Cloud Mountain Empire, Bas System, Fourth Military Base.
The fleet departed from Chaos Planet and arrived at the Fourth Military Base after a three-hour journey.
This "military base" was actually an entire planet, designated solely as a military asset. It had no formal name, only a code, and no ruling lord.
"The fleet has entered a controlled military zone. Please report all personnel and fleet information, as well as the purpose of your visit," came the electronic voice in the Stormrider's command center.
Military base regulations were notoriously strict. Feng Mo promptly submitted the required information, and the voice responded shortly after.
"Information confirmed. Welcome, Viscount Feng Mo of the Cloud Mountain Empire. Fleet composition: four T3-class warships and two T2-class warships. Welcome to the Fourth Military Base, Your Lordship. Your fleet has been assigned to dock at Starport Six."
"Your route has been designated. Please ensure your fleet does not deviate from the assigned path, Viscount."
The fleet followed the designated route. The idea of deviating from the path never crossed Feng Mo's mind. He wasn't some privileged troublemaker, and even if he were, he knew that kind of recklessness would be fatal.
The fleet docked at Starport Six, where Feng Mo found himself once again admiring the colossal T5-class Lion King battleship. Standing in its shadow, even his Stormrider seemed unimpressive by comparison.
"Ail— Elpan, familiarize Alyssa and Huaqin with the Stormrider. Wang and I will handle things on the ground," Feng Mo ordered.
Feng Mo and Old Wang disembarked from their warships, where a contingent of soldiers was waiting at the dock.
The leading officer, bearing a colonel's insignia, quickly stepped forward to greet Feng Mo, extending both hands for a hearty handshake, which he punctuated with three enthusiastic pumps. "Viscount Feng Mo, I presume? I'm Ji Xianzhao, a college friend of Earl Yiting."
Feng Mo was taken aback. He hadn't expected to meet one of his father's university friends here.
Before heading off to the Chaotic Star Sea, Feng Mo's parents had left him a network of connections, with clear instructions not to disturb these contacts unless absolutely necessary. These connections represented years of relationships built by his family, including older aristocrats, beneficiaries of the Feng family's support, and loyal allies.
This was the heritage of an old noble family. Despite the Feng territory being modest and the fleet lacking strength, few would dare provoke Feng Mo. Doing so could awaken people willing to go to extreme lengths for him—be it out of friendship, gratitude, or reputation. Whatever the reason, the reaction would be fierce.
"Hello, Uncle Ji. Just call me Little Mo," Feng Mo said with a smile. "This is Wang Chongsheng, the son of Earl Wang."
Ji Xianzhao offered a polite nod to Wang Chongsheng, though his demeanor clearly indicated he wasn't fond of the Wang family. Feng Mo quickly intervened to smooth things over.
"Uncle Ji, my father spoke of you often. He said he respected only two people in the military: you and Uncle Gu."
The "Uncle Gu" Feng Mo referred to was his father's closest friend, who had looked after Feng Mo on many occasions. When Feng Mo started his first year at university, it was Uncle Gu, already a major general at the time, who personally saw him off.
No one dislikes genuine flattery, and Feng Mo's gesture of comparing Ji Xianzhao to Uncle Gu had clearly struck the right chord. Ji Xianzhao laughed heartily before waving a dismissive hand in mock humility. "Oh, no, no, I couldn't possibly compare myself to General Gu."
Despite his words, Ji Xianzhao's eyes softened considerably.
"Little Mo, I know why you're here. I personally came to meet you. Follow me; there's been a slight change in the mission I need to discuss."
He led Feng Mo and Wang Chongsheng to a conference room. Inside, three people awaited them: two men and a woman.
The middle-aged man at the head of the table was short and slightly shifty-looking. To his left sat a tall, muscular, bald youth with a fierce expression, and to his right was a captivating woman with a beauty mark beneath her eye.
When Ji Xianzhao entered, all three quickly stood up, visibly tense. "Take your seats," Ji Xianzhao instructed. "There have been changes to the escort mission. Three additional interstellar transport ships have been added, so instead of one fleet, there will now be two."
"But don't worry—the rewards remain unchanged. Now, let's discuss the mission details."
"The transport fleet will depart at 8 AM on October 15th. Your task is to ensure its safe arrival at the Xuanwu Interstellar Fortress."
"You have a day and a half to rest and resupply. You may procure any needed resources here, with prices matching those in the outside world."
"One final point: I care only about results. Escort the transport fleet to Xuanwu Fortress without incident!"
Ji Xianzhao then approached Feng Mo, his demeanor warm and paternal. "Little Mo, I have other matters to attend to. Should you ever need assistance in the Bas System, don't hesitate to reach out to your uncle."
With that, he left the room. The demeanor of the two men and the woman across from Feng Mo instantly shifted, their expressions betraying a hint of shock. They took a more serious look at Feng Mo and Wang Chongsheng. As soon as Ji Xianzhao was gone, the short middle-aged man put on a fawning smile.
"Greetings! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Cui Zhihao, commander of the Fire Leopard Fleet. We have seven T2-class warships and three T3-class warships. Naturally, this escort mission will be led by you. We'll follow your orders."
Feng Mo nodded. With Ji Xianzhao's obvious favoritism, he didn't have to worry about bureaucratic headaches, making the mission simpler.
"Commander Cui, pleased to meet you. I'm Feng Mo, fleet commander, with four T3-class and two T2-class warships. I look forward to working together on this mission."
"Absolutely, absolutely!" Cui Zhihao replied, bowing slightly.
Feng Mo smiled. "Then let's rest up and meet the day after tomorrow, Commander Cui." With that, he led Wang Chongsheng out of the room.
"Boss Cui, are you sure about giving that kid command? What if something happens during the escort?" the alluring woman purred, running a finger up Cui Zhihao's thigh. She hadn't dared act so provocatively while Ji Xianzhao was present.
"You don't understand," Cui Zhihao replied. "He's just a young noble out gaining experience, but with Colonel Ji backing him, he's untouchable. Trust me, nobles like him always have experienced vice commanders to handle the real work."
The woman nodded, her hand continuing to slide upward. Cui Zhihao inhaled sharply, grabbing her and pulling her close as they hurried back to their ship, the bald man trailing behind with a wicked grin.
Back aboard the Stormrider, Feng Mo gathered everyone for a quick meeting.
He projected the data Ji Xianzhao had provided. "This is intel from Uncle Ji. It includes details on the Fire Leopard Fleet and our mission objectives."
"The transport fleet has increased from five to eight ships, so we'll have two escort fleets. The rewards remain unchanged."
"Here's the breakdown of the Fire Leopard Fleet: ten warships—seven T2-class and three T3-class."
"Specifically, seven T2 Beetle-class interstellar frigates, two T3 Grey Wolf-class destroyers, and one T3 Cheetah-class battleship."
"These are fairly standard fleet configurations. The Grey Wolf and Cheetah ar
e known for their speed, so combined with our fleet, this mission should be manageable."