Old Jiang was restless when suddenly, steady footsteps came from behind.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
This sound was all too familiar; without even looking back, Old Jiang knew it was the Captain and said, "Captain, the situation is quite urgent. Old Chen and that kid, they might—"
might really die.
He couldn’t bear to voice the latter part.
On the monitoring screen, the Mecha maintaining high speed gradually began to slow down, while the speed of the Viper Worm quietly increased. Old Jiang, anxious, stood up and said, "Captain, please approve my support mission!"
Baby face remained silent, his eyes calmly fixed on the monitor.
After Old Jiang spoke, a sense of powerlessness overcame him; he somewhat despairingly sat back down, lifted his hand to rub his brow, then straightened himself up again, saying, "I was being overly emotional."
Baby face said indifferently, "Don’t let it happen again."
Old Jiang: "Yes!"
Those sitting here must maintain absolute calm to ensure the accurate and timely relay of information.
Old Jiang recognized his mistake and regained his composure, then immediately told Old Chen, "Old Chen, the spiritual fluctuations of the Viper Worm have reappeared at the northwest, 35 degrees angle. The distance to you is only..."
"The spiritual fluctuations have disappeared again."
"Be careful."
After relaying the message, Old Jiang straightened his back, operated two monitoring devices, and continued scanning various directions like northwest and southwest.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
Old Jiang frowned.
The next second—
The mouthparts of the Viper Worm suddenly flashed into view, precisely at the rear flank of Old Chen’s Mecha—
Old Jiang clenched his fist!
Baby face’s frown was almost imperceptible.
Old Jiang steadied his nerves and asked, "Captain, is a rescue needed?"
Baby face shook his head: "No need."
Old Jiang: "..."
Logically, Old Jiang supported the Captain’s decision, but emotionally, he was still greatly disappointed. Putting himself in the Captain’s shoes, he would make the same choice. In war, on the battlefield, decisions must prioritize the bigger picture, as individual efforts cannot change the overall situation, but decisions based on personal emotions can impact the entire battle.
Therefore—
Old Chen had fought for over two hundred years and couldn’t become a decision-maker.
He himself had fought for decades and couldn’t become a decision-maker either.
Because they weren’t calm enough, always making decisions based on personal emotions, they couldn’t bear the burden of being decision-makers.
Old Jiang slightly closed his eyes...
The next second.
Old Jiang heard a clear voice near his ear: "How is the situation in the southeast?"
It was the Captain speaking.
An old soldier, with a hint of excitement in his tone, said, "The invading Star Beasts are about to be completely annihilated."
Baby face, upon hearing this, said, "Inform them, once the task is completed, head to the southwest for support."
Old soldier: "Yes."
Baby face then asked, "The nine students, when can they enter the Space Station?"
Old soldier replied, "They have successfully returned and are now at the Dock."
Hearing this, baby face’s stiff lips curved slightly upward, saying, "Later, arrange for a medical assistant to conduct physical checks on these students." Led by Shen Changqing, grandson of General Shen Chi, and Chu Jiaojiao, niece of Admiral Chu Ba, these students performed exceptionally well, full of vitality and passion yet calm and composed. Truly a delightful group with boundless potential.
Old soldier: "Yes."
Baby face, with a steady tone and orderly manner, issued a dozen more commands continuously and then suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Notify Captain Han Zheng, as soon as he returns to the Space Station, to immediately take over my position."
Old Jiang and all the old soldiers in the monitoring room were shaken simultaneously, and Old Jiang couldn’t help but ask, "Captain, where are you going?"
After issuing all commands, baby face’s eyes still fixed on the screen, but one hand had already taken off the monitoring helmet and placed it on the desk beside him. Following that, he took a set of protective clothing out of the Space Button. A pair of slender, lean hands began to meticulously put on the protective suit.
Finally, as the last step, he fastened the disciplinary button. Baby face’s tall frame, as sturdy as pine or cypress, stood tall and straight...
Upon hearing his subordinate’s question, baby face said in an even tone, "I’m going to support Old Chen."
Old Jiang: "..."
Other veterans: "..."
The room fell into silence.
A moment later, Old Jiang said, "Captain, I think this is inappropriate."
Another vet also said, "Captain, please reconsider."
Everyone else nervously looked at baby face. Hearing their words, his facial expression remained unaltered, and his tone showed no fluctuations. He did not respond to his comrades’ comments, merely instructing lightly, "Open the emergency passage now, I will depart within one minute."
Everyone: "..."
This was—
No turning back.
Old Jiang and the others didn’t speak further. The Captain was currently the only one capable of facing a level eight Viper Worm. If he did not take action, both Old Chen and the first-year rookie would undoubtedly face death.
The emergency passageway, which doesn’t go through the Dock, allows direct access in and out of the Space Station. It’s usually sealed, only opened during sudden, urgent situations. Being the temporary person in charge of the station, baby face had the authority to demand its opening. Consequently, the warrior responsible for controlling the Eagle Space Station’s emergency access promptly opened it.
Afterward,
Baby face stepped up into the Mecha.
Next,
Whoosh—
The Mecha launched.
As Old Jiang and others silently watched, the Mecha swiftly shot into space.
On the other side,
As Old Chen and Ji You were being chased by the Viper Worm and frantically fleeing, their spiritual and Physical Strength rapidly depleted, causing their speeds to slow down. Just as the Viper Worm’s long appendage was about to reach them, Ji You, suppressing the tingling sensation on his scalp, asked, "Senior, your Physical Strength isn’t holding up, huh? You’re tired after running just this bit?"
Struggling to maintain the Mecha’s high-speed run, Old Chen immediately retorted, "I’m hundreds of years old, what’s wrong with not being able to run?"
Ji You: "..."
Ji You said, "You can’t run, and you still have excuses?"
Old Chen said, "I’m old, of course, I have my reasons."
Ji You: "..."
This senior, he’s really shameless.
Is this just thick-skinned?
Generally, veterans around two hundred eighty years old would typically carry an aura of respectability, right?
Seeing Ji You’s expression, Old Chen, with a twisted mouth, cursed, "If you can, then you do it, here, take the cockpit!"
Ji You screamed, "Stop yelling, hurry up and run, here it comes again!"
Old Chen’s expression tightened, and he went full throttle.
Whoosh—
The Mecha leaped forward again, and the Viper Worm’s appendage struck empty.
"Squeee!!!"
Through the monitor, seeing the irritated and trembling state of the worm behind them, Ji You, patting his chest hard, said, "Senior, look, is that worm cursing us?"
Old Chen stroked his chin, murmured, and said, "I reckon, it has cursed our ancestors back to eighteen generations."
Ji You asked, "Shall we curse back?"
Old Chen: "..."
What is this kid thinking? Sometimes spouting words that leave one speechless, Old Chen, with a headache, said, "Rabbit whelp, talk sense. Show some consideration for an old man of a few hundred years."
Ji You laughed heartily and said, "Senior, if we can’t kill it, but instead get killed by it, thinking about it after dying, I would feel pretty stifled. So, I thought, even if we can’t kill it, we should at least curse it back to feel better, right?"
Old Chen: "..."
Old Chen said resignedly, "Alright, when you’re dead, you won’t feel stifled anymore. Just run, run, run!"
Just then, the Viper Worm that had been thrown off, suddenly reappeared and lept—