"Damn it!" exclaimed Angus, causing Lieutenant Zhou to nearly curse out loud.
But for Zhou, this was actually good news.
To be assigned to the newly established fortress, serving as the captain of the defense force at the research center?
Being a defense soldier at the research center was no small feat. It was like being a bodyguard for a general, dealing with classified information.
This was a recognition of his abilities, a recognition of his loyalty. It was definitely a promotion worth celebrating.
Angus sighed, expressing his regret, which made Zhou think for a moment that he might be assigned to a farm to tend pigs.
But after a moment's thought, Zhou quickly understood what Angus meant.
"General!"
"As a soldier, I will carry out any orders issued by the strategic command."
"As a man, I will never forget your guidance and support. It is because of you that I have grown from an ordinary soldier to a competent squad leader."
"I will always remember your teachings and I will never let you down, no matter where I go."
Zhou promptly stood up, saluting Angus resolutely.
"Forget about that. Please take a seat," Angus said, gesturing for Zhou to sit back down. He sighed once again. "You are the soldier I have the highest hopes for, so naturally, I want to support and mentor you."
"But once you go to Pluto, I won't be able to assist you any longer. I don't even know if your new superiors will invest in your development as much as I did."
"However, there's no need to worry too much. Before you depart for Pluto, I can still lend you a hand. Take a look at this."
Angus retrieved a box from his file cabinet and pushed it towards Zhou.
"Lieutenant."
Zhou opened the box to find two lieutenant shoulder boards lying inside.
"That's right, you are now a lieutenant."
"I was originally planning to present them to you two months from now, but the orders from the research department disrupted my plans for your development."
"So, I took advantage of my authority as the Chief Strategist and directly applied for your lieutenant commission."
"I did this just in case, so that you wouldn't be held back by an unjust superior once you arrive on Pluto."
Angus shook his head gently, giving Zhou a hug before continuing.
"Lieutenant, I will never forget your kindness!"
Zhou saluted deeply, feeling almost moved to tears.
This guy truly had a way with favors. Regardless, Zhou genuinely appreciated this favor.
Just like acknowledging the favors from Campbell and Turner, because these leaders were outstanding.
If he had encountered an envious or credit-stealing superior, he wouldn't have been able to advance this quickly.
Observing Zhou's reaction, Angus silently nodded before speaking earnestly:
"Lieutenant, you've misunderstood something."
"I trained you because you were worth training, don't talk about any favors. This is the military meeting room of the Federation, not the HR department of a commercial building."
"If you really want to remember me, then just remember my teachings. They will be helpful for your future."
"Yes, General!"
"I will always remember the teachings of the General!"
As he answered seriously, Zhou Yuan's gaze shifted to his personal panel.
Name: Zhou Yuan
Rank: Federation Captain, Superhuman
Attributes: Strength 13, Speed 12.5, Jumping 12.5, Agility 12.5, Endurance 13, Defense 13, Self-healing 13, Skill 1.6, Brain Function 15.5
Skills: Telepathy, Telepathic Communication, Telekinetic Ability, Hypnotism, Mind Control, Fast Learning...
Equipment: Icarus-class Destroyer, Jump Frog, Nanorepair Medical Cabin, Laser Bird, Purgatory Grenade...
Title: Financial Genius - Earns 1 Soul Point per minute
Soul Points:
His rank has been refreshed to Captain, which makes him very happy.
If he could get promoted by flattering someone, then he would become the ruler of the universe tomorrow!
Half an hour later, Zhou Yuan left the meeting room.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Angus got down to business.
In a month's time, he would receive his orders and go to the Pluto coastline fortress to serve as the defense force captain of the research department.
Based on the organization of the defense force of the research department, this was indeed a promotion for him, and a significant one at that.
After becoming the captain of the defense force of the research department, he would be in charge of over a thousand soldiers.
300 defense soldiers selected from the Mobile Force.
10 strategic officers selected from the Strategic Force.
1 ship captain selected from the Starship Force, along with its crew, for a total of 801 people.
That's 1111 people, and he would be in charge of all of them.
He could directly command "Three Armies"!
It sounded pretty cool. It should be noted that even the lowest-ranked officers who could become ship captains were at least majors.
In just one month, even majors would have to salute him respectfully and call him their superior!
In a few days, he would receive the list of candidates and select members for his defense force during his free time.
Oh yeah, there was one more thing.
He learned from Angus why the research department had chosen him.
Anderson Morgan!
The Research Department of the Pluto Coast Fortress is headed by Anderson Morgan, who is a "Federal Level Scientist," recipient of the "Federal Hero Medal," and holds the rank of "Federal Admiral." When Morgan selected him, Zhou Yuan immediately understood why. Back when he was single-handedly fighting the tank beetles on Pluto, Morgan was there watching him. So, when Morgan needed a new defense force, he immediately thought of him.
Now, thinking back, when Morgan said to him, "I remember you, we will meet again," it might have been referring to this moment.
"With the rank of Rear Admiral and the authority of an Admiral, he's a big shot..."
"If he has such confidence in me, I better latch onto his coattails."
"With his Admiral-level authority, he could easily promote me to Colonel with just a few words. Being a Captain means nothing."
"However, before heading to Pluto, there are still many things to take care of."
With these thoughts in mind, Zhou Yuan turned and boarded the elevator to the ground. His transfer order would be issued within a month, which could mean half a month or just a few days. Therefore, he needed to prepare early.
Packing was simple, everything could fit into his ring. The tricky part was saying goodbye. He knew many people at the Tarsis Fortress – old teammates, former subordinates, and former leaders – all close relationships. For such a significant event as transferring to Pluto, texting wouldn't suffice; he had to bid farewell in person. However, this had to wait for two days, as it was the Hunter Battalion's holiday, and he didn't want to dampen everyone's spirits by announcing his transfer during the break.
Now...
He decided to visit the communication soldiers' living quarters. It would be impolite to leave in the middle of a celebration, so he had to apologize to the girls and bid them a heartfelt farewell.
In the following days, Zhou Yuan followed the plan, meeting old acquaintances during their free time and bidding them solemn farewells. They were surprised to hear about his promotion to Captain and his upcoming departure to Pluto to command a defense force. However, considering Zhou Yuan's capabilities, they could understand and only felt envy, not jealousy. Of course, there might be some who felt jealous but didn't show it because everyone knew that offending someone vastly superior was a sure way to invite trouble.