On the other side, Qi Yan's personal terminal was connected to the White Tower's encrypted communication channel, where a discussion meeting was taking place.
Academic exchanges or academic-related chats have been a tradition of the White Tower for hundreds of years. When these extremely smart people are together, they can often inspire each other. Of course, it is also common for them to argue for two or three hours.
For example, right now, Qu Qingming and August were arguing across countless light years, and all kinds of numerical theorems kept coming out. Qi Yan didn't listen carefully to what they said. Most recently, he only paid a little attention when Qu Qingming mentioned that a certain wave path value was 8.2265173.
It should have been revised recently to be more accurate. A month ago, this value had only six decimal places.
Gamiye obviously felt that the quarrel over there would not end for a while, so he came to talk to Qi Yan: "The new ore you discovered is very interesting. Through collision and transformation under certain conditions, dozens of grams of ore can generate huge energy! However, the current equipment level is not enough. The maximum I can get now is to increase its efficiency to six times the current energy."
Qi Yan heard Vincent say: "Before, it could only be increased four times."
Gamiye had a look on his face that said "you underestimate me". "That was the data from more than a week ago! If there is enough time on the front line, I can increase it up to eight times!" He pointed at a number and put it down. "But I have done simulation experiments. If it is only used for mobile jump, a six-fold increase is enough."
Without waiting for Qi Yan's answer, Jia Miye stroked his long white beard, full of expectation: "I will continue my research, maybe I can have an energy revolution in the future! You see, this world is so magical. When you discovered the ore, you probably didn't expect such a follow-up."
"Indeed, I thought I could try to test this kind of ore. If it's just an ordinary stone, I'll just keep it as a souvenir."
Qi Yan was also thinking that the wonder of this world lies in the fact that in the timeline that is always moving forward, you never know what is waiting for you ahead.
Just as he never thought that a piece of stone he picked up casually might become the trigger for an energy revolution one day in the future.
Gamiye blinked at Qiyan. His eyes were not cloudy due to age, but full of wisdom. "So, this world is beautiful, with all kinds of 'treasures' waiting to be discovered. The only regret is that human life is too short, and I am destined not to explore the world greedily."
He smiled generously again, "However, there will definitely be many more people joining the team to explore the world in the future."
Qi Yan nodded: "Yes, we will die, but humans will live."
Gamiye laughed out loud and made a toast gesture to the holographic projection of the prayer: "For the continuation of mankind!"
Across the screen, Qi Yan also responded with the White Tower Declaration: "For the continuation of mankind."
Five hours after the call with Nie Huaiting, Lu Fenghan gathered everyone for a pre-war meeting.
Lorenz came but did not sit down: "The technical department has added new energy systems to the starships on the list according to the list, and the mobile jump device has also been installed. Nothing is missed. The report is complete."
Lu Fenghan has become accustomed to Lorenz's coming and going like the wind, "Well, you go back first, I will let Pojun contact you if there is anything."
There were still a lot of things waiting for him to deal with, so Lorenz turned around and walked out, holding the coffee cup that he always kept in his hand. After walking a few steps, he saw Qi Yan sitting on the sofa out of the corner of his eye, and immediately cast his eyes on Lu Fenghan.
Lu Fenghan was unsympathetic: "You have two options. You can go back by yourself. Or, you can sit down and finish the meeting and then go back by yourself."
Lorenz was disappointed, knowing that there was no hope of borrowing Qi Yan back to the technical department.
The metal door of the command room closed again, and Lu Fenghan ordered Pojun to raise the star map. The fluorescent blue light was reflected in everyone's eyes.
"This is the target of our attack this time, the Holy Star."
Lu Fenghan's tone was very calm, as if this sentence was no different from "Let's have noodles for lunch today". The next second, Mei Jielin clenched her fists and pounded the table twice: "Commander, you are the best! Attack the opposite side's faith gathering place right from the start!"
Lu Fenghan's eyebrows did not move: "Don't dare?"
"Who wouldn't dare? I dared to fight the one who beat his father. How could I dare not fight a Holy Star?" Mei Jielin became more and more excited as he spoke, but he forced himself to suppress his emotions. "Commander, but how do we fight this battle?"
The "Holy Star" was originally called "Albert Star", and it was just a beautiful planet on the outer edge of the Southern Cross Region. But the universe is so huge, and there are countless beautiful planets in the alliance territory, and Albert Star is nothing special.
It was not until after the great destruction of technology that the rebels were established on Albert. The first wise man claimed that he heard the oracle of God at the moment when the space source collapsed. Therefore, the name "Albert" was no longer mentioned, and this ordinary planet with a small surface area was transformed into a holy planet for the rebels.
Mei Jielin propped up her chin and tapped her cheek with her finger. "Come to think of it, wasn't the first wise man an old man? I always thought that the 'hearing of God's decree at the moment of technological destruction' was actually the force field that resonated in the universe when the space source state collapsed, which caused the old man's ears to tinnitus, right?"
Wein laughed: "Mejielin, if the rebels hear what you said, they will hunt you to the end of the universe!"
Metierin rolled her eyes nonchalantly. "It's as if the rebels wouldn't hunt me down if I didn't say this. Captain Wein, please be aware of your role as the captain of the expeditionary force."
Long Xiyun stared at the star map and said, "It's very interesting to incorporate their holy star into the alliance's territory."
"That's right!" Dushan's eyes sparkled. "Albert is such a good name. Why is it called Holy Star? Change it back!"
Lu Fenghan listened to them finish shouting before speaking: "The First, Second, and Fourth Legions are located at these three coordinates of the Phoenix Snail Cluster."
As he spoke, the command room fell silent, and Po Jun cooperated very well in marking the specific locations of the three rebel legions on the star map.
"They have discovered that our fleet's target is not any of the three of them. According to the path we are traveling, as long as they are not blind, they can conclude that our destination is the Holy Star." Lu Fenghan's brows were solemn, and his eyes fell on the rotating planets in the star map. "Protecting the Holy Star is the basic mission of the rebel army's legions. If we dare to delay for a second, it will be a handle that will be grasped in the future and an indelible shame. Therefore, when we get close to the Holy Star, these three legions will rush here as quickly as possible."
Several marked points light up on the star map.
"According to the garrisons of the various legions, they will generally come from these three directions. We won't know who will come first and who will come later until we enter the battle zone. You can decide for yourself then."
They had fought countless battles together, both large and small, and had a deep understanding of each other. They knew what decision each other would make with their eyes closed, without having to refer to the direction of the starship's turn.
So Lu Fenghan's "let's see what happens" really means letting a few people see what happens. This is also what Lu Fenghan adheres to. The battlefield is unpredictable and often beyond the control of "tactics" and "strategy". He is used to giving each captain enough autonomy to temporarily judge the battle situation and make flexible decisions.
"I have asked Po Jun to send the combat objectives of each fleet to your personal terminals. According to prediction, it will take five hours before we enter the combat zone. You can make your own arrangements."
Mei Jielin and the others didn't say much, and walked towards the command room door in two steps.
Lu Fenghan's words "the combat objectives of each fleet" couldn't be simpler, but when it comes to each person's responsibility, which main ships to dispatch, how many destroyers and reconnaissance ships to send, how to configure the firepower... each and every one of them is a big deal, and staying even a minute longer would be a waste!
The footsteps disappeared, and Lu Fenghan stared at the star map, simulating several possible situations in his mind and dealing with them one by one. He also asked Pojun to adjust the scale and carefully check all the tiny details around the Holy Star to confirm that there were no omissions.
Raising his hand to loosen his collar, Lu Fenghan stood up, walked to the sofa, leaned over and kissed Qi Yan's lips.
I clearly wanted to just kiss her and then back off, but the simple touch of lips immediately ignited a fire in my bones.
Lu Fenghan knew that he was not in the right state - the pressure before the battle did not scare him, but instead aroused his excitement.
Just as he was about to retreat relying on his willpower, Qi Yan's arms suddenly wrapped around his waist.
He clearly didn't have much strength, but he couldn't break free at all.
Lu Fenghan followed Qi Yan's intention and gently bit his lower lip and rubbed it, saying vaguely: "You won't let me go?"
Qi Yan hummed in a very low voice, the sound was barely there, but like a soft hook, it accurately hooked the softest and warmest corner of Lu Fenghan's heart.
Lu Fenghan bent his right leg at the knee and pressed it on the sofa. His tense muscles pressed against the outside of Qi Yan's thigh, trapping the person tightly under him and kissing him wantonly.
Seen from behind, Qi Yan's figure was almost completely blocked by Lu Fenghan, with only his jade-white hands loosely clenched on the hem of Lu Fenghan's standard shirt, his knuckles evenly long, his nails smooth, and his nails a faint pink.
Because of the force, a hint of white could be seen at the fingertips.
As time passed, the clenched hand turned into a held hand, and the hand seemed weak and shaky.
In the gap between kisses, Lu Fenghan noticed something, picked him up, and ordered Pojun in a hoarse voice: "Clear the passage from the command room to the lounge."
Pojun immediately replied, "Yes."
At this time, Qi Yan's lips had been kissed until they were moist and red, and there seemed to be a sea of stars flickering in his eyes, with fragmented light.
Lu Fenghan didn't allow anyone to see the appearance of the person in his arms at this moment.
I carried the person all the way to the lounge and didn't meet anyone else.
The door slid open to both sides, and Lu Fenghan ordered Po Jun: "You are not allowed to come in."
Then he stepped into the door of the lounge.
In Lu Fenghan's room, besides his own things, there were a few daily necessities for prayers. They were placed randomly, but they added a breath of life to the usually cold and quiet room.
The space was closed and private, filled with traces of the two of them everywhere. In such an environment, Lu Fenghan touched the treasure in his hand almost wantonly, without getting tired of it.
Qi Yan suddenly felt as if he was floating in mid-air, with no foothold on the ground, and as if he was close to a heat source, his blood and breath became boiling hot.
An indistinguishable feeling washed over his dormant nerve endings over and over again, causing his thinking to come to a halt, and he was only able to confirm Lu Fenghan's existence.
"General—" Qi Yan was delayed for a few seconds, and was a little bit unbelievable that his voice was so hoarse.
Lu Fenghan's voice was exactly the same as his: "What?"
Qi Yan felt that he had a lot to say in the last moment, but in the next second, his language functions gave way, letting his breathing and meaningless syllables take over.
Lu Fenghan bit Qi Yan's earlobe and said, "We still have four hours before entering the combat zone. The time is too short. It's not enough."
Qi Yan's eyes were clear and misty as she met Lu Fenghan's deep eyes.
After kissing the corner of the eyes of the person in his arms, Lu Fenghan whispered a few words into Qi Yan's ear.
Although less than four hours is a short time, a lot can be done. When Lu Fenghan and Qi Yan returned to the command room, according to the information reported, the captains had completed most of the preparations.
At this time, there was still one hour and twenty-seven minutes before the fleet entered the battle circle.
Qi Yan changed his clothes and wore Lu Fenghan's coat over a silk shirt. The silver stars on the epaulettes were dazzling, and there were some marks on the collar, which was particularly conspicuous compared with his frosty skin.
He opened the virtual screen of his personal terminal and exposed his wrist while operating it, so that the red mark on it could be easily seen.
Although he always knew that he would easily leave marks, Qi Yan's heart still beat faster when he saw the light red circle on his wrist.
I thought aimlessly, if the wrist is so obvious, then other parts... should be similar.
I don’t know how long it will take to disperse.
He wanted Lu Fenghan to help him apply a layer of healing gel, but if it didn't hurt, then he shouldn't apply it, right
While jumping around the various systems of the starship to check if there were any problems, Qi Yan couldn't help but recall what had happened before due to his excellent memory.
Before he could react, his eyes had already briefly glanced over Lu Fenghan's hand on the conference table.
Qi Yan thought he had hidden his little trick very well.
But in fact, it is no different from being blatant.
Lu Fenghan clenched his fingers, then stood up and walked to the sofa and stood still. From his overhead angle, he could see the numerous traces at a glance.
His rough fingertips brushed the corners of Qi Yan's eyes, and he noticed that Qi Yan trembled slightly. Lu Fenghan leaned over and kissed her, with a smile at the end of his voice: "Do you like me touching you so much?"
Qi Yan raised his chin, revealing his vulnerable Adam's apple without any defense, and said in a low and hoarse voice: "What do you think?"