Chapter 5, The Company Without an Emblem

Are you implying that you will not fully recognize me as the captain until I achieve corresponding results while commanding the squadron

With Captain Zhang's command, the squad gathered as slowly as an old ox pulling a cart, and in the blink of an eye, they dispersed without a trace. The maintenance personnel returned to start repainting the old insignia, while among the combatants, only Terenxier remained, mumbling something to himself as he went to search through the vehicle's onboard computer for records

Deputy team! ... ... Deputy team? '' The soldiers looked at each other, and after shouting a couple of times, there was still no response

Which one is the vice captain? Zhang Songlan waited for a long time but did not see the vice captain who should have been standing beside him

"It's just on the way, shall we go together?" Zhang Songlan invited, hoping to please the other party

A few hours later

The spirit of chivalry and the demeanor of a female hero are the best descriptions of Lilia at this moment

"Your squad's equipment is quite a mix," commented Lilia.

"What are you looking at?" Zhang Songlan's foolish expression caused Liliya to show a look of displeasure

Ahem, the First Mecha Hunt Team, assemble! Even someone like Zhang Songlan, who usually does not care about appearances, felt a bit embarrassed. He could only clear his throat and take on the responsibilities that should have been handled by the vice-captain.

"It's nothing, I'm just... jealous." Zhang Songlan squeezed out these two words filled with resentment after holding back for a long time.

These two rooms are yours. Considering that you are classmates, you have been arranged next door to each other. It will take some time to gather your team members, so during this period, you should remain here and rest well. If you wish to familiarize yourselves with the ship's layout, take this with you to avoid entering restricted areas. The deputy commander pulled out two cards from the electronic notebook and handed them to the two, which appear to serve as both identity verification and three-dimensional map projection.

Ah, if it weren't for him and the vice commander, I wouldn't be here. Zhang Songlan's tone was somewhat sinister; most of his presence here was due to his own mistakes, yet he still harbored a slight resentment for being locked inside the shuttle.

Oh... the soldiers responded sporadically, slowly forming a somewhat disorganized line in several rows

I apologize for keeping you waiting. I will now take you to the assigned rooms

"What is a ghost called?" As Zhang Songlan stood there sulking, he heard Liliya's dissatisfied voice from behind.

Oh, I am sorry!" Zhang Songlan quickly raised his head to apologize, only to find that the person walking in front was Liliya

She also changed into the legion uniform, which on Zhang Songlan could only be described as a careless outfit, but on her it took on a different appearance... After thinking for a long time, Zhang Songlan found it impossible to define Liliya's attire with a reasonable adjective; saying it was handsome seemed superficial, while calling it domineering felt overly masculine. Suddenly, two words surfaced in his mind

The ship still appeared sparsely populated, likely because most officers and soldiers were either on leave or resting in their rooms. Even so, the fact that the deputy commander personally attended to the trivial matter of escorting people to their rooms left the two newcomers perplexed. For the two of them, who were accustomed to the strictly hierarchical life of a military academy, it was astonishing to see a deputy commander of a corps engaged in tasks typically assigned to orderlies.

Lilia's remarks were already quite polite; any officer from a regular army of any country could, within three minutes, criticize this squad's equipment to the point of rendering it utterly worthless

Thank you. Lilia took the card and went directly into her room

"Yes, in the fourth armory." Zhang Songlan's praise made Liliya's brows relax considerably; no girl would be unhappy to be complimented on her appearance

When Zhang Songlan was trying hard to press his warm face against someone else's cold backside, Deputy Commander Salih walked out of the office holding an electronic notepad

The room is not large, nor is it as small as Zhang Songlan's worst expectations: it contains a bed, a wardrobe, a video terminal, and a small desk, along with an integrated bathroom occupying just one square meter. On the wall facing the head of the bed is a projection window that operates on the same principle as a shuttle's porthole. Depending on the preferences of the room's occupant, it can switch between projections from an external camera and several dynamic landscapes from land. While it does not actually increase the room's area, it effectively helps prevent episodes in individuals with claustrophobia. On the wall facing the head of the bed is a projection window that operates on the same principle as a shuttle's porthole. Depending on the preferences of the room's occupant, it can switch between projections from an external camera and several dynamic landscapes from land. While it does not actually increase the room's area, it effectively helps prevent episodes in individuals with claustrophobia.

"Indeed," Zhang Songlan nodded, "Since all personnel are fully equipped and on standby, what was the maintenance soldier busy with just now?"

Uh... Terenxier truly does not know what to say at this moment. When he initially followed the vice captain's orders to lock the shuttle bay door from the outside, he never anticipated that he would face retribution within a single day.

"Oh, I am from the First Mecha Hunter Team. We will have opportunities to collaborate in the future, so I look forward to your guidance." Zhang Songlan extended his hand to Liliya, but it was naturally ignored.

These old veterans... Zhang Songlan shook his head helplessly, preparing to go to the fourth armory to check on Liliya's situation. He was somewhat worried whether his classmate, who was not good with words, could manage to keep those seemingly lecherous subordinates in check

Liliya neither agreed nor disagreed, and walked straight towards the automatic passage

Report, sir, they are erasing the previous squadron insignia

Jealousy? Liliya, having not witnessed Zhang Songlan's predicament, naturally could not comprehend why he was so dejected, merely assuming that his mental illness had flared up intermittently, and she shrugged her shoulders and walked away

Why?" Zhang Songlan was taken aback

Well, since I've come to this dreadful place, there's really nothing to nitpick about. Let me see... the Third Armory is not very far from here; is it for the sake of convenience in gathering? Zhang Songlan, who is quite self-aware of his appearance, does not dwell on how shabby he looks in this uniform. He stepped out of the room and opened the projection card given by the deputy commander, and a small three-dimensional map immediately displayed his current location and the location of the Third Armory.

Gradually, the eyes of the support personnel began to wander, the reason being the two unfamiliar faces that entered the armory, one after the other—specifically, the female officer at the front. While the presence of women in the military is not unusual, they are typically active in logistics, administrative, medical, and other support units rather than on the front lines. Even in the Red Spider's mech maintenance team, there are several female support personnel. The female officer attracted attention not only because of her striking appearance but also because she wore the same combat uniform as the front-line soldiers. The presence of women in the military is not unusual, but they are typically active in logistics, administrative, medical, and other support units rather than on the front lines. Even in the Red Spider's mech maintenance team, there are several female support personnel. The female officer attracted attention not only because of her striking appearance but also because she wore the same combat uniform as the front-line soldiers

The outcome left Zhang Songlan deeply regretting his unnecessary actions. If Zhang Songlan felt disheartened by the state of his own squad, seeing the condition of Liliya's squad made him absolutely furious

Very good. Lilia's response was equivalent to saying nothing

The so-called armory is the place where the equipment of the Marine Corps belonging to the transport ship is stored and maintained. During most mercenaries' vacation periods, it is one of the few lively areas on the ship. The service personnel gather in groups of three to five to carry out maintenance work on mechs and other ground combat equipment, ensuring that the Marines operating these machines can fight with peace of mind in the next battle

Where has it been assigned? To the Marine Corps or the fleet? Zhang Songlan continued to make conversation.

The vice-captain Terunxier · Jilunite reported to the commander... The vice-captain, startled awake from a pleasant dream, hurriedly ran to the front of the line, only to see his new captain with a peculiar expression on his face.

I will also take a rest... Zhang Songlan, who was left behind by Liliya, greeted the vice captain with indifference and opened the door to the room

Liliya remained noncommittal, leaving Zhang Songlan and directly heading towards the next armory.

Zhang Songlan felt as if he had bumped into something

"Commander, don't you think having a beautiful woman as a commander is a unique characteristic of the team? If you were also a beauty, I believe our squad would be more than happy to use your photo as our emblem," said Teren Hill with a playful grin.

Then adjust the time difference to match the fleet standard time. Zhang Songlan glanced at the fleet standard time of "AM2:00" on the bedside, casually threw off his outer coat, and burrowed into the quilt

"Commander, this is a tradition of our regiment." Telun Hill glanced at the half-erased hedgehog emblem on the tank, "We believe that the death or departure of the original captain marks a change in our team's combat style. The old insignia no longer adequately represents our team's characteristics, and our squad will not apply the new insignia until we understand your combat style."

--- Lower Deck of the Arachnid - Armory ---

"Captain, what is it? I am busy preparing the records you requested." Before long, Terenhill came running over.

The designer's taste is truly poor... Zhang Songlan, now in a new uniform, looked in the mirror and felt that this outfit resembled not a military uniform but rather the uniform of some violent gang, far less impressive than the ceremonial attire of a peace officer.

If you understand it this way, I do not deny it!" Terunxier admitted without any hesitation, and the other team members nodded in support of him.

Look out! A cold warning came from ahead.

Lieutenant Zhang Songlan, I am now conveying the command of the Corps Commander: your squad has assembled in the third armory, please proceed there promptly. I will repeat... The voice of a man came through the sound system in the room

The combat personnel are fully staffed at 204 members, with 158 present and 46 on leave; the maintenance personnel are fully staffed at 100 members, with 100 present. In terms of equipment, there are 4 'Slingshot' sniper mechs, 40 125MM railgun tanks, 10 armed hovercraft, 30 long-range missile launch vehicles with 18 launchers each, and 30 mobile artillery positions, along with several mobile repair vehicles, mine-laying vehicles, and ammunition supply vehicles, all fully staffed and on standby! To prevent this new captain from having the opportunity to make things difficult for him, Terunxier reported loudly with an unprecedented seriousness that he had not shown in years.

The Liliya Squadron has long been disbanded, and the squad's maintenance personnel are joyfully painting familiar cartoon female figures on the reconnaissance mechs. Looking at the intricate graffiti that bears a resemblance to Liliya, Zhang Songlan realizes that he has been deceived.

"Yes!" Terunxier immediately straightened his back and stood at attention

Zhang Songlan quickly rolled out of bed, grabbed the graduation uniform from the floor, and put it on. However, when he looked in the wardrobe mirror to tidy up his appearance, his expression changed again, and he reluctantly took off the jacket and folded it neatly. The Red Spider Legion also had its own uniform, which was kept in the wardrobe of the room. The anti-scratch fabric was black with red edges, featuring the red spider emblem of hetushucom.com on the chest. The rest of the design referenced standard military uniforms, with shoulder insignia and electronic medal strips that projected images of medals. Overall, the style appeared very simple.

Feeling very drowsy... I will go a bit later... No, I might as well skip this class altogether..." Zhang Songlan, still groggy and struggling in his dreams, suddenly realized that he was no longer the student who could skip classes at will, but rather an active-duty soldier now

"Do you two know each other?" The strange exchange of glances between the old and new team leaders left the other soldiers perplexed

It is merely a reflection on how the same style of clothing can look so different on different people. Zhang Songlan praised subtly, "So, has your squad assembled as well"

"If love could speak a little, it would be perfect..." Zhang Songlan murmured, half regretfully and half with a sigh, as he lifted his foot to follow.

After calling Lilia into the office, Zhang Songlan waited at the door. His new superior had not assigned him any tasks, leaving him with nowhere to go. Therefore, he thought it would be better to wait for Lilia, the only "acquaintance" he had in this regiment, and act together with her

What is the relationship with the team emblem

Zhang Songlan was at a loss for words regarding this situation. The most frustrating part was that he truly had nothing to say. It is indeed a fact that female grassroots commanders are rare in the entire department, and those who are beautiful are even fewer.

How did the interview go? In less than half an hour, Liliya left the office with a calm expression. Zhang Songlan, who was leaning against the wall in boredom, quickly went over to greet her

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two individuals passed through the first two armament chambers and entered the third chamber. The weapons here were much more cluttered and outdated compared to the previous two, leading one to mistakenly believe they had entered a museum of ground combat equipment. Aside from four 'slingshot' type sniper reconnaissance mechs that were still somewhat presentable, the rest consisted of outdated relics nearly a century old, such as railgun tanks, long-range missile launchers, and armed hovercraft. The Marines gathered here, having nothing to do, were engaged in idle chatter, while the squad's service personnel busily attended to various equipment, seemingly wiping away the cartoon hedgehog insignia on them. The rest consisted of outdated relics nearly a century old, such as railgun tanks, long-range missile launchers, and armed hovercraft. The Marines gathered here, having nothing to do, were engaged in idle chatter, while the squad's service personnel busily attended to various equipment, seemingly wiping away the cartoon hedgehog insignia on them.

What they do not know is that most mercenary groups, despite being called "legions," do not maintain military discipline comparable to state-backed military organizations. On the battlefield, they can still adhere to orders, but in non-combat situations, they generally stand on relatively equal footing. The common understanding among ordinary mercenaries is that they are hired to fight; their contracts do not require them to obey all commands from their superiors in daily life. As long as they do not engage in activities that harm the interests of the group, they are free to act as they wish.

The roar of Zhang Songlan echoed through several armory compartments.

This adversary inexplicably ended up in his own squad and even became his direct superior. Terenxier even suspected that the deputy regiment commander had sold him out to appease this high-achieving graduate from a regular military academy. It is likely that the kind-hearted deputy regiment commander would be deeply aggrieved if he knew Terenxier's current thoughts. When Zhang Songlan had the misfortune of being assigned to this squad, he had even specifically wanted Zhang Songlan to be replaced.

Soon, cheers and whistles like a tidal wave came from the adjacent cabin, indicating that Liliya had made quite a good first impression on her squadron. As for Zhang Songlan's side... the majority of his squad members were still gazing longingly towards the direction of the Fourth Armament Cabin, completely ignoring their new commander.

"Can you explain to me what is going on here?" Zhang Songlan exclaimed angrily, pointing at the images of the beautiful women.

"You were that person back then..." Not only was Vice Captain Terunxier like this, but Zhang Songlan's expression was also the same. It is quite a coincidence that Zhang Songlan's deputy was the mercenary who almost shot him at the graduation recruitment fair.

"Because our former captain was killed in the last battle!" Telun Hill shouted

This is a space where one has nothing to do except sleep, go online, and write a diary, making it most suitable for those who are reclusive, addicted to online socializing, and hackers. Fortunately, Zhang Songlan currently only wants to sleep, as the sleep while slumped over the table after drinking is not sufficient to relax the body

As for the unremarkable man behind her, most people chose to ignore him. The "mighty" military uniform, personally designed and proudly worn by the regiment commander, made him look like a petty thug. Even though he was slightly taller than the female officer in front, he would merely be overlooked as a bodyguard or an aide-de-camp.

"Deputy Captain, report on the squad's status!" Zhang Songlan was determined to discipline his deputy captain, so he commanded in the tone of the strictest instructor from military school

Third Reconnaissance Mech Squad, Squadron Leader

... ... Hey, Deputy Commander, wake up! The new captain is calling for you!" It was still a keen-eyed maintenance soldier who spotted a half-exposed beret sticking out from a tank with its hatch open, and went over to pull the Deputy Commander out from inside.

"The equipment has various uses." Zhang Songlan shot back a look that said, "You don't understand."

I understand, do as you please. Zhang Songlan said dejectedly, "My name is Zhang Songlan, and from today onwards, I will be your new captain. I hope everyone can cooperate happily. Vice-captain, please compile a detailed combat record of our last battle for me. Dismissed!"