"General Chen, I have long heard of your reputation."
Facing the other party's upright figure, Wolf chuckled with a simple, honest smile.
His guileless and straightforward appearance seemed to put him at a disadvantage in terms of presence compared to the other.
"Let's skip the pleasantries."
As he spoke, General Chen's gaze swept around the Bridge before settling on Fred's face.
A young man wearing a mask—from the exposed corner of his mouth, he seemed to sense... happiness?
Chen Tai glanced again, but the slight upward curve of the other's mouth just moments ago seemed like an illusion.
Of course, it was indeed possible, as the masked youth's mouth had only twitched slightly.
As a general, Chen Tai was sharp, but he was only human.
With that thought, Chen Tai withdrew his gaze, lowered his head to look at the list displayed on the tablet, and continued.
"What cargo are you transporting to Mendel this time?"
"Energy-related equipment."
The exchange between the two sides appeared formal and proper.
It seemed as if this were merely a routine inspection.
"I have a clear understanding of the situation now."
"Our side will conduct a secondary verification."
"Finally, I hope you will act wisely."
With that, Chen Tai left the area, leaving only a composed silhouette that soon vanished from everyone's sight.
"Did you notice anything?"
Wolf looked at Fred, who still seemed deep in thought, and asked with a smile.
"Nothing, but it seems East Asia is more reliable than the other two."
Fred shook his head, still sighing in relief.
Fortunately, they were relatively dependable. Perhaps there would be opportunities for further contact.
"Indeed."
Upon hearing this, Wolf also sighed in agreement.
As long as actions remained within the rules, East Asia was indeed the most reliable.
The other two, for the sake of individual interests, were always up to petty tricks.
In this regard, their approaches were fundamentally different.
Moreover, East Asia was also the most stable region in dealing with the impact brought by Coordinators.
Even its internal structure remained largely unshaken, remarkably stable.
Other places, not just the Atlantic Federation, but also many smaller nations, faced job losses, protests, and strikes under the impact of Coordinators.
Yet only that region maintained its original stability.
"It's just a pity that their capabilities are limited."
Wolf sighed.
As a member of the Clyne Faction, Wolf would prefer not to engage in war if possible.
If the Atlantic Federation and the Eurasian Federation were like East Asia, there would be no wars.
Unfortunately, things did not go as hoped.
Observing Wolf and the surrounding crew members, Fred nodded inwardly.
At least these members of the Clyne Faction did not believe that direct warfare was beneficial; stability was the best approach.
Of course, for now, their opinions did not hold sway.
The Atlantic Federation, the Eurasian Federation, Blue Cosmos, and the Clan behind them were the most troublesome.
Lost in thought, Fred bid farewell to everyone on the Bridge and headed toward his room.
With only a short distance left to PLANT, he needed to tidy up his appearance.
Otherwise, his family might think he had returned from wandering somewhere.
Thinking of his family, Fred's lips curled into a faint smile.
His mission this time had been perfectly accomplished.
Although he hadn't seen Ola, seeing her now might not be a good thing.
After all, the relationship between Ola and Siegel was still unknown, and Durandal needed to be dealt with first.
Ola might know Siegel, and if Ola knew Durandal, then Durandal might be aware that Siegel was behind the operation that led to his friend's death.
He still needed to remind Siegel to be cautious, and perhaps he could also find Durandal's weaknesses and take him down in the process.
However, besides Durandal, he might also need to return to Copernicus.
While Blood Valentine seemed to be the beginning of everything, the most critical issue was the United Nations' pro-peace faction on the Moon's Copernicus being wiped out by Blue Cosmos in one fell swoop before that.
War is merely an extension of politics. If he could protect those pro-peace factions, perhaps there would be more room for maneuver.
Of course, even if Blue Cosmos missed this opportunity to attack the United Nations' moderate faction, there would always be another chance.
He needed to seize this opportunity to thoroughly damage Blue Cosmos's reputation, morale, and influence.
He had about three years left.
Fred silently calculated in his mind. Just as he floated along the conveyor belt to the cafeteria entrance, he caught sight of the general he had just met.
The overhead lights shone on this middle-aged man, adding to his imposing presence.
"General Chen...?"
Fred looked at the officer before him and instinctively straightened his posture.
This man truly reminded him of some things from his past life.
"Hello?"
Seeing the newcomer, the general also seemed somewhat surprised.
Meanwhile, the cafeteria manager lowered his gaze, and his panicked expression settled slightly upon seeing Fred.
"What brings you here?"
"I just happened to be passing by and wanted to check on your meals."
General Chen said cheerfully, without any airs of a general.
"Just some ordinary food."
Fred replied with a smile.
"Yes, but not much is consumed."
"After all, this ship has enhanced automation, so there are fewer crew members, which also saves a lot on expenses."
Fred nodded.
"I see."
Chen Tai nodded and said nothing more, only giving Fred a deep look.
"I believe your name is Freed, right?"
"Yes."
Fred bowed slightly.
"Good, a fine young man."
After uttering this seemingly random remark, Chen Tai turned to his adjutant.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Watching the two leave, Fred finally relaxed and realized something.
They might have been exposed.
Although Fred had long prepared both open and hidden accounts for expenses like food, the cafeteria manager's expression had noticeably changed when he saw Fred arrive.
The other party might have sensed something. Otherwise, why would he praise Fred as a "fine young man" when he was wearing a mask? That would be nothing but a blatant lie.
Perhaps it was also a hint that they were lying through their teeth.
Despite thinking this, Fred wasn't too worried.
Although this situation was sudden, it wasn't a major issue.
For one, the other party had no evidence, and for another, this was also a good opportunity to test the waters.
"This place that isn't quite home—is it truly trustworthy?"
Fred watched the other party's departing figure while on the other end, Chen Tai had already returned to the Agamemnon-class flagship with his adjutant.
"Captain Chen, it doesn't seem to be them," the adjutant whispered.
"Hard to say," Chen Tai replied, his mind recalling the kitchen supervisor's gaze when looking at Fred, along with the overly clean accounts and food consumption records.
His bright, torch-like eyes narrowed slightly.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "TLGod" on Patreon!"
Thanks!