Chapter 99 Surely it's okay to pursue someone? "Teacher Qin is one in a million."
"Ms. Lin Xing has never mentioned Ms. Bai Yinhe to me. I don't know what their relationship is like." Jiang Yan recited her lines and gestured with her chin towards Qin Lan.
Is your relationship with your mother so distant?
Qin Lan casually replied, suddenly jumping out of the play to ask a real-life question: "You and your aunt don't seem to contact each other often."
Jiang Yan was clearly taken aback: "...Why did you suddenly bring this up?"
“Sometimes I feel a little guilty... but I hate Liang Jin and the Jiang family. They didn’t bring me any happy memories.”
“I understand. Aunt Jiang only contacted you after you started high school.” Qin Lan nodded. “She had already missed your childhood.”
“Actually, my aunt is very good to me. She feels guilty towards my mother, and even more guilty towards me.” Jiang Yan blinked sadly. “I just really resist the Jiang family, and I resist my maternal grandparents for not wanting me when I needed protection the most. I resent my aunt for not taking me with her back then and letting Liang Jin send me to the countryside.”
"Don't blame yourself." Qin Lan moved forward a little, too embarrassed to hug her in broad daylight, so he held her hand and stroked it: "None of this is your fault, they hurt you."
"Hmm...which line were we just going over?" Jiang Yan looked down at the script.
However, Qin Lan noticed a slight sarcasm in her voice.
She asked, "Why do you think Lin Nan and You Long broke up back then?"
Jiang Yan looked up at her in surprise: "Why are you asking so many questions today?"
Qin Lan moved her chair forward a little: "Since we've already memorized the lines, let's talk about the conflicts between the characters in the drama."
Why did you break up?
Jiang Yan thought for a moment and said, "I think the main problem is that the two of them have different values. You Long likes to solve problems in his own way, but Lin Nan must follow her procedural justice. When they were young, neither of them wanted to back down. Later, Lin Nan was willing to change, but it was too late."
The Yu Long she loved will never come back.
Qin Lan: "Don't you think this is a bit like us?"
Jiang Yan: "?"
Qin Lan looked at her seriously: "I don't think I really understand you. If two people talk about their views on life and the world before they start dating, they might be able to avoid a lot of problems."
A glimmer of light appeared in Jiang Yan's eyes.
"So what would you like to talk to me about, Teacher Qin?"
Qin Lan: "Let's talk about ideals, and then let's talk about concepts."
Their nonchalant behavior successfully attracted the attention of the entire crew. Out of respect for Xue Wumi's authority, no one dared to discuss it openly, and they could only communicate with each other through eye contact and sign language.
Xue Wumi also noticed that the two lead actors looked radiant and full of energy today, but she didn't care what happened behind the scenes. With a stern face, she told them to move to their positions.
Qin Lan didn't care; nothing could affect her good mood. She was so happy that she started to float around, and almost tripped over a prop.
"Be careful." Someone supported her waist. "There's a lot of stuff here."
Qin Lan turned around excitedly: "Teacher Jiang, are you concerned about me?"
Jiang Yan glanced at her helplessly: "I'm concerned, what do you want?"
Qin Lan wanted to kiss her.
He restrained himself and moved with composure.
After the confession session, You Long didn't see Lin Nan for a while. She would spend the whole day in the lab, and when she came out, Lin Nan was asleep. She didn't know what Lin Nan was doing while she was asleep, but there were always delicious meals in the kitchen, obviously made by Lin Nan.
You Long has recently made a new discovery: sometimes he goes back to the lab with a chicken leg in his mouth, and when he runs into Lin Nan again, his alarm goes off.
"Warning, warning! Unidentified flying object formation has entered the warning range. Target analysis in progress... Analysis complete. Suspected interstellar mercenaries."
Yu Long emerged with messy curly hair and an energy palm in his hand: "What's going on?"
Lin Nan stood in front of the control panel: "Check the quantity, check the navigation direction."
The Starship AI tablet announced: "Received. There are currently 20 aircraft, and the number is still increasing. This formation will meet the Starship in five minutes."
"Is stealth mode already enabled?"
"yes."
Yu Long interjected, "Fight or retreat?"
Lin Nan: "Am I a turtle? Hiding in and getting beaten up?"
Yu Long: "Great, I've been waiting for a fight..."
Lin Nan: "Prepare for a leap."
Yu Long: "???"
Yu Long: "Didn't you want to fight?"
Lin Nan: "Go back and study Chinese properly. Not getting beaten doesn't mean you're going to get beaten. You can still walk away."
Yu Long: "......"
"You don't need to make running sound so impressive."
Lin Nan: "Set a fixed point and leave interference information."
Starship: "Received."
"Then I'll go back and continue my experiments," You Long said, pursing his lips.
"Besides the mercenaries, the Starship also detected the presence of the Light Wheel last night. If it weren't for the vastness of space, we would probably have been discovered by now."
Yu Long stopped in his tracks: "The Light Wheel is chasing us too?"
"Of course. We are now the target of the entire universe. If it weren't for the Starship's hidden system, we would have been pierced by energy-binding weapons long ago."
Yu Long pondered for a moment: "This group of mercenaries is very likely the same group that sent you to the black hole before. If so, then their boss is the same person, who is also the mole in the Federation."
Lin Nan nodded: "Two groups have already come to kill us: the mole and Guanglun. We still need one more group."
"The Federation hasn't made a move yet," Yu Long interjected. "Do you have any ideas?"
“Yes,” the colonel said. “The people sent by the Federation are likely my former subordinates, officers and soldiers of the Alpha Legion.”
Yu Long's eyes flickered: "Oh ho, putting righteousness before family, proving your innocence... you don't want to go for something big?"
“Ah, right.” The colonel said nonchalantly, “I plan to capture them alive and then turn them to our side. I know these people well and have a foundation of trust with them. If we succeed in turning them to our side, they will become our main force in the future war.”
Yu Long: "If I remember correctly, a regiment in the Space Force should have a thousand people."
She asked curiously, "And they'll probably charge extra hard to wash away their shame. With just the two of us and a warship, what makes you so confident you can take them all down?"
"Find outside help, recruit more people." Lin Nan gazed thoughtfully at the map: "Have you ever seen an interstellar traveler?"
"Of course I haven't seen them. They're all travelers, how would I know them? Isn't your mother, Ms. Bai Yinhe, the leader of the interstellar travelers? You want to ask her for help? Will she help you?"
“It’s a last resort.” Lin Nan rubbed his temples, looking troubled. “Ms. Lin Xing has never mentioned Ms. Bai Yinhe to me, so I don’t know what their relationship is like. But since Ms. Bai Yinhe was able to gift my mother this warship with a light-speed engine, I should be able to make a few demands of her.”
"Is your relationship with your mother so distant?" You Long clicked his tongue: "That makes sense, after all, you've never even met."
The Interstellar Travelers Project was conceived by scholar Iger 51 years ago, and she quickly gathered a group of like-minded followers. They named their organization after the stars, becoming the first organized interstellar travelers. These individuals did not have a fixed permanent home planet, residing year-round on their spaceships. They loved the stars and were not afraid of solitude, taking pride in exploring the universe and pursuing truth.
This group of mavericks quickly sparked a craze for interstellar travel, with many groups following their lead and abandoning their home planets to plunge into the boundless expanse of space.
Often ridiculed as "interstellar nomads," interstellar travelers are even less inclined to interact with other humans. Their unprecedented proximity to the stars puts them far ahead of the competition; in the known universe, interstellar travelers often possess the most cutting-edge technology.
It was precisely because they lived in seclusion, indifferent to worldly affairs and devoted only to the truth, that Youlong questioned Lin Nan's ideas. In her view, even if Lin Nan was raised by Bai Yinhe, Bai Yinhe would never get involved in any troublesome matters, especially war.
“I don’t expect the Stellar Organization to fight for us, but this battle directly affects the survival of humanity. Once the conspirators succeed in their ambitions, everyone will be controlled by consciousness technology and become their puppets.”
Lin Nan wearily pinched the bridge of his nose: "The stars don't have to participate in the battle directly, but they should provide us with some necessary assistance. We are still too weak, but we know a lot, and we must do something for this battle."
"Still so responsible," Yu Long muttered. "Then do you know where the Star Travelers are?"
"Ms. Bai Yinhe left her contact information with Ms. Lin Xing," Lin Nan said. "Guardian One, are you there?"
The lights and shadows illuminated: "I'm here."
Lin Nan: "Contact Ms. Bai Yinhe, the current leader of the Star Travelers, and tell her that Lin Nan wishes to meet with her."
Guardian One paused for a moment: "Ms. Bai Yinhe has sent you the coordinates."
Lin Nan didn't hesitate: "Go to the designated coordinates."
You Long felt there was nothing more for her to do, so she pointed to the lab and said, "Then I'll go back."
"Hmm." Lin Nan looked up at her, then hesitated, "...Remember to balance work and rest."
"knew."
You Long walked back steadily, a strange feeling rising in his heart. Lin Nan was undoubtedly a very attractive person; just her presence made one feel that everything was under her protection.
Yu Long paused, then suddenly remembered: "You said before that you would increase our manpower, where will the manpower come from?"
Lin Nan didn't even look up: "Consider absorbing space pirates."
Yu Long was stunned. "A dignified officer of the Federal Space Force associating with pirates? What about your procedural justice?"
Lin Nan: "I am a wanted criminal now, so I can be flexible to some extent."
Yulong was speechless.
Although she had long since become accustomed to the identity of a traitor, asking her to befriend pirates and reason with them...
I admire Lin Nan even more now.
After she disappeared, Lin Nan entered a command: [Activate Space Detection Sensors]
Galaxy responded: [Activation complete]
The colonel continued typing: [Initiate search. Search target: Asteroids with a diameter between 5 and 15 meters, containing the following metallic elements...]
Galaxy: [Received, intelligent search system activated]
Lin Nan set the viewing permissions and then hid the current page.
＊
At the distant headquarters of the Federal Space Force, Lieutenant Colonel Yan walked into the political commissar's office.
The major general was also there. The political commissar kindly invited her to sit down, but Yan dared not sit and stood upright in place: "Sir, I'll just stand."
The political commissar didn't insist: "Lieutenant Colonel, I'd like to know your opinion on the operation to arrest the traitors Lin Nan and You Long?"
Yan saluted solemnly: "Please rest assured, Commander. Like every officer in the Alpha Legion, I will do my utmost to erase this disgrace! I am loyal, reliable, and steadfast in my beliefs, and I will never let personal feelings interfere!"
"Anyone can shout slogans." The major general frowned and waved his hand. "I called you here alone because you used to be Lin Nan's deputy, and I was worried you might have objections to this operation. Have a heart-to-heart talk with the political commissar. Don't be nervous."
The political commissar nodded with a smile. Yan's expression softened slightly, and he hesitated, saying, "Sir, did Colonel Lin really defect? I mean, maybe she's just infatuated, and perhaps she didn't betray the Federation..."
The political commissar seemed to have anticipated her response and played the communication between Lin Nan, the speaker, and the commander-in-chief: "Take a look for yourself."
Yan's expression gradually turned serious. The colonel in the communication records was completely different from the strict and self-disciplined colonel she knew. It was utterly outrageous... as if he had become a completely different person.
She was unwilling to accept it, yet unable to refute it, and utterly disillusioned with her former superior. The political commissar noticed her expression and patted her on the shoulder: "I know it's hard for you to accept right now, but that's the truth. The situation is more complex than you think..."
Yan suddenly raised her head and stared at him in shock.
The political commissar changed the subject: "Go back and think it over carefully. Don't let your personal emotions affect the safety of the Federation."
Yan nodded heavily, anger rising within her. She strode out, her rage finding no outlet, when a guard approached: "Lieutenant Colonel, you are ordered to come in for a talk."
"Superior? Which superior?" Yan asked in confusion.
Didn't she just finish talking with her superior?
The guard didn't speak, but Yan could see his epaulets.
The captain of the guards beside the speaker.
＊
Lin Nan looked to the left side of the warship, where the starry sky outside the porthole was as brilliant as ever.
A gleaming silver spaceship appeared before us.
She put down what she was doing and said, "Star River, requesting access to the other party's communication channel."
A few seconds later, the Starship responded: "Connected. You can now communicate with the other party."
Lin Nan calmly said, "Hello, I am Lin Nan."
A female voice came from the other end: "Hello, please board the aircraft and proceed. We are preparing to dock."
Lin Nan turned off the communication and went over to knock on the lab door: "Are you there?"
There is no sound coming from inside.
Lin Nan waited a while and then said, "Star River, calling You Long."
Yu Long is taking a bath.
The Starship's intelligent artificial intelligence system spoke above her head: "Hello, Ms. You Long, Ms. Lin Nan is outside the laboratory."
Yu Long washed the foam off his face: "Tell her I'm taking a shower, and ask her to pass on any messages I need."
"Ms. Lin Nan asked me to tell you that the Star Travelers' spaceship is outside and is preparing to dock."
You Long sped up his shower: "Tell her to wait five minutes, I haven't finished lathering up yet."
Lin Nan waited patiently outside for five minutes, then knocked on the door again: "You Long, are you done?"
A minute later, the door suddenly opened, and You Long appeared in front of her with an unfriendly expression and a towel over his head: "You timed it right, huh? You still need to do skincare after showering?"
Lin Nan's gaze slid over the open neckline of her bathrobe before naturally looking away.
When she looked down, it was even more exciting. This person wasn't even wearing a belt, looking like an open refrigerator. Luckily, she knew to wear underwear, which covered her vital parts.
Lin Nan was at a loss. She looked down at the ground and saw that You Long wasn't wearing shoes either, and he had his nails painted with flashy nail polish.
"Have you seen enough?" the woman above said coolly.
Now Yulong was certain that Colonel Lin not only missed her lost emotions, but also craved her body.
"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?" Lin Nan seamlessly followed up with her answer: "The truth is, I haven't seen enough."
Yu Long slammed his fist on the door: "Just say the aircraft has malfunctioned and needs repairs, and tell them to wait a while!"
Twenty minutes later, Yu Long, fully armed, stood in the reception hall of the Starship.
Lin Nan stood side by side with her, looking straight ahead with great politeness.
Unlike her, Youlong looked around, craning her neck to see, her eyes shining. The Star Travelers' technology was truly advanced; the entire hall exuded an unfathomable sense of technology. The robots performed their duties efficiently and methodically, and many of the devices' functions were unclear.
Meanwhile, the woman opposite them was also observing them. This woman looked to be over a hundred years old, but by the lifespan of the previous era, she was less than fifty. Her clothing was very unconventional; her clothes were printed with a three-dimensional silver dragon composed of countless stars, which at first glance resembled the Milky Way.
Bai Yinhe smiled and said, "You're the child of the stars?"
You Long was stunned for a moment, turning her head to look for some stars, before she realized that the name of the Federal Honorary Five-Star General came out of her mouth so casually.
“They are your children too,” Lin Nan replied.
Bai Yinhe seemed not to hear: "It looks a lot like a star."
Lin Nan: "It's very similar to you."
You Long muttered under his breath, "Even when looking for relatives, you don't have to go through all this trouble to curry favor. It's all about saving face. Shouldn't you be pretending to be indifferent?"
Lin Nan's lips moved slightly: "In urgent situations, we must act expediently and not worry about anything else."
Yu Long: "?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yinhe stopped the small talk and got straight to the point: "You need something from me?"
Lin Nan glanced around.
Bai Yinhe nodded: "Ladies, this way please."
You Long looked curiously at Lin Nan's retreating figure, then at Bai Yinhe. Interstellar travelers were indeed eccentric, indifferent to human emotions. While modern genetic parents didn't need to give birth themselves, most parents still showed joy when their child was taken out of the incubator. But Bai Yinhe had never acknowledged Lin Nan as her child, as if she had merely contributed a small amount of her genes to some scientific experiment…
They sat down in the conference room, and You Long recounted some of the content related to consciousness technology. Bai Yinhe simply listened, and after she finished, she said, "The stars never participate in worldly affairs."
With You Long retiring to the sidelines, Lin Nan began her offensive, employing tactics including but not limited to moral persuasion, appeals to family ties and responsibilities, and sweet talk...
Yu Long was starting to feel drowsy listening to it.
Glancing at Lin Nan's composed profile, she felt that this person was testing Bai Yinhe's bottom line, because her current statement clearly had the suspicion of moral blackmail.
"You should understand that the Light Wheel has turned consciousness technology into reality. When the great war begins, even interstellar travelers will find it difficult to remain unscathed!"
"Why not? Putting aside why the Light Wheels want to cause us trouble, first of all, they can't find us."
"Are you willing to let your home planet become a puppet controlled by the light wheel? This great war concerns the future of all mankind. You are also a member of humanity and have a responsibility to protect the fate of mankind!"
"Travelers never identify themselves as human. We are like dust floating in the universe, merely recorders of these star trails. Don't talk to me about feelings for humanity; I only care whether all the stars will still be on their original orbits tomorrow."
Twenty minutes later, after their back-and-forth exchange...
Lin Nan took a deep breath: "Okay, it seems I can't influence different groups with my own ideas, so I'll start from the perspective of the stars themselves."
She didn't pause, clearly having a plan: "Entropy increase is an inevitable law of the universe. From the moment the singularity exploded, our universe has been constantly expanding."
“Consciousness can be described as a precious flow of negative entropy, which is the manifestation of the universe’s move towards complexity and order. What the light wheel is doing now is destroying this negative entropy, turning ordered consciousness into disordered chaos. It has triggered heat death in a local universe, and it is almost irreversible.”
“I know you don’t care about humanity, but you must care about the ‘Way’ of the universe. I think you would rather observe the starry sky and the orderly operation of the universe in a comfortable environment than wait for the end in endless expansion and heat death. Admittedly, even if all consciousness were to perish, the universe would not immediately be destroyed, but the consciousness radiation of the halo is affecting the entire cosmic background; it is a discordant noise.”
"Looks like you're finally getting to the point." Bai Yinhe squinted and smiled, "Xingxing was the same way back then, she would talk a lot of nonsense in order to find my limits."
Lin Nan took a sip of water: "It's not nonsense to me."
"Yes, yes, you and your daughter are both saints, Saint Lin Xing and Saint Lin Nan." Bai Yinhe nodded perfunctorily.
Her expression and tone made the "emotionless" You Long almost laugh, and when he turned to look at the expressionless Lin Nan, he wanted to laugh even more.
Lin Nan: "..."
Bai Yinhe shrugged at You Long: "How can the Federation function without these two soldiers? Who will uphold the Federation's honor, its iron-blooded military spirit, and the faith under the eagle?"
Yu Long couldn't hold it in any longer and laughed a few times like a robot: "Hahaha..."
Bai Yinhe wasn't finished yet: "Is Ms. Lin Nan really my child? How come she doesn't resemble me at all except for her appearance? Where is her thirst for knowledge and spirit of exploration? Why are you not curious about the unknown universe at all, and only willing to focus on your own little corner of the world like your mother? Oh, I see, it must be that the stars only preserved my physical appearance information when they edited my genes, so that you wouldn't irresponsibly run into space like me."
Lin Nan waited for her to finish before saying, "My mother never said you were irresponsible. She only told me that every group has its own reason for existence. Even interstellar travelers who have left human society deserve to exist. They are also members of humanity, representing a broader vision, a unique way of life, and humanity's cutting-edge understanding of the universe. Even if they never give back this knowledge to human society, we should still be proud that some of our fellow human beings possess advanced technology."
Bai Yinhe was silent for a moment, then smiled thoughtfully: "I was being narrow-minded. Perhaps we've been away from human society for too long and are really missing something... although I don't think those things are of much use. Alright, come with me, I'll give you some small help."
She got up and walked outside.
This scene exhausted Jiang Yan. She memorized two whole pages of lines, which included many abstract concepts and proper nouns. Whether she was resting, getting her makeup done, or rehearsing, she was constantly reciting her lines. In the end, even the picky and strict Xue Wumi gave her his approval: "Teacher Jiang has a very good foundation in lines and is willing to work hard. The combination of talent and hard work will help you get the trophy you want."
"Then what do you think of Teacher Qin?"
Jiang Yan thanked her and then tentatively asked her what she thought of Qin Lan.
"Her action scenes are very well-developed, her emotional delivery is good, and her acting skills are on par with yours." Xue Wumi patiently added, "Someone from her background who is willing to work this hard is one in a million. To be honest, I didn't expect Miss Qin to come to the set every day. I thought she was either using a stunt double or lying in her presidential suit. Money can corrupt a person's will the most. Someone like her is either a freak or someone with extremely strong self-control."
“Teacher Qin is one in a million,” Jiang Yan answered earnestly.
Xue Wumi rolled his eyes: "I'm going to make a rule: you two are forbidden from getting together before my movie is finished. Keep the tragic ending a secret for me, or don't blame me for breaking you up and being ruthless..."
Qin Lan, who happened to be passing by, overheard this: "If you can't have a relationship with someone else, you can at least pursue them, right? It's fine as long as she doesn't agree."
Jiang Yan: "..."
Xue Wumi, who has been single all this time, gritted his teeth and said, "Shut up, you two, and get out of there."
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