Chapter 37: A Showdown in the Asteroid Belt

Currently, the Fifth Fleet is organized into two sub-fleets, a special mixed fleet, and a dedicated escort fleet for the Warstar.

The First, Second and Third Sub-Fleets are each supposed to field a full complement of thirty warships.

However, since the Fifth Fleet’s warships haven’t all arrived yet, only the First Sub-Fleet is fully staffed with thirty ships for now.

The Second and Third Sub-Fleets have twenty-seven and twenty-five ships respectively.

Lin Yu’s special mixed fleet is temporarily set at fifteen ships, with thirteen already in position.

As for the Qiongxiao Warstar’s bladed escort, it should have a full roster of forty-eight various warships, but only thirty-two have arrived so far.

So, as things stand, the Fifth Fleet has a total of 128 warships, counting the Qiongxiao.

At full strength in the future, there will be 154 ships.

——

Inside the Asteroid Belt.

Both sides are on high alert.

Using this maze of rocks to their advantage, everyone is working to hide, while carrier-based planes carry out reconnaissance on the perimeter.

Out here, whoever reveals their position first is finished—they’ll be at a huge disadvantage.

“This asteroid belt is a real pain. We can’t even spread out our formation, and it’s tricky just to move the fleet!”

Aboard the flagship battleship of the First Sub-Fleet.

A figure flickered into view through the holographic interface. He was standing right in front of Qin Xuan’s captain’s chair, voicing his complaints.

It was none other than Major General Wang Jianjun, commander of the Second Sub-Fleet.

“Come on. Without this terrain, we’d have no way to stop the Klein from powering their way through. And you’re still complaining?”

“Hey, I’m just venting. But I have to say, that kid Lin Yu is way too calm. He hasn’t shown his face once.”

After hearing Qin Xuan’s words,

Wang Jianjun awkwardly scratched his head, then quickly changed the subject.

“Speaking of which, have you seen any of Lin Yu’s battle simulations from his time at the First Federation Advanced Military Academy?”

“Uh… What’s so interesting about student exercises?”

“You just don’t get it…”

Qin Xuan was speechless.

Hasn’t our admiral watched all of them? In fact, he’s analyzed every single one of Lin Yu’s simulated battles.

And here you are asking what’s so interesting about them?

Talk about someone with nerves of steel.

Qin Xuan wanted to set him straight, but remembering Wang Jianjun’s command style…

Forget it. Not worth the effort.

The three sub-fleet commanders of the Fifth Fleet were all handpicked by Mu Qingxue from different regions.

If you had to describe the three with animals—

Qin Xuan of the First Fleet is like a fox.

Wang Jianjun of the Second Fleet? He’s a honey badger.

And as for Sun Wei of the Third Fleet…

A turtle suits him perfectly.

Qin Xuan’s approach is balanced, but he leans toward winning with unexpected moves.

Wang Jianjun, though, is an outright attacker—no matter how tough the opponent, he’ll charge right in. Defense and fear just aren’t in his vocabulary.

Sun Wei is the total opposite, a commander who’s maxed out his defensive skillset.

So Qin Xuan just lets it slide.

But there was one thing Wang Jianjun got right—

Lin Yu really is keeping his cool. It’s been three hours already.

Even with Qin Xuan intentionally exposing a few decoy fighter jets, Lin Yu wasn’t biting.

You have to remember—Lin Yu just graduated from the Advanced Military Academy a few months ago. He’s only eighteen, still basically a kid.

At least, from forty-eight-year-old Qin Xuan’s point of view, Lin Yu is just a kid.

No question about it.

And yet, this eighteen-year-old acts with the composure of a seasoned veteran.

Ordinary tricks don’t work on him anymore.

If that’s the case, then…

“Qin Xuan! Contact!”

Just as Qin Xuan was considering stepping things up, Wang Jianjun suddenly yelled.

“I found Lin Yu!”

“Be careful. Don’t walk right into a trap!”

The first thing that popped into Qin Xuan’s head when Wang Jianjun said he’d found Lin Yu was: trap.

After all, she’d watched almost all of Lin Yu’s simulated battles.

People say she’s a master of surprise attacks and clever tactics, but honestly—

If she’s a master, Lin Yu is a legend at this stuff. No exaggeration.

So how could a guy like Wang Jianjun really catch such a slippery opponent off guard?

Qin Xuan just couldn’t buy it.

The only possibility was that Lin Yu had tossed out bait and Wang Jianjun had fallen for it.

“Hey! What’s with that look?”

After noticing Qin Xuan’s skeptical stare,

Wang Jianjun looked genuinely wronged.

“See for yourself!”

He immediately sent over a live feed.

It was video from a carrier fighter belonging to the Second Sub-Fleet.

On screen, more than ten warships crept in single file through a field densely packed with asteroids.

“Count them—thirteen ships in all. Every last one is here!”

“What trap could there possibly be?”

“Is he going to have another thirteen ships in hiding or something?”

Wang Jianjun exclaimed.

You really think I’d fall for a simple trick like that?

But Qin Xuan was caught off guard. One sentence kept echoing in her mind…

This isn’t right. It doesn’t add up…

She wanted to insist this was Lin Yu’s trap, but as Wang Jianjun pointed out, all thirteen ships were accounted for. No way would the Third Fleet secretly join the exercise just to lay an ambush, right?

Could it be that Wang Jianjun’s team just got lucky?

“Qin Xuan, what are you waiting for? While Lin Yu still doesn’t know he’s been spotted, let’s strike first!”

“If you won’t go, I’m going on my own!”

“He’s only got thirteen warships—and not a single battleship. I can handle it myself!”

Qin Xuan was still hesitating, but Wang Jianjun couldn’t sit still any longer.

He immediately ordered the Second Sub-Fleet to advance. Twenty-seven warships surged toward Lin Yu’s coordinates.

Seeing this, Qin Xuan could only shake her head helplessly.

She quickly ordered the First Sub-Fleet to follow. Since Wang Jianjun had committed, she couldn’t just stay put.

Otherwise, if Wang Jianjun did fall into a trap, she’d have no way to help in time.

——

More than twenty minutes later.

Wang Jianjun’s Second Sub-Fleet was now nearing Lin Yu’s position.

Although the swarm of asteroids up ahead blocked radar scans, the recon fighter that’d spotted the special mixed fleet was still trailing them, streaming a live feed.

Just as Wang Jianjun was about to order a full assault—

Lin Yu’s special mixed fleet suddenly made its move.

As if realizing they’d been discovered, the entire fleet broke apart, scattered, and fled in all directions.

Wang Jianjun was stunned by what he saw.

What the heck does this mean?