"But..." Hamilton couldn’t help but find that face amusing. He paused, turned his head aside, and continued, "There are some things here that we both understand. Revoking your military rank was not the intention of the Supreme Command Department. They will soon recognize General Tian’s achievements at Gazalin, but for now, General Tian will have to endure some grievances." As he spoke, Hamilton turned back and saw a composed, portly man nodding earnestly. His expression was sincere. Hamilton was startled. He steadied himself, cast a bitter smile at the amused generals, and continued to the portly man, "To be honest, before you captured James, the Federation’s military and political situation faced a major crisis. The victory in the war at Gazalin owes a lot to your efforts, General Tian, and no one can erase that." The portly man beamed with delight and replied repeatedly, "It’s what I should do, it’s all what I should do. It’s nothing to mention. Hahaha." "Ahem!" Russell coughed from the side, prompting the portly man to fall silent immediately. Hamilton laughed, "Therefore, the Military Department made an exceptional decision to promote you to Federation Major General, commanding two special armored groups stationed at Gazalin. However, since we are now executing the Allied General Command’s decision, we have no choice but to reduce your rank by one level. As for your military position, it will have to wait until after your studies." "Studies?" The portly man was stunned. "That’s all for now. I have another meeting," Hamilton smiled as he stood up, extended his hand to the bewildered portly man for a handshake, and said, "General Russell will discuss the specifics with you in detail. I won’t disrupt your reunion any longer." "Let’s talk in my office," Russell stood up and spoke to the portly man, "Someone has been waiting for you for a long time." "Oh." The portly man nodded. When he turned to bid farewell to Mihailovich, he couldn’t help but take a curious glance at Mihailovich’s face, frowning in deep thought, but he still couldn’t recall where his spit had landed back then. Seeing Mihailovich glaring at him, the portly man felt a chill run through his body. He quickly bowed his head respectfully and followed Russell and Bernadotte out of the office briskly. Upon entering Russell’s office, the portly man saw an elderly man smiling at him. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⁂𝕟𝕖𝕥 "Professor Boswell." The portly man was somewhat surprised, not understanding why the old stubborn man, who never left the Gallipalan Military Academy, was waiting for him here. Nonetheless, he felt genuinely happy to see the elderly man who had provided him immense help. Seeing the portly man safe and sound, Boswell felt gratified, holding his hand and inquiring about his experiences over the past days. Hearing the portly man’s convoluted story, he sighed with emotion. After chatting for a while, Russell brought the conversation to the main topic and said to the portly man, "Ajian, Professor Boswell has something important to tell you. This is significant for you, the Federation, and every one of us." The portly man’s heart thumped anxiously as he forced a smile, "Haha, it’s not that serious, is it? Professor, don’t scare me. I’m not up for any more dangerous missions. I’ll declare first that no matter the future of humanity, I’m out!" "Tian Tianyu, Wang Jiaying, they are your deceased parents, right?" Boswell’s voice sounded. The portly man froze, turning abruptly to Boswell and exclaimed, "Yes! What’s the matter?" "Do you know about the Light Society?" Boswell asked gravely. "Yes." The portly man, well-versed in such knowledge, answered, "It’s a cosmic exploration organization established during the Earth Federation period. Its main objective was to expand the human interstellar map and explore unknown regions. It was a civilian organization and, during its peak, had hundreds of thousands of members in human society, contributing significantly to humanity’s space era. But what does this have to do with my parents?" Boswell nodded and said, "You were only six when your parents died in a spaceship accident. But what if I told you now that your parents were members of this exploration organization, would you believe it?" Recalling his childhood, the portly man nodded slowly, "When I was little, my parents often traveled for long periods. If they were out exploring, I wouldn’t doubt it." Boswell remained silent for a while before finally sighing, "To be honest, I never expected that, while delving into the edges of this mystery, I would find your parents also involved." "Mystery?" The portly man exclaimed urgently, "What mystery?" Boswell exchanged glances with Russell and Bernadotte, then slowly said, "Although it is only a hypothesis, I feel it is necessary for you to understand the sequence of events." The elderly man stood up, paced a few steps, and said, "The Light Society, this ancient organization, was born during the Earth Federation era, a great era. With the discovery of interstellar jump points and the gradual maturity of jump technology, humanity stepped further into the universe." "Among all the civilian exploration organizations, the Light Society, whose name implies searching for the light of the future, was the largest and had the most robust technical capabilities. Countless scientists, explorers, astronauts, and people from various fields joined this organization. Many large energy enterprises were also part of it. During a certain period, even the official explorations by the Earth Federation were no match for the grandeur of the Light Society. People could find like-minded individuals for adventures within the organization, secure sponsorships, solve difficult problems, and access all resources needed for cosmic exploration."
