Chapter 84
They had all arrived and were talking, but in fact there were still three empty seats next to Ying Ying and Pei Shiyun.
The people who were late due to something soon arrived. They were the left and right chiefs of staff of the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory used to have a marshal, but it was abolished due to an accident. Now the power of the left and right chiefs of staff is actually equivalent to that of a marshal. But from the perspective of the military domain, the spheres of influence of the two chiefs of staff, Zhou Xingjian and Sheng Shu, are more likely to conflict, after all, they are separated from the same military domain.
Whichever side is dissatisfied, they will think that this place originally belonged to us.
Because of this military rank division, they also divided the North Region into the Left Region and the Right Region. The two chiefs of staff were in charge of the Left and Right Regions.
Every year, at the military's internal meetings, who sits down first and who sits down later is an important topic of dispute between the left and right parties. But this year, there is obviously no such dispute - this is a joint meeting of several regions. Naturally, there is no distinction between the primary and the secondary.
Sheng Shu also did a great job and there was nothing wrong with him.
She was a junior and also Zhou Xingjian's junior sister. When she entered the door, she took the initiative to ask Zhou Xingjian to go first, and she followed closely behind him. She and Zhou Xingjian sat on the right hand of Pei Shiyun and the left hand of Ying Ying respectively.
An old general said, "Hey, we are from the same region, why divide into left and right? Just sit together. Look at how much the East and West regions are arguing, they are all sitting together."
As expected, they looked at Ying Pei.
The two men nodded to them with the same cold politeness.
Sheng Shu finally understood the words "apart from the military, this is more like a party" and was about to stop. Zhou Xingjian looked at Sheng Shu, Sheng Shu remained silent and sat down next to Zhou Xingjian.
"That's right."
Chief of Staff Wen had also been in the Northern Territory before, and had led Sheng Shu before: "Want to discuss tactics with Marshal Pei?"
This is to proactively bring up the topic to avoid embarrassment.
The light was dim, and they couldn't see the expressions of the people sitting there. Sheng Shu glanced at Pei Shiyun and answered calmly, "Before the front-line troops were mobilized, Marshal Pei gave me Marshal Ying's North Star Campaign as a reference. I was preparing to express my gratitude to Marshal Ying and Marshal Pei in person."
Chief of Staff Wen raised his eyebrows: "Oh. Beixing."
It was five or six years ago, are you still keeping it?
Everyone else also knew that it was not easy to preserve this kind of video, so they all went to see Pei Shiyun, a group of elders who were simply watching the fun.
Ying Ying turned the shallow glass in his hand nonchalantly.
Pei Shiyun said: "Marshal Ying hasn't been back to the inside for many years, so it's a good opportunity for me to recall the past."
After Sheng Shu finished answering, Chief of Staff Wen was drinking water. His expression was calm after hearing what he said, but he still took paper from the robot and wiped the water that spilled from the edge of the cup.
Marshal Pei has been on the inside line. It is self-evident whether he is recalling the battle or the person.
Zhou Xingjian was not a talkative person, and the others knew it, but at this moment they spoke up: "What's the hurry?" in a light voice.
Chief of Staff Wen was not so timid and laughed and scolded: "You are just blaming us old guys for not letting you two be together." He glanced at his old friend's suggestive expression, coughed again, and changed the subject: "What's the difference between your two troops training together?"
"Not going back to the inner line, is that something we can decide? This year, the Zerg will be completely wiped out. You can do whatever you want, and we won't interfere, okay?"
Pei Shiyun looked at Ying Ying again and retracted his gaze: "I dare not interfere."
Chief of Staff Wen: Is it us or her that you dare not interfere with?
Sheng Shu put the glass back on the robot's tray and said a few words to Ying Ying across their distance.
Then, an old general with considerable weight brought up a topic, but it was not an ordinary one: "Sheng Shu's engagement should be finalized, right?"
When this sentence came out, the picture was stable without shaking. But the audience suddenly wanted to see Zhou Xingjian's expression at this moment.
But he sat down in darkness, and apart from the sound just now, there was no sound.
Sheng Shu also said nothing unusual: "Well, it may be decided within this year. Uncle Zong will also be relieved."
Someone was surprised: "So fast?"
Zhu Heng didn't come today. But his father, Marshal Zhu, was sitting in the second row. He glanced at Sheng Shu and said, "How can it be so soon? Staff Officer Sheng is young and promising, and he is a good match for Admiral Zong Li. Besides, the mecha he drove in the last battle was also developed by him, right? They know each other so well, why can't they get married?"
He seemed to want to say something else, but Chief of Staff Wen turned around and continued to scold him with a smile: "Say less, old antique. Zhu Heng has been unable to spare time for the past few days, and you don't even care about him, and you still have time to care about his engagement."
Zhu Sui's face tightened. The reason he spoke was that he couldn't stand Zhu Heng and Wei Qi's marriage, and wanted to use Sheng Shu to talk to Zhu Heng.
Now the atmosphere in Xingyun is getting worse and worse. He can't control Ying Ying and Pei Shiyun, who are the real marshals, but can't he control Sheng Shu and Zhou Xingjian, who are lower in rank? No, Zhou Xingjian may have the Zhou family behind him, and Sheng Shu is an orphan.
Unexpectedly, Chief of Staff Zhou was not the only one who came to his defense. When Ying Ying put down the glass, Zhou Xingjian happened to speak in a calm voice:
"Marshal Zhu has not yet reported the good news to us."
He glanced sideways: "I don't know when the wedding will be set."
Zhu Sui’s face froze.
This marriage was already decided in the meeting hall, so his opposition was useless. Zhou Xingjian's words were equivalent to the fact that after no movement in the East and West Regions, he represented the forces in the Right Region and finalized the marriages of Sheng Shu and Zong Li, and Zhu Heng and Wei Qi.
How could he object then?
Zhu Sui was a little annoyed and glanced at Zhou Xingjian.
Doesn't he like Sheng Shu too? Why did he speak up at this time?
Zhu Sui did not answer, but there were others who answered. The next moment, Pei Shiyun spoke up: "I heard it's the sixteenth of next month."
Chief of Staff Wen: "You said it was military business, but I think you went to prepare for the wedding secretly?"
Zhu Sui snorted heavily. It would not be a wedding without him. But he clenched the armrest again, because Zhou Xingjian said, "I heard that Marshal Zhu and Dean Wei plan to keep everything simple, and even Uncle Zhu doesn't need to attend. It seems that we can't ask Uncle Zhu to pass on the gifts."
Zhu Sui's face twitched. Do you think I want to hand it over?
Ying Ying turned to look at Pei Shiyun: "You choose the gift?"
Pei Shiyun nodded: "Go back and take a look."
The couple did not shy away from talking, and just passed the clear path. Zhu Sui lost support, looked unhappy, and stopped talking.
But when the report began and the deafening sound rang out, Chief of Staff Wen wanted to get some water. When he raised his hand and touched the glass cup on the robot, he could feel the palm lines on it.
How violently the mental power fluctuated. He turned his head. Zhou Xingjian looked indifferent. Before he finished his report, he stood up first without looking at Sheng Shu: "I still have military affairs to attend to. I will go back first. Please do as you please."
Chief of Staff Wen and others greeted him, and Sheng Shu looked back. Chief of Staff Wen smiled and patted the armrest of her chair: "It's okay, don't worry about him."
Sheng Shu also shook his head and smiled.
She had informed him of the wedding news several months ago. He didn't receive it, which meant he never took Zuo Yu's news seriously.
The bustling scene turned into a deserted one. The science and technology building behind him was still carrying people up to overlook the night view of the central galaxy. Zhou Xingjian returned to the command ship with a cold glow.
As soon as he sat in the command position, he closed his eyes and pressed his fingers on his brows, but it seemed that he couldn't press them any further. The adjutant asked.
Zhou Xingjian opened his eyes and said, "Mark March 15th."
The adjutant did as he was told and opened it to confirm twice before discovering: "Marshal, it has been marked." It had been marked three months ago.
Zhou Xingjian didn't respond, looking at the floating street in front of him.
Something opened above my head. Although technology has advanced, the means of celebration have not changed. Then red paper with virtual images flashing colorful lights fell down, creating a festive atmosphere.
He saw him following the eighteen-year-old Sheng Shu in this warm light. She entered the military academy late at that time, and successfully graduated from the league at the age of eighteen. He promised to celebrate with her that night. But Jingwei said that gifts should be given at this time.
The two of them talked for a long time on the command ship, and she didn't pick out many things that she couldn't remember. She was a little cold at that time, like him, and then she said, "I'll just take a look."
He just looked at the two figures. Neither of them saw what they could buy. Neither of them thought of stopping. Just like that, he followed her on this similar street, walking on and on.
Walked to the end of the night.
The shredded paper flickered again. It wasn't late at night. It was New Year's Day.
Zhou Xingjian thought he should pick a gift, but since he hadn't picked one three months ago, it was impossible for him to pick one now.
He said to his adjutant, "Please choose one for me."
The adjutant was slightly stunned: "What?"
Zhou Xingjian stopped talking again. After a long time, he closed his eyes. The command ship had a temperature control system, and he was not doing military work, but he still did not take off his military jacket with heavy medals on it. It seemed that this was the only way he could remind himself who he was.
He can remember.
He should give a gift. Not do anything else.
"The mineral veins in the α-137 galaxy. And the energy ores from the two planets 377 and 564." Zhou Xingjian opened his eyes and breathed lighter: "Add these two."
The adjutant spent a long time to figure out: "Is it a gift sent to Zuoyu?" If it was an official gift for establishing diplomatic relations, it would be worth it. But if it was a wedding gift.
The adjutant hesitated. The pro-right party might think that this was the result of coercion and inducement from the left.
Zhou Xingjian: "Send it out in the name of the Northern Territory." He glanced at the calendar before setting sail. The number was circled like a bull's eye. But he couldn't see it clearly. Those were meaningless lines in his eyes.
"Remove the mark and patrol the star field that day."
"But."
"Let's go."
But that day was still three months in the future. When would the marshal confirm a particular itinerary so long in advance?
The adjutant was puzzled, but upon the marshal's instruction, he did so anyway, and also cleared the marks he had made three months ago.
The calendar closed and the command ship suddenly became dark.
They saw that in the dim blue light, there was no light and no one, only two swaying figures.
Zhou Xingjian asked, "Who told you that Zong Li has the information you need?"
She doesn't speak.
He continued to ask, in a stern tone: "Sheng Shu."
He was used to using this tone: "Do you know that you are--"
"No one told me." She suddenly interrupted him.
"I thought so myself."
Zhou Xingjian's figure paused for a moment. The faint blue light seemed to have a heart as its pumping center, rising and falling in a very regular pattern, but at this moment, it stopped.
Sheng Shu said, "I think I should make the decision. After all, I don't have a family. If I don't rely on the existing forces in Zuoyu and get pulled down, other generals who grew up in poor environments will also be pulled down."
She can't retreat.
Zhou Xingjian seemed to want to speak, but the darkness around him was so pervasive that he couldn't say anything.
Sheng Shu: "Maybe you think I've changed." She smiled: "But this is just the safety rule I figured out."
She brushed past him, and Zhou Xingjian heard the voice coming out of his throat: "I clearly told you that you can come to me if you have any difficulties."
She paused.
There it was. She said, “But I don’t want to keep going like this.”
Zhou Xingjian's breathing changed. He turned around and looked at her.
Sheng Shu smiled and said, "Senior Brother, will you marry me?" This sentence came so suddenly, and her expression was so calm that for a moment he actually thought it was an invitation.
But she had already said to herself: "No, Brother."
These two calls of "senior brother" were like a seal.
Sheng Shu turned around. Her face emerged from the darkness. He dared not look directly at it. He watched her grow up. She was so bright and pretty that he dared not approach her.
So he stood there too, with his back to the light, and listened to her:
"I won't do that either."
They've both made their choice. Let's move forward.
The figure belonging to Sheng Shu disappeared.
Zhou Xingjian stood in the darkness, trying to escape this moment of being out of control.
But every time she met Zong Li, it was deeply imprinted in his mind and could not be erased.
When they arrived at the headquarters, the adjutant reminded him, and Zhou Xingjian opened his eyes and saw that the sky was changing from bright to dim, with the bright part being swallowed up bit by bit in the gap between the two parts.
He stood up and subconsciously held his head.
Someone asked: "Isn't Sheng Shu also Wei Zheng's student? Why is he so polite to Xing Jian? He doesn't even call him senior brother."
She looked at him.
He said, "The teacher left early."
She lowered her eyes, thinking that he didn't consider her as his junior sister.
But he just didn't want to be her senior brother.
He had been the right chief of staff for so many years. He could no longer be her senior.
Zhou Xingjian put down his hand and walked off the ship.
Unfortunately, now, he will no longer be the senior brother.
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