Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 503: Volume 6 Chapter 9 Further Study

”It sounds absurd,” Russell remarked solemnly from the side. ”But our investigation indeed points in that direction.” He gestured to the file in Fatty’s hands, signaling him to open it, and then continued, ”Your parents’ last exploration mission began on June 5, 2042, exploring a jump point channel within the Chuckna Republic. The mission concluded smoothly on July 11, and the return journey commenced. On July 15, the spaceship met with an accident in the Public Star System. There are at least three suspicious points in this incident.”

Fatty slowly sat down, spreading the file on his trembling legs, his mind buzzing, unable to focus on a single word, only hearing Russell’s meticulous analysis unfold.

”Let’s start with the first point,” Russell raised a finger and said, ”Everyone assumed that when the spaceship crashed, everyone involved in the space jump had perished. However, our investigation revealed that one person was not on the spaceship before the accident. Check the information... That person is named Casano, a mechanic from the Chuckna Republic. Due to illness, he left the spaceship early on its return journey. After the spaceship crashed, he mysteriously disappeared. Subsequent investigations showed that his identity was fabricated.”

Fatty’s teeth ground together audibly. ”Was this person never found?”

Russell shook his head with a wry smile. ”No. Although we have his holographic image and all the documentation of his forged identity, twenty years have passed. Whether he is dead or alive, and any changes in his appearance, are unknown. Finding him now would be extremely difficult. However, a fabricated identity leaves traces. With enough time and luck, we might be able to trace him.”

Fatty nodded heavily. ”What about the second suspicious point?”

”The second point makes things even clearer,” Russell snorted, ”The spaceship your parents were on was provided by the Light Society. Due to the significance of the mission, it was the latest model at the time, the fast spacecraft ’Silver Shuttle,’ which had been reinforced and scientifically modified, making its performance quite outstanding. All communications and navigation systems were the most advanced in the civilian sector at that time. However, during the crash, not a single distress signal was sent.”

”This brings us to the third suspicious point...” Russell paused briefly. ”In the Public Star System, the spaceship veered off course and mysteriously collided with an asteroid. This error was almost impossible with the Silver Shuttle’s advanced jump navigation system. Even more puzzling, in the absence of any distress signals and with the course deviation, four different factions’ ships arrived at the crash site simultaneously!”

Fatty sneered, his laughter chilling. ”That sure is a coincidence. Which four factions?”

”The Binart Empire, the Feiyang Republic, and the Chuckna Republic!” Russell replied, ”The Binart Empire was represented by a modified commercial transport ship. It’s not unusual for such transport ships to be on that route, even during wartime, as civilian trade has never ceased. However, this particular transport ship carried mercenaries piloting space mechas, allegedly escorting expensive jewelry. While the reason was plausible, they had no business being so far off course, rescuing a spaceship that hadn’t sent a distress call.”

”As for the Feiyang Republic...” Russell furrowed his brow. ”A heavily armed passenger ship on an academic visit from the Chuckna Republic reached the crash site. Technically, a small destroyer from the Chuckna Republic, which was part of a formation with the Feiyang Republic’s ship, counts as a separate entity, as they were coordinating.”

”Who else?” Fatty asked.

”The fourth party was unaffiliated with any nation,” Russell slowly continued. ”It was an armed pirate ship modified from a fast commercial ship. According to our investigation, this pirate ship belonged to an organization called ’Horror Knight.’ Oddly, after this incident, the Horror Knight disbanded swiftly, and all its top figures vanished. They didn’t seem to have suffered any devastating blow; their disbandment appeared voluntary.”

Fatty carefully examined the information on the four ships in the file, puzzled. ”Wasn’t there any conflict among these ships at the time?”

”Barely any,” Russell replied. ”When the pirate ship saw the Feiyang and Chuckna formation arriving, it swiftly left the scene. By then, the crashed spaceship had already exploded. The Binart Empire’s commercial ship was questioned briefly. As they claimed to be there for rescue and had no evidence of misconduct, the Chuckna Republic let them go after filing a detailed report.”

Fatty closed the folder, held it and waved it at Boswell, asking, ”Why isn’t there any record of these four ships making contact with the crashed spaceship here?”

”In fact...” Boswell smiled wryly, ”although they arrived first, the Silver Shuttle disintegrated and exploded so quickly that no one could approach for a rescue. Subsequent searches found no survivors, not even the spaceship’s flight recorder.”

Boswell shook his head and sighed, continuing, ”All evidence suggests that the exploration mission was a success. The spaceship’s crash was humanity’s greatest loss in a millennium. In the past twenty years, the scientific community has spent countless time, effort, and money, losing a substantial number of astronauts and scientists, but never found the exact speed for successful traversal and return. Every additional 1000 kilometers per hour above the third universe speed of 60120 kilometers per hour implies a hundred more possibilities. Even excluding a 15% margin of error, it’s a daunting number. Considering the Silver Shuttle’s jump speed, the possibilities are practically infinite.”

”Exactly!” Bernadotte, who had been silent all this time, sighed. ”Now, almost no one dares to undertake such experiments. Just like death, humanity has always had various understandings of it: scientific, religious, and mystic. But no one can return from death to tell us what it’s like. Conducting a space jump at unconventional speeds is simply courting death.”

”That Casano...” Fatty gritted his teeth and asked, ”He was also part of the exploration mission. If he was the mastermind behind the spaceship accident and belonged to a country or faction, why hasn’t there been any news about the new star domain for the past twenty years? Is it a tightly held secret, or have they been able to endure and not exploit the new space jump technology for twenty years?”

Boswell and Russell exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads. ”For individuals, enterprises, and nations alike, this technology signifies immeasurable benefits! It’s impossible to keep it hidden for twenty years. Once executed, whether for exploration or colonization, it’s impossible not to leak any information. We are equally perplexed by this.”

”You’re telling me all this,” Fatty placed the file gently on the table in front of him. ”It means you already have a plan. What do you want me to do, and how?”

”In truth...” Russell sighed with a bitter smile, ”We don’t have any plan. The new space jump technology is Professor Boswell’s project. While reviewing the data, he stumbled upon your connection to this case. We’re telling you this because you have the right to know about your parents, and coincidentally, the Command Department has assigned you for further training at the Hanjing Red Army First Military Academy in the capital of the Chuckna Republic.”

”Further training?” Fatty was taken aback. ”Training in what?”

”Mechanical engineering,” Russell replied. ”It’s not just you; students from various major military academies across the Federation have been selected. You’ll have additional courses in tactics and battle strategy. Moreover, Professor Boswell will also be there, as the local laboratory has invited him to collaborate on space jump point technology.”

”Why choose me for further training?” Fatty was confused.

Boswell explained, ”It was my suggestion to send you for training. Among the selected, you’re my student, and I’m fully aware of your skills in mecha manufacturing. Without boasting, Gallipalan Laboratory’s mechanical material technology is among the world’s best. Furthermore, as a mechanic soldier, you have hands-on operational experience and can pilot mechas. Your theoretical and practical knowledge meet the criteria for a trainee. The most crucial reason is...”

Boswell suddenly paused, and the room fell silent.

Fatty asked curiously, ”What’s the crucial reason?”

Boswell looked worried. ”The crucial reason is that the Binart Empire has developed a new mecha.”

”Oh?” Fatty was stunned. ”What kind of mecha? The eleventh generation?”

Boswell sighed. ”If it were merely the eleventh generation, I wouldn’t be so concerned. The Feiyang Republic’s eleventh generation mechas are already going into mass production, ready for deployment in a few months. Our intelligence indicates that Binart’s new mecha should be called the twelfth generation, or even the twelfth and a half generation mecha.”

Fatty’s jaw dropped in shock. ”How is that possible?”

Boswell smiled wryly, ”It indeed seems incredible. No one expected Binart Empire’s military technology reserves to surpass the Feiyang Republic’s. For so many years, starting from the seventh generation mechas, they’ve always been overshadowed by the Feiyang Republic. Now suddenly unveiling the twelfth generation mecha is unimaginable.”

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The recent Chapters mark the book’s mid-section, setting the stage for the grand battle. There’s a lot of information, requiring numerous foreshadowing and clue setting, hence the slow writing pace. After frequent rewrites, often deleting parts that didn’t fit the later narrative, updates have been slow. Please understand.

.(To be continued, for updates on the latest Chapters, log on to www.qidian.com, support the author, and read the authorized version!)