The tattered and eye-catching starship was successfully captured by the expedition's main ship.
Feeling the starship beneath him being fixed in place with a clang, Lu Fenghan leaned back in his chair, his long legs spread apart, his thoughts still somewhat complicated.
He was lucky. When he came out of the wormhole, Po Jun reminded him that there was nothing wrong with this small wormhole and the place it connected was indeed the Southern Cross Region.
As soon as he was connected to the Star Network, he sent a message to Qi Yan. He wrote a few lines and then deleted them, then rewrote them, as if he had been trapped for half a year and his language function had deteriorated. He went back and forth, and finally sent a simple sentence: "I'm back."
After posting it, I felt like I still had a lot to say, but I couldn't express it in a single word. Lu Fenghan was greedy and thought, it would be great if the exit of this wormhole connected to the Lagoon Nebula, or directly in front of Qi Yan.
The pressure of the jump had not yet passed, and in a blink of an eye, Lu Fenghan found that his luck was neither bad nor good. He happened to run into the confrontation between the two armies.
On one side, it was obvious that Erich was leading the team on a mission, and on the other side, it was Donald, an old acquaintance with whom he had fought countless times.
Although he did not expect it, he did not hesitate much. Lu Fenghan drove his small starship straight into the front of the formation with a clang.
It seems that the effect is good now.
Before opening the ship's door, Lu Fenghan asked Pojun for the nth time: "Any response?"
Pojun: “No.”
Lu Fenghan paused tapping his fingers on the console, then stood up and walked out, ordering: "If there is a reply, tell me immediately, immediately."
The starship door, which was sprayed with colorful paint, slid open to both sides, giving people the illusion that the door would fall off if more force was applied.
Lu Fenghan stepped onto the gangway, and the people waiting outside almost simultaneously stepped forward with their heels together, their military boots clinking together with a low "pop" sound, and saluted him in unison.
Erich stood at the front of the team, watching Lu Fenghan walk down the gangway step by step. His cheeks were tense and he managed to calm down, but his eyes were still red. His voice was hoarse, and every word was clear: "Erich Planck, deputy commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, reporting to you!"
He took a deep breath, his grey eyes seemed to be soaked with the blood and fire of the past year: "Until a second ago, the expeditionary army has never laid down their weapons and is always on standby!"
Lu Fenghan looked at the familiar people in front of him, and his throat tightened.
It's only been a year since we last met, but we've experienced life and death twice.
He usually did not show his emotions. He raised his hand and solemnly returned the military salute, and then resumed the casual tone that everyone was familiar with: "Everyone, long time no see."
Lu Fenghan, no, it should be said that the entire expeditionary army is not good at reminiscing about the past. Lu Fenghan dismissed everyone with a word and ordered them to return to their posts. Erich and Vincent followed him consciously.
Vincent changed back into the expeditionary army uniform. His demeanor was not as relaxed as in Leto's. Even his back was straightened a little, but he still talked as much as before. When there was no one else around, he started talking: "Commander, I didn't expect you to survive after dying once, and you can survive after dying twice!"
Lu Feng gave him a cold look: "Why, are you disappointed?"
"How could it be?" Vincent pretended to be shocked and continued, "Commander, luckily you showed up in time and calmed Donald down and surrendered him. Otherwise, there would have been a fight just for Wise. Cannons/bullets are free. Isn't it good to be thrifty? Donald is really something. After so many years, I don't know how many losses he has suffered, but he still can't change his suspicious and imaginative nature."
Not wanting to listen to Vincent's nonsense, Lu Fenghan called out: "Erich, you speak."
Erich's skin had the white color unique to space soldiers. He followed on the right side of Lu Fenghan and after receiving the order, he started from the beginning.
"Last July, after you and your support team were ambushed, Weiss became the acting commander-in-chief with the support of several forces. I realized that the situation was different, so I chose to lie low for the time being, obeyed his orders, abandoned the front line, and retreated to Turin." Erich narrated in a dull tone, "On October 3rd last year, in the middle of the night, the rebels raided our base. Weiss pretended to fight two battles, then directly abandoned Turin and retreated to York."
Although Lu Fenghan had reviewed the battle in ISCO's equipment room and knew that it was Weiss who led his men to be killed, his eyes still couldn't help but become sharp.
Erich also felt that the defeat was a shame: "That night, the defense alarm system was under maintenance and did not respond when the enemy attacked. The patrol team changed shifts and did not notice the approach of the rebels."
Lu Fenghan: "You don't have to say this kind of nonsense."
Erich nodded, and agreed that what Weiss said was bullshit.
He went on to say: "During this time, all of Weiss's little moves were stopped, and I learned from Vincent that you are not dead."
Vincent immediately complained: "I didn't say that! It really wasn't me! It was Erich who had a dog's nose. He found out that I was in a good mood and blew me up for no reason. There is always a loophole. I accidentally let out a small sentence! Who knows how he came to the conclusion that the commander was not dead from that small sentence?"
Lu Fenghan didn’t delve into it: “Tell me about the founding day.”
"There's nothing much to say. Weiss showed his hand in collaborating with the enemy, so I ordered him to be arrested. He had already figured out how to escape and hid well. Before that, General Nie Huaiting had ordered that the expeditionary force must guard the alliance's defense line no matter what. At the same time, we were too far away, so I didn't know Leto's specific situation, and I couldn't distinguish the orders that came, so I simply cut off contact with Leto."
Erich said confidently, "You taught me that a general is not subject to military orders when he is away from home."
Lu Fenghan didn't think there was anything wrong and asked, "Where's Leto?"
"Leto has now become the territory of the rebels. The rebels are pursuing a mystical approach, using technological destruction as their foothold, focusing on brainwashing the people of Leto, and recruiting a large number of wandering poets to "preach" throughout the alliance. Their methods are not tough, and apart from strict control of public opinion and prohibition of entry and exit, the people of Leto are basically not in danger of life, but I don't know how many people will be fooled. General Nie Huaiting is now in Odin in the Kepler region. His injuries have healed, and we talked on the phone nineteen days ago."
Erich also mentioned, "After the rebels and the space pirates captured Leto, they had a falling out due to uneven distribution of the spoils, but I'm not sure if it was a real falling out or just for show."
Lu Fenghan found that there was really nothing to say. Even if he was asked to speak, he couldn't say much.
After being on the front line for a long time, I have become accustomed to putting aside all the trivial matters and only looking at the results.
Because for the future, the past cannot be changed, and looking forward is the right thing to do.
At this point, Lu Fenghan did not ask any more questions, nor did he plan to explain his six months of hardship on Dawn Star. He called out, "Pojun, come out and meet someone."
Vincent and Erich were just wondering who Lu Fenghan was calling when they heard a strange male voice coming from the ship's radio. The voice was pleasant and the speech was slow, sounding very steady: "Hello, I'm Pojun. According to human calculations, I'm half a year old this year."
Vincent pointed to the location of the voice: "Human... Artificial intelligence?"
Po Jun was very polite: "I am the most advanced artificial intelligence in the current alliance. Thank you for your care in the future."
Lu Fenghan nodded without further explanation: "Well, I will stay on the ship from now on. If Pojun suddenly speaks, don't be startled."
Vincent's face was full of accusation, "We'll all be on the ship from now on? Half a year old, Commander, you're employing child labor!"
Lu Fenghan: “Get lost.”
After the fleet withdrew to the base, Lu Fenghan returned to the command ship. His room still remained the same as it was a year ago, even the reader that was tilted upside down on the table had not been moved.
Lu Fenghan took off his clothes that had turned white from washing in the past half year, took a shower, and changed into the uniform of the expeditionary army. He prepared himself mentally until now, and then he dared to ask, "Any response?"
Po Jun: “No response received.”
Lu Fenghan felt stuffy and unbuttoned his collar with one hand.
If the little girl ignores him, how should he coax her back
Lu Fenghan asked: "What is the probability of your system malfunctioning?"
Po Jun: "The probability is less than 0.1%. Don't worry, I can fix most faults by myself."
It seems that the excuse of "Pojun is broken, do you want to take a look?" is no longer feasible.
Lu Fenghan was very disappointed.
Just as he was wondering whether to send another message to Qi Yan, the reply came.
"Glad to hear you're okay."
Lu Fenghan read this reply over and over again.
Something is wrong.
No, it should be... very strange.
"Pojun, did your designer design a second artificial intelligence? Could it be that his artificial intelligence was replying on his behalf?"
Pojun replied: "No, according to human terms, I am an only child."
"Are you sure this is a response to your prayer?"
"Yes, the message did come from his personal terminal."
After Qi Yan replied to the message, he did not look at his personal terminal again. He opened the White Tower's intranet and updated the latest progress to "Completed".
After staying up all night for three consecutive days, I was probably too tired and didn't feel very sleepy. I just swayed a little when I stood up, and it took me a few seconds to stand steadily.
The sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar. Qi Yan turned around and met the eyes of Eliza, who was breathing rapidly. She stopped in front of the door with an expression that looked like she was crying and laughing at the same time: "Lu Fenghan is back! News from the front line, Lu Fenghan is still alive, he is back alive!"
Qi Yan stood in the early summer sunshine, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his skin as white as cold porcelain. He nodded and said in a calm tone: "I see, I received the message he sent me."
He asked Eliza with some confusion: "I replied to him, and I think there is nothing wrong with my wording. But, should my tone be more... cheerful?"
Eliza didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Without waiting for her answer, Qi Yan had already torn open a pack of nutrients, swallowed it in two mouthfuls, and walked out: "The upgrade of the space radar detection system has been completed. I picked a name from the unused name list, called 'Wind Catcher'. However, this detection system needs to be used in conjunction with the starship's central control system. I need to go to the front line to see the effect."
Eliza followed him and said, "If you want to go, apply for the use of a starship now and you can set off soon."
The prayer stopped abruptly.
After he recalled carefully, he asked Eliza: "I used to love him very much, right?"
Eliza answered in the affirmative: "Yes."
"So that's how it is." Qi Yan lowered his thin eyelids, as if talking to himself, "Although when I think back to my previous memories, they seem to be separated by a layer of fog, but when I received the message he sent, here," he placed his hand on his heart, with a trace of confusion in his eyes. "It hurt a little here."
An hour later, the starship stopped outside the starport with sufficient energy.
August came with Eliza to deliver the prayer.
Before boarding the starship, Qi Yan stood in front of the two and said, "You don't need to feel regret or guilt. If I hadn't taken the medicine, I would most likely be dead now. Losing negative emotions such as sadness and despair, and no longer feeling happy or excited, is the price you should pay."
He tried to slow down his voice to comfort her: "Besides, Eliza, didn't you say that I would get better slowly in the future? The emotions that were stripped away will gradually come back."
Qi Yan didn't understand why Eliza was crying again. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He could only nod to August in silence and turned to board the starship.
He actually didn't know why August and Eliza always felt guilty. He felt that he was not much different now than before.
The only obvious thing is that he is more rational. Although his memory is still confused, he usually regards it as a disorder of the program, and he doesn't feel anything about this disorder.
No, it should be said that he lacked the "feeling".
He would not feel frustrated when the experiments went wrong repeatedly; he would not feel satisfied when he ate food when hungry; he would not feel happy when the detection system was successfully upgraded; even on a stormy night, when he thought of Lin Zhi’s death again, he would not feel any sadness.
He was like a machine that had been stripped of a certain function, but so far he didn't feel any impact.
On the expeditionary command ship.
Lu Fenghan has sorted out all the major and minor events that have occurred in the expeditionary force over the past year, held three meetings, reviewed all the current affairs news of the alliance and reports from various places over the past six months, and received countless communications from people who heard that he had been resurrected and sent special greetings.
By the time I finished all the work, a whole day had passed.
Lu Fenghan casually folded his long legs wrapped in military pants, pinched his eyebrows, and his eyes were a little dry.
He read the reply message again.
I couldn't help but guess wildly, could it be that he bit the person and hurt him when he kissed him in front of the escape pod's protective shield
Or, something unexpected happened.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Fenghan admitted that he was scared.
He had never been afraid that the expeditionary army would be different from what it was before, nor was he afraid that he would not be able to defeat the rebels. Not to mention half a year or a year, even if he came back ten years later, he would not be afraid at all.
But prayers are different.
Qi Yan is the person he must see again before he dies, even if he is trapped for a hundred years.
It is the wildfire that can never be extinguished in the wilderness of his heart.
At this time, Pojun spoke up: "Vincent is on the bridge, asking if you are free. There is something important that requires your presence."
Lu Fenghan picked up his military uniform jacket and stood up, the silver stars on his shoulder straps flickering: "Let them wait."
When Lu Fenghan strode to the bridge, he saw Erich was there too. He looked at Vincent inquiringly.
Vincent tried his best to suppress his emotions, but he couldn't hide his excitement. "Someone from the White Tower came secretly and said they have a powerful device for us! In theory, it can detect the energy source inside the jump channel. In other words, next time before the rebels come out of the jump channel, we can lay a hundred-meter-thick layer of bombs at the exit as a welcome red carpet!"
White Tower.
Qi Yan is in the White Tower now.
Lu Fenghan turned these two words over in his mind and experienced the feeling of worrying about gains and losses.
After hearing the announcement of "Docking with the command ship successfully", Vincent and Erich turned and headed towards the door at the end of the bridge for docking visiting starships.
The people of the White Tower have always been mysterious and rarely show up in public. Often, we only know their names but never see them in person, and sometimes even their names are fake.
Vincent and Erich looked at each other, and saw curiosity in each other's eyes. They couldn't help but straighten their collars to avoid looking untidy and bringing shame to the expeditionary army.
Lu Fenghan barely suppressed the emotions in his chest and looked towards the end of the bridge.
Two minutes later, the silver metal door at the end of the bridge slid open to both sides, and a group of people walked in.
The person standing in the middle was wearing a silk shirt. He looked a bit thin and had a cold expression, but his eyebrows and eyes were extremely beautiful.
Vincent opened his eyes slightly, looking at the person in shock, his lips moved, wanting to say the other person's name, but he was not sure. After struggling for a while, he remembered something and quickly looked at Lu Fenghan.
But Lu Fenghan's lips were tightly clenched, and he stared at the person who was getting closer and closer, without moving an inch.
The expression is difficult to discern.
At this moment, outside the porthole is the boundless universe and the bright and distant stars.
Qi Yan stopped one step away and extended his hand politely to Lu Fenghan.
Since he did not belong to the expeditionary force, it was inappropriate to call him "commander", so he was called by his title.
"Hello, General, I am Chief of the White Tower, Y."