Chapter 31
The approach of the Federation reconnaissance team set the entire Iron Throne base spinning like a precision machine wound up. Suppressed emotions intertwined with the tense atmosphere of war preparation, creating invisible sparks in the metal corridors.
Inside the command center, Miao Weizhen stood before the main console, his back as straight as a sword unsheathed. His commands were concise, cold, efficient, and unquestionable. Wen Ling stood slightly to his side, monitoring energy flow and navigation data. Beyond the necessary tactical discussions, the two spoke in silence.
However, during another quick confirmation of the pulsar's radiation interference range, Wen Ling's fingertips briefly crossed with Miao Weizhen's wrist, which was operating the star map. In that instant, Wen Ling clearly felt the abnormally hot temperature beneath the other person's skin, as well as a barely detectable tremor.
He looked up. Miao Weizhen's profile looked unusually pale under the cold light of the screen. Fine beads of cold sweat oozed from his forehead, which he quickly and calmly wiped away. Dr. Keith's warning echoed in Wen Ling's mind—neuralgia, and the price of overusing that deep dive technique.
A sharp sense of worry pierced the ice in Wen Ling's heart.
"Your..." Wen Ling just opened her mouth when she was stopped by Miao Weizheng's cold eyes.
"Focus on your mission, Your Highness." His voice was hoarse, but it carried an irrefutable force.
At this moment, Luo Yan's urgent voice rang out: "Minister, the reconnaissance team has separated two high-speed assault boats from the formation and is rushing towards the weak point of the base's camouflage layer in an attacking posture. They have discovered us."
"Activate all active defense systems, Lao Lin, and ensure the energy distribution of the external armor!" Miao Weizhen immediately gave the order, his voice becoming increasingly lower due to tension.
The vibrations of the explosion rippled through the metal structure, and lights flickered throughout the command center. On the holographic star map, the light points representing the assault boats swarmed like bloodthirsty venomous bees, constantly attacking the base's defenses.
"No! Their firepower configuration exceeds expectations, and the external armor of Area C is about to be overloaded!" Lao Lin's voice came from the communication channel with rare anxiety.
Once the outer armor is torn off, the base will be directly exposed to enemy fire.
Miao Weizhen's eyes became fierce, as if he had made some kind of decision.
"Activate some of the energy sources of the 'Iron Throne' prototype to forcibly support the shields of Area C. Luo Yan, prepare to execute the 'Tail Cutting' plan and detonate the jamming bombs pre-set at the edge of the asteroid belt to create energy turbulence and cover the stealth evacuation of the base."
"Minister, the Iron Throne's energy core has not yet completed final stability testing. Forced activation may result in..."
"Follow orders," Miao Weizhen growled, interrupting his subordinates' attempts to dissuade him. His face turned even paler, as if every word consumed his immense energy.
Wen Ling's heart sank. He understood the risks of this order. The Iron Throne was their long-cherished hope, their life's work. Forcibly activating an unstable core was tantamount to gambling.
The "cutting off the tail" plan means that they will give up a large amount of peripheral equipment and resources.
At this critical moment, Wen Ling's gaze fixed on a tiny detail within the complex expanse of star debris on the star map—an extremely brief gravitational void that had been overlooked by everyone. It was caused by a mismatch in the cycles of two tiny star debris.
"etc--"
Wen Ling took a step forward, almost shoulder to shoulder with Miao Weizhen. His voice pierced through the alarms clearly and quickly, "There is a way. It doesn't require activating the 'Iron Throne', nor does it require abandoning the periphery."
Everyone's eyes were instantly focused on him.
Miao Weizhen suddenly turned his head, staring at him with his dark brown eyes, filled with astonishment, doubt, and a faint hope forced out by desperation.
Wen Ling ignored his probing gaze and quickly traced an extremely tricky, almost suicidal route on the star map with her fingertips. "Use this brief gravitational gap to increase the base's thruster power to 120% and perform an extreme short-range advance. We can instantly move behind this dense mass of star debris and use it as a natural barrier."
"One hundred and twenty percent?! That would completely burn out the thrusters! And if the calculation is even slightly off, we'll be smashed to pieces!" an engineer shouted.
"Leave the calculations to me," Wen Ling said firmly. He turned his head and looked at Miao Weizhen with a burning gaze, his green eyes burning with the fire of desperation. "Trust me this time."
This was the first time he said "believe me" to Miao Weizhen.
The command center fell into silence, with only the sound of alarms and Wen Ling's rapid breathing.
Everyone's eyes turned to Miao Weizhen, waiting for his final decision.
This is not just a tactical choice, but also the ultimate test of Wen Ling's ability and a cruel torture of the trust between the two.
Miao Weizhen stared at Wen Ling intently, as if he wanted to see through him from head to toe. The cold sweat on his forehead formed beads and slid down. Time seemed to stretch, every second like it was running on the edge of a knife.
Finally, as the shrill scream of the external armor overload warning reached its peak, Miao Weizhen closed his eyes, took a very light breath, and then suddenly opened his eyes. All the emotions in his eyes were replaced by a desperate determination.
"Follow His Highness Wen Ling's plan."
His voice cut through the din of alarms, carrying a heaviness that carried everything on the line. "All units, secure yourselves. Luo Yan, cooperate with His Highness in the final orbital calibration."
The moment the order was given, Wen Ling didn't hesitate, immediately engaging in intense calculations with Luo Yan. His fingers flew across the console, so fast they practically left afterimages, his brain processing the massive data stream at unprecedented speed.
Miao Weizhen was standing right next to him, so close that he could feel the slight tremors in his body as he endured the pain, and could smell the smell of blood mixed with his cold breath - he probably bit his lip.
A massive overload suddenly struck, pinning everyone to their seats or the walls. The metal structure groaned in a way that made one's teeth ache, as if it would collapse at any moment.
Wen Ling felt a hand suddenly grab his wrist amidst the violent tremors.
The hand was ice-cold, and the knuckles were white from exerting so much force, and there was even a hint of desperation, as if a drowning person was grasping at a last piece of driftwood.
It’s Miao Weizhen.
Wen Ling did not struggle to break free. Instead, she used her other free hand to tightly grasp his cold fingers and squeezed them back.
At that moment, all conflicts, barriers, and ideological differences seemed to be temporarily crushed under the extreme pressure of life and death. They were like two planets colliding and then clinging to each other in a turbulent sea of stars, grasping each other by instinct on the brink of destruction.
The violent shaking lasted for what seemed like a century, yet also seemed like only a moment.
When everything finally calmed down, the star map on the main screen showed that the base had been successfully hidden in a dense area of stellar debris. The federal assault boat lost its target and circled in its original airspace like a headless fly.
Escape from death.
The command center was filled with gasps of relief and low cheers.
Wen Ling slumped in front of the operating table, panting heavily, and only then did he feel his back soaked with cold sweat. He looked at Miao Weizhen beside him.
Miao Weizhen was also looking at him, his chest heaving slightly, and his pale face flushed abnormally due to the extreme operation just now.
The air was filled with smoke, sweat, and a silent, intense emotional turmoil. The lights in the command center returned to normal, illuminating the two men's clasped hands clearly.
Miao Weizhen raised his eyes and looked at Wen Ling again. His deep brown eyes were filled with lingering fear and a deep dread. Deeper still, a trembling, almost shattering feeling. His pale lips parted slightly, as if about to say something, but in the end, he only let out a very light breath.
Then, under everyone's gaze, the always calm and composed minister made a move that plunged the entire command center into a dead silence.
He gently rested his forehead on Wen Ling's shoulder.
This action came without warning, with the exhaustion of letting go of all defenses, more like a silent surrender. Wen Ling could feel the warmth of his forehead through the fabric, smell the cold breath in his hair, and feel the weight of his entire body being completely surrendered at this moment.
Wen Ling slowly raised the other hand that he wasn't holding, paused in the air for a moment, and finally gently placed it on Miao Weizhen's slightly trembling back. It was a clumsy but firm response.
In the command center, Luo Yan silently turned his eyes away; Lao Lin let out an almost inaudible sigh on the communication channel; A Yuan covered his mouth, his eyes slightly red; even Dr. Keith pushed up his glasses to hide the emotion in his eyes.
After a brink of death, all barriers and persistence seemed to have lost their meaning. In this moment, there was only the clasped hands, the warmth of each other's bodies, and the name that transcended all boundaries, a realness that was heart-pounding.
Wen Ling gritted her teeth and whispered, "One day, I will find a path that doesn't come at the cost of sacrifice and destruction...even if it's for you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
