Chapter 2: My Rank is Major General

“What? ‘Pristine Lady’? You must be joking! That fighter jet’s system is far too complex, and its speed rivals that of the alien spacecraft! No pilot could ever control it! It’s beyond human capability!” General Montel frowned. “I know ‘Pristine Lady’ is the product of your entire team’s hard work, and the cost of building it was equivalent to constructing two fortress cities! But I’m not willing to risk another pilot’s life!”

“Risk? How could that be?” Claude’s expression was inscrutable. “Besides, human capabilities often exceed their own expectations. Look at that young man named Levi—he managed to bring down those alien crafts with a jet that has only 90% of their speed.”

Montel sighed. “Pristine Lady’ is your masterpiece, and you know it best. Perhaps I shouldn’t question your judgment.”

Levi had been taken to the ICU, and after a series of f treatments-his body temperature and vital functions were gradually returning to normal. However, the extreme fatigue had left him in a deep sleep. Of

The door to his hospital room opened-and Claude walked in with his hands in his pockets.
He quietly studied the young man’s strong features, noting the hint of rebellion in his brows and the slight smirk at the corners of his mouth, as if nothing really mattered to him. This was the same young man who had flown at high speeds—pushing the “Blue Crisis” jet to its limits and nearly creating a miracle that the entire K11 Air Force base witnessed.

“How did I miss such an exceptional person?” Claude chuckled to himself. “Or perhaps the ‘Pristine Lady’ was made for someone like you.”
At that moment, a young man with glasses rushed into the room. “Claude! I heard you’re letting this rookie pilot the ‘Pristine Lady!”

“Shhh,” Claude gestured for silence. “Miller, he needs to rest.”

He then exited the room with an air of elegance.

Miller followed closely behind, clearly upset. “Tell me you were joking with General Montel! ‘Pristine Lady’ represents the hard work of everyone, and I absolutely refuse to hand it over to some inexperienced kid!”

“His name is Levi Van Pelt,” Claude replied, unfazed by Miller’s anger.

“Fine, whether he’s Levi Van Pelt or someone else-have you even looked at his records?” Miller slapped a file onto the table in front of Claude. “He barely passed any of his classes at flight school! Look at the evaluation of his flying skills-‘disorganized’, ‘lacks teamwork,’ ‘disregards flight regulations,’ and his aerial shooting accuracy is only 60%! Just barely passing!”

“As expected from you, Miller-Always so efficient with research.” Claude smiled, picking up the file with interest. “Ah, look here. His grandfather used to fly crop dusters, and his grandmother drove farm tractors. It’s in his genes-no wonder he’s so good at t piloting
“Claude!” Miller’s voice rose in frustration. “I’m not joking!”

“Relax, Miller, relax-Why are you so tense?” Claude laughed softly. “Whether Levi can pilot the relax—Why are ‘Pristine Lady’ will depend on whether he passes the simulation tests. If, like the others, he ends up vomiting, dizzy, or lacks the proper reflexes-I won’t give him the jet either.”

“But…” Miller tried to argue, but Claude had already turned away. “Miller, I’m sure you don’t want ‘Pristine Lady’ to never take to the skies. After all, if it can’t fly, it’s just a piece of junk.” Claude’s voice echoed down the corridor, leaving Miller in the shadows, deep in thought.

Two days later, Levi woke up. After an impatient series of tests from head to heart, the doctors finally declared him fit to leave the hospital. The first thing Levi wanted to do was find his fighter jet—he wanted to fly back to his base.

As he walked through the base, he noticed that everyone was giving him special attention. From officers with shoulder epaulettes to the regular staff, they all looked at him with admiration. But Levi wore a deadpan expression the entire time.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you enjoy being admired and respected?” A teasing voice came from behind, and Levi turned to see a man in camouflage clothing whose elegant demeanor couldn’t be hidden. Levi grinned and shrugged, his hands in his pockets, his t-shirt lifting as he did so—”Not really.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve always been the problem student. People are used to criticizing me. Those snobby instructors only care about the students who follow every regulation. I’ve gotten used to enjoying people’s disdain.” Levi’s tone was indifferent, but as he turned away, his expression darkened. “Ah-I recognize that voice! You’re the guy who launched the Alpha missiles! What kind of crap jet did you design? It almost roasted me alive!”

“So, do you want a better jet?” Claude asked, amused by Levi’s reaction. Office
“Really?” Levi’s eyes lit up But I don’t give a damn!” as he stepped up to Claude. “Is there a better jet than the ‘Blue Crisis’?
Without waiting for a response, Levi turned and headed for his jet, which had just been repaired, its surface gleaming.
“Why clean it up? I like it when it’s dusty and messy-makes it more manly,” Levi said, pressing his face against the jet as if he were greeting an old lover.
“You won’t be able to fly it back to your old base,” Claude said, leaning against the jet.
“Why not?”

“Because I won’t authorize anyone to provide oxygen for this fully sealed jet.” Claude’s fingers. traced the wing, his calm smile tinged with a hint of mischief.
“Why? I appreciate you letting me into the fortress after my entire squad was wiped out, but I have the right to return to my base.” Levi’s eyes grew cold—clearly resenting being controlled.
“Because I have your transfer orders right here.” Claude pulled a paper from his pocket and unfolded it in front of Levi. “You are now officially part of the K11 Air Force base. And by the way, my rank is Major General, while you’re only a sergeant. Not only do you have to salute me, but you also have to obey my orders.”

“What?!” Levi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What about my cake vouchers? I can only redeem them at my old base! And my collection of model jets? If I don’t go back, my roommate will hog them all! What about Lily? She promised to cook steak for me when I got back, and we’d have a candlelit dinner and then enjoy a hot night…”

“First of all, at the K11 Air Force base, we provide cake vouchers as part of your benefits, along with laundry vouchers, gym vouchers, and a private dorm. I guarantee that before you finish using this month’s cake voucher, you’ll have another one in your hands. Secondly, regarding your model jets, I’m afraid you’ll have to start collecting again. And as for the lovely Lily, I’m sure there will be other pilots lining up to have a candlelit dinner and a perfect hot night with her.”

Claude leaned in slightly, their breaths brushing each other’s cheeks. Though the atmosphere felt almost flirtatious, Levi didn’t seem to notice. He sneered, “There’s one more important thing I haven’t mentioned: I really hate you.”

“Unfortunately, that’s something I can’t fix. Please report to Training Base Z tomorrow afternoon at nine. Claude smiled.

“And if I don’t?” Levi asked, still defiant.

“Then you won’t get cake vouchers, laundry vouchers, gym vouchers, supermarket coupons, or a free dining card. You’ll be without a private dorm, left to sleep in the hangar, enduring the noise of jet repairs. Most importantly, you’ll never get the chance to have a date with Lily, Lucy, or any other girl.

Levi didn’t respond, rolling his eyes dramatically toward the sky.

The efficiency of the K11 base was astonishing. Levi’s transfer paperwork was completed, and a female officer in a military uniform escorted him to his new dorm.

“If not for your brilliant performance the other day, no one would believe a sergeant like you could enjoy the perks of a captain.” The female officer’s name was Casey, and her sharp military uniform, combined with a slit skirt, accentuated her long legs.
Levi admired her legs the entire way to the dormitory.

“What are you looking at?” Casey asked with amusement. “I’m looking at the most beautiful scenery in the entire K11 base,” Levi said without blushing or skipping a beat.

“Thank you.” Before entering the room, Casey handed Levi a stack of cake vouchers. “This is your benefit—Major General Claude Sien said that, compared to other benefits, you must receive the cake vouchers first.”

“You’re adorable.” Casey smiled and tapped Levi’s forehead. “If you have laundry vouchers, feel

“It’s alright, Casey. Actually, I don’t like cake. Can I give them to you?” Levi held the door, intending to continue the conversation with Casey.

free to give those to me instead. Also, I don’t like boys younger than me.” Levi shrugged and closed the door—When he turned around, he saw the entire room and cursed, “Why is this single room so big? What a waste of space! Corruption!”

That afternoon, Levi’s fingerprint, voice, and retinal data were all entered into the system. He could even use his voice in the cafeteria to connect to his military account for payments—Everything was so perfect that it frustrated Levi. He ordered a large plate of fried squid rings and beer, eating aimlessly while admiring a few young girls nearby.

Soon, thanks to his handsome looks and witty demeanor, he was happily chatting with two of them. That night—after returning to his room, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Clearly, he had thrown everything Claude had said to him to the moon.

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Proofreader/Editor: meowrii