Chen Ming could roughly guess why Bai Quan had become so decadent.

So Chen Ming took the initiative to find a topic and said, "Then what should we do with this person who helps the government?"

“We can only investigate first.”

"Still investigating? Are the results of the last investigation out?"

“It’s out.”

Bai Quan nodded slightly and said, "Someone at our headquarters took kickbacks and provided a batch of inferior goods to replace the original batch of new goods. All the people involved, including the supplier, were dealt with."

"What about Director Wu's apprentice? What is Director Wu's attitude?"

“This situation is a little bit complicated.”

"Headmaster Wu's little apprentice has been studying with him at the headquarters, and there seems to be no problem."

"But his research resources are not as good as those of his senior brothers and sisters who have already graduated, including mechanical samples, various rare parts like the Purgatory Core, and money. He is not as good as them at all, so he has always been dissatisfied in his heart."

"This time Director Wu brought the young apprentice instead of other apprentices to show that he is not partial."

"As a result, the young apprentice accepted bribes from the supplier and took the initiative to ask for the electromagnetic restraint device to be checked during the inspection. He only took a quick look and ignored it without checking it at all."

"And this time, there's another one who's responsible for the electromagnetic pulse bombs installed on the mechanical people, too."

"These two people together led to the previous situation."

"I see."

Chen Ming understood the reason and then asked the question he wanted to ask: "So why didn't Director Wu give the little apprentice the same resources?"

"Because the young apprentice's skills are not up to standard in Director Wu's eyes."

"It's hard to be nervous. To put it simply, a rookie who hasn't even graduated yet feels that he should have a share of the resources of his senior brothers and sisters who have already graduated. If he can't get them, he will get sick, right?"

“It sounds a bit harsh, but it’s almost the same.”

Chen Ming shook his head and said, "What's next?"

"Director Wu is sensible. After all the people who made mistakes in the supplier and the headquarters were arrested, he directly severed ties with his little apprentice. He was quite decisive."

"It's better than letting him continue to ruin my reputation. Where's that little apprentice?"

"He went to jail."

After Baiquan finished speaking, he stopped talking, as if the matter was over.

But Chen Ming wanted to hear more than that. He then asked, "Is this the end of the matter?"

"It's over. It has to be like this. All the criminals have been implicated by the evidence I have. There is nothing I can do for the rest."

Chen Ming continued to ask: "People above you are not affected at all? Don't you have anyone you suspect?"

"If this happened normally, it could indeed be regarded as a pure accident, but in my case, it is definitely not an accident."

"Why would he dare to take kickbacks in front of you, me and Director Wu?"

"Electromagnetic restraint devices and electromagnetic pulse bombs, the two most important safety devices for personal safety when conducting research on the mechanical race, were deliberately not inspected. The supplier thinks that the population of the nine races is too large, right?"

Baiquan said helplessly, "Things like implicating others were not popular when we were still on Earth."

"Of course I know, as long as you understand what I mean."

"If I really can't help it, let me ask you a question. I guess you, the Fourteenth Legion, are not of one mind?"

Baiquan answered without hesitation: "After the development period, it is impossible for each force to be of one mind."

"So someone doesn't want me to come to the Fourteenth Legion?"

"There are also many people in the Fourteenth Legion who are unhappy with me."

This is not the answer to the question, but the point is made.

There were indeed people within the Fourteenth Legion who disliked Bai Quan, and Chen Ming, who was suspected to have joined the Fourteenth Legion through Bai Quan, was naturally on the list of people who disliked Bai Quan.

"But I wonder if the Fourteenth Legion wanted me to join it before?"

Bai Quan said, "The past is the past. At that time, you were still a pure free man. After joining the 14th Legion, several factions within the legion had the possibility of competing for you."

"But now... in any case, everyone welcomes you to join."

Chen Ming casually guessed, "Privately, everyone wants me to get lost as far away as possible, right?"

"That's not the case. At most, they just want you to stay away from the Fourteenth Legion temporarily, and then they will find you after they get rid of me."

"Anyway, they can blame each other at that time. Whether it's you or me, the effect will be the same. In the end, I will be the one who bears the responsibility."

Chen Ming felt a little headache after listening to this, and asked: "The person who did it must be protected, otherwise who will do things for him in the future? You must know who the guarantor is, right?"

Baiquan still looked helpless and said: "...I know, but there is nothing I can do...It doesn't mean that others will admit it just because you know it."

"Unless there is an extremely complete chain of evidence, everything is just empty talk. Even if someone knows the truth of the matter, no one will believe it without evidence. There is really nothing we can do about it."

"Is there nothing I can do? Doesn't that person have any relatives or descendants, or a younger disciple like Director Wu?"

"Don't let the family suffer."

"Tsk, it's a bit frustrating for you to be a lieutenant general. Is there no one to help you?"

When Bai Quan heard Chen Ming's question, his face relaxed a little and he said, "Yes."

"I was able to come here and set up a branch. I was also able to drive three battleships to rescue you. Although the process was a little off due to the war zone, I still have two battleships in my hands. This is the biggest help."

"But these things can't help you now."

“…”

Baiquan suddenly sighed, took off his coat with the emblem of the 14th Legion on it, and lay back on the recliner.

"I need time. My old boss is about to retire, and his children are not active in the military or political circles."

"So I can't take the initiative to attack other people's families. That would really tear the relationship apart, and I won't get support from anyone, including those who are still supporting me now."

Chen Ming heard from his boss that Bai Quan was an orphan like him and grew up in the army.

In the past few months, Bai Quan would occasionally bring up this matter during his spare time while teaching Chen Ming.

Chen Ming knew that the old boss Bai Quan was talking about was no different from his father, and Bai Quan definitely could not harm his father's other children.

"Why don't you try to find a way to take over your old boss's resources instead of running here?"

Bai Quan explained slowly: "I was promoted too quickly along the way, and my qualifications are not enough. There are many things that I cannot directly touch."

"My old boss was only a lieutenant general, but he could do many things that only a general could do, and now I can't even do many things that a lieutenant general of the same level can do."

Bai Quan suddenly pointed to his feet and said, "I came here because there is an opportunity here, an opportunity to gain military merit. As long as the military merit is sufficient, then seniority is nothing."

"Also, the Fourteenth Legion branch in the Galo Star Region is a fallback for me and my old boss."

"A way out?"

Chen Ming suddenly sneered and said, "It's just a joke. A 34-year-old lieutenant general in the empire, the youngest in the past hundred years, needs to avoid the front line of the empire and find a way out."

Baiquan's mouth twitched stiffly and he said, "I can fail, but I can't let the person who taught me and gave me life leave me with no way out."

Chen Ming was silent for a while, then said, "Politics is really troublesome."

Baiquan agreed and said, "I think so too. The battlefield is still better."

"I estimate that the results of this investigation will be the same. Apart from a group of people being fined, there will be no results."

"You are now within the rules and cannot do much. This is the limitation you must be subject to when you come here."

"Um……"

Chen Ming hummed meaningfully. In fact, he was still not following the rules, but his current situation gave people such an illusion.

For Chen Ming, as long as no one touches his bottom line, he will continue to pretend that he is still within the rules.

But if someone crosses his bottom line, he will use some means outside the rules.

For example, in the previous two times, Hu Yi’s affairs had already exceeded the limit, so he would find a way to deal with Hu Yi.

However, he currently lacks the means to track and investigate psychics, so he needs time and Baiquan's help.

As for the matter concerning the Mechanical Clan that followed, it was just on the edge of his bottom line and he could deal with it or not.

Anyway, if something like this happens, the casualties will basically be those within the 14th Legion, so the 14th Legion should be the one that is most anxious.

They are not in a hurry, and all internal affairs have been handled according to the rules. There is no need for Chen Ming to worry about them.

And this time, which was the third time, Chen Ming himself actually didn't care.

It's just an invitation after all.

The one who really got slapped in the face was Baiquan.

But at least the relationship between Bai Quan and Chen Ming is not just one of mutual assistance and mutual benefit.

After several months of one-on-one teaching, Chen Ming and Bai Quan have a very good relationship privately.

Thinking about the problem from a friend's perspective, Chen Ming began to get angry unconsciously.

Although everything seemed to be directed at him, not Baiquan.

But Bai Quan is the boss of this branch, so of course he has to take responsibility for what happens here, and of course he will feel aggrieved.

However, Bai Quan's current attitude made it impossible for Chen Ming to cross the line and help him.

He could only express his ideas to the best of his ability, and he couldn't help with anything else.

He is just a newly developed psychic, and he will not and does not want to get involved in such political matters.

Let Baiquan worry about it.

Unless someone really pissed him off and crossed his bottom line, he would have a reason to avoid Baiquan and cause trouble.

Bai Quan didn't dwell on this matter for too long.

There is no point in worrying about things you can't do. It is better to be prepared and wait for someone to reach out for you next time to cut off his hand. Then go back and look for the person with the broken hand.

This is the easiest and quickest way.

Baiquan put on his coat again and said, "Let's not talk about the bad things."

"There's a small combat meeting tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

"tomorrow?"

"Well, I've been checking your progress with the afternoon instructor every day. As of today, I think you've pretty much understood what was said in the meeting."

"When the time comes, just use the holographic projection. You have the equipment here."

"OK."

Chen Ming had been looking forward to this, and now that Bai Quan has taken the initiative to say this, he can't miss it.

Bai Quan stopped walking and said, "I almost forgot to tell you that we don't have any clues about what he said yet."

"I specifically asked a psychic to check on him, but I couldn't find any trace of him. This person's existence was blocked by psychic energy, and my exact location could not be confirmed."

"Our ordinary investigators have checked Hu Yi's social circle and the places where he has lived before, but there are no clues. It's as if he has disappeared from the face of the earth."

Chen Ming nodded, but did not insist on finding out anything.

"Then just wait. Since he failed to kill me the first time, there will always be a second time."

Time passed quickly and it was noon of the next day.

After the morning teaching ended, Bai Quan helped Chen Ming debug the equipment and left the dome.

After about half an hour, Chen Ming received a signal from Bai Quan and activated the holographic projection device.

His projection then appeared in a conference room.

Baiquan himself was sitting in the main seat in the conference room.

There were a total of about twenty people in the conference room, most of whom were holographic projections, and none of them had a military rank lower than colonel.

Apparently, because the upcoming war between the Empire and the Machines is still in its early stages, the high-level officials who can participate in the meeting are still in various parts of the Empire.

This should mean that the Empire will not take any major actions for the time being, otherwise all the military personnel who can attend the meeting will definitely gather here.

At the same time, this should also mean that Chen Ming’s ideas still have a long way to go before they can be realized.

There are too few opportunities in small-scale conflicts.

Chen Ming's thoughts only appear in his own mind and are not known to anyone else.

However, his projection appeared in the conference room and could be seen by everyone in the conference room.

Bai Quan also extended his hand to signal Chen Ming and said, "Before the meeting, let me say one thing. Chen Ming will play an irreplaceable role in the upcoming war against the mechanical race, so he will join our subsequent meetings. Don't do anything unpleasant."

No one in the conference room spoke, and no one was going to speak.

Seeing this, Bai Quan didn't say much and started the meeting normally.

Soon, a projection of a three-dimensional star map appeared in the center of the conference table.

Chen Ming could tell at a glance that this was the Galo star field and the other two nearby star fields bordering the Mechanical Clan and Yuhui.

The area controlled by the Empire was marked with friendly green, the area controlled by Afterglow was marked with azure blue, and the area controlled by the Mechanical Clan was marked with grayish white.

The azure part was not the main content of the meeting, so the projection was mainly focused on the gray-white area of ​​the mechanical family.

A large part of the edges of these grayish-white areas are dyed green.

Chen Ming can directly retrieve data from these areas through the terminal at his seat.

If he had come here before, Chen Ming might not have been able to understand it.

However, after a few days of intensive tutoring, I can translate all the data on the terminal that I don’t see at first glance, and understand what each string of data represents.

In addition to natural data such as galaxy data, planet data, route coordinates, etc.

The terminal also marked more detailed data such as the number of mechanical colonies, the approximate number of mechanical garrisons, the composition ratio of garrison ships, the distance to the nearest colony, etc.

Apparently these are the results of the Empire's investigation of the Mechanical Race in the early stages of the war.

Those areas with some green in the grayish-white are all areas where the Empire has knowledge of the mechanical race.

Chen Ming took a quick look around and could see that most of the Mechanical Clan's fleet was not in the galaxy bordering the Empire, while the other side opposite the Empire was almost undefended and lacked in manpower.

Of course, it is also possible that the phase monster caused this situation.

But no matter what the reason is, Chen Ming feels that the empire will be ready to take action in this direction next.

While Chen Ming was thinking, Bai Quan had already started speaking: "Last month, a total of six destroyers and seventy-two escort ships were destroyed."

"The loss of personnel reached 532 people, including missing and dead."

"The mechanical tribe is strengthening the border defense. They have noticed our actions, but they can't be sure yet."

"But we can confirm that the Mechanical Tribe has sent a reconnaissance force to our border, and the number is yet to be investigated."

"We responded by pretending that we had just discovered that the Mechanic race had strengthened border control."

A holographic lieutenant general took over the conversation as Bai Quan finished speaking: "Put aside the investigation of the border area of ​​the mechanical race. We have already determined the data of the initial exploration of the galaxy. There is no need to continue. We should increase the investment in the investigation of the rear of the mechanical race and go deep into the heart of the mechanical race from the rear."

Bai Quan immediately operated on the terminal and said, "At present, we already have reconnaissance fleets from multiple directions passing through the Yuhui Star Region and are about to arrive at the rear of the area actually controlled by the Mechanical Clan."

As Baiquan spoke, a dozen green lines appeared on the star map in front of him, starting from the location of the 14th Legion and some surrounding military outposts.

In three-dimensional space, it circled along the edge of the mechanical race, and its target was near the galaxy where the phase beast had been discovered.

"The fleet carrying out the detection mission cannot use high-power communication equipment. It will take some time for the signal to return. We expect to get the news in three days."

From this sentence on, Chen Ming couldn't understand the following content.

Various military professional terms seemed to be talking about the fleet numbers and the requirements of the specific reconnaissance missions they performed, as well as what should be done when encountering emergencies, etc.

Chen Ming could only hear the general idea at best, but he could not understand the details at all.

It looks like he still has a lot to learn.

Unable to understand what was being said, Chen Ming turned his attention back to the terminal in front of him.

After Baiquan finished talking about the situation outside, he shifted the topic to the inside of the empire.

He talked about the military's logistics resource scheduling, which Chen Ming had not been involved in in the past few days.

When Chen Ming was getting a headache from guessing, the meeting finally ended.

Chen Ming breathed a sigh of relief and didn't leave in a hurry.

Baiquan seemed to have something else to say to him.

When only Chen Ming's projection and Bai Quan were left in the conference room, Bai Quan forced a smile at Chen Ming and said, "Don't you understand?"

"This was just a simple, small-scale summary meeting to discuss the next steps, but the plan remained unchanged, so it ended quickly."

"If a large-scale war breaks out in the future, there's no need to think about stopping this meeting. There will be more professional terms waiting for you to learn."

Chen Ming's expression was a little numb. Command technology was a completely new field for him, and it was much more difficult to learn than spacecraft technology.

But as long as he wants to make progress, he can't avoid this kind of thing.

Seeing Chen Ming's expression, Bai Quan changed the subject and said, "By the way, are you interested in participating in the investigation mission?"

Chen Ming quickly adjusted his attitude and asked, "How do I participate?"

"I will give you a destroyer at the beginning of each mission. You don't need this destroyer to fight. You just need to follow the reconnaissance fleet and help transmit information every day."

"You just heard what I said. There is no superluminal communication base station outside the empire. Signal transmission can only rely on the communication device of the spacecraft itself. Instantaneous communication transmission can easily expose itself. We need a method that can communicate quickly."

"So you let me do it?"

To be honest, this is not a difficult or troublesome task. Chen Ming just needs to pack up the database on the spacecraft and bring it back every day. It is very simple.

Moreover, there is a destroyer for each mission, which is a good reward.

Although Chen Ming doesn't need a destroyer now, every penny he can earn counts.

He never thinks too much money.

“Can I get a discount?”

"Can."

"That's fine with me."

"Thanks. I'll tell you about the next mission."

Bai Quan nodded and said, "Well, there is one more thing. I have applied for the next relic of another civilization. It will be delivered to you in a few days. I still need your help in researching it as before."

"Does it have a name?"

"Yes, the synchrotron core."

Half an hour after the meeting ended, Chen Ming disconnected the holographic projection and turned his attention back to the dome.

He now had some free time. At least he could do something of his own in the evenings during the few days when the next relic was delivered.

However, Chen Ming had no time to think about what he could do.

A phone call came.

Chen Ming picked up the terminal and took a look. It was from Cheng Xinghai.

After the call was connected, Cheng Xinghai greeted Chen Ming as usual: "Hello, is Chen Ming there?"

"I answered your call and you asked if I was there?"

"Hey, just kidding. I have a fight going on here. Want to come?"

"There's a battle?"

"Yes, there is a large-scale battle involving many people. Do you want to come?"

Chen Ming thought for a moment and said, "I don't have any experience in this area."

"It doesn't matter. In a large-scale battle, there are several people on both sides, and everyone is responsible for their own tasks."

"Not everyone is specialized in battlefield command. Some people also learn large-scale battlefield dispatch and logistics. When you cooperate with them, you don't need to worry about other things. You just need to be responsible for fighting."

Chen Ming asked again: "We need to team up to fight? But is it okay if I don't know anyone?"

"Don't worry, I've found teammates for you, all you have to do is come."

"The referee is still Uncle Bai. I told him in advance."

"Also, this kind of long-term large-scale battle requires deep consciousness to accelerate thinking speed and avoid wasting too much time in reality."

"I heard that you went to the branch recently? You should be able to lie directly into the equipment, right?"

It seemed that Cheng Xinghai had arranged everything during the few days she disappeared, and was just waiting for him to come over.

But Chen Ming still had to confirm: "How long will it take?"

"It may take more than ten hours, and everyone can pause for fifteen minutes in the middle."

"When does it begin?"

"Any time from tonight until next week."

Chen Ming glanced at his schedule and said, "Well, I can go."

(End of this chapter)