The military's internal warehouse was filled with tantalizing resources, including memory metal used for crafting battle armor. This material was extremely expensive and scarcely available outside, yet Feng Mo discovered that it was stored in the warehouse by the ton. The sight alone made his mouth water.
After their return, the four-person fleet docked at Starport 6 on Planet Z139. In the bridge's control room of the Storm, the crew gathered to review the battle results.
"Captains," Vice-Captain Elplan reported, "I am Elplan, the Storm's deputy. Allow me to summarize the battle results: our fleet destroyed 16 Hive Motherships, earning 1,600 military merit points and 1,600 military credits."
"The Commander has decided to split these equally among everyone. I've already submitted the report to the military, and the credits should have been distributed to your accounts."
"As for the Zerg remains, we will have to wait until the military deploys transport ships to clean the battlefield. The remains will then be exchanged for military credits and transferred to your accounts."
"In this battle, the energy shields of the Storm and both T3 White Eagles were completely depleted, consuming 70% of our power reserves. We sustained 34 injuries, but no casualties."
"The Storm's hull damage is at 8%, while the two White Eagles are at 17% and 21% respectively. The T3 Hyena-class Star Carrier lost one hundred Hyena-class unmanned bombers."
"Additionally, three of our starships had their engine speed limits removed. We won't be able to override these limits again for the next month. All four ships require immediate maintenance and repairs, which will be reimbursed by the military. However, Commander, you'll need to write a report for the reimbursement."
Feng Mo listened attentively until he heard the word "report," and his face fell. Writing military reports was a nightmare for cadets at the academy. The reports were long and tedious, akin to the old saying: "as long and stinky as a grandmother's footwrap." He really didn't want to do it. He glanced at Wang Chongsheng and the others, only to find them avoiding his gaze, clearly not wanting to volunteer.
Frustrated, Feng Mo turned to Elplan with a pleading look.
Elplan, seeing her Commander's pitiful expression, couldn't help but soften. After all, she had already committed to serving him. With a sigh, she relented, "Fine, I'll draft the report. But don't expect me to help with ship maintenance afterward—I won't have time."
Feng Mo nodded eagerly, like a pecking chicken.
With the small meeting concluded, everyone went their separate ways. The two women, claiming exhaustion, snuck off to their quarters for some rest. Feng Mo silently grumbled—after all, they had been so energetic while ramming enemy ships, but now they were suddenly tired?
That left Feng Mo and Old Wang to oversee the repair and maintenance of the four starships. They headed to the logistics department, curious to see how many valuable items could be exchanged with their military credits.
When they arrived, they were greeted by a long line of fellow cadets, all eager to cash in on their victories. Feng Mo accessed his terminal, connecting to the military's internal network, and pulled up the warehouse exchange list. His eyes lit up when he found memory metal. He vividly recalled how Director Lui had used battle armor to withstand electromagnetic pulse rifles, and now he was determined to craft his own T3 battle armor.
However, upon seeing the exchange rate, he was left dumbfounded. Memory metal was priced at 100 credits per pound. With a requirement of at least 40 pounds, he would need 4,000 credits!
Feng Mo checked his military account: only 670 credits, including 270 credits from the Zerg remains. It was nowhere near enough. He desperately needed more credits.
"Hey, what's this? An escort mission?" Feng Mo muttered to himself. It seemed that whenever he needed something, fate presented an opportunity.
[Star Escort Mission: Difficulty: Medium-Low; Requirements: A fleet of at least five starships, including one T3 or higher battleship or Star Carrier. Reward: 5,000 credits, 5,000 merit points, 300,000 star coins.]
The mission was rated as moderately challenging but offered incredibly generous rewards—far more than Feng Mo had earned from two entire battles. He was intrigued.
The mission involved escorting a starship convoy from Base 4 in the Northern War Zone to Xuanwu Fortress on the frontlines. The journey would take about half a month, with initial sections covered at warp speed. However, once they reached Beitianmen Space Station, they would need to travel at standard speed, which could attract ambushes from the Zerg.
The final stretch would be fraught with danger, but the mission also presented opportunities for additional rewards. Destroying enemy Hive Motherships would yield more merit points and credits, and any necessary repairs or resupplies would be fully covered by the Northern War Zone.
"We're taking this mission!" Feng Mo announced, immediately calling Wang Chongsheng, Moxue, and Xiaomeng. Old Wang's video connected quickly, while the other two women took their time.
When the videos connected, Feng Mo was greeted by the sight of the two women lounging comfortably on plush beds. They had plates of fruit and glasses of red wine beside them and were watching a star war movie, looking completely relaxed.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Old Wang complained. "We guys are out here dealing with maintenance and repairs, and you ladies are just chilling with wine and movies. What a huge gap in treatment!"
The women rolled their eyes, and Feng Mo cleared his throat. "Enough jokes. I've found a lucrative mission on the internal network. Let me explain."
After detailing the mission, he looked at his companions expectantly.
Moxue considered for a moment. "I'm okay with taking the mission, but we're still one starship short. Should we recruit another classmate? It won't be easy to find someone now. Also, will Director Lui approve?"
Feng Mo had anticipated these questions. "I'll handle Director Lui. As for the missing T3 ship, leave it to me."
Old Wang's eyes widened in realization. "Mo, you don't mean... building another ship?"
Feng Mo snapped his fingers. "Bingo! We currently have a battleship, a Star Carrier, and two destroyers. I plan to build two T2 frigates to round out our fleet. It'll diversify our lineup and make us better prepared for the escort mission. With nine days left, that's plenty of time to build two frigates."
He didn't plan to build them alone. The academy and the military could loan him engineers, leaving Feng Mo responsible only for the critical components.
Once his friends agreed, Feng Mo called Director Lui to explain the plan. As expected, the director had no objections, advising only to be cautious and stay in contact. The academy aimed to nurture cadets, not restrain them; everyone was responsible for their own choices.
With approval secured, Feng Mo officially accepted the escort mission online, entered the co
des for six starships, and set the review date for nine days later.