Chapter 60.1
Lu Fenghan didn’t respond, but Vincent didn’t press further and brought up another matter.
“Commander, with all the recent battles, I almost forgot that Weiss is still locked up in the interrogation room. But Weiss has been as tight-lipped as a clam. What do you think?”
This was within Lu Fenghan’s expectations.
He leaned back in his chair. “It won’t be long before he cracks. Have the guards chat with him about our recent victories and mention the new military factory we just seized.”
“Insidious! So, Commander, you’ve been ignoring him these past few days to make him realize his information is worthless, and to let him know that the rebels are being crushed by us, making it clear that any hope of rescue is gone?” Vincent grew more animated as he spoke. “Yes, yes, yes, shooting him with one bullet is letting him off too lightly! He deserves to be locked up in the interrogation room and suffer!”
Lu Fenghan recalled the bombs that had rained down on Eros this time last year as they exited the wormhole, and the countless warnings on the comms followed by silence. His gaze turned icy, but his voice remained calm. “Hmm, Weiss once thought he held the reins of the Expeditionary Force, that he could play with the lives and deaths of countless people, convinced the Alliance would surely be overthrown.”
Vincent quickly added, “There’s nothing more devastating than realizing you’ve become a prisoner, with your life in someone else’s hands, living in fear every day, and finding out your old master is suffering defeat after defeat!”
Without waiting for Lu Fenghan’s command, he declared, “I know what to do now!”
With that, he severed the communication.
Four hours later, news came from the interrogation room. Weiss requested to speak with Lu Fenghan in person, but Lu Fenghan refused and directed Vincent to go instead.
Another half hour passed, and Vincent received the list.
Lu Fenghan summoned Long Xiyun back.
Long Xiyun, the captain of the Special Operations Unit, still wore a sullen look, as if the Alliance owed him back pay, and the hint of a chilling aura clung to him, perhaps from the recent sight of blood.
He stood at attention, gave a military salute, and waited for Lu Fenghan’s orders.
“Weiss has provided a list, most of which were dealt with during the screening before my return. I’ve sent the remaining suspects to your personal terminal. Move discreetly, don’t give them a chance to communicate with each other. After taking them into custody, isolate them, and have each person write down their known superiors, subordinates, and accomplices. Once everyone has written everything down, compare their statements, and tell them that those who intentionally conceal information will be executed, and those who fully disclose information will be rewarded.”
Long Xiyun bore a scar diagonally from the corner of his eyebrow to his temple, accentuating the fierceness in his gaze. Clearly, with the Alliance’s advanced medical technology, wounds usually wouldn’t leave scars, and even if they did, they could be removed without a trace.
He grasped Lu Fenghan’s intent. “Prisoner’s dilemma?”
“Yes. They won’t fully trust each other and will be more inclined to expose their comrades rather than simultaneously conceal information.” Lu Fenghan tapped his fingers on the desk, his tone grave. “I have reservations about the list provided by Weiss, but this method will fill in the gaps and prevent innocent casualties.”
Lu Fenghan locked eyes with Long Xiyun. “I leave it to you to handle.”
Having followed Lu Fenghan for several years, Long Xiyun knew that Lu Fenghan, a standard jungle predator, would not tolerate anyone with “foreign” scents in his territory, let alone those who betrayed and endangered lives.
He said simply, “Yes.”
Lu Fenghan nodded. “As soon as possible, preferably before the next engagement.”
Long Xiyun saluted respectfully and silently left the command room.
Qi Yan sat on the sofa in the corner, observing the daily routines of Lu Fenghan as the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force.
Countless communications poured in without pause. One moment, he’d be discussing the defense deployment of the Lisbon star frontline, and the next, he’d immediately switch to the Technical Department to listen to work reports and give instructions.
At first, he was only casually observing his surroundings, but soon, Qi Yan found himself setting aside his tasks, propping his chin with his left hand, leaning back in the sofa, quietly watching Lu Fenghan.
This Lu Fenghan was somehow different from the one he remembered from their time in Leto.
In Leto, Lu Fenghan led a simple and regimented life. But as the Commander-in-Chief, he needed to consider how to deploy the longest and most secure defense line with the fewest personnel, reflect on the recently concluded battles to minimize casualties in the next one, analyze the war situation, and estimate the enemy’s remaining forces and artillery…
Qi Yan was determined not to miss even the slightest detail, wanting to capture every facet of this person.
When the communication ceased, Lu Fenghan glanced up to see Qi Yan staring at him in a daze. He couldn’t help but smile. “Back to reality.”
Qi Yan blinked. “What?”
Seeing him wrapped in his own coat, Lu Fenghan stood up and approached, pinching Qi Yan’s cheeks. “It’s time to go back to sleep.”
After sitting for a long time, Qi Yan’s legs felt a bit numb. When he stood up, he instinctively grabbed Lu Fenghan’s arm for support. Time on the starship blurred the line between day and night, and Qi Yan had lost track of time. It wasn’t until he glanced at his personal terminal that he realized it was nearly four in the morning.
He responded to Lu Fenghan. “Okay.”
Lu Fenghan couldn’t help but comment, “Don’t just answer ‘okay’ to everything I say. I might take advantage.”
“Okay,” Qi Yan replied, pausing before adding, “I don’t want to refuse you.”
He attempted to analyze this psychology, ultimately arriving at an inconclusive conclusion. “Subconsciously, I’m reluctant to refuse.”
Lu Fenghan’s smile deepened a little.
Although Lu Fenghan knew that Qi Yan’s words were simply analytical and and stating conclusions, he still felt as if he had just sipped a glass of sweet wine.
Back in his room, after freshening up and preparing for bed, Qi Yan found himself feeling slightly restless, perhaps due to the reduced medication. Unable to sleep, he decided to open his virtual screen and jot down the jumbled thoughts that had been brewing over the past few days.
Two hours later, despite feeling like he shouldn’t be so clingy, Qi Yan couldn’t resist asking Pojun, “What is the General doing right now?”
“He’s in the command room, having a meeting. Captain Long Xiyun submitted a list to the General five minutes ago, and then the General called for a meeting with several ship captains.”
Pojun dutifully relayed Lu Fenghan’s message, “The General didn’t realize you were still awake. He instructed me to tell you that you will undergo a second reduced medication when you wake up. He said not to be afraid, it’s alright.”
Upon hearing the word ‘afraid,’ Qi Yan was momentarily stunned.
Lu Fenghan knew well that Qi Yan had already lost his emotions, and of course, he wouldn’t feel ‘afraid.’
Yet Lu Fenghan still reminded him not to be afraid, that everything would be alright.
Unable to focus his attention any longer, Qi Yan spaced out for a moment before getting out of bed and leaving the room.
His quarters were next to the Commander’s quarters. When he opened the door, there was no one outside. Qi Yan remembered something and asked Pojun, “Are Ye Pei and Mondrian on the command ship?”
“Yes, they are. They’re having breakfast in the lounge next to the Technical Department. Are you going to see your friends?”
Qi Yan nodded.
Mondrian looked pleasantly surprised to see Qi Yan, while Ye Pei, who had been lazily resting her head on the table, reacted even more dramatically, springing up with a bright smile. “Qi Yan, what brings you here!” She quickly asked Qi Yan what he wanted to eat.
Lu Fenghan thought Qi Yan was too thin, so he supervised his meals diligently. Swallowing the word ‘nutritional supplement,’ Qi Yan instead said, “I’ll have a set meal.”
Ye Pei pressed a few buttons on the ordering device, and shortly after, Qi Yan’s set meal arrived.
The three of them sat around the same table. Ye Pei glanced at Qi Yan and then at Mondrian, her eyes bright. “It feels just like being back at Turan Academy!” She poked her plate with her spoon. “But then again, there are differences. For example, in the entire Expeditionary Force, there are just too many graduates from the First Military Academy. It’s like everyone here is from the school across the river!”
If Turan Academy was known for supplying high-quality talent to various sectors of the Alliance, then the First Military Academy was practically a direct pipeline to the military. For example, among the senior military officers in the Expeditionary Force, nearly half had attended the First Military Academy.
Ye Pei gestured to the dark circles under her eyes. “Last night, I was brainstorming like crazy under the command of a mad boss. I used to think Professor Fu’s assignments in the research group were a breeze, but now I realize they were a piece of cake!”
Qi Yan took a bite of rice from his set meal. “Was the late night due to the new weapons brought back from the rebels’ military factory?”
Mondrian explained, “Yes. The Commander ordered us to thoroughly understand the new weapons within thirteen hours, so the entire Technical Department burned the midnight oil last night. Ye Pei and I are now taking turns to come out for breakfast, and then we’ll go back to continue.”
Ye Pei whispered, “But I feel like even without the Commander’s order, with our boss being a fanatic about military technology research, he definitely would have forced us to stay up all night!”
Mondrian nodded in agreement.
Ye Pei added, “Although the workload is intense, the boss is crazy—no, actually, everyone in the Technical Department is crazy—and the risk factor is high, I actually quite like being in the Expeditionary Force.”
Her voice softened. “Even though I can’t do much, there’s a… feeling that I’m doing my best for the future of everyone in the Alliance.”
After speaking, Ye Pei felt like she was being overly dramatic. She said sheepishly, “I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately. Every night before bed, I can’t help but think about these questions.”
She tilted her head to glance at Qi Yan, who was eating earnestly, and felt like Qi Yan hadn’t changed much from before. She couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “I wonder how the people in Leto are doing now.”
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
