The wound on Qi Yan's finger healed completely that evening, but he pretended not to notice Lu Fenghan's hesitation to speak. He still walked around the house with his finger wrapped in a white bandage.
For the first time, Lu Fenghan felt that bandages were an eyesore.
On the third day, when Qi Yan's fingers were still wrapped in a thick layer of bandages and he did not allow Lu Fenghan to help him remove them, Lu Fenghan pinched his brows helplessly and said, "Qi Yan, your wound has healed. There is no trace left at all."
Qi Yan was reading a book by the window, reading ten lines at a glance and turning the pages quickly. When he found Lu Fenghan standing opposite him, he turned around slowly without even raising his eyelids, turned his back to Lu Fenghan, and replied, "I know."
I know, but I won't untie the bandage.
Lu Fenghan reflected, was he paying too much attention to that bandage? Besides, if he didn't want to remove it, then he didn't. He just liked to wrap bandages around his fingers. There were thousands of planets and so many humans, who didn't have some special hobbies
After preparing himself mentally, Lu Fenghan looked at the time and reminded, "It's nine o'clock, you should go out."
Qi Yan finished reading the last two pages and changed into a light grey silk shirt: "Let's go."
This was the first time Lu Fenghan went out with Qi Yan since he took office.
From his observations over the past few days, Qi Yan's daily life was very regular. He would get up early, have breakfast, and then start reading or doing a lot of calculations until dark.
Qi Yan read very quickly. At least Lu Fenghan had never seen anyone turn pages so fast. He even wondered whether Qi Yan was reading a book or practicing a special page-turning technique.
As for the formulas and calculation processes written by Qi Yan, Lu Fenghan took a few glances at them - they were all unfamiliar symbols, so twisted and complex that they looked like heavenly books.
Lu Fenghan had a second doubt: Am I illiterate
Qi Yan lives in a two-story detached building with a parking space for his hovercraft located underground.
Seeing the parked hovercraft, Lu Fenghan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Refitted hovercraft?"
Qi Yan: “Yeah.”
Walking closer, Lu Fenghan bent his knuckles and gently tapped on the dark metal body of the car, hearing a dull sound: "Made of liquid composite metal? The protection level is very high. Your hovercraft is equivalent to a land armored vehicle."
Of course, so is the price.
Qi Yan felt a little stuffy underground, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt with one hand. He was thinking about the paper he had just finished reading before going out. When he heard Lu Fenghan's question, he answered, "I think so."
The car was brought here before he returned to Leto, and had been placed underground. This was the first time he had seen it. If he hadn't been going out today, he would have forgotten the existence of the car.
Men are naturally interested in these things, and Lu Fenghan is a typical example. He checked the car window again and found that the window glass should be an upgraded version of some material. Most land weapons would not be able to break it with one shot.
This means that the car door can be removed and used as a shield in place.
Qi Yan brought the personal terminal on his wrist close to the hover car. The next second, the car door opened like wings. He remembered something: "Oh, right, you drive, choose full manual operation."
Nowadays, every hover car is equipped with a multi-dimensional control system, which can choose fully automatic driving, semi-automatic driving, or turn off the automatic system and operate it manually.
Hearing what Qi Yan said, Lu Fenghan remembered a murder case he had heard of before - someone's hovercraft's control system was hacked, and the fully automatic driving failed. By the time the owner realized that something was wrong, it was too late. The hovercraft crashed straight into a building, and after the explosion, not even a piece of the car body could be found.
As a result, the number of people who turned on fully autonomous driving mode during that period hit a new low.
Lu Fenghan sat in the driver's seat and couldn't help but look at Qi Yan again. Suddenly he remembered that Qi Yan's home, whether it was the housework robot or the medical robot, was nowhere to be seen.
Is it because you don’t like using it, or is it out of caution
After all, it is not impossible for a household robot to be transformed into a killing machine as long as the system is hacked and the instructions are tampered with.
Lu Fenghan hadn't touched the joystick of a hovercraft for a long time. However, in his concept, there was not much difference between driving a hovercraft and driving a starship.
The modified hovercraft, which was completely black, drove onto the fast lane. The scenery on both sides was like an oil painting that had been sanded, and it was completely unclear.
Lu Fenghan held the joystick with one hand and casually placed his other hand on the window sill. He looked at Qi Yan and asked tentatively, "It seems a bit fast?"
Qi Yan saw that he was eager to try: "It's up to you how you want to start."
With this prayer, they arrived at their destination an hour and a half earlier than expected.
After getting off the car, Lu Fenghan realized that their destination was actually Turan College. Almost subconsciously, Lu Fenghan turned around and looked back.
Unlike the Turan College, which is filled with white marble, sculptures from different eras, and green plants of various colors, and is full of academic atmosphere, the other building is also mostly white, but the roofs and walls appear simple, and the style is rough, revealing an overwhelming sense of iron and solemnity.
Lu Fenghan could see clearly even with his eyes closed that a hundred steps beyond the gate was a stone tablet. On rainy days, the stone tablet would become darker when soaked in water.
On the stone tablet, the Alliance military declaration was engraved in powerful strokes: "With bones as blades, blood as shields, only for the Alliance, we will move forward courageously."
He has repeated this sentence in his heart countless times over the past decade, and it has been engraved in his bones and blood.
"What are you looking at?"
Lu Fenghan came back to his senses and smiled casually: "I didn't see anything."
Qi Yan followed his gaze and looked into the distance: "Is that the first military academy of the alliance?"
Lu Fenghan nodded casually: "That should be the case. It is said that the First Military Academy is right across from Turan Academy. There is a river between the two schools, which is very clear."
The description of "clearly divided" is a very polite one. In reality, people from the two schools look down on each other.
People at Turan Academy think that the students at the First Military Academy are uncivilized barbarians who can only swing their arms and fight, and their brains are just for show.
The students from the First Military Academy think that the students from Turan Academy are all weak nerds who are arrogant off the court but weak on the court. Except for their brains, everything else is just decoration.
Qi Yan was not clear about the entanglement here. After listening, he said "hmm" and walked inside with Lu Fenghan.
The parking space for the hovercraft was not far from the principal's office. It was the holiday season and there were not many people in the school. Qi Yan and Lu Fenghan walked around the lawn and went up to the second floor. The principal was already waiting at the door of the office.
Qi Yan pointed to the open-air balcony next to the office, where there were tables and chairs: "Wait for me here?"
Lu Fenghan didn't care: "Okay."
The principal's office is very spacious. Opposite the door is a transparent glass wall, through which you can see the green lawn downstairs. On the right is a row of wooden bookshelves, while on the left is a reception area with a brick-red fireplace that looks very historic.
The president of Tulane College was a middle-aged man with a friendly appearance, deep features, dark blue eyes, and a strict dress, complete with shirt, vest, tie, and cufflinks. Standing by the fireplace, he looked like a gentleman who had walked out of an oil painting.
Seeing Qi Yan's eyes fall on the fireplace, the principal smiled and said, "Doesn't it look real? The flames in the fireplace are holographic projections. Every winter in Leto, many people like to come to my office and sit by the fireplace. Although the fire is fake, it can still make you feel warm. You see, aren't humans very strange? They can be deceived by their eyes."
The bright firelight cast a layer of crimson on Qi Yan's skin. He did not continue to discuss the issue, but asked: "You asked me to come here, is there something?"
The principal was about to answer when he saw the gauze wrapped around Qi Yan's finger from the corner of his eye: "Your hand is injured?"
Qi Yan raised his hand and looked at his fingers: "Yeah, but it has healed."
"What about the bandage?"
Qi Yan moved his fingers and explained, "The bow looks very nice."
"So that's how it is," the principal laughed and took a closer look. "Indeed, this bow is tied very well, with both sides smooth and symmetrical, and the right size."
Qi Yan agreed.
"I asked you to come here today for two main reasons," the principal asked, guiding Qi Yan to sit on the sofa. "School will start soon. Have you decided on your major and which grade you want to take?"
Qi Yan thought for two seconds: "Artificial Intelligence major, sophomore year, is that okay?"
"Of course, I will handle the formalities as soon as possible." The principal had no objection and continued with a smile, "The second thing is, I want to meet you. You know, it's not just me. In the past three years, there must be many people who want to meet you. It's just that they are not as lucky as me. I can be considered as someone who sees the moon first because he is close to the water. However, you are very different from what I imagined."
Prayer: "What do you imagine me to be like?"
The principal held a coffee cup and described, "I imagine you to be a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, serious, reserved, even taciturn, with wisdom in your eyes." He smiled first and pointed to the center of his eyebrows, "Because you have been thinking about problems for many years, there are obvious wrinkles here."
Just as they were about to continue talking, suddenly, before either of them could react, the glass wall of the office suddenly slammed shut without warning.
A loud bang!
Countless transparent glass fragments exploded in an instant, falling in all directions like cracking ice!
In a flash, Qi Yan glanced outside the door and made a quick decision: "Leave here!"
Just as the two men jumped down from the broken wall and rolled onto the lawn, an arc of light fell into the office. There was a loud "bang" and accompanied by thick smoke, half of the building turned into pieces in front of the two men. Glass and debris splashed like raindrops, making a loud noise that shook the earth.
Qi Yan's face was pale. He supported his elbows on the grass and quickly tapped on his personal terminal. The moment the communication was connected, his tense body suddenly relaxed.
A cold voice came from the other side: "Where are you?"
Qi Yan's voice was steady: "The lawn downstairs, he jumped down before the explosion, together with the principal."
Lu Fenghan said in a low voice: "Hide well and wait for me to come over."
As the call was hung up, the principal's lips straightened, "It was a land-based light pressure bomb, a long-range precision strike." His expression was complicated, "The school's defense system didn't work. Logically speaking, this light pressure bomb could not have escaped the interception of the defense system."
Upon hearing the name, Qi Yan frowned: "Light pressure bomb? The one who did it was the rebels?"
The principal nodded and lowered his voice very low: "Your identity has not been exposed. Their target is me."
Qi Yan reacted quickly—the principal was ranked 71st on the rebel army’s sniper target list.
Smelling the smell of blood, Qi Yan confirmed: "You are injured."
"It's not a big deal, my hand is broken." The principal's forehead broke into a layer of cold sweat, and he smiled and comforted Qi Yan, "The military has sent people to protect me. This period of time is enough for them to react. We are temporarily safe. However, for safety reasons, we can't go together. If they dare to locate this place, they may also locate me. I can die, but I can't let you get involved."
Qi Yan didn't say much: "I will run in the opposite direction from you."
Just as he finished speaking, a familiar breath approached, and then Qi Yan's arm was clamped, and the person pulled him up. Qi Yan followed the force from the hand and slammed into Lu Fenghan's chest.
The tip of my nose hurt and turned red, and tears welled up in my eyes instantly.
Glancing at the embarrassed principal, not far away, some military personnel were already coming over here. Lu Fenghan said briefly: "I'll take him away."
After saying that, he grasped Qi Yan's wrist tightly, then remembered that this man was always delicate and the purple circle on his wrist had not yet disappeared, so he simply loosened his five fingers, put his arm across Qi Yan's waist, and hugged him easily.
Half holding the person in his arms, Lu Fenghan took a running start, crossed the stairs in two steady steps, and hid behind the nearest cover.
There was only the sound of wind in Qi Yan's ears, and in the blink of an eye, he had changed his position.
He quickly looked at Qi Yan and confirmed that he had no obvious injuries. He also looked at Qi Yan's eyelashes which were wet with tears and said, "Why are you crying? It's okay. I'm here. Don't be afraid."
Qi Yan: "I didn't cry."
"Okay, you didn't cry," Lu Fenghan replied perfunctorily. He half-closed his eyes and looked at the building that had turned into ruins. "Is it the rebels?"
"Well, the explosion just now was caused by a light pressure bomb used by the land forces, a common tactic of the rebels. The principal said that the rebels were targeting him."
Lu Fenghan reacted immediately and frowned: "What's the ranking of the principal of Turan College on the blacklist?"
The Black List is the abbreviation of the rebel army's sniper target ranking list. It records the names of the alliance's top 100 scientific researchers and is the rebel army's recent sniper target list.
Prayer: "Seventy-one."
Lu Fenghan's eyes were stern: "This is the capital of the alliance, it's too rampant."
It is only the year 216 in the Star Calendar, and the Alliance and the rebels have been in a standoff for seventy years, winning and losing, and the Alliance has never been able to completely wipe out the rebels.
On the front line, the Alliance had just suffered a major defeat, with more than half of its soldiers killed or wounded. This gave the rebels some time to catch their breath - first the blacklist was updated, and in the blink of an eye, it was Leto's turn to make a high-profile move.
"Don't go out lately. The rebels are so stubborn that once they start, there will definitely be more than one place." Afraid of scaring Qi Yan, Lu Fenghan added, "Leto is still very safe. Today's attack was an accident. Who knows if there was a traitor in one of the links. After all, Leto's defense network, cruisers, Turan's defense system, and the central army stationed in Leto are not just for show."
Qi Yan nodded.
Seeing him nodding obediently with a pale face, Lu Fenghan couldn't help but laugh: "The explosion just now was so loud. Although it was a lawn, you jumped from the second floor. Are you hurt?"
His arms and hands were scraped, his waist was scratched by flying glass fragments, his knees were skinned, his calves were bruised, and his ankle was sprained.
There were so many injuries that Qi Yan didn't know which one to talk about first.
Seeing his entanglement, Lu Fenghan smiled again: "From top to bottom, talk about it one by one."
Qi Yan then spoke: "Arms, palms, sides of the waist, knees, calves, ankles."
After rolling up the sleeve of Qi Yan's shirt that was stained with grass debris and seeing the wound on his arm clearly, Lu Fenghan thought that this wound was indeed... quite serious.
Not even any blood was shed.
He once again realized that the difference between his and Qi Yan's understanding of "injury" was definitely more than a hundred light years.
However, the skin was broken and a large area was red, and considering Qi Yan's fair skin, it looked quite glaring.
Lu Fenghan took out the wound cleanser and healing gel he carried with him and treated the wound skillfully.
Qi Yan kept his hand outstretched and asked him, "Don't you need to bandage it?"
Lu Fenghan lied with his eyes open: "I didn't bring it."
Without any doubt, Qi Yan nodded: "Is that so."
Lu Fenghan teased him: "Even if you bring it, you have so many wounds on your body, do you want to be wrapped up like a mummy and carried back by me?"
Qi Yan instinctively felt that Lu Fenghan's smile was a bit evil, so he changed the subject: "I'm also injured somewhere else."
Lu Fenghan frowned: "Where?"
Qi Yan raised his finger and pointed: "My left earlobe hurts a little."
At first glance, Lu Fenghan couldn't see where the injury was. When he got closer, he could see clearly that there was a little red on Qi Yan's fair and delicate earlobe. It was probably because she was pricked by the tip of the grass when she fell to the ground.
Lu Fenghan ordered in a low voice: "Stand still."
After saying that, he lowered his eyes, moved closer, and blew gently towards Qi Yan's delicate white earlobe.