Chapter 64
After leaving the Technical Department, Lu Fenghan thought of Lorenz’s dark face and felt a secret sense of pleasure. Then he suddenly felt a bit… childish.
Passing by the porthole, Qi Yan immediately noticed something. “The Chanyuan fleet has disappeared.”
Outside the command ship, the fleet that had been quietly floating was no longer in its original position.
“Magelyn and a few others have taken on patrol missions and have temporarily left. The Dingyuan was recalled temporarily. It usually cruises along the border.”
Qi Yan was not familiar with the situation on the front line. “Will there be no warfare for the time being?”
“Yes, in these days, the front line has been pushed from York star to Lisbon star, and now it has even crossed the Thousand Islands star front line. Hundreds of planets and over twenty rare mineral stars need to be organized and defended. When an offensive is too rapid, oversights are likely. This is especially true for the mineral stars which were previously seized and now recaptured. Odin will send personnel and transport ships again.”
Since the very dawn of the interstellar age in the Earth calendar, space had become humanity’s natural minefield. Even now, two hundred years later, traveling between planets to explore and mine remained one of the foundations of human survival and technological advancement.
Lu Fenghan recalled the eager looks of his subordinates. “They all love patrolling the star zones because, more or less, they can always find supply stations set up by the rebels. The supplies inside are often left behind, giving them a chance to pick up the leftovers.”
Seeing Qi Yan listening attentively, Lu Fenghan smiled sideways and asked, “Do you enjoy hearing about these things?”
Qi Yan nodded, his stray hair moving slightly with the gesture. “I want to hear about anything related to you.”
Lu Fenghan’s smile deepened.
After a few steps, he gazed into the distant, dark expanse of space. “But new battles won’t be too far off.”
Qi Yan followed his gaze. “Because the rebels won’t tolerate your step by step advance?”
There was a hint of sternness between Lu Fenghan’s brows. “Of course. Since Year 145 of the Star calendar, the rebels and the Alliance have been in a constant tug-of-war, with one side gaining ground and then the other. This zone we’re in now has changed hands several times, sometimes under rebel control, sometimes under ours.
“Just like how the Alliance had the upper hand for a while because of the central control system you developed. But it didn’t take long for a major defeat to occur, and then the rebels became aggressive again.”
Qi Yan: “You want to?”
A corner of Lu Fenghan’s lips lifted into a sharp, confident smile. “Yes, I do.”
Both sides understood the unspoken words of the other.
I wanted to travel thousands of miles and utterly destroy the rebel army’s stronghold amidst the smoke of battle.
I wanted to bring an end to this protracted war.
I wanted to halt the countless sacrifices.
I wanted the phrase ‘rebel army’ to ultimately become history and to crumble into ashes within the river of time.
This was the ambition of Lu Fenghan, serving as a brigadier general in the Alliance.
July 14th was Lu Fenghan’s day off.
Rarely removing his military jacket and standard-issue shirt, Lu Fenghan changed into a gray overcoat, which softened the cold, battle-hardened aura around him. With his naturally tall and well-proportioned frame, the new attire accentuated his superiority. As usual, he went to the kitchen to see if there was anything Qi Yan could eat.
Along the way, he encountered Vincent hurrying by.
Vincent, as the adjutant to the Commander-in-Chief, had been busy coordinating operations these past few days. Spotting Lu Fenghan, his eyes lit up as he rushed over and began reporting without hesitation, “Commander! Captain Magelyn has sent a message. She reported the destruction of the remnants of the rebel army’s 11th Corps, consisting of one medium-sized ship and three small ships, along with some weapons and supplies.”
Lu Fenghan replied as he walked, “Hmm, duly noted.”
“Captain Duchamp reports that Jump Gate Y377 is unstable and requests support from the Technical Department.”
“Get in touch with Lorenz and have him arrange it.”
“Lorenz complained that the Technical Department is running out of concentrated coffee.”
Lu Fenghan halted in his tracks. “Do you really need to bother me with such trivial matters?”
Vincent felt that today’s commander seemed particularly irritable. He answered his own question a beat slower, “I’ll contact the Logistics Department and replenish the supply of concentrated coffee for the Technical Department.”
Lu Fenghan gave him a look that said, “Go on.”
To avoid being looked down upon by his superior for poor work performance, Vincent quickly brought up a pressing matter, “During patrol, Captain Long Xiyun found a rebel base used for ‘preaching’ to civilians in the Southern Cross Region.”
While it was euphemistically called preaching, in plain terms, it was brainwashing.
Lu Fenghan: “Tell Long Xiyun to see if he can root out the problem at its source. If not, then clear it out entirely.”
As they reached the kitchen door, Vincent was about to continue speaking when Lu Fenghan raised his chin at him, “Do you not know what day it is today?”
Vincent looked bewildered by the question and tentatively guessed, “Is it your birthday, Commander?”
Lu Fenghan gestured to his casual outfit. “Today is my day off.”
Vincent was even more puzzled. “Commander, you actually have a day off?”
“……”
Seeing Vincent’s reaction, Lu Fenghan remembered his past habits. He could easily have been awarded the title of an exemplary worker in the Expeditionary Force.
He patted Vincent’s shoulder. “Times have changed. Secure your datapad. If anything comes up, go to Erich. For non-urgent matters, do not disturb me.”
Remembering how Lorenz had been constantly consulting with Qi Yan via his personal terminal these past few days, Lu Fenghan added, “Also, tell Lorenz that knowledge gained through independent thinking and hard work holds greater value.”
Due to its distance from the star of its solar system, Mykono star had a relatively low average temperature. Although it was late summer and early autumn, the wind already carried a chill.
Lu Fenghan had specifically picked out a beige trench coat for Qi Yan, paired with a high-neck white sweater that made his face look even more pristine.
Exiting the starport, Qi Yan walked alongside Lu Fenghan on the bustling streets, feeling a brief sense of unfamiliarity.
“I haven’t seen this many pedestrians in a long time.”
Lu Fenghan casually straightened the collar folded around his neck. “Neither have I.”
Pojun, temporarily staying on Lu Fenghan’s personal terminal, chimed in, “I’m different. I’ve never seen so many people before.”
That was true. Having spent half a year on Dawn and then staying on the starship after returning, Pojun had never experienced such a scene. However, Lu Fenghan didn’t sympathize. “You can be quiet now.”
Pojun: “Yes, General. I understand perfectly well that my presence would disturb your date.”
Lu Fenghan thought, “As long as you know.”
The two walked along the street, their appearances drawing the attention of many passersby.
Lu Fenghan outlined today’s plan, “Mykono has a specialty called starflower mushroom. When ground into powder and used to make noodles, it’s delicious. We can go try it.”
“Okay.” Qi Yan’s hands were tucked into his pockets, still feeling a bit cold. He asked Lu Fenghan, “Have you been to this planet before?”
“No, this is my first time here too.”
As a Commander-in-Chief who rarely took breaks and diligently worked, Lu Fenghan could describe the strategic deployments of this star region and calculate the safety index of this planet in three seconds. But when it came to things like good food, scenic spots, or fun activities, he had no clue.
The only reason he knew about starflower mushroom on Mykeno star was because he had casually eavesdropped on conversations throughout the command ship to gather information.
Seeing a faint pink hue on Qi Yan’s nose from the cold wind, Lu Fenghan reached out and took his hand. It was cold to the touch, so he held it and placed it inside his own coat pocket.
The sudden warmth made Qi Yan shiver slightly. He felt a bit self-conscious and looked down at the fallen leaves on the ground, but his fingertips instinctively curled into the warmth of Lu Fenghan’s palm.
Lu Fenghao was reminded of their time on Leto, when they temporarily boarded a starship for a trip to Woz star. Qi Yan had told him that due to dangers, aside from the Lagoon Nebula, he had only ever been to Leto.
Qi Yan held great curiosity about the world.
Looking at the striking curve of Qi Yan’s eyes and the pale, delicate side of his neck, Lu Fenghan tightened his grip on the slender fingers in his palm.
I wanted to eradicate the rebel army.
So that you can safely do what you want to do and go where you want to go.
So that no matter when, you will never be startled, never afraid, never in danger, and never threatened.
This was Lu Fenghan’s ambition.
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