Chapter 101: Cooking Squad Captain

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Cooking Squad Captain

Everyone entered the enormous assembly hall in an orderly fashion.

It was vast inside, spacious enough to accommodate all the members of the First Corps.

The five of them sat in the farthest corner, with the main entrance directly behind them.

The front rows were already occupied by various leaders. War correspondents had set up their circular broadcasting equipment, waiting for everything to be in place to start the live stream.

Netizens from other planets were gathered in front of their Star Rings, waiting for it to begin.

They were all exceptionally excited for the military competition, held once every five years.

Not only that, but they could also get a glimpse of the perfect, handsome face of the Empire’s King during the broadcast.

"Who’s that man with the golden hair?" Lin Jingjing asked, looking at the man seated in the main position. He was dressed in magnificent attire, and though he was just sitting there doing nothing, a powerful, oppressive aura washed over them.

It inspired a sense of fear and dread.

Next to the man sat two older individuals, a man and a woman. Lin Jingjing recognized the man as General Zhang, but she had never seen the woman before.

Judging by their uniforms, the insignia on their shoulders, and where they were seated, it was clear their statuses were also extremely high.

Shi Feng heard this and couldn’t help but retort, "Do you not follow the news at all?"

Lin Jingjing replied, "I don’t have time."

"The man in the center is the King of the Empire. I think his name is Yun Yiyou," Mo Xuan said, looking at the golden-haired man on the stage.

"Huh? His name is Yun Yiyou?" Gu Kaiwen couldn’t quite believe it when he heard the name. "That’s a rather refined name."

"It is," Feng He agreed with a nod.

The massive assembly hall gradually filled up, and everyone quieted down as the starting time approached.

Yun Yiyou’s gaze swept across the crowd, and the soldiers seated below watched him with particularly excited eyes.

When the time came, the live broadcast began.

The person giving the opening remarks was, to their surprise, Captain Li. The five of them stared, wide-eyed, when they saw him.

Captain Li had shaved his long beard. He was wearing a well-fitted uniform under a white greatcoat, with three yellow aiguillettes hanging from his chest. His hair was also combed meticulously.

The sight of him standing by the stage, reading the opening speech from a script with a powerful and resonant voice, left the five of them completely stunned.

"No way—" Shi Feng suppressed his voice, then muttered to the person next to him, "Is that really Captain Li?"

"He cleans up this well?"

’He’s not just handsome, he’s ridiculously good-looking!’

Lin Jingjing was dumbfounded too. ’No wonder Captain Li had been transferred to the Capital Star. To think he would be the one giving the opening remarks at such an important event.’

’That says everything about his status.’

Gu Kaiwen didn’t have much to say; he just gave Captain Li on stage a big thumbs-up.

’From now on, Captain Li is their ultimate patron, the kind they’ll never let go of.’

Shedding his usual carefree and sloppy demeanor, the Captain Li of this moment looked handsome and steady, exuding a profound sense of security.

Mo Xuan watched the live broadcast, where the audience in the bullet-chat was buzzing with discussion about Captain Li.

[Isn’t that the Captain of the Emperor’s Personal Guard!]

[I thought the Captain was dead! Who started that rumor!]

[Damn, the Captain is as handsome as ever. Love him.]

[The Captain is so handsome!]

’Captain Li is the Captain of the Emperor’s Personal Guard!’

This revelation made the corner of Mo Xuan’s mouth twitch involuntarily.

’Imperial Ministers... throughout history, their position has always carried immense weight.’

After finishing his opening remarks, Captain Li invited Yun Yiyou to offer his blessings and encouragement for the military competition.

At this, the netizens went even more wild.

The comments scrolled past one after another, so fast that Mo Xuan felt dizzy watching them.

"Soldiers, netizens, good day to you all."

Yun Yiyou’s voice was pleasant, but it also carried a great deal of authority. Many netizens grew excited just from hearing him speak.

[As expected of the Empire’s King. So much authority in just a single sentence.]

[As expected of the King who led us across the stars! So commanding!]

[My King—I pledge my loyalty to you!]

Yun Yiyou took the live broadcast to a new level of excitement.

"For this military competition, I hope you will all achieve excellent results."

"May you achieve success and fame, and be blessed with glory." With that, Yun Yiyou stood up and raised his hand in a salute to everyone present.

Thunderous applause erupted. Everyone clapped enthusiastically, their eyes fixed firmly on Yun Yiyou.

Next, it was Beisang’s turn to speak.

The proceedings were all very standard. After Beisang finished, an outstanding soldier went on stage to speak.

The routine was so predictable that the five of them started to feel drowsy. Lin Jingjing even closed her eyes, feigning sleep.

Suddenly, she heard the two words "military cook," and her heart lurched with panic.

’No way!’

’Captain Li, are you trying to cause trouble?’

"Because this year’s military competition will feature a brand-new format, there will be an additional team on the field."

"That team is the military cooks. Their primary responsibility will be to deliver food to the soldiers competing on the field."

"For this year’s competition, we will no longer be providing Nutrient Liquid."

The five of them grew restless, feeling a strong urge to flee.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," Shi Feng said, his legs trembling.

"Me too..." Lin Jingjing chimed in.

"Why don’t we make a run for it?" Gu Kaiwen suggested, his heart pounding with anxiety.

"It’s too late..." Mo Xuan reminded them.

"Next, I would like to invite the captain of the military cook team, Lin Jingjing, to the stage to say a few words." Captain Li’s powerful voice reached Lin Jingjing’s ears. She swallowed hard, not wanting to stand up.

Captain Li then lifted his gaze toward their corner, and the other dignitaries on stage looked over as well.

The broadcast camera also panned to their location. In an instant, the five of them were exposed to the eyes of the entire nation.

At the same time, they were also the focus of countless pairs of eyes from all over the assembly hall.

The group managed an awkward yet polite smile. Lin Jingjing stood up on trembling legs and slowly walked toward the stage, a smile plastered on her face.

’No wonder Captain Li made me change into this white uniform today. So this is what he had waiting for me!’

Her black, high-top boots stepped onto the stage one after another. The hall was silent, and her every footstep echoed throughout the vast space.

Captain Li watched her, smiling as he stepped aside to make room.

Lin Jingjing looked back at him, her eyes filled with condemnation.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Jingjing, and I will be serving as the captain of the military cook team for this event."

"In tomorrow’s competition, the five of us will do our utmost to ensure all the warriors get to eat hot meals. We guarantee they will not starve to death during this competition."

"This year’s military competition has undergone a complete overhaul. I would like to wish all the warriors success in the upcoming matches, may you be ever-victorious and invincible."

After she finished speaking, Lin Jingjing saluted the crowd. Her body was as straight as a poplar tree, and her expression was resolute.

Captain Li watched her from the side, nodding in satisfaction as he joined the crowd in applause.