Chapter 232– Preparing for Battle! Tactical Retraction! Personnel Is Politics!
At this moment, the view outside the cabin had shifted from the primeval forests of an alien world to the vast expanse of the starry sky.
Before long, a massive steel airborne base looming in low orbit appeared before Rita and the others.
That enormous structure was the Infinity-Class Starship, stationed above the planet. Thousands of transport crafts and fighter jets buzzed around it, patrolling the area.
Clearly, this was a military unit under the command of the corporate giant, serving as a staging base for operations on this planet.
The local alien civilization wasn't particularly formidable—its technological level barely reached Tier 1. Against the military might of the interstellar LA Megacorp, they didn't stand a chance. The only reason they'd held out this long was because the corporation had deliberately shown them leniency.
Now, this interstellar conflict, which had dragged on for nearly five years, was entering its final phase.
Whether it was the veteran troops stationed here long-term or the fresh recruits racking up combat merits, all forces were now orderly withdrawing.
It no longer mattered whether the alien heretics below chose to resist or surrender—they could no longer change the inevitable: this planet was about to become part of the corporation's expanding territory.
The Hornet-class transport vessel, carrying the battle squad, streaked through low orbit and finally docked within the hangar of the Infinity-Class Starship.
The hatch opened, engines shut down.
Rita and the rest of the soldiers disembarked one after another, preparing to head to the logistics department nearby to turn in their weapons and equipment.
However, before they could even make it there, they received a notification from Supreme Commander Morgan Blackhand.
> [Attention all personnel: you have twelve hours to pack up and finish your current tasks.]
[All combat units assigned new missions are to stand down immediately. In twelve hours, you will be transiting via space-fold to Solar System 003, crossing the Stargate to return to Base HQ for standby orders.]
[Repeating the announcement—]
[…]
Many of the soldiers had already caught wind of rumors—whispers that they might be returning to the Prime Universe soon.
But none of them had expected it to happen so abruptly. With so many units being recalled in such a short time span, all in an orderly retreat—it felt… off.
> "Are we about to join a new interdimensional conquest? Why the sudden withdrawal?"
"Maybe. But even if the Stargate did open to a new world, we wouldn't be the vanguard, right?"
"Obviously not! We're just reserves at best."
"Think we might get transferred to another unit?"
"…"
A few Astartes soldiers began murmuring among themselves.
Rita was tapped on the shoulder by a comrade. "Rita, you heard that? This might be our shot. If we earn enough merits, we could make it into the Ace Vanguard Team."
Ever since Li Ang orchestrated a decapitation operation, where Reed helped David take down the Reaper Queen—earning high praise and commendations from the corporation—countless young Astartes had been fired up, itching to prove themselves on the frontlines.
So whenever a new world opened via the Stargate, every soldier had the same thought: this could be their chance to score major achievements.
With a role model like David Martinez leading the charge, the younger warriors burned with hope of becoming the next "David."
This was their clear and direct path upward—to turn dreams into reality.
Unlike her enthusiastic comrades, Rita remained calm and quiet. She knew that joining the Ace Vanguard Team was just a stepping stone—it wasn't her true goal.
—
—
Prime Universe — Ideal City: Base HQ, Command Center
Within the central control zone near the core console, the senior executives of the conglomerate had already assembled.
Nearly every major figure in the company was here to attend this high-level strategy meeting.
After all, the world they were about to enter—Halo—was no ordinary one. It demanded full preparation and cautious maneuvering.
Standing at the console were Alt Cunningham, Lucy, Song Zhaomei, Morgan Blackhand, Mori Asako, General Rory, and the officers of the Ace Vanguard Team.
Seated behind the console was Li Ang , flanked by V and Reed, facing the assembled executives.
This was a highly unusual, high-stakes meeting. Apart from the one convened for the creation of the Universal Trade Zone, Li Ang hadn't gathered this many top brass together in years.
Upon hearing that interdimensional troops were being withdrawn and core units were returning to HQ, the executives had already begun speculating on what was to come.
Some looked calm—those who were already in the know, like Morgan and V. Others, especially from departments like Arasaka and Military Technology, appeared far more tense, worried that bad news might be revealed.
> "Gentlemen, I assume most of you have heard the rumors—so let's cut the small talk," Li Ang said once the tension in the room had built up enough.
"Today's meeting is about the world beyond the Stargate. The operation is codenamed Halo, designated as Universe 004."
With that, the metaphorical stone in everyone's chest finally dropped.
As expected, it was about a new conquest operation.
It wasn't that they feared a meeting—it's that they feared being caught unprepared.
For internal meetings of this scale, most executives would at least gather preliminary intel through their own channels, so as not to be completely blindsided during official discussions.
Now that Li Ang had lifted the veil, it was a relief of sorts—a sign of stabilization before the storm.
At present, the corporation's primary forces were all retracting their reach. Elite expeditionary forces had exited combat zones and were rapidly returning to the Prime Universe.
Even active warfronts had either been resolved diplomatically or forcefully neutralized ahead of schedule.
Even the massive construct War Moon, which guarded Universe 003, had passed through the Stargate and entered the solar system.
Once it became clear that the entire corporate force was either retreating or stationed on standby within their respective systems, the executives knew something big was coming.
And Li Ang 's statement just now confirmed it:
> A new war… was about to begin.
> "Morgan, you're up—brief everyone on what we've discovered beyond the Stargate."
Li Ang stepped away from the console, handing the floor over to Morgan Blackhand.
As the CEO, Li Ang 's role was that of a high-level architect—responsible for overarching strategy and policy control.
In simpler terms, he was the top-level designer of the entire corporation's political and civilizational trajectory.
Calling in the top brass today wasn't just to pass on information—it was to signal how serious this mission was.
No slacking. Anyone who tried to coast or drop the ball would be replaced. Period.
Every action and word from the leadership carried meaning—if you couldn't grasp it, then you had no place at the top.
That said, anyone who'd made it to this level of the corporate ladder was a seasoned operator, a veteran player who'd mastered the game.
Even if most of them had already anticipated the core of this meeting, they still sat up straight, not daring to show a hint of laxity.
Taking the stage, Morgan Blackhand wore a solemn expression as he addressed the crowd.
> "Ladies and gentlemen, I will now present our investigation results. This will give you a general understanding of the interdimensional world we're about to engage—information essential for your departments moving forward."
In other words: pay attention. Leadership takes this extremely seriously.
Screw this up, and you're out.
Once he saw that everyone was alert and focused, Morgan continued:
> "Three days ago, three hours after the Stargate opened, we confirmed that the world on the other side contains a planet suitable for human habitation."
"We discovered numerous massive structures, vast industrial zones, and several spacecraft."
With that, Morgan operated the holographic display, bringing up drone footage and detailed data captured by AI surveillance.
The footage showed architecture eerily similar to human designs—advanced tech, production facilities, and manufacturing zones.
Seeing this, several executives began to wonder:
> Was this Earth?
> Was this a human civilization with high-level technology?
If so, perhaps the corporation could pursue cooperation and joint development, rather than immediate conflict.
> "Are the inhabitants human?" one executive finally asked.
---
If they were humans from the same species, then the situation would be manageable. But if they were humanoid beings… then things would get complicated.
Seeing the concern, Morgan Blackhand shook his head, offering no definitive answer. He said that without a full investigation, it was still too early to define the nature of this civilization.
"Although we can't yet confirm whether they're human, based on the footage captured by our drones, I don't believe this planet is the Earth we remember."
"Or rather, this isn't the original Earth we came from."
Morgan Blackhand distributed more data, and through the holographic screens, the senior executives saw that the planet showed clear signs of having been terraformed.
And the degree of modification was massive.
"I believe the civilization there has already mastered the technological capability to terraform an entire planet."
"If that's the case, then their level of technology might not be far behind our own."
At this, the executives of the LA Megacorp Corporation all furrowed their brows, fully realizing the gravity of the situation.
Regardless of whether the other side was made up of fellow humans or not, any faction wielding that level of advanced tech wouldn't be easy to subjugate. If the corporation wanted to bring them into the fold, it would take a hard-fought battle!
No wonder the boss called this meeting—clearly, he had deeper reasons in mind.
They had to be ready for an internal war.
At that moment, the holographic screen suddenly lit up with a new message from the Engineering Department.
The executives opened it and discovered that it was an intelligence update obtained by front-line investigators through an AI drone.
"Is… is this Earth? But something about it just looks off!"
The executives began murmuring among themselves.
In the imagery sent by the Engineering Department, a planet with blue oceans and lush, vegetation-covered land appeared like a dazzling pearl in the cosmos.
At first glance, it looked quite similar to Earth—but with a closer look, the discrepancies became apparent. Many details didn't align with the real Earth.
In addition, the intel package included images of space debris, among which were wreckage from destroyed spacecraft and fragments of metallic components.
When they saw that the area around the planet contained broken ship remnants, the expressions of V, Lide, and the other Astartes officers instantly grew more serious.
As seasoned veterans of many interstellar campaigns, they understood exactly what the presence of such wreckage signified.
If there were remnants of warships, then there had clearly been a major space battle.
And if this civilization had developed interstellar warships, then it meant they had the capacity for space colonization.
Combined with the earlier evidence of planetary terraforming, it was increasingly likely that this "human" civilization's technological level wasn't far behind that of LA Megacorp .
The next moment, Morgan Blackhand's follow-up confirmed the speculation in V's mind.
"Based on AI drone measurements, the planet on the other side of the Stargate has a diameter of four thousand kilometers. For now, we've temporarily designated it as Fertilia."
Sure enough, it wasn't Earth—after all, Earth has a diameter of over twelve thousand kilometers. The difference between the two was a full eight thousand kilometers.
"Next, we'll send in investigators to explore the planet more thoroughly and gather additional intel."
"Any other questions?"
Having shared all the available information, Morgan looked around at the gathered executives. Seeing no further responses, he finally turned to Li Ang via the holographic screen and asked whether to keep the meeting going.
Once he received Li Ang 's order to end the session, he dismissed the executives so they could return to their departments and begin pre-war mobilization.
The senior staff all stood and exited headquarters, heading down the external corridors.
On the way out, Jack Wells leaned over to V with a sly grin and whispered, "Hey V, what do you think about that kid David? Is he your type?"
Caught off guard by the random question, V frowned. He had no idea what Jack was getting at, so he asked back, "What are you trying to say?"
Seeing V's puzzled look, Jack chuckled. "The kid's got skills. Physically strong, durable, obedient, and keeps a low profile."
"Don't you want to bring him into our combat team? David's not officially one of us yet, you know."
That comment reminded V of something: David Martinez didn't actually have an official place in the Ace Vanguard Squad.
Originally, David was assigned to the Iron Hands Legions reserve unit. It wasn't until he distinguished himself during a recent mission that he was transferred to the Heavenly Vanguard Squad.
Right now, David was serving as deputy commander within the Heavenly Vanguard—no small position.
And while he often joined Ace Vanguard missions and fought alongside them, technically he was only a "temporary" member embedded in their team.
"Why hasn't that kid been fully transferred to Ace Vanguard yet?"
V also found it strange. Based on David's qualifications and performance, he should've been reassigned long ago.
Yet despite his rapid promotions, David somehow hadn't made it into the Ace Vanguard.
Considering that the Ace Vanguard Squad was LA Megacorp Corporation's elite combat unit, enjoying special privileges and top-tier status, this seemed increasingly unusual.
David was unquestionably one of the most outstanding young Astartes in their generation.
In every mission he'd taken part in, he'd never fallen short—not once. Reliable, efficient, obedient—that was his trademark.
Someone like that should've been a shoo-in for the Ace Vanguard.
"I've got no idea why he hasn't transferred yet. Why don't you talk to the boss—ask him to assign David to assist you?" Jack grinned.
But the more V thought about it, the more he felt something wasn't right. His brows furrowed unconsciously.
V had a growing suspicion: this had all been deliberately arranged by their boss.
And the reason was simple— Li Ang wanted to keep David in the Heavenly Vanguard Squad as a foil, a competitor to their group of Ace Vanguard veterans.
Otherwise, the Heavenly Vanguard, being a redundant and seemingly unnecessary task force, should've been disbanded a long time ago.
Yet in reality, that team hadn't been dissolved. In fact, it had only become more formidable.
Aside from David Martinez, even Reed held a nominal post there as an instructor.
It all pointed to one thing: the Vanguard Squad might be on the rise again.
Still, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Competition spurred progress. Without it, some of the Ace Vanguard members might grow complacent and arrogant.
"Forget it. I'm not getting involved." V waved his hand, declining to take Jack's suggestion further.
Jack, however, didn't understand. From his point of view, V could get David reassigned with just one word—so why was he reluctant?
Seeing Jack's obliviousness to the corporate dynamics, V decided to speak earnestly as a friend.
"Jack, do you know which department in our corporation actually holds the most power?"
"Come on, that's obviously the Market Expansion Division! All the military forces are under our command—no other department even comes close."
Jack blurted it out without hesitation.
"Nope. There's one department with even more authority than ours. Take a guess," V said with a smirk.
"That's impossible. Don't tell me it's the Business Retention Division or Strategic Investment. They're nobodies."
Jack was clearly stumped.
"It's none of those. The single most powerful department in this entire corporation… is Human Resources."
Jack looked even more confused. In all his thirty years with LA Megacorp , he'd never heard of an HR department.
"V, you feeling alright today? Since when do we even have a Human Resources department?" Jack scratched his head.
"You forgot? AI Europa."
That one sentence from V was enough to make Jack's eyes go wide with sudden realization.
There were plenty of departments under the LA Megacorp Corporation's umbrella—but Human Resources had never been officially established.
Still, the responsibilities were handled by a specific "person."
That "person" was the transcendent AI known as Europa.
The corporation's promotions and personnel transfers operated on a points-based system. Employees earned points by clocking in, completing tasks, and meeting performance metrics.
Accumulate enough points, and you'd get promoted and receive raises. The entire process was overseen and managed by Europa—eliminating the risks of human interference and favoritism.
This fully objective system provided countless employees with motivation to improve.
Based on average work performance, a normal 20-year-old employee could make it to junior management by the age of 30—around the K7 Senior Specialist tier.
By 35, they could advance to K8 Team Leader and break into upper management.
By 40, they'd likely hit the K9 Manager level—considered the limit for most employees with standard performance.
To go further, only hard work and ambition would suffice.
And that entire system was under AI Europa's control. Every day, the AI handled massive personnel movements within the corporation.
Even many high-level executive promotions and demotions were processed by Europa.
But everyone knew the truth: AI Europa only listened to one person— Li Ang .
No personnel change passed without Li Ang 's approval.
The greatest power… was the power to appoint.
And the only "department" that held that power was HR.
Personnel decisions are politics. That's how you shape an inner circle of power.
And that seemingly inconspicuous yet critical authority had always been firmly in Li Ang 's hands.
In that moment, Jack Wells—finally awakened by V—realized he had almost made a grave mistake.
Pushing V to make a personnel request to the boss? That was just asking for trouble. How Li Ang chose to assign people was not something they could meddle in.
"Hey, I was just making small talk. The kid's easy to work with, that's all. Just thought it'd be convenient for missions if we brought him along."
Jack's voice grew weaker as he spoke. Eventually, he fell silent and quietly reflected on what V had told him.
No wonder V kept rising through the ranks. The guy really understood how Li Ang thought.
In that instant, Jack saw his old friend in a new light.
"Jack, let's just focus on the task at hand. If everyone sticks to their duties and does their job, that's the best way to show loyalty to the boss."
V knew full well why Li Ang valued him—not just for his competence.
More importantly, he was obedient, and he never overstepped his bounds.
Just look at Alt Cunningham—she once defied Li Ang 's orders and still hadn't gained access to the core power circle.
V, as a director in the Market Expansion Division, held significant military authority. Lucy, as the secretary-general, had access to nearly all corporate secrets.
Even Song Zhaomei, a younger newcomer, now acted as a semi-director of the R&D Division and managed the Matrix systems.
Only Alt Cunningham, despite her high-profile roles in diplomacy and public affairs, was stuck with thankless tasks that had little real power.
And she dared not utter a word of complaint.
With her accumulated work points, she could easily enter the company's core leadership—if Li Ang gave the word.
Obedience brings opportunity.
Defiance leads nowhere—or worse, backward.
"Let's just take care of ourselves."
V patted Jack on the shoulder, and the two of them rejoined the other executives as they boarded the maglev train back to their respective department zones.
Through the car's outer windows, the senior staff could see the massive Stargate below, where LA Megacorp employees bustled back and forth.
Engineering Department's transport shuttles and heavy-duty trucks constantly crossed the Stargate, working around the clock on the ongoing construction efforts.
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