Starforce Warriors

Chapter 106: Commendation Order And Subsidies

Chapter 106: Commendation Order And Subsidies

The young woman's features were so exquisitely delicate that she seemed carved from the finest white jade by a master artist. The bright red blood at the corner of her mouth only enhanced her ethereal beauty.

But before Li Xiaofei could take a closer look, the battle angel suddenly regained consciousness. Her powerful starforce qi exploded outward, sending Li Xiaofei flying dozens of meters away and crashing heavily to the ground.

She glanced at Li Xiaofei through her visor, memorizing his face. A moment later, she vanished from the spot.

"Boss, are you okay?"

"Protect the boss!"

The Cloudy Sky Gang members quickly surrounded him.

One of the more impulsive members even threw his large sword in the direction the battle angel had disappeared, shouting, "Damn it, hurt our boss, if you dare, don't run, I'll cut you down!"

Li Xiaofei shook his head, "I'm fine."

He circulated his starforce to calm the chaotic qi within him and swallowed a mouthful of blood that had risen to his throat. The battle angel was ridiculously strong. Just a slight release of her starforce qi had sent him flying. Thankfully, she hadn't intended to harm him, so he was only slightly injured.

Li Xiaofei looked at the impetuous member who had just spoken, "What's your name?"

This was the first time the brash member was talking to his idol boss, so he shyly scratched the back of his head and said, "Boss, my name is Li Junjie. I really admire you."

Pak.

Li Xiaofei smacked him on the forehead. "You’ve got guts to challenge a military expert. Are you tired of living?"

The brash member hung his head in shame.

Li Xiaofei glanced at Chu Yuntian and asked, "What's his current position?"

Chu Yuntian quickly responded, "Hunting team member."

"So, he's just a grunt?" Li Xiaofei said, "Promote him to Red Pole."

There was an instant uproar. Going from an ordinary grunt to a Red Pole was a significant leap in the gang's hierarchy. Li Junjie stood in a daze as he tried to convince himself he wasn’t dreaming.

Pak.

Chu Yuntian smacked him on the forehead. "You fool, lost your mind? Hurry up and thank the boss."

Li Junjie immediately dropped to his knees and loudly exclaimed, "Thank you, boss. The sunrise incense brings purple smoke, the boss is my sky. The sunrise river flowers redder than fire, without the boss, there's no me... "

Li Xiaofei kicked him over. "Damn it, I made you a Red Pole, not a scholar. Stop quoting poetry."

The brash member grinned as he climbed to his feet. "I’m just too excited... "

"What are you talking about?" Chu Yuntian's face turned green with anger, raising his hand for another slap.

Li Xiaofei quickly intervened. "That's enough, don't hit him again. He'll really get brain damage if you keep at it."

"Work hard. You're the first Red Pole I've promoted, so don't embarrass me."

Li Xiaofei patted his shoulder. "Cultivate diligently, improve your strength, and follow your boss to achieve great things."

He tossed Li Yunjie a bottle of blue Starforce Reagent. This third-generation purified Starforce Reagent was useless for him. He needed fourth-generation purity to affect his starforce qi cultivation. Li Xiaofei had noticed Li Junjie during the battle. He was brave and had a strong sense of loyalty. He’d risked his life several times to save his comrades. He was also decently strong and was around the fourth stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

The fact that he had stood out in such a short time after Li Xiaofei shared the martial arts techniques indicated good cultivation talent. More importantly, although he wasn't very smart, he was incredibly loyal. Even a fool could see that the battle angel was a formidable and important military figure. Yet this guy dared to curse her out for Li Xiaofei’s sake. Such talent needed to be nurtured.

"Yes, boss, thank you, boss," Li Junjie kept repeating. He felt like he was in a dream and was dazed and overwhelmed with gratitude.

The gang members around them looked on with envy, their eyes red with jealousy. At that moment, they heard an engine rumbling as officer Wu Junzhuang arrived in an open-top rugged military jeep.

After surveying the battlefield, Wu Junzhuang's face revealed a hint of shock. He hadn't expected the Cloudy Sky Gang to not only successfully defend the supply elevator entrance but also kill so many star beasts, the Mole Crows with zero casualties. This gang's strength was not to be underestimated.

"Thank you for your hard work," Wu Junzhuang saluted everyone. "On behalf of the Liuhe Base City garrison, I express our highest gratitude to you."

Clap, clap, clap.

The other soldiers also saluted in unison. Their gazes toward these gang members were filled with respect.

***

It was already past four in the morning when they returned to the slum. Everyone was exhausted but also exhilarated. This experience was something many of them had never gone through in their entire lives.

They had never helped the soldiers defend the city walls and contributed to the survival of the base city. It was their first time making a meaningful contribution to the city. An unprecedented sense of pride lingered in everyone's hearts.

When Li Xiaofei got home, his aunt was still awake. The room's lights were on and the food on the table was steaming hot.

“Eat up,” his aunt urged, turning to 'look' at him. “You must be exhausted, right?”

She resembled a gentle wife waiting for her husband to return from a night shift. Even the scars on her face seemed to fade significantly under the soft orange light.

Li Xiaofei immediately shed the mature and steady demeanor of a gang leader and grinned, "I’m not tired at all, Little Aunt. You should have seen my heroic stance on the battlefield. Even the officers on the city wall saluted me in the end."

He sat at the dining table and began devouring the food. He was indeed quite hungry.

His aunt tilted her head slightly and rested her chin on one hand as she spoke softly, "Everyone else stayed back, but you led your gang to play the hero. What if you got hurt?"

Li Xiaofei chuckled, "A warrior trains to gain enough strength to protect their home and country. If I turned a blind eye when our home is in danger, wouldn't that make me no different from an animal?"

His aunt sighed, "You always have so many principles."

Li Xiaofei spoke earnestly, "I mean every word. This is also my goal in cultivating. A warrior must have a heart for the greater good and can't be a selfish, self-centered person. If everyone only cares about their own little corner and ignores the troubles of others, our country is doomed, and humanity will eventually perish."

His aunt reached out and gently stroked Li Xiaofei's hair.

This young man has a burning passion in his heart. He carries a spirit that can inspire countless others. Perhaps that is why he became the only respected leader in the slum in such a short time.

His aunt thought of many things. She didn't want to lecture Li Xiaofei. She only hoped that Li Xiaofei could keep his principles through the storms of the future. She hoped that no matter what he encountered, he would never regret it.

After finishing his meal, Li Xiaofei went to bed. He undressed then lay down for a massage. After having expended a great deal of mental and physical energy in the city wall battle, Li Xiaofei fell asleep without realizing it. He didn't know how much time had passed.

Suddenly, the urgent ringing of his light core woke him up.

"Hmm?"

Li Xiaofei snapped awake. He turned his head to look, but his aunt was not in the room. The morning light streamed through the window, and it seemed like a nice day outside. He answered the call.

"Hello, President Li. This is Wu Junzhuang. The commendation order and subsidies for assisting in the city defense last night have been approved by command. Congratulations... Additionally, there is a very important matter that needs to be discussed with you in person."