Yu Lian expressed that he (at least in this life) had indeed encountered such a difficult person to communicate with for the first time. Even on the battlefield, facing enemies like Hessen and Kaz Khan, they could at least exchange a few words.
Yu Lian, who had always been confident in his communication skills, was quite disheartened. So, for the next ten minutes, he numbly followed Yang Xiyi to the officers' mess hall.
The mess hall wasn't particularly large, but most officers were likely on their respective ships, so there weren't many people dining. The Colonel pulled Yu Lian to a relatively secluded spot and sat down, then said, "Don't mind him, Yu Lian. He doesn't dislike you; he just dislikes 'Moon People' or 'elite bureaucrats.'"
"An old-timer who climbed from soldier to high-ranking general, I can certainly understand. It's just that old-timers always confuse stubbornness with perseverance. But I really didn't expect, Teacher Yang, that someone as seemingly upright as you would fall so quickly..."
Yang Xiyi pretended not to hear, merely greeting a passing orderly, "The usual! And a bottle of brandy. For the rest, you can decide."
The orderly saluted and left, and Yang Xiyi then said,
"So, you're in for a treat. Because of old veterans like General Paris, who survived the Independent War, the Outer Rim Fleet and Outer Rim Military District have always been the most stringent in the entire military. Training intensity is 996, and meals only guarantee necessary nutritional value, so the taste is hard to describe. Only on Saturday nights can we have a grand meal, with various desserts and drinks freely available, and even alcohol. And, you absolutely must try it..."
"The so-called 'Athlete's Hotpot,' right? The future of the Commonwealth, the future of the Outer Rim Fleet, we can talk while we eat, right?" Yu Lian sneered.
"Of course, if you really want to talk, I can chat with you. Just consider it a conversation," Yang Xiyi chuckled.
Facing such a degenerate, impervious, thick-skinned old fox, Yu Lian's heart was filled with sorrow. Even the large pot of fragrant main course that had just been served couldn't lift his spirits.
"Come, this is our Outer Rim Military District's specialty, the Athlete's Hotpot, representing courage and passion!" Yang Xiyi poured a glass of wine for himself and Yu Lian, then handed the latter a pair of chopsticks.
"...Isn't it just a stew of various meats?"
"No! Completely different! The soup is made with Star Sand Grass from New Yumen, as well as Red Stone Salt and wild chilies from Guangzhao Star. With these, you can stew the groundhog from New Yumen, the Jade Shark from Aquamarine Star, and the Great Mud Snake from Guangzhao Star together without their flavors clashing. Compared to them, beef, pork, and lamb are just side ingredients. You can't get this in East Asia; just these ingredients alone are terrifyingly expensive."
Indeed, the reddish-brown broth was layered and rich, and the discolored beef chunks, ribs, and lamb slices looked very appetizing. But compared to the Jade Shark's snow-white marbling and the Great Mud Snake's agate-red meat, they truly could only be considered side dishes.
Oh, right, there was also clearly muscled groundhog meat, but it had been overlooked. Yu Lian stated that he, like his senior sister, was a firm advocate of charcoal grilling. A groundhog not charcoal-grilled could not be a good groundhog; it was a crime against the entire universe's resources.
"Eating a pot of this, let alone 996, even six months of working every day wouldn't be a problem! This is the source of the Outer Rim athletes' passion and courage! Hence its name," Yang Xiyi introduced.
Yu Lian's appetite was whetted. He picked up a large piece of Jade Shark meat and was about to take a bite when he saw someone "happen" to pass their table, secretly observing for a moment, then approaching with a face full of enthusiasm and joy.
"Oh, Colonel Yang, are you dining here today? Why didn't you inform your subordinate?"
Yu Lian noticed that Yang Xiyi had already rotated his wine glass once, subtly sighing, putting down the fish he hadn't yet put in his mouth, and standing up to salute; while Colonel Yang Xiyi stood up and shook hands with the other party: "Bringing an old student to try our specialty. You're so busy, how could I bother you? Yu Lian, this is Major Horn, the Fleet Logistics Chief of Staff, the Command HQ's big housekeeper!"
"Oh, I'm just a general handyman who communicates and runs errands between the Logistics Department and the Command HQ. You're too kind, truly too kind." He awkwardly waved his hand, then looked at Yu Lian with "surprise": "So, this is your student? Oh, then he must be a Moon Person, right? What a talented young man, he's sure to be a pillar of our military in the future! Just like you, Colonel, after all, a famous teacher produces outstanding students."
Major Horn was about 40 years old and a bit overweight, so his military uniform lacked shape on him. His demeanor, as seen from his recent speech, was that of a greasy, smooth-talking middle manager, a corporate drone who could effortlessly spout all sorts of workplace jargon. These business pleasantries were hypocritical and formulaic; they wouldn't make people think highly of you, but at least they wouldn't offend anyone.
Of course, the career ceiling for such a person was probably just a corporate drone team leader.
He then invited Yang Xiyi to bring Yu Lian to his table for a few drinks, but the latter quickly declined. The two completely corporate-drone-like, not-at-all-military-like field-grade officers exchanged several rounds of highly formulaic pleasantries, saying a bunch of equally formulaic polite words, and finally, Major Horn bid farewell and left.
"...Don't look at me like that. I told you, it's all for the sake of living!" He drained the brandy in his glass, looking exceptionally mournful, then rotated the glass once more and placed it on the table.
"Don't you see that my gaze is filled with admiration and respect? Your survival and adaptability truly command my student's reverence. And no, that's not sarcasm."
"Major Horn is the Logistics Director and a member of the Staff Department. He just said it himself, he's responsible for communication between the Command HQ and the Logistics Department. Hey, to put it plainly, we combat staff officers look very glamorous on the outside, but when it comes to distributing mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival and not wanting the five-nut kind, we all rely on his help! Of course, he's also a good person, and everyone gets along well. This is the adult world! You wouldn't understand, would you?"
"The five-nut kind is actually quite tasty if you accept its premise seriously."
"Is this about the five-nut kind? Don't I know that the five-nut kind can be eaten?"
"No, I'm just saying, the five-nut kind shouldn't always have its reputation slandered! They are all members of the mooncake family, all treasures of our East Asia Celestial Dynasty culture. Without any one of them, the culture wouldn't be complete."
"I'm just making a comparison. What does this have to do with whether the culture is complete or not without someone? And what's the mooncake family? You might as well just make up a song!"
"No, I'm just saying, you can't just casually make fun of the five-nut kind. Isn't it popular now that all things in the universe have a spirit? They'd be very sad if they knew."
Yang Xiyi looked at Yu Lian with a stiff expression, then remained silent for a long moment, before suddenly grabbing a plate and trying to put it on his own head. Yu Lian quickly grabbed him: "Teacher Yang, don't do this, Teacher Yang!"
The two struggled for a while before the Colonel finally regained a bit of sanity.
"Just a joke. Your survival ability has increased, but your sense of humor has actually decreased. Isn't that a huge loss?"
Yang Xiyi squinted, ate a large plate of meat, and finished his brandy. While swirling his glass, he slowly said in a half-drunk voice, "Alright, I know you're upset because I didn't accept your nonsense... uh, your opinions, and the General didn't look pleased either, so you're holding a lot of anger inside. Young people are hot-blooded, I understand. But no matter what, I'm still a member of the fleet command. Don't I need to save face?"
Yu Lian saw the other party's wine glass swirl twice, then refilled it for him, smiling, "The universe spirit can attest, I have always been very respectful of Teacher."
"Hmph, then tell me, why do you think the Kaitai people will attack us? If you can't even convince me, how can you convince General Paris?"
"You just said I didn't need to convince you, only the Commander... Hey, never mind. As I said, this must start from the Kaitai people's historical process over the past few decades. They have always been the Empire's most loyal pawns. During the Independent War, thousands of their fleets were annihilated by us, and millions were killed or wounded, so they've long formed a blood feud with us. And this Gibraltar β star system is also territory we carved out from the Kaitai Kingdom. Originally, it was thought to be a low-value, uninhabited star system that could serve as a buffer between the two countries' territories, and the other side reluctantly agreed. But who would have thought that a Star Gate would open here!"
Yang Xiyi remained silent, continuing to swirl his wine glass.
"The Kaitai people are a famous warrior race in the galaxy. The basic foundation that truly governs their country is the Claw class, which is the so-called military aristocracy. The Crimson Mane royal family rose to power through conquest and war, and they need martial virtue to maintain their authority among the Claw class. For a treasure like the Star Gate, which can determine the fate of a species and a political power, if it's allowed to remain in enemy hands, domestic thought will splinter. This is exactly what's happening; a group of young and aggressive Kaitai military nobles have formed a Brotherhood, and under the leadership of the most ideologically radical Prince Charlen Lionmane, they've been clamoring for an all-out war with us."
Yang Xiyi scoffed, "The Kaitai people have been talking about an all-out war with us for twenty years, but there's been no movement until now. It's not that they haven't thought about retaking this star system; various border conflicts haven't stopped for these twenty years. This is also the biggest reason for the existence of the Outer Rim Fleet and Outer Rim Military District. But the All-Galaxy War ended decades ago; how could an all-out war between major powers possibly happen?"
"Is that so? But for these twenty years, while we've been complacent, they've been preparing for war! Their warship tonnage and capital ship tonnage have climbed to sixth in the entire galaxy. That Hyperion is a famous ship with outstanding achievements, but it's also an old ship that's been in service for over twenty years. The Kaitai people on the other side have been building ships like crazy, even selling their pots and pans. Last year alone, they launched two battlecruisers and two Aircraft Carriers, and they also bought an old Dreadnought from their Imperial daddy. Last March, Charlen Lionmane, with the help of his Steel Tooth Brothers, even staged a coup in their capital, eliminating a large number of stable old ministers. Now, the young and aggressive faction is in power! It's not surprising what angry, hot-blooded youths in control of the government might do!"
Yang Xiyi fell silent again, but his face remained full of mockery, clearly not having taken it in.
"I said it before, all that's needed is to strip away the Commonwealth's tiger skin. Do you really think the current Commonwealth Government has the heart and strength to wage an all-out war with the Kaitai people, or even the Empire behind them? They don't need to annihilate us; they just need to surprise us, defeat us, and then seize this Starport. And then, the Empire can intervene as a mediator. In the end, our country will most likely compromise, and they'll at least be able to share the Star Gate with us."
Well, on that Earth in Yu Lian's previous life, there was an island nation that did exactly that. Step by step, they encroached, bit by bit, pushing the target country's bottom line, and they truly profited handsomely.
Yu Lian pondered for a moment, then added, "Furthermore, the Kaitai people have limited territory, resources, and population. This 'military first' policy has been going on for over a decade and is reaching its limit. How can they account to their citizens and the Claw class without taking a big bite to replenish themselves? The siege of Tulon a while ago, the tanks that the Compass Trading Company transported to the Sand People had a strong Kaitai style. Then, there was the probing invasion by those three destroyers. These are unmistakable signs of war. In this situation, the Kaitai people are gathering a large army on the other side, and Charlen Lionmane is personally leading the Imperial Guard Fleet. Is this just for a small-scale border conflict, or an exercise? Don't exercises cost money? But those big cats are short on money right now!"
All of the above, of course, were not Yu Lian's own thoughts, but the results of analysis from various parties in later generations. Although it was hindsight, it was ultimately the result of collective Wisdom, well-reasoned and logically clear.
Yu Lian felt that it could at least convince most onlookers.
"Teacher Yang, we must abandon illusions and prepare for struggle!" he added.
Yang Xiyi was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled, and then burst into laughter.
"Don't mind, don't mind, Yu Lian. Seeing you so serious reminds me of back then, when you argued with Vice Principal Robnan, you had the same expression. Ah ha ha ha ha! You talked non-stop for over ten minutes, clearly talking nonsense, but it somehow sounded quite reasonable. But, this approach won't work on me. I am the Fleet Intelligence Chief of Staff, responsible for the entire fleet, and even the millions of soldiers in the entire Military District. I need evidence, you know? Solid evidence! Not your speculation. No matter how reasonable a speculation, without evidence, it's just conjecture."
"Teacher Yang..." Yu Lian's expression at this moment was terribly grim.
"I understand. Young man, Moon Person, favored son of heaven, wanting to create a big sensation is understandable. However, I hear your average score isn't looking so good right now! The two A+ grades you got in Tulon can't completely save your grades. With this much thought, you should focus on your graduation thesis. You only have half a year left!" Yang Xiyi earnestly advised.
Yu Lian remained silent, sullenly downing the wine in his glass.
The atmosphere was cold at this moment; even the aroma of the stewed meat couldn't bring back much warmth.
However, at the same moment, in another small private room on one side of the restaurant, someone secretly clenched their fists, their face grim and sinister.
Today is a two-chapter update full of integrity, and this chapter is also a large 4k one. I feel justified in asking for tips. However, as always, don't let tips affect you; everyone, just contribute as you please.