Counterfeit Hero

In the round hall of the Congress. More than ten rows of seats in the ring of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the federal states of Leray were packed to the brim.

The atmosphere was silent and oppressive. In the silence, everyone turned their attention to the podium in the center of the rotunda.

Hamilton stood on the podium looking haggard. The veins swollen involuntarily due to the exertion of the hands on the table. He was trying to stand up straight - at this most critical moment for LeRae, he would never allow himself to be weak.

This is an important consultation. As president, he must tell Congress how important the proposed bill is to LeRae. He was already halfway through his speech, and even though he was tired, he had to keep going.

"Now that it has begun!" Hamilton raised his head, and his voice echoed in the collegial hall: "We must persist! This war was imposed on us by the enemy, and we have no choice! If we want to maintain our independence, To safeguard our glory, to defend our freedom, and to raise the Leray flag as usual every morning, we must resist to the end!"

"Any!..." Hamilton clenched his fist and waved violently, and his strong and firm facial muscles trembled slightly: "No enemy can conquer us! Even if one day, the enemy rushes into the center of Leray Star Territory, if we occupy this place, we will not fail! By passing the bill in front of you, we will have the power to fight them in the entire universe!"

"We lost the Bermuda Star Territory! Millions of soldiers died there. The assembly of the Desik Empire has been completed, and the Sus Empire has arrived at Saliga! Jiepen has captured Rodbia in his hands. . Countless battleships and armored units are flowing into the Bermuda galaxy."

"We must prepare for a rainy day!" Hamilton looked around at the contemplative congressmen. Sincere words: "I know. Everyone here is deeply aware of the current situation. We can even predict that this is a war that the Federation cannot win!"

The MPs were silent. This is Hamilton. It was the first time I said such words in front of everyone. Although this is a private consultation. But. Saying such words on such an occasion is enough to show how bad the current situation is.

"What we are facing are the five major enemy countries in Western Jordan. Desik, Jepen, and Suss. There are also the combined fleets of Binart and Naga stationed in Desik. For three years, we have been in Galileo, in Newton. More than 27 million soldiers died in Bermuda!" Hamilton's voice trembled: "The funds we have spent on this war have exceeded 13 trillion yuan."

"The federal government, to be precise, is on the verge of bankruptcy." Hamilton's lips trembled.

Become the president of this country. It was his proudest achievement. he dreamed. Continue the glory and freedom of this country and make this democratic country more prosperous. However, a war destroyed his dream.

He lowered his head and stared at the table for a long time. Hamilton finally got his emotions under control. He loves this country and his career. But. All of this has now become a nightmare.

"Intelligence shows..." Hamilton raised his head: "The Desik Empire will simultaneously launch a large-scale attack on our central star field and Gacharin's Little Pyrenees star system within a month. This time. In Under the direct leadership of its royal family. They have tried their best.”

"The withdrawal of the Salga Federation has pushed Le Lei to a dead end. Now, the Sous Empire is stationed on the Salga border. It is always ready to jump across the border and launch an attack on them. They have not been able to withdraw from the war. On the contrary, they will swallow this bitter pill."

"This is a lesson learned from the past!" Hamilton said in a heavy tone: "As the federal president, I should bear all the responsibilities for leading this country to where it is today. I don't want to continue the fight, but LeRay, who is caught in the cracks, is like a A small boat sailing in strong winds and huge waves, no choice! No matter which way I turn the helm. What awaits us is destruction."

"Let us pass this bill, and let us put down a small ship before the huge waves come." Hamilton stared ahead: "The team we built with our last strength will be the seed of the LeRay Federation. When we The land is occupied, and when the fleets of Xiyo swarm into the Lere Passage, the Lere Federation, which is forced into exile, will have a force that can continue to fight."

Hamilton's speech ended. In silence, he left the parliamentary chamber silently. What needs to be done has been done, now is the time to choose.

No one from the 35 federal senators and representatives spoke. They just looked at the proposal in front of them quietly.

This is a huge proposal. Including a reserve fund and an almost crazy arms procurement budget.

This is a will!

"The voting begins now!" The speaker presiding over the deliberation gently knocked the hammer: "Dear members, do you have anything to say?"

"I want to say..." After a brief silence, a tall middle-aged congressman stood up and pressed the pass button on the voting machine: "I don't want to leave our property to the invaders - a penny. I don’t want to stay either!

"That's right..." A gray-haired congressman stood up and pressed the pass button equally firmly: "Unfortunately, we can't leave a debt. If we can leave a huge debt, maybe it will make them pay attention to it. There’s less interest in the land.”

Amidst a burst of laughter, the proposal was passed unanimously.

Just as the Leray Congress passed the final bill, there was a different scene in the hall of the Salega Federal Congress.

"You are betraying your country!"

Tolstoy, with his hair and beard sprouting like an old lion, strode into the majestic and gorgeous Salga Federal Congress Hall, wearing his general uniform decorated with medals.

Under his glare, the congressmen who were still huddled together and arguing quickly moved out of the way.

There are many people in this country who don’t know them. There are very few people who don’t know Tolstoy.

"Do you really think that weak concessions can allow us to avoid this war?" The old man was already shaking with anger: "Open your eyes wide and look! Look at the Sussian fleet displayed on our border. Look at it. Look at their guns!"

Although, I know this is a bad decision, but. I thought you were doing your job and that you represented the people of the federal states. It is understandable that the people do not want to fight. We also need to put our power on the national border to resist the threat of the Sussian Empire. ".

"But! I never thought that after this, you would let the Suss Empire requisition Bluestone Star as their forward base to attack the Leray Federation!" Tolstoy yelled angrily: "This has nothing to do with surrender. What's the difference between Siyo and Siyo? You are pushing Salga to a dead end!"

"Isn't it just to let them commandeer a planet as a base for their advance?" A member of parliament argued in a low voice: "This is better than letting the entire country be dragged down by the war. Our current situation is simply unstoppable."

"Fart!" The old man's ears have not failed with age. He is as sharp as a hound: "You idiots who follow the wind! What do you expect to get from Siyo? I tell you, you will get nothing but painful lessons!"

"They are like a group of vampires!" Tolstoy looked away from the cowering face of the congressman with contempt, looked around, and said loudly: "They will be attracted to us, and in our compromises again and again, Suck all our blood! They first asked us to open the airspace for them to use the passage, and now they ask us to rent the forward base. What's the next step?"

"The next step. They will ask for our resources and our production cooperation. They will use various excuses to conflict with us, and then ask us to make concessions and compensations!" Tolstoy's voice almost roared: " And the price we paid for all this bullying was betrayal!"

"Will the Fiji League definitely lose?" The old man's eyes were like knives: "When the Fiji League wins the war, what kind of situation will we be in as a traitorous country and a defeated country? Have you ever thought about it? Even if Western York wins the war, What can we gain? Apart from oppression and partition, do you think those greedy empires will share their victory with you?"

"From the Fei League to Western York. What we are facing is the same war! The Lere people fought for three years, and their losses were ten times and a hundred times as much as ours! But they understand better than us that in this war, there is no retreat or choice at all. .Without lust, there is no rebirth!”

There was dead silence in the halls of Congress.

Dodging in pieces. With numb eyes, Tolstoy left.

"I won't let you succeed! I won't let them succeed either!" The old man's words before leaving were loud and clear.

A moment later, a group of equally indignant congressmen spat on the ground, followed the old man, and walked out of the lifeless Congress hall. They are all staunch opponents of the Lend-Lease Bill, and now they are too lazy to argue with those MPs. That's simply an insult to your own intelligence.

"What does he want to do?" The remaining capitulationists looked at each other.

"Bluff!" Speaker Seve, who had been hiding behind the rostrum, adjusted his clothes unnaturally. In anger, he added: "Alarmist!"

************************************

The Red Beard Pirate Base has been renamed into a bandit base. Of course, this is an internal name, but externally, they still exist as the Red Beard Pirates.

More than 600 Lelei destroyer soldiers and nearly a thousand pirates have been broken up and regrouped, training day and night.

For Leray soldiers, military training is a daily occurrence. But for a group of pirates who were used to being lazy, it was miserable. Even the most capable pirates are a little overwhelmed. However, Tian Xingjian didn't care about this. He wanted to gather combat power in the shortest possible time.

Running, fighting, shooting, battleship maintenance, job drills, simulated battles. Various training programs were fully arranged by the fat man. He wants to use these trainings to occupy all the energy of the pirates. In their tired minds, it’s just

white.

It’s been a long time since these lazy and numb pirates have tasted the feeling of being as tired as a dog...

"Being a pirate! You don't just have to kill people, rob things, drink and gamble every day. You are tarnishing the glorious profession of pirates! If you want to be looked down upon, you have to be feared and make the entire free world crawl on you. at your feet!"

Running next to the training team, looking at the hundreds of pirates mixed in among the Lere warriors. The fat man roared loudly.

"Staying in this dark world without women, eating and waiting to die. Is this the life of a pirate? No! This is the life of a poor man. Pirates should be respected, should live in villas with sea views, and should enjoy life better than nobles More exquisite food, the most expensive and best wine, and the most beautiful women!”

The pirates heard Fatty's words countless times every day, and they could recite them almost verbatim. But. Every time they listen to it, they have different feelings. The change of this feeling changes with their increasingly reduced distracting thoughts.

"Follow me. When one day, your training programs surpass mine, then you don't need to train anymore! I will take you to become the most powerful person in the world! Enjoy what you have never enjoyed before everything!"

No one doubted his words.

Just look at the regiment commander who controls all his life, and the big and small bosses, then look at the silent and obedient Leray soldiers beside him, and look at the battleship in the dock. The pirates would know if this madman could tell. It can be done.

"Pirates! They are desperadoes!" The fat man on the playground was trying his best to tease the pirates all the time. Use all means to defeat these pirates. He stirred up his energy and spirit, and stirred up his murderous aura: "This is our greatest asset! If we want to win respect, we have to risk our lives!"

All the pirates gritted their teeth.

They are the outcasts in the universe. They have no family and no future.

They panted heavily, holding back their burning lungs, dragging their sore and heavy legs to prevent themselves from falling behind - because of fear, because of the future, because of the contemptuous eyes of Le Lei soldiers, and because of this lonely The group has no way out.

"Do you feel the fatigue on your body? That means you are still alive!" The fat man stuck to the side of the team, and while running, he shouted loudly at the pale pirate at the end: "Apart from playing with women, drinking and gambling, let's do it. Let me see what you are really capable of!"

The fat man's roar continued.

The entire base was enveloped in the roar of machines and the sounds of chaotic footsteps. Amidst the intensive gunshots, hoarse commands and his crazy roar.

The camera zoomed out from the fat man into a panoramic view of the training ground.

Helen sighed blankly. Although I hate to admit it. However, whenever she sees the current base, she always feels like tears are filling her eyes. .

Deep in this universe, in a corner far away from LeRae. The fat man was seizing every moment and struggling.

Yes, he incited everyone to struggle desperately.

Helen couldn't figure out what was supporting the roaring fat man in the camera. If it were him, perhaps he would have given up long ago when he was ambushed by the Xijue fleet.

Even if he was lucky enough to arrive at this pirate base alive, he was already in despair when he heard the news that the Salega Federation had withdrawn from the war. Everyone knows what it means to the precarious Lelei Federation to lose the mutual support of Salega at this moment.

Who cares about the outcome of the war? The outcome has already been determined!

If you make your own choice, you can either go all-in and return to Lelei, or you can be an ostrich in this pirate base. Bury your brain in the sand and wait for the dust to settle.

However, this fat man is different.

He worked hard almost stubbornly and paranoidly.

His figure appears in docks, ports and warships, as well as in conference rooms and command rooms. He worked up all night to make plans with the newly formed staff, and discussed the design and modification of space mechas and battleships with mechanics and engineers in the logistics department.

Even if he stayed up all night, he would show up on time at the training ground every day and train with the soldiers. In a few days, he had twisted those lazy and numb pirates and the strong and obedient Lelei warriors into a force. The pirates were still afraid of him, but Helen could clearly feel the fusion between the pirates and LeLei soldiers - it was a spiritual fusion.

The numb pirates began to pay attention to the eyes of Le Lei soldiers, and they began to use actions to win the respect of others. They began to realize that they were no longer the exiles wandering alone in the universe, being beaten and ordered around by bosses, big and small.

In silence, they became more and more capable.

It has been less than three days since this newly formed team made its first attack. .