Chapter 1272 - Launching Ceremony (2/2)

The soldiers already received six months of adaptive training at the Moon Military Base and understood their role on the starship. A thousand of the soldiers were reserve officers and crew members of Celestial Trade while the remaining thousand were “volunteers” from the Earth Defense Alliance member states.

The allocation of the thousand spots involved a series of heated debates around the negotiation table. After all, it was the first battleship of the Earth Fleet, even an ordinary crew member would become an officer or instructor in a few years

These future officers represented the future status and voice of the member states in the Earth Fleet, or even in the Earth Defense Alliance.

Therefore, the number of spots within the first crew was vitally important.

Because of the many secrets involved, the ceremonial ship launching of the Envoy-class starship was very simple, far simpler than the original shipyard completion ceremony and construction ceremony. Future Heavy Industries CEO, Yang Guanglei, represented the shipyard and handed over the information of the starship, the portfolio of various certificates, and a contract to Jiang Chen.

Then the representatives of the member states signed the contract in turn, and military uniforms and certificates were given to the soldiers waiting for boarding. The national anthems of the member states played in series, and the national flag of each member state was first placed in the boarding bay and sent abroad the Envoy-class starship.

Immediately afterward, the officers waiting to board the ship lined up and entered the starship through the electromagnetic track.

“Unfortunately, I started my career in the Army, or I really would want to follow them,” Wu Changfeng said with emotion while the officers boarded.

“Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t send members of the Earth Defense Alliance on the starship.” Jiang Chen laughed, then said with a relaxed tone, “Although not on the front line, you play the role of commander. Each of your decisions will impact the life and death of everyone on the battleship.”

Wu Changfeng shrugged and joked.

“If we can live to the day of the battle.”

“You will,” Jiang Chen gently said with a confident but mysterious smile.

Just then, Jiang Chen’s wristwatch began to ring.

It was Kelvin.

Jiang Chen excused himself and walked aside. Then he put in the Bluetooth headset into his ears, opened the holographic screen, and picked up the phone.

“What’s the matter?”

Kelvin did not attend the ceremony today as the excavation work of Mine 071 already reached the most critical stage. As one of the project leaders, he must be in the space command center.

A call from him was not a good signal.

Sure enough, Kelvin’s first words made his hunch into a reality.

“Project 071 encountered a special circumstance.” Kelvin gulped and without giving time for Jiang Chen to ask any questions, he quickly articulated, “Our Marines were attacked by an unknown underground creature when we reached a depth of ten kilometers… and the creature was not the Devil Worm!”