CH 108

Lin Han’s face still looked a little white, obviously the result of some mental energy loss. But he was in good spirits, and his smile was radiant. Not only the two people in front of him, but also the sergeants who were doing other things, their eyes were all turned over.

Some of them weren’t unfamiliar with the young man in front of them, the youngest mecha master who had been specially invited during the practical training. But the difference between a mecha master and a pilot was too great, how could… 

And, what was more, it was the Lord General’s mecha.

The answer was clear to everyone.

—

Lin Han was very straightforward.

He couldn’t stay in the greenhouse forever like a fragile porcelain, passively hearing the battle reports from his colleagues’ mouths or communicators and remaining indifferent. At the time of their confession, there was no turning back, and then there was nothing to fear.

At that time Lin Han stepped into the second cockpit with determination, and lightly connected to the mental power center, and had a sudden thought. He opened the communication with the first cockpit, and with the system beep he had customized, he opened his mouth, “Mr. Lin loves you forever.”

Lin Han knocked on the transparent divider door with his hand and intoned briskly, “Please instruct.”

He was just the right distance from He YunTing, and the other didn’t speak for a minute. Lin Han knew that when He YunTing spoke again, he would definitely understand all his thoughts.

Sure enough, a few moments later, Lin Han heard an imperceptible, light laugh.

Even though he couldn’t see the other’s face at this moment, he could still imagine He YunTing’s expression. The corners of his lips, always cold and hard, would curl up slightly, like snow melting in early spring. Those eyes must have been filled with a tenderness that only he could hold in his own hands, just by bending down slightly, he could touch them with his hands.

“Mr. Lin isn’t afraid of these Zergs?” He YunTing asked him.

It was obvious that he was an Omega, and his physique was so poor that he needed nutrients to maintain it, clearly clean as the clearest cloud in the sky, untouched by anything, and yet it always had supreme courage.

“I’m fine.” Lin Han recalled the previous situation in the border area and said truthfully, “Nothing special. It’s just that compared to their ugly appearance…” Lin Han’s voice sank a bit, falling into some teenager’s pure and timid smile, “I want Cranberries to come alive more.”

He had been left in the border area as the cruelest victim, and soon after his accident, there was a Zerg attack, it was hard not to think of the relationship between the two. But no matter what, his smile and his heart were finally stripped away without mercy.

“Got it.” He YunTing gripped the joystick with his hand, inclined his head and asked, “How does Mr. Lin want to fight?”

He had recovered his memory, and now that the two were communicating through the door, He YunTing couldn’t help but recall how he had met him many years ago. It was when he had just joined the army and had to return for some procedures to be handed over, and he saw the situation when he passed by the mecha training room one night.

He heard a small sound, and when he got closer, he saw that the young man with the gentle smile in the auditorium was now sitting alone in the mecha practice room, but the smile that had touched his heart was nowhere to be seen, and there was only frustration in his eyes. There was a fine sweat on his forehead, his hands were covered with some machine oil, and he pursed his lips as if he was very upset.

He YunTing saw him climbing back on the practice mecha prepared for the new students. He was familiar with these mecha, they couldn’t be manipulated with mental power like the mecha officially put into battle, and were specially used to test the body of the pilot.

In other words, this kind of pilot couldn’t operate it, let alone other training models. It looked like the teenager was trying really hard, but judging from his unsteady breathing and lost expression, it seemed that he couldn’t even drive such a basic mecha. He YunTing should have left soon, but ended up standing somewhere not far away, silently staying in place.

He seemed to have been waiting, waiting until the teenager slumped his shoulders, full of gloom, and finally looked back at the large iron shell in front of him, very slowly squatting down. He YunTing saw that the teenager’s shoulders were excessively thin, as if the night breeze was a little deeper and thicker, it would be able to integrate him into it as well.

He saw the teenager turn off the lights and bury his face in the arms that were crossed in front of him. His shoulders didn’t shrug, so he shouldn’t be crying. But He YunTing just felt that he should be cold and should need a jacket.

A little bit was good, it was a precious warmth.

At that time he didn’t step forward in the end.

But fortunately, He YunTing pulled back from the memories, the teenager became a young man, still warm and gentle, and he could finally accompany him to fulfill a dream.

In Lin Han’s field of vision, when He YunTingmoved, it was just enough for him to see the other party’s silver hair on his  forehead, the bridge of his nose, and the no longer cold lips that he had kissed a million times.

Lin Han didn’t know what He YunTing was thinking at the moment, but he still raised his voice with a sharpness and excitement that he never had before, “Be ruthless.”

To be ruthless, and to be handsome.

To throw the leader’s head high and then drop it heavily, to chisel open the foul-smelling abdomen and brain one by one, to pay back the lives of the soldiers in the border area one by one, and to destroy the leap point that will never be retaken.

“Okay.” He YunTing answered dryly, “Then I’ll transfer the arsenal.”

Pulled the accumulation value to the maximum, and raised the straight line distance to the highest.

“I’ll control the key parts, Mr. Lin is just responsible for the mental connection.” He YunTing said, while turning his face back to stare earnestly at the screen in front of him again.

Aegis began to block thousands of attacks in front of them, while M2742 leapt up under the operation of the two men—

As the mecha flew to its highest point, Lin Han heard a voice over the communicator, “Mr. Lin, enjoy yourself.”

Lin Han then also curled his lips, “Thank you General for your company.”

— 

Now facing the people in front of him who were obviously still surprised, Lin Han tossed his helmet vainly in the air and caught it again steadily, holding the elevator to get down from the mecha, “Where’s the problem?”

The sergeant was stunned for a while before he responded with embarrassment, knowing that this was an expert in repair, he hurriedly scratched his head and told him about the mecha.

“Simple, the stuff in your spare box will fix it.” Lin Han’s brow didn’t wrinkle as he jumped down from the elevator. The wind was still filled with the fishy and unpleasant smell of Zerg blood.

Surrounded by soldiers still clearing the battlefield, this time coming with a more than ordinary pioneer force, fortunately arriving just in time before more of the other side could land.

But everyone knew this was just the beginning, the leap point in the border area had been blown up, so from today onwards, all the next berths had to be alerted. The Zerg’s character had always been brutal and straightforward, as long as they started, it was unlikely they’d stop.

Lin Han quickly took care of the sergeant’s mecha and returned the keys to the other man. Some simply cast curious glances directly, while others were surreptitiously gawking. He faced the others matter-of-factly, “Does anyone else need help?”

Lin Han waited for a while, giving the sergeants ample time to accept and digest.

Finally, a braver soldier took a step closer, “So, you…”

What’s your relationship with the General?

Although the guess in his mind was probably the answer, someone wanted to know some definite information. He was about to speak when a voice came in on his private communicator, “Lin Han, I’m ready to go back.”

“I’m coming.” Lin Han answered.

The soldier saw Lin Han hang up the communication, smiled at them and answered the question everyone was curious about before, “Guess.”

When the youth smiled, his eyes unconsciously curled up, and his eyes were instantly filled with bright warmth and a little tenderness flowed out with a little bit of slightly drooping eyes. No denial, which was a disguised affirmation of what they thought in their minds.

They coincidentally thought of the situation just now.

The huge mecha pinned the steel beetle’s leader to the ground, hammering down with hard fist after hard fist, mixing with splashes of blood and sickening tissues, and collecting the heat at the end. Weapons, with the hardest metal and fists to crush each other. And one of the men piloting it stood before their eyes, smiling.

So the Omega’s mental power can also be concentrated to this extent?

Someone was the first to take off his military cap, stood up straight and called out, “Mr. Lin.”

Lin Han turned around and saw that all of He YunTing’s non-commissioned officers stopped what they were doing, neatly took off their hats, and gently clenched their right hands into fists against their hearts and gave him a standard military salute.

Lin Han was still stunned when he saw this scene.

Everyone knew that the base sergeant was always the toughest troops in the Empire, chosen by extremely harsh screening conditions, with the intensity of training that ordinary people simply couldn’t even think about, all on the shoulders of these young people. The core of the pampered people sometimes questioned whether this high training load was necessary, and speculated whether the non-commissioned officers would complain about the overly strict standards of their masters.

But not now.

Lin Han’s heart felt like it had been pinched very lightly and was a little sore.

He wasn’t a soldier, nor was he a royal.

But he was now receiving the salute from the sergeants.

Lin Han also stood still, bowed deeply to all of them, and said thank you in his heart.

— 

“Boss,” Lu AnHe began to report the progress, “this side is cleared. According to the current situation, there’s no possibility that the other side will regroup and land at this berth in a short time. But the last V Proton incident hasn’t been reported, plus this time the situation is urgent, and His Majesty said that you don’t need to come down from the front line to personally debrief. At least one person should go over to sit in the council to listen, and report the official results of V Proton and the handling of the situation.” Lu AnHe said, “Then I’ll go? Should return the next day.”

Lu AnHe was, after all, his most trusted adjutant, and handled things properly. It was just that in this situation, it was best for both of them to work together at the front.

He YunTing hesitated for a moment and was about to agree, but Lin Han guessed the reason for his hesitation and suddenly said, “Any ideas?”

Lu AnHe was stunned for a moment to understand Lin Han’s meaning, “Either someone from the army or an expert who participated in the trip, originally considered whether to let Professor Xu go, but now the communication at the berth that was destroyed by that group of steel beetles is still being repaired, so I temporarily didn’t contact him.”

“Then I’ll go.” Lin Han said.

“Mr. Lin, it’s not that I don’t think you’re suitable, mainly because this time there’s still that group of old guys from the council, maybe they’ll quarrel in the hall again as they do most of the day, I’m afraid you can’t stay.” Lu AnHe remembered that that group of people felt that they were bigshots.

“But the situation now, obviously you staying with the General is more convenient.” Lin Han’s voice was calm, “The situation is special, and we don’t want anything bad to happen.”

Lu AnHe still felt wrong and wanted to say something more, after all, he knew how important Lin Han was to his boss, and was worried that he couldn’t handle such tedious matters, “But…”

“Let him go.” Instead, it was He YunTing who spoke first.

He knew he couldn’t argue with Lin Han, and he knew he was thinking of him, so he agreed.

“Just pick him up when the debriefing is over.”

Lu AnHe didn’t expect He YunTing to be willing to let him go, and was a bit surprised, “Okay.”

Finally the current formation followed the Lord General to the nearest place to resupply, while Lin Han followed the sergeant from earlier and rode back to the core.

— 

He just didn’t expect that Wen Zhaoge would come personally for this council discussion. This was Lin Han’s first time meeting the Emperor of the Empire.

Compared to the last time in the side hall, this time Wen Zhaoge was dressed more formally, his inner shirt was sewn with golden silk thread in rows of Napoleon buttons, while his overcoat was almost a military-like dress, with a cape wrapped around his left shoulder and pinned with a delicate rose and a cluster of magnificent black feathers. He held in his hand a chess piece carved in white jade, and after all of them saluted respectfully, he waved his hand slightly, “I’ll just come and listen casually, don’t worry about me.”

“General didn’t make it over, did he?” Wen Zhaoge folded his hands and propped them up on his jaw, glancing down at the semi-circle of council seats seemingly at random, “So the person who came to represent him this time is Lieutenant Colonel Lu?”

“Your Majesty.” Lin Han saluted, introduced himself, and stood up from his position, “Lieutenant Colonel Lu was unable to get away from the front line, and I’m also one of the V Proton Star entourage and have personally participated in the cleanup, so I have come to report.”

He was a little far away from Wen Zhaoge, but he could still feel the other party’s sharp black eyes falling on him, full of inquiry. After all, he was the youngest mecha master. Some of the people present had heard his name, but they didn’t expect it to be a lean young man.

What was more, he said before that he had piloted the General’s mecha.

Can an Omega also drive a mecha? Or… He YunTing’s M2742.

“That would be Mr. Lin.” Wen Zhaoge, however, didn’t ask why he could drive with He YunTing, but only spoke indifferently, “Tell me.”

For a while not only Wen Zhaoge’s, but everyone’s eyes were focused on him.

Lin Han, however, seemed to be unable to feel this pressure, and without looking away, calmly outlined everything that had happened on V Proton in the most concise way, and finally concluded in a calm tone, “Absolutely no signs of life in all associated cities, including Central City. Or rather, now there is no… V Proton anymore. As for the berth, the frontline communications were quickly repaired and have successfully stopped the Herald forces from landing. Everyone will be able to see it in time, so I don’t need to elaborate.”

Someone asked a few more questions, and Lin Han responded.

“Mr. Lin is really competent.” When Lin Han sat down again, Wen Zhaoge complimented him with a smile. He raised his hand and spoke to the MPs and the Speaker on either side, “Okay, it’s your turn to speak next.”

It wasn’t until the politicians began their lengthy tug-of-war that Lin Han realized the extent of what Lu AnHe called those “guys who can bring people to their knees”.

The speaker on the left was Jiang Lian of the peacemaking faction, and on the right was Luo Qi of the radical faction. Taking into account the presence of Wen Zhaoge, at the beginning, both legislators were playing Taichi with each other, and nothing of substance was progressing, just saying something dispensable about V Proton and the Zerg attack.

Lin Han sat in his seat, thinking that, even if he touched a lot of animals without gloves, they wouldn’t necessarily be as noisy as these people.

It was obvious that Wen Zhao wasn’t here to hear the quarrel either.

When the counselor next to Jiang Lian said “The berth has been secured, I wonder if it’s a lack of confidence in the General to worry about this now”, Wen Zhaoge finally rubbed his brow and stood up, “You guys continue.”

And then headed for the door without looking back.

When Wen Zhaoge left, the two factions really began to chatter and argue.

These people knew that there would be cameras recording their words and actions, but they wanted to crown their own personal desires and turn them into a weapon to attack indiscriminately.

Luo Qi didn’t seem to be in good spirits, and when Jiang Lian directly asked him “how many troops it would take to exterminate the insects, has Mr. Luo ever thought about the Empire”, he couldn’t help but slap the table and rise up: “Jiang Lian!”

“You and I both know that the Zerg reproduce differently than humans. V Proton has perished for good, but the Zerg is a society of female insects, and new species will be reproduced in many years.” Jiang Lian said coldly, “Maybe even after you and I are dead, the Zerg can’t be eradicated.”

“So just let these creatures act arrogant to this point and do nothing? Mr. Kang, don’t forget that your good friend Professor Xu was a hero who saved V Proton. Did that make any difference to the end of V Proton?” Luo Qi didn’t give an inch.

The other side got angry too, “Mr. Luo can’t deny it, so you have to bring out irrelevant people?”

“You…”

Lin Han abruptly stood up from his seat.

People on both sides froze for a moment, after all, except for Wen Zhaoge, everyone had to stay up until the last minute to finish.

Jiang Lian, after all, was Xu Zhiheng’s best friend and had heard Lin Han’s name, “Mr. Lin, you…”

“What time is it?” Lin Han asked.

Someone looked at his watch and said the time.

A little smile appeared on Lin Han’s face, but it didn’t enter his eyes, “I said, what time is it? It’s already this time, and as you say every word and I say every word, there are soldiers on the front lines defending the berth, getting up close and personal with the Zergs you loathe, bathing in blood.” He sulked a little in a rare moment, “What is war to you? Has there been so much peace that everyone has forgotten what it means? Is it the exchange of interests? Or the shuffling of forces? Yes, there’s still a neutral General to pull for you, to be the weight of your quarrel.”

Jiang Lian’s face went white, “Mr. Lin, this is your first time in the council, our rules…”

“Yes, I grew up in a civilian area and I don’t know any rules.” Lin Han walked to the magnificent but empty gate, “So I’ll go first.”

It was Luo Qi who was calm and collected, “We never forget the meaning of war. Let’s meet again sometime, Mr. Lin.”

—

Walking out of the hall, Lin Han only seemed to take a breath. He just wanted to continue walking out, but when he passed a corner, he accidentally bumped into the person who had already left.

Wen Zhaoge stood at the same spot and looked at him indifferently, smiling casually, “Out for air too?”

Lin Han bowed his head and said truthfully, “No, I’ll leave first.”

The two stood under the baroque style huge glass window. Wen Zhaoge was an Alpha, much taller than Lin Han, and the sunlight outside only half shined in, when he lowered his eyes to look at Lin Han, the shadow falling from his eyelashes inexplicably had a compelling aura.

“Does Mr. Lin know that just before I left, the communication at the berth was repaired? The wartime footage was also passed over.”

Lin Han’s footsteps paused for a moment.

Wen Zhaoge seemed to be very attentive and didn’t have a stance, without minding, he opened his accompanying light brain and popped up a virtual light screen, “Now the people of the Empire know about you.”

On the light screen, the young man walked calmly out of the cockpit and took off his helmet in the setting sun. At that moment all the light was focused on his body, even though he looked frail, no one could take their eyes off him.

Wen Zhaoge didn’t open his mouth, his eyes were inquisitive, silently observing this young man whom he was meeting for the first time.

Despite being prepared for this — and that was exactly what it was — Lin Han knew that no matter what, he would definitely be exposed to the public eye because of He YunTing, and that was why he had little qualms about opening his mouth decisively directly at the council.

But after all, the person in front of him was Wen Zhaoge, so he was still a little worried. He hadn’t been to the base, and naturally he didn’t necessarily know his relationship with He YunTing.

Would he connect the dots? Or was there another guess? But Wen Zhaoge shouldn’t make things difficult for He YunTing…  

In a short minute, Lin Han still couldn’t help but think a lot.

“Does Mr. Lin like to play chess?” Wen Zhaoge put the light screen away and asked casually.

Lin Han’s eyes fell on the chess piece in Wen Zhaoge’s hand.

He recognized it. It was a “queen” chess piece. He remembered the dress of the queen in the Galactic Exhibition Hall, saying that it was a symbol of her love.

But Lin Han had the decency not to ask anything, “It’s alright.”

When he thought Wen Zhao would invite him to stay and play chess, the other side waved his hand and didn’t stop him, “It looks like Mr. Lin doesn’t want to stay here much either. Then let’s talk about it when we have time, I hope we can play a game of chess together then.”

Lin Han respectfully thanked him.

“But now that everyone knows you,” Wen Zhao called his attendant over, “let me send Mr. Lin back, otherwise it will be a bit troublesome to take a public flying machine.”

—

Only after Lin Han got on the royal flight did he know what Wen Zhaoge meant by “some trouble”.

His light brain started flashing all kinds of messages, from Shen XiuNan, from his colleagues who he had occasionally spoken a few words with in the Research Institute, and people he didn’t even remember, all of whom were incredulous that he would appear at the mouth of the berth and on M2742.

Those sergeants were still at the front, so soon his relationship with He YunTing quickly became the subject of speculation.

Shen XiuNan was probably cracking up by now and couldn’t believe it as message after message popped up, “No way? Is it really the General? I’m sorry I didn’t realize it before, if I said anything offensive before you must not tell him!”

Not to mention those colleagues who had speculated that Lin Han’s Alpha was a “mysterious big brother” in the core area. Who knew what kind of mood they were in now. But Lin Han didn’t even want to focus on that right now.

“Lin Han,” he blocked everyone’s communication, leaving only He YunTing’s alone, heard his voice ringing in the communicator, “we moved to another berth, will be free to come and pick you up today.” He YunTing paused for a moment, “Do you still want to go to the front with me?”

Lin Han smiled for the first time since his return, “Of course.”

—

When Lin Han returned home, the little ball of joy, which he hadn’t seen for a long time, heard the door slam and hurriedly rolled over from the living room, almost hitting the corner of the table. He picked the little one up and coaxed him patiently.

When Grr’s mood had recovered a bit, Lin Han thought for a moment, but took the initiative to tell it, “I have to leave home tonight, and I have to go far away.”

Grr had lived here for a long time and quickly understood the meaning of Lin Han’s words. Soon, its little eyes crinkled up.

After a while, it bit Lin Han’s finger very softly and made a meaningful sound.

The Kudzuar race’s bite was very strong, but the little one didn’t want to hurt Lin Han at all. It didn’t know how to express its emotion, so it could only rub its teeth on Lin Han’s finger in such a helpless way.

Sensing its emotions, Lin Han took a piece of the little one’s favorite snack from the cabinet to make him happy.

“I will get you a lot of things ready or leave you in the zoo’s care like last time.” Lin Han said, “Is that okay?”

The little one didn’t make a sound, and the snacks that used to shine at the sight of its eyes lost their appeal as it sulked. After a long time, just like when he left the border area, Lin Han felt a wet and moist hand. Lin Han squatted down and looked into the little one’s eyes.

“But… You obviously will faint in the mecha ah.”

This time Grr responded — it knew that shaking its head meant denying it, and immediately shook its little head desperately to show that it wouldn’t get dizzy.

Lin Han understood what it meant, “So… You want to come with me?”

The little guy remembered that big iron shell still hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded firmly.

—

Lin Han’s apartment entrance could only park the flying machine, but the march time was urgent, and there was no one to fly the flying machine again. So in the evening, a mecha landed on the tarmac of the Imperial Military University in a very high-profile manner.

It was the mecha that everyone was familiar with, full of glory and merit.

It was M2742 that belonged only to the Imperial General.

The students around the room didn’t react at first, but after realizing whose mecha it was, they began to marvel with excitement. The crowd began to whisper about why this mecha was here. Excited students were already taking pictures, unable to believe that they were getting up close and personal with the mecha.

Soon, they saw a young man walking step by step toward the mecha, his pace even.

——It was the same Omega who had appeared at the entrance to the moorings, the same Omega who had stood up and angrily rebuked both factions at the council meeting today. He seemed to have a soft little animal lying on his shoulder, but as it began to get dark, they couldn’t see the little thing.

Lin Han felt he should be calm. He knew that the road ahead wouldn’t be smooth and that the Zerg wouldn’t give up. But his heart was still pounding, and he still wanted to fight alongside the people above him. He wanted to ascend the mecha and take the seat he had craved for years. To sail to the stars with his dreams and his courage, and wherever he was, he wouldn’t be alone.

“Let’s go.” Lin Han rubbed the soft fur on top of Grr’s head and said with a smile, “Let’s elope.”