Chapter 96: Pretending to be in a relationship. :【Oh wait, do you have a wife?】

"Alright then, let's talk."

You Long pulled out a chair and sat down, cutting himself a piece of tender meat: "Why did you come to save me? Don't tell me it's out of camaraderie; my wanted poster should have already reached the interstellar wanderers."

Lin Nan: "What do you want to hear? Do you want to hear how love-struck I am and how I can't forget my ex?"

You Long stared at her epaulets and drawled, "How could Colonel Lin be love-struck? She's so rational that people call her cold-blooded."

Lin Nan nodded: "Yes, you know best how to break my heart."

Both remained silent until the Starship's voice rang out: "Colonel Lin, the Federal military wishes to speak with you."

Lin Nan cut her steak: "Here you go."

A virtual screen was projected onto the end of the table. Lin Nan glanced at it and thought, "It's quite lively. Senior Colonel, Major General, Lieutenant General, General, Commander A, and this guy who just walked in is... the Speaker?"

Lin Nan put down her knife and fork, stood up, and gave a military salute. Then, without anyone responding, she sat down again and began to eat and drink as usual.

The man opposite her didn't even glance at her; he sat slouching, and the way he ate his lamb leg made him look like a thug.

Commander A's expression turned serious: "Colonel Lin, after repeated comparisons, we have confirmed that the prison breaker in the surveillance images provided by the Light Wheel Alliance is indeed Colonel Lin Nan, who sacrificed his life three years ago. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Lin Nan shook his head: "No, Marshal, what you heard and saw is the truth."

Although the senior colonel was her direct superior, he was the lowest-ranking officer among everyone in the room and didn't dare to speak. So the lieutenant general reprimanded her: "Nonsense! I order you to stand up and answer your superior's questions!"

Lin Nan shook his head again, his face showing a somewhat insincere apology and sincerity: "I'm sorry, sir, but I am still listed as a fallen soldier in the federal records. I think dead people don't have to follow military regulations."

You Long rarely saw her with such a vivid expression, and he stared at her with a smile that was so novel that it made the blood pressure of all the officers present soar.

The Speaker spoke, her voice initially gentle, but quickly becoming stern: "Putting Colonel Lin's unauthorized actions aside for now, I, as the Speaker of the Federal Council, order you to detain the wanted criminal beside you until our warships arrive to take him in. Every surviving Federal citizen has this obligation!"

Lin Nan stared into You Long's eyes, and her heart trembled.

You Long couldn't help but feel fear about the upcoming verdict. She knew very well what kind of person Lin Nan was. In her mind, procedural justice far outweighed personal justice, and rules and regulations far outweighed personal feelings. She guessed that Lin Nan would say in the next second, "Emotionally, I believe you are innocent, but a soldier's duty is to obey orders. I am now transferring you to a military court."

Lin Nan smiled gently in her imagination, but when she turned her face away, her expression was as cold as ice: "I'm afraid I can't comply."

Commander A couldn't help but rebuke her: "Colonel Lin, I hope you can put aside your personal feelings and consider the interests of the Federation. Sitting in front of you is a Federation S-class wanted criminal. Her betrayal has caused us enormous losses..."

Lin Nan repeated, "I'm sorry, I can't comply."

The Speaker sneered: "Then we will have no choice but to announce to the public your actions, including but not limited to concealing the situation, acting without authorization, disobeying military orders, helping an S-class wanted criminal escape from prison, and seriously damaging the friendly relations between the Federation and the Light Wheel..."

"Hey, hey, hey, just say polite things to the common people. Who here doesn't know the relationship between the Federation and the Light Wheel?" Yu Long raised his hand and said, "Whether Colonel Lin breaks out of prison or not, I will still break out. It's not good to accuse Shi Peng in front of the main person, don't you think, Speaker?"

The speaker said sternly, "You have no right to speak to me."

Commander A tried to persuade her, "Colonel Lin, as your mother's longtime comrade-in-arms, I need to remind you..."

Lin Nan interrupted her: "Everyone, I still need to eat. If there's nothing else, let's call it a day. If we're going to continue this topic, then I only have one thing to say: I will not hand her over, even if it means turning against each other."

The lieutenant general angrily retorted, "Do you really think the two of you can take on the Federation and the Light Wheel? We—"

Lin Nan: "Star River, end communication."

The virtual screen flashed and disappeared, and the surroundings returned to calm, with only Lin Nan's face showing as he intently chewed on the lamb chops.

Yu Long couldn't help but say, "Why don't you go see how to cure being love-struck? You're not really going to break with the Federation because of me, are you? That would land you on the wanted list."

Lin Nan glanced at her: "Aren't you a wanted criminal too? I didn't see you being that scared. You were pretty arrogant in Light Wheel when your case was first exposed."

The federal military conference room was deathly silent.

After a few minutes, the speaker finally spoke, his tone somewhat somber, but he was asking Commander A: "Why did Lin Nan want to break into the prison? What do you mean by 'personal reasons'?"

Everyone else turned to look at her. The Speaker had summoned them immediately after learning of Colonel Lin's betrayal and initiated communications with the Star River. Those present were all high-ranking officials; no one would pay attention to a mere colonel. But A and Colonel Lin were old friends, and A would certainly be interested in her old friend's son.

Commander A calmly said, "When Lin Nan was still in military school, he was in the same class as You Long, and the two dated for a while. Colonel Lin has been single for many years, which is very likely because he still has feelings for You Long."

The speaker frowned: "Just because of this? The so-called power of love?"

Commander A: "Perhaps she just doesn't want to believe that Yu Long is a traitor. They've known each other for about a year, and she might think she knows Yu Long very well."

The speaker looked at her: "So, in your opinion, what should we do now?"

Commander A said confidently, "They only have two people and one warship. Sending a regiment of our troops will be enough to annihilate them."

At this moment, the colonel interjected, "I have a suggestion. Why don't we have the legion to which Lin Nan used to belong arrest him? That would be a good way to set a good example for them."

Commander A frowned, looking at him disapprovingly: "Isn't this approach a bit extreme...?"

The colonel was eager to prove his innocence, because Lin Nan was his direct subordinate: "Please rest assured, Marshal, all officers in the Alpha Star System will be at the forefront, with a clear stance, and will never show favoritism to traitors!"

Before Commander A could speak, the Speaker stood up and said, "It's settled then. That's all for today. A will be fully responsible for matters concerning the capture of the wanted criminal. Meeting adjourned."

＊

The Starship remained quiet for a while.

Yu Long suddenly said, "You don't need to do this."

Lin Nan looked up: "You have a problem with that?"

Yu Long frowned: "My idea hasn't changed over time."

Lin Nan's heart suddenly clenched, revealing an old wound.

You Long's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing her hopes. Her expression didn't change at all, but she became dejected: "Okay."

You Long was stunned for a moment, feeling inexplicably like she was committing a crime. After a pause, she continued, "I can cooperate with you in a play, sell you some important information about the light wheel... then find out you're lying to me, so I fight you, you get injured, I steal the flying vehicle and escape, that way you won't be considered a traitor."

The colonel flatly refused: "You don't need to persuade me; this is my own choice."

Before You Long could say anything more, Lin Nan had already turned his ring and brought up a virtual screen: "Now let's exchange some information. Three years ago, I received news that you were imprisoned in Nth Cell..."

Yu Long immediately said, "Looks like you're not so love-struck after all, you actually waited three years to come and save me..."

Lin Nan: "Then we were ambushed by mercenaries and jumped to the vicinity of the black hole."

Yu Long shut his mouth.

Lin Nan briefly recounted what happened next and concluded: "There is a mole in the Federation. This person holds a high position and is able to bribe mercenaries to try to kill me."

Yu Long asked seriously, "Why were you the one ambushed? Do you have any guesses?"

Lin Nan slowly shook his head: "I have some guesses, probably related to my mother. Guardian No. 1 is an artificial intelligence hidden in the Star River, and this warship actually has a light speed engine... Forced warp weapons have been deployed to the battlefield, but I still haven't heard of any force developing a light speed engine."

She gazed at Yu Long: "I don't know what information you can share and what information you can't share in your plan. You can selectively share information. Even after so many years, I haven't changed, and I believe you haven't either. Even if we're no longer lovers, we're still comrades-in-arms."

You Long stared at her for a moment, then recited the motto from his military academy days: "To live and die together?"

The colonel solemnly replied, "We'll share weal and woe."

“Alright, then I’ll share my intelligence.” Yu Long recalled for a moment: “You just said there was a mole, so we can rule out Defense Minister A now. Actually, I think we can rule out the president too; he’s practically a mascot.”

"And what about the other ministers, and the speaker?" Lin Nan pondered for a moment: "Has the Marshal hinted at any of her suspects to you?"

You Long smiled and said, "I'm a spy, so the less I know, the better."

She thought of those brainwashing training sessions, and her voice faltered for a moment: "Anyway, the Marshal sent me to infiltrate the Light Wheel on a secret mission. My objective is related to a new technology that the Light Wheel is researching..."

She paused only briefly before Lin Nan continued, "Those strange people we encountered in the woods?"

"Ah, yes, yes, the commander is as wise and capable as ever." You Long was being sarcastic for some reason: "The Light Wheel is researching a consciousness technology. Their initial idea was to create a batch of 'zombie soldiers' through consciousness stripping. However, as the experiments progressed, the Light Wheel hawks' appetite grew, and they even secretly developed more advanced technology behind the backs of the doves. They hope to control people's minds without operating on their brains, that is, to control them silently. Once applied, not only will high-ranking government officials become servants of personal will, but even the lower classes will not be spared."

Lin Nan felt a chill run down her spine: "Has the second control method been developed yet?"

“I didn’t have it before I was exposed.” You Long shrugged. “It should still be in the experimental stage. You can tell by looking at the doves’ reaction. Right now, the doves can still speak freely and have a good mass base.”

"Didn't they use consciousness technology on you?"

Yu Long began to feel awkward: "Ah... well... actually, not really... I did use it a little, but our marshal had anticipated this, and I've received special training..."

Lin Nan's voice tightened: "What special training?"

"......"

"So those sudden, crazy behaviors of yours weren't due to a nervous injury, but rather brainwashing training, right?"

Yu Long: "......"

Her eyes darted around: "Basic etiquette for a spy..."

Lin Nan took a deep breath and turned her back to him: "Don't talk to me yet."

Yu Long: "Huh???"

The colonel's back heaved slightly. This startled You Long. She thought, "Could he be crying? No way, no way! We've been dating for a whole year, and I've only seen her cry once, when we broke up. Could it be that he's upset about me now...?"

She waited awkwardly for a while before carefully placing her hand on her shoulder.

"This is a form of protection for me. They want the information in my head, so they don't dare to actually turn me into a zombie. They only used some potent hallucinogens... If it weren't for the special training, I probably would have spilled all the secrets of our relationship during the interrogation."

Lin Nan shrugged and coldly shook off her hand: "Don't touch me."

Yu Long froze for a moment, then burst into tears: "I'm innocent, sir! I'm completely innocent..."

Oh my god, she wanted to shout a slogan! "Yes sir!" She suddenly stood at attention and saluted uncontrollably.

"..."

Yu Long really didn't want to stay here any longer. What kind of person was he to keep embarrassing himself in front of his ex?

"Let's get back to business."

Lin Nan turned around, her expression seemingly normal: "Has the Marshal given you any new tasks?"

"Strike at the heart of the matter, Colonel Lin." You Long sighed inwardly at this familiar style, and said solemnly, "The Marshal wants me to continue my undercover work and keep an eye on the latest developments in consciousness technology."

“But you’ve been exposed, wasting three years in prison,” Lin Nan said expressionlessly. “You’re unaware of how far the latest consciousness technology has progressed.”

Yu Long gave an awkward laugh: "It was an accident... an accident. But I can still do what I can, we still have this..."

She proudly pulled out her head and showed it off to Lin Nan like a treasure: "Give me a workbench, I want to dissect it. I've always heard how amazing this consciousness technology is, and I've finally got a specimen to study..."

Lin Nan didn't ask her what she could do after figuring it out; she just pointed to the lab and said, "Ask Starship if you can't find the equipment."

Yu Long made a victory sign, picked up the bag, and walked away.

“We should also mislead the mole from time to time,” Lin Nan said at breakfast the next day, “so that it doesn’t think we’re doing something big behind the scenes.”

Yu Long: "...Actually, neither of us fugitives has any ability to do anything big."

Lin Nan: "Based on your intelligence, there is a new explanation for the mole's motive for wanting to eliminate me. Since the Marshal has already begun to make arrangements, the mole may think that the Marshal will use me. My mother left me the Star River, which has advanced technology, and the mole may be wary of this."

“That makes sense.” You Long nodded. “Misleading people is easy too. We can just pretend we’re dating.”

The colonel silently repeated the word "pretend" twice: "It's suspicious that it's acting."

"Just do it the same way as before. No need to be deliberately high-profile. We'll try to fool them as much as we can." You Long was quite sensible: "Anyway, we're very experienced in this kind of thing."

The colonel paused for a moment, then said, "Alright."

You Long acted swiftly and efficiently, responding to each negative comment one by one—Colonel Lin was on the Federation's wanted list, and the entire intergalactic news was reporting on it. The media quickly dug up their old stories, and the public condemned them, demanding they be blacklisted and get out of there as soon as possible.

Yu Long, using his main account, jumped around in the comments section: 【It's already locked, received blessings】

Thank you for your attention, I'm very happy.

So what? My wife loves me, that's enough.

Do you have a wife who would stand against the whole world for you? Oh wait, do you even have a wife?

[Stop your nonsense, you bunch of widowed kings. Even in two hundred years, you won't be as famous as me.]

What? Your reputation is ruined? I don't care, I only care about my wife.

She ignored comments attacking their character and reputation, focusing her replies solely on matters related to their love.

Lin Nan suddenly tapped her on the back of the head: "Ms. You, you can't be any more childish."

"Commander Lin, you can't be any more bored." You Long subconsciously reached up to touch the back of his head: "What was that tapping my head?"

"Milk tea." Lin Nan casually put down a thermos: "Today is a traditional festival, and we should drink the first cup of milk tea of ​​autumn."

Yu Long grinned and picked up the cup to sniff it.

"Commander Lin, we're pretending to be in love, but the enemy can't see what you're doing right now."

"I want to do it, is that not allowed?"

You Long was speechless. She finally had to face the fact that she couldn't care less about what Lin Nan thought after all these years since their breakup, but now she needed Lin Nan to provide her with a place to stay, and Lin Nan also needed her technical support. The two of them had to be tied together because of the mission, and Lin Nan was likely to get more and more involved.

She sighed, without drinking, and said, "Have you ever thought about why we broke up?"

"some."

Lin Nan lowered her eyelashes: "Because we have fundamentally different ways of looking at problems, most of our arguments are caused by this difference. I can't stand your laxity, adventurousness, and strong individualism, and you can't stand my adherence to rules, collectivism, and procedural justice."

“You’re right, but not entirely right. Two people with completely different values ​​can stay together for a while, as long as one of them loves enough and is willing to be tolerant and patient. But this isn’t a long-term solution; it will be very painful if you endure it for too long,” You Long said. “I used to be the one making concessions, and I was happy to do it then, but it’s different now.”

Lin Nan pursed her lips: "I can also back down. I'm willing now."

You Long shook his head: "I'm sorry... your concession came too late. I saw the change in you, you came to break into the prison, and you went against most of the interstellar space... but this time it was my fault. I haven't told you something yet, because of the intense brain stimulation, I lost the ability to feel emotions. When I see you, I sweat, my heart races and my hands tremble, but my emotions are cold. I'm only shocked, shocked that you're next to the trash can. In other words, I can't respond to you."

She grew increasingly silent, but finally finished speaking in a flat voice, because Lin Nan seemed about to explode. She stared at her incredulously and asked, "What did you say?"

“It’s post-traumatic emotional dissociation syndrome…” You Long glanced at her: “Do you understand? My memories tell me I should continue to love you, but I can’t feel what love is anymore.”

Lin Nan grabbed her collar: "Because of brainwashing training?"

“I managed to get through that,” You Long said. “It happened after we were exposed. They used hallucinogens for a long time, probably about half a month. I was afraid to sleep, afraid that I would reveal secrets in my dreams. Later, I couldn’t take it anymore and lost my memory for a while. When I woke up again, I felt that the world was very cold and there was an empty space in my heart.”

Lin Nan fell silent, his hand sliding limply down her body.

“You just said you know you should continue to love me. So you still loved me before the PTSD developed, right?”

“Yes.” You Long answered crisply: “My memories were fragmented, but then they gradually came back, and I knew I should love you. I still remember everything, but I have lost the emotional experiences within those memories.”

Can it be cured?

Yu Long shook his head gently but coldly.

“Guanglun scanned me with the most advanced brain equipment. Some neural pathways in my brain were burned out, and this damage is irreversible. Moreover, I don’t really want to get those things back.”

Lin Nan, somewhat losing his composure, shouted, "Why?!"

“Look at you, so emotional right now.” You Long smiled. “What’s wrong with not having emotions? I don’t think I’ve lost anything very precious.”

When she first woke up in the hospital, she didn't feel much different because she had forgotten the experiences of laughing and crying. She was as calm as a machine, steady to the point of being serene. But as two weeks passed, she gradually began to feel panicked. The doctor's questions and examination made her realize that what she had lost was probably something very important, and she gradually pieced together the blank spaces in her memory.

She remembered that she loved someone very much, but she couldn't recall why she loved her, or what it felt like when she loved her. She stood in the long river of memories, looking at her once happy face, but she didn't know what that feeling was like.

She was trapped in a kind of existential fear and loneliness because she no longer had rich emotions to experience. She was deathly calm, eerily calm, yet she suffered from increasingly frequent headaches and insomnia, memory flashbacks, and repeated near-death experiences. Guanglun had to get her into psychotherapy. Through training, she gradually calmed down and, under the guidance of a psychologist, built a new cognitive system: "You don't need to panic about what you've lost. Humans don't survive on emotions. You are now more rational and stronger."

She had already accepted the new ideas in the despair of being on the verge of death, but Lin Nan clearly could not accept them. She was almost shaking her shoulders, her eyes filled with fear and sorrow.

"No, why don't you want to rekindle your feelings? You can still make a fuss, laugh, and even swear now—"

"I was faking it."

You Long was unusually gentle and calm as she looked at Lin Nan, making the latter feel a sense of sympathy and compassion spreading between them: "I just don't want others to think I'm a freak."

"Then why didn't you just keep pretending? Why confess now?!"

Yu Long tilted his head and stared at her, a feeling that sent chills down the colonel's spine: "Because I've realized that if I don't tell you soon, you're going to fall in love with me."