Chapter 41
Life at the makeshift base gradually settled into a new rhythm. Thanks to Ayuan's skillful management, the once sparsely populated living quarters were revitalized. She placed a growth tank in the corner of the corridor, where softly fluorescent moss grew. This not only purified the air but also became a unique feature of the base's landscape.
"These mosses can absorb harmful radiation." A Yuan proudly showed Wen Ling her work. "These are the spores that Lao Lin helped me bring out from the depths of the waste planet."
Wen Ling noticed that the glow of the mosses was strikingly similar to a certain energy frequency in Xinglan's consciousness data, and he told Miao Weizhen about this discovery.
"Xinglan has always believed that the most advanced technology is often hidden in the most primitive forms of life," Miao Weizhen said, gently touching the glowing moss, her eyes soft. "She said that everything in the universe is connected to something we haven't yet understood."
This connection is quietly growing between them.
Wen Ling discovered that Miao Weizhen was beginning to be willing to share more fragments of the past with him——
It's not just about Xinglan, but also about his experience as Sailiang's Minister of Foreign Affairs dealing with various forces.
That morning, while sorting through intelligence, Wen Ling discovered an overlooked detail. The Federal Parliament's recent meeting minutes mentioned the subsequent impact of the Huangquan Rust Port Joint Development Project several times.
"I think I understand your plan in Rusty Harbor." Wen Ling said to Miao Weizhen during dinner.
Miao Weizhen raised his eyebrows to signal him to continue, his fingers unconsciously turning the dinner knife, this subtle movement revealed his concern.
"That seemingly humiliating treaty was actually a trap," Wen Ling analyzed. "The treaty's clause regarding the demilitarization of the mining area effectively restricted the Federation's military presence in Rust Harbor. And the so-called 'low-cost loans' collected from the Federation ultimately went towards the construction of the Iron Throne."
Su Huaijin put down his cutlery in surprise: "So you've already started planning this?"
"The best defense is offense." Miao Weizhen said lightly, but Wen Ling noticed the smile that flashed across his lips. "And the best offense is often hidden beneath the appearance of compromise."
A few days later, the opportunity finally came.
Representatives of the Sailiang military opposition contacted them through encrypted channels, requesting a meeting.
"It's General Lin Hao who's here," Luo Yan reported. "He's highly respected in the military and was one of the generals who openly opposed the nerve toxin testing."
The meeting was arranged at a neutral space station. For safety reasons, Wen Ling and Miao Weizhen went there separately and met at the space station.
Inside the space station's reception room, General Lin Hao was already waiting. The white-haired veteran stood tall and straight, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.
"Your Highness." He saluted Wen Ling, then looked at Miao Weizhen, his tone complicated, "Minister Miao, we meet again."
"General Lin," Miao Weizhen nodded slightly, his demeanor unhurried. "At the last National Defense Council meeting, you were quite critical of the border trade agreement I proposed."
Lin Hao snorted softly. "I told you back then that your 'retreat to advance' tactic was too risky. Now it seems," he paused meaningfully, "perhaps I underestimated your courage."
Wen Ling observed quietly from the sidelines. Miao Weizhen was indeed a controversial yet indispensable figure in Sailiang politics. Some disliked his methods, yet had to acknowledge his abilities.
"What does the general need?" Wen Ling got to the point at the right time.
"Two things." Lin Hao held up two fingers. "First, a drug that can fight neurotoxins. Second, a leader who can unite all forces."
His eyes were clearly fixed on Wen Ling.
Miao Weizhen took over the conversation: "We can provide the medicine, but we need a production base."
"I can arrange that." Lin Hao nodded. "There are several secret military bases in the border galaxies. They are well-equipped and outside the scope of federal surveillance."
The talks went more smoothly than expected. Lin Hao not only provided the production base, but also revealed an important piece of information -
There are also divisions within the federation over the neurotoxin program.
"The Federal Minister of Science has privately expressed concerns," Lin Hao said. "He believes the weapon is too dangerous and could backfire on the user."
This news made Miao Weizhen ponder. After the meeting, he said to Wen Ling in the observation gallery of the space station, "Perhaps we should change our strategy."
"You want to win supporters within the Federation?"
"Divide and disintegrate are the fundamentals of diplomatic strategy." Miao Weizhen gazed out the window at the starry sky, his profile appearing particularly profound under the starlight. "If there is opposition to this plan within the Federation, we can find a way out."
After returning to the temporary base, they immediately adjusted their plans. Su Huaijin led the medical team to the secret base provided by Lin Hao to begin mass production of the neuroprotectant. Meanwhile, Miao Weizhen began to contact opposing voices within the Federation through various channels.
This process was more difficult than expected. Federal officials were deeply divided over the neurotoxin program, with supporters gaining the upper hand.
"The Minister of Science's attitude was very ambiguous," Miao Weizhen said at the strategic meeting. "He expressed concerns about the plan, but was unwilling to openly oppose the president."
Wen Ling thought for a moment: "Maybe he needs a stronger reason."
He pulled up a historical file: "You see, the Science Minister's home planet experienced an ecological disaster twenty years ago. If the neurotoxin test leads to similar consequences—"
"It can touch his personal emotions." Miao Weizhen understood Wen Ling's intention and cast an admiring glance. "It's a very clever psychological tactic."
Just then, A Yuan hurried into the conference room with a piece of freshly deciphered intelligence in his hand.
"The Federation is going to conduct a large-scale neurotoxin test on planet K-127 in three days!" Her voice was filled with panic. "It's a densely populated agricultural planet."
The conference room suddenly fell silent. Planet K-127 not only had a large population but was also a vital food source for the surrounding star regions. If the test were to proceed, the consequences would be disastrous.
"We must stop them." Wen Ling stood up. "General Lin Hao, can you provide support?"
Luo Yan shook his head. "The military opposition isn't ready for open confrontation."
Everyone's eyes were focused on Miao Weizhen. He silently stared at the planet K-127 marked on the star map, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table - a habit he used when making important decisions.
"We have a chance," he said after a long pause, "but it's very risky."
He pulled up the defense deployment map of Planet K-127: "The Federation has heavily deployed troops there, so a forceful attack is impossible. But—"
A special marker appears on the map:
An abandoned interstellar channel.
"This route was marked as 'impassable' in the last star map update," Miao Weizhen zoomed in on the area, "but in fact, it's still usable."
Wen Ling immediately understood what he meant: "You want to sneak in through this channel?"
"It's not just about infiltration." A sharp gleam flashed in Miao Weizhen's eyes. "We need to vaccinate everyone on the planet with protective agents before the test begins."
The plan was so bold it bordered on madness: within three days, they would pass through a dangerous abandoned waterway, sneak into a heavily guarded planet, and carry out a large-scale vaccination right under the Federation's nose.
"That's impossible," Lao Lin denied directly. "We don't have enough manpower, and we don't have the time."
"We don't need to do everything ourselves," Wen Ling said suddenly. "Planet K-127 has its own government and medical system. If we can convince them to cooperate, it will greatly improve efficiency."
Miao Weizhen looked at him with approval in his eyes: "Go on."
"The Federation's testing plan is confidential, and the planetary authorities may not be aware of it." Wen Ling's thoughts became clearer as he spoke. "If we can provide evidence and come up with a solution,"
"They will actively cooperate with us to complete the vaccination." Su Huaijin continued, "We only need to provide protective agents and technical guidance."
The plan was immediately put into action. Wen Ling was responsible for liaising with the authorities on planet K-127, while Miao Weizhen prepared to lead the team to deliver the first batch of protective agents through the abandoned waterway.
The night before their departure, Wen Ling found Miao Weizhen in the hangar, inspecting the spacecraft. The light cast a soft shadow on his focused profile, and his always sharp eyes now seemed particularly profound.
"Let me go this time." Wen Ling approached, her voice soft but firm.
Miao Weizhen stopped what he was doing and turned to face him: "That waterway is very dangerous."
"Precisely because it's dangerous, I can't let you go." Wen Ling reached out and gently straightened his collar. "If anything happens to you, the entire resistance movement will collapse."
The two looked at each other, and the air was filled with silent emotional exchange. Miao Weizhen's eyes slid from Wen Ling's determined brows to his slightly pursed lips, and finally looked deeply into his emerald eyes.
In the end, Miao Weizhen was the first to compromise. He sighed softly and raised his hand to stroke Wen Ling's cheek: "You are becoming more and more like me."
"You taught me well." Wen Ling smiled, feeling the warm touch on her face.
Miao Weizhen took out a badge from his bosom - it was his official badge in the Sailiang Foreign Affairs Department, symbolizing his special status in interstellar diplomatic occasions.
"Take this." He pinned the badge on Wen Ling's chest, his movements gentle and solemn. "In some situations, it's more useful than a weapon."
Wen Ling looked down at the badge, feeling the warmth of Miao Weizhen's body still lingering on it. He looked up and saw the undisguised worry and trust in the other's eyes.
He thought for a moment, then gave him the green crystal ring Wen Xunyi had given him, and said with a smile, "Exchange of tokens."
Miao Weizhen was stunned, and his tense mood relaxed.
"I will come back safely." Wen Ling promised softly.
The next day, Wen Ling led the team to set off. When the spaceship entered the abandoned channel, it encountered the expected danger -
Strong gravitational turbulence, dense interstellar dust, and occasional space cracks.
"Keep heading." Wen Ling commanded calmly, "Pay attention to the energy fluctuations on the starboard side."
After twelve hours of arduous navigation, they finally arrived at K-127. As expected, the planetary authorities were completely unaware of the Federation's plan. After seeing the evidence provided by Wen Ling, the planetary governor immediately agreed to cooperate with the vaccination plan.
The vaccination work was carried out secretly and quickly. Under Su Huaijin's remote guidance, local medical staff quickly mastered the use of the protective agent.
Just when the vaccination was halfway through, bad news came - the federal government advanced the testing time.
"They'll start testing in six hours!" Luo Yan's urgent communication was filled with anxiety. "Three cities haven't completed the vaccination yet!"
Wen Ling looked at the time on the console and made a decision.
"Get my formal attire ready," he told his assistant. "I'm going to visit the commander of the Union garrison."
This decision shocked everyone. But Wen Ling knew that this was the only way to buy time for vaccination.
At the federal garrison base, Wen Ling, in the capacity of Prince Sailiang, requested to meet with the commander. To his surprise, the commander turned out to be an old acquaintance of his.
General Troy, who once served as a visiting professor at Luofeng University of Science and Technology.
"Your Highness Wen Ling," General Troy looked equally surprised, "I didn't expect to see you here."
"General," Wen Ling said straight to the point, "I request that you postpone the neurotoxin testing."
Troy frowned. "This is an order from the President himself."
"The test will cause irreversible harm to innocent civilians." Wen Ling handed over the data. "This goes against the Federation's stated humanitarian principles."
Just as Troy hesitated, a signalman came in hurriedly: "General, an urgent communication from the Minister of Science."
After Troy answered the call, his expression became complicated.
"The science minister requested a halt to the tests," he said, "citing insufficient technical readiness."
Wen Ling immediately understood that Miao Weizhen's operations within the federation had worked.
Ultimately, the test was delayed for 24 hours, precious time that allowed the vaccination to be completed.
When the Federation's test fleet arrived, the inhabitants of K-127 had all been vaccinated with protective agents. The neurotoxin test resulted in no casualties, a result that caused an uproar within the Federation.
At the celebration party at the temporary base, Wen Ling found Miao Weizhen standing alone on the observation deck. The starlight fell on him, adding a touch of gentleness that was rarely seen in his daily life.
"You succeeded." Miao Weizhen said with a rare sense of ease in his tone.
"We succeeded." Wen Ling approached and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "Without your manipulation within the Federation, General Troy wouldn't have changed his mind so easily."
Miao Weizhen turned to look at him, his eyes penetrating: "You are beginning to understand 'diplomacy'."
"It's all thanks to the teacher's good teaching." Wen Ling smiled and held his hand naturally.
The moment their fingers were intertwined, both of them could feel the warmth of each other's palms.
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