In the cafeteria, the originally jovial atmosphere instantly stiffened upon the announcement of an emergency assembly.
He Bi’s entire face immediately turned stern; he didn’t even have time to continue mocking Ji You, quickly leaving behind just one sentence: "Stay in the space station, don’t wander around."
Having said that, He Bi swiftly headed towards the assembly point.
Ji You shouted: "Senior He Bi!"
He Bi stopped in his tracks, and finally turned back, his deep black eyes darkening further. As he opened his mouth, the corners of his lips curled up, intentionally maintaining a light tone: "What’s up? Not lending money."
Ji You: "..."
Ji You took a deep breath and cursed: "Scumbag He Bi, you owe me 5 million, remember to pay it back on time!"
He Bi: "..."
Are debts something to be blurted out casually?
He Bi cursed: "Nonsense! I’m off, I’m off."
Unable to help herself, Ji You ran forward a few steps, shouting: "Scumbag, your debt is not something you can just write off unless you come back on time!"
He Bi: "..."
He Bi cursed: "Where did this fool come from, dreaming away."
After speaking, he didn’t hesitate to step out of the cafeteria. Other warriors in the cafeteria, some having not finished their meals, hurried to the assembly point while stuffing food into their mouths.
In the blink of an eye, all the front-line warriors had left the large space of the cafeteria, leaving only Ji You, Chu Jiaojiao, Shen Changqing, Yue Qiguang... 10 people.
The food serving window in the cafeteria was filled with delicious food.
Ji You muttered: "All this food just left here uneaten..."
Yue Qiguang frowned and said: "4444, try not to eye this food for your father."
"..." Ji You glared at Yue Qiguang, "Am I that kind of person?"
Yue Qiguang thought to himself: [You usually are.]
Ji You turned to the others and said: "Everybody, help out to clear all the food and store it properly."
Yue Qiguang, hearing this, felt it was somewhat reasonable and said: "Good that you’re still a person, not scheming against the front-line warriors’ food."
Ji You snorted: "Of course I am a person, after all, not everyone can be a beast."
Yue Qiguang pursed his lips, "Dad feels you’re intentionally implying me, but dad can’t be bothered with you."
After speaking, Yue Qiguang started working.
Ji You couldn’t be bothered with Yue Qiguang either, called to the others, and together they sorted through all the remaining prepared dishes in the cafeteria. They organized them according to the type of dish and placed them into constant temperature boxes.
The remaining vegetables, fruits, meat, and other food supplies were also sorted out.
Despite the amount of work, it took less than 5 minutes to finish everything. Meanwhile, the alarm at Eagle Space Station kept blaring.
That sound—
Everyone’s hearts tightened.
Chu Jiaojiao, who grew up in the military, was very familiar with different alarm sounds. She furrowed her brows tightly and said: "This means an emergency preparation for battle. Does it imply a tight front line? Or is there an enemy attack near the space station?"
Shen Changqing kept a solemn expression and said: "Both possibilities exist, but I think it’s the front line tightening, needing more new warriors for reinforcements."
The others didn’t make a sound, but they obviously understood Shen Changqing’s meaning.
For a moment, the atmosphere was very serious.
Since the spaceship was still charging, Ji You and the others couldn’t depart to return, Ji You thought for a bit and told everyone: "It’s very busy here right now, let’s not add chaos for the warriors. Everybody, just stay calmly in the cafeteria, eat something, and wait for further instructions."
Once a war breaks out on the front lines, warriors must immediately join the battle and are almost constantly engaged in fighting, depleting their physical and spiritual power greatly. Therefore, the Alliance provides tremendous privileges for the warriors, including three full meals a day, completely free of charge.
Ji You and a bunch of noobs, hearing the alarm but unable to watch, unable to participate, and unable to run around causing trouble, felt anxious, uneasy, and full of wild thoughts. What could they do at such a time?
Nothing at all.
So, they might as well eat.
After Ji You spoke, she took the lead and piled her plate with a heap of food.
Vegetables, meat, and staple foods, her plate was filled to the brim.
Seeing this, Yue Qiyuan couldn’t help but ask, "Can you really finish all of that? With your short, stout body?"
Ji You raised her chin proudly, "Doubt my abilities?"
"..." Yue Qiyuan pursed his lips, "What’s there to be proud of being a big eater?"
Ji You chuckled, "Isn’t the ability of a big eater still an ability?"
Yue Qiyuan: "..."
That makes sense, he found himself unable to argue.
Yue Qiyuan took out a plate and began to fill it. He didn’t get greedy; he just picked the food he liked and the amount he could finish.
Everyone else silently filled their plates, and then the group returned to the table and sat down.
The sound of chopsticks, chewing, and smacking lips filled the cafeteria.
Silence.
Still silent.
Everyone quietly ate. At this moment, the alarm also stopped. But all the students knew this didn’t mean that the alert was cancelled, but rather that the warriors had gathered, assigned their duties, and were ready to set off.
Indeed—
[Beep beep beep...]
The signal to set off had sounded, and Ji You and others heard the sounds of Starships and Mechas launching.
Inside the dining hall, everyone remained silent, buried in their food.
Suddenly—
A new communication request came in. Ji You saw that it was Senior Brother Han Zheng calling.
Ji You quickly answered. "Senior Brother Han Zheng, please go ahead."
Han Zheng’s voice was exceptionally pleasant, but at the moment it sounded quite low. He said, "Ji You, there has been a sudden incident on the front lines. Currently, the Eagle Space Station is surrounded by Star Beasts. The route for your return is also within this encirclement zone. I personally advise that you and your classmates suspend all activities and delays in returning until a more opportune moment."
Eagle Space Station, at least, is a man-made fortress, temporarily safe.
But what about outside the Space Station?
The star domains outside are currently prone to clusters of Star Beasts organizing. If Ji You and the others encounter them, they could very well face annihilation.
So—
After Han Zheng finished speaking, he added, "I will likely finish this mission within 3 to 5 days. So, you all should stay a few more days at Eagle, and then you can return with me."
Ji You obviously understood Senior Brother Han Zheng’s meaning, she quickly responded, "Senior Brother Han Zheng, rest assured! We’ll stay put and definitely won’t go wandering about."
"Good," Han Zheng said. "I’ll call you later."
After that, Han Zheng immediately cut off the communication.
Ji You looked at the darkened screen, glanced at her teammates, and with a slightly helpless smile said, "Teammates, our stay has suddenly been extended."