Chapter 65
The moment Miao Weizhen fell into coma, Wen Ling's heart almost broke. He caught the person, and his touch was cold sweat and warm blood.
"Keith! Rescue immediately!" Wen Ling's voice was hoarse, carrying unquestionable authority. The medical team quickly stepped forward and placed Miao Weizhen in the mobile medical cabin.
Wen Ling took a deep breath, forcing himself to withdraw from the violent emotional turmoil. He gently put down Miao Weizhen's limp hand and turned to walk towards the podium. Every step felt like treading on a knife edge, but his back remained straight.
"Report the battle situation." His voice returned to calm, but a cold fire burned in his green eyes.
"The enemy landing force has been suppressed in the third area by Captain Luo Yan, but the main guns of the 'Judgment' class are continuously bombarding the outer shield! Energy consumption is rising sharply!" The technical officer's voice was filled with anxiety.
On the holographic star map, the energy bar representing the base's shield was decreasing at a visible rate. Han Zhong's fleet was engaged in a battle with enemy ships on the periphery, but they were outnumbered and could only barely contain them.
Wen Ling's eyes swept across the battlefield, his brain working rapidly. Fighting head-on would only lead to death.
"Activate the Mirror Flower protocol." He suddenly ordered.
Silence fell over the command center, and everyone was stunned. "Mirror Flower" was the base's highest-level camouflage and decoy protocol. Once activated, it would consume enormous amounts of energy to simulate the base's self-destruction, posing an extremely high risk.
"Your Highness, this..." a staff officer couldn't help but speak.
"Execute orders," Wen Ling interrupted him. "Susie, coordinate with the energy core to create a false shield overload. Ye Lan, synchronize and disrupt enemy sensors. General Han, feign defeat in three minutes and retreat to the K-11 asteroid belt."
His orders were clear and decisive, with a sophistication that belied his age. At this moment, he was no longer a prince in need of protection, but a true battlefield commander.
Three minutes later, the shield surrounding the Iron Throne base suddenly erupted with a blinding light, then quickly dimmed and shattered. A massive turbulent energy surge swept through the surrounding area, and the base's main structure became blurred on the monitoring screen, as if it were disintegrating.
"Success! We have penetrated the base's shield!" An excited report came from the Federal Fleet.
"Pursue the remnants of Han Zhong and occupy the base!" the federal commander gave the order.
Just as the Federation Fleet relaxed its vigilance and prepared to receive the spoils, something strange happened—
Han Zhong's fleet, which had been "broken," suddenly turned around and reorganized, like an open pocket, instantly engulfing the three most aggressive Federation assault ships in their crossfire! Simultaneously, countless hidden artillery batteries on the previously "silent" base suddenly opened fire, precisely targeting the approaching landing craft!
"It's a trap!" The federal commander was shocked and angry.
What frightened him even more was that the location of the "Iron Throne" base on the monitoring screen suddenly became erratic, as if the images of several bases were flashing at the same time -
The "Mirror Flower" protocol has been fully activated, and the real base is hidden behind layers of illusions.
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" the Federation commander, realizing they had fallen prey to a trap, hurriedly ordered, but it was too late. Han Zhong's fleet, like a shark smelling blood, clamped down on their retreat route. Luo Yan's "scavenger" squadron seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, annihilating every last one of the landing Federation soldiers.
At the same time, in the distant federal capital, Beichen Prefecture.
Qu Beichen looked at the preliminary battle report from the front lines, which showed the Iron Throne base had "self-destructed," but his face showed no joy at all. He drummed his fingertips on the table, his eyes grim.
"Have you confirmed that Miao Weizhen and Wen Ling are dead?" he asked.
"Unconfirmed, Mr. President. The battlefield is experiencing severe energy turbulence and strong signal interference."
"Waste." Qu Beichen snorted coldly, "Send a message to Shadow to activate Plan B. I want to see complete chaos in Sailiang within 24 hours."
He switched to an encrypted channel, and on the other side of the screen was a blurry figure hidden in the shadows.
"It's time to let His Majesty Wen Xunyi die of his illness. I don't want to hear any more about the legitimate successor of Sailiang."
"Iron Throne" base, in the medical area.
Miao Weizhen woke up with a severe headache, and the first thing he felt was the warmth of someone holding his hand tightly. He turned his head and saw Wen Ling lying on the edge of the bed, with golden hair hanging down and dark circles under his eyes. Even in his sleep, his brows were slightly furrowed.
Miao Weizhen moved his fingers and Wen Ling woke up immediately.
"Are you awake?" Wen Ling's voice was hoarse with fatigue, but instantly filled with concern. "How do you feel? Keith said you were seriously overdrawn..."
"Battle situation?" Miao Weizhen interrupted him, his voice weak but persistent.
Wen Ling briefly recounted the process of repelling the enemy, her tone calm, "We won, for now."
Miao Weizhen listened quietly, his eyes fixed on Wen Ling's face, which was barely concealing its fatigue but unusually resolute. He remembered the last warm force in his consciousness that had helped him block the fatal blow, and the trembling yet resolute embrace before he passed out.
He raised his other hand that was not receiving the IV drip, and with some difficulty, gently brushed away the sweaty hair on Wen Ling's forehead.
"Thank you for your hard work." he whispered.
Wen Ling held his hand and smiled slightly: "It's my job."
At that moment, Dr. Anthony rushed in excitedly, dataslate in hand. "Minister! Your Highness! Miss Xinglan's core consciousness has stabilized! Although still weak, her vital signs are stable! This is a miracle!"
Miao Weizhen looked at him suddenly, and a glimmer of true light finally ignited in his eyes.
Wen Ling also smiled and shook Miao Weizhen's hand tightly.
Hope, like a bud sprouting from the ruins, grows quietly.
However, before they could catch their breath, Luo Yan appeared at the doorway, his face grim. "Minister, Your Highness, a secret message from Saigong. The Federation is spreading rumors in Sailiang, claiming His Majesty is critically ill, and accusing Your Highness of... murdering your father and usurping the throne, and conspiring with the Minister to sell out the country. Martial law has been declared on several planets, and the situation is spiraling out of control."
Wen Ling and Miao Weizhen looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes.
"Understood." Wen Ling stood up, her green eyes gleaming with an undeniable light. "Get ready. It's time for us to... go back and set things right."
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