Lu Fenghan ate only one bite.
Qi Yan didn’t ask him anything else. He simply continued eating his noodles in silence, his lowered eyelashes never lifting as he kept his gaze down.
There was something slightly strange about the atmosphere.
Qi Yan couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. He only knew that his limbs felt inexplicably uncomfortable, while Lu Fenghan’s presence seemed to have been magnified without limit. He didn’t even need to look up to know that the other man was undoubtedly watching him.
Because he was so familiar with Lu Fenghan, Qi Yan could easily picture the man’s current posture and expression in his mind.
Lu Fenghan tried to find something to talk about.
“The noodles were made using the Xinghua mushroom powder Vincent brought back from Mykono Star. There’s still quite a lot of the powder left. If you like them, I’ll make them for you again next time.”
Qi Yan held his chopsticks between his fingers and nodded.
“Okay.”
After thinking for a moment, he lifted his head and asked, “Is making these noodles troublesome?”
Lu Fenghan’s gaze lingered briefly on Qi Yan’s forehead, where the redness had already faded. He answered aloud, “It’s not troublesome. It’s rare for you to find something you like eating.”
What else could he do with such a picky little eater who was so particular about food?
When he noticed a little sauce clinging to the corner of Qi Yan’s mouth, Lu Fenghan reached out. His rough fingertip brushed across the edge of Qi Yan’s lips, wiping it clean.
Qi Yan allowed the sudden movement without pulling away. However, the moment Lu Fenghan finished, he quickly lowered his head.
He didn’t raise it again until he had finished every last bit of his noodles.
In the afternoon, Qi Yan accompanied Lu Fenghan into the command room.
He quietly settled into the sofa, opened the virtual screen on his personal terminal and continued working on his own tasks. From time to time, he listened to a few snippets of the meeting taking place between Lu Fenghan and the others.
Magelyn nudged Wayne with her elbow, reminding him of something he had meant to ask.
“Commander, you held that meeting so early this morning and then Leto Daily immediately published the report afterward. Did something happen on Leto?”
Lu Fenghan pulled out a chair and sat down. All his emotions had already been completely restrained, leaving his tone flat and devoid of fluctuation, almost as though he were simply recounting a series of facts.
“Last night, three professors from Academy were discovered teaching students privately, refusing to follow the rebel army’s demands for indoctrinating education. They had continued teaching their students, ‘The convictions in your hearts must never be abandoned and the pursuit of truth must never be stopped halfway.’ After they were discovered, they were shot to death in front of the plaza at Academy.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned solemn.
Wayne’s expression became grave. The hand resting against the edge of the table clenched into a fist, his veins standing out sharply. Magelyn straightened in her seat, her gaze cold as an ice pick.
In the sofa tucked away in the corner, Qi Yan’s fingers froze.
He didn’t even notice the words Input Error appearing on his screen.
Lu Fenghan continued, “When General Nie went to Odin Star, these three professors could have evacuated with him but they chose to stay behind. Their reason was that too many people couldn’t leave Leto and many students would still be attending classes at Turan Academy. Therefore, they couldn’t leave.”
Long Xiyun spoke up. The scar at the corner of her eye made her expression look particularly fierce.
“Was this morning’s meeting part of the deterrence strategy?”
Lu Fenghan nodded.
“More or less.”
He rubbed his fingers together, then found a cigarette and held it between them without lighting it.
He had already smoked the cigarettes he needed the previous night while waiting for Qi Yan in the middle of the night.
Amid the heavy silence, he slowly spoke.
“So, everyone, we’ll have to fight with everything we’ve got. The people of Leto are still waiting for our victory.”
Messages like this were always delivered to his subordinates only after Lu Fenghan had brought his emotions under control.
He was the commander. He had to remain steady. He couldn’t allow even the slightest trace of impatience to show.
This was something Nie Huaiting and the expeditionary army’s former commander in chief had taught him. As long as he occupied this position, he had to become the spiritual pillar and the stabilizing force of the entire expeditionary army.
Anyone else could lose their composure. Anyone else could panic.
He couldn’t.
“There definitely wasn’t only one incident!” Magelyn’s military boot struck the floor with a sharp sound as she shifted her foot. She was visibly irritated. “Given the disgusting methods used by the rebel army, there will only be more incidents like this, not fewer. Doesn’t Leto have any other options?”
Long Xiyun took over the explanation.
“Leto possesses the most advanced planetary defense system in the entire Alliance. It’s easy to defend and difficult to attack. The people living there are all Alliance citizens. We can’t just launch missiles and bombard the planet indiscriminately the way the rebel army does. The moment a missile hits the ground, the rebels will tell everyone on Leto that the Alliance has abandoned them and that the Alliance no longer cares whether they live or die.”
Lu Fenghan continued, “And it’s not just Leto. Every planet occupied by the rebel army is in the same situation. That’s also why General Nie can’t act recklessly. We have to consider more than the outcome of the war. We also have to take human lives and the hearts of the people into account.”
Magelyn let out a long breath and leaned back against her chair. Her usual playful, irreverent expression had disappeared.
“So the best way we can handle this is to fight here. Cut them down one by one, hacking away until their bones are stripped and their tendons torn out, until the rebel army no longer has the strength to worry about Leto and has no choice but to surrender and admit defeat?”
She wanted to say that since the rebel army had managed to seize Leto using those methods, secret infiltration, manipulating public sentiment and planting covert agents, they could try doing the same thing themselves.
But she swallowed the words before they could leave her mouth.
The rebel army had used precisely this approach to take control of Leto, so they would naturally be exceptionally vigilant. Moreover, the rebels were extremely practiced in their indoctrination methods. Under their high pressure rule, strict surveillance and system of collective punishment, covert agents would find it very easy to expose flaws in their cover.
And so, when Magelyn spoke again, the murderous intent in her voice was particularly pronounced.
“When are we attacking the Eighth Legion?”
Lu Fenghan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked toward Long Xiyun.
“The commander of the Eighth Legion is related by blood to the commander of the Seventh Legion.”
Long Xiyun nodded.
“Yes. They’re cousins. One is named Conrad Li and the other is Jack Li. Both of them come from a background as interstellar pirates. The former’s nickname is ‘One Eyed Dragon’ because he lost sight in his right eye and wears an artificial eyeball. The latter is known as ‘Black Jack.’ Commander, do you suspect that they’ll act together?”
“There’s a very high possibility. They’re brothers from the same interstellar pirate background and they defected to the rebel army together. They’ll most likely split the benefits between themselves. Now that Odin has made its position known, the rebel army can’t possibly let the matter go unanswered and the biggest way to ‘settle the score’ would naturally be to defeat us.”
Lu Fenghan had Pojun bring up the star map.
“The Seventh and Eighth Legions are stationed close to each other. It would be very convenient for One Eyed Dragon and Black Jack to provide mutual support.”
Duchamp nodded in agreement before raising another question.
“Will the interstellar pirates make a move?”
Lu Fenghan answered, “The possibility isn’t particularly high. Based on the information we currently have, the rebel army has assigned the interstellar pirates other missions. Stirring up trouble across various parts of the Alliance and creating panic, most of those operations are their handiwork.”
Duchamp: “Call Dingyuan back?”
“No need for Dingyuan.” Lu Fenghan gave the order to Po Jun. “Tell Vincent to recall the Xingdun and Zhuri. As usual, leave the command ship behind. I’ll use the Xingdun.”
Po Jun immediately replied, “Yes, sir.”
Leto.
…..
Xia Zhiyang stood outside his home. Before opening the door, he could not help raising his arm and checking whether the smell of blood still lingered on him.
Yesterday, after three professors had been shot dead in the square, the rebel army had forbidden anyone from approaching to collect their bodies. Their purpose was to use the incident as a “warning to the masses.”
Xia Zhiyang and several of his classmates had kept watch near the square throughout the night. It was not until after noon the following day that the rebels finally left.
They silently stepped forward and carefully arranged the remains of the three professors, preparing them for their families. Once the families arrived and the handover was completed, they hurried away. Then, they rolled up their sleeves and began wiping away every trace of blood from the square, cleaning it inch by inch.
The smell of blood had been overwhelmingly pungent.
So sharp that Xia Zhiyang’s eyes stung along with it.
Xia Zhiyang had grown up in a peaceful environment. Although he had often heard words like “the front lines” and “war,” he had never truly understood what war actually meant.
Everything he had failed to understand before, he had learned over the past six months.
The once prosperous Leto had already become a dead star.
Rebel soldiers patrolled everywhere along the streets. The roar of countless engines passed overhead and on the rare occasions when people appeared outside, they hurried along, too afraid to remain outdoors for long.
The air still existed, clear and breathable in principle yet it felt as though the entire planet was suffocating.
When he opened the door, his parents had not yet returned. Xia Zhiyang sat down on the sofa and raised the back of his hand to cover his eyes. Even though he had already washed his hands, he could still smell blood.
“One must never abandon the convictions held within one’s heart, nor stop pursuing the truth halfway.”
Was there anything wrong with those words?
No.
There was nothing wrong with them.
And yet, it was precisely because of those words that three professors had died.
The anger that had been accumulating inside him since the previous night suddenly surged, filling every corner of his chest. He wanted to scream. He wanted to curse and berate someone but apart from breathing heavily, he could not utter a single word. Even his expression remained as still and emotionless as a stagnant pool.
It was as if someone had shoved a stopper into the mouth of a soda bottle.
Xia Zhiyang thought that things could never return to the way they had been before.
The day of Founding Day, at the Diamond of the Firmament Square, had been the turning point.
He had never thought about hating anyone. More than anything, he kept thinking about what he could do.
His thoughts scattered. He remembered how the wandering poets had openly proclaimed that the Alliance would collapse the very next day and no one had stopped them. At Turan Academy, academic freedom had been upheld and debates had taken place almost every day…
But those memories felt impossibly distant now.
These days, even remaining outdoors for more than ten seconds could attract the rebels’ attention and lead to an interrogation.
Through his parents’ channels of communication, he knew that the expeditionary forces on the front lines had been winning one battle after another. He knew that the rebels’ Eleventh Legion had already been annihilated. He knew that as long as they held on, continued holding on, there would eventually come a day when Leto could return to the way it had once been.
At that moment, the door opened.
Xia Zhiyang lowered his hand and looked toward the entrance.
“Mom.”
Madam Xia was dressed in an extravagant light gray imitation fur coat. Aside from the slight pallor of her complexion, she looked as though she had just returned from an afternoon tea gathering.
That was the impression she had always tried to give Xia Zhiyang.
However, Xia Zhiyang thought that although he had only missed Turan Academy’s admission score by a few points, he was not stupid.
His mother’s performance was far too clumsy.
Madam Xia smoothed the loose strands of hair at her temples and put on a smile. “You’re back? Just now, Mom- ”
“Mom.” Sitting on the sofa, Xia Zhiyang interrupted her in a hoarse voice. “Take me with you next time. I can cooperate with you and help cover for you.”
Madam Xia fell silent.
After saying those words, Xia Zhiyang thought about himself.
For the past nineteen years, he had always been a wealthy young man without much ambition. His greatest pleasure had been using the pocket money he saved to buy limited edition hovercars. The person he disliked most was the pretentious Jiang Qi.
His greatest achievement was having attended Turan Academy for two years without getting expelled and his greatest ideal had been the beautiful dream of open source that he had once entertained after being inspired by his idol.
But when it came to actually putting that dream into practice, it was something he absolutely could not do.
Madam Xia took several breaths before finally speaking. “You’re still young. I know what happened at Turan last night. Don’t be afraid. The expeditionary forces and General Nie haven’t given up. They will definitely come.”
“Mom, I know.” Xia Zhiyang interrupted her gently, his voice soft. “They haven’t given up. They’re working hard and I want to do everything I can, too. There is something I can do now and I want to do it. You and Dad taught me that people have to take responsibility for their actions, didn’t you?”
Madam Xia tightened her grip around the expensive leather handbag in her hand. She gazed at Xia Zhiyang and in an instant, her eyes turned red.
“All right. Next time, Mom will take you with me.”
With tears glistening in her eyes, she raised a finger to her lips and smiled.
“Shh, we’ll do it together. We won’t let the rebels find out.”
….
At the same time, on the front lines of the Southern Cross District.
A dark gray reconnaissance ship approached from the depths of space, resembling a goshawk with its wings spread wide. Once it entered the main ship’s capture range, it began gradually reducing its speed.
Ten minutes later, the report brought back by the reconnaissance ship was compiled and delivered into Lu Fenghan’s hands.
Two days earlier, he had dispatched a team of reconnaissance ships to investigate the situation of the rebels’ Seventh and Eighth Legions. Just as he had anticipated, there had been considerable movement among the Seventh Legion’s starships.
If the two legions had truly joined forces, then…
Their military supplies for the following month would no longer be a problem.
After all, things such as missiles, laser cannons and particle cannons were nonrenewable resources. Every shot fired meant one less shot remaining. Once they were gone, they were gone.
If they could save resources, they naturally should.
But if there was an opportunity to seize supplies, they absolutely had to take it.
They had spent nearly half a month recuperating.
It was time to stretch their muscles again.
Qi Yan watched as Lu Fenghan finished reading the report. “Do we have definite news?”
“Mm. The Eighth Legion is making its moves out in the open, while the Seventh Legion is secretly trying to dig a deep pit and make us fall into it.” Lu Fenghan had only just emerged from the simulated cockpit after receiving the report. A layer of sweat covered his forehead and the back of his neck.
He closed his personal terminal. “We can proceed according to the results of our noon meeting and make our move tomorrow.”
As he spoke, Lu Fenghan glanced toward the simulated cockpit in the training room.
“Do you want to come in with me?”
The simulated cockpit had been in use for many years. It connected directly to the nervous system and could completely replicate an actual battlefield in space. The ship type and operating system could both be switched according to the user’s requirements.
Qi Yan had not spent much time in a simulated cockpit before. After confirming that his presence would not interfere with Lu Fenghan’s training, he nodded and followed Lu Fenghan inside.
When he closed his eyes and opened them again, Qi Yan discovered that he was now “aboard” a fighter ship. In front of him, the viewing windows provided an almost 280 degree field of vision, while countless indicator lights blinked faintly across the control panel.
Lu Fenghan accelerated the fighter ship to a speed far beyond that of a hovercar. Following the guidance of the star map, he skillfully brought it to a stop at a specific coordinate before adjusting the mode they were operating in.
He pointed toward a particular direction. “This is one of my favorite places. If you activate the hidden mode, you can see a comet from our star system passing by.”
Qi Yan was curious. “A comet?”
At that moment, the space beyond the viewing windows was as dark as the night. Distant starlight shimmered across the vast darkness, creating an inexplicable sense of loneliness and chill that settled over the surroundings.
“When I first joined the expeditionary forces, I often felt depressed. Apparently, it was an emotional response caused by not getting enough sunlight. Whenever I became tired after training in the simulated cockpit, I would set the coordinates to this location and watch the comet pass by again and again. It always made me feel considerably better.”
Lu Fenghan turned his head toward him. His brows and eyes remained as sharp as ever but his voice had softened into a slow, unhurried cadence.
“You’re feeling down, so I wanted to bring you here to see it with me.”
At that moment, a comet gradually approached its star and its brightness began to intensify. Its tail continued to lengthen and grow thinner, spreading out like a delicate sheet of pale blue gauze, or like colors slowly diffusing through water.
Qi Yan’s breath caught slightly.
Brilliant light reflected in his eyes, as though a thin layer of translucent color had seeped into polished glass.
Amid the silence that seemed to have existed since time immemorial, Lu Fenghan’s voice rang out.
“This comet has a particularly unusual orbit. No matter how far away it travels, it will always return to the vicinity of that star.”
“It’s a little like… the way I am to you.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
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← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 50 · I am Pojun.Chapter 51 · Unable to deceive oneselfChapter 52 · Resurrected from the deadChapter 53 · Hello, General!Chapter 54 · My hand is injured.Chapter 55 · Come to my place.Chapter 56 · First VictoryChapter 57 · Self-introductionChapter 58 · Never changedChapter 59 · One reasonChapter 60 · Gentle and restrainedChapter 61 · Only you are allowed.Chapter 62 · To the Souls of the FallenChapter 63 · His reliefChapter 64 · His ambitionChapter 65 · Date TimeChapter 66 Part 1 · Abducting PlanetsChapter 66 Part 2 · Abducting PlanetsChapter 67 · Did not leaveChapter 68 · Perceiving EmotionsChapter 69 · My own effortsChapter 70 · Bright FlameChapter 71 · Dress codeChapter 72 · Take me with you!Chapter 73 · MirageChapter 74 · I’m used to it.