Cui Jinqi finally surrendered.
There was no way she could actually kiss him.
If she could kiss him on the lips, it would mean she genuinely liked Cheng Jinyang... and wouldn't that be akin to a confession? Therefore, she could only admit that she had been talking nonsense just now and that they were not in a relationship.
Xing Yuanzhi's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, while Chu Qingqing still seemed displeased, showing an expression of "Really? That's it?" Evidently, the reasons for their initial anger were different.
But no matter what, since the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Cheng Jinyang could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Cousin Yuexian, you really are amazing!
"To sum it up, the patriarch can decide on his marriage on his own, but as for your own marriages, I'm afraid you are far from being able to choose freely, right?" Cheng Yuexian concluded, "Instead of being jealous of each other, you should focus on dealing with your families."
Well said!
Cheng Jinyang was very pleased.
The other girls' faces turned a mix of pale and flushed. Admitting it would be awkward because they hadn't confessed their feelings to him. Denying it would seem like they were protesting too much, especially since Cheng Yuexian hadn't named anyone specifically. So, they looked at each other, waiting for someone bold enough to refute her.
"Why are you all looking at me?" Yang Wangshu typed, "She wasn't talking about me."
The girls: ...…
Why are you so smart at this moment? Wait, does this mean we're feeling guilty...
"What are you all standing around for?" Seeing Cheng Jinyang give her a signal, Cheng Yuexian began to shoo them away, "Move along, move along. Do you all want some alone time with the patriarch? Everyone, out!"
With her saying this, they couldn't stay any longer and had to leave one by one.
Whew!
Cheng Jinyang let out a long sigh.
These women who were affecting my work have finally left.
Now, back to business!
——————
A so-called secret military project means that the personnel involved are confidential, the launch time is confidential, and even whether the mission will actually be executed is confidential.
Then one day when you're completely relaxed, you suddenly get notified that the plan is starting, and you must leave immediately.
In the subway military train moving through the underground tunnel network, Princess Sima Nandi from the Sima family was seriously briefing everyone on the upcoming action plan:
"...This time, our tactical system has four layers. The first layer is a feint attack from the direction of Jiankang City, involving large-scale troop movements to deceive the Longxiang Army into believing that Taicheng is about to withdraw to Lin'an."
"The second layer involves an assault from the east by the Shenwu Army stationed in Changzhou Town, to further mislead the Longxiang Army as per the first layer of our strategy."
"Once the royal family retreats to Lin'an, it wouldn't matter if Jiankang City falls, because the court can continue to organize a counterattack from Lin'an. However, Wang Chuzhong can't afford to wait that long, so the Longxiang Army will undoubtedly focus heavily on Taicheng's location, thus dispersing a lot of their attention."
"Whether or not the enemy believes Taicheng is about to withdraw to Lin'an, the third layer of our deployment, which includes our three teams, will infiltrate the temporary stops beneath the Jingwei mothership via the Ground Network pipeline, set up a mobile defense system upon reaching the surface, and launch a pressing attack on the Jingwei mothership."
"Once the Jingwei's outer shield is worn down to the critical point, the spearhead team led by the Lu family head will deliver the final blow to penetrate and down the Jingwei mothership."
"Does everyone understand?" Princess Sima Nandi confirmed again.
No one raised any objections because such important matters wouldn't be conveyed verbally only. Detailed written plans would be distributed next for everyone to thoroughly review and memorize.
Cheng Jinyang sat in the back of the carriage, with his second uncle Cheng Qingyuan beside him. The two silently watched ahead as the Jinyiwei distributed written plans to everyone in the carriage.
"Don't worry," Second Uncle said in a low voice. "We are just one of the three feint attack teams."
"When the Longxiang Army detects our presence, they will understand that the objective here in Jiankang City is actually to use a restraining pulse to destroy the Jingwei mothership. The trump card has to be kept hidden; unless the Lu family head shows up, they won't commit all their forces."
"Mm," Cheng Jinyang nodded.
"You don't seem very nervous?" Princess Sima Nandi walked to the back of the carriage, noticing Cheng Jinyang's calm expression, and asked.
Cheng Jinyang looked back at her. The girl, who was a few years younger than him, was the younger sister of Princess Nankang, the Luling Princess. She had once talked with him under the alias "Cheng Nandi" while singing in the private room.
Now, with her makeup removed, her exquisite features were visible, resembling a younger version of Princess Nankang. She had golden hair, fair skin, slightly deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and well-defined, striking features.
Unlike her sister, her golden hair was not in large waves but straight and smoothly framed her face. There were traces of metal processing on her face. These lines, rather than marring her beauty like scars, added a certain allure to her appearance.
"Maybe it's just not time to be nervous yet," Cheng Jinyang exhaled lightly.
"You are more mature than when I last saw you," Princess Luling smiled slightly.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I'll take that as a compliment," Cheng Jinyang replied.
Cheng Qingyuan, who was beside him, tugged at his beard, thinking to himself, how did this turn into flirting? Are royal princesses always so casual?
"Your second uncle is right," Princess Luling sat down next to him, "Indeed, before the Lu family patriarch appears, the Longxiang army will not recklessly unleash their firepower."
"However, even probing attacks could still be deadly for us. You Tianluo should be well aware of the power of modern weapons."
Cheng Jinyang and Cheng Qingyuan fell silent.
In modern military warfare, the spear is mightier than the shield, focusing on maneuvering and evasion rather than defense. If they simply stood still and attacked the Jingwei, a high-explosive bomb from the enemy could be devastating. Even if the Zheng family's mental defenses withstand the first strike, what about twenty more? What if the explosive power is multiplied tenfold?
So-called mobile defense means maintaining attack accuracy while maximizing mobility to evade most attacks. The remaining unavoidable attacks are then resisted using the defense system.
If hit too many times, the defense system will fail, and people will die—whether it's gravity, mass effect, constraint pulses, or spiritual impact. Bodies are still made of flesh; a shrapnel cut could easily take them out.
"Is the enemy's firepower strong?" Cheng Jinyang tentatively asked.
"Don't know," Princess Luling smiled faintly. "After all, it's a mothership. All the military vehicles are hidden in the mothership's belly. You'll only know the quantity inside when the hangar doors open, which will determine whether we achieve victory or face death."
"What if the number of enemy vehicles is too many for our defense system to handle?" Cheng Jinyang frowned.
"Then we turn around and run, of course," Princess Luling calmly replied.