Chapter 4 : You Are My Medicine
Huo Shaoheng bowed slightly and spoke into the microphone on the podium, “Yes, it’s only natural that you didn’t know. The Sixth Military Region was born out of the expansion from the Special Operations Forces reporting directly to the military. It was never meant to be an amulet under the sunlight, but rather the protector of light and existing solely in the dark. In terms of division of authority– aside from the regions and affairs under the jurisdiction of the 5 Major Military Regions–all other regions and affairs are to be under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Military Region.”
This was the result of the compromise between the five Major Military Regions and the Central Military. Huo Shaoheng had been transferred from the Central Military to specially undertake in forming the Sixth Military Region.
“What? Major General Huo, are you mistaken? As far I know, the five Major Military Regions encompass the entire country. There is not an inch of land left. May I ask where your jurisdiction lies?” Another senator in his forties, but with a belly as large as a woman who is five months pregnant, grew more more dubious and tapped the table with his pen. He read the appropriation report Huo Shaheng had submitted and shook his head.
“How can there not be?” Huo Shaoheng picked up the laser pointer on the podium and turned around. Behind him, a topographic map of the Empire appeared on the enormous electronic display as programmed.
Huo Shaoheng pointed the laser pointer towards the topographical map on display and circled the territory. He calmly stated, “You see? Everything beyond this territory is under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Military Region.”
The senators straightened in their seats with shock. “But Major General Huo, are you sure? Those are foreign territories.”
“Correct.” A twitch suspiciously resembling a smile appeared on Huo Shaoheng’s passive face. “Any land not belonging to the Empire is under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Military Region. The Sixth Military Region is the Empire’s army, and only observes the law and order of the Empire.”
“Simply stated, we take over anything the five Major Military Regions cannot do, but should do. The Sixth Military Region, like the previous Special Operations Forces, is not required to report to the Senate, but only to to the Supreme Military Council.” Huo Shaoheng tapped the laser pointer in his hand and shut off the topographical map on the enormous electronic display.
Huo Shaoheng placed his hands behind him and set his feet apart in standard military stance on the podium, an air of extreme fierceness about him.
He displayed a mettle unlike that of ordinary soldiers. It was the lethal air of someone who had not only truly experienced large scale and bloody slaughter, but also frequented battlefields.
However large scale warfare had not occured on Blue Planet for over seventy years, so where did this Major General Huo get his lethality from?
The Great Assembly Hall buzzed with noise and senators looked at each other, whispering to discuss the sudden appearance of the Sixth Military Region.
“In conclusion, the Sixth Military Region inherits the mission of the Special Operations Forces in order to protect the interests of the Empire’s citizens on Blue Planet. Although there are only six key members, each one has the support of tens of thousands. Every operation requires the transfer of a large number of resources, and cross operations with other countries have been increasing. Therefore, the formal establishment of the Military Region is necessary.”
The senators pondered deeply and kept quiet, but they all knew this implicated the Empire’s increasingly substantial foreign interests.
Very quickly, buttons indicating agreement of the appropriation finally lit up row by row.
The Upper House of the Imperial Senate comprised one hundred members. With 90-8 votes in favour and two votes forfeited, the bill supporting appropriation of 10 years of military expenditure for the Sixth Military Region was passed.
I have finally succeeded!
Huo Shaoheng shifted slightly, his military stance ramrod straight as he snapped his feet together. He gave the senators a military salute and left the Great Assembly Hall unhurriedly.
Once he stepped out, he saw one of his orderlies who immediately said, “Grey Shadow is ready and outside on the hangar.”
Huo Shaoheng nodded his head and strode outside.
The female interns of the Upper House of the Imperial Senate were extremely excited but dared not to follow him. They pumped their fists at his back and exclaimed, “Major General Huo is the greatest!”
“Major General Huo! I’m your biggest fan! Do you have Weibo? Will you follow for follow?”
Huo Shao Heng’s face was still like water as he continued to take large strides away from the Senate and ignored the voices of the female interns behind him.
By the time he sat in Grey Shadow–the military’s newest supersonic bat-style fighter jet–his brows were knitted together.
The orderly dared not ask him what was the matter, but quickly sat beside him and put on his helmet to be ready as Huo Shaoheng’s co-pilot.
Grey Shadow quickly ascended into the night sky and emitted an explosive sound like dry thunder. Snow-white vapor appeared almost instantaneously behind the phantom-grey body of the aircraft.
Like a black bat that had just flown out from the clouds of a garden in the heavens, it immediately disappeared into the night sky.
The orderly sat tensely next to Huo Shaoheng and stared at the rapidly changing cloud layers whizzing around the aircraft, the speed was enough to spin heads.
The flight instrument recording flight data was chattering with noise, and in a hidden underground research and development room in another corner of the Empire, the technians monitoring Grey Shadow’s flight data were shaking with excitement.
As expected, Huo Shaoheng was the Empire’s ace pilot!
While in Huo Shaoheng’s hands, Grey Shadow’s data continued to climb and exceed their expectations!
“Success!”
“Success!”
“Success!”
When Grey Shadow indicated it had successfully landed, the technicians couldn’t hold themselves back from jumping out of their seats to cheer. Their voices shook the roof and they threw everything possible into the air.
The control room was full of cheering and laughter, and many brought in champagne to celebrate.
At the same moment, Huo Shaoheng was undoing his helmet and seatbelt. He alighted from Grey Shadow and walked while speaking into his bluetooth headset. “Call Chen Lie.”
The bluetooth headset with call capabilities automatically dialed Chen Lie’s number.
“Chen Lie, how are things? Is Nianzhi any better?”
“Major Huo? You’re here? That’s great! I’m out of ideas, come quick! Things aren’t good.” Chen Lie looked at the phone with great relief. “We’re at the infirmary in the C City military base.”
Huo Shaoheng made a direct turn and headed towards the infirmary building.
“Major Huo is back?!”
“Major Huo!”
“Major Huo!”
Everyone at the base was accustomed to calling him Major Huo. He had not yet been a Major General when he formed the Special Operations Forces, and he was close with the people here. The name Major Huo gave him a sense of family.
Huo Shaoheng nodded his head, his eyebrows slightly relaxed as he quickly walked to the second floor of the infirmary building.
Chen Lie emerged from the room. He was a twenty-something, plump young man. He was not tall, wore black framed glasses; and his eyes, nose, and even mouth were round.
His round body was cloaked in his white doctor’s lab coat, his round face flushed, and his forehead at the moment was covered with sweat.
Chen Lie took a handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat off his face and pointed to inside the room. “Nianzhi is inside. Quick, go see her. You’re her guardian, so you can make the call now that you’re here.”
Huo Shaoheng had never seen Chen Lie so terrified, yet uncomfortable.
He pursed his lips and quickly strode inside the room.
Nianzhi was tied up like a sticky rice dumpling, curled up on the sofa in the corner.
Her consciousness was completely blurred; she only felt countless feathers gently caressing her. Her entire body was starving with desire, shaky moans escaping from her throat, and she twisted and moved madly like a small beast.
Listening to her lustful sounds, Huo Shaoheng felt his scalp go numb again. He turned to Chen Lie coldly. “What on earth is going on? Didn’t you give her the antidote?”