Chapter 146: Bad Guys Are Just Too Paranoid

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Bad Guys Are Just Too Paranoid

When the news of the Rebel Army’s total annihilation reached the headquarters, General Nick flew into a violent rage. Having thought victory was already in his grasp and taking Liang He away would be effortless, he never expected to suffer such a crushing defeat at her hands.

If Valken’s first surprise attack failing was an accident born of inadequate preparation, the current situation left him no room to underestimate Liang He’s strength.

"Is this Liang He really that formidable?"

It wasn’t that Nick was arrogant; rather, Liang He’s capabilities were simply so astonishing that it was hard to accept right away.

"According to the last message sent by Minister Ace, he clearly stated that Liang He single-handedly and silently killed everyone who was on the warship at the time," his subordinate reported.

When they received the news, had it not been transmitted via a secret code, they would have doubted if the sender was truly Ace. They would have thought he was deliberately exaggerating to scare them off so they wouldn’t target Liang He anymore.

"You just said the warship’s self-destruct sequence was activated by Liang He and that bounty hunter working together. How did Ace survive?"

As the Military Commander of the Rebel Army, it was normal for Nick to be heavily suspicious. It wasn’t as if cases of Federation Army spies infiltrating the Rebel Army had never happened before. With their entire force wiped out, Ace was the sole survivor. This inevitably made him suspect foul play.

"Minister Ace said he carried an emergency landing device with him. He jumped out of the warship right behind Liang He a second before it self-destructed, which was how he escaped."

"Carried an emergency landing device with him? Heh." Nick scoffed, raising his eyes to look at the subordinate delivering the report. "Since our preparations were flawless, why would he prepare a landing device?"

Unless Ace knew in advance that Liang He was going to destroy the warship, prompting him to make early preparations.

"Maybe... Minister Ace is just relatively cautious?"

"Cautious?" Nick shook his head noncommittally. Leaning back in his chair, his gaze grew distant and profoundly meaningful. "I actually think this move by Ace was brilliant."

From the bounty hunter inexplicably switching sides, to the Rebel Army forces on the warship being eliminated on the spot by Liang He, Valken’s death, and the warship’s self-destruction... Everything had happened much too perfectly, and the final outcome was utterly baffling. Nick refused to believe that Liang He alone could wipe out an entire warship of men.

"If Liang He was merely a smokescreen, and Ace’s true objective all along was to help the Federation eradicate Valken and the others, and then use the warship’s self-destruction to erase all evidence..."

The more General Nick thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. His expression turned grave, and the suspicion in his eyes could no longer be suppressed.

"But this is just my conjecture." Nick abruptly changed the subject, looking at his subordinate again. "Since Ace is still alive, have him come to the headquarters and report to me in person."

"This..."

His subordinate’s hesitation caused General Nick to rap his knuckles against the desk in deep displeasure. "What? Is Ace feeling guilty? Is he afraid to come back?"

"It has nothing to do with Minister Ace. The Federation Army has ordered a strict inspection of everyone on Greenfield Star. Entry is easy, but leaving is heavily restricted. He has no way to leave safely right now, and we’ve lost contact with him."

The moment they received Ace’s message, they had tried to send someone to extract him, only to be blocked by the Federation Army’s exhaustive checkpoints. After Ace transmitted his final batch of intelligence, they lost contact entirely and couldn’t locate him at all.

"Then wait until this blows over, and find a way to reestablish contact with Ace."

After dismissing his subordinate, the seed of suspicion toward Ace had already been quietly planted in Nick’s heart, taking root and sprouting. It remained to be seen what kind of interrogation Ace would face upon his return, and whether he could ever regain the trust of the Rebel Army.

Compared to the heavy-hearted General Nick, Liang He, the person at the center of the incident, was clearly unaffected. Her only source of distress was the overwhelming enthusiasm of the people around her, which left her a bit at a loss.

"Brother Hao, when can we return to the reserve?"

She truly feared that if she stayed a few more days, her brain would be thoroughly fried. Those studious experts and professors would definitely seize the opportunity to corner her with endless questions, continuously draining her brain cells.

"The day after tomorrow. I’ve requested a private flight."

Given the unique nature of the Mojin King Tiger and the others, taking a private flight was the safer and more appropriate choice. Because applying for a private flight took time, they could only depart for Sky Shining Star the day after tomorrow.

"Alright..." Liang He, who was itching to return immediately, looked a little dejected. She collapsed onto the sofa and limply stroked the Leopard’s head as he voluntarily nudged himself into her hand. "Actually, I’m quite curious. How did you find out we were on Greenfield Star?"

Liang He had seemed to know about Huo An and the furry companions’ presence all along. Otherwise, when she suggested acting as bait, she wouldn’t have arranged for the Canglan Hunting Eagle to tail the warship, ready to provide backup at a moment’s notice.

"Hoder thought he hid it well, but he still gave himself away a bit."

Perhaps her past experiences had heightened Liang He’s perception of the people around her, allowing her to quickly notice Hoder and Huo An secretly communicating.

As for the furry companions...

"Normally, unless I’m too busy on my end and don’t have time for a video call, I talk to Lanton and the others on time every night."

But the night before the Rebel Army’s attack, Xu Yi uncharacteristically declined her video call request, claiming he had an emergency and it wasn’t convenient to talk.

However, when Liang He contacted Lan Zhuo, who had been staying in the Seventh Service Area, she received essentially the same response. Given Lan Zhuo’s habit of shortening his sentences and passing on messages, the reply was clearly not written by him. So, it was highly probable that Xu Yi was holding Lan Zhuo’s Light Brain and answering Liang He’s questions on his behalf.

"To sum it up, I couldn’t think of any other reason besides the furry companions no longer being at the reserve."

Although Huo An and the others hadn’t explicitly said it, Liang He knew very well that she held a special place in the furry companions’ hearts. Therefore, if they left the reserve, it was practically impossible for them to go anywhere else; they had to be coming to find her.

"It seems their acting skills are indeed quite mediocre." Huo An chuckled and shook his head, expressing his helplessness toward his incompetent teammates who were dragging him down.

Fortunately, Liang He was on their side, so there was nothing to worry about. Besides, the issue had been smoothly resolved and the outcome was good, making the process less important.

"Alright, you’re tired too. Get some rest early. Hoder and I are staying right next door; call me anytime if you need anything."

The main reason Huo An was in Liang He’s room was to help keep an eye on the Mojin King Tiger and the rest. Now that Liang He was back, he didn’t need to stay and be an eyesore to the furry companions.

"Okay, good night, Brother Hao."

After seeing Huo An out of the room, Liang He’s primary target was that soft, king-sized bed. She walked briskly toward the bedroom, only to be surprised to find that the large bed had been transformed into a massive, communal-style bed made by pushing six double beds together.

Huo An must have anticipated that the furry companions would crowd around Liang He to sleep, so he had specially arranged for this setup.

"Thank goodness this is the presidential suite and the bedroom is spacious enough. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have any room to step."

Liang He was extremely satisfied with Huo An’s thoughtful arrangement. She finally wouldn’t have to break up fights over who got to sleep on the bed and who had to sleep on the floor. To be honest, she had even prepared herself to sleep on the floor.

"Little darlings, time for bed!"

At Liang He’s call, the furry companions instantly leaped onto the bed. Each claimed a spot, surrounding Liang He in the middle and sending her sense of security skyrocketing.

Meanwhile, in a corner she had yet to notice, an imperceptible silhouette was approaching via the balcony.