21: Meeting with the Explorers

The rescue team successfully returned to the main starship with the Explorer Squad. The moment the transport lander returned to the cabin, the system's voice rang out crisply, indicating that the mission was complete.

"Beep... Detected that the target personnel have successfully arrived at the fleet. The rescue mission is successfully completed. Mission rewards: 100 military merit, 100,000 star coins. Please check your account."

"military merit?"

Captain Li Yang had often heard Martin mention military merit before, but he wasn't particularly clear about its specific purpose.

"Beep... military merit is a special reward issued by the Imperial Military Department to Imperial Military Officers. Based on the amount of military merit, various abundant resources can be exchanged from the Imperial Military Department."

Although Li Yang didn't quite understand, he could always ask the system. After getting a detailed explanation from the system, Li Yang roughly understood the meaning.

"System, can you show me what can be exchanged with military merit?"

"Beep... Querying the Imperial Military Department's military merit exchange resource library..."

Not long after, a series of detailed resource manifests appeared before Li Yang's eyes. The list was densely packed with various resources, including one item that looked familiar to him.

"imperial type i star destroyer... 10,000 military merit?"

Isn't this the starship he was currently on? It could actually be exchanged for just 10,000 military merit?

Li Yang continued to look at other resources: various models of starships, battle armor, weapon equipment, and so on, a dazzling array. However, the required military merit was quite substantial for all of them.

Looking at his current 100 military merit, Li Yang sighed helplessly, then closed the resource list. He couldn't keep looking; the more he looked, the more envious and greedy he became.

"System, what kind of organization is the so-called Explorer Alliance?"

Li Yang was full of curiosity about this newly heard Explorer Alliance.

"The Explorer Alliance is a legal organization within the Xili Empire, composed of a large number of Explorers. Explorers obtain corresponding rewards by accepting missions dispatched by the Alliance or by independently exploring unknown planets. Most Explorers are not citizens of the Empire, so most of them are not protected by Imperial law."

After listening to the system's explanation, Li Yang had a certain understanding of the Explorer Alliance. It felt exactly like the adventurer guilds described in Blue Star novels.

"Oh, right, Pal, how is that Explorer Squad doing now?"

Only then did Li Yang suddenly realize that he seemed to have forgotten the Explorer Squad.

"Without your command, they are currently waiting in the cabin."

"Bring them over."

"Yes!"

...In the cabin, the members of the Explorer Squad sat together nervously, their eyes constantly and vigilantly observing their surroundings.

"It looks like we should be in a starship's cabin."

Looking at the rows of neatly parked combat aircraft and starships around them, Owen deduced his current location based on his experience.

"Captain, did you see it just now? Several Imperial Military Officers walked past us."

As Pierre's words fell, several people looked in the direction Pierre indicated.

They saw several Imperial Military Officers of the corporal rank standing there, discussing something in low voices. To be honest, with their Squad's composition and experience, this was the first time they had seen so many Xili Empire Imperial Military Officers.

One must know that they were just the most ordinary, lowest-ranked Squad within the Explorer Alliance. It could be seen from their weapon equipment; they didn't even have battle armor with energy conversion functions. Once they lost their starship, even facing a Level 1 civilization could put them in a desperate situation, making it hard to save their lives.

Just as the group was still cautiously discussing in low voices, one of the Imperial Military Officers they had been looking at stepped towards them.

"Hey... why is he coming over? Could it be that he heard us talking about them?"

"It can't be, we just said it casually."

Seeing the Team Members starting to show fear, Owen took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and bravely faced the approaching Imperial Military Officer.

"Captain Li Yang wants to see you. Please follow me."

Just as Owen was mentally prepared to receive insults or even beatings, what the Imperial Military Officer said greatly exceeded their expectations. There were no insults or beatings as imagined, merely an instruction for them to meet the Captain.

Wait... Captain! Owen's eyes instantly widened. Of course, he wasn't the only one; the Team Members behind him were also dumbfounded, their faces full of shock.

Regarding the intelligence about that planet, when they boarded the starship, the Imperial Soldiers had removed and taken their battle armor, and the intelligence was naturally stored within the battle armor.

Since the intelligence had already been submitted, what exactly did this so-called Captain want to see them for?

With uneasy hearts, the group followed the Imperial Military Officer in front, slowly walking towards the Command Room...

"Report, the Explorer Squad has been brought."

"Come in."

As the door to the Command Room slowly opened, the Explorer Squad members hesitantly walked in. As soon as they stepped inside, they saw two Imperial Military Officers in Xili Empire military uniforms standing tall in front of a huge light screen.

"You are the Explorers, aren't you?"

Looking at the group walking in, Li Yang smiled and extended his hand to them in a friendly manner.

Seeing the Imperial Military Officer in front of him extend his hand, Owen instantly froze, as if under a petrification spell, standing motionless in place, muttering unconsciously.

"Human... human?"

Not only was Owen stunned, but the Team Members behind him were also standing rooted to the spot, completely still. One must know that in the Xili Empire, humans were extremely rare, let alone human Imperial Military Officers.

"Ahem..."

Seeing Owen standing there dumbfounded, Pal coughed a few times at the opportune moment, speaking up to remind him.

Snapping back to reality, Owen then realized that he had just ignored the Captain's etiquette in front of him. Cold sweat instantly poured down him, and he quickly grasped Li Yang's outstretched hand with both hands, shaking it repeatedly.

"You... Hello, we are the Explorer Squad. I am Owen, the Captain of this Squad."

Feeling Owen's nervousness, Li Yang also smiled helplessly.

He wasn't some vicious, man-eating monster, so why was the atmosphere so awkward?

"Ahem, let me introduce myself. I am Li Yang, the Captain of this fleet. You can just call me Captain."

"O-okay, Captain!"

Owen quickly straightened his body and gave Li Yang an Imperial salute.

"Ahem, you are not a citizen of the Empire, so this salute cannot be used."

Pal, seeing Owen raise his right fist, also quickly spoke up to remind him.

"Sorry! Sorry! I really didn't know."

Looking at the nervous, even slightly trembling Owen, Li Yang waved his hand helplessly, indicating it was fine.

"Never mind. Let me tell you this: the intelligence you provided has already been reported to the Empire. Until the higher-ups issue other instructions, you are not allowed to leave the fleet. Do you understand?"

"Yes, we will definitely stay here peacefully."

Li Yang had originally thought about chatting with Owen and his group, discussing other interesting things in the universe. After all, as Explorers, they must have been to all sorts of strange and wonderful planets.

But looking at the nervous and frightened expressions of the group, Li Yang thought for a moment and decided it would be better to let them calm down first.