Shi Lang was gazing at the monitor that showed how the Galactic Council ship took off from the spaceport and left the atmosphere of the planet. Hayley stood beside him, she has just come back to the base with the relics mentioned by the former.

Shi Lang said, “The technical team is to scan and learn every single thing about these relics and prepare prototypes. Have them create a semi-autonomous brain to operate the prototypes. They can use the algorithms and data references of a mecha but on a smaller scale. If the experiment is successful, then we will be able to have a lot of manpower on our side.”

Hayley nodded and asked, “How will you test these prototypes?”

Shi Lang said, “The best way is to fight them or to have them go through that obstacle course in the pit.”

Hayley nodded and left the command center to make arrangements. Shi Lang commanded a few troops to check the bedrooms of the five galactic council envoys. After it was confirmed that those women did not leave a piece of surveillance equipment behind, he sighed in relief. That said, he contacted General Charlotte and talked to her about the various aspects of the field, and fleet mobilization.

In the end, he asked her to transfer Amelia over to the Frontier. He did not disclose anything to this lady but only hinted that he can help her become stronger. That said, he began to arrange for more and more teams to enter the pit and train there. The number of people in the first fleet was a massive seven hundred thousand. The reserve forces were not included in this.

Shi Lang was thinking about how to allow more soldiers to train at the same time when he decided to have OB-One build four such courses on the surface. The structure of these four training centers will be normal, but the inside will be nanobots. This was efficient and upgradeable. Shi Lang also asked the puppet to cast anti-spirit arrays on the vests worn by the soldiers.

These four centers were made for non-cultivating soldiers, those with spirit energy must go and plunge into the pit. Everyone could sense the slight tension in the air as the days passed. Everyone on the planet was a member of the first fleet and they were all busy. Shi Lang had sent the deputy general to deliver the space ring with eight trillion spirit stones.

Sikar was shocked but then he accepted the task, at this moment, when the war was almost upon them, Shi Lang must stay here. It was necessary for the morale of the fleet. Sikar left and came back quickly. The parliament was not sitting ducks they have already made calculations of the distribution of the spiritual stones. They allotted the first fleet a huge sum of thirty-five million stones.

The more solid quota depended on Shi Lang. The boy nodded and was happy to see this arrangement, he issued a few orders. The soldiers were not allowed to bet on the spirit stones, no need to save them if the spirit stone is turned to dust then they must collect that dust. Spirit stone dust when compressed at extreme pressures will crystallize and then it can be used as array plates.

This was what OB-One mentioned to Shi Lang and the command was issued. Shi Lang had commented himself on training the soldiers. He would take rounds of the fields where the soldiers were training. The punishment set for slacking off was even more sickening than the training. Cleaning toilets the old way, washing the socks off the whole unit after the heavy training schedule, manually.

This made the people pick up the pace and they began to move toward a stronger level. After seven days, Shi Lang made the units have mock battles in the simulation realm. Shi Lang did not want to scare away the people, but it eventually happened. If he was to appear on the field, the soldiers would double their efforts instantly.

They have all seen Shi Lang taking down five teams in one go. They were awed by this young man. The women had become his fans, but when they saw his cold unfeeling look, none of them dared to approach him. However, as the days passed, rumors began to circulate that the war will not occur and they were working so hard in vain.

Shi Lang detected this source of rumor and promoted this guy. Later when this soldier came to report to the protection detail of the General, he was beaten and brutally trained. However, the damage has already been done. Shi Lang called the Federation and asked for an answer.

The President replied, “General, you know that it takes time to decide whether a war is the only way out. The Zerg lives are also lives you know that, right?”

Shi Lang calmly replied, “This is all bureaucracy. You all just do not want to take the first step and look bad in the opinion of the people. However, do you not realize that the pressure is increasing? The tension when appropriate will keep a rope taut, but if it exceeds the rope will snap and recoil. If the fleet suffered because of this, then the Federation will suffer huge losses.”

The president sighed, how can he not understand this all. He said, “I will talk to the representative and ask him to fasten the process.”

Shi Lang nodded and said, “I hope that we get an answer quickly.”

The communication did not last long, and when Shi Lang came out of the isolated room, the technician said, “Sir, a ship from Ao, is requesting permission to enter the atmosphere.”

Shi Lang smiled and said, “Granted.”

The technician did not understand why the general was so happy. Shi Lang sat down in his chair and began fiddling with the holo-comp in front of him. He was drawing some blueprints based on what he understood about the puppets recovered from the ruin. He was trying to make a puppet body for the spirit he took out from the beast puppet.

It would be a waste to keep such a thing hidden inside his spirit tattoo. The more he drew the more focused he became, at a point, even the people around him thought that Shi Lang had gone out of the command center.

After an hour, the door opened and Hayley came over, only to find the guy to be drowned in his own world. She cleared her throat and said, “General, Colonel Knight has arrived to report.”

Shi Lang raised his head and said, “March her in.”

Hayley shouted loudly, “Colonel Knight, march in!”

The door was opened again, and in walked Amelia Knight, dressed in a white shirt and black skirt, the black coat. She saluted Shi Lang crisply and said, “Colonel Amelia Knight, reporting for duty, Sir.”

Shi Lang nodded and said, “You will be in charge of the forty-fifth scouting team. All operations they do will be canceled through you and you will bear the responsibility for their deeds. I hope you understand what it is like to be the new Scout team captain. Understood?”

Amelia replied, “Yes, sir.”

Shi Lang nodded and then said, “You are dismissed.”

He turned his head back to the blueprint in front of him. Then something came to his mind and he pressed the button on the side and said, “Dr. Stephan to the command center please?”

This was a summoning call. The person in his mouth was the most excellent for technical stuff on the base. When he heard that the general has called him, the old man rushed over with a speed like never before. After showing his ID card, he entered the command center and came to stop in front of Shi Lang and saluted him.

Shi Lang smiled and said, “Dr. Stephan, I have a project, I need you to oversee it personally and keep it confidential.”

Stephan nodded and said, “I will do my best, General.”

Shi Lang nodded and said, “That will be enough. Please take a look.”

With a flick of his finger, the holographic Bluetooth print moved from his holocomp to the communicator of the old man. The old man was the chief of the technical division and mainly dealt with Mechas. He would say that Mechas are his love. So he could not get enough of them.

Dr. Stephan got lost in the precision of the blueprint. Shi Lang had done this in half an hour. This made the old man surprised. He raised his eyes and said, “General, this is a really good blueprint. However, it does have a small flaw, that is the jet vent is too close to the body. I will adjust that.”

Shi Lang nodded and asked, “How long do you need to have a working model up and running?”

Stephan sighed and said, “It would take a couple of days.”

Shi Lang nodded and said, “Fine, I will wait. Please get to it, I apologize for pushing this on you at such short notice.”

The doctor and the general exchanged some small talk before the old man left the place. Shi Lang said, “Amy, come out, I can sense you.”

He only heard a voice in his mind, “Not yet. Go to your room.”

Shi Lang sighed and like a captive, he moved to his room.