Chapter 922 - New Year’s Eve and Departure

The New Year’s Day celebration was busy and joyful.

The Garden of Eden Two was nearing completion. The crops produced by the two CNC planting towers, combined with nutrient supply, were sufficient to meet the food needs of hundreds of thousands of people. With the increasing abundance of living supplies, the survivors’ happiness index was gradually increasing. These were all intuitively reflected in the scale of festival celebrations.

On the stage, a female singer who recently woke up from the hibernation chamber delivered a song of love and hope with her beautiful voice, kicking off the New Year’s party.

If this was three years ago, someone like her would definitely be the best-selling commodity in the slave market, a toy of the mercenary warlords. Now, however, NAC abolished the inefficient slave system and established a set of strictly enforced “Blue Skin Protection Laws” in its area of control.

Although many people in the apocalypse looked down on people unaware of the cruelty of survival, these people from civilized society were valuable assets to Jiang Chen. If the fire of civilization couldn’t be reignited, even with the restoration of the Holy Shield and reconstruction of high-rises in Wanghai, it would only be a façade of prosperity.

After a round of applause, the stage curtain fell.

Behind the stage, Lin Xiyi, in an elegant skirt, walked to Jiang Chen dressed up in a suit with a smirk.

“A very beautiful song, Miss Lin.” He noticed Lin Xiyi, who was walking. Jiang Chen put his speech paper aside and smiled.

“Thank you, Mr. General, for your praise.” The singer Lin Xiyi smiled and extended her graceful hand. Her fingers inadvertently swept his wrists. “After the celebration, can I invite you to have a drink?”

Looking at the shimmering light in her eyes, Jiang Chen very sensitively read the implied meaning between her bright red lips.

Slightly shaking his head, he politely refused the invitation.

“Maybe next time.”

He was extremely tired at the moment without any lustful thoughts.

Not to mention…

His desires in that aspect weren’t as explicit as before.

Lin Xiyi’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but of course, she wouldn’t say anything with her identity. Still keeping a bright smile, she headed outside after chatting with Jiang Chen for a while.

Not long afterward, Wang Qing and Sun Xiaorou pushed open the door and entered. They both examined Jiang Chen from head-to-toe and nodded in agreement.

Wang Qing said concisely, “Perfect.”

Sun Xiaorou grinned and said, “More handsome.”

“…” Jiang Chen, who didn’t know how to answer, scratched his cheek and cleared his throat. He then stuffed the printed speech into his sleeve, and asked, “So, it’s my turn?”

“Mhmm! You can do it.” Sun Xiaorou patted Jiang Chen on the back. “Don’t mess up from the very start.”

“Am I that untrustworthy?” Jiang Chen glared at her, ignoring her innocent look. He took a deep breath and walked on stage.

Beer, barbecue, and enjoyable shows. During the New Year’s Day celebrations, the non-military facilities of the Fishbone base were open to outsiders. Not only the soldiers returning from the front lines gathered in the square, but there were also small vendors, survivors from the Sixth Street, and lone travelers with NAC citizenship.

All the people enjoyed the celebration on an equal basis without needing to pay for food. There was only one condition, they must not waste food.

After three singing and dancing performances, the celebration welcomed the highlight of the day.

The soft lights gradually became brighter, the atmosphere of joy in the square was unabated, and the noise gradually stopped. Even people who didn’t care about the performances turned their attention to the stage and the big screen to watch Jiang Chen, the leader who led NAC toward prosperity.

“I’m very happy to stand here and celebrate New Year with you.”

“I am Jiang Chen.”

“We’ve spent another year on this devastated land.”

His forceful tone spread to every corner of the base through speakers. People stared at him in fervor and watched the unbeaten General, offering him the highest respect. If there really was a God in the world, God must be very similar to him.

To survivors on the wasteland, the person who could provide food was a well-deserved ruler. The person who could expel mutants and zombies was a well-deserved warrior. The person who could bring order to the wasteland, but also taking into account the first two, even if he wasn’t a god, how was this person different from God?

Standing in the crowd, Hu Cheng, who already became a knight, looked up at Jiang Chen on the stage. His throat was moving, unable to express his pride in his chest. At that moment, holding his arm and standing with him to share the celebration was his goddess!

He still vividly remembered in the morning when he held a ring and proposed to her, she was that charming.

Taking a swig of cold beer, a genuine smile appeared on Hu Cheng’s face. He said while burping: “Yesterday, at that place, General Jiang personally put the medal on me.”

His girlfriend pouted, glared at him, and gently pinched his waist.

“Why do I feel that you’re more excited about that than when I agreed to become your girlfriend?”

“Hehe.”

Hu Cheng smiled while scratching the back of his head. He quickly hugged his future wife and used sweet words to make her happy.

Recognizing the work of all citizens of NAC, commending front-line soldiers for their hard work, and sending blessings to the soldiers of the Third Army who were unable to participate in the celebrations because of their position in Wu City… The speech from the General was already coming to an end.

At the end of the speech, thunderous applause erupted the audience. Maintaining the proper attitude of the General, Jiang Chen nodded slightly and walked down the stage.

In the preparation room, Sun Jiao was standing there, smiling.

“How did I do?”

“Pretty good… or rather, superb.” Jiang Chen laughed, undid his tie, took off his extra thick suit, and took his winter clothes from the hanger. “It’s finally over.”

Sun Jiao’s expression was slightly solitary.

“Ready to go back?”

His hand on the button stopped and after a moment of thought, Jiang Chen nodded and said, “Well, tomorrow is the battle conference against the Northern Alliance. I’ll have to go back the day after tomorrow.”

He was supposed to go back in the middle of December when the space elevator was completed. However, no one expected that the battle in Wu City would be in a stalemate. If it weren’t for magnetic confinement technology breakthroughs and the PR-1 plasma cannon, this war would likely have remained in a stalemate.

Sun Jiao didn’t say anything. She stepped forward and kissed him.

“I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Jiang Chen held her hand tightly and whispered, “…Thank you.”