The tattered, but eye-catching starship was successfully captured by the expeditionary main ship.

Feeling the starship below him being fixed with a clang, Lu Fenghan leaned back on the chair, his long legs spread apart, his thoughts still a little complicated.

He was lucky. When he came out of the wormhole, Pojun reminded him that there was nothing wrong with this small wormhole, and the location connected was indeed the Southern Cross Region.

As soon as he connected to the star network, he sent a message to Qi Yan. He wrote a few lines and deleted them, and then rewrote them. It was as if he had been trapped for half a year and his language function had deteriorated. He went back and forth, and finally sent the simplest sentence "I'm back".

After sending it, he felt that he still had a lot to say, but he couldn't express a single word. Lu Fenghan was greedy and thought, it would be great if the exit of this wormhole connected to the Lagoon Nebula, or directly connected to Qi Yan.

Before the pressure of the leap had passed, Lu Fenghan found that his luck was neither good nor bad. He happened to run into a confrontation between two armies -

on one side, it was obviously Erich leading the team on a mission, and on the other side, it was Donald, an old acquaintance who had fought countless times.

Although he did not expect it, he did not hesitate much. Lu Fenghan drove his small starship straight into the front with a clang.

Now it seems that the effect is good.

Before opening the ship's door, Lu Fenghan asked Pojun for the nth time, "Are there any replies?"

Pojun: "No."

His fingers tapping on the console paused, and Lu Fenghan stood up and walked out, commanding, "If there is a reply, tell me immediately, immediately."

The ship's door, which was sprayed with colorful paint, slid open to the sides, giving the illusion that the door could fall off with more force.

Lu Fenghan stepped onto the gangway, and the people waiting outside almost simultaneously saluted him with their heels together and their military boots touching, making a low "pop" sound.

Eric stood at the front of the team, watching Lu Fenghan walking down the gangway step by step. He tensed his cheeks to calm down, but his eyes were still red. His voice was hoarse, and every word was clear: "Eric Planck, deputy commander of the expeditionary force, reports to you!"

He took a deep breath, and his gray eyes seemed to be soaked in the blood and fire of the past year: "Until the last second, the expeditionary force has never laid down its weapons and is always on standby!"

Lu Fenghan stared at the familiar people in front of him, his throat tightened.

It was only a year since we last met, but we have experienced life and death twice.

He was not used to showing his emotions. He raised his hand and saluted solemnly, and then resumed the casual tone familiar to everyone: "Everyone, long time no see."

Lu Fenghan, no, it should be said that the entire expeditionary force was not good at reminiscing. Lu Fenghan sent everyone away with a word and ordered them to return to their posts. Eric and Vincent followed him unconsciously.

Vincent changed back into the uniform of the expeditionary force. His temperament was not as relaxed as Leto. Even his back was straightened a little, but he talked a lot. When there was no one around, he opened his mouth and said, "Commander, I didn't expect you to survive after dying once, and you can survive after dying twice!"

Lu Fenghan looked at him coldly: "Why, are you disappointed?"

"How could it be?" Vincent pretended to be shocked and continued, "Commander, it's a good thing you showed up in time and calmed Donald down and handed him over quickly. Otherwise, if a fight really broke out, all for Weiss, the shells are free, isn't it better to be frugal! Donald is really something, after so many years, I don't know how many losses he has suffered, but he still can't change his suspicious and imaginative nature."

Lu Fenghan was too lazy to listen to Vincent's nonsense, so he called on him: "Erich, you go."

Erich's skin had the white color unique to space warriors. He followed on the right side of Lu Fenghan, and after receiving the order, he started from the beginning.

"Last July, after you and your men were ambushed while providing support, Huais became the acting commander-in-chief with the support of several forces. I realized that something was wrong and chose to lie in ambush temporarily, obeying his orders, abandoning the front line, and retreating to Turin." Erich narrated blandly, "On October 3rd last year, in the middle of the night, the rebels raided the base. Huais pretended to fight two battles, then directly abandoned Turin and retreated to York."

Although Lu Fenghan had reviewed the battle in the equipment room of ISCO and knew that it was Huais who led his men to die, his eyes couldn't help but sharpen.

Eric also felt that the loss was unfair: "That night, the defense alarm system was under maintenance and there was no response when the enemy attacked. The patrol team changed shifts and did not notice the approaching rebels."

Lu Fenghan: "You don't have to say such nonsense."

Eric nodded and felt that what Weiss said was bullshit.

He continued, "During this period, all of Weiss's little moves were blocked, and I learned from Vincent that you are not dead."

Vincent immediately complained, "I didn't say that! It's really not me! It was Eric who had a dog's nose. He found out that I was in a good mood and bombed me for no reason. There is always a loophole, and I accidentally let out a small sentence! Who knows how he came to the conclusion that the commander you are not dead from that small sentence?"

Lu Fenghan didn't delve into it: "Tell me about the founding day."

"There's nothing much to say. When Weiss showed his hand to collude with the enemy, I ordered him to be arrested, but he had already figured out how to escape and hid well. Before that, General Nie Huai Ting had ordered that no matter what, the expeditionary force must guard the alliance's defense line and must not move. At the same time, we were too far away, so I didn't know Leto's specific situation, and I couldn't distinguish the orders that came to me, so I simply cut off contact with Leto."

Erich's words were sharp, "You taught me that when a general is away from home, he is not subject to military orders."

Lu Fenghan didn't think there was a problem, and asked, "Where's Leto?"

"Leto has now become the territory of the rebels. The rebels pursue a mystical approach, use technological destruction as their foothold, focus on brainwashing the people of Leto, and have recruited a large number of wandering poets to "preach" everywhere in the Alliance. Their methods are not tough. Except for strict control of public opinion and prohibition of entry and exit, the people of Leto are basically not in danger of life. It's just that we don't know how many people will be fooled. General Nie Huai Ting is now in Odin in the Kepler region. His injuries have healed. We talked on the phone nineteen days ago."

Erich mentioned again, "After the rebels and the interstellar pirates captured Leto, they had a falling out due to uneven distribution of the spoils, but we are not sure whether it was a real fight or just for us to see."

Lu Fenghan found that there was really nothing to say. He could not say much even if he was asked to.

After being on the frontline for so long, he has become accustomed to leaving behind all those trivial matters and only looking at the results.

Because for the future, the past cannot be changed, and it is right to look forward.

At this point, Lu Fenghan did not ask any more questions, nor was he prepared to explain his six months of hardship on Dawn Star. He called out, "Pojun, come out and meet some people."

Vincent and Eric were wondering who Lu Fenghan was calling, when they heard an unfamiliar male voice coming from the radio on the ship. The voice was pleasant, the speech was slow, and it seemed very steady: "Hello, I am Pojun. According to human calculations, I am half a year old this year."

Vincent pointed to the location of the voice: "Human...artificial intelligence?"

Po Jun was very polite: "I am the most advanced artificial intelligence in the alliance today. Thank you for your care in the future."

Lu Fenghan nodded without much explanation: "Well, I will be on the ship all the time in the future. If Po Jun speaks suddenly, don't be scared."

Vincent's face was full of accusations: "On the ship all the time in the future? Half a year old, commander, you hired child laborers!"

Lu Fenghan: "Get out."

After the fleet withdrew to the base, Lu Fenghan returned to the command ship. His room still retained the same appearance as a year ago. Even the reader that was tilted and upside down on the table had not been moved.

After taking off the clothes that had turned white after half a year of washing, Lu Fenghan took a shower and changed into the uniform of the expeditionary army. He was mentally prepared until now, and then he dared to ask: "Are there

any replies?" Po Jun: "No reply has been received."

Lu Fenghan felt depressed and unbuttoned his collar with one hand.

If Xiao Jiao ignored him, how should he coax her back?

Lu Fenghan asked again: "What is the probability of your system malfunctioning?"

Po Jun: "The probability is less than 0.1%. Don't worry, I can fix general faults by myself."

It seems that the excuse of "Po Jun has a malfunction, do you want to take a look" will not work.

Lu Fenghan was very disappointed.

Just when he was wondering whether to send another message to Qi Yan, the reply came.

"I'm glad to know that you are okay."

Lu Fenghan read this reply over and over again.

Something is wrong.

No, it should be...very strange.

"Pojun, did your designer design a second artificial intelligence? Could it be that his artificial intelligence replied on his behalf?"

Pojun replied: "No, according to human saying, I am an only child."

"Are you sure this is Qi Yan's reply?"

"Yes, the message did come from his personal terminal."

After Qi Yan replied to the message, he did not look at his personal terminal again. He opened the intranet of the White Tower and updated the latest progress on it to "Completed".

After three consecutive nights, he might be too tired, but he was not very sleepy. He just swayed when he stood up, and it took him a few seconds to stand steadily.

The sound of hurried footsteps came closer and closer. Qi Yan turned his head and met the eyes of Elisa, who was breathing rapidly. She stopped in front of the door with an expression that looked like she was crying and laughing: "Lu Fenghan is back! News from the front line, Lu Fenghan is still alive, he is back alive!"

Qi Yan stood in the early summer sunshine, his sleeves rolled up at his elbows, his skin as white as cold porcelain. He nodded and said in a calm tone: "I know, I received the message he sent me."

He asked Elisa with some doubts: "I replied to him, and I think there is no problem with my wording. But, should my tone be... happier?"

Elisa didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Without waiting for her answer, Qi Yan had already torn open a packet of nutrient supplements, swallowed it in two gulps, and walked out: "The upgrade of the space radar detection system has been completed. I picked one from the unused name list, called 'Wind Catching'. However, this detection system needs to be used in conjunction with the starship's central control system. I need to go to the front line to see the effect."

Eliza followed him: "If you want to go, apply for the use of the starship now, and you can set off soon."

Qi Yan stopped abruptly.

After carefully recalling, he asked Eliza, "I loved him very much before, right?"

Eliza gave a positive answer, "Yes."

"So that's it." Qi Yan lowered his thin eyelids, as if talking to himself, "Although I recall the past memories, they seem to be separated by a layer of fog, but when I received the message he sent, here," he put his hand on his heart, with a little confusion in his eyes. "It hurts here for a while."

An hour later, the starship stopped outside the star port, with sufficient energy.

August and Eliza came together to see Qi Yan off.

Before boarding the starship, Qi Yan stood in front of the two people and said, "You don't need to feel regret or guilt. If I hadn't taken the medicine, I would most likely be dead now. Losing negative emotions such as sadness and despair, and no longer feeling happy or excited, is the price I have to pay."

He tried to slow down his voice to comfort them, "Besides, Eliza, didn't you say that I would get better slowly in the future? The emotions that were taken away will gradually come back."

Qi Yan didn't understand why Eliza was crying again. He didn't know what to say or what to do at the right time, so he nodded to August in silence and turned to board the starship.

He actually didn't know why August and Eliza had always felt guilty. He felt that he was not much different from before.

The only obvious thing is that he is more rational. Although his memory is still confused, he usually regards it as a disorder of the program, and he doesn't feel anything about this disorder.

No, it should be said that he lacks "feeling".

He will not feel frustrated when the experiments go wrong one after another; he will not feel satisfied when he eats food when he is hungry; he will not feel happy when the detection system is successfully upgraded; even on a thunderstorm night, when he thinks of Lin Zhi's death again, he will not feel any sadness.

He is like a machine that has been deprived of a certain function, but so far, he does not feel any impact.

On the expeditionary command ship.

Lu Fenghan has reviewed all the major and minor events that happened in the expeditionary army in the past year, held three meetings, reviewed all the current affairs news of the alliance in the past six months, reports from various places, and received countless communications from people who heard that he was resurrected and sent greetings.

When all the things were dealt with, a day had passed.

Lu Fenghan casually folded his long legs wrapped in military pants, pinched his eyebrows, and his eyes were a little dry.

He read the reply message from Qi Yan again. He

couldn't help but guess wildly, could it be that he bit someone when he kissed in front of the escape pod's protective shield?

Or, something went wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Fenghan admitted that he was scared.

He had never been afraid that the expeditionary army had changed, nor had he been afraid that he would not be able to defeat the rebels. Not to mention half a year or a year, even if he came back ten years later, he would not be afraid at all.

But Qi Yan was different.

Qi Yan was someone he must see once more before he died, even if he was trapped for a hundred years. Qi Yan

was the wildfire that would never end in the wasteland of his heart.

At this time, Pojun said: "Vincent is on the bridge, asking if you are free, there is something important that needs you to go."

Lu Fenghan picked up his military jacket and stood up, the silver star on the shoulder strap flashing slightly: "Let them wait."

When Lu Fenghan strode to the bridge, he saw Erich there, and he looked at Vincent inquiringly.

Vincent tried his best to suppress it, but he couldn't hide his excitement: "Someone came secretly from the White Tower, saying that they got us a powerful equipment! In theory, it can detect the energy source inside the jump channel, which means that next time the rebels haven't come out of the jump channel, we can put a hundred-meter-thick bomb at the exit in advance as a welcome red carpet!"

White Tower.

Qi Yan is now in the White Tower.

Lu Fenghan turned these two words around in his mind, and for once he experienced what it was like to be anxious about gains and losses.

The report of "successful docking with the command ship" came to his ears, and Vincent and Eric turned around and headed towards the door at the end of the bridge that docked the visiting starship.

The people in the White Tower have always been mysterious, and rarely show up in public. Often, only their names are known, and sometimes even their names are fake.

Vincent and Eric looked at each other, and saw curiosity in each other's eyes. They couldn't help but straighten their collars to avoid looking untidy and bringing shame to the expeditionary force.

Lu Fenghan barely suppressed the pounding in his chest and looked towards the end of the bridge.

Two minutes later, the silver metal door at the end of the bridge slid open to both sides, and a group of people walked in.

The person standing in the middle was wearing a silk shirt, and looked a little thin, with a cold expression, but his eyebrows and eyes were extremely beautiful.

Vincent opened his eyes slightly, and looked at the person in shock. His lips moved, wanting to say the other person's name, but he was not sure. After several struggles, he remembered something and looked at Lu Fenghan quickly.

But he saw that Lu Fenghan's lips were tightly lined, staring at the person who was getting closer and closer, without moving an inch.

His expression was difficult to discern.

At this time, outside the porthole, there was the boundless universe and the bright and distant stars.

Qi Yan stopped one step away and politely extended his hand to Lu Fenghan.

Because he did not belong to the expeditionary force, it was inappropriate to call him "commander", so he was called by his title.

"Hello, general, I am the chief of the White Tower, Y."