Chapter 973 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 973: Bestowed with Everything [Justice Prevails! The Trial at Golden Gale Port Concludes! Southern Legion’s Borra Province Eastern Front Commander Ryan, Chief of Staff Fevelet, and several other war criminals sentenced to death! Execution to be carried out immediately! Commander of the Hornet Ship, John, asserted that the bombing of Lion City was under Ryan's orders, yet the resultant death of tens of thousands of civilians remains an undeniable fact. The court rejected the appeal and maintained the death sentence, to be executed the next day! Moreover, Centurion Wolf of the 36th Brigade and other secondary war criminals sentenced to over ten years of imprisonment. — Golden Gale Port Edition, Survivor’s Daily] ... Mammoth City. The solemn courtroom was thick with the scent of blood, with traces of footprints and handprints stubbornly sticking to the floor. Standing at the defendant's stand, Guliang couldn’t fathom why the Borra people's courtroom smelled like a slaughterhouse, nor did he care to know. Learning of his transfer from relatively civilized Golden Gale Port to face trial here had extinguished any hopes he held for survival. At this moment, he was unaware that Ryan and a host of senior officers remained encased in their coffins back at Golden Gale Port. The judge on the bench gazed at the Vellant criminal, his lips trembling slightly. After a long pause, he finally resolved to deliver the sentence. “War criminal Guliang.” “The court finds it unnecessary to repeat your crimes…” Guliang closed his eyes, not wanting to listen. He didn’t even bother to appoint a defense attorney, wishing only for a swift end to everything. He had many questions for Tyre. If he went sooner, he might encounter that fellow before reincarnating— "The court hereby sentences:" "The defendant Guliang, for his war crimes, is sentenced to life imprisonment!" The gavel's solemn strike, resonating with a crisp sound, seemed nothing short of a joke. Standing on the dock, Guliang was stupefied, his eyes wide with disbelief as he saw the judge. In shock, he took half a step forward. Two stern soldiers beside him firmly held his shoulders, but Guliang, oblivious, fixated his gaze on the judge. "Why?" The judge did not answer, hurriedly declaring the session over and swiftly exiting, seemingly afraid to linger a moment longer. The other courtroom staff did the same. Guliang stood there, lost and bewildered, unable to fathom what had just happened. Why? He was now burdened with yet another unanswered question. From the jury box, a stern-looking officer stood and approached the empty judge’s bench. Guliang noticed the man, fixing a hopeful gaze on his back for answers. However, the man ignored his silent plea, instead speaking while staring at the emblem of justice and fairness—a scale. “General Grove of the nation of Borra has 800,000 troops amassed on the southern bank of the Tasang River. Adding the core forces from Absek and Shaluk, they can muster a million strong.” “Our usable forces are limited. I’m giving you 400,000; block them for me.” Guliang was taken aback, instinctively responding. “That’s impossible! They have full support and equipment from the Eastern Empire! Especially their ace force, the Grey Wolf Army, modeled almost exactly after the Eastern Empire’s armored and mechanized infantry divisions.” This he had witnessed firsthand at Western Sail Port. Sawa smiled faintly. “The Grey Wolf Army won’t move. Gopal won’t let Grove use his core strength. Your opponents are the Northern Field Army’s cannon fodder.” “Even so, it’s impossible,” Guliang shook his head, “You have no idea of their strength… You have no chance of winning.” Sawa merely snapped his fingers, signaling a soldier to bring over a map, which he handed to Guliang. “Look at the map first.” Guliang hesitated, skeptically taking the map from the soldier. He spread it out on the dock's railing. It was a map of the Northern Three Provinces and southern Mammoth Province. The elongated mountain range resembled a crescent-shaped dagger, slicing into the northern part of Borra Province, cleaving a fertile plain from the bountiful land. Not only that, but in anticipation of the Southern Legion’s invasion, Lash has built extensive fortifications and hidden bunkers among the mountains. Previously, Guliang had a firsthand understanding of the defensible nature of the Northern Three Provinces. Now, holding a complete strategic map provided by his former adversaries, he was profoundly moved. It was the arrogance of complacency that wrought his downfall. Had he known the Northern Three Provinces were fortified into an ironclad stronghold by these Mammoth folk, he would never have ordered Olart to advance on Dog State. Better to have concentrated forces on capturing the capital. “How many mountain units do you have?” Seeing the newfound determination in Guliang’s eyes, Sawa smiled faintly. “Mammoth is largely composed of mountain and guerrilla divisions. We have exoskeletons, anti-armor weapons, including those plasma warheads capable of penetrating Conqueror defenses, and even some captured and repaired ‘Fire Crossbows’ and ‘Conquerors.’” “More importantly, we have a complete ammunition production line, a large workforce of foreign laborers, and ample foreign exchange reserves.” Guliang licked his dry lips. “That seems worth a shot.” Sawa nodded. “Give it a try. Military merit can reduce your sentence. Once our war is over, you might even have hope of returning home. Also, Grove has some of your former subordinates with him, so don’t hold back.” Guliang shook his head. “Holding back isn’t an option; giving it my all is the respect I owe my opponent. I believe my former subordinates think the same.” A war without those backbreaking logistics issues… It was an intriguing prospect. Guliang never thought that, as a disgraced soldier, he would once again have the opportunity to return to the battlefield and utilize his expertise. And this time, to fight for his former adversaries. “Can I ask a question?” “Go ahead,” Sawa said expressionlessly. Watching the soldier unlock his handcuffs, Guliang turned to Sawa, continuing. “You’re all Borra people, at least from our perspective… Haven’t you thought of sitting down to talk?” “Talk?” As if hearing something amusing, Sawa suddenly laughed heartily. “Those willing to sit down and talk are either dead or gone. Someday, when I’m old and it's time to join my father in the afterlife, maybe I'll consider being that good guy.” Then his expression turned cold as he looked at Guliang. “As for now, I have nothing to discuss.” “I only want to ensure the Tasang River never floods.” ... “Respected friends of the Eastern Empire, your loyal, friendly, and hospitable friends in the South are in a bit of a bind. Due to climatic reasons, red soil is spreading across Borra Province. The current situation is dire, and we desperately need a professional biologist to help us deal with the mess General Lowell left behind. Of course, if you could send a team over, it would be even better. — From Tian Capital, Telegraph” “The Alliance doesn’t bother with red soil, why should you? If you don’t like it, dig it up and dump it in the sea. Are you lacking shovels or hands? We’ve given you enough help already; don’t bother us with such trivial matters! — Eastern Empire, Telegraph” “Understood! Understood! We’ll have the think tanks look into it right away! — From Tian Capital, Telegraph” “…? — Eastern Empire, Telegraph” ... “Academy Expert Team Arrives in Dawn City!!! — Dawn City Edition, Survivor’s Daily” ... As it turned out, the Academy wasn’t just making promises. In the second week after Director Qi Liu committed to Chu Guang, a team of experts led by a Grade B researcher arrived at Camp 101 in Dawn City. At the Academy, a Grade B represents a very high level. Yang Kai, permanently stationed in the Alliance and involved in the Falcon City ceasefire agreement negotiations, and Li Ke, were both Grade B, while Qi Liu himself was only Grade A. High level signifies high access rights. Secrets that C-grade researchers could never touch in a lifetime were mere fingertips away for a B-level. While the Academy had dispatched experts to the Alliance before, they mainly offered non-sensitive techniques, mere embellishments, and certainly kept away from “graviton-related technologies” deemed “cutting-edge even before the war"! However, this time was different. The ban on graviton-related technologies was unexpectedly lifted! The significance of gravitons needs no elaboration. At least in this universe, they are prerequisites for entering the interstellar era. It is essentially the only known particle in this universe capable of transcending its own dimensional confines and using laws from other dimensions to influence the laws of the three-dimensional world. This includes slow nuclear fusion at room temperature, superluminal travel between galaxies, and so on. Miraculous feats once deemed impossible in the Old Era and whose macro-probabilities were virtually zero are made possible with the intervention of gravitons! For this reason, while the Industrial Union and mainstream societal opinion during the People’s Federation era marked controllable nuclear fusion as the distinction between the Prosperous Era and the Old Era, the prevailing view among academia and the aerospace industry is that "gravitons" delineate the boundary between the New Era and the Old Era! Its significance is akin to that of sails and compasses during the Age of Exploration, genuinely opening the door to a new world! A civilization that cannot grasp the mysteries of gravity can never become a truly interstellar civilization. Moreover, the difference between spacecraft equipped with warp engines and those without is like that between a canoe and a clipper ship! Glancing at the long list of technology transfers provided by the Academy, Chu Guang, seated at his desk, couldn’t help but reminisce about the arduous days spent struggling over a plasma engine, feeling a sense of poignancy. "A miracle in the west," he mused, "even the iron rooster has started moulting." Apparently, those folks aren’t solely intent on escaping but have considered cultivating a trustworthy ally back home. Of course, the technologies transferred to the Alliance come with certain conditions. Notably, one critical stipulation is that, prior to the Academy’s departure from this star system, these technologies are for the Alliance's exclusive use and must not be transferred to other survivor factions not recognized by the Academy on the wasteland. This includes corporations, the Great Rift, and others like the Vellant Alliance and the Southern Sea Alliance. While they might not care about what happens later, while they remain on this planet, they feel a duty to restrict the diffusion of technology—or at least that’s their perspective. Chu Guang naturally respected their decision. After all, the Alliance had tasted the might of the “technological barbarians’” fists, so it wouldn’t foolishly seek trouble for itself and others. Yin Fang, sipping coffee on the office sofa, wore a complex expression, evidently unprepared for the Academy’s open-mindedness. "Not even you expected this, nor did I," he admitted to himself. Sitting on another sofa, He Ya directed a questioning glance at Chu Guang. “Should we share Xiao Yu’s research data with them?” The Alliance’s Biological Research Institute is among the few that can compete with the Academy’s researchers on equal footing. Especially in the fields of mutated slime mould and the brood nests, the Alliance has nothing to learn from the Academy, which, instead, has learning to do from the Alliance. Chu Guang pondered for a moment with his eyes closed, then replied. “It’s only polite to reciprocate. If they want to see it, let them. After all, they’ve already shared the secret of the ‘Seed of Gaia’ with us. It wouldn’t be fair to withhold our findings now.” He Ya’s lips curled into a smile. “Great, no more cryptic exchanges.” From an academic perspective, she naturally hoped for an open exchange with the Academy, as the cumbersome nature of concealed communication was tiresome. Nonetheless, she understood Chu Guang’s need to consider the Alliance’s stance, given that research on mutated slime moulds was one of its few trump cards. Thus, she had always cooperated with Chu Guang’s efforts, conducting limited technical exchanges within the framework of the slime community with the Academy’s research institutions. Now, however, mutual trust had reached a new level, and there was no need for prior caution. “I appreciate your patience. From now on, you can exchange information directly with the Academy regarding mutated slime moulds without consulting me on every detail,” Chu Guang gave He Ya a grateful nod, placing the list of technologies in the corner of his desk, “Though honestly, while I anticipated some alignment of views with the Academy, I never expected it this soon.” Yin Fang nodded in agreement, expressing his sentiment. “It seems the Celestials really spooked them.” Everyone has limitations, even the head of the Alliance’s expedition team. To this day, he harbors resentment over the higher-ups’ scapegoating of him and the subsequent relentless pursuit, even though those events are in the past. He Ya chuckled at Yin Fang’s nervous demeanor, then teased Chu Guang, seated at his desk. “Actually, I think you’ve given them hope.” Chu Guang laughed heartily at her comment. “Haha, I’m not that full of myself. Let’s credit the unity of the sheltered residents and survivors!” He was sincere. Although his awakened talent had granted him some extraordinary abilities, he didn’t believe that his personal charisma alone could make the iron rooster in the swamp shed its feathers overnight. The Academy had been observing the Alliance for a long time. Probably even longer than the corporations had taken notice of the Alliance. Being spooked by the Celestials was more of a humorous remark. Chu Guang was actually more inclined to think that there must be reasons the Academy deemed worthy enough to make such a decision. While Yin Fang marveled at the Academy’s generosity, the expert team from the Academy had already arrived at Dawn City's nuclear power plant. As the Alliance’s engineers proudly demonstrated the most advanced reactor technology and the heart of their entire industrial system to the expert team’s researchers, a particular researcher, whose seriousness rivaled Jiang Xuezhou, merely smirked meaningfully. Worth noting is that though the Academy has countless schemes, the emotional intelligence of grassroots researchers is generally not high. Especially those honest folks toiling away in the labs. “Laser ignition… Ha, didn’t expect to see such an old relic.” “Defeating the Legion with this, it’s really commendable.” (Although the cold subsided last week, the persistent cough is troubling, disturbingly so at night, making me feel like I’m splitting open.) To Be Continued...