After reducing his medication for two consecutive days, Qi Yan’s reactions were not particularly severe. The only thing that changed was that he began frequently checking where Lu Fenghan was.
After noticing this detail, Lu Fenghan set up a small corner for Qi Yan in the command room, so that no matter when Qi Yan looked up, he would be able to see him.
Around the conference table, the captains of all the expeditionary force’s ships were present.
Lu Fenghan swept his gaze around the table before settling it on Wayne, the captain of the Pingning, who had been yawning continuously.
“What? You haven’t woken up yet?”
The dark circles beneath Wayne’s eyes were particularly obvious. “Commander, are we here to have a meeting or make small talk?”
Lu Fenghan leaned back in his chair. “Small talk before the meeting.”
Wayne’s shoulders immediately slumped and he wore an expression of someone who had reached the absolute limit of his patience.
“I strongly demand that you, Commander, establish a regulation prohibiting people from asking their superior about gossip! Especially in the middle of the night!”
Lu Fenghan became interested. “What were the people under you asking about?”
Wayne discreetly pointed a finger toward Qi Yan’s direction. “They were asking whether you, Commander, are about to fire your first shot soon. After all, someone saving your life is supposed to be repaid by offering yourself to them!”
Lu Fenghan: “……”
Memories were interconnected. The moment those three words, “first shot,” appeared, they immediately dredged up a memory from Leto.
Vincent had once let something slip and mentioned that, in an internal poll held among the expeditionary forces, an activity born from having far too much free time, they had not only given him the title of “The Most Difficult Person on the Front Line to Find a Partner,” but had also unanimously bet that he absolutely would not fire his first shot before turning thirty.
“A betting pool has been opened? Which side did you bet on?”
Caught off guard, Wayne answered without thinking. “That the commander absolutely won’t fire his first shot before turning thirty! I threw three years’ worth of my salary into it. I’m definitely going to walk straight down the road to wealth and prosperity!”
Under the conference table, the captain of the Chanyuan, Magelyn, viciously stepped on Wayne’s foot.
Wayne cried out in pain. “Magelyn, why did you step on me?”
Magelyn rolled her eyes.
What a fool. All muscle and no brains.
Lu Fenghan suddenly felt that engaging in casual conversation with this bunch was simply an invitation to shorten his own lifespan.
He lightly tapped his fingers against the tabletop and asked Magelyn, “Taking advantage of the fact that Donald hasn’t recovered from, ”
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Qi Yan curled up on the sofa, a virtual screen open before him. He seemed a little cold.
Lu Fenghan pressed his palm downward, signaling everyone to pause. At the same time, he stood up and walked toward Qi Yan. As he approached, he took off his own coat and bent down to drape it over Qi Yan.
Seeing this scene, Wayne whispered gossip to Magelyn, “Tsk, tsk. Look at that. These past few days, the commander hasn’t kept his coat on for more than a few minutes at a time.”
Before Magelyn could answer, Lu Fenghan had already returned to his seat and continued from where he had left off.
“For the second attack this afternoon, will you take the main force?”
Magelyn had a cold, world weary face, with a high nose bridge, deep set eyes and narrow double eyelids. She had cut her own hair into a princess cut. Once she put on her military cap and stood beneath the spotlight, she could immediately be used for this year’s Alliance military publicity posters.
“Sure. I’ve wanted to take people out for a fight for ages. Being stuck at the base, I can’t get my hands on anything. I’m so poor I can hear the wind whistling through my pockets. My account looks like someone punched a hole in it, it’s already completely empty. When we get back to the ground, what am I supposed to use to get myself a man into bed?”
Magelyn had three great hobbies in life: eating, fighting and sleeping with men.
She had come to the front line immediately after graduating and had climbed all the way up from the lowest ranks to become the current captain of the Chanyuan. No one knew whether she had influenced the people under her or they had influenced her but whatever the case, if she were thrown into a chaotic era, the position of bandit chief would fit Magelyn perfectly.
That was why, whenever someone from above came to inspect the front line, Erich would be sent out to maintain appearances, while Magelyn would also occasionally be pushed forward to show her face because of her looks. However, Lu Fenghan usually gave her a two word command.
“Shut up.”
Thinking about it further, the nutritional value of emotional intelligence provided by the Pingning’s captain, Wayne, had apparently all been diverted into his muscles. The Chanyuan’s captain, Magelyn, outside of combat, would see any handsome man she found appealing and immediately want to drag him back to bed. The jiangling ’s captain, Duchamp, led his assault team as though he ruled the heavens and earth, practically itching to point at the sun and roar, I’m the craziest of them all! And Long Xiyun, captain of the special operations unit, always wore such a gloomy expression that it looked as though the Alliance had owed him eight hundred years of unpaid wages.
There was not a single one of them who could be considered normal in the conventional sense.
Fortunately, because of the ongoing war, senior officers on the front line did not accept media interviews. Otherwise, if Wayne or Magelyn ever opened their mouths in front of a reporter, the military’s carefully cultivated image of discipline and solemnity could be dragged straight into the mud.
Lu Fenghan had no desire to respond to Magelyn’s comment, so he called Wayne’s name first.
“Your people just returned from the combat zone. Their priority is rest and recovery. Take only a portion of them to assist Magelyn.”
Wayne acknowledged the order.
Next, Lu Fenghan called Long Xiyun’s name.
“There’s intelligence suggesting that Donald has recently established a military factory. We have a rough location. Take your people around the main battlefield and investigate exactly where it is.”
The moment they heard the words “military factory,” Wayne and the others all looked at Lu Fenghan with shining eyes.
Lu Fenghan said, “I know what you’re thinking. Once you’ve seized the equipment, discuss among yourselves how you’re going to divide it.”
He deliberately placed extra emphasis on the words “discuss among yourselves.” Worried that they might still fail to understand, he even explained what he meant.
“I said discuss. Don’t cause me any ridiculous private brawls.”
Magelyn immediately spoke up. “Of course. Harmony is the most important thing!”
Those four words carried virtually no credibility whatsoever in Lu Fenghan’s eyes. He had the profound feeling that what he was leading was not an expeditionary force at all but a nest of bandits.
Thinking of it that way, Magelyn seemed considerably less conspicuous.
Only then did Lu Fenghan continue. “The new detection system is in our hands, which means the rhythm of this battle is also in our hands. Magelyn, show me your skill at flying a kite. Keep Donald running after it and stretch the battle out as long as possible. Duchamp, once the location of the military factory has been confirmed, take your assault team to assist Long Xiyun and seize the factory. Don’t just bombard it recklessly. The rebels have new weapons inside and we need to hand them over to the Technical Department to decipher and analyze. The exact timing will depend on the situation. Make sure you coordinate with each other.”
Once the discussion turned to actual business, all of them immediately became solemn.
“Yes!”
They discussed a few more details of the operation. When the meeting finally adjourned, Magelyn deliberately stayed behind until everyone else had left.
“Commander, I bet on that pool too.”
Lu Fenghan’s eyelid twitched. His instincts told him that whatever she was about to say was unlikely to be anything good.
Magelyn: “I bet the Commander will be able to fire his first shot before he turns thirty!”
The moment she finished speaking, she darted away as quickly as a rabbit.
She had only gone a few steps before she suddenly turned around and came rushing back. Then she slammed a fist hard against Lu Fenghan’s chest. “Commander, you’re the youngest brigadier general in the Alliance. We’re all rooting for you, so make sure you seize the opportunity! We know you’re poor, so everyone in the Expeditionary Army, from top to bottom, is willing to chip in one star coin each and help you put together your dowry!”
Lu Fenghan: “…Get lost.”
At the doorway, Weiyin waited for Magelyn to come out before immediately throwing an arm around her shoulders. “You really bet against me? Magelyn, listen to your brother here. The Commander isn’t worth betting on!”
Magelyn waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. I only bet a hundred star coins. I only did it because the odds were so ridiculously high. Tsk, one to several hundred. If I lose, it’s no big deal. If I win, I’ll be rich!”
The door to the command room had not yet closed. Hearing the conversation outside, Lu Fenghan instructed Pojun, “Tell them to add ten sets of strength training to each person’s daily schedule for the next thirty days.”
Pojun: “Yes, General.”
A few seconds later, a chorus of wails rose from outside the door.
Lu Fenghan was quite satisfied with the reaction.
Once the command room had finally quieted down, Lu Fenghan sat down beside Qi Yan.
Qi Yan asked, “Are we pushing the battle line forward again this time?”
Ever since the rebel army had been formally established in Star Calendar Year 145, they had stationed their forces in the Omega Star System outside the Southern Cross Region. The area where the two sides bordered each other had always been a war zone.
Before the first major defeat, the battlefield had always been contained beyond the Lisbon Star Front. Later, however, the line had been pushed back to the Turin Star Front and then back again to the York Star Front.
With one hand, Lu Fenghan undid the button at the collar of his regulation shirt. “Mm. Ever since the previous Wise One of the rebel army died, the current Wise One has only been in office for two or three years yet he’s already caused this many problems. General Nie and I both agree that we absolutely cannot allow the war situation to drag on. Otherwise, the Alliance might really topple if it keeps swaying like this.
“And besides, you know that the rebel army combines military and political authority into one. The Wise One is essentially both Secretary General and supreme commander rolled into one. This person won’t be easy to deal with. The more time we give him, the greater a threat he’ll become.”
Qi Yan nodded. “I’ll work hard too.”
Lu Fenghan always felt that Qi Yan was incredibly cute. He reached out and pinched his cheek. “Good. We’ll work hard together. Once we wipe out the rebel army, I can go to the Skydome Diamond Plaza, find Lu Jun’s statue and tell him that he can finally rest in peace.”
Qi Yan suddenly remembered. “You clearly said that the fact that you share the surname Lu with General Lu Jun was just a coincidence.”
Caught out to his face, Lu Fenghan raised an eyebrow and switched to pinching Qi Yan’s nose instead. “You remember that clearly?”
Qi Yan did not dodge. He merely defended himself with a slightly nasal voice. “I have a good memory.”
Afraid that he might hurt Qi Yan, Lu Fenghan let go. Seeing that the tip of his nose had turned slightly red, he remarked, “It turns red at the slightest touch. Anyone would think I was bullying you.”
Qi Yan turned his gaze away and quietly said, “You would never bully me.”
At five in the afternoon on July 9, the Chanyuan fleet departed from port. The Pingning, the flagship, remained behind, while Weiyin took only several dozen medium sized ships and kept them trailing behind the fleet. Taking advantage of the commotion, Duchamp led the assault team away from the opposite side, heading off to assist Long Xiyun.
Inside the command room, a virtual screen rose to the full height of the wall. In its center was an extremely detailed multidimensional star map, while several small windows in the lower right corner displayed the faces of Magelyn and the others.
The group had practically turned the communication channel into a chat room and they were talking enthusiastically.
Lu Fenghan listened to them chattering endlessly with an expressionless face. He thought to himself, Maybe I was a mute in my previous life. That must be why so many chatterboxes have appeared around me in this life, to make up for all the words I never got to say in my entire lifetime.
….
Before long, the voices in the communication channel suddenly fell silent. Then Magelyn’s excited voice rang out. “It’s starting, it’s starting! Donald actually sent one of his top generals out this time. This is getting exciting! Weiyin, keep an eye on the rear for me. Everyone, get those cannons warmed up. The fat sheep is here!”
At the same time, Pojun began reporting the data coming back from the detection system.
“High density thermal signal detected in Jump Channel Y819. Preliminary assessment: one capital ship. Estimated time until it exits the jump channel: two minutes and eleven seconds. Miss Magelyn, please take note.”
“I like the sound of that title.” Magelyn was rarely addressed as ‘Miss’ in this lifetime. Hearing it now felt rather novel. She had the strange sensation that adding the title to the end of her name had instantly given her the refined air of a young lady from a prestigious Leto family, delicately lifting the hem of her evening gown on her way to a formal banquet.
As a result, even the tone of her voice became unusually refined. “Come on, follow this young lady into battle. Let’s blow those anti intellectual idiots to pieces together!”
Weiyin burst into laughter over the communication channel.
There was no denying that Magelyn was exceptionally skilled at flying the rebel army around like a kite. She would lead her people forward while the rebels chased after them from behind. After running for a while, she would change formations and turn around to engage them for a stretch. Once she had had her fill of the fun, she would continue racing through space at full speed. Despite being an extremely bulky capital ship, she moved like a slippery loach, impossible to get a proper hold on.
With Pojun’s assistance and the advance warnings provided by the new detection system, none of Donald’s several ambush plans succeeded. Even more coincidentally, every time Magelyn took the fleet out for another little stroll, they somehow happened to run straight into rebel detachments that were moving in to surround them. Meanwhile, Weiyin kept a firm guard over the fleet’s rear, leaving the rebels unable to gain the slightest advantage.
Seeing that Magelyn had become completely fired up and was fully immersed in the battle, Lu Fenghan divided his attention and connected to Duchamp’s communication channel. “Have you met up with Long Xiyun?”
“We have but Donald has this place guarded extremely tightly. Long Xiyun has been held up by the defenders, so I’m dealing with the defensive system.”
After looking over the situation on site, Lu Fenghan pulled up the list of personnel deployed with the assault team and quickly scanned it from beginning to end. Then he instructed Pojun, “Connect me to Captain Xiaga’er of the assault team.”
Three seconds later, the communication link was established.
Lu Fenghan spoke first. “This is Lu Fenghan.”
Captain Xiaga’er, who had been gripping the controls, suddenly saw a video call window appear in front of him. For a moment, he could not react. He stammered out his response, “C Commander! Hello! I’m Captain Xiaga’er, assigned to the assault team’s fighter ship division. Please give your orders!”
“Switch your fighter ship to a micro vessel. Find a way to bypass the planetary defense system and destroy one of its stations. I’ve already sent you the specific coordinates. This defensive system is extremely reinforced. If you try to blast your way through it with cannon fire, you might not be able to break through even after an entire hour.”
Xavier had not even had time to respond when his superior, Duchamp, cursed under his breath. “An asteroid that’s only used to build military factories and they’re actually willing to install such a good defense system here? Does the rebel army have more money than they know what to do with?”
Xavier nodded in wholehearted agreement. “Exactly. Frugality and thrift are virtues!” The moment the words left his mouth, however, he immediately realized that this was not the time to unanimously condemn the rebel army. He turned toward the video call window and answered in a loud, confident voice, “I guarantee I’ll complete the mission!”
Once Xavier left the communication channel to switch to a micro vessel, Duchamp could not help muttering, “Commander, how did you pick him out at a glance? Xavier has only been in the military for half a year.”
Lu Fenghan replied, “So what if it’s only been half a year? From what I can see, he’s already earned enough military merit to become a captain. Destroying a defensive system’s station is within his capabilities.”
Duchamp muttered quietly, “He’s young and smart. I was thinking of training him a little more before sending him out on missions.”
Lu Fenghan could tell what Duchamp meant.
He had taken a liking to the talent.
“He’s a soldier, not an office newcomer who needs several months to familiarize himself with the work on his desk before he can take up his post. Jade cannot become a fine piece of jade without being polished and a blade that isn’t sharpened cannot draw blood.”
A few sentences later, Xavier rejoined the communication channel. “Reporting to the Commander, I’ve switched to the micro vessel! Please rest assured, Commander. I guarantee I’ll complete the mission!”
Lu Fenghan asked, “Are you afraid of dying?”
Xavier answered without hesitation, “No! If I were afraid of dying, I wouldn’t have joined the Expeditionary Army!”
Lu Fenghan remembered that on the day of the founding celebration, while they had been riding in the hovering vehicle, he had asked Xavier a similar question. At the time, Xavier’s answer had been,
“The Alliance has already become like this. It feels like there have to be some people who go out and do something about it.”
“Mm. Go.”
Xavier’s blood surged with excitement. His right hand remained firmly wrapped around the control stick while his left hand moved crisply into a proper Alliance military salute toward Lu Fenghan. “Thank you, Commander, for giving me this opportunity to train!”
Duchamp covered his face with one hand. He honestly could not decide whether he should be pleased that Xavier had such strong convictions, or worried that the kid was simply too innocent.
Still, he agreed with what Lu Fenghan had said. Jade had to be carved before it could become a useful piece of art and that was even more true on a battlefield where the difference between life and death could come down to a single thought.
The protection he was offering Xavier now might very well become the long, deadly blade that took his life someday in the future.
Meanwhile, Magelyn was clearly getting carried away. Her eyes were shining brightly as she asked Lu Fenghan through the communication channel, “Commander, is it boring staying behind to guard the rear? Next time, come out and fight with us. Let’s have a proper, satisfying battle!”
Lu Fenghan’s thoughts wandered for a moment. Only after several breaths did he answer with a quiet, “Mm. I’ll guard this one for now. We’ll rotate for the next battle.”
Qi Yan suddenly spoke. “You’re unhappy?”
Lu Fenghan looked up at him. “How did you figure that out?”
Qi Yan pointed toward the corner of his own mouth. “When you’re unhappy, the angle here changes. I can tell.”
Lu Fenghan did not deny it.
Seeing that the battle was progressing according to the predetermined plan, he muted the communication channel.
“It’s actually nothing. Around this time last year, everyone under my command was wiped out. The Eros was blown to ashes, leaving behind nothing but its flag and designation.” Lu Fenghan’s voice was remarkably even as he said this.
Qi Yan knew that Lu Fenghan was referring to the great defeat.
Everyone knew that accidents on the battlefield were impossible to guard against, let alone an ambush caused by confidential information being leaked by a traitor.
It was not Lu Fenghan’s fault.
No one had ever blamed Lu Fenghan.
But it was obvious that this was a knot buried deep within Lu Fenghan’s heart.
Qi Yan judged that the emotion Lu Fenghan was experiencing now should be “self blame,” but he could not empathize with it, nor did he know how he was supposed to comfort him.
For once, this gave rise to an intense desire within him to regain his emotional perception,
He wanted to understand Lu Fenghan’s emotions. He wanted to know how he should comfort him.
After hesitating for a moment, Qi Yan rose from the sofa and walked over to Lu Fenghan. After carefully considering his words, he said, “I actually don’t know what I should do.”
After saying that, he reached out, wanting to hug Lu Fenghan but the angle was somewhat awkward. After thinking about it, he simply bent his legs and knelt on the seat between Lu Fenghan’s legs. Leaning forward, he rested his chin against Lu Fenghan’s shoulder.
“General, don’t be sad.”
Lu Fenghan did not dare move an inch.
Against the side of his face, he could feel the soft tips of Qi Yan’s hair brushing lightly against his skin. The sensation was unbearably ticklish.
He was doing everything he could to coax him.
Lu Fenghan thought that from beginning to end, Qi Yan had never changed.
His left hand settled around Qi Yan’s slender waist. Then, as if remembering something, Lu Fenghan glanced again at the virtual screen rising before them.
Inside the video windows, Magelyn, Wayne and the others had all opened their mouths wide, their faces filled with utter shock.
Lu Fenghan’s eyes carried a clear warning and without the slightest hesitation, he shut off the camera.
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator promises nothing except gratitude and possibly more chapters.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← 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.