Chapter Eighteen: The Hero Returns

Mu Chengzhu’s orders left everyone in the observation room puzzled.

When Shuttle No. 16 led the squadron to rush at the enemy craft, there was no longer any need for an assessment.

The attacking craft would surely accelerate to ram into them. Even if damaged, they would likely abandon the invasion, sparing the 24 supporting shuttles from destruction.

The outcome was already predictable; there was no need to witness the simulated carnage.

Yet Mu Chengzhu insisted on activating the simulated outer space battlefield. Could it be that some of the 24 shuttles might survive?

But since the commander had spoken, Shen Shanli had no choice but to comply.

In an instant, the hundreds of shuttles displayed on the screen vanished, replaced by a “realistic” outer space scene.

At this moment, a massive craft was advancing.

The squadron led by Shuttle No. 3 began accelerating to approach from above. To fulfill No. 16’s orders, the attacking formations from above and behind chose to engage the enemy craft head-on. Only by confronting it directly could they launch attacks from above and behind.

This revealed Shuttle No. 3’s exceptional command ability.

A single shuttle’s attack barely affected the craft, which showed no concern despite the presence of 48 shuttles, never taking the initiative to attack.

Thus, when the auxiliary attack squadron under No. 3’s command launched their assault, the craft accelerated forward as expected.

A direct collision with No. 16’s squadron seemed inevitable.

However, when all the shuttles except No. 16 unleashed their firepower, Shuttle No. 16 remained silent.

Even more strangely, at that moment, the entire squad’s power systems recovered, and the situation inside No. 16 became clearly visible to everyone in the observation room.

Xu Yan and Duan Peng had jumped out from the rear of the shuttle, firing grappling hooks that latched onto the wings of the pursuing shuttles.

As they leapt away, No. 16 suddenly emitted a powerful explosive thrust, accelerating beyond the enemy craft’s speed and charging directly toward its underside.

“Self-destruction!” an exclamation erupted in the observation room.

No one had expected Shuttle No. 16 to use a self-destruct maneuver to boost its speed.

This way, the shuttle’s speed surpassed the enemy craft’s, and the impact force changed. The exploding shuttle could penetrate the craft’s hull, while the other 23 shuttles, firing at full power, could tear open its lower armor.

Everyone in the observation room was stunned.

Such a scenario had never occurred in any simulation test before. The current outer space simulation was rendered obsolete because 23 shuttles had crashed into the craft—something the simulation designers had never anticipated.

Except for Xu Yan and Duan Peng, who were truly “floating” in space, the remaining 23 shuttles had no assessment missions left.

Likewise, the other squadron of 24 shuttles attacking from above and behind had no purpose.

The craft had ceased movement—what was there to assess?

The shockwave from the explosion propelled Xu Yan and Duan Peng away from the severed grappling hooks, throwing them backward.

Their backs suffered heavy impact; if not for their interstellar combat suits, they might have been shattered, as they collided with a wall.

A “wall in outer space”!

Mu Chengzhu laughed heartily. “Shen Shanli, think carefully about how to compensate these two Golden River Special Forces members for their injuries!”

Inside the simulation chamber, everyone else remained inside their shuttles, while only Xu Yan and Duan Peng were slammed against the wall by the shockwave. The commander in the observation room began releasing gravity, allowing the two to slowly descend.

Dizzy and disoriented, Duan Peng looked at the scene gradually recovering before him and forced a bitter smile.

Xu Yan, surprisingly, was not shocked. At the moment of detonating all weaponry to propel the shuttle, a brief piece of information had alerted him that this was a simulated scenario.

Still, Xu Yan couldn’t withstand the explosive thrust either. To avoid standing out, he silently endured while relaxing his instinctive muscle tension.

Even so, when they landed, Duan Peng could barely straighten up, bending over in pain.

Xu Yan had no choice but to mimic him, putting on a show.

Soon, medical personnel bearing the symbol of care arrived to escort the two out.

Meanwhile, the hatches of 47 shuttles automatically opened, and 94 bewildered team members emerged.

A broadcast-like voice sounded from above: “All personnel evacuate the tarmac and proceed according to ground directions.”

The treatment went smoothly, but Duan Peng needed several days of bed rest. According to the doctor’s examination, Xu Yan’s injuries were minor—most likely because a shuttle blocked part of the explosive force at the hook’s swing point.

Only this explanation made sense.

Jing Zhiming proudly declared that the Golden River Special Forces’ medical facilities were sufficient for Duan Peng’s recovery, and he need not rest at the Interstellar Special Forces Training Center.

Yet before leaving, Jing Zhiming told Shen Shanli, “According to the interstellar force’s injury compensation policy, please transfer the expenses to the Golden River Special Forces.”

Shen Shanli had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree.

Xu Yan and Duan Peng, due to their injuries, did not attend the speech Mu Chengzhu gave to the other 94 team members afterward.

Jing Zhiming was actually pleased they stayed away. Without them, the old general wouldn’t take a liking to them and transfer them away, spoiling his plans.

Though Xu Yan and Duan Peng didn’t understand why Jing Zhiming was so gleeful, they said nothing.

Only upon returning to the Golden River Special Forces headquarters, seeing the perfectly lined-up welcoming team, were they dumbfounded.

Zhang Xudong led the cheer, loudly proclaiming, “Welcome back, our heroes!”

With Xu Yan supporting him, Duan Peng barely stood upright. Watching Jing Zhiming proudly waving as he walked by, Duan Peng whispered, “I really don’t get what he’s so smug about.”

“Maybe it’s because the Golden River Special Forces made him look good this time!”

At the mention, a smile involuntarily spread across Duan Peng’s face. “If only this were a real interstellar war—we could truly experience solo space combat.”

“You better not think like that!” Xu Yan whispered back. “With the weapons we carry, it would be tough to survive. The best-case scenario is that the last shuttle doesn’t attack and instead turns back to find us.”

“By the way, what were you thinking at that moment? I was really curious!” Duan Peng asked.

Before Xu Yan could answer, under Zhang Xudong’s signal, Ouyang Nan led a squad of female soldiers to stand before them.

After a crisp salute, several female soldiers stepped forward and hoisted Xu Yan and Duan Peng up without a word.

“Hey! I’m injured! I’m injured!” Duan Peng shouted repeatedly.

But the raucous applause drowned out his protests.

Looking at Xu Yan, also being carried, Duan Peng suddenly thought that getting along peacefully with everyone wasn’t so bad after all.