Translator: CinderTL
Following the Dawn Battle Group's welcoming ceremony, Feng Qi officially assumed his role as vice-commander.
Under Mu Qing's guidance, he gradually began familiarizing himself with the battle group's various operations, including mission allocation.
Each day, he received an updated mission roster compiled by the battle group secretary.
This roster included the latest missions issued by research institutes across various cities, as well as joint operation assignments from frontline supply zones.
Based on the current situation and each combat team's strengths and specialized capabilities, Feng Qi assigned missions accordingly.
In addition to mission allocation, he was also responsible for resource management, overseeing supply procurement, soldier payroll, family welfare benefits, maintenance and upgrades of the battle group's armory, daily income and expenses, and more.
Managing these tasks efficiently required considerable effort.
Fortunately, the battle group secretary assisted him, preventing him from becoming overwhelmed.
As he grew more familiar with the battle group's operations, Feng Qi began to truly grasp the brutal realities of the front lines.
Mu Qing often led portions of the battle group on joint operations to other supply zones, and as vice-commander, he frequently accompanied the team captain to the Domain Field for battlefield training exercises.
Or to oversee command simulations.
During these experiences, he witnessed the true nature of frontline warfare.
The enemy proved far more ruthless and ferocious than he had imagined.
He personally witnessed a warrior, cursed by a domain creature and his body gradually rotting away, strap himself with Spirit Energy Bombs and charge madly into the enemy ranks.
In his final moments, there were no grand pronouncements, only a desperate shout of "Mom, take care of yourself!" before his life was extinguished.
In the most brutal battle, a third of the warriors perished. The veterans led the charge, refusing to retreat.
They all knew the consequences of standing their ground—not that they refused to retreat, but that they couldn't.
Behind them lay their homeland and loved ones.
The battle ended with devastating losses.
As they rode back to Dawn Manor in transport vehicles, a bright, full moon hung in the sky.
The team captain, half his body mangled and wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, leaned against the vehicle's railing, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette as he said to Mu Qing:
From the moment I stepped onto the front lines, my fate was sealed. I have no regrets.
That scene moved him deeply. Along the way, he gazed up at the bright moon, lost in thought.
The people of today do not see the moon of ancient times, yet the moon of today once shone upon those who came before us.
The same holds true for the future.
Their ideal was simple: to ensure that this bright moon would continue to rise as it always had.
Faced with despair, he saw hope in the warriors around him.
After every sunset, there will always be dawn.
This unwavering belief burned in the heart of every Dawn Warrior.
Upon returning to Dawn Manor, he personally called the families of the fallen soldiers. Hearing their anguished cries over the phone, he couldn't help but feel a deep sorrow.
He had experienced this pain firsthand in his youth.
The grief of losing a loved one leaves an indelible mark on the soul.
In the days that followed, he threw himself into the construction and development of the Dawn Battle Group.
With nearly ten thousand members to manage, the Dawn Battle Group required meticulous organization. Fortunately, he had accumulated years of experience in this area during his previous timeline.
Back then, the Dawn Organization had faced even greater challenges than the Dawn Battle Group.
Once he familiarized himself with his current responsibilities, his work began to flow smoothly.
He started proposing his own ideas and constructive suggestions.
For example, the expansion of Dawn Manor.
As the number of warriors in the Dawn Battle Group continued to grow, the residential area of Dawn Manor had clearly become insufficient. If more warriors were crammed into each residence, it would undoubtedly compromise their quality of life.
Therefore, he decided to allocate funds to expand the manor internally, developing the undeveloped land to the north and extending Dawn Manor's footprint lengthwise to create a new residential district.
Mu Qing expressed her full support for this proposal, assuring him that the battle group's resources were at his disposal and urging him to pursue his ideas boldly without restraint.
Her trust freed him from any lingering concerns.
Over the next three months, he first traveled to the battle group headquarters to obtain the necessary approvals for the Dawn Manor expansion. Then, he dispatched the Third Combat Team to procure resources and initiate the expansion work.
A professional construction team soon arrived to join the effort.
During this period, he also launched a "questionnaire survey" within the Dawn Battle Group to gather feedback on housing needs and potential improvements.
This series of decisions aimed at enhancing the warriors' living conditions earned him unanimous praise from the ranks.
Despite the harsh, frigid environment, the expansion project was proceeding at full speed.
In less than six months, the Dawn Battle Group's residential areas C and D were officially completed.
Every warrior received their own individual residence.
One day, after a long day of work, Feng Qi sat in his office reviewing documents and managing recent mission assignments.
Suddenly, a familiar avatar appeared on his communication software.
Clicking on it, he discovered it was a message from Lin Ran, whom he hadn't contacted in a long time.
During their chat, Lin Ran revealed that his research into the mental attack technique had yielded results.
He had named this art magic Spiritual Immortality.
According to Lin Ran, this mental attack technique was designed based on several concepts Feng Qi had proposed, resulting in extremely efficient cultivation and a path focused on maximizing spiritual growth and offensive power.
However, it also had a fatal flaw.
If one cultivated deeply along this technique's path, their control over their physical body would steadily diminish.
Lin Ran even suspected that upon reaching the technique's peak, the nearly tangible mental energy would break free from the body's constraints, transforming the cultivator into a purely spiritual lifeform.
Lin Ran believed that exchanging physical form for power indicated a flaw in his research direction. He resolved to continue refining the mental attack technique, addressing its weaknesses.
After reviewing the content Lin Ran had sent regarding "Spiritual Immortality," Feng Qi decisively rejected Lin Ran's proposed modifications.
What he needed was for Lin Ran to possess an ultimate mental attack technique. Only such a technique could possibly defeat the Lord of the Mist, a being who had lived for eons and possessed unfathomable cunning.
At that time, Lin Ran was parasitizing the Lord of the Mist's sea of consciousness, lacking a physical body altogether. Thus, this potential drawback was no drawback at all.
After chatting for a while, Feng Qi closed his laptop.
Standing up, he nodded to Liu Yue, who was sitting nearby.
Liu Yue understood immediately. He rose and followed Feng Qi out of the office, then down the stairs and out of the research institute building.
Outside, snow fell heavily. The polar night wasn't dark; even without artificial lights, visibility remained clear.
The brilliant starlight served as the best guide.
As they trudged through the accumulating snow, leaving footprints with each step, Feng Qi and Liu Yue headed toward their residential quarters.
"Liu Yue, want to grab some late-night snacks later?"
"Alright, you cook," Liu Yue said immediately, nodding while still holding Jianlan.
Hearing Liu Yue's response, Feng Qi grinned, not refusing.
He had tried Liu Yue's cooking once, and even he, someone who never wasted food, had chosen to throw it away. That showed just how terrible it was.
As they chatted, they approached the residential area.
Suddenly, Liu Yue flashed in front of Feng Qi, Jianlan drawing from its sheath and hovering in the air, its tip pointing forward.
(End of the Chapter)
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