Chapter 11#
Anticipation#
Yin Beichen’s sudden decision gave Ning Feng a serious headache.
What was up with this guy?
Not only had he lost his temper for no reason at noon, but why had he suddenly forbidden Ning Feng from handling the antidote?
Most importantly, how was he supposed to get the antidote from the Research Department in the future?
“Hey, Feng-ge, you still there?” His wandering thoughts were yanked back by the short, burly bearded man.
The metal crane arm whirred incessantly, workers bustled back and forth, hauling steel crates toward a large spacecraft. Ning Feng blinked, only then remembering he was in the heavy factory’s operations room, discussing equipment upgrade blueprints with the mechanical supervisor.
He immediately composed himself and nodded seriously. “Yeah, I think the cockpit proposal you mentioned is feasible.”
“What cockpit?” The bearded man grew even more annoyed, clamping his mechanical arm. “I was asking if you wanted to hit the bar tonight! Chat about your precious bike’s engine.”
Ning Feng: …
Awkward.
“Do we even need to talk about that? You know me.” Facing the contemptuous bearded man, he crossed his long legs and raised an eyebrow. “Same as always—throw on the newest, coolest models for me.”
“Of course no problem, but a full set isn’t cheap.” The bearded man shot him a sidelong glance. “You got the cash this time?”
“Look, I’m a bit tight lately.” Ning Feng chuckled twice. “But next month’s subsidies are decent. After this busy stretch, I should be able to apply for some extra allowance.”
“That’s what you said last time.” The bearded man curled his lip.
“This time’s different.”
“Yeah, you said that last time too.”
“…”
Ning Feng scratched his cheek. “Anyway, you know what I need—just go with the flashiest. I’ve got training tonight, so I’ll pass on the bar.”
“Training?” The bearded man stared at him as if he were a monster. “Not enough in the morning? You’ve got to torture yourself at night too?”
“Hey, the boss said I lack stamina, so he’s coming by tonight to supervise.” Ning Feng’s tone was lazily flippant, but his eyes sparkled.
“Oh, a beauty’s got a date.”
“Been single too long—time to find someone to warm the bed.”
“My wife says there’s a temple on a satellite near the base that’s really good for love matches. Feng-ge, I’ll send you the coordinates.”
“Pfft, don’t believe that stuff.”
Laughter and jeers echoed through the maintenance bay, carrying out into the corridor.
Qiao Xi stood at the corner of the hallway, hugging a stack of documents. His figure hidden in the shadows cast by harsh light, he pursed his lips.
“Hmm… Training room?”
Just then—
“Qiao Xi, where are you going with all that?”
Qiao Xi turned. It was Ou Jingshan, just back from duty, a light dagger still smeared with bug slime hanging from his belt.
“Good afternoon, Battalion Commander.” Qiao Xi’s light-colored eyes half-closed as he smiled.
“Don’t call me Battalion Commander—makes me uncomfortable. Call me Captain Ou.” Ou Jingshan rubbed his bald head.
“Alright, Captain Ou.” Qiao Xi strained under the heavy research materials. “These are research materials on radiation protection. When Beichen went on a mission before, he gave me a silver fruit. I thought it’d be a waste to eat it, so I ran some tests with it.”
Ou Jingshan took everything from him, a teasing look in his eyes. “Beichen? Sounds pretty intimate.”
At this, Qiao Xi lowered his head shyly.
“No need to be embarrassed. Lots of people at the base have fantasies about the Commander.” Ou Jingshan laughed heartily. “That Ning Feng’s one of them.”
“Deputy Ning?”
“You didn’t know? But the Commander doesn’t give him the time of day.”
A flicker of unreadable emotion passed across Qiao Xi’s face as he dropped his head again. “Deputy Ning is so outstanding—I can’t possibly compare…”
“Hey kid, don’t sell yourself short.” Unable to stand seeing the other upset, Ou Jingshan quickly comforted him. “That night at the reception, didn’t the Commander stick with you? And he gave you a silver fruit! I think he’s into you too.”
“Really?”
“What’s so great about a big brute like Ning Feng? If I were the Commander, I’d pick you too.” Ou Jingshan tried to thump his chest but realized his hands were full. “Don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you in front of the Commander from now on.”
“Thanks, Captain Ou!” Qiao Xi’s eyes curved like crescents, his smile dazzlingly bright.
Ou Jingshan, quite pleased with himself, promised to create more opportunities for them to be alone together and even shared many details about Yin Beichen’s daily habits. Qiao Xi listened and nodded, the cold white light above casting a shadow over his face, making the smile at the corner of his mouth all the more charming.
“Oh, by the way, Captain Ou, are you close with Deputy Ning?”
“Him? Eh, so-so.”
“I’ve always thought Deputy Ning was amazing! Besides Beichen, he’s the person I admire most.”
“Pfft, what’s there to admire about that guy? Let me tell you, he—”
…
**
The cleanup operation was nearing its end, and the strategy was shifting from offense to defense. This meant more infrastructure supplies were needed to ensure the security of the stationed troops.
No one knew what the bugs would do next. Ning Feng had to ensure equipment and supplies were sufficient to meet the challenge.
In the afternoon, he rushed through several storage depots, directing logistics and confirming weapon stockpiles. Finally, just as dinner was winding down, he completed all the work.
Exhausted like a husky, Ning Feng made it to the mess hall just before closing and grabbed a few random things to eat.
He didn’t actually have to rush so much, but he kept thinking about the agreement he’d made with Yin Beichen that morning, and felt it was worth it.
Though the other hadn’t explicitly confirmed, based on his understanding of Yin Beichen, no objection meant acceptance. Besides, as his adjutant, he was certain that aside from a meeting with high-ranking commanders, the boss had no other important matters tonight.
Beichen would definitely come tonight.
At the thought, a smile tugged at the corners of Ning Feng’s mouth, and even the weight on his shoulders lightened. He checked his watch and was startled to realize he had little time left. He wolfed down two big mouthfuls of rice, quickly changed into his training gear, and headed straight for the training room.
**
At that moment, Yin Beichen sat alone in his office.
He had just finished a video conference with senior commanders, during which all sides had engaged in heated debate over how to handle the bugs. But after all that arguing, no consensus had been reached.
Yin Beichen’s Sixth Military District was specifically responsible for guarding the border star sectors.
Though it was the youngest established district, years of combat readiness and cross-branch drills meant that in terms of pure strength, the Sixth District was the most combat-capable among all districts, especially in battles against the bugs.
And the Nora Base under the Third Division was the most famous of them all.
Commanders of the Second and Third Districts advocated a joint operation to wipe out the bug nest, while those of the Fourth and Fifth claimed the Sixth District could handle it alone.
As for the commander of the First District—Yin Beichen’s father—he didn’t take a clear stance.
Yin Beichen understood that his father didn’t want to interfere too much in his affairs, and he had proven with resolute military achievements that he didn’t rely on family connections.
That said, perhaps because there had been a period of peace, higher-ups had recently developed an ambiguous attitude toward the bugs, even wanting to manipulate them for their own purposes.
That idea was extremely naive and dangerous.
Having fought the bugs for years, Yin Beichen knew well that the bugs would never obey anyone—except their queen.
Yin Beichen leaned back in his command chair and rubbed his temples. Suddenly, he remembered his agreement with Ning Feng from that morning.
Ever since they’d met, that guy had been obsessed with beating him. Back at the academy, whenever he got the chance, he’d challenge him to a duel. Over the years, their record was about fifty-fifty.
If Ning Feng won, he’d lay off for a few days. But if he lost, he’d pester Yin Beichen for a rematch every day.
Thinking back to that morning’s situation made Yin Beichen’s head hurt even more.
That guy would probably arrive early, maybe even skip dinner. He’d clear out all irrelevant personnel. If Yin Beichen didn’t show up by the agreed time, the comm harassment would start.
Massaging his throbbing temples, Yin Beichen glanced at the time. He’d missed dinner. He neatly tidied up and prepared to head out.
Just then, the visitor chime rang.
“Commander, it’s Qiao Xi.” Qiao Xi stood before the camera, hugging a huge stack of documents, his face flushed with excitement.
Yin Beichen’s brows tightened slightly, but he still pressed the talk button. “What’s up?”
“I’ve finished analyzing the silver fruit components you asked for earlier. I just sorted everything out. Are you free now?” Qiao Xi’s eyes curved like crescent moons.
Yin Beichen glanced at the pile—a whole stack of materials that would take at least two or three hours to go through. He tightened his brows. “Does it have to be now?”
Qiao Xi’s expression froze, and he stammered.
“It’s not that… I thought you were eager, so I stayed up testing, wanting to share it with you as soon as possible.” He scuffed his toe. “I was going to report to Deputy Ning too, but when I went by, I saw him chatting and laughing with a big group of friends, talking about where to go for fun tonight, so I didn’t bother him.”
Hearing this, Yin Beichen’s gaze lowered, and his expression gradually turned cold.
Right. That guy never turned anyone away. He certainly wasn’t short on company.
That agreement was probably just a casual remark.
Qiao Xi didn’t seem to notice the shift in the other’s mood. He just forced a smile. “It’s okay! If you’re busy, go ahead. I-I’ll come back when you have time.”
Yin Beichen clenched his jaw. “Come in.”
With a beep, the door opened, and Qiao Xi entered timidly.
“Is this all?” Yin Beichen asked.
“Yes, yes!” Qiao Xi perked up as he started talking about the experiments. “This time I tried different testing methods and found a lot of interesting phenomena—some even overturned my previous hypotheses. Um, Commander, have you eaten?”
“I’m not hungry.” Yin Beichen’s face was expressionless.
“Oh…”
Grrrr…
Before he could finish, his stomach growled in protest. Qiao Xi shut his mouth awkwardly.
Looking at the dark circles under the other’s eyes, Yin Beichen thought for a moment, then stood up. “Let’s go eat first.”
“But the mess hall is closed now. Should we go to a booth?” Qiao Xi hesitated, then his eyes lit up. “H-how about the bar? There are booths there too. Not much food selection, but Professor Qu says it tastes pretty good. It might be a bit noisy though…”
Bar…
The image of Ning Feng sarcastically mocking the booths flashed through his mind. Yin Beichen pressed his lips together.
“Alright, let’s go to the bar.”