Chapter Twenty-Three: The Federation's Great Hero

"What? You mean to say a squad of Federation soldiers rescued tens of thousands of prisoners, escaped from an enemy camp, and even captured many Imperial soldiers?" Major General Lucas could hardly believe the news.

"That is correct. They have already reached Base No. 2, and I am currently overseeing their placement," replied Brigadier General Tess, the highest-ranking commander of Base No. 2, with excitement.

Since the destruction of Base No. 3 and the tragic sacrifice of all the Lei family descendants, the Federation had been in a state of extreme passivity in its strategy against the Empire. Soldier morale had suffered a massive blow, the military's prestige was being questioned by the public, and various factions within the Federation military were busy blaming one another, leading to utter chaos in the military world. In short, there had been no good news for the Federation whatsoever.

Now, Lei Bin and his group of a few thousand had rescued tens of thousands, bypassed enemy blockades, seized enemy transport ships, captured the son of an enemy general, and taken thousands of Imperial soldiers prisoner. This was bound to provide a massive boost to the morale of the demoralized Federation army.

"Who is their commander?" Major General Lucas asked. As the defense commander of the Tumu star system, he was held accountable for the attack on Base No. 3, especially since the entire Lei family lineage had perished there. He had been bearing that heavy burden for a long time. Now, with an event that could boost morale and restore the Federation military's dignity, he was naturally incredibly attentive.

"Their commander... it’s somewhat hard to believe. One is an intern lieutenant named Lou Lan, the daughter of Major General Lou Yufei, Deputy Minister of the Federation Ministry of National Defense. The other is a common private named Lei Bin. He has no background, no special records, yet everyone, including Lou Lan, insists that he is the true commander of this operation. It was he who led them back to Base No. 2." Brigadier General Tess still felt a bit strange about the whole thing.

"What? A common private? Leading so many people through several layers of blockades to return? Are you joking?" Major General Lucas found it impossible to believe that a mere private could possess such ability. As a major general, he knew very well how difficult it was to break through enemy lines and rescue tens of thousands of prisoners without any support. This absolutely required exceptional command and decision-making skills. Even he himself would not dare claim such a feat.

"I only just learned the preliminary details and rushed to report it. However, according to the civilians and soldiers, this private is indeed quite formidable. He seems to be a brilliant commander and is also highly skilled in individual combat," Brigadier General Tess said.

"Surname Lei? Could he be a descendant of the Lei family in disguise? Perhaps not all of them perished?" Major General Lucas couldn't help but associate Lei Bin with the Lei family, making a bold guess. Only the Lei family could produce such a descendant. If one of them had truly done this, he wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

The deeds of the Lei family descendants were too numerous to count; all Federation soldiers had grown accustomed to them. They seemed born to be soldiers, born to be the best, and born to create miracles. Every one of the fallen members at Base No. 3 had been legendary, and each had achieved seemingly impossible feats. Not to mention the "Three Tigers of the Lei Family" from years ago—they were true legends. If one descendant had actually survived, it would be major news for the Federation, and Lucas would no longer have to carry such heavy pressure.

"That shouldn't be the case. He is indeed just a common private. His file records are very clear; he was scheduled to retire this year after completing his patrol mission at Base No. 3," Brigadier General Tess shook his head. He had certainly confirmed these details already.

"Really just a common private?" Major General Lucas tapped the table, his hand stroking his forehead in thought. After a while, he slapped the table and said with great resolve: "If that's the case, then it’s even better. A common private showing exceptional leadership in a time of crisis, leading soldiers through blockades, rescuing tens of thousands, and capturing countless enemies—this story is just like something out of a novel. It’s an even better gimmick than that Lou Lan! Haha... In any case, you must have someone package this story well. Promote them both heavily and make them great heroes of the Federation. The attack on Base No. 3 and the loss of the Lei descendants dealt a massive blow to our morale and prestige. We must use this material to boost morale and shape them into legends, so that everyone in the Federation knows them and knows that the Federation has achieved such a great victory."

Major General Lucas suddenly shifted his perspective.

"The Major General is truly wise. Indeed, in this way, everyone will be captivated by the halo of heroism and will no longer pursue the responsibility for the attack on Base No. 3," Brigadier General Tess immediately flattered him.

"Excellent. Go and do it well. I will also report this to the Ministry of Defense immediately." Major General Lucas was in high spirits, a long-lost smile finally appearing on his face.

"Yes, sir." Brigadier General Tess stood at attention and saluted before the projector.

Lei Bin had been exhausted these past few days. He had originally thought that after reaching Base No. 2, he could get some rest and then find a chance to seduce that beautiful married woman, Daisy, to lose his virginity. However, he hadn't expected that upon returning to Base No. 2, they would be called by the military brass for endless interrogations. Every detail of the operation had to be reported and compiled into a report for the superiors, leaving Lei Bin without a good night's sleep for days.

Just as they had finished explaining the events, countless reporters descended upon Base No. 2 for comprehensive interviews and reports. Brigadier General Tess personally found them, emphasizing the importance of these interviews. He even hired trainers to teach them how to speak, ensuring they displayed the poise of Federation soldiers on camera, and provided them with scripts to memorize.

During the interviews, Brigadier General Tess had his men greatly exaggerate their achievements. What was originally the rescue of forty or fifty thousand prisoners was written up as one hundred thousand. The capture of five thousand Imperial soldiers was exaggerated to twenty thousand.

Surrounded by so many people asking repetitive questions, Lei Bin felt mentally exhausted, even worse than being tortured by Star Dream. But he had to remain patient, wearing a smile or a serious expression, praising the Federation forces and spouting high-minded platitudes. Fortunately, Lei Bin had Star Dream, the super-butler in his head. For any question the reporters threw at him, Star Dream would provide the best possible response without him needing to think. Consequently, Lei Bin, who was usually vulgar and illogical, answered all the reporters' questions with perfect clarity, earning everyone’s utmost admiration. In reality, after speaking, Lei Bin didn't even know what he had said.

Although Lei Bin already felt his words were fake enough and the achievements too exaggerated, he had underestimated the reporters' ability to embellish. When he watched these reports on television a few days later, he was stunned.

"Damn, is this talking about me? This describes a perfect god of war. Damn, I didn't realize the military was so good at fabricating things." For the first time, Lei Bin understood what politics meant.

However, luckily, because of the embellishment, the reporters also provided much stronger praise for the heroic sacrifice of the Golden Eagle troops, making their deeds even more stirring and moving. Lei Bin was very comforted by this. When he and Lou Lan had recounted the fall of the Golden Eagle troops, they had shown the highest respect. Now, with the Federation and the Empire in a fierce battle, such stories were the best way to boost morale.

The military repeatedly processed the stories of Long Teng and his men, writing them in a way that was tragic, heart-wrenching, blood-boiling, and stirring. Practically no one could listen to their story without shedding tears. Even if their contributions were slightly exaggerated, it was not excessive. After all, it was their blood that had opened a path for Lei Bin and the others. Deep in their hearts, Lei Bin and his companions held the highest respect for them.

In recent days, the Federation's naval reinforcements had already arrived, and a earth-shattering battle had begun with the Empire. Since a skirmish in the Taina star system five years ago, the Federation and the Empire had not seen a battle of this scale. There was no other reason: the Empire killing all the descendants of the Lei family was a huge disgrace to the Federation and a massive blow to its military prestige. To gain a morale advantage in this strategic duel, a large-scale war was necessary.

Furthermore, military factions close to the Lei family were eager to curry favor and were determined to seek revenge, strongly supporting this battle. Even those who didn't belong to the Lei family, or were even hostile, had to express a sense of shared hatred to avoid Old Man Lei venting his anger on them. Everyone knew that the ambush on Base No. 3 and the death of the Lei descendants couldn't possibly be a coincidence. Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe there wasn't an inside man. No one wanted to be suspected and become a thorn in Old Man Lei's side.

Although the Lei family lineage had been wiped out and they were destined to decline, their influence in the military remained unshakable. If the traitor were truly discovered, no one doubted that Old Man Lei would order warships to the culprit's doorstep. Federation law could not constrain him. With his family gone, what did the old man have to fear? What was there to worry about? Old Man Lei was now a terrifying, angry lion; anyone who dared to pull his whiskers would be torn to shreds.

In the last few days, Lei Bin had asked his superiors several times about his future, subtly expressing his desire to retire, but he received no reply. Surprisingly, Star Dream did not stop him when he expressed this desire. Lei Bin curiously asked Star Dream why. Star Dream said only one thing: "You are now a banner of the Federation. The Federation needs you to boost morale, so they will never let you retire."

"Damn it." In the end, Lei Bin could only roll his eyes helplessly.

A few days ago, Lei Bin received a letter from the beautiful woman, Daisy. Because she had other matters to attend to, she had left, leaving him contact information and telling him to reach out later. "Damn, my 'great undertaking' has gone down the drain," Lei Bin thought, filled with indignation.

Now, Lei Bin was taught etiquette and public speaking skills by professionals every day. He was never left idle, treated like a puppet moved around by a group of people. Fortunately, because Lou Lan was also one of the commanders, she was always with him, practically inseparable. Whenever they gave reports, they were together. This provided Lei Bin with some relief as he had the beauty by his side.

Originally, Lei Bin thought that because Lou Lan had defended him several times, her impression of him would be very good, so he tried to flirt with her. However, ever since they arrived at Base No. 2, she had returned to her cold, indifferent expression, refusing to give him any attention. Lei Bin could only curl his lip—women's hearts were as deep as the sea.

A few days later, Lei Bin was informed that he would soon be leaving the Tumu star system.

"Where am I going?" Lei Bin asked.

"To the Capital Star."

"Oh, come on."

At that moment, in a luxurious sky villa in the capital city of the Capital Star, Federation Marshal Lei Na had just finished breakfast and was watching the news. Although he had absolutely no appetite, he knew he had to eat to maintain his strength and take care of his body. He needed to keep enough energy to handle the events unfolding. The Lei family could not fall, and he, as its current pillar, had to stand firm.

On television, the news was reporting on the attack on the Tumu star system. On the screen, a young soldier in a Federation uniform with a serious face was being interviewed.

"Dear viewers, this is the great hero Lei Bin, who led surviving soldiers through over a dozen blockades and rescued one hundred thousand Federation prisoners. You may not know that his rank is only a private. Although he is just a private, he used astonishing command ability, supreme perseverance, and firm conviction to complete this almost impossible mission. His dream since childhood was to be a Federation soldier, and like countless children, he considers becoming a soldier his greatest honor. He..."

Marshal Lei Na's eyes, which had been devoid of luster, suddenly erupted with a laser-like intensity upon catching a glimpse of Lei Bin on the screen. The chopsticks in his hand were instantly snapped in two. His body froze, and he stared intently at the image of Lei Bin, unable to look away for a long time.

Just one glance—just one—and he was certain that this person was a member of the Lei family, a descendant of his own bloodline. Lei Bin’s appearance and his eyes were exactly the same as someone else's when they were young.

"My Lei family has a successor," Lei Na finally whispered after a long, long time.