MTLNOVEL Chapter 310 - Request
At the other end of the long table—on the side facing away from the main doors—stood quite a few people. Aside from the person seated at the central position, there were at least four or five others standing beside him, all with ranks of lieutenant or higher; in fact, two of them were field-grade officers.
Seated in the main position was a young man with pale, cold skin, sharp and intense eyes, and striking, defined features. From his very presence emanated a fierce, battle-hardened aura forged through countless trials of blood and fire. Yet beneath his eye was a faint, mist-like mole that lent a touch of softness to his otherwise severe appearance. He wore a dark green active-duty military uniform, crisp and proper. Though there weren’t many medals on him, the insignia at his collar marked him as a lieutenant colonel.
He was the only guest permitted to take a seat. Everyone else, regardless of rank, could only stand respectfully at the side—this alone was enough to show his status.
“Lieutenant Colonel Zong,” Zhou Yuanjing gave a slight nod to the visitor. “Welcome.”
As one of the Empire’s former Seven Marshals and now its lifelong Honorary Commander, Zhou Yuanjing was a man of status few could match—past or present. The fact that he was personally sitting here to receive this guest already spoke of an extraordinarily high level of courtesy. Clearly, this Lieutenant Colonel Zong was not just an ordinary officer.
But even with just a slight nod, everyone present knew it was not a gesture they themselves could ever hope to receive.
Many among them had grown up hearing stories about this man, had followed in his footsteps with admiration to join the military. The century of peace under this sky had relied so much on his blood and sacrifice. Someone like that—even if he was no longer Marshal Zhou—was still their hero. None of them dared, nor wished, to accept such a gesture of respect from him.
All of the visiting officers, including the seated Lieutenant Colonel Zong, rose and removed their caps halfway in a gesture of respect.
Zhou Yuanjing’s expression remained calm as he watched the group of young soldiers offer their salute in their own way. Only after they sat back down did he continue, “I’ve read the report you submitted, and I’ve also contacted the Central Star System to confirm. There’s no problem—you are authorized to proceed.”
That was the official green light. Some among the group seemed to breathe a quiet sigh of relief, though whether from that or something else was unclear. But before their relief could settle, Zhou’s tone shifted as he added, “However—”
However?
“I understand the operational plan you’ve submitted, and it is indeed the most opportune time to apprehend the target. But you must remember—Angel is an awakened individual rated at S+ in his final classification. During active service, he had countless merits—though most were not from front-line combat, a closer look at his record shows he is highly skilled at concealment and self-preservation. He’s ruthless, and his methods are extremely sharp.”
“If he’s cornered or forced into a desperate situation, he may pose a serious threat to the spectators present at the event. While all of you can rely on your mecha and weapons for protection, most of the crowd will be unarmed civilians. Should chaos erupt, the casualties could be devastating. So unless you’re absolutely sure, I urge you to prioritize evacuation and the protection of innocent bystanders during the operation.”
Zhou Yuanjing’s message was clear. His tone was grave, a warning more than a suggestion—stern, and demanding.
Even so, none of the young officers on the other side showed the slightest dissatisfaction. The seated Lieutenant Colonel Zong nodded seriously in acknowledgment.
“There’s a second matter…” Zhou paused briefly, as if uncertain whether to say what came next, but quickly composed himself again. “Though I remain connected to the Central Star System’s Military Intelligence Bureau and still oversee certain affairs, I no longer serve as a marshal, and I should not be interfering with frontline execution tasks. But given the importance of this mission, the dangerous nature of the target, and the threat he poses to the Empire’s security—I feel obligated to speak. Please forgive me for overstepping.”
“…” Lieutenant Colonel Zong did not speak, only gave a slight bow, signaling that he was listening carefully.
Zhou Yuanjing didn’t seem to care whether the young officers responded. He continued on his own, “Although I haven’t had much personal interaction with Angel in the past, I have met him a few times. From the various intelligence reports, I know he’s extremely meticulous and calculated, leaving almost no room for error in his actions. He’s highly skilled at securing an escape route for himself—but at the same time, he’s also someone incredibly arrogant and addicted to risk…”
That part was definitely true.
The young officers across from him silently nodded in agreement. Thinking it over, that man really was strange. Someone like him, with secrets to hide and a career spent as a spy—after pulling off something this big—should have laid low after retirement. Ideally, he would have staged his own death, shedding his identity and vanishing without a trace, perfectly slipping past the Empire’s pursuit.
But he didn’t. Even after completing the operation, he didn’t bother to lay low and instead lingered around the area.
Though he left no direct trace himself, one of the agents he’d been in contact with slipped up—and that was enough for the military to lock onto him and begin close pursuit.
This time, in order to maintain absolute secrecy during the operation, the military didn’t use standard procedures. Instead, they directly activated a highly trusted and elite special operations unit under the Third Legion. The team operated in total isolation from outside channels, reporting only to top military leadership. The mission: capture the final remaining participant involved in stealing classified information.
And just when the military had ensured that no leaks had occurred, Angel did something inexplicable—he entered a public mecha tournament. If it wasn’t part of some deeper scheme, then it was as if he had personally dropped a pin on his location for the military to find him.
Yet this seemingly foolish man, together with only two other covert agents, had managed to steal encrypted Imperial data—and for a time, even left the military powerless to respond.
Worse still, the stolen data included the core intelligence behind a critical military operation. There was no way the Empire’s military and political leadership could remain passive.
So they launched a pursuit that stretched from the Central Star System all the way to Star 732. Two of the main participants had already been taken down—only one remained: the disguised Angel.
Even though the operation was nearing its end, the military felt no relief—only greater unease. Because in the course of hunting the three traitors, they had inadvertently uncovered a vast dark web of rebel influence woven into the Empire. The scale, the range of industries involved, and the identities—both known and hidden—of those entangled in it were deeply alarming.
How many more of these rebel operatives and covert networks were still buried in the darkness of the Empire… no one could say. What they had uncovered was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
For now, they could only use this rare opportunity to feel along the edges of that network, doing their best to dig out as much intelligence as possible.