The preferential treatment Qin Bei Wang was receiving now was merely the higher-ups trying to curry favor with Qin Qianfan.
"Forget it, let him reap the benefits. At least Commander Qin fought alongside me. Better his son reaps them than the offspring of those useless gluttons!"
Zhao Rui let out a long sigh, cursing inwardly.
"Damn Federation, rotten to the core!"
Seeing this, Li Wen Cai beside him breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, on the bridge of the flagship of the Iron Fist Sub-Fleet's direct command fleet, Yang Shao wore a troubled expression.
Only when his adjutant and Executive Officer, Liu Tai Ning, approached did he slowly speak.
"Order the Scorpio Ship to lead the Flame Scorpio and Aqua Scorpio cruisers to follow behind the Pluto Fleet. Maintain optimal support distance. If the Pluto Fleet is outmatched, provide immediate reinforcement!"
Liu Tai Ning looked at Yang Shao in shock upon hearing this.
"Commander, the Scorpio Ship is the most powerful in our reserve force! The Pluto Fleet has the Kunlun, and their opponent is the Fire Lizard Fleet. Surely such caution isn't necessary!"
Yang Shao waved his hand, looking meaningfully at Liu Tai Ning.
"The fleet commanders below might not understand, but you, a deputy commander of a sub-fleet, should. What is Qin Bei Wang? A high-ranking official's son here for a gilded resume?"
"Isn't he?" Liu Tai Ning retorted.
Yang Shao smiled faintly.
"No wonder I became the commander during the assessment, while you remained deputy."
"Speak plainly! I don't understand your bureaucratic intricacies!"
"To outsiders, Qin Bei Wang is just the gilded son of a marshal. But to me, he's the cash cow of our Iron Fist Sub-Fleet! Not only are we afraid of him getting hurt, but the high officials who sent him down here are even more terrified! They'd love to equip him with the best starships. Then the older ships he cycles out become ours!"
Liu Tai Ning looked at Yang Shao in astonishment. Put that way, it made perfect sense!
"Then should we send another battleship? How about the Aquarius Battleship?" Liu Tai Ning suggested.
Yang Shao laughed heartily, patting Liu Tai Ning on the shoulder.
"That's enough, old friend! We need to keep some reserve force for ourselves!"
The tactical atmosphere on the Kunlun Mountain's bridge was broken by a sudden question.
"Adjutant Zhuang!"
Qin Bei Wang's gaze shifted from the holographic star chart to the female officer beside him.
"What is the maximum zero-latency transmission range of the Federation's standard quantum communication array?"
Zhuang ZhiXuan's fingers froze upon hearing this, nearly dropping her data pad. She looked up, her eyes flashing with an incredulous expression—a complex mix of shock, confusion, and a hint of absurdity.
"Commander... what did you say?" Her voice was slightly dry.
"The maximum zero-latency range of quantum communication," Qin Bei Wang repeated, his tone as calm as if asking about the day's menu. "I need the exact data."
On the bridge, several officers operating controls unconsciously slowed their movements, pricking up their ears.
In the corner, Communications Officer Lieutenant Liu instinctively opened his mouth, then quickly closed it.
Zhuang ZhiXuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to maintain a professional demeanor.
"The Federation's standard military quantum entanglement communication array has a maximum effective range of 380 million kilometers for instantaneous transmission.
Beyond this distance, for every additional 100,000 kilometers, signal processing incurs approximately one second of delay."
Zhuang ZhiXuan thought to herself.
"This is basic knowledge taught in the very first class of 'Basics of Interstellar Communication' for first-year students in the Fleet Command Department.
It seems the Commander is truly as rumored - completely unlearned, a total academic scum!"
At this moment, Zhuang ZhiXuan felt her future prospects darkening considerably.
Qin Bei Wang nodded thoughtfully.
"380 million kilometers... meaning if our reconnaissance ships are 580 million kilometers from the fleet, the communication delay would be half an hour."
"Exactly 33 minutes and 20 seconds, Commander!"
Zhuang ZhiXuan's tone carried a hint of resignation.
"But in practical deployment, reconnaissance ships typically don't operate beyond 180 million kilometers from the main fleet.
This is both to ensure real-time communication
and for safety considerations - 180 million kilometers represents our optimal engagement and retreat distance.
Conventional nuclear fusion engines can reach the combat zone within twenty minutes.
Advanced Tier 5 battleships like the Kunlun would be even faster."
"That's true under normal circumstances."
Qin Bei Wang turned toward the main tactical screen.
"But this time is different."
He quickly operated the console, pulling up a detailed star map of the Elvira Star System.
Planet Agbag's orbit was highlighted, with possible positions of the Dragon Lizard Fleet marked around it.
"Ghost Shadow, Dark Shadow."
Qin Bei Wang established communication with the two Shadow-class reconnaissance ships.
"I want you to maintain maximum speed while keeping a straight-line distance of 580 million kilometers from the main fleet."
Silence filled the communication channel for three seconds.
The voice of Ghost Shadow's captain, He Xun Yi, carried confusion.
"580 million kilometers?
That's three times our standard operating regulations' safe distance!
At that range, our communications would experience over thirty minutes of delay.
Moreover, if we encounter enemy vessels, the main fleet would need at least an hour to provide support!"
"Execute the order."
Qin Bei Wang interrupted him.
Although real-world communications would experience delays, in Qin Bei Wang's system star map,
the information detected by the two Shadow-class reconnaissance ships appeared in real-time.
Only beyond 580 million kilometers would slight delays occur.
"If communication delays are an issue, then we simply won't communicate! As for encountering enemy ships..."
He paused.
"If my judgment is correct, the Dragon Lizard Fleet won't have any spare forces to intercept you.
All their vessels will be concentrated facing Planet Agbag's defense platforms."
Zhuang ZhiXuan exclaimed in shock.
"No communication!
Commander, are you ordering communication silence?"
Qin Bei Wang nodded.
"Exactly! What's that thing called that can intercept quantum communications?"
Zhuang ZhiXuan stated plainly.
"Quantum harmonic direction finder!
By detecting quantum harmonics generated during quantum communication, it can roughly determine the general direction of communicating parties!
However, the Dragon Lizard Fleet is just a Sub-Level Fleet.
They probably don't carry quantum harmonic direction finders - those things are not only energy-intensive but also physically massive."
"Only the reconnaissance ships of sub-fleets are equipped with quantum harmonic direction finders!"
Qin Bei Wang smiled faintly.
"The Well Sub-Fleet is too small in scale to recklessly enter the Elvira Star System. Even if they capture a planet, they cannot hold it long-term and would instead be trapped like dogs behind closed doors. As for destroying resource facilities on planets, that's even more impossible. Important planets a
re equipped with orbital defense platforms - attempting to assault them would inevitably come at a heavy cost!"
A flicker of surprise passed through Zhuang ZhiXuan's eyes.
"You mean their target is our sub-level fleets!"
Qin Bei Wang nodded.