Counterfeit Hero

No matter how long the road, there is always an end.

Especially when it’s only a few hundred meters from the berth to the platform.

No matter how unwilling Sammon was, he could only stand straight, under the scrutiny of tens of thousands of piercing eyes, watching as Zhang Pengcheng walked towards him step by step.

”Is that the Feiyang Fleet Commander who fled?” Fatty asked softly beside Zhang Pengcheng.

”That’s him!” Zhang Pengcheng gritted his teeth.

”Should we hit him?” Fatty blinked.

Zhang Pengcheng’s pace paused slightly: ”You’re not afraid?”

Fatty looked surprised: ”What should I be afraid of?”

”Standing next to him is your direct superior.” Zhang Pengcheng glanced at the smiling Carolina.

”Look down on me?” Fatty squinted: ”What’s it to her if I beat up some scumbag. As long as I’m happy. Are you in or not?”

”Here?” Zhang Pengcheng took a deep breath.

”Here, now.....” Fatty said coldly: ”The two of us!”

”Damn it.” Zhang Pengcheng said viciously: ”You read my mind!”

The two of them quickened their pace in unison.

On the platform, a phalanx of Chuckna Guards had already cleared a path. Seeing Zhang Pengcheng and Fatty approaching quickly, the guards who were originally separating the Feiyang Officer ranks also slowly retreated to either side.

Fatty and Zhang Pengcheng strode briskly.

The captain of the Chuckna Guard Battalion, as the two passed in front of him, took a deep breath and shouted: ”Attention all, salute..... to Major General Tian Xingjian of Leray!”

In the captain’s crisp and bright voice, tens of thousands of Chuckna Soldiers simultaneously saluted.

On the platform, by the berth, on the deck, along the bridge walkway, rows and rows, groups upon groups of black-uniformed crowds all stood straight at attention, the uniform saluting movement created an extremely powerful visual impact.

Carolina’s face turned livid. Seeing the Leray people and Chuckna people mix together was something she absolutely did not want to see. She couldn’t even dream that these Chuckna people would suddenly pay tribute to a powerless Leray Major General in such a manner. From the captain’s expression and the soldiers’ movements, it was evident this was planned long ago.

Cheng Zhixuan, who had remained silent, also looked deeply displeased. Next to him, Margaret widened her eyes in astonishment.

It was the first time she saw this almost legendary Leray Major General. He looked just like in the data, somewhat honest face, somewhat obese figure, fair, chubby, amiable... Unexpectedly, his appearance had such a dramatic effect. Chuckna people were paying respect to him in an extreme way.

What did he do, to warrant such grandeur from the Chuckna 12th Group Fleet!

While her mind raced, Margaret saw Admiral Zhang Pengcheng and that Fatty had already walked briskly through the guards’ formation and stood in front of Carolina. She could even hear the banter between the two men.....

”Did you set this up?” Fatty asked.

”Not me. This is the tradition of Chuckna Soldiers and the 12th Group Fleet!” Zhang Pengcheng said: ”You deserve it.”

Carolina reached out to shake Zhang Pengcheng’s hand with a smile: ”Congratulations, Admiral Zhang Pengcheng..... This is a great....”

Her voice came to an abrupt stop.

The two men, one old and one young, ignored her. They strode past her. Zhang Pengcheng landed a slap on Sammon’s face, and immediately, Fatty kicked Sammon’s abdomen, sending the unprepared Sammon flying.

Carolina stood frozen.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Zhang Pengcheng and Fatty showed no sign of stopping, one on the left and one on the right they caught up and started hitting the curled-up Sammon with fists and kicks. In the swirling dust, the muffled sounds of punches and kicks were heart-stopping.

Cheng Zhixuan, closest to the scuffle, reflexively stepped back, Margaret covered her mouth, and more than a hundred Feiyang Officers turned pale, while tens of thousands of Chuckna Officers and Soldiers nearby clenched their fists, jaws tight, eyes bright. The entire No.15 Airport was silent, except for the sounds of fists and feet meeting flesh, and rapid breathing.

Everyone watched wide-eyed, as two men in general’s uniforms brutally beat Sammon.

An Admiral and a Major General, brawling like street hooligans, such a scene was probably unprecedented in human military history.

”What are you doing?”

Sammon only managed to cry out once before he could no longer speak, rolling on the ground. Zhang Pengcheng and Fatty’s fists and feet rained down on him like hail. Each punch and kick was extremely vicious, hitting the most painful spots.

Sammon screamed, his throat hissing uncontrollably, without any chance to resist. After all, he was just an officer graduated from a Military Academy, and whatever close combat skills he learned there had long been forgotten completely. How could he possibly be a match for the Special Soldier Fatty and the burly Zhang Pengcheng?!

Amidst the flying dust, Zhang Pengcheng grabbed Samon’s collar, lifted him from the ground, and delivered a fierce hook punch to his cheek. Samon’s head jerked back, and two teeth, mixed with bloody foam, flew out.

”Thirty-six destroyers, eleven cruisers, and nine battleships of the 1201 fleet! Thirty-four thousand lost souls! All your doing!”

As he reported this set of numbers, Zhang Pengcheng, with a grim face and reddened eyes, seemed to have tears glistening. His lips trembled uncontrollably as he spoke.

His voice carried far, echoing through the port.

”It’s not that I wanted to hit you...” Fatty grabbed Samon and reversed a slap onto his face. This slap was so loud. Samon’s already bruised face instantly had another handprint. Fatty kicked Samon in the stomach: ”The thirty-four thousand dead spirits won’t rest, and I’m now possessed by them, unable to control myself!”

As soon as Fatty finished speaking, Zhang Pengcheng wasn’t content to be left behind, charged straight up and kneed Samon in the groin.

With a scream, Samon curled up like a shrimp.

The whole port went silent. Everyone, including the Chuckna officers and soldiers, had their mouths agape. No one expected Zhang Pengcheng, a man in his fifties, an Admiral of Chuckna, usually calm and composed, to use such a move... It was simply unbelievable.

Fatty looked at the rolling and wailing Samon on the ground, then turned around in shock, looking at Zhang Pengcheng: ”Old man, that was harsh, wasn’t it?”

Zhang Pengcheng rubbed his hands awkwardly, seeming a bit embarrassed about his knee attack. But before this expression lasted two seconds, he noticed that Samon seemed to be catching his breath and hurriedly went up to give another kick.

The two of them laughed and joked while committing violence in public, having a great time tormenting Samon, when suddenly a sharp voice was heard.

”Stop!”

Carolina, coming to her senses, was already livid. She never dreamed that upon meeting, Zhang Pengcheng would, along with Fatty, disregard their status and personally beat Samon. Samon’s beating not only brought shame to the Feiyang but also confirmed something Carolina was greatly troubled by: clearly, the relationship between this Fatty from Leray and the Chuckna people was beyond ordinary.

Hearing Carolina’s stern command to stop, more than a hundred Feiyang officers beside her also snapped back to reality and began scolding. Although everyone knew why Samon was beaten, Fatty and Zhang Pengcheng’s methods were indeed a bit ruthless.

The surrounding Chuckna guards all stepped forward, glaring at the Feiyang officers.

The situation instantly became tense.

”You have no right to hit him...” Carolina stepped forward, speaking with justice: ”That was just an accident! Major General Samon absolutely did not intend to deliberately harm Chuckna allies! Even if he did something wrong, there’s the Alliance Command Center and the military court to deal with it. How can you just beat up my Feiyang generals like this?”

As she spoke, Carolina had already reached Fatty: ”Major General Tian Xingjian, in my capacity as the supreme commander of the Mars Front Army, I order you to stop immediately!”

”Yes!...” Fatty saluted and stood at attention without hesitation. A sudden stomp from him elicited a howl from Samon.

”You!” Carolina was so angry she saw stars. She had long known Fatty was a thorny character, but she hadn’t expected that the first order she gave upon meeting him would be executed in such a manner.

Seeing Fatty stop, Zhang Pengcheng, who had beaten enough, also coldly clapped his hands and ceased his actions.

”Accident... that’s quite an easy excuse,” Zhang Pengcheng coldly glanced at Carolina and said: ”Major General Carolina, whether it was an accident, we all know very well. Anyway, we have battlefield images and radar records. At worst, we’ll make these things public, let the countries of the Fei Alliance judge and see who believes this was an accident!”

Carolina frowned and was momentarily speechless. She knew that this battlefield record could never be made public.

There was a momentary silence in the field.

Margaret’s eyes fell with great interest on Fatty. She wasn’t surprised by Samon being beaten, nor was she angry because this person was a member of the Feiyang Republic. Having been influenced by Hastings since childhood, she understood better than anyone that someone like Samon posed more of a danger to his own side in war than a direct enemy.

She was just very interested in this pale and plump Fatty.

The Battle of Mars had already been hailed as a miracle by the staff at her grandfather’s Alliance Command Center. And now, this Fatty returned to Mars along with the Chuckna’s 1201 fleet, and upon disembarking, was collectively saluted by the Chuckna people... Margaret found it hard to believe that this great defeat to victory the Chuckna barely escaped from had nothing to do with this Fatty.

What role did he actually play in it?!

”I’m going to report you to the Alliance Command Center...” In the silence, Samon got up from the ground. The intense pain made it impossible for him to suppress his shame and anger. A high-ranking general of Feiyang being publicly beaten by Chuckna and Leray people was an unprecedented humiliation. Having always had smooth sailing, he couldn’t accept it. His eyes were filled with resentment as he looked at Zhang Pengcheng and Fatty.

Everyone stared dumbly at Samon. Even some Feiyang officers couldn’t help but frown. Samon, with his face bruised and swollen, was clearly blinded by hatred. What good would it do to talk about reporting now?!

In the silence, Carolina glanced coldly at Samon, just about to speak, when she saw that Leray Fatty turn his head, cough, and with a powerful ”phoo,” spat forcefully onto Samon’s face.

”I didn’t want to be so excessive in the first place.” Fatty wiped his mouth: ”Bastard, go ahead and report me.”

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. Just twenty votes short of the White Goose. Brothers, let’s rally a wave of monthly tickets. Drop him down!

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(To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com for more chapters. Support the authors and legal reading!)