Chapter 36#
Truth#
Days passed one after another, and the base slowly returned to its former peace.
On the surface.
Although they had gone through a period of panic, under Yin Beichen’s iron-fisted rule, everyone—while howling in misery—worked hard to get used to their长官’s high standards. Now, the number of times they were publicly chewed out had significantly decreased.
Despite this, everyone still hoped Ning Feng would return soon.
The battle on the insect nest star had come to an end. Yin Beichen locked himself in his office every day, handling military affairs. Occasionally, he would inspect the training grounds or check on the progress of the antidote development, but most of his time was spent in the military intelligence room or his office.
And so, today he worked late into the night again.
Even though he sometimes slept in his own quarters, he could never fall asleep. The only way to calm down was to go to Ning Feng’s room.
Yin Beichen was somewhat puzzled by this. After thinking it over for a long time, he attributed it to the mattress and decided that when Ning Feng came back, he would ask where he bought it.
These past few days, he had been closely monitoring the search progress.
Now, the search teams had increased to five squads, the search radius expanded to ten star miles, and they had even sent people to search inside the wasteland ruling city—but still, there was no result.
A flying craft with stealth capabilities, an unconscious pilot—where could it have gone?
Suddenly, Yin Beichen recalled the search commander’s words again—
Disintegration.
His heartbeat stalled. Countless thoughts tangled together, and Yin Beichen felt his head throbbing. He immediately closed his eyes tight, suppressed his extreme unease, and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window in his office to let out a breath.
Calm down.
Meaningless speculation would only affect judgment and wouldn’t help solve the problem.
The insect poison Ning Feng had been infected with was at most fourth rank. Even if it flared up, he had antidote with him. The scene from before was probably just him injecting the antidote and resting.
Yes, just resting.
After convincing himself several times, Yin Beichen barely managed to suppress the fear growing inside him. He stared blankly out the window, the distant stars reflected in his blue eyes, stirring up an indescribable emotion.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Pushing aside his thoughts, Yin Beichen pressed the monitor, and Qiao Xi’s pale face appeared.
“Good evening,长官.” He looked very weak, still in casual clothes, as if he had just gotten out of bed. Thick dark circles pressed under his large glasses, making him appear exhausted.
“What is it?” Yin Beichen’s brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t open the door.
“There’s something I want to ask you.” Qiao Xi added, “Something very important.”
His gaze lowered, and Yin Beichen’s eyelashes swept down slightly.
He didn’t want to talk much with Qiao Xi.
Ning Feng was missing, and the base was busy with military affairs. As the commander, he simply couldn’t spare the time. Even though he knew Qiao Xi had woken up today, he had only instructed the medical officer to take good care of him.
Most importantly, Ning Feng seemed very resistant to this man.
But Qiao Xi had made great contributions in collecting insect poison. As his superior, it was only proper to exchange a few words of concern.
With this thought, Yin Beichen still opened the door.
“Feeling better?”
“Much better, thank you for your concern,长官.” A smile hung on Qiao Xi’s lips.
In fact, he hadn’t suffered any external injuries. It was just that he had been exposed to the insect poison environment for too long and needed to take high-concentration detoxifying drugs. His body had a severe rejection reaction, which kept him in a deep sleep.
“If you have any requests regarding your daily life, feel free to bring them up. Just rest and recover.”
“Everyone has been very kind to me. I have no requests,长官.”
Yin Beichen nodded. “What do you want to see me about?”
Qiao Xi hunched his shoulders slightly, his lips moving hesitantly. “I wanted to ask… how is Deputy Ning? Are his injuries serious?”
Yin Beichen’s brow twitched, and his thin lips pressed into a cold line.
“This is not something you should be concerned about.” He glanced at Qiao Xi, his gaze icy cold. “If you have time, I hope you can recover quickly and focus your energy on developing the antidote.”
Startled by the coldness, Qiao Xi lowered his head.
“Sorry, I know I’m being abrupt, but I’m really worried about Deputy Ning.” He sounded aggrieved. “I was immature before, and we had some misunderstandings. But he ignored his high-rank insect poison flare-up to save my life, I—”
“High-rank insect poison?”
Yin Beichen’s breath caught, and his face instantly turned pale. “You mean, Ning Feng was infected with… high-rank insect poison?”
Qiao Xi was stunned, not understanding what he meant, but could only nod.
“Yes, yes.”
Yin Beichen stood frozen for a moment before speaking in a low, strained voice. “How do you know?”
“I accidentally saw Professor Qu’s tablet. There was a blood component report for Deputy Ning. And before…” As if recalling something, his eyes went vacant, and he clutched his chest tightly. “Before, I smelled a very distinctive odor on Deputy Ning. It’s a scent that only appears after a high-rank insect poison flare-up—”
“Where’s the report?”
“Huh?”
“I said, where’s the report!”
His hand was grabbed tightly, and Yin Beichen’s expression looked as if he wanted to devour someone.
“It’s, it’s… I’ll send it to you now.”
His arm ached so badly it felt like it would break, but Qiao Xi didn’t dare struggle. He only felt that the handsome man before him was as terrifying as a demon. Trembling, he sent the document. Before the notification sound even finished, Yin Beichen had already opened it, lowering his eyes to scrutinize it carefully.
The data was dense, filled with highly specialized biological terms, obscure to ordinary people. But at the very bottom, the test result—[Insect Poison Rank: 14+]—Yin Beichen could certainly understand.
A fifteenth-rank insect queen. Overlord.
Overlord?
Suddenly, Yin Beichen recalled that brutal battle—
The rapidly swelling flesh of the Overlord, the dazzling pale flames, the earth-shaking explosion, the stinking meat stuck all over the bridge… and Ning Feng, covered in blood, collapsed on him.
He remembered very clearly that Ning Feng had been severely injured that time. He lay in the medical pod for several months before he could get up. The medical officer said the injuries might leave aftereffects, but after a few months, Ning Feng was standing in front of him again, grinning cheekily.
At first, he had worried about Ning Feng’s health. But after observing for a while and finding nothing unusual, he gradually forgot about it.
Could the insect poison on Ning Feng be from the Overlord?
Then, when he had the flare-up before…
Half-leaning on the desk, Yin Beichen’s knuckles turned white from the strain, his breathing becoming more rapid.
“长官?” Qiao Xi asked timidly.
Yin Beichen still didn’t move. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and his voice came out dry and hoarse.
“Mm, I understand.” He slowly straightened up, as if exerting great self-control. After a long pause, he continued, “It’s late. Go back and rest. We’ll talk about the rest later.”
“But I—”
“I said go back.”
Yin Beichen’s gaze was like a blade. Qiao Xi shuddered all over, bit his lower lip, saluted, and left the room. He stood outside the door for a moment, all traces of timidity and sorrow fading away, leaving only a deep look of doubt.
“He didn’t know?” Qiao Xi gnawed at his fingernails, his brows tightly knit. “Is he really missing?”
**
The room was once again left with only Yin Beichen alone.
He stared at the star map, suddenly feeling a chill.
It was the Overlord?
Then Ning Feng had already… had the flare-up over ten days ago?
After the ejection ended, the cockpit disintegrated.
If, when the cockpit entered high orbit, he had immediately dispatched personnel to rendezvous instead of letting it drift into space, the cockpit wouldn’t have been missing until now, and Ning Feng’s situation wouldn’t have been delayed for so many days. Later, when he returned to base, he was busy with military affairs and didn’t pay attention to the situation of the flying craft until several days later.
But Ning Feng lost contact. What happened inside the cockpit, no one knew.
What happened inside the cockpit…
Right, the camera.
His fingers touched his optical brain, trembling slightly. Yin Beichen pulled up the video he had downloaded from the database earlier and, without hesitation, dragged it to the time he had parted ways with Ning Feng.
The video was long—several hours.
Yin Beichen didn’t fast-forward. He just sat still in the command chair, watching quietly.
He saw Ning Feng frantically pacing in his seat when he couldn’t contact the main ship; saw Ning Feng suppressing grief and anger as he personally killed two comrades; saw Ning Feng quickly rescue Qu Jingshan, who he had never gotten along with, and then cheerfully tease him; saw Ning Feng stepping over corpses to sneak into the insect nest.
At this point, Ning Feng looked a bit tired, but there was no major abnormality.
It probably wasn’t the insect poison flare-up.
Probably not…
Just as Yin Beichen was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly heard the communication signal.
Yin Beichen remembered that this was a call he had made.
What had they talked about then?
It had only been a few days—how could he not remember?
Then, Yin Beichen was shocked to see a trace of blue blood at the corner of Ning Feng’s mouth. But the man acted as if nothing was wrong, calmly wiping it away with his hand, continuing to speak in a steady tone. Although his expression showed extreme restraint, his voice was relaxed and carefree, without even a catch in his breath.
No, actually, there was a catch.
If one listened carefully, they could still hear the disordered breathing, the sound of swallowing blood, and the gunshots that he had dismissed as the air purifier breaking down…
But at the time, he hadn’t noticed. Not a single sound.
Why?
His organs felt twisted into a knot. Yin Beichen stared intently at the screen. In the video, Ning Feng silently and slowly wiped the bloodstains off the console, smearing them onto himself, and then asked with a grin.
【Little Chenchen, if I save this guy, will you fall in love with me?】
Yin Beichen was stunned for a moment. How had he answered then?
He thought he had said—
【After you’re dead.】
Yes, that was right. That was his answer.
But that was because Ning Feng was joking, playing around!
He always did this—whenever it came to serious matters, he never acted properly. They were on a mission, inside the nest of a lord. With the situation so urgent, he should have reported immediately. How could he waste time with nonsense?
That’s why he had thought, why he had thought…
Yin Beichen’s face was deathly pale as he watched helplessly as Ning Feng revealed a faint, bitter smile.
【It’s a deal.】
The next moment, the man rushed toward the lord without looking back, charging into the swarm.
As if going to his death.
“Ning Feng!” Yin Beichen shot to his feet, grabbing the screen. Items on the desk clattered to the floor, but he had no time to care.
He watched Ning Feng slay the lord, then jump out of the cockpit to collect samples; watched him cheekily cover Qu Jingshan, escorting the hostage out of the insect cave; watched him fire his last bullet and collapse onto the console, blood gushing endlessly.
Why was he bleeding so much?
Why was he so badly injured?
Why… didn’t he tell me?
Yin Beichen swayed, short and convulsive breaths escaping him, as if he hadn’t yet recovered from the shock.
The cockpit was flooded by the swarm, the screen went dark, and soon only the annoying alarm remained, pounding against his heart like a heavy hammer.
His handsome face was covered in blood and grime, looking indescribably fierce and tragic. But Ning Feng strained to pull up a smile—a smile full of gentle hope.
Just like every morning, when he stood at the door and said good morning to him.
【Yin Beichen, I love you.】
The faint, unclear words came from his mouth. Yin Beichen’s ears felt as if pierced by sharp needles; for a moment, he couldn’t hear anything.
Suddenly, many images flashed before his eyes.
The man casually talking about getting married, grinning and talking about going on dates, dramatically clutching his chest and making a scene about heartbreak, and arrogantly smirking as he tried to seduce him…
So, everything that man had said was true?
All of it, really?
A feeling that was both sweet and bitter surged in his heart, accompanied by a chilling coldness that spread from his heels up his spine to his scalp.
Just then, violent coughing came from the screen. After a long pause, he heard Ning Feng mumble something again, so soft it was almost inaudible.
Finally, under Yin Beichen’s deep, gloomy gaze, the man quietly closed his eyes.
His face was pale, tinged with despair. He lay there so silently, a mess, his body stained with thick, nearly blue blood… a horrifying sight.
Unable to tear his gaze away from this terrifying scene, Yin Beichen stood motionless, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably. The piercing alarm repeated over and over without mercy.
【Alert! The pilot’s vital signs are fading!】
Vital signs fading…
Ning Feng was dead?
That always carefree Ning Feng—dead?
With a deafening roar, Yin Beichen’s chest felt as if it had been brutally struck. Pain like a knife cut through his entire body, radiating to his fingertips. As if finally coming to his senses, he staggered backward several steps, slamming hard into the glass, barely steadying himself.
“Ning Feng…”
How could Ning Feng possibly be dead?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible!
Murmuring softly, as if trying to confirm something, Yin Beichen’s trembling fingers dialed that all-too-familiar number again.
【Hello~ This is your Ning Feng. Leave a message after the beep.】
“Answer the phone, Ning Feng!” He clenched his teeth, nearly crushing the optical brain in his hand.
【Oh dear, I know you’re in a hurry, but hold your horses. When I get back, I’ll reply with the sexiest, most magnetic voice~ Bye~】
Yin Beichen quickly hung up and redialed immediately.
But no matter how many times he tried, the same teasing message played, like a series of careless taunts.
Why won’t anyone answer?
Why is it still the voicemail?
Why?
A huge wave crashed violently in his chest. Despair coiled around him like a venomous snake, nearly suffocating him.
The red light on the screen flickered continuously, reflecting off his pale face. Yin Beichen’s hand dropped helplessly. He stood blankly, staring at his toes, the air in his lungs seemingly sucked dry. He couldn’t even feel his heartbeat.
Time passed slowly, as if an entire star year had gone by, until the cockpit on the screen blazed with light, and the entire seat glowed with a fluorescent blue.
【Initiating consciousness stream transfer procedure.】
【Extracting consciousness stream brainwaves.】
…Consciousness stream?
The familiar words finally drew Yin Beichen’s full attention.
He stirred slightly, slowly raising his eyes to watch the sleeping man’s body glow with streaming data. The more he looked, the wider his blue eyes became, until he held his breath.
Finally, the streams formed data chains, all transmitted into a small square box behind the seat.
“Memory stream chip?”
Yin Beichen stared blankly for a while, then suddenly grabbed the screen with both hands. His wrists trembled uncontrollably, veins faintly visible.
He naturally recognized this chip too. His heart pounded wildly, like a desperate traveler who had vaguely glimpsed an oasis ahead. After a surge of hopeful ecstasy came deep suspicion from his rational mind.
As far as he knew, current combat mechs were not equipped with such advanced devices. Why would Ning Feng’s cockpit have this chip installed?
Suddenly, a sneering face flashed through his mind.
Qu Yan. It had to be Qu Yan.
Throughout the entire base, Qu Yan was indeed capable of developing an alternative to this chip. And given his relationship with Ning Feng, he would certainly do everything possible to let Ning Feng survive.
Yin Beichen clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. But he felt no pain, and soon he relaxed again.
Ning Feng wasn’t dead. He was still alive. Still alive.
Alive was good. As long as he was alive…
Now the most important thing was to find the cockpit, find the chip, find Ning Feng’s… body.
Yin Beichen let out a stiff breath.
He immediately contacted the commander in charge of the search, telling him to expand the search range and dispatch more personnel.
With the chip, even if he only had a body part, even just an arm, he could apply for limb cultivation to restore Ning Feng’s complete body. Then he could transfer his memories into the new body, and then they could, they could…
They could what?
Suddenly, a tremor surged in his heart.
Yin Beichen was stunned for a moment. He touched his chest but quickly ignored that strange feeling.
His gaze fixed on the sleeping man on the screen. In his eyes, originally devoid of emotion, flickered an unidentifiable light, but it eventually settled back into calmness.
He reached out, touching the screen, gently tracing the hard lines of the face.
Suddenly, Yin Beichen remembered that Ning Feng had seemed to say something at the end, but his voice was too soft to make out.
What was the last thing Ning Feng said?
He dragged the progress bar back and forth, listening several times, but still couldn’t hear clearly. Then Yin Beichen noticed that the cockpit’s squad voice channel was open. That meant Qu Jingshan should know.
He looked down at the time. It was a bit late, but there was a medical team on duty at the infirmary. He would just ask a question and leave, no need to disturb the patient’s rest.
Yin Beichen didn’t know why he was so fixated on that one sentence, but he instinctively felt it must be something very important.
A sentence Ning Feng said to him—something very important.
Thinking this, pain and sweetness welled up in Yin Beichen’s heart. He swayed unsteadily as he stood up and strode briskly toward the infirmary.