allocate funds from our reserve funds to fully subsidize the highest level of pensions."

"No problem, our reserve funds are still sufficient."

Ornette said with a smile.

"Ah."

Su Ming nodded slightly and continued to look through the report.

As a result, he saw the Gray Angel in the list of spoils in the report.

Su Ming immediately asked in surprise.

"Onit, how come the Gray Angel is in our hands?"

"This is what I recycled. After you guys finish the war, I will be there to clean up the mess."

"Wait, shouldn't this Gray Angel be confiscated?"

"Sir, what you said is correct. According to the rules of the Federation, it should indeed be confiscated. But you defeated this Gray Angel, and no one said anything when I took it back!"

The corner of Su Ming's mouth twitched slightly, and he continued to read on. It turned out that the list contained not only the Gray Angel, but also the wreckage of the Silver Executor, the fourth-generation light and shadow mecha, and the like.

"Onit, you even recycled the Silver Executors? Isn't that inappropriate?"

"Sir, there is nothing wrong with that. If the recovered mecha can be repaired, it can be used by our own people. If it cannot be repaired, it can be disassembled and sold for equipment and materials. The profit is also very considerable."

"."

"Sir, people should be thick-skinned. Of course, you can't let an adult do this kind of thing, but it doesn't matter to me!"

Ornette said with a smile.

"You did a great job. Take me to see the Gray Angel."

Su Ming was not a pedantic person, so he stood up, patted Onnite on the shoulder and said.

"Okay, sir, follow me."

Ornette said with a grin.

In fact, Onite also made some money from it, but the bulk of the profit went to Su Ming.

Then Su Ming followed Onite and left.

After a while.

They came to the storage warehouse and saw the Gray Angel placed alone in a corner.

The entire surface of the Gray Angel was damaged beyond recognition, and the main structure was deformed.

Su Ming walked up to the Gray Angel and reached out to touch it. Although the mecha was already destroyed, it still gave people a strong sense of oppression.

"Onit, have you asked someone to assess the extent of the damage to this mecha?"

Su Ming asked calmly.

"Sir, I have asked someone to evaluate it. The internal mechanical devices of this Gray Angel are all destroyed. The main structure has been deformed. There is no way to repair it. It can only be disassembled and melted back into the furnace."

"What a pity."

"It's a pity indeed, but you don't have to be disappointed, sir. This mecha is a high-end version, and the materials used are very good! We can recycle a large amount of Eternal Metal, which is definitely a huge profit."

O'Neal said with a smile

"Oh, by the way, Onit! I remember this mecha was equipped with a chain gun. Did you recover that weapon?"

Su Ming suddenly thought of the weapon thrown away by the Gray Angel, and then asked.

"Sir, please rest assured that I will do my job well. How could I make such a low-level mistake? Of course, the recycling is a complete set. The chain gun is over there."

Onit said, pointing to the chain gun placed on the weapons rack in the distance.

Su Ming walked over and looked at the pitch-black chain gun, and said to Onit with great satisfaction.

"Well done, I'll give you a credit!"

Although this chain gun is not as powerful as the Gun of Dawn, it also has its advantages and is very useful in specific battles.

"Thank you, sir!"

Onit said with a grin from ear to ear.

……

A few days later.

Inside the central control room of the Meteorite.

Su Ming sat in the command chair, leaning sideways on the back of the chair, thinking about something.

At this time, Timmy reported to Su Ming.

"Commander Su Ming, we are about to finish our superluminal flight and arrive at the Space Army Headquarters. Since the situation in the Abyss of Perdition is tight and we don't have much supplies, we need to stop at the Space Army Headquarters for supplies."

"it is good."

Su Ming nodded slightly in response.

Space Force Headquarters Conference Room.

Commander Aleck stood on the conference podium, and in the conference seats below sat officers with serious expressions.

The most eye-catching one is in the center of the first row, where sits a tall and thin man wearing a general's uniform, with neat short black hair, an aquiline nose, eyes like deep cold pools, revealing a bone-chilling chill, and a strong sense of oppression all over his body.

The man was none other than Admiral Sinrad.

"I have one last thing to say, everyone listen carefully! This escort mission is very important, and absolutely no problems are allowed. If anything goes wrong, I will punish all of you!"

Commander Aleck made a harsh statement directly.

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison.

"The meeting is dismissed!"

Commander Aleckde then spoke to everyone, turned around and left through the side door at the edge of the conference table.

At this time, the generals present stood up one after another, surrounded Sinrad, and congratulated and complimented him.

"Congratulations, General Sinrad!"

"You will be in charge of leading the escort this time. It will be absolutely foolproof."

"Yes, we are all relieved to have you here."

"Don't say that. I still have to rely on you. Please cooperate with me."

Admiral Sinrad said very modestly.

"General Sinrad, look at what you said. As long as you give the order, we will absolutely cooperate unconditionally!"

"Yes, after this escort is over, you may be promoted to general."

Everyone praised him with a smile.

"Thank you for your kind words."

Sinrad left the conference room amidst the attention of everyone.

On the other side, Aleck walked towards the office with a heavy heart.

"Commander, what's wrong with you?"

Admiral Taitat asked in confusion.

"Nothing serious, I'm just worried about this escort. After all, this escort is different from the usual ones. Those are resources that have been stored in the headquarters for hundreds of years. If there are any mistakes in the middle, it will be a disaster!"

"Didn't you mobilize a large number of troops to escort them?"

"not enough!"

"But all the troops that can be mobilized have been mobilized."

"I know."

Commander Aleck said irritably.

At this time, hurried footsteps were heard and an officer hurried over to report.

"Commander, a returning ship has requested to dock at headquarters for supplies and is about to land at headquarters."

"Returning ship? Where did it return from?"

Alec stopped and asked.

"The Abyss of Destruction."

The officer in charge of the notification quickly replied.

"The Abyss of Perdition? Wasn't it attacked by the Kingdom of Apocalypse and Chirami? They asked us for support before and sent people there a few days ago. How come there are ships returning?"

Commander Aleck frowned and said in confusion.

"A bit unusual?"

Admiral Taitat was also a little confused.

Commander Aleckde then asked.

"Who is the commander of the returning ship?"

"It's Lieutenant General Su Ming."

The officer quickly reported.

"Su Ming? It's actually him?"

Taitat was also a little surprised. He didn't expect that the one who returned was Su Ming.

"Tell him to come to my office to see me immediately."

Commander Aleck's eyes moved slightly, and he said to the officer who reported it.

"Yes!"

The officer responded quickly.

Space military headquarters, interstellar airport.

The Fallen Light slowly landed at the designated parking location.

In the central control room.

"Master Su Ming, we have landed at the designated position."

Timmy reported to Su Ming.

"Well, how long does it take for Onit to resupply?"

Su Ming nodded slightly, then asked Onit who was standing beside him.

"Master Su Ming, we are just doing routine supplies and will be able to set sail in 12 hours."

Ornette said with a smile.

"Well, we'll leave after we've resupplied!"

Su Ming gave simple instructions.

"it is good!"

Timmy and the others nodded in response.

hum~
At this moment, Su Ming's bracelet suddenly vibrated and a message suddenly popped up.

Su Ming glanced down at the message and frowned slightly.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

Rhine asked curiously.

"I just received a message from headquarters that Commander Aleck wants to see me."

Su Ming did not hide it from Rhine and the others.

"Huh? What does Commander Aleck want from you?"

"Boss, I remember that your relationship with him doesn't seem to be very good, right? You seemed to have embarrassed Commander Aleck before."

"Isn't he trying to take advantage of this opportunity to make things difficult for you?"

Rhine and others said in surprise.

"Don't make blind guesses. Commander Aleck doesn't have the time to make things difficult for me. There must be something going on."

Su Ming said as he stood up from his command chair.

"Yes."

Rhine scratched his head and replied.

Not long after, the boarding exit of the Fallen Light opened and Su Ming and others walked down from the ship.

At this time, Admiral Sinrad and others returned to the interstellar airport and were about to head towards the fast-moving platform.

On the right side of Admiral Sinrad, there was a man with a mustache, round eyes, and a shrewd look, wearing a major general's uniform. He saw the USS Fallout docked in the distance through the glass curtain wall and spoke in astonishment.

"Lord Sinrad, can you please look at that ship?"

"What's wrong, Natsu?"

Sinrad raised his head expressionlessly and looked towards the Falling Light.

"Isn't that the ship you reserved, my lord? It's really a narrow road for enemies to cross."

Natsu said to Sinrad angrily.

When Sinrad heard this, he looked towards the Falling Light with twinkling eyes.

At this time, a man wearing a major general's uniform and looking gentle and refined, who was following Sinrad's left, spoke.

"Lord Sinrad, we have an important mission now, so we shouldn't cause any trouble. Besides, this ship was awarded to Lieutenant General Su Ming by Lord Gakels. If we go looking for trouble now, it will easily cause problems."

"Credo, when did I say I was going to cause trouble for him? We are all companions, am I that petty?"

Sinrad replied calmly.

"My lord, you are right."

Credo responded quickly.

"Let's go!"

Sinrad said coldly.

When Sinrad and others walked to the fast moving platform.

Su Ming and others came down from another fast-moving platform, and the two groups passed each other.

More than an hour later.

Su Ming brought Rhine and a few others to the Space Army Headquarters, and they took the elevator to the top floor.

In the long passage, two fully armed soldiers stood every ten meters, guarding the passage very strictly.

"You guys wait for me here."

Su Ming gave instructions to Rhine and the others.

"Yes!"

Rhine and others responded immediately.

Su Ming walked straight in, and the soldiers along the way saluted him.

Soon he arrived at the door of Commander Aleck's office.

dong dong~
Su Ming raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

A steady voice came out.

Su Ming pushed open the door and walked straight in. He came in front of Commander Aleck and raised his hand to salute.

"Commander Aleck!"

"Don't be so reserved, sit down!"

Alec's usual stern tone was replaced by a kind smile.

"Yes."

Su Ming sat down somewhat uncomfortably.

At this time, Aleckde also noticed it, and he said to Su Ming with a smile.

"Relax, I actually have a very good relationship with your legion commander."

Su Ming was also very surprised and confused when he heard what Aleck said. If Aleck really had a very good relationship with Long Bai, then why did the previous Xingzang event become such a mess?
However, Su Ming was not stupid enough to question Aleckde, he just replied with a smile.

"Yes, Commander."

"Let's not talk about that. I heard that you just came back from the Abyss of Perdition?"

"Correct."

"How's the situation over there?"

Aleck looked at Su Ming and asked.

Due to the frequent invasions by the mechanical clan, network communications have become extremely unsafe, and the Federation has activated the wartime information transmission mode.

All information communication is changed into original paper reports.

Therefore, the headquarters only knew that the Abyss of Perdition was attacked by the Kingdom of Apocalypse and that they barely won the battle and needed assistance.

As for the specific battle report, Commander Aleck was not clear.

"It's terrible. The attack from the Kingdom of Apocalypse was particularly brutal, and the defending troops suffered heavy casualties. Fortunately, we were able to defeat the enemy in the end, and executed Andefa on the spot."

Su Ming simply said to Aleckde.

“Andefar was killed?
"Yes."

"Was it General Angulat who killed him?"

Alec asked in great shock.

Andefa is no small figure. His status in the Kingdom of Apocalypse is comparable to that of a general of the Federation.

"Well, it wasn't General Angulat who killed him. It was me who killed him."

Su Ming explained a little awkwardly.

"Did you kill him?"

When Aleck heard Su Ming's words, he stood up in astonishment.

"Yes."

Su Ming replied awkwardly.

Commander Aleck suppressed his shock, recalled Su Ming's performance in the Xingzang activity, and thought about it carefully.

It seems normal for Su Ming to kill Andefa. After all, this guy is extremely powerful when driving a biological mecha.

"well done!"

Commander Aleck smiled brightly and praised Su Ming.

"Thank you for the compliment, Commander."

Su Ming replied politely

"That Su Ming, where are you going now?"

Commander Aleck asked next.

"Commander, I was injured while fighting Anderfa. I am preparing to return to the Federation to recuperate. My ship will dock at the headquarters for supplies and then leave."

Su Ming explained simply.

"You're going back to the Federation, that's great!"

Alec said with a smile.

"what?"

Su Ming looked at Commander Aleckde in confusion.

"I'm organizing a fleet to escort supplies back to the Federation, but I don't have enough troops. Aren't you going back to the Federation? Take this mission while you're at it, and you'll get some military merit."

Commander Aleck said to Su Ming.

"Okay, I'll escort you along the way."

Su Ming thought about it and decided that since it was on the way, they could go together and gain some military merit.

The journey from the Space Army Headquarters to the Federation is actually quite safe most of the time.

"No, I mean for you to be the second-in-command of this escort."

Commander Aleck said to Su Ming.

"I'm the second-in-command?"

"Yes, the commander-in-chief this time is Admiral Sinrad, but I don't like his working style very much, and I don't trust him very much. But I have limited manpower, and the cargo we are escorting is very important, so there must be no problems, so I hope you can help keep an eye on it."

"But is this okay? A deputy commander suddenly parachuted in?" Su Ming felt a headache when he heard the name Sinrad.

He had just intercepted the enemy's ship not long ago. Airborne delivery to serve as deputy commander at this time does not mean a disguised reduction of his command authority.

"There's nothing wrong with it. The interests of the Federation are the most important. If something goes wrong with this batch of supplies, the sky will fall."

Commander Aleck said to Su Ming.

"Yes."

Seeing that Aleck had said this, Su Ming responded seriously.

"Go!"

Alec nodded and said.

"it is good!"

Su Ming saluted to Aleckde, then turned and left.

Aleck looked at Su Ming's leaving back and breathed a sigh of relief, a weight lifted off his shoulders.

At this time, Su Ming walked out of Aleckde's office and went straight to the elevator.

When Rhine and others saw Su Ming coming out, they couldn't wait to greet him and ask.

"Boss, what does the commander want to see you about?"

"Nothing much, just helping to escort the supplies back to the Federation, and earning some military merit along the way."

Su Ming simply said to Rhine.

“It’s a good job.”

"Then when do we set off?"

Rhine and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.

"After we finish resupplying, but before that, I need to go to the special operations department."

Su Ming said as he walked into the elevator with Rhine and others.

"it is good."

Rhine and others didn't ask any more questions.

After a while.

Su Ming and his companions arrived at the entrance of the special operations department.

Rhine and the others waited outside as they didn't have passes, and Su Ming walked in alone.

Not long after, he arrived at the training hangar, only to see that it was still very lively, with special forces personnel undergoing biological mecha training.

However, after Su Ming looked around, he still didn't see Lin Chuyu, and he didn't even see the mecha.

Su Ming also frowned. Could it be that the last matter has not been dealt with yet?

At this time, a familiar voice came from behind.

"Su Ming, why are you here again?"

Su Ming turned his head and saw Tigerduo walking over, so he asked with a smile.

"I'm here to see Lin Chuyu. How is she doing now?"

"Lin Chuyu was released not long after you came last time, but she is no longer at the Space Army Headquarters."

Tigerdo explained to Su Ming.

"Where did she go?"

Su Ming was also slightly stunned.

"It's like this. Didn't the Dark Star Empire fail in the Danube Star Sea before? Then they caused trouble in the Misty Star Sea. Not long ago, there was an alien attack, so they asked the headquarters for help. Commander Aleck ordered the Seventh Legion to send troops to support, and Lin Chuyu followed Lieutenant General Arms to the Misty Sea."

Taegedo said in a deep voice.

"I didn't expect that she went to the Misty Star Sea. I'll have to see her next time."

Su Ming said with some emotion when he heard this.

"The Misty Star Sea is a weird place. I originally wanted to go with her, but the headquarters didn't approve it."

Tagdo said very annoyed.

"Ahem, you'd better stay here honestly and don't cause any trouble."

Su Ming patted Tigerdo's shoulder and said.

"Go away. You can't say a single nice word for such a long time."

"Haha, I won't talk to you anymore. I'm leaving now!"

"Wait."

Tigerdo suddenly called Su Ming.

"Is there anything else?"

Su Ming looked at Tigerdo with some surprise.

"Take good care of yourself, don't try to be brave in everything, and drive less bio-mechas, or you'll end up dead before you turn around."

Tigerdo looked at the contaminated bloodstains on Su Ming's body and reminded him.

"Thanks."

Su Ming smiled, turned and left.

Tigerdo looked at Su Ming's leaving back and couldn't help but sigh.

Inside the central control room of the Star Destroyer Thunderbolt.

Admiral Sinrad sat in the command chair, constantly touching the armrests of the chair, and he liked it very much.

At this time, Natsu on the side flattered him.

"General, if you can successfully transport the supplies back to the Federation safely this time and be promoted to general, the Federation may assign the Thunder Pole to you."

"If that's the case, that would be great."

Admiral Sinrad was also very envious of the Lei Ji.

Although this Star Destroyer is not as good as the Legendary Star Destroyer Grey Angel, it is still one of the better Star Destroyers. Moreover, this Thunderbolt has only been in service for more than a decade, so it is not an exaggeration to say that it is almost new.

At this time, Credo said respectfully to Admiral Sinrad.

"General, all the ships are waiting in outer space. Can we set off now?"

"Well, let's go."

Sinrad immediately gave the order.

"Yes!"

Many operators immediately executed the order.

The Star Destroyer Thunderbolt slowly took off and began to leave the Space Army Headquarters.

When the Lei Ji reached space, it saw more than a hundred transport ships, half of which were level 5 transport ships. There were seven level 5 motherships escorting it, fifteen level 5 battleships, and more than thirty level 4 battleships.

The entire fleet is extremely large.

At this time, all the escort ships sent communication requests to the Lei Ji.

Natsu then answered the communication request.

Swish!

Square images appeared one after another, and many officers greeted respectfully.

"General Sinrad!"

"Well, I won't waste any more time talking nonsense, let's all go!"

Sinrad announced domineeringly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a message popped up on the operating screens of all the ships.

"Temporary notice: the departure time of the fleet has been postponed. The Level 5 battleship, the Falling Light, will join the escort formation. Vice Admiral Su Ming will serve as the deputy commander of the escort fleet. Please be patient."

"what's the situation?"

"Am I reading this correctly? The departure time has been postponed? Lieutenant General Su Ming is the deputy commander?"

"Isn't it enough to have General Sinrad in command? Why add a deputy commander?"

Many officers discussed this.

Sinrad looked at the prompt message without any change in expression, but reprimanded seriously.

"What are you arguing about? This is an order from headquarters. As soldiers, we should obey unconditionally. This is our duty!"

"Yes."

Many officers immediately responded with a serious expression.

"Everyone wait for the order to sail."

After Sinrad finished his explanation, he cut off all communications, and a barely perceptible coldness flashed across his eyes.

At this time, Natsu said angrily to Sinrad.

"General, it's Su Ming again. This guy is like a jinx. If he serves as deputy commander, won't he take away a lot of your military merits?"

"Let's split it. He's a popular figure next to Master Jakkers."

Sinrad said coldly.

"General, you have the generosity to do this."

Natsu boasted to Sinrad.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Just wait patiently."

Sinrad said in a deep voice.

"Yes."

Natsu responded respectfully.

On the other side, Su Ming brought Rhine and others back to the Falling Light.

They came to the central control room.

"Commander Su Ming, you are back."

Timmy and the others greeted respectfully.

"Well, how are the supplies going?"

Su Ming walked to the command chair and sat down and asked.

"The supply has been completed. The logistics personnel at headquarters have expedited it for us."

Onit reported quickly.

"very good."

Su Ming nodded slightly and replied.

"Commander Su Ming, are we leaving now?"

Timmy looked at Su Ming and asked.

"Let's go, but we are not going alone. We are going to follow the main force back to the Federation. Let's set sail now, leave the headquarters, and join the main force."

Su Ming simply said to Timmy.

"it is good!"

Timmy obeyed the order immediately.

The level 5 battleship, the Falling Light, activated its anti-gravity system and began to slowly rise into the air.

Soon, the Fallen Light sailed out of the Space Army Headquarters and arrived in the outer starry sky.

Then Timmy showed the optical image of the starry sky ahead. When Rhine and others saw the assembled fleet, they were all dumbfounded and talked in shock.

"Oh my god? So many ships?"

"Look, isn't that the Star Destroyer Thunderbolt?"

"Wow, look at that ship in the center of the fleet? Isn't that the Moonlight, the most luxurious interstellar cruise ship in the world?"

Su Ming was also somewhat surprised when he looked at the fleet assembled in front of him.

With so many level 5 transport ships, how much supplies will the Space Army Headquarters have to transport back this time?
The escort lineup is also very exaggerated, with more than 5 level battleships and motherships, and a star destroyer leading the way, which directly maximizes the combat effectiveness.

Who can intercept this fleet?

But in addition to this, Su Ming also saw many ships painted with the flags of major interstellar companies, which should be the accompanying ships.

The most eye-catching one is the central area, the interstellar cruise ship.

The entire interstellar cruise ship is 300 kilometers long. The hull is somewhat turtle-shaped and covered with thick blue armor. There is a transparent cover on the top of the center, through which a bustling city can be seen.

Then Timmy spoke up.

"Commander Su Ming, we have received a communication request from the Thunderbolt."

"Get in."

Su Ming said to Timmy.

"Yes!"

Timmy entered the command and connected the communication.

The virtual image of Admiral Sinrad appeared in front of Su Ming.

"General."

Su Ming saluted politely.

"Well, General Su Ming! Welcome to join the escort formation. It's getting late. Are you ready? If everything is ready, then let's set off."

Admiral Sinrad said calmly.

"it is good!"

Su Ming nodded in response.

"Pass my order, everyone set sail!"

Sinrad then gave orders to all the ships.

in the starry sky.

The Star Destroyer Lei Ji led a huge fleet of ships and activated the superluminal flight device at the same time.

The starry sky suddenly began to ripple.

The Lei Ji was the first to enter the subspace, and the rest of the ships followed in an orderly manner.

The Fallen Light was responsible for the rear guard. After all the ships had entered, it would load the power of the superluminal flight device and enter the subspace.

A few days later.

Inside the central control room of the Lei Ji.

Sinrad sat in the command chair while Natsu stood beside him, reporting with a report in hand.

"Sir, this year the military has allocated a total of 822 billion federal coins to us. This money is only enough to buy eight fourth-generation standard mechas, which is not enough at all."

"How much money do we have on our account?"

Sinrad asked with a frown on his face.

"We still have 1789 billion federal dollars in our hands."

Natsu said to Sinrad.

"Not enough. This amount of money can't do anything."

Sinrad stood up irritably.

If he wanted to expand his forces, he would need a large number of personnel, weapons and ships.

All of these require money.

"Sir, the economy is very bad right now, the federal government doesn't have much money, and it's very difficult to get a large sum of money."

Natsu replied awkwardly.

"Even if it's difficult, we have to find a way."

Sinrad said with a snort.

Natsu's eyes rolled, an idea came to his mind, and he said to Sinrad excitedly.

"Sir, I do have an idea to get the money."

"explain."

Sinrad said, turning his head to look at Natsu.

"We are escorting the cargo this time, and there are many wealthy people and nobles from neutral countries and the Federation accompanying us. Others are poor, but they are all very wealthy."

Natsu egged on Sinrad.

Sinrad said coldly after hearing what Natsu said.

"You're right, no one in the world is richer than them."

At this time, Credo frowned and reminded Sinrad.

"Sir, these people are indeed rich, but it's not easy for them to pay out the money. They all value money more than their lives. Besides, this matter is not easy to handle. We can't use force. If we don't control the scale well, it will be troublesome if something goes wrong."

"Am I an unreasonable person? Of course they have to donate voluntarily."

Sinrad said calmly.

"My Lord, this is a great idea!"

Natsu quickly flattered.

“But if we want them to maximize their donations, we still need a host with weight.”

Sinrad said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Who?"

"Ms. Hillis, no one is more suitable than her."

"Your Excellency is wise. I heard that Miss Shilis is on the Moonlight. As long as we can invite her over and let her help host the donation, coupled with your charm, we will definitely be able to maximize the donations."

Natsu boasted with a grin.

"Natsu, you know what to do next, right?"

"Sir, please leave it to me."

"Go!"

Shinrad said to Natsu.
-
Moonlight.

Inside a tall building.

Shirley asked while holding a sky blue dress and gesturing in front of the mirror.

"Lula, do you think this one looks good?"

At this time, a girl with a porcelain doll-like face and a ponytail took a look and praised with a smile.

"Miss, you look good in anything you wear."

"If you answer like that, I don't know which dress to choose."

Shirley replied somewhat helplessly.

“But it’s really hard to decide.”

Lola replied with some embarrassment.

Just then a tall man with fair skin, a somewhat feminine appearance, wearing a blue shirt, hurried over and said.

"Ms. Hillis, there is a person outside the door who claims to be a representative sent by the Federation. He insists on seeing you and his attitude is very tough."

"Federal? Marcy, let him in."

Shirley thought for a moment and then spoke.

"it is good!"

Marcy then left.

Not long after, Marcy led Natsu in.

"Ms. Hillis."

Natsu asked politely to Cialis.

"you are?"

Shilis looked at Natsu carefully and felt that he was very unfamiliar, she had never seen him before.

"Introduce myself. I am Major General Natsu of the Federation, and Master Sinrad's adjutant."

Natsu said politely.

"Oh, what's the matter?"

Shirley was also slightly startled. Although she didn't know Sinrad, she knew that he was the highest-ranking commander of this escort.

"Miss Hillis, it's like this! My master wants to hold a banquet to entertain all the celebrities, nobles and wealthy people in the neutral country. He would like to invite you to host the banquet."

Natsu explained with a smile.

When Shilis heard this, her bright eyes moved slightly and she asked politely.

"Master Natsu, I wonder what you are mainly doing with the banquet?"

"Miss Hillis, I won't hide it from you. My master asked you to host the event because he actually wanted you to help speak up. You know the situation in the Federation has been very unstable recently. Conflicts have frequently broken out in various regions, and the monsters in the restricted areas are constantly moving! My master wants all the guests to be generous and donate some funds voluntarily to deal with these things."

Natsu explained the situation tactfully.

In fact, the reason why they asked Shirley to host the event was because Miss Shirley held a great influence in the hearts of the nobles and wealthy people in the major neutral countries.

After all, Shilis has always been committed to helping the people and countries affected by disasters, and the neutral countries have benefited the most.

At this time, after hearing what Natsu said, Shilis fell silent. Although Natsu spoke very tactfully, she saw through his purpose at a glance.

They just want to raise more funds to buy weapons for the war.

Shirisi exhaled slightly and said to Natsu politely.

"Lord Natsu, I'm so sorry! I'm really tied up with something and can't help General Sinrad."

When Natsu heard this, the smile on his face suddenly faded, and then he said with a forced smile.

"Ms. Hillis, you'd better think it over carefully. There's a saying that goes, if you're good, it's good for me, it's good for everyone! But if you don't give face to my master, the consequences will be serious."

Seeing that their negotiation was about to break down, the agent Marcy, with a slightly changed expression, tried to persuade them.

"Ms. Shilis, why don't we take some time to help Lord Sinrad host it."

Although General Sinrad was only a general, anyone who knew him knew that he would soon be promoted to general. He was a big shot in the federation, a big shot who could shake the ground three times with just one stomp of his foot.

What's more, they are now in the same fleet as the enemy. If they piss off the enemy, they will definitely suffer the consequences.

"Do not."

Hillary rejected her agent's request in a firm attitude.

When Natsu heard this, the muscles on his face twitched and he sneered.

"Ms. Hillis, we respect you, but you are a little confused. You'd better agree to this. I'm not kidding you."

"Sorry, I don't have time for this."

Shirley refused firmly.

"Okay, then I will report it truthfully when I return."

Natsu snorted and turned away.

At this time, after seeing everyone leave, Marcy said anxiously, like an ant on the hot pan.

"Miss, this Sinrad is not someone you can easily mess with. We can't offend him, or something bad will happen."

"Marcy, you don't have to persuade me."

Shirley said in a very determined manner.

At this time, Assistant Lula asked in confusion.

"Sister Marcy, is this Sinrad very powerful? Didn't the young lady often reject others before?"

"Oh! What do you know? Don't challenge the barrel of a gun in troubled times. It will cause big problems."

Marcy said worriedly.

"Marcy, don't say anything."

Shirley replied calmly.

Seeing this, Masi also sighed and replied.

"Ah, okay."

ps: Happy New Year’s Eve to everyone!

(End of this chapter)