Chapter 4

At this moment, the synthesized female voice continued, "This is your battleship, measuring 500 meters in length, 150 meters in width, equipped with 20 main guns and 100 secondary guns, without missiles and without aircraft. It has a crew of 2,000 and is classified as grade C"

Tang Long gritted his teeth, touching the gash on his buttocks caused by the electric whip. He turned around, ready to curse, but found five instructors staring at him with a sinister expression. The foul words rose to his throat but were swallowed back down.

The chief instructor nodded and said, "Indeed, this game can reconstruct real cosmic warfare. Aside from the absence of actual death and material loss, everything else is exactly the same as in reality"

Oh, I almost forgot that the entire federation's finances are under your control. However, there is still a problem: applying for an account requires an ID card, and starting a company also requires an ID card. Do you have one? Or are you planning to fabricate one?

Tang Long! Upon hearing his name, Tang Long instinctively stood at attention and responded, "Yes!"

These concerned individuals initially comprised governments, businessmen, and some hackers from various countries. Unfortunately, despite countless efforts and skills expended by the hackers, they were unable to breach this system, ultimately declaring to the world that its security level is classified as superlative. Consequently, military forces from various nations and numerous hidden factions began to closely monitor this system. However, it is worth noting that these individuals, regardless of the means employed, could not locate the creator of this system; they only knew that it was designed by the company president, whose name remains a mystery, as no employee has ever seen this president. In the absence of a target, various factions had no choice but to slow down their actions. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that these individuals, regardless of the means employed, could not locate the creator of this system; they only knew that it was designed by the company president, whose name remains a mystery, as no employee has ever seen this president. In the absence of a target, various factions had no choice but to slow down their actions

Tang Long was so shocked by this that he didn't know what to say. He was a fan of online gaming, and a terminal capable of supporting one million users online simultaneously was already impressive. However, the game's speed was quite slow, necessitating the need for partitioning. But now, it seemed from the computer's tone that one billion people could log in to the same area at once, and he could hardly feel any lag in the game. Both the visuals and the audio were so realistic that it felt as if he were in the real world.

Due to Tang Long being captivated by these elements, he was completely unaware that the synthesized computer's voice could actually respond to his inquiries, and its tone seemed to possess emotions akin to those of a human. Furthermore, the explanations of the game system are typically presented at the beginning; they would not be interjected midway as if suddenly remembered. Even if Tang Long, with his simplistic thinking, sensed something unusual, he would not consider other aspects and would merely assume that the game's design was impressive. The explanations of the game system are typically presented at the beginning; they would not be interjected midway as if suddenly remembered. Even if Tang Long, with his simplistic thinking, sensed something unusual, he would not consider other aspects and would merely assume that the game's design was impressive.

How can he not know this? Did he not say that his level has become S rank?

It can be observed that the green light in the robot's eyes suddenly diminished when Tang Long spoke these words, but it quickly brightened again. The chief instructor raised the pointer and tapped it against his palm, coldly stating: "Since your goal is to become a marshal, you must work even harder to learn command skills. With your current command ability, you might not even be able to direct a single person"

The female voice continued, "It's simple, just casually apply for an account and then embezzle a little public funds, right?"

Tang Long, who had long wanted to enjoy the new gadget, also forgot to curse the robot in his heart. After bowing, he immediately dove into the circular cabin. Tang Long discovered that apart from a very comfortable pilot's seat, a holographic helmet, and a set of electronic gloves, there was nothing else inside. He couldn't help but look around and mutter to himself, "Strange, there is only a helmet and electronic gloves. How exactly is this game supposed to be played?"

Haha, but also because of the game, his achievements in combat, piloting space fighters, and weapon utilization can now match ours

At this moment, five or six hatches opened beside her, and all the individuals who emerged were beautiful women dressed in military uniforms. After they came out, they surrounded the blonde woman with expressions of anger. At this time, a woman with a lieutenant insignia on her shoulder said to the blonde woman: "Commander, there is no need to be angry; it is quite normal for us to be completely annihilated by the 23TL Legion given our strength"

Soon, an instructor interjected, saying: "Is it like the online combat that Tang Long plays? But even the most advanced network terminals can only support one million users simultaneously, while an ordinary fleet has hundreds of thousands of personnel. What is the use of doing it this way?"

An astonishing event occurred that left Tang Long in shock; the synthesized voice from the computer actually let out a delicate giggle: "Hehe, hetushu.com. The game's level is set as follows: Class A battleships are the lowest, while Class Z battleships are the highest. Class Z battleships are over ten kilometers long, and they boast tens of thousands of main cannons and aircraft. Ah, I almost forgot, this game can support 1 billion users online simultaneously. Our terminals are spread throughout the entire universe, meaning there are 1 billion users from various places online. Each user has only one battleship and can engage in team battles. If you are skilled, you can command tens of millions of battleships in combat. " Ah, I almost forgot, this game can support 1 billion users online simultaneously. Our terminals are spread throughout the entire universe, meaning there are 1 billion users from various places online. Each user has only one battleship and can engage in team battles. If you are skilled, you can command tens of millions of battleships in combat.

At this moment, a robotic instructor spoke up and asked: "What is the use of creating such an impressive network terminal? Aren't we discussing Tang Long's training issues? How did we end up here?"

Tang Long, who had just endured three lashes as if nothing had happened, immediately brought his legs together and declared loudly: "I want to be a marshal!"

Tang Long, overjoyed by these words, waved his hand and declared, "I command you to rendezvous with me immediately." Seeing the two robots stand at attention, salute, and leave while calling out, "As you command," one can only imagine how elated Tang Long felt. How could he not be pleased to see those officers who had bullied him all the time now addressing him as their superior? Tang Long had already made up his mind to defeat the other three instructors and make them bow down in submission.

The chief instructor arrived at a wall, at which point the wall suddenly parted, revealing a room of over ten square meters, along with six shining circular capsules placed within the room

Tang Long silently cried for help in his heart, yet his expression remained calm. He stood there in a daze, not following behind the instructor. At that moment, an instructor standing beside him kicked him hard and shouted angrily, "What are you still standing there for! Hurry up!"

At this moment, a sweet computer-generated voice entered the ears: "Welcome to this game. The setting of this game is space warfare. This game requires very little manual control; most commands are executed through your brainwaves. As this is your first visit, please enter the game name."

The major beauty continued to shake her head: "I play on the domestic network, and I can conclude that he is not a pilot, because at the beginning, he had no special skills and I easily shot him down several times. However, later his skills became increasingly impressive and mature. Within just a few days, I fell far behind him. Yet, after he shot me down, he never appeared again. The next time I saw this name was in this 'War' game."

"Grandma bear! I dodge, I dodge again..." Tang Long sat in a simulator wearing a holographic helmet, gripping the control handles of the aircraft with both hands, his body swaying in sync with the movements of the machine. He was playing a game during his break.

At this moment, the signal light on the instrument went out, and a green light simultaneously illuminated the eyes of the five robots. The robot at the forefront, while pulling out the wires from its body, spoke: "This is our oversight. Tang Long's way of thinking is akin to that of a single-celled organism, meaning he must practice through his body to acquire knowledge. Knowledge such as strategy and command is entirely theoretical and conceptual; how can you expect him to grasp it?"

The chief instructor ignored the interruption and continued, "My friends and I have invented a terminal capable of supporting 1 billion people simultaneously, and it can also synchronize to receive information from the entire universe." As he spoke, he transmitted the information in his mind to the other robotic instructors.

Ah! Are there still so many troublesome matters? Tang Long, who had become accustomed to striking first upon finding an enemy, was taken aback. When he asked the computer what to do, the usually accommodating computer suddenly fell silent. When pressed, it only replied, "Do not ask the computer about everything; these matters should only be discussed with your teammates!" This left Tang Long no choice but to pout and mutter about the computer being stingy

The leader robot then spoke: "Our friend, how do you plan to begin?"

Tang Long, who was originally listless, suddenly had a gleam in his eyes and eagerly rushed to a circular cabin, stroking it. While searching for the button to open the door, he asked, "Big brother, I've never seen this thing before, how exactly does it work? And what is that game 'War'? Is it newly released? ... Ah! Oh my god!" The overjoyed Tang Long suddenly let out a scream.

The blonde officer lifted her head and tucked her hair back, revealing a beautiful face, though her expression conveyed a strong-willed demeanor. At this moment, it was evident that the major's insignia was prominently displayed on her slender shoulders, along with the pilot's badge on her arm. She shook her head and spoke with a tone of disappointment, saying, "A few months ago, I was shot down by someone named 23TL while playing space fighter combat."

As soon as Tang Long put on the helmet, he realized that this helmet was different from other holographic helmets. Not to mention the metal that closely adhered to various parts of his head, the style of the helmet was also distinct; it was not only much larger but also significantly lighter.

The chief instructor said, "While developing this terminal with our friends, we also created a game called 'War'."

What is the use of this! Learning these skills will only make him an excellent soldier at most! We want him to become an outstanding military leader, a commander of armies! Without strategy and command skills, he will forever remain just a soldier

I just mentioned that even if it is simulated, it is of no use. The main point is that a computer cannot be compared to a real human brain; the results of such training are completely useless on the actual battlefield!" The second robot that spoke just now insisted.

The chief instructor has already removed the thread and started putting on the military uniform, saying as he dressed, "This can be resolved through the internet"

Just as the chief instructor was about to say something, a somewhat synthetic female voice interrupted, saying: "Hehe, that's not a problem; I can establish a company."

Indeed, the data from the cosmic battles is simply too vast; it is entirely impossible to simulate a battle using a computer. Another robot remarked while simultaneously disconnecting the wires.

Other female soldiers chimed in, saying: "Exactly, that 23TL legion has millions of warships. How can we compete with just a few ships? The only legion that can match them is the 23-3C41. Why don't we join that legion next time?" "It seems that 23-3C41 and 23TL are in cahoots. Last time, the two legions teamed up to eliminate the largest fleet not long ago." "It's really strange, why do the top few names on the leaderboard all have a 23 in them?"

Indeed, upon hearing this, the leader robot ceased to whip and coldly pointed at the circular cabin that had suddenly opened its door, saying: "Go inside; the computer will naturally guide you on what to do."

"Ah, truly captivating. I never expected to develop such a realistic visual experience. It seems that after a few months of no contact with the outside world, the technology in gaming has made a tremendous leap forward," Tang Long remarked after a long pause. He had played so many games that he had never encountered such a perfect scenery, no wonder he was in awe.

The lieutenant beauty was momentarily taken aback upon hearing the shouting and boasting words: "So, that 23TL is still a child? A child wouldn't be able to perform these actions at all." She glanced at the puffed-up officer and couldn't help but smile wryly: "This officer is indeed so competitive, but it's fortunate that he was defeated in a game; if he were shot down on the battlefield, would he even have a chance to think about revenge?"

Why did that fool Tang Long suddenly start dancing? From this sentence, one can infer the entire commotion of the 23rd Regiment, all under the surveillance of these machine instructors

At that moment, the sound of BBB suddenly rang out, and a virtual officer ran forward to salute Tang Long, saying: "Commander, there is a signal communication. May I ask if you would like to answer it?"

Tang Long responded loudly with "Yes," then, with a pained expression, said to the chief instructor: "Sir, it's not that I don't want to work hard to learn well, but when I see those characters, I feel dizzy and can't even bear to look at them, let alone learn them."

The female voice laughed and said, "First, use Tang Long's ID card to apply for a bank account, then transfer some money into it. Next, apply to establish a company, then hire staff, and subsequently have these staff apply for companies in other countries. Finally, synchronize the terminal and the game for a global release. Alright, I won't say more. For the first time in hundreds of years, I've encountered something fun; I need to get to work now." With that, the female voice disappeared.

At this moment, a robot beside him asked suspiciously: "But there is currently no war in the Federation, and our base cannot possibly be equipped with warships. The virtual programs are not advanced enough to simulate combat scenarios. Even if they could simulate them, it would be useless; the real enemy is human beings, whose next moves cannot even be predicted by intelligent computers. The simulation programs at these military bases can only create battlefields involving deserts, wilderness, and terrorists." Even if they could simulate them, it would be useless; the real enemy is human beings, whose next moves cannot even be predicted by intelligent computers. The simulation programs at these military bases can only create battlefields involving deserts, wilderness, and terrorists.

The five robots reflexively returned a salute. At that moment, the robot instructor in the middle said: "Tang Long, we will now begin training in strategy and command. In order for you to better grasp these abilities, we will divide into two sides, using every means to defeat the other. I, along with the other two instructors, will form one camp, while you and the remaining two instructors will form another camp. From now on, I, 23-3C41, and 23-3C42, 23-3C43 will be your enemies. Please take care of yourself." As he spoke, the images of the three instructors disappeared.

Tang Long stared blankly at the keyboard and screen that appeared before him. However, being accustomed to gaming, he immediately typed the name "23TL" on the keyboard with his gloved hand, which was his login name when playing games in the 23rd group. After pressing the confirm button, a massive battleship appeared before him. The incredibly realistic graphics made Tang Long's eyes widen in astonishment

Oh, are you referring to the space fighter combat game that Tang Long plays? However, I find it quite strange what is so enjoyable about the game that Tang Long rushes to play it whenever he has time, even foregoing sleep. Like the last time during live-fire evasion training, he got shot in the leg by a laser, and as soon as the bleeding stopped, he limped off to play the game.

This statement caused the group of female soldiers to exclaim in surprise, and the lieutenant, even more shocked, asked: "Sir, you are the youngest ace pilot in the Federal Army, yet you were shot down? Could this 23TL possibly be an ace pilot from another country?"

Tang Long stared blankly at the lifelike officer, suddenly exclaiming and reaching out to touch, only to find nothing there. At that moment, a synthesized voice from the computer sounded: "Hehe, do not touch the virtual soldiers, be careful they might rebel and kill you. If the warship is destroyed or the player is killed, the game will end, and points will be deducted. From now on, any communication with players and inquiries about game status will be conducted from this command tower." If the warship is destroyed or the player is killed, the game will end, and points will be deducted. From now on, any communication with players and inquiries about game status will be conducted from this command tower.

At first, Tang Long was still dazedly following the formalities, but upon hearing this, he quickly jumped up: "You want me to give the orders? You are calling me the commander?" The two robots nodded and said: "In this game, you are our commander, who will lead us to eliminate that group. We will assist you in learning strategy and command skills."

While Tang Long was still in a daze, the remaining two instructors saluted him and said: "23-3C44, 23-3C45 will now accept the command of Commander 23TL!"

This remark startled Tang Long, causing him to quickly retract his hand, as he was most afraid of the term "deduction of points." At that moment, the officer asked again, and Tang Long hurriedly replied, "Um, let them in." However, he was secretly pondering, "This game is actually designed so well; wouldn't it sell very well?"

Tang Long's mouth hung open in disbelief; having spent several months in this entertainment room, he was astonished to discover this place. It seemed that the espionage course he had recently studied had all been for naught

Tang Long knew that today he was going to have bad luck again. For the past few months, every time he saw the instructor holding a teaching stick, he knew it was time for training in strategy and command skills. Tang Long was quite puzzled; he was just an infantryman. While it was understandable to learn combat and espionage skills, weren't these strategic skills typically offered only in staff training camps?

The chief instructor said: "Because for the first time in hundreds of years, she is so close to humans, and for the first time in hundreds of years, she is acting based on her own feelings. In human terms, she is now filled with curiosity and excitement." After finishing, the chief instructor snapped to attention and coldly stated: "Alright, each of you, make repairs. Tomorrow we will continue training Tang Long." The four robots quickly followed suit, snapping to attention and saluting, saying: "Yes!" Meanwhile, Tang Long, who was unaware of his demise, continued to pursue upgrades.

Before long, the door closed, and darkness enveloped the surroundings, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. If it had been the old Tang Long, he would have certainly panicked and cried out. However, after spending a month in the game "Fear," which was akin to a game of death, Tang Long was completely unfazed as he groped his way to sit on the chair, casually putting on the helmet and gloves.

In fact, in front of other players, the guidance program of this "War" is quite normal; only the six machines belonging to Tang Long and his group exhibit some anomalies. The reason is simple: the machine instructor's friend—the Federal Intelligent Computer—serves as the guiding program for these six machines.

The robot, undeterred, continued to ask: "How will the company address and the employees be resolved?"

The machine and the books shook violently, and Tang Long clenched his fists, bringing them down forcefully, shouting, "Yeah!" He then extended his middle finger towards the air in front of him, cursing in a very arrogant tone, "Damn, weren't you chasing me quite enjoyably these past few days? Show me what you've got now, hahahaha..." Before he could finish his curse, his body suddenly stiffened. He abruptly hugged his helmeted head and shouted frantically, "Is this real? You're not lying to me, are you? ... Wow! This is amazing! My level has risen to S rank! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" After saying this, Tang Long stood up, still in a very arrogant tone, cursing, "Damn, weren't you chasing me quite enjoyably these past few days? Show me what you've got now, hahahaha..." Before he could finish his curse, his body suddenly stiffened. He abruptly hugged his helmeted head and shouted frantically, "Is this real? You're not lying to me, are you? ... Wow! This is amazing! My level has risen to S rank! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" After saying this, Tang Long stood up, and without caring that he was in the cockpit, he raised both hands and started dancing, shaking his hips.

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by someone: "Oh, so this game is used to teach Tang Long, huh? Hehe, in this way, the enemies are real people, and since this is a game, Tang Long will be very eager to learn.

The virtual network game "War" has rapidly swept across the entire universe of civilization due to its realistic graphics and settings, as well as its highly flexible control system, making it known to almost everyone. Newspapers from various countries have prominently featured headlines about this unparalleled terminal system. While the system's powerful capabilities have astonished the world, they have also attracted the attention of certain interested parties. This is the first system capable of encompassing the entire universe. Current communication, although quite fast, is limited to domestic contexts, while connections between countries still rely on complex information exchange systems.

With his head hung low, Tang Long followed the instructor, lamenting his unfortunate fate. It was only after they stopped that he realized they had arrived at the entertainment room. Although Tang Long found it strange, he remained silent, merely gazing pitifully at the game consoles, secretly feeling sorry for them. He thought the instructor was going to destroy these things.

The robot, standing in a convex shape, remained motionless, and the green light in its eyes had also vanished; however, their conversation continued. This was conducted directly through the computer.

At this moment, the door slowly began to close, and Tang Long then realized that the five instructors had already taken their seats in the other five cabins, wearing helmets. "No way? Are those officers going to play the game too?" Tang Long muttered to himself while peeking around the door.

Tang Long suddenly remembered that he had inadvertently revealed a popular term he used in online chats before joining the army. Startled, he quickly stood at attention and saluted: "Sir, I apologize. I wanted to know how to handle this thing, and in my eagerness, I misspoke. Please punish me, Sir!" Gritting his teeth, he endured two lashes. Over the past few months, Tang Long had already grasped the behavior of the robots; as long as he apologized and acknowledged his mistake, the punishment would immediately become much lighter.

Unwilling to let his brain cells die any longer, Tang Long immediately voiced his doubts, only to receive the result of three lashes and the instructor's cold words: "A soldier who does not aspire to be a general is not a good soldier. Do you not wish to be a general?" At that moment, the instructor's green eyes were fixed intently on Tang Long.

Unfortunately, his words were interrupted: "But even if we have this game and this terminal, how can we find so many people to play? We cannot produce and distribute it!"

Tang Long adjusted his helmet, but before him was still a sea of darkness. He couldn't help but curse as he fumbled around the helmet, searching for a switch. Unfortunately, apart from countless wires connected to the exterior of the helmet, he could not find a single button. Just as he was about to unleash another round of curses, a glimmer of light slowly appeared before his eyes. After a while, Tang Long realized he was in the universe, surrounded by countless twinkling stars, and the scenery was extraordinarily beautiful

At this moment, in the 23rd Regiment, in the instructor's lounge that Tang Long had never entered, five naked robotic instructors stood motionless, their bodies filled with wires. Behind them was a long row of instruments, with signal lights continuously flashing.

At this moment, a robot said to the leader robot: "Why has our friend become so strange? It seems like a little human girl."

In the cutting-edge Bone Dragon Cloud Galaxy of the Federation, on the planet Haike, within a city at a chain store of the game "War", countless circular pods are arranged in the spacious hall. Due to the popularity of the game "War", there are only a few cities without this game.

The instructor ignored him and coldly stated, "From now until the end of the six-month training period, Private Tang Long is to devote all his time to strategy and command studies, in addition to continuing physical training!" With that, he turned and left

Tang Long was originally mesmerized by the warship before him, listening in a daze. However, upon hearing these numbers, he immediately exclaimed, "Is this a joke! A C-class warship has these configurations? The Federation's C-class warships are several kilometers long, with tens of thousands of crew members, and their main guns and aircraft number in the thousands, not to mention tens of thousands of missiles! How is your classification determined here?" Tang Long was merely venting his frustration, speaking to himself without any expectation that the computer would respond.

The lieutenant beauty asked with a smile, "Commander, have you been in contact with him? Is the leader of the 23TL Legion the one who shot you down? Could there be a mistake?"

The major beauty gritted her teeth and said: "It's him! I contacted him via voice communication, and as soon as he saw my code name, he started shouting about being a defeated opponent, boasting about the scene when he shot me down. But when I challenged him, he just laughed and refused, saying he was too busy to play these games. He didn't even give me a chance for revenge! How infuriating!" Saying this, she kicked the side of the cockpit.

This is quite simple. This terminal and the company were established solely for the purpose of training Tang Long; all we need to do is use his ID card. The woman spoke in a flat tone. Because of this statement, Tang Long inexplicably acquired a network gaming company that enveloped the entire universe for the first time in history. It was also due to this statement that Tang Long became the soldier with the highest investment in new recruit training fees, unmatched by anyone before or after.

The woman clearly showed signs of impatience, and the metallic synthesized voice took on an irritable tone: "Having money doesn't mean everything can be solved. You should know that I control all the computer institutions of the Federation; these are trivial matters."

The chief instructor nodded in satisfaction at Tang Long's reaction and pointed to the circular pods, saying: "These are the latest network game simulators. The name of the game is 'War.' For the next few months, you will learn strategy and command within the game"

Hmph! Indulging in trivial pursuits! It is precisely because he is always engrossed in games that he has not mastered strategy and command in these areas

The robot did not react much to the sudden sound, and the one that spoke merely asked curiously, "Forming a company? That requires money."

The female soldiers, seeing the major beauty fuming, hurriedly approached to comfort her, cursing that 23TL was worthless, a coward for refusing the opponent's challenge, and that there was no need to stoop to his level, among other remarks. The major beauty lifted her head and glared fiercely at the first line of the leaderboard displayed on the hall's screen—"Highest War Achievements: 23TL, Main Ship Level Y, Under Command: 3,542,345 Ships." She couldn't help but snort coldly: "Let me know who you are, and you'll have something to look forward to! Let's go back." Saying this, she led a group of beautiful female soldiers, leaving the gaming hall under the gaze of numerous men.

At this moment, the lieutenant noticed that his superior seemed to be angry not because of the defeat, so he leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice: "Sir, do you know someone named 23TL?"

Suddenly, five three-dimensional images appeared on the screen of the battleship, causing Tang Long to exclaim, as they were the images of the five robotic instructors. Tang Long instinctively stood at attention and saluted: "Good day, Commander!"

Just as Tang Long was about to uncontrollably burst into laughter, the synthesized voice from the computer once again echoed: "Do not rejoice too early. The warships that come to your side in the future may potentially be assassins sent by the enemy. Furthermore, when your forces grow stronger, you will need to assign duties, such as military control, logistical support, enemy surveillance, and the maintenance and management of warships, along with many other tedious tasks. This game is not merely about engaging in battles."

The chief instructor's eyes shone with a fierce green light as he said harshly, "What did you just call yourself? Big brother? Do you think this is a gang?" As he spoke, he lashed out with the whip again.

However, no matter what method we use, that guy Tang Long refuses to absorb any knowledge regarding strategy and command. He would rather go a day without food, endure a few lashes, than memorize that knowledge.

At this moment, a door of the cabin swung open, and a tall woman dressed in a fitted military uniform with golden hair stepped out. She forcefully kicked the cabin with her military-booted foot and angrily exclaimed, "Damn it! Defeated by him again!"

At this moment, Tang Long was already inside the command tower of the C-class warship. He observed the busy virtual crew around the command tower while touching the virtual machines. Whether it was the sense of touch or the visuals, everything made him feel real, too real.