Counterfeit Hero

The battleship was quiet.

The officers and soldiers crowded to the port side of the ship, standing on tiptoes and stretching their necks, looking at the very... sleazy reconnaissance ship outside the porthole with wonder and confusion.

The two rows of signal lights at the top of the battleship kept flashing alternately, asking about the identity of the other ship in light signals.

But the ragged reconnaissance ship seemed to ignore it. It flashed its light signal saying ”I have a lot of energy!” on its own, buzzing around the battleship like a fly, incessantly!

The officers and soldiers on the battleship watched until they became dizzy and infuriated!

This was humiliation!

If they had any energy left, the officers and soldiers swore they would certainly give this head-held-high swaggering guy a good taste of their power!

Fang Xiang came to her senses, biting her jade-like teeth tightly.

She instantly determined that this reconnaissance ship was a member of the Ragged Fleet. Although it was not a combat ship, the mottled rust and ragged armor on its hull were nearly identical! And the cunning, sleazy feeling it gave off was exactly the same!

How was she discovered, what was the true identity of the other side?

What was their intention in flashing such a signal, why did they have military-grade energy cannon and energy shield, where were those strange ships built?

All sorts of questions mixed with the feeling of danger from being controlled by the opponent, causing Fang Xiang to feel utterly disturbed.

All along, Fang Xiang had relied on her extraordinary intelligence to firmly control her own life. She never believed in fate, she only believed in her talent and effort!

She was the most outstanding student in the history of Saleria Naval Academy, and also the best young officer in the Saleria Navy.

She was naturally beautiful, had a gentle personality, a photographic memory, and superior intelligence... No matter where she was, she was always the focus of admiration, jealousy, affection, and even obsession.

But now, all the pride and confidence accumulated over twenty-nine years of her life seemed to vanish in an instant. Replacing it was a heavy feeling of helplessness that was like a weight on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe!

There was no response to the signal. Fang Xiang was sure that a mysterious figure hidden within the Ragged Fleet was playing the same game with her. Right now wasn’t the time for him to make contact; he was also waiting, waiting for the dust of the battle to settle.

Sending out the reconnaissance ship to communicate with her side was a clear indication that he had everything under control. Arrogant, but without malice. Fang Xiang contemplated for a long time, finally gritting her teeth and turning her head away, refusing to look at the reconnaissance ship again, instead focusing her gaze on the virtual screen.

Given the Longbow Fleet’s current situation, Fang Xiang didn’t have any extra cards. She could only hope that the Valor could seize the opportunity to occupy the pirate base first! As long as enough energy could be replenished, the Longbow Fleet could regain control of their destiny.

On the virtual screen, the battle continued amidst the explosion lights sweeping across the starry sky.

After sacrificing more than a dozen warships, including a destroyer, the pirate fleet also gained time and space to maneuver. While the Ragged Fleet had yet to pierce through the middle, their last seven warships had already occupied favorable terrain at the Ragged Fleet’s left wing.

One cruiser, one slightly damaged destroyer, two armed merchant ships, two escort ships, and one torpedo boat. These were the remaining forces of the pirate fleet on the screen. Now, these warships had all aimed their main cannon barrels at the Ragged Fleet’s cruiser.

The pirates’ tactics were simple and effective. As long as they could destroy the opponent’s cruiser in one fell swoop, the combat power of the Ragged Fleet would be halved! And with the North Star cruiser and a destroyer dealing with the remaining two armed merchant ships and four escort ships, the task would be easy!

Fang Xiang felt quite conflicted. As the Fleet Commander, she hoped both fleets would suffer heavy losses, but as an individual, she couldn’t bear to see those who had helped her getting harmed.

She didn’t know what kind of fleet the Ragged Fleet truly was. Since their appearance, they had been making all kinds of critical errors. If the earlier fatal mistakes were deliberate, then the mistakes happening now were genuinely critical!

They were too greedy.

After charging into the enemy formation, they acted like bandits who had seen gold and silver treasures, blinded by the immediate benefits in front of them. All the warships frantically fired their cannons, unwilling to waste even a moment or give up a chance in exchange for a position favorable for self-protection.

Even if they destroyed a few more pirate warships, they allowed the pirates’ front formation to turn around, putting their cruiser in danger at this moment.

Calculating the speed and positions of both fleets, Fang Xiang couldn’t think of any way for the Ragged Fleet’s cruiser, which was firmly locked by the pirate fleet, to escape under such circumstances.

Fang Xiang didn’t believe this was another deliberate tactic by the Ragged Fleet. The development of events also proved her judgment—until all the pirate fleet’s warships were ready to fire concentrated volleys, this chaotic fleet only started to panic as if awakening from a dream.

The two ragged armed merchant ships and four relatively agile escort ships desperately turned their rudders while firing at the pirate fleet’s armed merchant ships and escort ships on the outskirts, trying to rescue the cruiser through distraction!

However, their efforts were evidently in vain. Just as they completed the turn, all the pirate fleet’s warships simultaneously fired their main and auxiliary cannons.