Infinite Stream Metaverse

Chapter 814: A Major Event Begins

The city of Sendari was under lockdown for twenty-three hours.

In the end, they still gained nothing.

No clues were found about the assassin.

Fu Qinghai then ordered the lockdown to be lifted.

The surface of Mandalorian has become desert, and these isolated cities inside the dome are heavily reliant on external resources. Continuing the blockade could lead to even greater unrest.

Other Imperial commanders could, of course, choose to be inhuman and disregard the lives of the citizens to continue the long-term blockade, using this method to torment and intimidate the Mandalorians of Sendari. However, Fu Qinghai did not do so because he genuinely wanted to take over the Mandalorians and manage them well. In order to occupy this place for a long time in the future, he did not want to ruin his reputation.

So after a symbolic one-day lockdown, Fu Qinghai ordered the complete lockdown lifted, and Sendali City resumed its connection and communication with the outside world. The ordinary citizens of Sendali had spent a chaotic, disorderly, and uneasy day, and everything seemed to be back on track, except for the many checkpoints on the streets and the assault team members patrolling and checking everywhere.

At this moment, in the royal palace, in the governor's office.

Fu Qinghai remained quietly seated behind his desk, his fingers interlaced and his feet propped up on the table, silently reviewing the current plan to see if anything had been overlooked.

So far, everything is proceeding according to his plan, including the extermination of the entire Saxon family, persuading Tarkin to support Merten Saxon's rise to power, and increasing military spending.

That's right. Fu Qinghai's massacre of the Saxon family was part of the plan from the very beginning. It had nothing to do with personal grudges. He wasn't a follower of Khorne. He wouldn't wipe out an entire family just because they were looked down upon. Even if the Saxon family had gotten along well with him, Fu Qinghai would still have killed them all.

Fu Qinghai wanted to control Mandalors, and the Saxon clan was the stumbling block in his way. The night Fu Qinghai attended the welcome banquet, he slaughtered the entire Saxon family. This was not an impulsive act, but a premeditated plan. He had already thought out the follow-up arrangements and explanations before he took action.

The only problem now is...

Tarkin's famous line, "But I have a better option."

The Imperial Inquisition is the most suitable institution for dealing with Force users. Doesn't Tarkin plan to send an Imperial Inquisitor? And who does he plan to send to handle this?

Fu Qinghai rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

He had only temporarily requisitioned the governor's office. Strictly speaking, the office belonged to Governor Mandalor. With the blockade over, Fu Qinghai would soon have to return to the imperial military base. So he pulled his legs off the table, stood up, and called to his adjutant to prepare to leave the royal palace.

No matter what, we'll meet force with force and water with earth.

Fu Qinghai thought to himself before leaving.

……

Imperial military base, commander's office.

Fu Qinghai turned on the ultrasonic transceiver on the table, entered a code for an encrypted communication frequency band, and waited for the connection to be established.

After waiting a moment for the communication to be connected.

Fu Qinghai immediately spoke in Chinese:

"The earth shakes the high hills, and the streams and mountains are eternally beautiful."

"The gate faces the sea, where three rivers converge and flow for ten thousand years."

The encrypted communication received a prompt reply.

The two quickly exchanged the secret code.

What are the major events in the plot?

Fu Qinghai got straight to the point and asked directly.

"Based on my and Zinya's speculation."

Wei Ran's answer was also very direct and straightforward:

"It could very well be the third Mandalorian civil war."

"The Mandalorian Civil War, this is the third time?"

Fu Qinghai pondered the term Wei Ran had used.

"Hmph, this is more than the third time. Whenever the Mandalorians aren't launching an invasion, they're always fighting a civil war. Peace is a rare thing for them. We're just speculating based on the plot of the animated series 'Rebels,' so it might not be accurate. Around this time, the major Mandalorian clans are going to war with the Saxon clans, and we both think this is very likely to be a major event in the storyline."

Wei Ran also elaborated on her views:

"It's quite simple to verify this guess. As long as a reincarnator appears with the faction option 'Mandalorian,' then the major event in the storyline will definitely be the one we predicted. This is because the Mandalorian clans that are unwilling to submit to the Empire are not part of the Rebel Alliance, so there is a high probability that a third faction will appear, which is the opposing faction of the Galactic Empire."

"Oh...that makes sense."

After listening, Fu Qinghai nodded thoughtfully.

Then this matter becomes a little troublesome.

Fu Qinghai frowned as he thought about it.

He originally wanted to occupy Mandalors and develop it properly, but if the major plot event happened here, many reincarnators would inevitably be attracted here. Reincarnators are unpredictable variables that no one can foresee. Because of these unstable variables, Fu Qinghai's secret farming and military expansion plan is likely to encounter unexpected problems.

The previous major storyline event, the Battle of Mingban, was avoided by many Rebel Alliance reincarnators who chose to stay away from the swampy planet because the Imperial fleet had already blockaded it. However, the Mandalorian space is different. With over nine thousand planets, the Imperial Empire simply cannot blockade such a vast expanse.

Moreover, Tarkin's so-called "better alternative".

Fu Qinghai suddenly thought of this point again:

Could he be a reincarnated member of the Empire faction?

"In a few days, Zinya and I plan to head to Mandalorian to see if the major events in the storyline match our predictions. What about you? What are your plans?"

There was no sound from the other end of the communication channel for a while, so Wei Ran took the initiative to explain her arrangements and then asked:

"You have to stay on Planet Sephira, right?"

In Wei Ran's memory, Qingshan was still the supervisor of the military base of the Sefila Star Empire and could not leave his post at will.

“I am in Mandalorian right now.”

Fu Qinghai broke free from his thoughts and explained:

“I am the representative of the Imperial Army stationed in Mandalor.”

"Are you in Mandalorian right now?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Ran was immediately surprised and asked in return:

"You... got promoted again?"

"Yes, I got in touch with Tarkin."

Fu Qinghai gave a brief explanation.

"Oh...then you...you're in a bit of trouble."

Wei Ran immediately realized what was going on after she finished speaking.

Qingshan's faction is the Rebel Alliance, but his public identity is the commander of the Mandalorian Imperial Army. To maintain secrecy, he cannot explain to everyone that he is actually an undercover agent. However, this makes him a target for both the Rebel Alliance and Mandalorian factions. He has no way to retaliate against attacks from other Reincarnators because killing Reincarnators of the same faction will deduct Reincarnation Points.

A single-minded person becoming blocked at both ends is an example of this.

That's right.

Fu Qinghai sighed helplessly:

"I have already survived an assassination attempt today."

"Being an undercover agent is really tough."

Wei Ran was quite moved after hearing this.

No wonder most players wouldn't choose this kind of "snake-like" gameplay; the risks and rewards are completely disproportionate.

So what do you plan to do now?

Wei Ran asked with a hint of concern.

"Hide away, try not to show your face if you can avoid it."

Fu Qinghai's answer was also straightforward.

"Uh...so...so we just hide?"

Wei Ran was somewhat taken aback by this answer. In her mind, Qingshan, as the number one technology-driven reincarnator designated by the Orderly Alliance and a powerful figure in the reincarnation community, shouldn't be hiding when faced with problems, right? That doesn't seem to fit his big boss persona.
Fu Qinghai, however, had no such psychological burden. Yes, he had served as the supreme military commander of the Human Empire. Considering the vast size of the Human Empire, his power at that time was unparalleled in the entire Reincarnation World. But he would never let these things become a burden to him.

Anyone who has studied history knows that those who indulge in past honors and illusory titles often meet with unfortunate ends. Fu Qinghai is a result-oriented and pragmatic person who believes in the principle that a true man can bend and stretch. If objective and rational analysis suggests that hiding is the best solution, then he doesn't mind hiding temporarily.

This situation, where I am in the open while the enemy is in the shadows, is actually very passive, because the Reincarnators are an unpredictable group. Palpatine is the person with the highest Force level in the Star Wars canon universe, but even the Emperor, no matter how powerful, his actions and methods are predictable. It's impossible to anticipate what strange and unusual methods the Reincarnators possess, so hiding is the best option.

"It's good that you two came to Mandalorian."

Fu Qinghai thought for a moment and analyzed carefully before saying:

“You can provide me with information about players on the rebel alliance side, and I can provide you with internal information about the imperial army. By complementing and cross-verifying our information, we can analyze and arrive at a conclusion that is closest to the truth.”

"Okay, we expect to arrive the day after tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ran said no more.

…………

Audra.

Odra is the capital of Oderang.

A modern city that resembles a garden.

At this moment, in an apartment in the city, Wei Ran took off her headphones, frowned, and fell into deep thought.

"Did you finish your long phone call with your crush?"

Inside the living room, Zinia lay lazily on the sofa and asked aloud, her beautiful pink figure, barely concealed by her crop top and loose shorts, on full display.

"How did it become my crush?"

Wei Ran turned her head to look at her with an annoyance:

How does saying a few words turn into a long phone conversation?

Zinia chuckled and said nothing more.

"I've made up my mind."

Wei Ran got up from the chair and walked to the living room:

"We're heading to Mandalorian the day after tomorrow."

Are you serious?

Upon hearing this, Zinya looked up in surprise:
"Didn't we agree to leave next week?"

"The plan has changed. There are more Reincarnators on Mandalorian than we thought. On the second day after the major event in the storyline began, Qingshan was assassinated. This could not have been a newly arrived Reincarnator, because newly arrived players usually lie low and observe the situation before making a hasty move."

Wei Ran calmly stated her reasons:

"That assassin is very likely a reincarnated being who was already anchored in the Star Wars canon universe. The Mandalorian concept is very popular in Europe and America, and quite a few players choose to take this route. We need to go there early to gather information and plan our actions, otherwise we'll be too late to catch up."

It sounds reasonable, well-founded, and convincing.

"You Chinese proverbs are disgusting."

Zinya protested with a look of disgust.

Then, as if she had thought of something, a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. She sat up from the sofa and looked at Wei Ran:
"I overheard your conversation. He's on Mandalorian right now, right? You wouldn't be thinking of meeting him beforehand, would you? Are you in such a hurry, my darling Wei Ran?"

Is this the kind of thing that's always on your mind?

Wei Ran rolled her eyes helplessly and said:

"Your love-struck mind is hopeless."

"Humph."

Zinya gave her a "we'll see" look.

…………

For the next few days, Fu Qinghai remained holed up in the Imperial military base, patiently awaiting the implementation of his requested personnel transfer order. He avoided leaving the base unless absolutely necessary. The Imperial military base possessed a complete defense and monitoring system, making it far safer than the outside world.

In retrospect, he realized he had been too high-profile in Sendari City that day. The way he walked and the group of stormtroopers surrounding him made it clear to anyone that he was a commander of the Imperial Army. Fu Qinghai decided to keep a low profile from now on and try to minimize his presence in the eyes of the Reincarnators.

"Sir!"

At that moment, the adjutant rushed into the office:

“Five minutes ago, one of our patrol convoys was attacked by an unidentified force in the desert. They couldn’t see what the attackers looked like. Two Imperial troop transports were destroyed, and another one has taken refuge in a canyon and has sent out a distress signal.”

The reincarnators have indeed started causing trouble!
Fu Qinghai said with certainty.

“Send a battalion of Leap Soldiers over there.”

Fu Qinghai thought for a moment and then gave the order:

"Send an additional TIE fighter squadron."

"Yes, sir."

The adjutant saluted and then turned to leave.

The adjutant had barely turned and left a few minutes before he rushed back to the office, panting and urgently saying:
"Sir, we have just received news that a Beska steel smelting plant under the control of the Saxon clan has been subjected to a large-scale armed attack. That smelting plant is also a weapons factory, responsible for producing armor and weapons for the Imperial Super Assault Team. The Saxon clan has sent us a request for assistance!"

Alright, alright, so you're going to besiege the enemy's stronghold and then ambush their reinforcements?

Fu Qinghai thought to himself:

But I'm not going out!

Although those reincarnators most likely do not recognize Fu Qinghai, he must now assume that these actions are directed at him personally, and Fu Qinghai still decides not to leave the military base.

As for the deaths of Imperial soldiers and Mandalorian warriors of the Saxon clan, what does that have to do with me? I'm not a reincarnator of the Galactic Empire's faction; the more they die, the better… That's what he thought in his heart, but he couldn't say it outwardly. Fu Qinghai still needed to fulfill his duties as a commander, so he gave the order:
"The Mandalorians are mobile and agile with jetpacks. If they dare to attack the smelting plant directly, their numbers must be considerable. We must also consider the possibility that the enemy might besiege the plant to lure reinforcements or use a diversionary tactic. I am sending you to personally lead two regiments of Leap Soldiers to escort the army's armored regiment to provide support. Be careful to conduct reconnaissance and vigilance along the way, and do not fall into any ambush."

Fu Qinghai gave detailed instructions:

"At the same time, send a message to the Star Destroyer USS The Accuser, requesting them to send a mixed squadron of TIE bombers and TIE fighters to support the smelting plant. I will remain at the Imperial military base, keeping a close watch on the direction of Sendari City. The remaining forces can ensure that our foothold and headquarters will not fall. We cannot be led by the nose by these enemies!"

Ah, I'm here to lead the support troops?

The adjutant was stunned after hearing the order:

But I'm just a captain's adjutant.

The adjutant was no fool. He could vaguely sense that Colonel Aoyama had not stepped out of the Imperial military base since the assassination attempt. He was probably a little scared. However, the adjutant knew that Colonel Aoyama was a trusted confidant sent by Governor Takin, so he dared not refute or question him.

Furthermore, Colonel Aoyama's reasons were also very convincing. As the commander-in-chief of the ground forces on Mandalorian, it was perfectly reasonable for him to be stationed at the military base to command. His statement, "We cannot be led by the nose by the enemy," also sounded very reasonable, like something an experienced commander would say.

The reasoning is so convincing that it is impossible to refute.

"But sir, I..."

The adjutant still spoke somewhat hesitantly.

"Don't be afraid, be confident!"

Fu Qinghai patted him on the shoulder:

"This is your chance, seize it!"

So Colonel Aoyama was trying to groom me!

The adjutant, energized, gave a solemn salute, straightened his back, and strode out of the office.

Fu Qinghai sat back down in his office chair.

……

Three hours later.

A battle report was sent back to the military base.

It turned out that the enemy's attack on the smelting plant was indeed a feint. Their scattered personnel infiltrated the plant and created a great commotion, but they did not have the firepower to break through the plant's outer defenses. However, after the massacre of their clan leader, the Saxon clan had become extremely paranoid and impatient, and they urgently sent a distress call to the Imperial army.

The enemy's real target was actually the reinforcements leaving the military base for the smelting plant—a classic strategy of besieging the point to ambush reinforcements. Fu Qinghai guessed correctly. The adjutant strictly followed his instructions and did not rush to the smelting plant to provide support. Instead, he expanded the reconnaissance area while marching slowly. The enemy's ambush eventually turned into an encounter battle in the desert.

The final result of the skirmish was that the unidentified force failed to ambush the Imperial support troops, but after leaving some corpses, they calmly retreated. The Imperial army, on the other hand, lost a total of nearly two platoons of Leap Soldiers, three Imperial troop transports, and one AT-AT walker.

It was a narrow victory, but definitely a Pyrrhic one.

Did they predict this in advance and still play so poorly?
Fu Qinghai scratched his head at this thought:

Is this what it feels like to be on the villain's side?
There's another piece of news that's not particularly good:
Fu Qinghai's adjutant happened to be inside one of the three destroyed Imperial troop transport ships. A shock missile struck the ship, killing the adjutant instantly.

Therefore, Fu Qinghai does not have an adjutant for the time being.

In Fu Qinghai's view, the Pyrrhic victory was not the worst news. The worst news was that because the enemy retreated smoothly, the Imperial Army did not obtain much information about them. They only knew that they were a group of soldiers wearing Mandalorian armor with messy emblems and graffiti. They had a variety of small ships, including fighter jets and gunboats, and looked like a ragtag army, but their combat power was astonishing.

It's one thing to win a Pyrrhic victory.

After the fight, they didn't even know who their opponent was.

"It's a complete mess."

Fu Qinghai shook his head and muttered to himself:

"But it's good to lose a few more battles."

How can we ask Tarkin for resources if we don't lose battles?

It's like everyone knows that prevention is always better than treatment when it comes to disease control, but if all diseases are prevented before they even develop, how can that demonstrate the doctor's superior skill?
Fu Qinghai needs some local defeats to secure more military resources for the Mandalorian space, but he has to be careful not to lose too much. If a series of battlefield defeats makes Tarkin feel that continuing to increase military investment is a waste of resources, he may abandon the region altogether, which would be a losing proposition.

Throughout history, the art of cultivating a powerful enemy for personal gain has been a complex one. Countless border warlords have failed in this endeavor. Fu Qinghai must proceed with extreme caution in order to leverage the empire's resources to achieve his goals.

……

Wei Ran and Qi Niya have arrived in Mandalo.

Fu Qinghai knew about the news but did not meet with the two. They had just arrived in Sendari City and had not yet figured out the situation. Meeting them rashly would only increase the risk of exposure and would not yield any useful information. It would be better to wait until they had found out some information about the Reincarnators before meeting and exchanging ideas.

In the commander's office, Fu Qinghai stood up, straightened his uniform in front of the mirror, put on his hat, opened the door, and walked towards the seventh-floor helipad of the military base.

Today he is going to welcome a group of new guests.

A group of people he had been waiting for for a long time.

On the seventh-level helipad, three TIE "echelon" class shuttles were parked. A group of young officers disembarked from the open cabins and quickly lined up neatly on the helipad.

A young man with slicked-back blond hair stood alone at the front of the line, his expression somewhat complicated and bewildered.

"Merten Saxe!"

Fu Qinghai called out the other person's name loudly, strode forward, and took the initiative to open his arms and hug the man tightly.

"Boss Qingshan..."

Merten was clearly flattered and at a loss for what to do with his hands holding his luggage.

Welcome home.

Fu Qinghai whispered in his ear.

After saying that, Fu Qinghai released Melten and looked behind him. A familiar man and woman stood at the front of the formation with their heads held high and their hands behind their backs. It was Yevander and Roxie.

Fu Qinghai walked past Melten.

"Where is Hussein? Why didn't he come?"

Fu Qinghai asked the two of them, somewhat puzzled.

He didn't see the chubby red-haired boy.

How come there are only three members left of the Kalida Five?

"Hussein graduated before us."

Roxie explained calmly.

"He was transferred to a secret project."

Yevander added with a wry smile.

After the two explained, Fu Qinghai learned that the seemingly most inconspicuous red-haired chubby boy was actually ranked first in his major at the Imperial Engineering Academy. Before he had even officially graduated, he had been taken away by a mysterious engineering project under a mysterious imperial organization whose name could not be revealed. Hussein only had time to say a hasty goodbye to his companions before hurriedly boarding the spaceship.

"I see."

Fu Qinghai nodded and said:

"Advanced base, we'll talk about the rest later."

…………

(End of this chapter)