"What did I just hear?" Francis rubbed his temple and, upon hearing the question, immediately put on an expression as if he didn't remember what he had just heard, and both men shared a smile.

Of course, Feng Yi had another matter to attend to on this trip, which was to establish a Bounty Tribe in Mardis. Although the local security situation had improved slightly after Saudi withdrew its influence, there was no significant enhancement. To turn around the situation locally, the problem had to be tackled at its root.

The local security forces, to put it plainly, were at best a group of local checkpoint soldiers—going on patrol every now and then; changing the guard every ten days or half a month; showing no real use otherwise. To stimulate the local economy, stabilizing the security work was an essential step.

Unlike the inland, because of the existence of Looters, the Bounty Tribe had to be equipped with mobile warriors. This matter was not within his management scope, so he also had to request special approval from the Capital.

Francis wanted to have a drink with Feng Yi, but who knew that this kid slipped away faster than a rabbit, vanishing immediately after he finished speaking.

This time, upon returning to Maraca Freedom Port, Feng Yi made bulk purchases of Space Crystals for unforeseen needs. Although the price was painful, he gritted his teeth and went through with it, as this amount of money was truly inconsequential to Sir Feng, who placed great importance on his grand enterprise.

During this return, he never went to look for Rose. He only learned from Francis that she had been doing very well, both mentally and in her work, focusing on her career. Could this also be related to her maturing mind? Unsure of what mental state to face her with or what to say upon seeing her, considering time could change many things, he didn't want to disrupt Sheng Qiangwei's current life. Carrying these uneasy thoughts, Feng Yi left the Maraca Freedom Port overnight and returned to the Blazing Flames Legion several days later.

Feng Yi's return was undoubtedly a strong boost to the Blazing Flames Legion. Seeing his return, John finally let out a sigh of relief, and a knowing smile appeared on Apophis's face as if he had seen through everything.

Feng Yi was unaware of what had happened in those days, but upon asking, he learned that now every soldier in the Blazing Flames Legion had to not only consolidate their mecha operation and basic combat knowledge, but also military tactics from squad-level officers to school-level officers—it was a must-learn foundation. With this return, the soldiers one by one began to gear up, ready to challenge him.

As the deputy commander, John was somewhat versed in general battlefield knowledge and could normally command some presence, but the lessons from the last time clearly gave his brothers a severe blow. With Feng Yi's departure, poor John had become the target of challenges.

In tactical simulations, apart from the professional John, there really weren't many who could compete. But you simply can't imagine what it feels like to be challenged by a hundred and eighty warriors in a single day. Even the most stable-minded person might collapse, which led John to temporarily rule that legion soldiers couldn't challenge a commander during the weekends, finally calming things down.

No sooner had he issued that rule than the soldiers came up with new tactics—they were a bunch of energetic guys who, after training all day, gathered in the recreation room on board at midnight to simulate battles, some even drinking and shooting the breeze, turning the military ship into a smoke-filled mess. It seemed that they still had the energy to spare at night after tiring themselves out all day, which in itself was a testament to their talents.

According to John's observation, most of these people were part of the new batch of soldiers, perhaps because they had no outlet for their excited emotions. They ran out in the middle of the night for simulations, especially the two groups known as Wolf Flames and Powder Kegs, competing in training every day.

Upon hearing this, Feng Yi immediately chuckled. It was a good thing that the soldiers were in high spirits. A warrior should have that competitive spirit. He didn't see the bandit-like stubbornness pervading these soldiers as a flaw. In times of war, it was rather a strength. However, to fundamentally make them realize that they are soldiers of the Federal Army, simple training was not enough. They needed to understand what it means to be a soldier, what it means to obey, and what it means to execute.

In this era of warfare, nothing tested a military unit more than battle, and if anything could, it would be more battles. Only after enduring the trials of blood and fire could these new and old soldiers truly integrate into the collective.

Walking in the center of the deck of the Blazing Flames Legion's ship, watching the soldiers brush past, Feng Yi could easily detect that look of disdain emanating from the depths of the old soldiers when their gaze met with the space pirates. Why? Because the old soldiers had been through battles, through trials, through many farewells of life and death. Their strength had been forged through endless fights.

Space pirates had not endured these stories, so how could they possibly understand the burden that a soldier should face? They had fought side by side with comrades who died in Mardis, shared meals and fought together on the battlefield, and some had even fought day and night in Alpha with only a few hours of sleep. When dawn's gunfire broke out, many of their silent brothers had already frozen to death in the Shadow District. They would even share their food with their Federal comrades in Alpha. Were these honors, which belong to soldiers, something the space pirates possessed? The veteran Flame Warriors had every right to be arrogant in front of the space pirates.

Those with a basic understanding of the military were generally aware of this unwritten rule. The 21st century was a watershed—before that, it was common for veteran soldiers to bully the new recruits, but this became a rarity afterward. It was a microcosm of an era. Although it was almost extinct in the current era, such phenomena were not uncommon in an elite unit—now, such a situation had arisen in the Flame Legion, but Feng Yi did not stop it when he saw it.

At last, the time to set sail arrived. During this large gathering, the Flame Warriors tacitly split into two groups from the space pirate recruits. It took only 4 minutes for their group to assemble, whereas the recruits took 11 minutes.

Walking at the front of the column, Feng Yi casually called a veteran out of the ranks and asked him, "Why don't you stand with them and instead choose this line?"

"Report, General, if given the choice, I would rather choose the comrades I trust, those who have fought side by side with me," the veteran replied with a resolute and powerful voice.

"Does everyone else feel the same way?" Feng Yi's gaze fell upon the Flame Warriors' ranks, and the response he received was a thunderous affirmation from twenty thousand Flame soldiers: "Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the space pirates' faces all darkened as if a fury was simmering in their hearts!

Feng Yi then asked the soldier, "So, do you not acknowledge them?"

"Yes, General."

"In what ways do you not acknowledge them?" asked Feng Yi.

"In all aspects, whether it's military cultivation, professional skills, or decisive execution."

Feng Yi ordered the soldier back into the ranks, then walked towards the tens of thousands of space pirates at the front: "This wasn't a prearranged dialogue. Regarding what that soldier said and the collective response, are you convinced?"

"No," came the reply, a roar more impactful than the previous one, as if the new recruits couldn't vent the anger in their hearts without roaring.

"Right, I think so too. Valor is something innate in everyone. You must prove yourselves with execution, defend your dignity with action, and respond to those who have looked down on you with strong results, not just talk. Merely having determination is far from enough for an elite force that stands on its own; belief and will are equally essential—tell me, do you have the confidence to surpass them?"

Then a roar swept through the ground... Feng Yi's ears almost went deaf from the thunderous sound. Establishing a positive mindset was essential to a troop, and don't forget that Feng Yi had once been an instructor for God's Thorn and a top-tier instructor for Wind Thunder. Motivating the soldiers' fighting spirit was naturally no problem for him.

Next came welfare time. Feng Yi also announced that they would return to Mardis and continue to address the binary star issue. For now, it was time to focus on the construction of the Freedom Port Bounty Tribe. He would enable each Flame Warrior through special means to become pending members of the Bounty Tribe, and by the time the war ended, these serving soldiers could almost become senior members, right?

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