Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"Then this is our current identity, and some necessary information about this world. The specific information has been transmitted to everyone's terminals, and you can check it yourselves." She handed out a personal terminal to everyone, including the newcomers. Unlike the tablet computer given to Chu Xuan before, this terminal had been modified by Alice into a miniature implant that could project images directly onto the retina and control page turning via brainwaves. All newcomers would have this installed, which could be considered a joining bonus.

With the eyesight and intellect of seasoned professionals, reading through them would naturally not take much time.

Alice then continued explaining the current situation: "It's now confirmed. We are currently on an expeditionary fleet heading to Corendaldus, but unfortunately, we are a bit far from the Yang Roger, the ship carrying the protagonists from the original story. If we don't intend to expose ourselves, it will be difficult for us to interfere with the protagonists until the first landing operation is over."

"Because they are very likely related to the undisclosed main storyline?" Zheng Zha asked.

“Yes, that’s right.” Alice replied, gesturing for Chu Xuan to proceed. “While Patsy and I were cracking the network here, Chu Xuan analyzed some inconsistencies in this worldview and deduced some plot points that might be side quests or main storylines.”

Chu Xuan nodded and continued her sentence.

"The main plot deviates from these points. First, Starfleet is a complete and interconnected world. We are unlikely to encounter the side quests of the second and third parts in the first part of the story, but those monsters will definitely exist. For example, the Swarm Lord that appears in the third part definitely exists, and it is at least an AA or even an S-level side quest."

"Besides, this world's technology tree is extremely skewed. Due to the absence of external enemies and centuries of idiotic policies, its military technology and tactics are still at the level of corps-based advances during World War II. These warships are all hastily produced converted civilian vessels, lacking even shield technology. If we can reverse this, then at least we'll achieve an A—"

Zheng Zha suddenly raised his hand, interrupting him.

“Let’s talk about what we can do now.”

Chu Xuan gave him a cold glance.

“We can start planning these things now, but since you insist—” He adjusted his glasses. “The most recent major side quest is this very battle. The first landing operation will begin in six hours and will last no more than a day.”

"In this war, the original Federation Expeditionary Force would suffer heavy losses, with over 300,000 casualties and its fleet nearly destroyed, due to underestimating the Zerg's ground-based anti-air firepower and the fact that their ships' armor was completely ineffective against plasma. If we can reverse this outcome, we will undoubtedly reap substantial benefits."

“Very good.” Zheng Zha nodded. “Then what should we do?”

"Judging from your shoulder insignia, Alice should have already transmitted the military system of this world to your personal terminal. You should be able to easily obtain the answers and know your rank and position."

Zheng Zha squinted and glanced at the uniform on his shoulder. A clear concept immediately surfaced in his mind.

"...Sergeant?"

"To be precise, you are a sergeant platoon leader, and you serve as a platoon leader in the 12th Assault Team. Zhang Jie, Ba Wang, Ling Dian, and Ming Yanwei are respectively a sergeant, corporal, corporal, and private first class. There are two new recruits. You are all in the 12th Assault Team, and together you can lead about fifty soldiers."

Zheng Zha looked at Alice and Patchouli.

“Alice is the commander of the 13th Assault Team, a major and battalion commander. All two hundred men in the team are under her command. Unlike you,” Chu Xuan said calmly. “This should be determined by a combination of combat effectiveness and command ability, and it is clear that although you are the captain, Alice understands how to lead an army better than you.”

“Margot Royd…” Zheng Zha’s lips twitched. “You know how to lead troops?”

"I know a little bit." Alice smiled gently. But in her mind, she recalled a few hundred years ago, around the fifteenth century, when she had a painful battle with Ran Dark in the skies above the fortress city of Orleans while piloting her spaceship.

“I think you could have refrained from showing off your Chinese at this point,” Zheng Zha sighed, glancing at the other two. This time, he didn’t need an explanation to discern Chu Xuan and Patchouli’s positions. Before he could speak, Chu Xuan explained first.

"Patchouli and I are both majors, serving as senior staff officer and adjutant to the captain, respectively. And the key to this plan lies here."

"Patchouli and I will remain on the de Chroy. Then, when the swarm's ion cannons attack the fleet, Patchouli will guide a plasma to strike the ship at the right angle and arrange an 'accident' in the command room. After that, all senior officers with ranks higher than the two of us will die, and according to the emergency regulations, Patchouli and I will act as the military commander and captain of the de Chroy."

"Don't look at me like that. I admit I can't operate a spaceship yet," Chu Xuan said, glancing at Zheng Zha indifferently. He had already proven in the Alien world that his ability to operate a spaceship was limited to opening and closing isolation doors. "But Patchouli can do it. You should have realized that at the end of Final Destination 2."

Zheng Zha immediately fell silent. He did indeed remember the scene on the last day of Final Destination, when he and the others were in the floating shelter, playing a chase with the angels in space. He also knew that the witches carried the large library that could transform into a mobile base or a mothership at any time.

Chu Xuan then continued to explain his plan.

"...Once I gain control of this warship, I will try to use this platform to save as many Federation warships as possible in space. While ensuring the strength of the Alliance, I will arrange orbital artillery fire and military support based on the positioning information provided by the terminals on your ships. I will ensure that you can gain sufficient advantages on the ground battlefield until you become war heroes."

"Because the stance of the third team of reincarnators is still uncertain, I will try my best to guide the outcome of this war from a 'disastrous defeat' to a 'barely even' result. Under this premise, the Federation's high command still needs war heroes to enhance its image. So those of you fighting below will become heroes among the soldiers, while Patchouli and I will become heroes among the officers. As long as the war continues, these two points will be enough for us to have a general grasp of this fleet."

"This will basically guarantee that we complete a large side mission, with at least an A-level reward. At the same time, it will also ensure that the second reincarnation squad is defeated the moment they arrive. No matter where they arrive, we, who control this fleet, are able to annihilate them in a very short time. And at that time, whether to annihilate them or recruit them is up to you."

"........."

Zheng Zha reached out and snapped his dislocated jaw back together. Meanwhile, Ba Wang, Ling Dian, Zhang Jie, and the others stood by, utterly dumbfounded. He had no doubt that Patchouli could orchestrate that 'reasonable' accident, nor did he doubt that Chu Xuan possessed the intellect to unite this expeditionary fleet.

[How terrifying... Chu Xuan, how terrifying.]

[That Nan Yan team was really unlucky; they were killed by Chu Xuan before they even arrived. I have no idea how they managed to survive. Is this really Chu Xuan? That was close! If we hadn't resurrected him, wouldn't we be doomed if we encountered a sage of this caliber in the future?]

He tried to calm himself down. Although he felt that he and his men had already won before they even made a move—he, Zheng, was not worried at all that those bugs that could be blown up by rifle bullets could pose any threat to the ground team with Margot Lloyd by his side—he still felt that he should ask some valuable questions so that he, as the captain, would not appear so…intellectual.

So he asked, "Um... Chu Xuan, how do we fool those soldiers? We have so much magical equipment and special abilities... we can't just kill all the soldiers from the start, can we?"

So Chu Xuan looked at him with the kind of compassionate gaze one might have for someone with intellectual disabilities, until his expression became... extremely awkward.

“Zhang Jie,” Chu Xuan suddenly asked, “would it be difficult for you to hypnotize a commando team of two hundred soldiers?”

“…A little bit.” Zhang Jie glanced at Zheng Zha’s embarrassed expression, hesitated for a moment, and then answered.

"What if we simply confuse their perception and make them focus on your bravery and fighting skills rather than your equipment and special abilities?"

"This... is fine."

Chu Xuan then looked at Zheng Zha again and asked, "Do you still have any questions, Captain Zheng Zha?"

"No, that's all..."

"That's good. Then we'll dismiss everyone now. Everyone go and get to know your squad members. Patchouli and I will go to the command post to make some arrangements. In six hours, everyone will be back in their positions." Chu Xuan nodded and prepared to end the meeting.

Just then, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.

"Wait, wait a minute!" Luo Gandao, one of the new recruits, had a pale face, but still raised his hand and mustered his courage to say, "Could you let us new recruits stay on the warship? We new recruits are so weak, going down there will only get in your way, won't it?"

Section 4 - You've been buffed, hurry up and deliver the gift!

Chu Xuan didn't answer him, but instead turned his head to look at Alice.

“Leave this guy to me, I think he has some potential,” Alice replied with a smile. Without waiting for Logandao's rebuttal, she pulled out a force field rope and dragged him out of the conference hall. As she walked, she said, “I think we can take this opportunity to give him a brief training session. I can also build some concepts within this fleet… You all do as you please, I'm leaving now. Contact me via terminal or mental link if needed. Otherwise, see you on the insectoid planet in six hours.”

"That's settled then. Patchouli and I will go make some arrangements," Chu Xuan said calmly, getting up from his seat. Patchouli gave the remaining people a quiet smile and closed the door behind her as she followed Chu Xuan out of the meeting room.

She knew the remaining people still had something to say, so she deliberately left some space for them to communicate.

The so-called 'communication' only began nearly twenty seconds after they left.

"Dealing with these smart people is a real headache." Zheng Zha sighed dejectedly, listening to Chu Xuan and the others' footsteps gradually receding into the distance. He only relaxed slightly after they entered the elevator or conveyor belt in the crowd. He rubbed his head and complained softly, "When it was just Margot Lloyd making the plans, although I still couldn't understand them, at least she would explain the cause and effect that I needed to know. But now that Chu Xuan is planning it, I feel like even if he explains it clearly, I still won't understand."

“Who says otherwise?” Zhang Jie smiled wryly, patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, and handed him a cigarette. “Relax a bit, at least it sounds quite feasible, doesn’t it? But becoming a hero in ground warfare… God have mercy, the highest rank I’ve ever held was squad leader. I remember Zheng Zha, you only reached the position of office director, right?”

“I think the best I can do is be a special forces team leader, like we are now.” Zheng Zha’s lips twitched. He took a few cigarettes from Zhang Jie and tossed them to Ba Wang and Ling Dian—Ming Yanwei refused—then asked, “Are you guys confident? I remember Ba Wang, you used to be a mercenary, right? At least you have some practical experience?”

“I’ve only led teams of about fifty men before, and those were all seasoned veterans, nothing like the group of rookies we’re dealing with who are going into battle for the first time.” Overlord caught his cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. “The rules in the mercenary world are sometimes stricter than in the military. Anyway… I’ll try my best. According to Chu Xuan, we should try our best to save the rookies’ lives, and also act like perfect heroes… Zhang Jie, can you hypnotize them all?”

“I might have been able to do it before, but not now.” Zhang Jie shook his head with a wry smile. “All the enhancements I have and the third-tier gene lock were obtained by grinding points when I was a semi-guide. Now that I’ve lost the God’s assistance, I have the foundation of a fourth-tier critical mental power user, but I can only exert combat power at around the high level of the third tier. Although large-scale hypnosis looks simple, it requires a high degree of operational precision to make it seamless.”

"You have to understand that we're in a team battle, and such a huge opening would be easily discovered by the enemy's reincarnators. Since Chu Xuan said he intends to make us 'heroes among soldiers,' then this reputation absolutely cannot be ruined—interfering with the cognition of a few hundred or a few thousand people is within my capabilities, but to directly hypnotize a few hundred or a few thousand soldiers into our fanatical supporters... Chu Xuan will definitely arrange an accident before the second reincarnation team arrives to eliminate all the soldiers fighting alongside us to prevent leaks."

Zhang Jie sighed.

“I can’t bring myself to use my men and then kill them. Besides, don’t forget that the federal government in the original story also had officers with telepathic abilities, and there might be a few talented soldiers in the Marine Corps. I’m confident I can suppress these guys who rely on their talents with cognitive interference, but I can’t guarantee I won’t mess up with deep hypnosis.”

So Ba Wang immediately shut up. As a mercenary, he had encountered many employers who wanted to exploit both sides before. Many of his comrades had even perished because of this. Naturally, he never wanted to become that kind of person.

"Then we can only rely on ourselves. Damn it, why would the God give out something we're not good at at all..." Zheng Zha complained. He had only meant to make a casual complaint, but the words that came out seemed to trigger something in him—he subconsciously activated the third-level gene lock and entered a state of simulated thinking.

【If I were Chu Xuan…】—My mind went completely blank, there was nothing there. And every few milliseconds, my head started to throb, and in less than two seconds, it felt like my skull was being hit by a hammer, both dizzy and painful.

[If I were Margot Lloyd]—A whole bunch of battlefield command knowledge that he didn't understand at all suddenly popped into his mind... He quickly exited the simulated thinking state, took a few deep breaths, and forgot all of this stuff that he didn't need at all.

He conducted a third simulation, as was his usual practice, as a second-best option.

【If I were Xiao Honglu…】—'The Supreme God will provide the Reincarnation Squad with urgently needed personnel. The newcomer Cheng Xiao claims to be an elite warrior specially arranged by the government. Furthermore, Chu Xuan and Margot Lloyd made no arrangements for him, yet they took away Luo Gandao, who was also a newcomer. Therefore, it's obvious that he must have been deliberately left for me by Chu Xuan as a command talent.'

Zheng Zha let out a soft breath—his gaze then fell on Cheng Xiao, the newcomer who had remained silent since arriving at the conference hall.

[Damn it! Can't this guy even show some presence?!]

If he had given me a warning or two beforehand, I definitely would have been able to anticipate it. There would have been no need for any mental simulations; they're giving me a headache!

He tried to calm himself down, then organized his thoughts and said, "Cheng Xiao..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Xiao, the new recruit who hadn't uttered a word from the beginning and whose dyed hair still clearly identified him as a soldier, let out a huge breath and collapsed onto the table. Only then did the others notice that his forehead and back were covered in cold sweat, which quickly formed a small puddle on the table.

"Huff...huff...so powerful, so terrifying...my god, I only glanced at it a few more times, is it really worth this much?" He wiped his sweat and gasped for breath, only then noticing that the others were staring at him in disbelief.

"Uh... Cheng Xiao? Are you alright?" Zheng Zha's eyes twitched. He could clearly feel that Cheng Xiao's body was rapidly circulating energy similar to the low-to-mid-level internal energy he had previously cultivated. Then, it seemed that some kind of living thing was moving through his body cavity, quickly suppressing his abnormal physiological reactions.

[Internal energy and the legendary witchcraft? There really are quite a few talented people in the real world. But compared to the innate true energy modified by Margot Lloyd, it seems quite different… Oh well, at least it's much stronger than when I was a newbie, so it's worth nurturing.]

He thought to himself, and in a flash, he was beside Cheng Xiao. He placed one hand on the other's shoulder and channeled a stream of innate true energy into him, just as Margot had taught him for self-healing. Sure enough, Cheng Xiao first looked at him in surprise, then immediately closed his eyes and circulated his energy. After a few seconds, his aura finally returned to a normal, stable state.

"Phew... I'm very grateful, Captain Zheng." Cheng Xiao opened his eyes and thanked Zheng Zha sincerely. He then listened to Zheng Zha's question about 'command experience' and nodded.

"No problem. I studied battlefield command before and have experience commanding live-fire exercises at the regimental level. Although I don't really have any experience in interstellar warfare, I'm probably fine with ground warfare like in the movies, where there's no need for air-ground coordination. Leave it to me."

Cheng Xiao answered, and everyone else immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Zheng Zha patted his shoulder with (normal strength) and shouted, "From today onwards, we're good partners fighting side by side!" Ba Wang and Ling Dian nodded with smiles, and Zhang Jie then handed him a cigarette with a smile, before asking him curiously what had happened to his seemingly lifeless appearance just now.

Only then did he begin to pour out his grievances.

"...I don't know either!" Cheng Xiao wiped his soaking wet hair, looking completely wronged. "I just thought that blonde girl was so pretty, so I glanced at her a couple of times! She was dressed so conservatively, it wouldn't hurt if I looked at her a couple of times. These days, there's no law that says looking at a girl's breasts or butt is illegal, and as a grown man, it's perfectly normal to have a physical reaction when a beautiful woman is in front of me!"

"But who knew that after just two glances, before I could even say anything, it felt like I was being stared at by a terrifying monster. It was truly terrifying! My mind went blank, and I didn't dare to move an inch, as if the slightest movement would send me flying to the heavens..." He sighed heavily. "...It was like seeing a ghost."

As he was speaking, he suddenly found himself in complete silence. He then realized that everyone else was staring at him in disbelief, as if scrutinizing some rare and unusual plant or animal. After a long while, Zhang Jie put his arm around his shoulder to signal him to sit down, and then, with a conflicted expression, told him some facts.

"Well, Alice and the other one have been using charm-reducing magic on themselves for a long time to deal with things they don't like. Usually, we don't feel anything when we see her, and we even subconsciously ignore her gender. You don't know if it's a gift or just bad luck... Anyway, there are still about five hours before the landing operation. In this time, we can get to know each other properly, and then I'll tell you a few things."

Zhang Jie glanced around instinctively, then whispered, "Alice's alright, but Patchouli, that girl, is actually quite..."

He was about to utter the word he had been holding back for so long when, in the next moment, the implanted terminal on Zheng Zha's body suddenly switched to external speaker mode, from which Patchouli's calm voice, as always, came out.

"—Zheng Zha, I've already accessed Luo Gandao's file. He'll be working with Alice. You guys can communicate more with that other new recruit; he seems like a good commander. That's all."

Communication is interrupted.

Everyone looked at each other.

After several seconds, Zhang Jie, with a bitter face, slowly uttered the last word.

"……kind."

............................................................

Meanwhile, on the other side of the warship.

Logan watched as Alice greeted most of the people she encountered with the enthusiasm of a native young officer in the expeditionary force, occasionally discussing key points and details of the war that would take place in a few hours. He watched as this reincarnator from another world quickly won over most of the commando officers on the ship and formed a rudimentary Watch Alliance.

He could only watch, for Alice only allowed his eyes, ears, and nose to function, while his tongue and limbs were bound by some force, forcing him to follow her like a silent guard, each step measured precisely. Even though he was essentially just an ordinary college student, under Alice's will, he somehow managed to walk with a majestic and imposing gait.

"It's common for the military to form factions, and the Human Federation in the Starship Troopers universe, due to the lack of war for many years, is more easily dominated by tension and excitement as they get closer to battle. A verbal alliance won't arouse the vigilance of the higher-ups at this time, but when they are in a crisis on the insect planet, I will be more likely to take over their command."

She casually explained to Logan that she had recently obtained detailed information about the identity assigned to her by the Supreme God from the fleet's internal network. Slightly surprised, the identity the Supreme God had assigned her was that of a well-connected officer, and a pragmatic individual with excellent grades, highly respected by her soldiers.

Clearly, the Supreme God estimated that the Central Continent Team's combat strength was too weak compared to the other two teams, and this was already a way of indirectly strengthening their combat power. Even if Alice was just an ordinary A-level enhancer, with such a background and an elite squad that obeyed her as an aid, she would surely be able to gain considerable merit in the first battle.

When she brought Logandao to the rest area of ​​the 13th Assault Squad, she quickly organized the personnel of her two hundred soldiers and memorized the name, abilities, and general background of each soldier. She swiftly settled these loyal soldiers and then led Logandao to the officers' lounge.