Chapter 18 (2/2)

While Nicole agreed with James, she glanced at Qin Hao. She was deeply impressed by this man, who had single-handedly fought and killed a giant commander beetle.

She had decided that once she was back on the battleship, she would pester her father, asking him to transfer Qin Hao out of the 106th Division. It was a waste of talent for Qin Hao to stay in the division; the equipment of the mechanized infantry did not do him justice.

…

“Holy moly! Are you from the special forces, Commander?”

“Did you offend someone last time, Commander? If not, how did someone like you end up here as a private?”

The soldiers under his command thought the same as James. With Qin Hao’s capabilities, he should not have belonged there as a private. Someone must have deliberately stymied his promotion.

None of them knew that Qin Hao had only gained his extraordinary abilities a few days ago. Before he was wounded on Isis Beach, he was only a run-of-the-mill private.

Qin Hao could only smile at hearing what his men said. He knew the more he talked, the easier he would expose himself. The best thing to do was to keep his mouth shut. He was not ready to become a lab rat yet.

However, his silence had further reinforced the misunderstanding. They became even more convinced that Qin Hao must have offended someone powerful. That was why he dared not even mention it.

Nevertheless, the soldiers respected him. While Qin Hao was made a platoon commander when he was still a private, none of his men, which consisted of corporals and sergeants, argued against it. He had proven himself on the battlefield.

In the Federation Army’s bureaucratic structure, the higher the position, the more respect. However, when it came to the frontline soldiers, they respected those who showed their capabilities on the battlefield. They trusted him instead of a fat-a**, high-ranking officer because they knew he would watch their back.

Qin Hao had proven himself as trustworthy on the battlefield. His soldiers might have higher-ranked positions than him, but they willingly obeyed his command.

Half an hour later, the roar of a fighter aircraft rumbled in the air as the carrier arrived to clear out an area for the landing craft. Since they were coming to retrieve the lieutenant general’s daughter, they could not afford to make mistakes.

A carpet-bombing had begun. It gave the entire High Ground Z3 and the 106th Division a momentary respite. After the bombing, the attack from the insectoids had apparently relented.

The engine roared as the landing craft descended.

“See you around, Qin Hao!” Nicole went up to Qin Hao. Meanwhile, Lucia had gone onboard; she could not wait to leave the battlefield and go back to the safe haven of the battleship.

“Take care and be safe!” Qin Hao returned a smile. He had just learned about who Nicole was, and her departure was understandable. Privilege had been a fact of life for some since the existence of humankind.