82: Chapter 82: Triumphant Return to Camp! The soldiers at the front cheered for him.

Polaris drove back into the docking area of the Black Rock City-State at 11:20 AM.

The moment the engine switched to idle, the atmosphere in the docking area was completely different from when he had departed.

When he left in the early morning, only a few guards on duty were patrolling the area, the lights were a warm yellow, and it was very quiet.

Now, at least thirty people were standing on the steel-plated ground.

There were orderlies in gray uniforms, Staff Department officers in dark blue military attire, and several patrol vehicle drivers wearing rough cold-weather gear.

As soon as the sound of Polaris's tracks crushing onto the steel-plated ground of the docking area rang out, the crowd's gazes turned in unison.

Someone started clapping.

Scattered applause erupted from the crowd, immediately drowned out by more clapping and shouts.

"It's Polaris! That vehicle is back!"

"Did you hear? He took out fourteen Snow Shard Gang combat vehicles in just one morning!"

"Fourteen? Just his one vehicle?"

"Battalion Commander Zhao said so over the comms, and the outpost confirmed it—the Icebreaker Swarm was beaten back!"

Cheers and discussions echoed beneath the steel dome of the docking area.

Polaris slowly drove into an independent parking bay, and the engine cut out.

Lu Chen sat in the driver's seat, looking at the excited faces outside through the porthole, his expression unchanged.

The communicator rang; it was on Lin Xiao's frequency.

"Brother Lu Chen!"

This was the umpteenth time he had heard that booming voice today.

"Back already?"

"Back."

"Hahahaha!"

That laughter made the speaker in the communicator vibrate.

"Fourteen! In one morning, you devoured fourteen combat vehicles of the Icebreaker Swarm plus three elite reinforcements! Grey Bee took the remaining vehicles and ran!"

"Let me tell you, I just finished reading Zhao Tiezhu's battle report; that old guy has never seen a fighting style like this in his entire life!"

"What exactly were his words again?"

Lin Xiao cleared his throat and recited it, imitating Zhao Tiezhu's tone.

"Polaris single-handedly broke into the flank of the Icebreaker Swarm, wiped out three peripheral squads and one reinforcement formation in forty minutes, and destroyed fourteen Lv.2 combat vehicles. The enemy did not cause any effective damage to Polaris."

He paused for a beat, then recited the last sentence while suppressing a laugh.

"Recommend the City Lord include this battle example in the Staff Department's teaching case library."

"Hahahaha! Teaching case library!"

Lin Xiao laughed for ten seconds before catching his breath.

"Brother Lu Chen, do you know why there are so many people standing in the docking area?"

"No."

"Because Zhao Tiezhu's battle report was sent back via the Staff Department channel, and after hearing it, everyone from the Staff Department ran down to see your vehicle."

"Once the news spread, the orderlies and patrol vehicle crews downstairs ran down too."

"You are currently the most famous newcomer in the Black Rock City-State."

Lu Chen picked up his thermos and took a sip of water.

"I don't care about fame."

"I know you don't," Lin Xiao's laughter subsided, "but there is one thing you must care about."

"What is it?"

"Several of the patrol vehicle drivers on the front lines just rotated back from the buffer zone."

Lin Xiao slowed his speaking pace by half a beat.

"They saw the scale of the Icebreaker Swarm with their own eyes and heard your battle report as relayed by Zhao Tiezhu."

"They were originally very tense about the main force of the Snow Shard Gang attacking."

"The results you achieved this morning are more effective than a hundred inspiring words."

"To them, having a combat vehicle parked next to the Black Rock City-State that can take on fourteen Lv.2s single-handedly is the strongest source of confidence."

Lu Chen didn't reply and placed the thermos back in the cup holder.

"City Lord Lin Xiao, when will the Ice-Rift Swarm arrive?"

Lin Xiao's tone became heavy.

"Latest estimates, around six o'clock this evening."

"Is White Bone leading the team personally?"

"Leading it personally, with over thirty combat vehicles plus three heavy transport vehicles mounted with 105mm howitzers."

Lu Chen rubbed his thumb against the metal handle of the control stick.

"Adding the nine remaining from the Icebreaker Swarm, that's about forty vehicles in total."

"Just about."

"Can the iron wall plus twenty patrol vehicles hold up against a mass charge of forty vehicles?"

"We can't hold up against a frontal assault."

Lin Xiao took a breath.

"You've read the files on White Bone's tactics: full speed ahead without slowing down, willing to destroy their own vehicles to ram their way in. The iron wall's ten 105mm cannons can take out at most five to eight vehicles before they reach us; the rest will roll right over us."

"So?"

"So the iron wall cannot take a direct hit; we need to fight a mobile battle."

"Is the iron wall's mobility sufficient?"

"It's enough; top speed is twenty-five, which is a bit faster than the Ice-Rift Swarm's heavy transport vehicles."

"If you are fighting a mobile battle, you need someone who can stab a knife into the Ice-Rift Swarm's charging formation."

Lin Xiao was silent for two seconds.

"You mean you want to go out again?"

"The wreckage of over thirty combat vehicles from the Ice-Rift Swarm holds a lot of value for me."

Heavy breathing came from Lin Xiao over the communicator.

"Brother Lu Chen, are you fighting a war or doing business?"

"Is there a difference?"

Lin Xiao laughed again. This time the laughter was short, filled with helplessness and admiration.

"Six o'clock in the evening, the Ice-Rift Swarm arrives at the buffer zone. Before that, you rest, recharge, and resupply ammo; leave at 5:30."

"Okay."

"Also, the reinforcements I promised you have already set off. The iron wall plus the original ten and the new ten patrol vehicles makes twenty Lv.2s in the buffer zone."

"Plus Polaris."

"Plus you, twenty-one."

"No."

Lu Chen gripped the steering wheel with one hand.

"City Lord Lin Xiao, Polaris is the knife that will stab into the Ice-Rift Swarm's formation."

The other end of the communicator was silent for three seconds.

"Okay."

"See you this evening."

The communicator cut off.

Lu Chen turned off the engine completely, and the Ray Cannon began to charge. It would be fully charged in six hours with three shots on standby, just in time for the evening battle.

"City Lord, the Cabbage will be ready to harvest by four in the afternoon." Lin Wan's voice came from the planting area, holding a glass tube used to measure nutrient solution concentration.

"Mm."

"Would you like to sleep for a while first?"

Lu Chen glanced at the wall clock; it was 11:30, six hours until departure.

"Sleep for two hours; wake me at 1:30."

"Okay."

He reclined the driver's seat and closed his eyes.

The 20-degree constant-temperature air circulated evenly throughout the cabin.

The faint sound of Lin Wan turning over the Cultivation Boxes came from the planting area.

Above the steel beams overhead, the 120 cannons of the Black Rock City-State stood silently at the ready.

Polaris was charging quietly in the docking area. The energy storage indicator light of the Ray Cannon climbed up, one bar at a time.