Chapter 60

Inside the control room, the air seemed frozen. Qu Beichen's face, with its false smile, was particularly glaring on the main screen.

"Weizhen, long time no see." Qu Beichen's voice was filled with the joy of a winner. "It seems that you have finally found your 'home'. Do you like this reunion gift I prepared for you and Xinglan?"

Miao Weizhen's aura instantly plummeted to freezing point, his dark eyes swirling with soul-freezing murderous intent. He didn't look at the screen, his gaze fixed on Xinglan's peaceful yet hollow face in the life support pod, his knuckles crackling with the strain.

Luo Yan raised his gun immediately and locked onto the control console with his mechanical prosthetic eye, trying to cut off communications or initiate self-destruction, but the system permissions were firmly locked.

"Where is the 'core' of Xinglan's consciousness?" Miao Weizhen's voice was hoarse, as if squeezed out from the depths of his throat, and every word was wrapped in ice.

Qu Beichen chuckled as if he had heard something amusing. "Don't worry, Weizhen. The 'Core' is safe, deep within this space station. However, it's not only the carrier of Xinglan's consciousness, but also the remote trigger for the station's self-destruct sequence and... the three Reaper-class warships outside."

He leisurely adjusted his tie and continued, "Now, I give you two choices. First, try to seize the 'core'. Then the space station will explode immediately, and the warships outside will tear you and your 'Undercurrent' into pieces, and Xinglan's consciousness will be annihilated. Second—"

He paused, his smile deepening with a hint of cruel amusement. "Take Xinglan's body and your men, leave the station, and surrender unconditionally. I will mercifully reunite you siblings—in a federal prison of the highest security level. As for Xinglan's consciousness, perhaps, out of our past friendship, I will find her a suitable 'carrier'."

This was a complete conspiracy. To advance meant destruction, to retreat meant humiliating imprisonment, and Xinglan's consciousness was still controlled by the enemy.

Miao Weizhen slowly raised his head and finally cast his gaze on Qu Beichen on the screen. His eyes were terrifyingly calm, as if all emotions had been compressed into the most extreme coldness.

"Qu Beichen," he began, his voice returning to its usual calmness, yet carrying a chilling resoluteness, "You made a mistake."

"Oh?" Qu Beichen raised his eyebrows.

"You shouldn't have put the Xinglan and Luofeng Canxiang keys together."

Before he finished speaking, Miao Weizhen suddenly raised his hand and pressed a small chip emitting a faint blue light onto a hidden interface on the console - that was the portable core access unit of the "Luofeng Reverberation" system!

Inside the command center, Wen Ling received a desperate call from the Dark Current: "Your Highness! We've been locked onto by three Reaper-class ships! Violent energy fluctuations are coming from within the station! The Minister and the others..."

Wen Ling's heart almost stopped beating. The worst had happened!

"Dr. Anthony! Is the pulse generator ready?" he asked sharply.

"We are ready, Your Highness! However, the energy is extremely unstable, and the range and accuracy cannot be guaranteed!"

"No need for precision!" Wen Ling stared at the swirling area of ​​​​energy on the star map. "General Han! Have you received the weak cycle data?"

"Roger that, Your Highness!" Han Zhong's voice echoed amidst the sound of explosions. "Damn it, these Federation brats are too relentless!"

"Listen! I'm about to launch an energy pulse attack. The target isn't the fleet, but the energy structure of the vortex itself! Utilizing the weak cycle, I'll attempt to create a localized energy eruption behind the Federation fleet! This is your only chance to break through!"

Wen Ling's palms were covered in cold sweat. This was a huge gamble, a bet on Anthony's calculations being accurate, a bet on Han Zhong being able to seize the fleeting opportunity, and a bet on Miao Weizhen... being able to perform a miracle.

"Ayuan, inject the pulse generator with the maximum safe energy! Lao Chen, ensure stable energy delivery!"

"All units, prepare for impact!"

The moment the access unit of "Luofeng Resonance" was connected to the ancient system of the space station, Miao Weizhen's consciousness was forcibly extracted and thrown into a bizarre virtual space.

This was no longer the cold control room, but a chaotic place woven from countless fragments of memory: Xinglan's childhood laughter, the explosions of failed experiments, the cold faces of federal officials, and... trapped deep within the data stream, the faint, tormented core of Xinglan's consciousness.

"Brother... hurry up..." Xinglan's fragmented consciousness wailed intermittently, "It's a trap..."

"I know." Miao Weizhen's consciousness was like the sharpest blade, cutting through the chaotic data storm, accurately cutting off those defense programs that tried to erode him, and pointing directly to the "core" that was heavily blocked.

"I'm here to take you home."

Outside, the space station shook violently! The self-destruct sequence, disrupted by the "Luofeng Resonance," fell into chaos. The three Reaper-class warships, having lost some of the commands from their "core," hesitated for a moment!

Now is the time!

The driver of the "Undercurrent" seized this critical opportunity, suddenly increased the engine thrust to overload, and narrowly avoided the first wave of deadly artillery fire!

At the same time, at the Iron Throne base, Wen Ling pressed the energy pulse launch button.

A beam of light that was not dazzling but contained extremely unstable energy shot towards a specific area of ​​the Forgotten Vortex.

Seconds later, like dropping cold water into a boiling pot of oil, a violent energy explosion suddenly occurred in the airspace at the edge of the vortex, behind the federal fleet! Chaotic energy turbulence swept out like a tsunami, instantly breaking through the federal fleet's strict encirclement formation.

"Now is the time! All-out attack! Tear open their right wing!" Han Zhong seized this fleeting opportunity and led the remaining fleet, like a wounded tiger, to launch a desperate counterattack!

Inside the circular space station, Miao Weizhen's consciousness struggled forward amidst a storm of data. He was getting infinitely closer to the sealed "core," but the counterattack from the Federation system was becoming increasingly fierce. His face was as pale as paper, and blood oozed from the tip of his nose, a sign of mental overload.

Luo Yan stood by his side, firing her gun and smashing two automated defense robots that had lost control due to system overload. She looked at Miao Weizhen's pained expression, her mechanical eye flickering for a moment, and she suddenly spoke in a low but clear voice:

"Minister, if the system goes out of control, I will detonate the backup energy core and create chaos." She paused, her voice lowered by an imperceptible degree, with an almost absolute, cold loyalty. "The Iron Throne can do without Luo Yan, but it cannot do without you and Your Highness."

She aimed her gun at another crucial energy node on the control console. If Miao Weizhen failed, she would detonate it there, destroying as much of the "core" as possible, preventing the Federation from obtaining complete data, and at the same time... creating a final chance for the "Undercurrent" to evacuate.

It's a gamble, a dance on the edge of a knife, every step treading on the brink of destruction. Miao Weizhen fights for his sister's soul in the virtual world, Wen Ling fights for his slim chance of survival in the real universe, and Luo Yan is prepared to pay the ultimate price for this hope.

Luo Yan's words were like cold steel nails, hammering home the final bottom line. She offered no passionate oaths, only a remarkably calm contingency plan for sacrifice. This, in turn, was like a shot in the arm, allowing Miao Weizhen to eliminate the last vestiges of distraction as he battled the federal defense system.

His consciousness, like the most resilient bundle of nerves, forged ahead through the raging data storm, ignoring the virtual attacks that sought to confuse, paralyze, and rip his mind apart. At this moment, the core algorithm of "Luofeng Reverberations" revealed its ferocious yet efficient side—it responded with its own methods, frantically analyzing and counterattacking the station's ancient defenses.

"I found you!" Miao Weizhen's consciousness let out a silent roar, finally breaking through the last barrier and touching the "core" that was heavily encrypted and emitting faint star fluctuations!

Without time to investigate carefully, he immediately activated the highest-level forced stripping and transfer program, frantically extracting and compressing the fragments of Xinglan's consciousness, which were as fragile as a candle in the wind, and imported them into the special consciousness storage unit he carried with him.

boom--

At the moment when Xinglan's consciousness was stripped away, a dull loud noise came from deep within the space station. Without the stable anchor of the "core", the self-destruction program completely went out of control, a chain explosion began, the entire space station trembled violently, and the structure began to collapse!

"Minister! We must evacuate immediately!" Luo Yan supported Miao Weizhen, who was staggering due to the forced return of consciousness, and shouted into the communicator, "'Dark Current'! Emergency docking! Quick!"

Risking being hit by debris and energy turbulence, the "Undercurrent" forced its way close to the violently exploding space station, and the hatch successfully docked at the critical moment.

"Let's go!" Miao Weizhen endured the severe pain as if his brain was being torn apart, tightly grasped the unit that stored Xinglan's consciousness in his hand, and rushed towards the docking channel under the cover of Luo Yan and the team.

As soon as they stepped onto the Undercurrent, the docking bridge behind them was completely destroyed by a huge explosion! The space station was falling apart behind them!

"Detach at full speed! Maximum jump power!" Miao Weizhen gave the order hoarsely, leaning against the cabin wall almost exhausted. His eyes were blacking out, but his hand holding the storage unit did not loosen at all.

In the command center, Wen Ling stared at the star map, his heart almost jumping out of his chest.

"Energy eruptions disrupt the Federation's formation. General Han's fleet has successfully broken through and is retreating to our pre-set rendezvous point!"

"The Dark Current signal has reappeared! They've broken out! They're leaving the vortex area at high speed!"

"A massive explosion has been detected at the ring station!"

The news came one after another, like a roller coaster ride. When it was finally confirmed that the "Undercurrent" had successfully escaped, the entire command center erupted in cheers of survival!

Wen Ling breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize his back was drenched in cold sweat. He immediately ordered, "The support fleet will be dispatched! Medical team, get ready! Dr. Anthony, prepare the consciousness storage unit for reception and analysis!"

A few hours later, the battered "Undercurrent" and the equally severely damaged Han Zhong fleet arrived at the rendezvous point one after another, and under the escort of the receiving fleet, slowly sailed back to the "Iron Throne" base.

The moment the port gate opened, Wen Ling was the first to rush up.

The hatch of the Undercurrent opened, and Miao Weizhen appeared in the doorway. His face was as pale as paper, his steps unsteady, and his dark uniform was stained with dust and what looked like dried blood, but his back remained straight. He clutched the consciousness storage unit tightly in his hand. The moment he saw Wen Ling, his icy eyes relaxed slightly, revealing extreme fatigue and a hint of... a glimmer of calm.

Wen Ling stepped forward quickly and, in full view of everyone, supported him without hesitation, supporting his almost exhausted body.

"Did you get it?" Wen Ling's voice was very soft, with an imperceptible tremor.

"Well," Miao Weizhen placed the storage unit in his hand. It was light, yet it felt like a thousand pounds. "The rest is up to you."

After saying this, his body softened, and his consciousness finally fell into a brief darkness due to excessive consumption.

"Medical team!" Wen Ling hugged his falling body tightly and shouted sternly.

Elsewhere, General Han Zhong, aided by soldiers, disembarked from the flagship, the Indomitable. His armor was torn, his face stained with gunpowder, but his eyes remained sharp. He looked at Miao Weizhen, who was being held tightly by Wen Ling, then at the small storage unit in Wen Ling's hand. He snorted heavily, not knowing whether it was a sigh of relief or relief: "This scoundrel... finally..."

Luo Yan's "scavenger" team was the last to emerge, wounded but with a resolute gaze. Her robotic prosthetic eye scanned the harbor, confirming it was safe. She then quietly stood near Miao Weizhen, who had been taken over by the medical team, and continued her duty as a guardian.

The base welcomed the return of a hero, but at a terrible cost. Han Zhong's fleet lost over 40% of its personnel, and many familiar faces remained in that star region forever.

In the medical room, Miao Weizhen was sleeping under the influence of the drugs, his brows still furrowed. Wen Ling stood by, holding the storage unit and Dr. Anthony's preliminary analysis report.

"The damage to consciousness is extremely severe and fragmented... It will take time to repair, and... there is no guarantee how much can be recovered." Anthony's tone was regretful.

Wen Ling looked at Miao Weizhen's pale face as he slept, and gently held his slightly cold hand.

"It doesn't matter," he said softly, as if speaking to Miao Weizhen, but also to himself, "No matter how long it takes, no matter what the result is, we'll wait together."

He lowered his head and gently rested his forehead on their clasped hands.

"Welcome home."