Today, he wore a crisp Lieutenant Colonel's uniform, the deep blue fabric gleaming with a steady luster under the cold light of the starport.
The single silver bar and two gold stars on his epaulettes had been meticulously polished, and he wore no medals on his chest.
This was a stark contrast to the "young hero" image, laden with honors, portrayed in the Federation's propaganda.
"The fleet is ready, Lieutenant Colonel."
Zhuang ZhiXuan took a step forward, saluted, and reported.
Qin Bei Wang returned the salute, his gaze sweeping over the area below the platform.
Twenty-seven starships were currently docked in the main berth area, arranged in a neat wedge formation.
At the very front was the brand-new battleship, the Kunlun Mountain - Modified. Its hull was thirty meters longer than the original flagship, and its armored slopes had been redesigned.
It presented a matte texture with low observability to optical sensors.
Below the two iconic Sky-Opening-class main cannons on its bow, four new secondary gun arrays had been added.
Behind it were four Gale-Class Cruisers, their streamlined hulls covered with missile silos and point-defense turrets.
Further back were twenty-two Shadowmoon-Class Destroyers. These small but deadly ships guarded the main force like a pack of wolves.
Rows of crew members stood at attention on the broadside of each starship.
The two thousand newly assigned soldiers stood in the front ranks. Most of them were very young, many with faces still filled with excitement and curiosity.
When Qin Bei Wang appeared at the edge of the inspection platform, a slight stir went through the ranks.
"That's Lieutenant Colonel Qin..."
"He looks even younger in person than in the videos..."
"He took out five of the Empire's flagships by himself..."
The whispers couldn't travel in a vacuum, but the excitement and adoration were clearly palpable from the exchanged glances and slightly forward-leaning postures of the soldiers.
Qin Bei Wang watched them in silence for a full ten seconds.
Then, he opened the full-frequency communication.
His tone wasn't that of a passionate speech, but a cold, detached one, like he was reading a battle report.
"Soldiers."
Those two words made all private chatter vanish instantly.
"I've read your files."
Qin Bei Wang's gaze slowly swept across the front ranks.
"Of you, 73% are from rear star domains, and this is your first time on the front line. 41% are new recruits who have just completed basic training and have never truly seen war. Of the rest, the most combat most of you have experienced is chasing away a few smuggling ships during border patrols."
His voice was steady, but each word was like an ice pick.
"So you're excited right now. Because you've seen brand-new starships, you've seen the 'hero' from the propaganda films, and you think you're about to become part of a legend."
Qin Bei Wang paused.
"Let me tell you what war is."
He raised his hand and pointed behind the formation.
Several old ships that had just completed repairs were docked there, their hulls still bearing the scars of battle.
The broadside armor of the Lightning had a hundred-meter-long gash from being melted through, a wound left by a direct hit from an Imperial plasma cannon.
The engine housing of another cruiser was pockmarked with dents, the marks of missile shrapnel impacts.
"War is the three hundred officers and soldiers in that cruiser next to you, whose lives were claimed by vacuum and freezing temperatures within thirty seconds after their shields overloaded. It's the predecessor of this new destroyer beneath your feet, which was snapped in half during the Agbat Star Campaign. When its reactor detonated, the entire ship became a cloud of metallic vapor fifty kilometers in diameter. Not even remains could be found."
A dead silence fell over the platform.
The young soldiers' faces began to turn pale.
"War is knowing that when you press the main cannon firing button, you are ending the lives of several hundred people on another ship. Those people are just like you—they have families, they have dreams, they just wear a different uniform. It's watching your comrades get vaporized by a beam when your bridge is breached, and then continuing to operate the control console because the battle isn't over."
Qin Bei Wang took a step forward.
"There are no heroes in war. Only the living and the dead. And the only reason you are standing here now is that we need more living people to turn more of the enemy into dead people."
He closed the full-frequency communication and switched to an encrypted channel only officers could receive.
"Captains, have your men board their ships. In three hours, we begin the first round of combat exercises. I want to see fire coordination, emergency maneuvers, and damage control. To be conducted under real battlefield standards. Whoever's men make a mistake, whoever's ship takes the highest 'combat loss,' will have an extra eight hours of training tomorrow."
The order was given.
The formation began to disperse in an orderly fashion, but the atmosphere had completely changed.
The earlier excitement and commotion were gone, replaced by a heavy, solemn mood tinged with real fear.
Zhuang ZhiXuan walked to Qin Bei Wang's side and said in a low voice, "Commander, wasn't that... a bit too harsh? They're new recruits, after all."
"New recruits are the ones who need to know the truth," Qin Bei Wang said, watching the backs of the young soldiers as they boarded their ships. "False expectations will get them killed on the battlefield, and their comrades too."
He turned and walked towards the passage leading to the dock area.
"Come on, let's go see our new ship."
The interior of the Kunlun Mountain - Modified was as new as its exterior.
Qin Bei Wang walked down the main corridor, his feet on the anti-static alloy grating. The walls on both sides were neatly lined with pipeline interfaces and emergency panels.
The lighting system had been replaced with a soft, cool white light that provided sufficient brightness without being harsh.
The air circulation system was almost silent, leaving only a very faint hum.
"The hull structure has been strengthened by 15%," the accompanying chief engineer, Wu Tao, explained. He was a technical officer in his early fifties. "The thickness of the main armor belt has been increased, but we've reduced its weight by 8% using new materials. Additionally, we've redesigned the energy pipeline layout, shortening the main cannon continuous firing interval from the original forty-five seconds to thirty-seven."
The group arrived at the bridge.
The changes here were even greater.
The once-crowded control consoles had been reorganized, making the space more open.
The main tactical screen had been changed from a single screen to a surround-type three-sided screen, capable of displaying different situational areas simultaneously.
The chairs at each combat station were now equipped with enhanced shock absorption and life support systems. This meant that even if the hull was hit, the bridge crew would have a higher chance of survival.
"As per your previous request," Wu Tao said, pointing to a new, separate cabin at the rear of the bridge, "we've added a tactical analysis center. Six quantum processors, capable of running battlefield simulations independently without taking up main system resources."
Qin Bei Wang nodded and walked to the captain's seat, placing his hand on the armrest. The seat automatically adjusted its height and angle to fit his body.
"Very good," Qin Bei Wang said, then his tone shifted. "But it's not enough."
Wu Tao was taken aback. "Lieutenant Colonel, you mean..."
"I need several special types of ships."
Qin Bei Wang brought up the holographic design interface and began to sketch rapidly.
"First, a high-speed reconnaissance ship. No heavy firepower, no heavy armor, you can even weaken the shields. Put all the saved mass and energy into the engines and sensors."