Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Hundreds of people bowed their heads and mourned silently.
Thirteenth Beacon Rift, Level 1 Danger Zone, Area D46.
"Call it a day!"
"Okay."
The three mechas swiftly killed a few scattered Zergs, and after asking their superiors for instructions, they slowly walked towards the base.
The pilot pulled the metal net in his hand and tied up the Zerg corpse inside tightly.
The team members took a look at the Zerg corpses, then eagerly followed their captain. "Why are we collecting Zerg corpses? For research? It seems that Tianji Base doesn't have any research projects."
The captain gave him a sidelong glance and asked, "Where did you get transferred from?"
"Uh, the Chester Star Reval Federal Republic..."
The captain waved his hand and said, "Who asked you to declare your country? I'm also from Reval. I'm asking which legion you're from."
"The Sixth Legion of Leimen City."
The captain snorted coldly, "City folks, no wonder you don't know. Transportation is inconvenient here, and it's hard to get fresh meat. Of course, we collect Zerg for food."
The team members were shocked: "Eat, eat?"
"Do you understand the value of high-quality protein?" The captain patted the back of his head.
“…”
"It's time for the shift change!"
They parked the mecha back at the base, and with two bangs, the dead Zerg were poured into the pipe. The maintenance area was immediately filled with the cheerful atmosphere of getting off work, and everyone quickened their pace and rushed to the cafeteria.
Five years have passed since that battle, and everything has returned to normal.
Because of the shock that battle had on the Zerg, no large-scale Zerg attacks occurred near the Thirteenth Beacon Rift.
But every once in a while, especially during the breeding season, small swarms of insects will emerge from the cracks.
Humans were not good at dealing with this new change at first, but after years of struggle, they quickly found a solution to coexist with the Zerg.
The current insect swarm is like a natural disaster to everyone. As long as we get early warning and prepare well, we can defend our territory.
For several years, there have been no more insect plagues causing serious casualties.
Everyone knows that today's peace is inseparable from that soldier.
She fought to the last moment of her life, then returned to the universe humming a lullaby.
A memorial beacon was placed at the spot where Tao Ying passed away, with her name and birthday engraved on the black metal.
That's her tombstone.
·
The cafeteria at Yaoguang Tactical Base is the best in the entire Yak Federation. It is always bustling at mealtimes, and it is especially lively today.
Because today is Tao Ying's death anniversary, many pilots from the neighboring base came here to visit - this place is closest to Tao Ying's tombstone, and they can pay their respects to the tombstone from several kilometers away.
Peace is hard-won.
But there are also people who do not regard this day as a death anniversary.
Perhaps it was because Tao Ying had once been resurrected from the dead, and she always had fantasies about her death.
"I heard that the commander here also participated in the Battle of Moonstar. You must have inside information."
"Did Tao Ying really die back then?"
Someone put down the fried dragonfly in their hand, patted him on the back with an expression that said "I knew someone would ask this in this situation", and then began to explain the matter for the umpteenth time.
"So many people saw the body with their own eyes, how could it be fake? Tao Ying had arranged everything before her death, even leaving blood bags for her teammates. But when her teammates just came back to rescue her, they saw her dead body. Ugh."
The pilot shook his head, looking pitiful.
"I heard that her teammates received psychological counseling for a long time and still haven't recovered."
"If you ask me, I shouldn't have let the kids identify the bodies. With Tao Ying's condition, there's no way she could have survived. The Zerg were shattered to pieces."
"Alright, alright, we're eating, stop talking," the man patted the captain's arm and pointed to the cafeteria entrance, "They're here."
Two women in Chester Star pilot uniforms walked calmly into the cafeteria. When someone greeted them, they responded generously.
Most people would feel a little uncomfortable when they arrived at the front-line base, but they sat down naturally as if they were back home.
They are not frontline pilots, nor do they belong to this legion, but they have permission to enter - because they also participated in the battle that year.
One of them had an upright posture and looked quite tall, but his eyes did not look very bright.
The other had clear eyes and spoke softly.
The tall woman with a rather unintelligent look frantically ordered food, looking as if she was determined to eat everything in the cafeteria. Another woman quietly requested a nutritionally balanced meal.
"They must be Tao Ying's teammates. They come here every year."
The female pilot at the next table had been concentrating on eating. When she heard this, her eyes suddenly lit up. She stood up and said, "Make way." Then she walked over with a metal tray, taking cat-like steps.
She patted the cat-ear epaulettes beside her, sat down next to Lin Biege, and after a few greetings, she said cheerfully:
"Nan Gua, Lin Bie Ge, it's been a year since we last met. Why didn't that mecha maniac come this year?" "Bai Mo and the Lai Ji Institute have found a new type of mecha material and said they won't come this year. By the way, Zhu Xiaorui, why are you here?"
"Hey, I got a promotion. I was transferred here not long ago."
Zhu Xiaorui said this, pointing to the medal on her chest. After graduating with Ji Dahuan, she had directly joined the Zerg Defense Mecha Squadron in Laimen City. Now, after years of training, she was already a senior non-commissioned officer.
Nan Gua and Lin Biege both suffered serious injuries after the Yuexing Battle, especially Nan Gua, who suffered a ruptured artery and lost too much blood. It took him a long time to recover his previous physical condition.
The two were about to graduate and hadn't decided what to do in the future, so they dragged Bai Mo to participate in this year's Mecha Professional League.
Zhu Xiaorui poked Lin Biege's side and said, "I heard that you guys were all champions in several professional leagues this year? Why don't you come directly to the Yaoguang Base after graduation? I'll protect you."
Nan Gua and Lin Biege looked at each other and shook their heads.
"No, once a year is enough."
Zhu Xiaorui then remembered that the two of them seemed to have suffered a great blow because of Tao Ying's death, and coming here must have been heartbreaking.
She coughed lightly, feeling that she had said something wrong, scratched her head embarrassedly, and changed the subject.
"By the way, what about Ye Xinghui? I heard he finally broke through the Empire's defenses and piloted a mecha drone to Tao Ying's location..."
Irina told them Ye Xinghui's identity, saying that he was Tao Ying's first love and an electronic intelligent entity lurking in the black market.
I still remember the shock my teammates felt when they heard these words.
"Captain Blackheart could actually be so innocent at times? Impossible, absolutely impossible. Speaking of which, could her first love actually be real? I always thought it was made up to fool people."
"And why is it an electronic intelligent entity... What, you mean, the intelligent butler Xiaoye is also him, the one who cooks really delicious food?"
——This is what Lin Biege said at the time.
As for where Ye Xinghui went, they didn't know either.
Nan Gua slowly shook his head: "Sister Irina said that after Xiaoying died, she never saw him again."
"He disappeared. Maybe he left together."
Zhu Xiaorui choked up, not knowing how to respond.
Sacrifice for love?
I wanted to change the subject, but it became even more serious.
Zhu Xiaorui twisted her body uneasily for a few times, and finally, seeing that everyone had finished eating, she stood up with a sense of relief and cleared away the plates.
"Then let's go. See you at the Space Cemetery."
·
The nameless star shines with bright white fluorescence like a silver plate, like the moon star in ancient legends.
Everyone lit the lighthouse, and it twinkled among the stars.
Hundreds of people bowed their heads and mourned silently.
Nan Gua, Lin Biege, and Zhu Xiaorui stood at the forefront of the starry sky, looking up at the cosmic cemetery.
Nan Gua took out a paper lamp from somewhere and lit it slightly.
She held the lamp and pushed it into the universe.
Then he sang softly.
——If your soul exists in the universe, I hope it can guide you home.
Nan Gua murmured, "Xiaoying, do you still remember when you and Bie Ge saved me on the rooftop? You helped me a lot. Actually, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. I still have nightmares now and then, but I don't seem to be afraid of them anymore. Some time ago, I went to the Fourth Galaxy to see my parents. They are still the same as before... but I found that no matter how much they curse me, it won't hurt me."
"Like you said, I have the courage to face nightmares."
"I'm so proud, I really hope you can see it."
Lin Biege puffed out his chest and said, "Although I haven't achieved much, I've already tasted all the delicious food on Chester. After graduation, I'm going to work part-time and eat all over the interstellar world!"
Zhu Xiaorui clenched his fist: "Then leave the front line to me!"
On the distant planet Chester, there are also people looking in the direction of the universe.
At the Haitai Technology Headquarters, a woman held a bottle of wine in her hand and cursed "bastard" to the moonlight.
"The second time, the second time, do you understand?"
"I've already collected her body twice!"
The secretary consoled him: "At least this time the body wasn't snatched from the Iowa family cemetery."
Irina: “…”
She didn't know why she became even angrier.
The secretary said helplessly, "Don't get drunk, President," and put clothes on her under the moonlight.
In the Leimen Mecha Research Institute, on the big day of the year, everyone got drunk and pulled Bo Mo to play finger-guessing games on the top floor.
"Tell me, how could the boss do such a thing? Sacrificing herself to save others... It doesn't suit her at all."
"Yeah, the boss is still suitable to be a bad woman."
Is Tao Ying really dead?
That day, Ye Xinghui rushed to the center of the artillery fire with the repaired "electronic signal" instrument, wanting to extract Tao Ying's consciousness and convert it into electronic signals. This was the only way to save her.
But when Ye Xinghui arrived, it was too late.
She is really dead.
When everyone at Laiji Institute thought of this, their faces turned gloomy. Finally, they clinked their glasses at the same time and drank gulps of wine.
"Forget it, I'm used to it. That's just how the boss is."
"It's not the first time I've seen her dead body. Actually, it's not that sad... Woo." Betty turned her head and started vomiting violently. Felania patted her on the back.
Researcher Che rubbed his arms and sighed, "If the boss could come back, I'd be willing to work overtime for a year."
"I'll be with you for three months." "I'll be with you for five days."
Wang Yi: "Why only five days? Please respect the boss's spirit in heaven."
Betty wiped her mouth, sneered, and raised her middle finger to the Space Cemetery.
"Come down and beat me if you dare."
…
The death anniversary ceremony ended and everyone left.
Nan Gua and Lin Biege waited on the deck for a long time, as they did in previous years, until the light went out and nothing happened in the universe.
The starry sky was still as beautiful and quiet as when she left.
"Let's go."
The two of them looked at the starry sky reluctantly and slowly returned to the base.
After they left, a faint light flickered in the thirteenth crack.
There is something.
Swallow that light within.
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The author has something to say: I hope everyone has the courage to face nightmares.
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