Chen Gu didn't explain to them, only saying to Andrew, "Hurry and get ready. We don't have much time."
Andrew hesitated, then clenched his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll accompany you."
"No!" Chen Gu refused without hesitation. "If I fail, this ship will still need you to take command."
Andrew couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency, are you... truly confident?" Discover more novels at novel⸺fire.net
Chen Gu smiled. "Don't worry. I'm still young, with a bright future ahead; I won't gamble with my life recklessly."
"A person who likes tactics won't fight a battle they aren't sure of winning," he added. Andrew was finally persuaded. "Alright, I'll arrange for people to coordinate with you!"
He immediately turned and ordered, "Have all the Mecha pilots prepare!"
The thirty-one Mecha pilots were not actually crew members of the transport ship; they were merely hitching a ride, returning to their homelands for vacation leave.
But at this moment, they assembled without hesitation. Though from different units, they quickly organized themselves by military rank, forming an enhanced Mecha company on their own initiative.
The quality of Confederation soldiers was truly outstanding!
Chen Gu, wearing a Star Armor, blended in with these men. However, his identity and real purpose were known to only a very few. The other Mecha pilots thought the man standing beside them was just like them, undertaking a suicide mission to harass and attack the Space Wolf Insects, buying time for the mothership.
Only three people knew Chen Gu's identity and true purpose: the commander and two deputy commanders of this temporary, mixed enhanced Mecha company.
All three held the rank of captain. Among them, Dou Zhanqiong, the commander, was a celebrated "Mecha Combat Hero" throughout the warzone. He had a glorious record of destroying sixteen Sky-Hunting Spiders and three Space Wolf Insects with a single Mecha.
Furthermore, he had set a record for continuous service among the warzone's Star Armor pilots: a full seven years without a single day's leave.
This time, his superiors had forcibly ordered him to take a break.
This battle maniac had dispiritedly packed his bags and boarded the transport ship home, never expecting to encounter an attack by the Insect Race on a mere transport vessel!
While others panicked, Dou Zhanqiong was thrilled. In his view, there was no such thing as an "unfavorable situation" on the battlefield; there were only battles, one after another.
If one battle didn't solve the problem, then there would be a second, a third, a fourth… My Mecha and I are never weary!
The two deputy commanders were also combat heroes. However, upon hearing of Dou Zhanqiong's great reputation, they immediately deferred to him, willingly taking the deputy positions.
Upon learning Chen Gu's true identity and purpose, Dou Zhanqiong immediately shook his head. "Without an Antimatter Bomb, I can't trust him to annihilate that swarm of Space Wolf Insects. Unless he can prove he has a bomb of sufficient power, I won't risk these precious Mecha pilots accompanying him on this venture."
"Conversely, if he *can* prove it, I will definitely lead everyone to escort him to the optimal coordinates for deploying the bomb, even if it means risking our lives."
He paused, then said to Andrew, who was giving the commands, "You can order me to carry out this task. As a soldier, I will not disobey. I will also risk my life to complete this mission, but I will escort him there alone."
The other two deputy commanders also saluted. "We support Captain Dou. We will accompany him in escorting Chen Gu."
Andrew was momentarily speechless. On this warship, including himself, no more than three people knew the secret of Profession Holders.
He couldn't explain to Dou Zhanqiong and the others that Chen Gu was a Radiation Missionary, and the "bomb" he referred to was very likely a Biological Nuclear Explosion. There's no way to prove it to them. I can't exactly set off a giant firework for them on the spot, can I?
As Andrew wrestled with his dilemma, the door opened, and Chen Gu walked in. He had overheard the conversation outside and calmly said to Dou Zhanqiong, "You don't need to escort me. I can handle deploying the bomb myself."
"Asking you all to come is just a diversion. You just need to fight hard—as you always do. That will be enough."
Chen Gu spoke with admiration. Dou Zhanqiong's statement had deeply touched him. In any organization, there will be careerists like Zhao Zhenhuai; the military is no exception. However, in the Confederation's military, there are far more true warriors like Dou Zhanqiong!
It was precisely because of this that the Confederation had managed to hold out in the war against the Alien Insect Race, staunchly defending the front lines without retreating.
Dou Zhanqiong looked at Chen Gu in surprise, then at Andrew. The captain pulled Chen Gu aside and asked in a low voice, "Are you really sure about this?"
Chen Gu nodded gravely. "Trust me. You can look up the missions I've carried out for the Bureau of Mystic Security. I don't make promises I can't keep; that would be setting my comrades up for disaster."
After much hesitation, Andrew finally sighed. "Alright. If there were any other choice, I wouldn't let you take such a risk."
Indeed, the transport ship had no other options. The pursuing swarm of insects was drawing ever closer. The Space Wolf Insects were baring their fangs and claws; if even one of them pounced, it would all be over.
The first wave of space fighters and Star Armor sent out on combat missions was nearly wiped out. The pursuing Space Wolf Insects and Sky-Hunting Spiders, having shaken off their opponents, were now closing in furiously. The transport ship could only rely on its turrets to hinder them, but with little effect.
Just as the enemy was closing in, eager to claim their victory, the transport ship's hatch opened once more. Massive figures, illuminated by the ship's lights, charged into the Star Sea, bravely confronting the giant insects.
Chen Gu had experienced this kind of "mothership deployment" many times in the game "Endless," but this was his first time experiencing it for real.
With a jolt, he and his Star Armor were launched into the Star Sea. The lights of the mothership behind him illuminated his path, guiding his attack.
At the end of that illuminated path lay a seemingly endless swarm of hideous insects.
Leading the charge, ahead of Chen Gu, was Dou Zhanqiong.
He wasn't in his own Mecha. This one was a temporary pick, on which he'd had a mechanic hastily spray three vivid red stripes. He flew at the vanguard, a fearless and awe-inspiring sight as he charged forward.
In the first exchange, he executed a brilliant Mecha combat maneuver. Wielding a massive energy chainsaw, he sliced under a Sky-Hunting Spider. The creature was disemboweled, instantly becoming a corpse drifting in the Star Sea.
Subsequently, dozens of Star Armor units charged forward, inflicting heavy losses on the Sky-Hunting Spiders.
Chen Gu, blending into the crowd, didn't rush to hunt these Sky-Hunting Spiders. He pushed his Star Armor to maximum speed, its back thrusters operating at full power. Dodging the interception attempts of several Sky-Hunting Spiders, he plunged deep into their swarm.