Chapter 19: The Golden Eagle Unit

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Sweat dripping… The internet was down yesterday, so there was no update. Sorry, everyone.

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After two or three hours of cleaning and tidying up, the prisoner camp finally returned to normal. However, the soldiers on the city walls had been replaced by Federation troops, and the entire camp was now completely under the control of Lei Bin and his group.

At this moment, several of the main leaders, including Lei Bin, sat in the command room discussing countermeasures. Outside, other Federation soldiers were still counting prisoners and organizing them into squads, preparing for the next escape plan.

“Lei Bin, should we send the signal now?” Loulan, who had grown increasingly reliant on Lei Bin, sought his opinion on everything.

What she had seen in the prisoner camp today deepened her understanding of their current predicament. She knew that one wrong step could lead to irrevocable disaster, so it was best to follow Lei Bin’s lead.

Lei Bin sat in his chair, gently tapping the table as if deep in thought, but in reality, he was secretly thrilled. The seat he occupied was that of the highest-ranking officer— even Loulan sat below him.

Seeing everyone look to him with unwavering respect filled Lei Bin with pride.

“So this is how it feels to be an officer. No wonder so many people strive for such positions,” Lei Bin thought to himself, but outwardly said, “No, I’ve changed my mind. I think we should continue to wait here, waiting for the opposing side’s transport ships to come pick up the prisoners. That way, we won’t leave any trace of our presence, and we might even save more captives. Everyone has seen how miserable these imprisoned Federation soldiers are. We cannot abandon them.”

Hearing Lei Bin’s words, the others exchanged glances and expressed no objection.

So far, all of Lei Bin’s actions had been flawless, exceeding expectations. Therefore, they placed absolute trust in his decisions.

After witnessing the plight of the female prisoners, they all felt sympathy and a sense of responsibility. As Federation soldiers, if they could not protect the women of their own country, what kind of soldiers were they? They might as well die. Thus, they fully supported Lei Bin’s decision to stay and continue rescuing prisoners.

Previously, some had reservations about Lei Bin’s risky rescue plans, but now, none wanted to leave. Being a soldier meant being willing to die for one’s country, family, and compatriots.

Seeing their people suffer injustice united them all in shared hatred against the enemy.

But just then, a few men wearing Federation uniforms strode in from outside. Seeing Lei Bin and the others, one asked in a condescending tone, “Who is the commander here?”

Lei Bin and the others frowned. When they recognized the Federation uniforms, they immediately stood at attention and saluted, “Greetings, sir.”

The man before them wore the rank of colonel.

This colonel’s uniform was not the Imperial one they currently wore but a Federation uniform. The highest rank among Lei Bin’s group was Captain Loulan, which paled in comparison to this colonel’s rank.

Moreover, the uniforms bore a golden eagle emblem on the left chest.

This symbol belonged to the elite Golden Eagle Unit of the Federation.

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The Golden Eagle Unit was renowned throughout the Federation. Every Federation soldier dreamed of joining its ranks.

Because the Golden Eagle Unit represented the elite of the Federation military. Regardless of branch, every soldier in this unit was among the best of the best.

The unit’s history dated back to the era when the Federation and Empire split. At that time, under the leadership of Major General Luen Huade, the Golden Eagle Unit fought bravely despite suffering 90% casualties. With astonishing courage and perseverance, they defeated an enemy force ten times their size, winning the Battle of the White Cloud Star System. This pivotal victory enabled the Federation to counterbalance the Empire’s power.

Without the bravery of the Golden Eagle Unit, the Federation as it was known would not exist.

For such a monumental achievement, the Federation intended to bestow great honors. However, Major General Luen Huade declined the promotion to Marshal, stating the victory was not his alone, but that of every soldier who bled and died. He wished to share the glory with all his men, refusing to claim it solely for himself.

Since then, the Golden Eagle Unit became the Federation’s most elite force, synonymous with military honor. Every soldier who joined was an elite who valued honor above life itself. For every Federation soldier, joining the Golden Eagle Unit was the highest honor.

An unwritten rule formed within the Federation military: any soldier encountering a Golden Eagle trooper must salute first to show respect. Even Marshals of other units saluted them. This was both a recognition of the Golden Eagle Unit’s immense honor and a tribute to the Federation’s military spirit.

Unexpectedly, there were Golden Eagle Unit soldiers and commanders among the prisoners here.

Clearly, these troops had come to protect the Lei family members but were caught in the enemy’s sweep and taken captive.

Although Lei Bin respected the Golden Eagle Unit and had once dreamed of joining as a child, their arrogant attitude now left him displeased.

“Captured and still acting so proud? Not every Golden Eagle soldier values honor above life after all. Otherwise, they would have committed suicide when captured,” Lei Bin thought disdainfully, though he maintained a serious expression.

As for Loulan and the others, although they saluted the Golden Eagle troops with genuine respect, their brows were deeply furrowed.

They knew that with a higher-ranking officer present, they would have to relinquish command. They had relied on Lei Bin’s leadership to reach this point.

Without Lei Bin’s guidance, how long could they hold out?

They all acknowledged Lei Bin’s command ability and would obey him, but would the new commander? Judging by their haughty demeanor, it seemed unlikely. The Golden Eagle Unit was known for pride and arrogance. Could these commanders lead them safely back to Base 2?

“Who is the commander here? Is it you?” The Golden Eagle colonel’s patience wore thin as he coldly stared at Lei Bin.

Lei Bin sighed and saluted again. “Reporting, Captain Loulan is the highest-ranking officer here.”

He could claim command in front of his own men, but before these outsiders, Loulan remained the highest authority.

“Oh? I’ve heard outside that the commander here is someone named Lei Bin. Is that you? What is your rank? What branch?” The colonel had clearly heard of Lei Bin’s exploits from other soldiers.

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It seemed they had come prepared, already familiar with this unit’s situation.

“I’m just Captain Loulan’s deputy, offering counsel,” Lei Bin replied, troubled. It was difficult to reveal his rank.

“Oh? Then why are you sitting in the main seat at the meeting? What is your actual rank in the Federation?” The colonel questioned sharply as Lei Bin hesitated.

Lei Bin grimaced and finally blurted, “I’m a private, infantry.”

“What? A private? You’ve made a private the commander? Are you crazy?” The colonel stared incredulously at the others present.

Although he knew Lei Bin was the commander, he hadn’t known he held such a low rank. Even among the thousands who followed Lei Bin, few knew his rank—only that he was their leader.

“Reporting, sir, although Lei Bin is a private, his command ability is exceptional. He led us here and rescued all these people,” Loulan suddenly spoke up loudly.

Her words both praised Lei Bin’s leadership and reminded the colonel not to be arrogant, as they had saved his men.

Loulan’s defense of Lei Bin surprised him. He hadn’t expected this beauty’s opinion of him to change so much. With that in mind, maybe winning her over wasn’t impossible. Lei Bin felt a surge of quiet happiness.

The colonel, perceiving Loulan’s meaning, snorted coldly. “Captain, watch your tone. Regardless of who was commander before, from now on, I am the highest-ranking officer here. I am Colonel Long Teng of the Golden Eagle Unit’s 102nd Division, commander of the warship.”

“Sir.” Though reluctant, respect for rank compelled them all to salute and comply.

“Good. Now, we’ll have a brief meeting. Tell me about your mission so far and your plans.”

Long Teng wasted no time and sat down in Lei Bin’s seat. Lei Bin had no choice but to step aside quickly; he wasn’t even qualified to be their bodyguard given his rank.

Other officers who came with Long Teng also took seats, occupying half the room, leaving no room for Lei Bin’s group.

They exchanged looks and finally turned to Lei Bin, who wore an expression of helplessness. So, they stood beside the table, refusing to sit even if seats were available.

Seeing this, Long Teng’s expression darkened. He said coldly, “Are you refusing to obey my command?”