NOVEL NEXT chapter 431 - Ice Pole Pass Guardian
The headquarters of the Imperial Military Department is located in the core region of Donghuang Prefecture. From a distance, the entire complex resembles a dormant steel behemoth, radiating awe-inspiring majesty.
Hundreds of silver-gray metal buildings soared into the sky. The tallest main tower pierced the clouds, its surface covered with energy shield interfaces and defensive cannon arrays.
Surrounding the complex was a ten-meter-high alloy wall. Patrol soldiers stood guard every ten meters, holding high-precision energy weapons, their gazes sharp as eagles.
All Aircraft and vehicles attempting to enter the complex had to stop at the entrance checkpoint and undergo multiple layers of scanning; no suspicious energy fluctuations could escape detection.
Qin Tian was dressed in a Major General's uniform; the gold stars on his epaulets shone brightly in the sun, and the imperial glory medal pinned to his chest was particularly conspicuous.
As soon as he reached the entrance checkpoint, two guards stepped forward and raised their hands to stop him: "Please show your identification."
Qin Tian took out his Major General Officer ID and handed it over.
The soldier took the document and inserted it into a specialized scanning device. The screen instantly displayed his personal information, rank level, and appointment records. When they saw the notation for the "imperial glory medal," a trace of respect flashed in the eyes of the two soldiers. They immediately stood at attention and gave Qin Tian a standard military salute: "General Qin!"
"I am here at the Military Department to complete my onboarding procedures," Qin Tian explained his purpose.
The soldier on the left looked troubled, his tone respectful yet firm: "Apologies, General Qin. This place operates on a Pass system. Since this is your first visit and your Pass has not been entered into the system, we cannot grant direct entry according to regulations. We need to contact the Seventh Bureau to confirm your identity and have someone from the Seventh Bureau come to escort you."
Qin Tian nodded in understanding. As the military core of the Empire, the Imperial Military Department's security rules were inherently strict, and he did not make things difficult for them: "Understood. Please contact them as quickly as possible."
The soldier immediately reported via the Communicator. Three minutes later, steady footsteps sounded from inside the complex.
Qin Tian looked up and saw a man in a Lieutenant General's uniform walking quickly towards him. He was tall and straight, with a cold, stern face, and a hint of sharpness in his brows.
The man walked up to the checkpoint, his gaze sweeping over Qin Tian before finally resting on the imperial glory medal on his chest. His eyes moved almost imperceptibly, and then he spoke, his voice carrying a metallic coldness: "Qin Tian, I am Yang Zheng of the Seventh Bureau. Follow me."
"Yes!" Qin Tian responded.
Yang Zheng said nothing more and turned to walk toward a metal building deep inside the complex.
Qin Tian followed closely, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings—the exterior walls of the buildings were engraved with intricate Runes, and the entrances were equipped with double energy detection gates. The soldiers passing by had ranks no lower than Colonel, moving quickly but orderly.
The two entered the building. When taking the exclusive elevator, Yang Zheng swiped his card again for authorization and pressed the button marked "76"—the second-to-last floor of the entire building.
The elevator ran smoothly and silently, reaching the destination in just a moment. The instant the door opened, a rich Spiritual Energy aura rushed out, clearly indicating that the space on this floor had been specially modified by a Spiritual Energy Array Formation.
Leaving the elevator, Yang Zheng stood in front of an office door. After verifying his identity again, he pushed the door open and gestured: "Go inside."
Qin Tian stepped into the office, his gaze quickly surveying the room—it was not large, about twenty square meters, and the decor was simple, almost spartan. There were no superfluous decorations, only a dark brown solid wood desk placed against the wall, a high-backed office chair behind it, and two guest chairs in front of it.
Although the furnishings were simple, Qin Tian understood immediately: to have a private office in the Imperial Military Department Headquarters, and located on the second-to-last floor, was enough to show that Yang Zheng's status was far beyond that of an ordinary Lieutenant General.
"Have a seat," Yang Zheng gestured to the guest chairs in front of the desk.
After the two sat down, Yang Zheng skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point: "I have fully understood your situation. Without further ado, I am now announcing your official transfer order on behalf of the Seventh Bureau Headquarters."
He took out a gold-embossed file from the drawer and handed it to Qin Tian.
As Qin Tian picked up the file, Yang Zheng's voice continued: "Following joint deliberation and decision by the Military Department and the Seventh Bureau, you are formally appointed as the Garrison Commander of Bingji Pass on Pluto, to fully preside over all work within Bingji Pass, including military affairs, administration, and resource development."
"Bingji Pass? Garrison Commander?" Qin Tian's fingers, holding the file, paused slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Within the Empire's system, military and political powers have always been separate. The military is responsible for planetary defense and security guards, while administration is governed by local Administrative Bodies. The core purpose of this system is to restrict excessive power in any single party, especially tightly controlling the military's influence.
However, the position of "Garrison Commander," as the name implies, requires coordinating military construction, managing security and defense, and overseeing daily administration—essentially combining military and political authority, making the holder no different from a regional Feudal Lord.
The Seventh Bureau valued him this highly? Giving him such a powerful position immediately upon transfer? Qin Tian was very surprised.
Yang Zheng seemed to see his doubts but offered no further explanation. Instead, he picked up a blue-covered Dossier from the desk and handed it over: "This is the detailed information for Bingji Pass, including the current garrison size, personnel composition, developed areas, and pending matters. Familiarize yourself with it quickly on the way, and head directly to Pluto after reading it."
He paused, then added: "The Donghuang Prefecture Stargate Hub has already entered your identity information. You can travel directly to Pluto via the dedicated Stargate without going through the regular approval process. Furthermore, your work at Bingji Pass in ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the future will not require reporting to other departments; you will liaise directly with me."
With that, Yang Zheng brought up his private StarNet Contact Code and displayed it in front of Qin Tian.
Qin Tian added Yang Zheng's StarNet contact method, stood up, and gave a standard military salute: "Sir, I will depart for Pluto now."
Yang Zheng nodded slightly, watching him turn and leave.
Only after the office door was completely closed did he pick up the Communicator on the desk, press an Encrypted Channel, and then stand up and walk toward the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor.
The top floor had only one private room, with no markings on the door.
Yang Zheng swiped his card to enter. The light in the room was soft, and a tall figure stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window—it was Marshal Lin, one of the Ten Great Marshals of the Empire.
Marshal Lin had his back to him, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window, where Qin Tian's receding figure could be seen.
Yang Zheng stepped forward, his tone carrying some confusion: "Marshal Lin, since you value Qin Tian, why send him to Bingji Pass instead of letting him directly replace Lu Yuan?"
Marshal Lin's tone was calm: "Soul Splitting Ice Valley has long been completely controlled by the Rahu Family. Sending anyone to take over that mess will not allow them to escape the Rahu Family's constraints."
"That's why I am having Qin Tian start fresh at Bingji Pass. That area of Pluto was developed later, and various forces have not yet fully established roots there. It's the perfect opportunity for him to build a new force entirely his own, free from the constraints of the old structure."
"But in that case, our previous investment—" Yang Zheng's brow remained tightly furrowed as he raised a new concern. "Moreover, Qin Tian's identity certainly won't be hidden from the Rahu Family. Given the Rahu Family's style of doing things, they will surely try every means to suppress our person. Qin Tian lacks a powerful background and resource support. Can he truly handle this heavy responsibility?"
Marshal Lin said lightly: "Someone who can grow from an ordinary Clone Soldier to a Sixth-Order Spiritual Energy Practitioner in two years, establish a Trading Company worth billions, and return safely with people from a Subspace Storm—do you think he is a simple person?"
Yang Zheng fell silent. He carefully recalled Qin Tian's resume; every step seemed incredible. Considering everything, he truly couldn't find anyone more capable than Qin Tian.
He redirected his gaze outside the window, watching the Aircraft carrying Qin Tian completely merge into the traffic flow of the Imperial Star's air routes. His previously furrowed brow slowly relaxed: "You are right. I underestimated him."
Marshal Lin nodded slightly, his gaze looking into the distance, as if penetrating the starry sky to see the ice plains of Pluto: "Pluto's value has only gradually become apparent in recent years. With the advancement of Planetary Modification Technology, the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice beneath the ice layers, the Extremely Cold Mineral Veins, and the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that only grow in extreme environments are becoming increasingly important to the Empire's spiritual energy industry and equipment manufacturing. This planet is no longer the desolate, forgotten place it once was."
"Precisely because of this, the position of 'Garrison Commander' has become increasingly crucial. After Lu Yuan had his incident, you know better than anyone how many resources we mobilized and how much pressure we endured to secure one more Garrison Commander quota."
Yang Zheng nodded. The Empire's control over Pluto tightened year by year. Various major departments and Aristocratic Families all wanted a piece of the pie. It indeed cost the Seventh Bureau a huge price to secure the Garrison Rights for Bingji Pass, in addition to Lu Yuan's position.
"Although Bingji Pass is currently just a newly established Outpost, precisely because it is new, it lacks the deep-rooted entanglement of old forces, giving Qin Tian the space to fully exert himself."
Marshal Lin's eyes grew deeper. "If he can truly seize the opportunity, lead Bingji Pass to rapid development, establish a stable Defense System, open up resource extraction channels, and attract more forces to settle there, the resources Bingji Pass will control in the future will far surpass Soul Splitting Ice Valley."
Yang Zheng fully understood. Marshal Lin seemingly sent Qin Tian to the "remote" Bingji Pass, but in reality, he gave him a "fertile land" where he could cultivate freely. If he succeeded, the Seventh Bureau would establish a firm foothold on Pluto, and Qin Tian could join the high ranks of the Military Department. Even if the process was difficult, with Qin Tian's ability, he would likely be able to hold Bingji Pass and preserve this crucial strategic move for the Seventh Bureau.
"I understand. Moving forward, I will closely monitor the situation at Bingji Pass and provide Qin Tian with the necessary support," Yang Zheng said in a deep voice.
Marshal Lin nodded gently. The chess game on Pluto had quietly seen a crucial piece placed with Qin Tian's departure.
And this move would play a role in the future that no one could imagine.
Marshal Lin's gaze was profound. He shifted his sight toward a certain direction. That place was the heart of the Empire, the pinnacle of power, the residence of the Emperor—the Golden Sanctuary.