After the Breakup, He Washed Away the Memories Chapter 74

Chapter 74

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“Say it again.”

“Brother Little Qiu, I said that Brother Rong Qin was severely injured and crashed while piloting the mecha. He’s now in the ICU!”

Rong Qiu broke out in a cold sweat. He tried to maintain his composure, but his trembling hands and unstable voice betrayed his fear.

“Is Brother Rong Qin in the starship’s medical bay or at a local hospital? Nanchen, send me Brother Rong Qin’s exact location immediately, along with his condition. Oh, and if he’s in a hospital, arrange accommodation nearby for me. The closer to the hospital, the better.”

If Rong Qin was in the ICU, Rong Qiu would have to find a place nearby to stay and take care of him.

Zhao Nanchen agreed to these requests, but he was worried about Rong Qiu’s extreme urgency upon hearing the news.

“In your current state, can you leave the matters at your research institute behind?”

“It’s fine. I’ll take the starship immediately.”

“But Brother Little Qiu, the starships from the main star U to this affiliated star only run every other day. Brother Little Qiu, you won’t be able to make it in time. Even if you board the starship, it’ll take three or four days, not counting the transfer time. So Brother Little Qiu, don’t rush. I’ll take care of Rong Qin here.”

Zhao Nanchen’s teeth were gritted as he said this. In reality, he had been extremely busy during this time. Besides taking care of Rong Qin in the ICU, as the commander of the volunteer army, he had also faced persecution due to misleading information. Both physically and mentally, he was suffering a lot.

But even so, he had taken on Rong Qin’s situation.

“Brother Little Qiu, you can pack up Rong Qin’s belongings in the villa first, then take the starship the day after tomorrow. I’ll send someone to pick you up at the starship airport.”

How could Rong Qiu not be in a hurry? He wanted to be by his brother’s side immediately.

But the starships wouldn’t add extra flights just for him. He could only anxiously watch the only flight available on his phone for the day after tomorrow. Departing the day after tomorrow with a six-hour layover in between, he wouldn’t arrive at the affiliated star where Rong Qin was until five days later.

But he had no choice. Moreover, Zhao Nanchen’s arrangement was the best for now. He needed to prepare everything Rong Qin might need in these few days, not just clothes, but also medical supplies.

Although Zhao Nanchen didn’t say it explicitly, the background noise of the man’s hoarse voice in the phone call, shouting about “shortage of supplies” and “not enough bandages,” was clearly captured by Rong Qiu.

Volunteer armies were not like regular armies. In the regular army, injured soldiers would directly receive professional medical assistance from the military department’s medical starships. However, injured soldiers in volunteer armies could only be treated by local medical organizations or hospitals. Once there were widespread casualties, shortages of supplies were inevitable. Rong Qiu remembered clearly that when Rong Qin left, he had brought more than enough medical supplies. So why was there a shortage of supplies in the background noise?

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became.

Rong Qiu was in a panic, but he was desperately trying to stay calm.

He wanted to prepare a batch of medical supplies for Rong Qin, but large quantities of supplies required an application to the Thirteenth Military District. Rong Qiu wasted no time. Fortunately, he had also registered as a member of Rong Qin’s volunteer army, so he could apply for supplies in the capacity of a volunteer army advisor to the Thirteenth Military District. Otherwise, even if he applied in his personal capacity, the resources he would receive would be meager.

Rong Qiu didn’t know what was lacking on the other side, but he instinctively purchased a lot of medical supplies such as external wound medications, disinfectants, and antibiotics. Ordering from the military supply was convenient once the application was approved, with payment being made immediately. Watching a large sum of money flow out like this, Rong Qiu didn’t even twitch his eyebrows.

He was eager to do something for Rong Qin on the affiliated star.

After much thought, he also ordered a thousand military mechas.

Rong Qiu contacted the military district for help with transportation. Since he selected expedited shipping, the cost doubled, but Rong Qiu didn’t mind. With so much money in his account now, a thousand mechas were nothing, and the high shipping cost was also negligible.

If possible, he wanted to exchange the remaining money for teleportation magic.

Unfortunately, there was no such teleportation magic.

Rong Qiu completed his task list one by one, feeling utterly empty and lost.

Now, all he could do was anxiously wait for the starship to depart the day after tomorrow. Rong Qiu collapsed heavily onto the bed, pressing the soft pillow flat. On the other end of the phone, Zhao Nanchen, who had just finished arranging matters in the military district, finally had time again.

Zhao Nanchen sent him a video of Rong Qin.

The video was only fifteen seconds long. It showed Rong Qin lying in the ICU ward wearing a patient gown. Because he was too far away, Rong Qiu couldn’t see Rong Qin’s face clearly, but he could see Rong Qin wearing a ventilator, with machines blinking and glowing beside him.

Seeing the video was different from hearing Zhao Nanchen’s description. For the first time, he felt a certain kind of blood connection coursing through his cold veins. Rong Qin was in pain, and he felt it too.

Rong Qiu even suspected that he would dream of Rong Qin’s injured state tonight.

While he was chatting with Zhao Nanchen, a call came in.

“Hello, Qin Mu… Commander Qin?”

“Qiuqiu, are you asleep?”

“No, do you need something?” Rong Qiu listened to the sound of the other party shuffling through documents on the phone, “Are you busy right now?”

Rong Qiu’s implicit meaning was that if Qin Muye was busy, the call could end. But he also felt that Qin Muye had something to say; otherwise, it was already ten o’clock, and Qin Muye wouldn’t be calling him while busy with official duties.

“Something’s come up.”

The Alpha’s voice on the other end of the phone was magnetic and powerful.

In reality, Qin Muye was still in a susceptible period. Even though it wasn’t a high-sensitivity period, the discomfort of dizziness had been haunting him since the press conference, to the point that he still felt it buzzing in his ears when he was on the phone with Rong Qiu.

Qin Muye cleared his throat slightly. “Qiuqiu, listen to me. Pack your belongings for the affiliated star now. My private starship will depart in half an hour.”

“Really?!”

Rong Qiu suddenly sat up from the bed. Because he moved too fast, he blacked out for a moment, and his thigh hit the edge of the bed heavily—

“Ah!”

“Qiuqiu? Qiuqiu, what happened?” The Alpha suddenly got stimulated, even speaking faster, “Qiuqiu? Did you fall?”

Rong Qiu, holding his leg, hopped onto the bed with one leg, even though his face was contorted in pain, his voice remained calm, “I’m fine. Are you telling the truth? You have a private starship?”

Private starships were expensive and not something one could simply obtain with money. Even if someone had the money, like Rong Qiu, they still needed to pass through layers of scrutiny to apply for the construction of a private starship. And even if he had connections now to apply, it would take much longer than traveling on a civilian starship.

If Qin Muye had a starship, it would indeed be a big help to him.

Qin Muye answered Rong Qiu’s questions one by one, his tone very serious. “Yes, the flight route has been applied for. It will depart in half an hour. Now, pack your things, and my people will come to pick you up in five minutes. Remember, you must not be late, otherwise, the next flight route application will be delayed by a week.”

“Okay, I’ll go pack my things now.”

Rong Qiu didn’t know what to say.

Adding flowers to brocade is easy; giving charcoal in snowy weather is hard.

Rong Qiu couldn’t bring himself to refuse Qin Muye anymore.

As Rong Qiu packed his luggage earnestly, he placed his phone aside. But when he finished packing, he realized that the phone on the table hadn’t been disconnected yet. Rong Qiu thought that the previous sentence implied that he could hang up the call now.

Standing aside with his suitcase, he hadn’t had time to tidy himself up. His hair was all frizzy. Even though Qin Muye on the other end couldn’t see his expression, Rong Qiu couldn’t help but fix his hair.

The call duration was still lengthening.

At the moment when Rong Qiu wanted to speak, Qin Muye abruptly interrupted him, “The car is almost here. Qiuqiu, you can set off now.”

“…Okay.” Rong Qiu straightened his messy hair, his tone dry, “Thank… thank you. I’ll treat you to dinner when I come back.”

Qin Muye paused for a moment. “Okay.”

***

The person who came to pick up Rong Qiu happened to be the beta officer by Qin Muye’s side.

The beta officer wasn’t wearing a military uniform, just a simple casual suit, but it was clear he was a bit disheveled. “Mr. Rong, please get in the car. The Commander’s starship parking spot is a bit far from here, so we need to speed up.”

“It’s late. Thank you for your trouble.”

“It’s okay. The Commander has always been good to me.” The beta officer intentionally spoke up for Qin Muye. Seeing that Rong Qiu didn’t seem to mind, he chatted with him while driving seriously.

“When the Commander was selecting assistants, we all thought he would choose one of the three Alphas. I was the only beta among the four candidates. Although my academic qualifications were not inferior to theirs, and I scored first in the written test, I lost completely in terms of secondary gender. I had already prepared to return to my hometown if I wasn’t selected, otherwise, I wouldn’t have made much of a name for myself in the First Military District.”

“Who would have thought that after the interview, the Commander only let me stay. At that time, the whole First Military District envied my good luck. Now, thinking back, it really was lucky… there’s no better boss than the Commander in the entire Federation.”

The beta officer finished speaking and smiled.

He really felt fortunate to have met Qin Muye.

The Commander wouldn’t look down on his work ability just because he was a beta. During the time he had been with Qin Muye, his tasks had become increasingly heavy and challenging.

But the busier he got, the more at ease he felt.

It was a sense of pleasure from having one’s self-worth recognized.

The beta officer chatted with Rong Qiu in a relaxed manner, and Rong Qiu could empathize with him.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t encountered an Alpha like Qin Muye on his journey, only the Alpha superiors from the Fourth Military District who treated him poorly because of his secondary gender, or the Alpha executives who blamed him for the mecha crashing into the sea.

The Alphas he encountered along the way only looked down on him and stabbed him in the back because of his secondary gender.

“Perhaps, Mr. Rong, you’ve heard a saying…”

“What?”

“Plant trees for future generations to enjoy the shade.”

“…”

“Mr. Rong, you must also know that the Alphas are hard to change. Commander Muye wasn’t always as friendly as he is now.”

After getting out of the car, the beta officer’s words kept echoing in Rong Qiu’s mind.

He naturally knew about Qin Muye’s changes, but he didn’t know that in the eyes of the beta officer, he was the one who changed Qin Muye, the Alpha.

“Please don’t take today’s words to heart. Private starship flights require rigorous calculations each time, so the starship must depart on time. Please get on quickly. There’s no time to prepare a chef for you, but all the necessary items for the journey have been prepared. Have a safe trip.”

The beta officer helped him take down all his luggage and waved as Rong Qiu got on the starship. “Oh, Mr. Rong.”

“Yes?”

“Commander Muye will be waiting for your news. Please keep your phone on after landing.”

***

The private starship shuttled through the lanes to the affiliated star, regardless of dawn, dusk, or midnight. Outside the window, the planetary belt was colorful, and the stars twinkled, resembling a creator casually sprinkling fragmented diamonds onto the black paper, shining as they pleased.

Every time he looked, Rong Qiu couldn’t help but get lost in it.

The starship was fast, and Rong Qiu arrived at the affiliated star in just two days.

When he notified Zhao Nanchen, Zhao Nanchen was startled.

“Little Brother Qiu has arrived?” Zhao Nanchen pinched himself hard, wincing in pain, “Didn’t Little Brother Qiu just board the starship today? How did he arrive so quickly?”

“I came on a private starship. I’ve already landed. Find someone to come pick me up.”

“Alright! I’ll arrange it!”

After hanging up the phone, Rong Qiu left a reply to Qin Muye.

In essence, he informed him that he had arrived safely at his destination.

Qin Muye didn’t immediately respond, presumably busy.

***

It wasn’t the first time he entered a planet ravaged by sea pirates, but every time he came, he couldn’t help but feel a nameless resentment. The local personnel had been trying their best to maintain the shattered affiliated star, but as soon as he disembarked from the starship, Rong Qiu couldn’t help but notice the collapsed houses, shattered glass, and blurry dark bloodstains, which made his heart sink.

The one who came to pick up Rong Qiu was an Alpha with scars all over his face.

Rong Qiu hadn’t seen him before, but the Alpha remembered Rong Qiu. Rong Qiu had driven several modified mechas on the volunteer training ground in Rong Qin before, which he had seen. He had always wanted to make friends with Rong Qiu. He was also a mecha pilot. Seizing the current pause in tasks, he took the initiative to accept Zhao Nanchen’s order and personally came to pick up Rong Qiu.

Rong Qiu was directly taken to the local hospital by the Alpha.

Unexpectedly, he saw many familiar faces in the hospital.

Many of them were members of the Rong Qin Volunteer Army. Now, they were either in plaster casts or had legs suspended, or were still injecting nutrients as seriously injured patients. Their faces were blurred with blood and flesh, and only a few low moans of pain leaked from their lips.

This ordinary hospital corridor seemed like a path of life and death.

Gritting his teeth, Rong Qiu tried to straighten his back as he followed the Alpha deeper into the hospital.

“Big Boss Rong is inside.”

The Alpha stopped in front of one of the ICU wards. “Currently, the doctors say he’s still undergoing emergency treatment. The major bleeding has been well controlled, but it’s still uncertain when he’ll wake up.”

Rong Qiu furrowed his brows slightly. “What does that mean?”

“The doctor said Big Boss Rong’s brain was injured before, and this time it’s a severe blow. Intracranial hemorrhage has occurred again, and it’s probably impossible for him to wake up for a while…”

Zhao Nanchen on the phone didn’t want Rong Qiu to worry on the way, so besides telling him that Rong Qin was in the ICU, he concealed many other symptoms. Now that Rong Qiu saw Rong Qin’s haggard appearance on the hospital bed, if the doctor hadn’t warned him not to disturb him, he would have wanted to kneel by Rong Qin’s bedside immediately and watch over him.

Rong Qiu bit his lip. “Have you contacted better doctors? This place is too remote. If you can contact doctors from the main star, or even doctors from other military districts…”

“It’s been arranged.”

A low, hoarse male voice appeared in Rong Qiu’s ear. The voice was very familiar but hoarse, like an old bellows suddenly being pumped, stirring up the long-standing dust with every movement.

“Qin Zexi…” Rong Qiu squinted, immediately assuming a defensive posture, “How did you end up here?”

“I’ve been here for a long time, even before Ah Qin had an accident on this planet.” Qin Zexi was extremely thin, with prominent black circles under his eyes and eye bags hanging down. This made his black eyes emit a somewhat eerie color.

“I’ve said before, I never agreed with him setting up this volunteer army.” Qin Zexi ignored Rong Qiu, continuing to speak to himself, maintaining his usual arrogance.

He walked straight past Rong Qiu’s shoulder, and his gaze passed through the transparent glass, continuously portraying the haggard appearance of the beta on the sickbed. “Betas should do what betas do. Now that he’s suffered, he regrets it. Why bother…”

“You’re wrong.”

“What?” Qin Ze’s sigh of despair was abruptly interrupted by Rong Qiu. He looked at Rong Qiu with the most insidious venom in his eyes. “But you’re his brother. You should protect him, not let him touch those dangerous taboos.” 

“I said you just said something wrong.” 

Rong Qiu looked at Rong Qin on the sickbed. “Even if my brother fails a thousand times, he won’t let go of the last chance for success.” 

“You never understand my brother Rong Qin. You’re just enjoying controlling him under the guise of doing it for his own good. What you want is nothing but a toy-like Rong Qin. If you really understood him, you would know that he truly wants to be a free-spirited person, unbound by gender norms.” 

“Isn’t he free enough? I’ve promised him everything he wants!” 

“That’s your own interpretation of freedom. In your eyes, Brother Rong Qin has never received the equality he desires. On one side is the imprisonment of a cage, on the other side is the freedom of the sky. Brother Rong Qin has had his wings broken by you for so long, he just wants to be a bird soaring in the sky.” 

This was the first time Rong Qiu had said so much to Qin Zezi. Each word he uttered felt like a long needle the thickness of a finger, piercing through his veins and shaking Qin Zezi to his core. 

Qin Zezi’s dental crown trembled violently. The sound of gnashing teeth echoed outside the spacious ICU ward. 

“You’re scolding me so harshly, why don’t you think about Qin Muye beside you? He’s just like that.” The alpha, coldly smiling like the most ruthless politician, attempted to sow discord among people with just his tongue. “He and I are both S-class alphas. Even though he hurt you deeply in the past, you can forgive him. Why must the emotional bond between me and Ah Qin be destroyed after more than a decade?” 

“You’re comparing yourself to Qin Muye?” 

Rong Qiu also sneered, the sarcasm evident in his laughter. “It’s not about having the same surname, the same bloodline, or the same level of pheromones. His apology is a sincere one, with a bowed back. What about yours?”

Rong Qin’s severe injury was the last straw that crushed Rong Qiu. All the grievances and dissatisfaction he had suffered from the Alphas over the years erupted completely, and now they were all directed at Qin Zexi.

“My brother has suffered so much by your side, and you’ve turned a blind eye to it all. You’re paranoid, arrogant, and refuse to bow down. The inherent flaws of the Alphas are fully manifested in you. Your indifference and coldness have long made my brother suffer. Ask yourself, hasn’t my brother given you a chance? But you, with your arrogance, think my brother won’t leave you. You’ve repeatedly humiliated him, even imprisoned him. How are you worthy of being with my brother, let alone comparing yourself to Qin Muye?”

The Alpha who had brought the doctor over was too scared to speak.

He was well aware of Rong Qiu’s professional abilities in mecha, but he didn’t expect such power to be contained within this small beta body. Standing in front of him was an Alpha of S-rank status. Yet Rong Qiu’s words were sharp as swords, each sentence pressing harder than the last, especially the final paragraph, which seemed to pin the S-rank the Alpha to the pillar of shame.

Everyone has their seven deadly sins.

But not everyone can be pointed at their spine, burdened with the sins they carry.

To some extent, Qin Zexi could adapt to any situation. At this moment, the burning anger of the Alpha approached Rong Qiu step by step, like the Grim Reaper wielding a scythe with each step, exuding a murderous aura.

But Rong Qiu didn’t give an inch.

Qin Zexi dared to offend Rong Qin multiple times precisely because there was no one around Rong Qin. Now, Rong Qiu dared to speak such words to Qin Zexi’s face, showing no fear of any retaliation.

At the tense standoff between the two, the Alpha with the trembling doctor finally intervened.

In a sense, the Alpha was also a person of courage and caution: “Excuse me, the doctor needs to go in to see Big Boss Rong.”

The two temporarily ceased hostilities.

But soon, a new round of conflict erupted.

The hospital allowed relatives and friends to visit during the day, but no one was allowed to stay overnight in the ward. If family members wanted to stay overnight, they could only sleep on the benches in the corridor outside, and only one person was allowed. Rong Qiu, naturally, wouldn’t allow Qin Zexi to stay by Rong Qin’s side.

But Qin Zexi, being an unreasonable Alpha, wouldn’t leave either.

In the end, it was Rong Qiu who crossed his arms. “You and my brother are divorced, so in my brother’s heart, you’re just ashes already scattered. What right do you, as my brother’s ex-husband, have to stay here overnight?”

The head nurse had never seen such a fierce beta before, insisting on confronting the Alpha.

Yet every word Rong Qiu said made sense.

The head nurse took a step forward, asking Qin Zexi to return the wristband on his wrist.

Qin Zexi remained unmoved, while Rong Qiu smirked. After being with Rong Qin for so long, Rong Qiu had learned all of Rong Qin’s biting remarks. Previously, he had always maintained his gentle demeanor, but facing an Alpha like Qin Zexi, why should he be gentle? Qin Zexi couldn’t bear it any longer and took off the wristband.

Only then did the head nurse return to her position.

Rong Qiu took out the disinfectant alcohol from his pocket and wiped it over and over again. When the smell of alcohol on the wristband became strong, he stopped and put the wristband on his own wrist.

But Rong Qiu was still unsatisfied. Before Qin Zexi turned to leave, he stopped him. “You’re here, but Qin Muye doesn’t know yet, right?”

Qin Zexi turned around, his eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

“Is it me who wants something? Isn’t it you who did something behind the scenes?”

Qin Zexi pretended not to understand, maintaining a calm demeanor. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Qin Muye’s susceptibility was accidental, but the outbreak of war on this planet was not accidental. I always thought that even if you weren’t working in the military district, your heart was still with the military, with everyone in the Thirteen Military District. But now… can you justify the military uniform you used to wear? Can you justify those medals you were awarded?” 

Rong Qiu spoke quietly, but loud enough for Qin Zexi to hear clearly. 

Qin Zexi grew increasingly irritable. “What nonsense are you talking about? How could the turmoil on this planet be related to me? Do you know how severe the punishment for defamation is in the Federation? If I record today’s conversation, you’ll surely end up in federal court and be imprisoned for three years.” 

“But do you dare?” 

“What?” 

“Do you dare to send me to federal court?” 

“You have a guilty conscience, that’s why you dare not. Otherwise, would you dare swear to heaven that your actions didn’t harm Rong Qin?”

Rong Qiu smirked, but there was no sarcasm in his smile, only the same strategic calculation as Qin Muye: “As for whether you had a hand in this unrest, you know in your heart. But you better hope I don’t find any evidence. If I do, I won’t show you any mercy.”

***

Rong Qiu’s words were not unfounded.

Because Qin Muye had received a message from him in the afternoon and had a conversation with him.

Qin Muye’s mood was very low on the phone. Although he didn’t say much, Rong Qiu could vaguely discern something from Qin Muye’s words. But he didn’t want his guesses to be true—did this Alpha, Qin Zexi, go so far as to destroy his brother’s ideals?

It’s better not to be like this.

At night, Rong Qiu could only accompany outside in the corridor. The head nurse was already very familiar with such situations and had brought a folding bed for Rong Qiu. The patient in the ICU was in critical condition. Although the protective capsule inside was keeping the person safe, when they found Rong Qin, he was still unconscious. He was only discovered to have inexplicable cerebral hemorrhage after being sent to the hospital, and the doctor immediately performed brain surgery on him.

But the situation was not optimistic.

Even the doctors from the U Star found it very tricky.

The head nurse knew all this, but as a nurse, apart from providing Rong Qiu with a folding bed, there was nothing else she could do.

But Rong Qiu thanked the head nurse for her thoughtfulness.

Before going to sleep, Rong Qiu received another call from Qin Muye.

This was the second call he received from Qin Muye within a day.

Rong Qiu’s mind raced. Considering the time difference, it was 9:30 PM where he was, which meant it was already 2:30 AM on U Star.

At 2:30 AM, Qin Muye was still awake…

Rong Qiu answered the call.

“Have you eaten?”

“Haven’t slept yet?”

Rong Qiu lowered his gaze and replied to Qin Muye’s question first, “No, can’t sleep.”

“The benches outside the hospital aren’t comfortable. You can ask the nurse to bring you a folding bed and another thin blanket.”

As Qin Muye spoke, Rong Qiu saw the head nurse bringing another blanket over. 

The head nurse whispered, “Are you on the phone? The blanket is placed by your bed. The air conditioning is set low at night, so it might be a bit cold. Remember to cover yourself.”

Rong Qiu smiled and thanked the head nurse.

Everything was quite coincidental.

Coincidentally, just after Qin Muye mentioned needing a bed and a blanket, the head nurse brought the blanket.

After the head nurse left, Rong Qiu continued, “By the way, you guessed right. Your brother is not on U Star. I saw him at the hospital this afternoon, and he’s been outside my brother’s ward the whole time I wasn’t here.”

“I see.”

“Will you… be upset?”

Qin Muye hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “Yes, after all, he’s my brother.”

Qin Zexi was his only relative in this world, a towering barrier against the persecution from their family elders. Yet, it was precisely this betrayal from his closest kin that pierced him to the core.

Rong Qiu didn’t know how to comfort him.

He always thought that after so many years, he had grown up and would handle all tricky situations independently and calmly. But now, facing this situation, although his heart could empathize, his tongue always seemed to tie itself in knots.

In a way, the relationship between him and Qin Muye was completely opposite.

He had been lonely in the first half of his life, but he was fortunate enough to meet Rong Qin, who had been searching for him all along, in the middle of his life. This was the greatest fortune of his life. On the other hand, Qin Muye had been maligned by his brother who had pampered him since childhood. Regardless of Qin Zexi’s motives for colluding with the head of the Thirty-Eighth Division, because of the butterfly effect, not only did Qin Zexi put his brother in the ICU, but he also put Qin Muye, who hadn’t finished his susceptible period yet, in such a difficult situation. Even now, there are still many hurtful words about Qin Muye on the StellarNet.

Ironically, when Qin Muye made contributions, they all thought it was natural, but when he made a mistake, they wouldn’t let it go.

For Qin Muye, it seemed like he was labeled solely as an S-rank the Alpha.

In a moment, Rong Qiu gained many insights.

Qin Muye called today to discuss something else. The medical supplies Rong Qiu sent would arrive in three days, but the mechas would arrive in seven days, and both required coordination from Rong Qiu’s end.

Rong Qiu figured out something, “How did you know that I bought medicine and mechas… did you see my application?”

“Yeah, and I added another thousand mecha under my name for you.”

“…”

Suddenly, Qin Muye realized something, “I didn’t investigate you on purpose. Zhao Nanchen mentioned it in his message at noon. He said that the losses in the Volunteer Army were also significant, and because Rong Qin wasn’t there, many tasks were not progressing smoothly. So, he asked if I could recommend a suitable candidate to replace Rong Qin’s position.”

Rong Qin played a pivotal role in the Volunteer Army.

From the medical department to the mecha repair department, and then to the command department, Rong Qin was the link.

Rong Qiu didn’t doubt Qin Muye’s words, “There’s no need for anyone else. I’ve thought about it. I spent a month in the Volunteer Army before. This time, I can try to temporarily take over Rong Qin’s position.”

Rong Qiu didn’t delay things unnecessarily. If the success rate was less than eighty percent, he wouldn’t take on the task.

Now, the internal structure of the Volunteer Army was still relatively simple. However, finding someone whom all departments would obey was not an easy task. After much thought, Rong Qiu realized that now was the time for him, as a consultant who had always been associated with the Volunteer Army, to step up.

“That’s good. Then I don’t need to arrange for anyone else to go over.”

In the resting room of the Thirteenth Military District’s office, Qin Muye toyed with the silver ring in his palm. He had always worn this ring close to him. He had tried it once, and even the ring that could fit on Rong Qiu’s ring finger couldn’t even pass his pinky finger. The ring got stuck on the second joint of his finger, just like his progress in winning back Rong Qiu’s trust now.

But regarding Rong Qiu’s thoughts, he only speculated, not daring to hope too much.

After hanging up the phone, Qin Muye stared at the now-dark screen of his phone, lost in thought.

Soon, he circled a date on his schedule.

Perhaps.

Even on a remote planet, he could meet Rong Qiu.

***

While Rong Qin remained unconscious in the ICU, Rong Qiu went to the Volunteer Army. The senior management of the Volunteer Army didn’t resent his arrival. In fact, thanks to Zhao Nanchen’s endorsement, Rong Qiu smoothly took over the Volunteer Army’s work.

First and foremost was the casualties of the Volunteer Army this time.

Due to the erroneous signal from the Thirty-Eighth Division, the Volunteer Army, which was with Rong Qin, also suffered heavy losses, totaling more than 11,000 people. Except for logistics management, command, and medical departments, the remaining 8,000 mecha operators all participated in the battle, with half of them injured. If it weren’t for Rong Qiu’s modifications to the military mechas’ safety protection system, the number of severely injured would have turned into fatalities.

This was also why the Volunteer Army quickly rallied around Rong Qiu.

The Thirty-Eighth Division, which fought alongside them, suffered heavy casualties due to the use of outdated mechas, with the death toll already reaching three digits.

However, the injured mecha operators from the Rong Qin Volunteer Army still placed a significant medical burden on the local hospitals. Fortunately, Rong Qin had brought a large amount of medical supplies when he came, so now they were only slightly short of manpower…

These experienced mecha operators have already begun internal repairs.

Cleaning wounds and simple stitching, they can all do it themselves, or help each other. Only those seriously injured operators are admitted to the hospital wards.

Even so, Rong Qiu still went to visit.

“Ah, we rough-skinned folks, stitching a few needles is nothing. Did you see those mecha operators from the Thirty-Eighth Division? They were truly seriously injured, missing limbs and legs. I even saw someone with their intestines spilling out…”

“Yeah, we’re not in serious condition, but…”

Rong Qiu interrupted, “But what?”

The injured omega operator touched the bandage on his head, “What about our mechas?”

“Yeah, can they still be repaired?”

These mecha operators treated their mechas like their own family members. Many of them hadn’t touched a mecha in years. When they were given the latest mechas by their military district, many of them were moved to tears. They spent three days and three nights without sleep just to give their mechas a nice name.

“If it were in other military districts or other volunteer armies, we would never have such good mechas… So, can you try your best to repair them? Even if I have to use all my savings.”

Rong Qiu was momentarily stunned, but quickly understood their meaning. However, he smiled gently and explained, “You don’t need to pay for repairs yourselves. All issues with the mechas will be handled by the Volunteer Army’s mecha repairmen. They will repair them for free, but if they can’t be fixed, they will be replaced.”

“Replaced?”

“Yes. So, focus on recovering from your injuries. Those mecha operators with severely damaged mechas will receive new ones.”

Rong Qiu’s words struck everyone present like a bolt from the blue.

They thought the Volunteer Army had reached its limit when it produced so many state-of-the-art military mechas. They never expected there were still intact mechas. However, they still preferred the mechas they fought alongside. If they could be repaired, they would be repaired as much as possible.

The thoughts of the pilots had already been received by the mecha repairmen. Because of their recent meals together, the two groups had become quite familiar with each other and even exchanged contact information. These days, the mecha repairmen were busy, and their phones were constantly ringing.

“How’s it going? Are they repairing well?”

“The repairs are going well, but the cost of materials is too high. Every time we replace a new part, it feels like our hearts are bleeding.”

“Don’t worry about the cost of materials. Just repair these mechas as best as you can.”

“But some of the mechas are in such a bad state, only scraps are left. We couldn’t even bring them back from the scene.”

Rong Qiu was aware of all these things the repairmen mentioned. Out of their more than eight thousand mechas, eight hundred were severely damaged, and only seventy-seven were currently being repaired. However, the number of repairmen was too small, and they wouldn’t be able to repair the eight hundred mechas in several years.

“Don’t rush. We have new mecha supplies coming later.”

Upon hearing Rong Qiu’s words, the repairmen felt relieved.

After returning from the hospital and the mecha repair room, Rong Qiu breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Nanchen had been in meetings at the military headquarters all day. As the overall commander of the Volunteer Army and the captain of the mecha division, he looked dejected when he arrived at the ICU door, as if he had been reprimanded.

“What’s wrong? Why do you look so bad? Did the military headquarters give you a hard time?”

“Yeah, they think we didn’t put enough effort into this operation because we had fewer mecha losses and casualties than them.” Zhao Nanchen sat down next to Rong Qiu, straightening his legs and tapping his toes. “By the way, how was Brother Little Qiu’s inspection today? Satisfied?”

“It’s alright. I hope the wounded recover well. The mistakes made by the Volunteer Army today must not be repeated tomorrow. Did the people from the military district say anything else?”

“Sigh… They scolded us so badly. I don’t know who the Thirteenth Military District will send over. If it’s still someone who doesn’t get along with us, our situation might not improve.”

Zhao Nanchen was truly exasperated this time.

If it weren’t for the formal army allies giving them wrong information and forcing them to act hastily with a tough attitude, Zhao Nanchen wouldn’t have been so trapped. When their Volunteer Army arrived on the scene, they realized the situation was completely different from what was described. They had been ambushed, and even with the order from Rong Qin, who rushed to the forefront, they still returned a step too late.

As Rong Qiu listened to his detailed description, he roughly understood the situation at the time.

“Did you ask about the background of the person in charge sent by Qin Muye?”

“No, I contacted the commander at noon, but I didn’t mention that.”

Zhao Nanchen sighed deeply, “I heard that because of the previous cold wave, many sea pirates scattered everywhere. It is expected that conflicts and wars will continue to escalate in the future. I even want to call my brother to make an appointment for psychological counseling. He’s obviously very busy, but he calls me every day, just afraid that if I’m not careful, I might disappear from this planet one day.”

Although his tone was light, Rong Qiu knew Zhao Nanchen wasn’t joking.

The soldiers who were willing to come here, each one carried ideals and beliefs in their hearts. At the very least, they were supported by strong hatred. Fatigue was natural; what they feared most was the fruitlessness after exhaustion. This was something everyone feared, especially Rong Qiu, who had survived countless battles, bathed in blood and fire.

So, what he hoped for most now was that the person in charge who was coming would be responsible, stable, and reliable.

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