On the second day of arriving at the secret base, the resistance fighters received an unexpected order. Instead of continuing to fight with the Empire's soldiers or searching for resources in the nearby abandoned city, they were to split up into eight groups of fifty. Led by John, they were tasked with scouting the surrounding area, the primary goal being to create a detailed map of the terrain. After all, understanding the environment and establishing escape routes are crucial for warfare.

Due to the complexity of the rainforest environment, each team was assigned several experienced guides familiar with the local terrain to prevent them from getting lost. To keep strength up for combat, each person was given beef, compressed biscuits, and drinking water. They had two days to complete the task and return to base, and were not permitted to carry wireless communication devices, as there was a risk they could be intercepted by the Empire's soldiers.

The elderly and women weren't idle either. While the natural barrier of the base could likely keep them hidden from the Empire's scans, it wasn't 100% foolproof. Any negligence could lead to irreversible consequences for the resistance camp. Thus, the women and elders were tasked to further improve camouflage around the base.

Everyone was used to eating only one meal per day, but now, they were promised three full meals with meat. It was such a good deal that people wanted to work harder so they wouldn't feel embarrassed about being the first to grab their chopsticks during meal times. It became a common saying in the camp: "I'll do the dirty and tiring work, you rest." But who could really rest in times like this? Even the elders would occasionally lend a hand. Once work morale was high, it was unstoppable, and everyone threw themselves into their roles enthusiastically.

Feng Yi, however, often spent his time alone in his tent, plotting the next course of action. In the evening, he would sneak into nearby cities to gather intelligence on the war. Many times, the elders had advised him to be careful and bring more people with him, but Feng Yi always refused, stating it would affect his efficiency.

After two days, John returned with a detailed map of the Sakharam tropical rainforest. Feng Yi gathered key members of the camp, including John and the elders, to discuss the plan. He prepared a lot of argumentation, proposing to temporarily hold off on mobilizing the troops, as they currently lacked the combat power to face off against the Empire's mechas. Rushing headfirst would be like throwing an egg against a rock. Therefore, their focus should be on capturing more of the Empire's mecha.

During this time, they would enhance each resistance fighter's mecha combat skills. It's a gradual process that cannot be rushed but won't take too long either. The next step is to wait for war updates from other countries and adjust their strategy based on that information. There wasn't yet a time for recruiting more resistance fighters. With survival of the fittest at play, betrayals were likely. Only time, reputation, and a comprehensive safety system could minimize that risk.

In the silent troop tent, only Feng Yi's voice was heard. Once he finished speaking, he looked around, waiting for others' input or suggestions on improving the plan.

But everyone just looked at each other, smiles on their faces and not saying a word. John capped it all by popping open a bottle of beer, downing it in one gulp, and then saying, "Commander, you should have some too." After that, he opened another and slid it over to Feng Yi.

The elder scolded, "John, remember the military discipline. You are a Federal Army soldier now."

"Yes, sir!" John quickly straightened up and saluted Feng Yi.

"Does anyone have a better plan...?" Feng Yi tentatively asked, a bit frustrated at the lack of feedbacks.

But the elder just laughed and claimed there were no objections. Most of the soldiers were illiterate aside from this old scholar. John was competent at fighting, but not so much in strategy making. Now, Feng Yi was the backbone of the resistance camp, and they had no other suggestions. All of Feng Yi's thoughtful arguments ended up unused.

The meeting ended after less than ten minutes. During dinner, John chugged his drink, said that he hadn't had a good drink in years. The last time he enjoyed a beer was due to a lucky find at an abandoned supermarket, which had vividly stirred the envy of others at that time.

The elder asked him to speak less. Besides Feng Yi, probably even a small child in the secret camp could recite this aged story like a nursery rhyme, prompting a round of laughter from the crowd...

Feng Yi declared that they could have as much liquor as they wanted, but not to let it interfere with their daily training. John, as his direct aide, was not carrying a light burden.

After two weeks of modification, the once-overgrown secret camp was hardly recognizable due to the lack of weeds and thorns. It gradually took on the appearance of an orderly small town with nearly a hundred mobile suits on display in the distance. Women and elderly were raising livestock in the surrounding areas. Their daily task was to fully utilize available resources to self-sustain the camp.

Astute observers would notice that they cultivated crops and reared livestock that can be harvested in a short period of time. An example would be the Black Zhen ducks, which could be ready to roast in just a week, and the Maraca's specialty, inflation rice, which matures overnight. Regardless of where Feng Yi got these unique resources, the main interest lies in their sleazy development, with training being the key.

Of course, Feng Yi's duty was to gather intelligence on a daily basis, seize any opportunity to capture enemy mecha squads, and flee if outnumbered. Over a fortnight, Feng Yi had purchased nearly a hundred different sizes and types of surveillance equipment, yet obtaining frontline information was still difficult.

Finally, he managed to salvage a second-hand copycat machine called 'Baby' in a second-hand electronics shopping area. Despite its lower quality and cheap price, the Star Domain Broadcast it received was terrifying, no, it should be termed as freakish.

On the first day after the purchase, Feng Yi managed to observe the latest battle conditions of the Federation amidst numerous 'snowflakes', despite the visual fatigue. The war situation in Bermuda was severe; with the intervention of Bergheide, the Federation had to summon super mechas to support the Normandy fleet.

Due to the Silver Alliance's inaction, the situation in the Northern War Zone became tense. In just two months, the retreating Federation Army has lost two major planets, Big Macs and Lipton.

Alpha, a first-rank resource planet of the Federation, was next to face Bergheide's ruthless offense. Losing it could lead to major changes in the Federation's overall situation. In order to resist Bergheide's fleet, Grand was severely wounded from being heavily outnumbered in the battle. However, the Federation sent nine super soldiers to support Normandy immediately.

The FCA Alliance was helpless about this. Even though the alliance was built on mutual benefit, no one has the audacity to stand up against a super power like Bergheide. They all chose silence, to avoid the Federation, frustrating Adams quite a bit.

Of course, Adams's anger was a show for the audience. In reality, the indifference was understandable. If he was in their shoes, he would have made the same decision.

The Heavenly Communication at the Federation Headquarters was about to crash due to an overwhelming number of inquiries from the public. It seemed people's faith was starting to shake.

Greedy Wolf, who had been silent for a long time after receiving a frontline report, finally called in several leaders for a confidential consultation. Their difficult decision was to dispatch the God's Thorn Corps to reinforce Alpha. Despite God's Thorn being the backbone of the Federation, their deployment signified a national vulnerability.

The consequences of losing the planet were severe, but the pressure from public opinion could lead to even more unpredictable outcomes. A battle needed to be won. If this was the case, then they would provide an explanation for the people.

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