Chapter 53
The shabby-looking starship was successfully captured by the Expeditionary Force.
Feeling the starship beneath him “clang” as it was secured, Lu Fenghan leaned back in his seat, legs spread apart, his thoughts still somewhat complicated.
He was lucky. As soon as he emerged from the wormhole, Pojun reminded him that this small wormhole had no issues, and the location it connected to was indeed in the Southern Cross Region.
As soon as he connected to the Starnet, he messaged Qi Yan. He wrote a few lines, then deleted them, rewriting them again and again, as if his language function had deteriorated after being stranded for half a year. Finally, he sent the simplest sentence, “I’m back.”
After sending it, he felt there were still many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t express a single word. Lu Fenghan was not satisfied, thinking, it would have been so much better if this wormhole exit connected to the Lagoon Nebula, or directly in front of Qi Yan.
The squeezing sensation of the warp jump hadn’t passed yet, but in a blink of an eye, Lu Fenghan realized his luck was neither particularly bad nor particularly good, as he had just happened to run into a standoff between two forces—
One side was obviously led by Erich on a mission, and the other was an old acquaintance he’d clashed with countless times, Donald.
Though it was unexpected, Lu Fenghan didn’t hesitate for long. Driving his battered little starship, he clattered and rattled straight into the front lines.
Now, it seemed to be working well.
Before opening the hatch, Lu Fenghan asked Pojun for the umpteenth time, “Any reply?”
Pojun: “None.”
Fingers drumming on the control panel, Lu Fenghan rose and strode out, instructing, “If there’s a reply, inform me immediately. Immediately.”
The starship, adorned with splashes of colorful paint, parted its doors to the sides, giving the impression that even with such force, the doors could detach.
Descending the gangway, Lu Fenghan found himself greeted by a synchronized array of footsteps, a chorus of military boots meeting in a resounding “thud,” as the waiting crowd executed a unified Alliance salute.
Erich stood at the forefront of the assembly, his gaze fixed on Lu Fenghan descending the gangway step by step. Despite his tightly controlled expression, his cheeks strained with emotion, his voice husky as he delivered each word with precision, “Deputy Commander Erich Plank of the Expeditionary Force, reporting!”
He drew a deep breath, his gray eyes reflecting the blood and fire of the past year. “Up until this moment, not a single member of the Expeditionary Force has laid down their weapons. We remain at your command!”
Lu Fenghan locked eyes with each familiar face before him, his throat tightening.
Merely a year apart, yet twice he had brushed with death.
Unaccustomed to revealing his emotions, Lu Fenghan returned the salute solemnly before adopting his familiar casual tone. “Gentlemen, it’s been too long.”
Lu Fenghan, or rather, the entire Expeditionary Force, was not one for small talk. With a single sentence, Lu Fenghan dismissed the gathering, ordering everyone back to their posts. Erich and Vincent followed suit without hesitation.
Vincent reverted to his Expeditionary Force uniform, his demeanor noticeably more rigid than in Leto, his posture erect. But his penchant for words remained unchanged. When the area cleared of onlookers, he couldn’t resist quipping, “Commander, who would’ve thought you could survive dying once, let alone twice!”
Lu Fenghan glanced at him coolly. “Disappointed?”
“How could I be?” Vincent feigned astonishment before continuing, “Commander, thankfully you intervened just in time, pacifying Donald and facilitating the exchange. Otherwise, if things had escalated, all for the sake of Weiss, the shells would have been flying left and right. Isn’t frugality a virtue? Donald is quite something, too. Despite the numerous setbacks over the years, he still can’t shake off his suspicious, overimaginative nature.”
Unwilling to entertain Vincent’s chatter, Lu Fenghan called out, “Erich, you speak.”
Erich’s skin bore the pale complexion characteristic of spacefarers. He stood to Lu Fenghan’s right, following the command to speak.
“Last July, after you led reinforcements and fell into an ambush, Weiss assumed the role of acting commander-in-chief. I have sense the anomaly, so I opted to lie low temporarily, obeying his orders, withdrawing from the front lines, and retreating to Turin.” Erich recounted with restraint. “On October third last year, in the dead of night, the rebel forces raided our base. Weiss staged a couple of skirmishes, then abandoned Turin star outright, retreating to York star.”
After analyzing the battle replays in the ISOC equipment room and knowing that it was Weiss who delivered the heads, Lu Fenghan’s eyes still sharpened uncontrollably.
Erich also felt the frustration of losing this battle. “That night, the defense alarm system was undergoing maintenance, so it failed to respond when the enemy attacked. The patrol shifts were being changed, and they didn’t detect the rebel forces closing in.”
Lu Fenghan interjected, “You can skip all these bullshit excuses.”
Erich nodded, acknowledging that Weiss’ actions were indeed bullshit.
He continued, “During this time, Weiss’ various maneuvers were intercepted, and from Vincent, I learned that you were not dead.”
Vincent immediately protested, “I never told him! Really! It was Erich, with his nose for trouble, always finding reasons to pester me whenever I’m in a good mood. There’s always a slip in the tightest of nets, and I accidentally let slip half a sentence! How he managed to conclude from that half-sentence that you hadn’t died, I’ll never know!”
Lu Fenghan didn’t delve further. “Tell me about the Foundation Day.”
“There’s not much to say. Weiss showed his true colors, revealing his treasonous connection to the rebels. I ordered his arrest, but he had already planned his escape. Before that, General Nie Huaiting had commanded that the Expeditionary Force must hold the Alliance’s front lines no matter what. At the same time, since we’re too far away, I had no detailed information about Leto’s situation, and couldn’t discern the orders being relayed, so I simply cut off communication with Leto.”
Erich spoke firmly. “As you taught us, in the field, orders are not always followed.”
Lu Fenghan didn’t see any issue and asked, “What about Leto?”
“Leto is now under the control of the rebel army. They follow some nonsense ideology, focusing on technological catastrophe, brainwashing the people of Leto, and recruiting a large number of wandering bards to ‘spread the word’ within the Alliance territory. Their methods are not overtly violent. Aside from strict control of information and restricted access, the people of Leto are not in immediate danger, but who knows how many will be swayed. General Nie Huaiting is currently in Odin, in the Kepler Region, fully recovered from his injuries. We had a conversation nineteen days ago.”
Erich added, “After the rebel army and space pirates captured Leto, there was discord over the spoils, but it’s uncertain whether it was genuine discord or just a show for us.”
Lu Fenghan realized there was indeed not much to say. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t find many words.
Having spent a long time on the front lines, he had grown accustomed to disregarding the trivialities and focusing only on the outcomes.
Because for the future, the past was unchangeable, and looking forward was the only way ahead.
At this point, Lu Fenghan didn’t ask any further questions, nor did he intend to explain his six-month ordeal on the Dawn planet. Instead, he called out, “Pojun, come out and meet everyone.”
Vincent and Erich were puzzled as to whom Lu Fenghan was addressing, but then an unfamiliar male voice came from the ship’s broadcast system. The voice was pleasant, its pace deliberate, exuding a sense of composure. “Hello, everyone, I am Pojun. By human standards, I am six months old this year.”
Vincent pointed to the direction of the voice. “A… an artificial intelligence?”
Pojun responded politely, “I am the most advanced AI in the Alliance today. I look forward to serving you all in the future.”
Lu Fenghan nodded without elaborating further. “Hmm, Pojun will be onboard from now on, so don’t be alarmed if Pojun suddenly speaks up.”
Vincent wore an accusing expression. “Onboard from now on? Six months old? Commander, you’re employing child labor!”
Lu Fenghan: “Get lost.”
As the fleet reached its base, Lu Fenghan returned to the command ship. His room still bore the same appearance as it did a year ago, with even the e-reader on the desk remaining untouched.
Shedding the clothes that had whitened from six months of wear, Lu Fenghan took a shower and changed into the Expeditionary Force uniform. Mentally preparing himself, he finally dared to ask, “Any replies?”
Pojun: “No replies have been received.”
Feeling stifled, Lu Fenghan loosened the button of his collar with one hand.
If Little Delicate ignored him, how could he coax him back?
Lu Fenghan asked again, “What are the chances of your system malfunctioning?”
Pojun: “The chances are less than 0.1%. Rest assured, I can handle most common malfunctions on my own.”
It seemed like the excuse “Pojun has malfunctioned. Can you take a look?” wouldn’t work anymore.
Lu Fenghan felt very disappointed.
Just as he was contemplating whether to send another message to Qi Yan, a reply came in.
“Glad to hear you’re okay.”
Lu Fenghan read this reply over and over again, turning it over in his mind.
Something didn’t seem quite right.
No, it was… very strange.
“Pojun, did your developer design a second artificial intelligence? Could this be another AI from his side replying?”
Pojun: “No, in human terms, I am an only child.”
“Are you sure this is Qi Yan’s reply?”
“Yes, the message indeed came from his personal terminal.”
After replying to the message, Qi Yan didn’t check his personal terminal again. He accessed the intranet of the White Tower and updated the latest progress there to “Completed.”
He had stayed awake for three consecutive nights. Perhaps due to exhaustion, he didn’t feel particularly sleepy. However, when he stood up, he swayed for a moment before regaining his balance a few seconds later.
Rushing footsteps drew closer. Qi Yan turned his head and met the breathlessly excited Elisa. She stopped at the doorway, her expression a mix between crying and laughing. “Lu Fenghan has returned! The news from the front lines—Lu Fenghan is alive. He’s come back!”
Standing in the early summer sunlight, Qi Yan’s sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his skin as pale as cold porcelain. He nodded calmly. “I know. I received the message he sent to me.”
He asked Elisa with some confusion, “I replied to him, and I think my wording was fine. But should I… sound happier?”
Elisa was momentarily unsure how to respond.
Before she could answer, Qi Yan tore open a pack of nutritional supplements, swallowed two pills, and headed out. “The upgrade of the space radar detection system is complete. I’ve selected a name from the registry, calling it ‘Windcatcher.’ However, this detection system needs to be used in conjunction with the starship’s central control system. I need to go to the front line to see how it performs.”
Elisa followed him. “You can apply to use the starship now and depart soon.”
Qi Yan suddenly stopped.
After carefully recalling, he asked Elisa, “I used to love him a lot, didn’t I?”
Elisa gave an affirmative answer. “Yes.”
“So that’s how it is,” Qi Yan murmured, lowering his thin eyelids as if speaking to himself. “Although my memories from the past seem like they’re shrouded in mist, but when I received the message from him—here,” he placed his hand over his heart, a hint of confusion in his eyes, “it ached for a moment.”
An hour later, the starship docked outside the starport, its energy fully replenished.
August accompanied Elisa to see Qi Yan off.
Before boarding the starship, Qi Yan stood before them. “You don’t need to feel regret or guilt. If I hadn’t taken the medication, there’s a very high chance I would have died by now. Losing negative emotions like sadness and despair also means losing positive ones like happiness and excitement. It’s the price to pay.”
He tried to console them with a softer tone. “And Elisa, didn’t you say that I’ll gradually get better in the future? Emotions that have been stripped away will gradually return.”
Qi Yan didn’t understand why Elisa started crying again. Uncertain of what words to say or what actions to take, he simply nodded silently to August before turning and boarding the starship.
He didn’t really understand why August and Elisa kept feeling guilty. He felt like he wasn’t much different from before.
The only relatively obvious change was that he had become more rational. Although his memories still got mixed up, he usually regarded this as a system glitch, and he didn’t feel much about such disorder.
No, it was more accurate to say he lacked “emotion.”
The experiments continued to fail, yet he felt no frustration. Eating when hungry brought no satisfaction. The successful upgrade of the detection system elicited no joy. Even on stormy nights, when memories of Lin Zhi’s death resurfaced, he felt no sadness.
He was like a robot, stripped of a certain function, yet until now, he hadn’t felt any impact.
On the Expeditionary Force command ship.
Lu Fenghan had already gone through all the major and minor events within the Expeditionary Force over the past year. He had held three meetings, sifted through various current events and reports from the Alliance over the past six months, and received countless communications from those who had heard of his miraculous return and sent their regards.
By the time all matters were handled, a day had passed.
With his long legs encased in military trousers, Lu Fenghan casually propped his chin, feeling a slight dryness in his eyes.
He read through Qi Yan’s reply once again.
He couldn’t help but wildly guess. Could it be that when he kissed Qi Yan just before closing the escape pod shield, he accidentally bit and hurt him?
Or perhaps, something unexpected had occurred.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Fenghan admitted that he was afraid.
He had never feared the changing tides of the Expeditionary Force or the possibility of losing to the rebels. Not in half a year or even ten years later upon his return.
But Qi Yan was different.
Qi Yan was the person he would need to see one last time, even if he were trapped for a hundred years, on the brink of death.
He was the wildfire burning endlessly in his heart.
At that moment, Pojun spoke, “Vincent is on the bridge, asking if you’re available. There’s an important matter he needs you to attend to.”
Lu Fenghan grabbed his military jacket and stood up, the silver star on his shoulder flashing faintly. “Tell him to wait.”
As Lu Fenghan strode to the bridge, he saw Erich was there too, and he glanced at Vincent for an explanation.
Vincent struggled to contain his excitement but couldn’t hide it completely. “A secret envoy from the White Tower arrived. They claim to have brought us a powerful piece of equipment! In theory, it can detect energy signals within wormholes. This means that next time the rebels haven’t emerged from the wormhole yet, we can lay a hundred meters of explosives at the exit point, like rolling out the red carpet for them!”
White Tower.
Qi Yan was at the White Tower now.
Lu Fenghan mulled over those two words in his mind, experiencing the rare feeling of indecision.
The announcement of “Successful docking with the command ship” echoed in his ears. Vincent and Erich both turned towards the far end of the bridge, where the door of the visiting starship was being docked.
The people from the White Tower were always mysterious, seldom appearing in public. Often, their names were known but their faces unseen, and sometimes even their names were false.
Vincent and Erich exchanged a glance, each detecting curiosity in the other’s eyes. They both instinctively adjusted their collars, ensuring their military bearing remained impeccable, so as not to embarrass the Expeditionary Force.
Lu Fenghan reluctantly suppressed the urge to mock and turned his gaze towards the end of the bridge.
Two minutes later, the metallic silver doors at the end of the bridge slid open, revealing a group of people entering.
Standing in the center was a person wearing a silk shirt, appearing somewhat slender, with a cold demeanor yet striking features.
Vincent’s eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at the newcomer, his lips moving as if to speak the person’s name, yet hesitating with uncertainty. After a moment of struggle, he quickly glanced at Lu Fenghan.
Lu Fenghan, however, maintained a tight-lipped expression, staring unwaveringly at the approaching figure.
His expression was inscrutable.
Outside the portholes, the boundless universe and distant stars shimmered brightly.
Qi Yan stopped a step away, politely extending his hand towards Lu Fenghan.
Since Qi Yan was not part of the Expeditionary Force, addressing him as “Commander” seemed inappropriate, so he used his title instead.
“Hello, General. I am Y, Chief of the White Tower.”
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