The Stone Sea star cluster V583 was not far from the binary stars, located at the edge of the domain near the Kuiper belt, 70 astronomical units away. Surprisingly, an Imperial cargo vessel was discovered there with only 20 escort ships, which certainly raised suspicions.

Upon hearing the intelligence report from the on-duty guards, hundreds of eyes in the room instantly focused on Feng Yi. This talented young general, who possessed a certain charisma and humor, was the true spiritual mentor of the Blood and Passion Legion. Despite his seemingly lazy and harmless demeanor, he was well known for his complexity. Whether in mecha combat, grand strategy, infiltrating behind enemy lines, or leading his team into battle, his prowess had been proven through countless engagements. His role in the collective had long been labeled as all-capable, making him an undoubtedly handsome and talented leader.

At the moment, Feng Yi's gaze was electrifying, as though he was brewing some wise and valiant decision. Everyone knew beneath his nonchalance lay a sharp and keen mind. However, after contemplating for almost a minute, the Legion Leader's unexpected answer was simply to continue observing.

People around him immediately broke into a sweat... Hey, come on, wasn't this the time to issue orders to seize the shuttle and plunder its resources? Still, if the Legion Leader had such plans, there must be a reason for his decision, and these were not concerns for lower-ranking officers to worry about.

Fortunately, after saying they should keep observing, Feng Yi added, "That would be impossible."

Damn, the boss was taking his time, but this was the Legion Leader everyone liked, with an endearing personality and never without a sense of humor. He was the most reliable man at critical moments. During their leisure time, he was always the subject of discussion among those around him. His agile and sharp mind was a comforting and soothing presence. He was an idol to all Blood and Passion Legion soldiers and quite popular among the many female officers and soldiers.

But right now and here were not quite the appropriate moments to consider these matters. Feng Yi said, "Shouldn't our army mind the fine traditions of military personnel? Perhaps it would be better to greet the Imperial forces in advance."

"Legion Leader, I suggest we strike immediately." It was the old veteran, John, who spoke up, "To speak frankly, hehe, right now, we don't look much different from those space pirates—why bother with all that nonsense? When the enemy is clear and we're hidden, if they resist, we fight; forget the rest. Since they're delivering the goods right to our doorstep, of course, we should take them."

Coincidentally, Feng Yi was thinking the same.

In fact, even before Feng Yi could issue an order, John had already begun organizing the troops for action. Forget about what the Legion Leader said about military traditions; to hell with traditions.

However, as for this sort of looting venture, it was the first time for the Blood and Passion Legion, and it would be a lie to say they weren't excited. Deep down, they couldn't help feeling a tiny bit of guilt, fear, apprehension, and of course, anticipation.

Damn it! Back when they were space pirates, they dared not confront Imperial soldiers head-on, for the disparity in equipment was vast. But now, we're bona fide members of the Federal Army, not intimidated by our rivals' gear. Plus, they only have a measly 20 escort ships. Let's do this!

The soldiers were now full of zeal. However, actual implementation of their operation would require about one more day's time. This interval could not be too early or too late. If they acted too soon, hiding in the asteroid belt could risk exposure, and if the other side sent a distress signal, not only would their own position be revealed, but the readily available cargo might slip through their fingers. Even if they could complete the operation before the Support Troops arrived, it would undoubtedly cause a lot more trouble and be more trouble than it was worth.

Delaying would lead to the same outcome. For a fleet operating outside its usual domain, every resource was incredibly precious, making the timing of the strike all the more critical.

Waiting always seemed particularly long, but the spirits of the officers and soldiers didn't wane. As time drew closer, they became increasingly restless, like someone who has been starving for days facing a countdown to a sumptuous dinner.

The Secretary Fenny and a group of combat staff also conducted target exercises before the action. The results they got forced them to express amazement repeatedly; when the Legion Leader issued the command, they were sure that Feng Yi had just rested his chin in thought for a long while, without any preparations, arrangements, or simulations. He had simply given the order straightforwardly.

After repeated scrutiny, the final inference was nothing short of astonishing. The Legion Leader's plan nearly matched the simulation—arriving at X location at X time and how to proceed from there. It was puzzling what strange things the Legion Leader's brain must contain.

It took just about two minutes for the Legion Leader to run his personal simulation, using merely his brain, while the others' fingers flew across computer keyboards, also spending two minutes.

In those two minutes, they had to calculate enemy and ally coordinates, movement time and speed, the surrounding environment and angles against the enemy, and consider key factors such as the Stone Sea that might affect their stealth. Yet, the Legion Leader managed to calculate all this in just a short period, a chilling thought indeed.

One day later, during a certain period, the invisible fleet of the Blood and Passion Legion finally logged onto the Stone Sea star cluster without the Imperial forces noticing it. They lay in ambush on the pre-calculated inevitable route.

The asteroid belt presented a complex and treacherous environment, extremely difficult to navigate and classified as a high-risk area. The seemingly vast expanse of deep space contained many dust particles. Sometimes, an insignificant pebble could cause a sub-light speed shuttle accident. As a result, passing vehicles had to reduce their speed to the lowest level. Additionally, with the Blood and Passion Legion's active cloaking systems and visual obstruction, it was not until the Imperial transport shuttle reached a distance of 130 million kilometers from the Blood and Passion Legion that they suddenly realized the Legion's presence.

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