Counterfeit Hero

After more than forty hours of navigation, the 1201 fleet finally entered the Mars Channel.

Although most of the channels in the Free Channel are not open for carriers, for these seasoned navigators from the bandit army in the Free Channel, leading the Chuckna Carrier from the main channel to Mars Planet is not a difficult task.

It’s important to know that Mars Free Port was originally a major immigration planet with an A-grade channel and an extremely advantageous geographic position in human society. It was once a member of the mainstream human society. This place is like a town backed by a mountain, with a wide road in front, and countless small paths in the mountain. Since this planet was discovered, large ships have been continually entering Mars Planet through the main channel and then into the A-grade channel.

After the mineral resources of Mars Planet and its nearby Resource Planets were exhausted, the residents living on this planet relied on its advantageous geographic position in the center of the Mars Free Channel and its connection to the main channel to survive. It gradually evolved into a free haven for large enterprises engaged in processing trade, enticed by the no-tax policy and transportation advantages, and gathered countless pirates, mercenary armies, smugglers, and adventurers.

”Without your navigators to guide us, we would have to risk encountering the Suss Fleet to get out of this Star Domain,” Zhang Pengcheng said to Fatty, looking out the porthole at the Chuckna Warships emerging from the Jump Point. ”It seems offending anyone but you local snakes is unwise.”

”Hehe,” Fatty chuckled sheepishly without saying a word. His hands were flying across the virtual keyboard of the simulation computer. Across from him, a Lieutenant Colonel Staff surrounded by dozens of Chuckna officers looked ashen-faced.

Zhang Pengcheng glanced back at Fatty and then at the perspiring staff officer, shaking his head involuntarily.

Since separating from the bandit army fleet led by Fang Xiang in the DE Channel, Fatty had followed the 1201 fleet alone to report to Carolina in the Mars Star System.

Zhang Pengcheng understood this because, after all, Leray is a member of the Fei Alliance. Even though Fatty was factually in control of the bandit army, nominally, he still belonged to the command of the Mars Front Army. Ignoring Carolina’s orders could easily put the Leray Exile Government and the Newton and Galileo Star Systems under the Southeast Allied Army’s leadership in an awkward situation.

In this respect, Fatty was clearly more insightful than his appearance suggested.

The few operational warships had already left with the bandit army fleet, and the remaining warships were dragged by the bandit army to hide in the Smoke Lake Nebula. Zhang Pengcheng didn’t know how they did it, just that the bandit army somehow made those warships disappear. Recalling the previous scene where the bandit army’s reconnaissance ship sent targeted communications right under the eyes of the 1201 fleet, Zhang Pengcheng had a new appreciation for the bandit army’s sneaky tactics.

However, several times when he slyly probed, Fatty just smiled innocently without revealing a thing, which left Zhang Pengcheng grinding his teeth in frustration.

The most infuriating part was that this guy quickly got chummy with the senior officers of the 1201 fleet as soon as he boarded. Ship captains and operations department staff from the 1201 fleet headquarters and the Twelfth Group Fleet headquarters soon became his buddies. Following that was the simulation exercises against each other following Fatty’s enthusiastic invitation…

Zhang Pengcheng walked behind the Lieutenant Colonel Staff. On the virtual screen, dozens of warships were engaged in fierce firefights around an asteroid belt. Both sides exchanged fire like flowers dancing, turning the battle upside down. The simulation program’s data and real-time combat reports flipped rapidly as the Lieutenant Colonel Staff’s hands almost cramped from exertion.

Seeing the Lieutenant Colonel’s gritted teeth expression and then looking at the glowing-eyed Fatty opposite him, Zhang Pengcheng couldn’t help but smile wryly. The current record was sixty-nine to zero, with all the victories belonging to the Chuckna Fleet officers, and Fatty hadn’t won a single round. Yet, it was the winners from the 1201 fleet who were the ones looking pale and stunned!

Judging from Fatty’s performance in previous simulations, his simulation capabilities weren’t strong, at least far below what the Chuckna officers imagined.

The most advantageous part of individual simulations is the ability to use conditions, where Fatty seemed average. In the rapidly changing confrontations, he could only use over forty conditions at once, a level easily surpassed by any staff or captain in the 1201 fleet who could muster three to fifty on a whim.

Moreover, from his command methods, he was a typical novice. His tactical linkage and control were nearly a complete mess. His use of local tactics also revealed shortcomings due to the lack of formal military breeding, showing he hadn’t been through a proper military academy.

His performance made it hard to associate him with the brilliant architect of previous battle plans. At least in terms of simulation and command, it indicated that the previous battles with the Suss were the results of the bandit army’s overall cooperation. Fatty seemed to play the role of an insightful adviser, conjuring various bizarre tactics in his mind.

Without Fang Xiang’s command and the simulation assistance from Leray or Saleria staff in the bandit army’s Staff Department from formal military academies, his battle plans couldn’t have been executed so flawlessly.