Chapter 42 Swimming Fish
◎Flying Bird◎
Luo Wusheng felt that the warming of the sea water was not a psychological feeling, but a physical fact.
Under the huge water pressure, Shi Hanqiao felt Luo Wusheng's slight pull before he was forced to let go. Turning around, she saw that it was the water grass pulling the end. She threw away the whip handle and rushed towards the young man falling into the deep sea.
Shi Hanqiao grabbed the waterweed that had slipped from her hands last time. It began to twitch wildly but, like the prey it had hunted before, it could not struggle out.
The jagged edge cut her palm. To save its life, the demonic waterweed frantically injected toxins into the wound, dozens of times more than normal. In just a few breaths, all the toxins it produced were used up. However, the person holding it did not loosen their grip at all. Even when her blood stained the stems and leaves of the waterweed, it wilted instead, and its surface shrank and rotted as if corroded by venom.
Shi Hanqiao let go of the water grass, and the karma fire flowed from where she held it along the stems and leaves of the water grass to the deep sea. Wherever it passed, ashes condensed in the extreme heat of the flames and the extreme cold of the sea water.
The water plants that stretched for hundreds of meters were burned to ashes in the sea water by the karmic fire, leaving behind a long line that eventually returned to the deep sea.
She pulled the broken seaweed from Luo Wusheng's wound, twisted it in her palm, and it turned into powder and sank to the bottom of the sea along with its body.
Floating up to the height of the young man, he closed his eyes weakly and unconsciously expelled all the air from his lungs. Large bubbles floated to the surface of the water.
Shi Hanqiao raised his head to see the distance to the sea surface, reached out to pinch the back of his neck, and transferred spiritual power to him; with his other hand, he lifted his chin, tilted his head forward slightly, pressed his lips against his, and passed the air to him.
With the dual assistance, the toxins in Luo Wusheng's body were discharged from the wound along with the blood. His consciousness became clear and his physical strength gradually recovered.
"Ahem—"
The young man opened his eyes to see Shi Hanqiao's enlarged face. His pupils suddenly dilated, and he shifted unconsciously in surprise. Their lips parted in an instant, and a transparent bubble drifted upward from the corner of his mouth. The hand pressing on the back of his neck moved to the back of his head. A force pulled him closer to her, and their lips reconnected.
Luo Wusheng could clearly feel the air coming over, with a faint scent of lily of the valley. When he thought of taking in the breath of her pheromones, a slight blush crept up his cheeks.
The phoenix eyes opened wide in the water, and when Shi Hanqiao saw the watery and bright eyes, he wanted to touch them, but what flashed through his mind was the scene of him accidentally falling that night and his left eye hitting her lips.
She then noticed that he had a small mole at the end of his left eye, which was not noticeable unless you looked closely.
However, there is no time to think about anything else now.
After ensuring that there was enough air to cross, Shi Hanqiao stepped back, put his arm around his waist, and swam upwards.
The warmth on her lips left without any reluctance, replaced by the cold sea water. Luo Wusheng did not struggle, but half leaned against her.
Ever since his mother died ten years ago, everything around him had changed. He had grown up in an instant, never relying on anyone again. When he leaned on Shi Hanqiao, he didn't feel the unreality of being on cloud nine, but instead, a constant flow of warmth passed through his clothes soaked by the cold seawater.
At this moment, he just hoped that the time underwater could last a little longer.
Hope is always hope, and the long road has an end, not to mention the sea which is not far away.
Even though Shi Hanqiao was carrying one person, he did not slow down at all. After a while, they broke through the sea surface, and Duxing Peak was not far in front of them.
“We’re behind.”
Luo Wusheng thought she would let him go and go ahead, but he didn't expect that she would just tighten her arms around his waist and take him to the top of the Solitary Peak at a relaxed pace.
She avoided Bai Muxue's outstretched hand, and instead pushed him ashore with her arm, then jumped and easily landed on the top of the Solitary Peak.
[Ahhh! You two were alone underwater for ten minutes! Is there anything that a distinguished VIP like me can't see?!]
Every school's photography ball is a different style, but why is the Sphinx's image blurry underwater? Are Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng the losers, or are we, the audience, the losers?
[I think it was us! Ten minutes! I'd believe them if they French kissed underwater!]
[I'm a fan of their relationship, but after watching their previous livestreams, I can see that their vibe and sense of relationship are truly amazing. However, their interactions are all within the normal social circle, and there's no sign of intimacy.]
[So worried, the fans are even more worried than the real person. Lighting a cigarette.jpg]
[This is hilarious! Let alone a ten-minute French kiss, even if they just kissed underwater, I'd die of laughter.]
The lone comment that inadvertently guessed the truth drifted past amidst a sea of mocking comments. The scene focused on the summit of Lone Peak. Just like the first mission, a long table held a blank wooden board. A robot stood behind it, its belly screen reading: "Please write your names on the board." Nearby, an unmanned helicopter waited for them.
Shi Hanqiao wrote down his and Luo Wusheng's names with a flourish of his pen, then handed the wooden board directly to him.
Others were also writing their names and the names of those present.
There were eight names written on each of the four wooden boards.
"Why are you two still writing?" Ling Shuang stopped writing, glanced at Yu Rongshui who had stopped writing with her, and her eyes fell on Bai Muxue and Luo Wusheng who were still writing.
Bai Muxue replied without even looking up, "Write the names of the other eight people on the back."
"What? Eight more people?"
Luo Wusheng stopped writing and explained, "Those who died in your initial team, the initial team usually has ten people, only a few teams have one more person."
"You will most likely be in a group of ten. The names of the remaining eight people who will be eliminated are written on the back."
"Um...what are they called?"
Ling Shuang asked her lover, Mei Yao could barely remember four or five names and wrote them down, but she couldn't remember the rest clearly.
There are even fewer royal bestie duos, so I only wrote down two names and have no idea about the others.
Only the two wooden boards of Sphinx and Longcheng have the names of sixteen people. Shi Hanqiao and Bai Muqi certainly don't know the names of their teammates who were eliminated long ago. This can only be attributed to the two commanders Bai Muxue and Luo Wusheng.
Mastering the basic information of everyone in the team is the basic work that every commander should do.
"Wait," Mo Wushuang realized and asked, "The first mission asked us to write the names of the teammates who arrived alive on the wooden board. Shouldn't we also write the names of the teammates who were eliminated?"
"The task says that we can only write about teammates present. They are all eliminated, so we shouldn't write about them!" Mei Yao agreed with her, but there was a strong uncertainty in her tone.
Bai Muxue said: "They should all be non-military professionals."
The two groups of four without a leader nodded, looking at her eagerly, waiting for her to explain. However, the commander of the Imperial Military Academy looked at the commander of the Sphinx and asked, "Don't you have to start from the beginning?"
"Have you finished writing?" Shi Hanqiao forced his way into the conversation. "Go back first after you finish."
She glanced at the young man's wound, which had been sprayed with hemostatic agent but not yet bandaged, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
All four groups handed in the wooden boards, and the robot asked them to board the helicopter for the return trip. The camera balls were all turned off, and the camera inside the helicopter took pictures.
As soon as she got on the helicopter, Mei Yao asked curiously. Coincidentally, the robot conveyed Colonel Bu's order, asking each of them to record a video to summarize their military training experience.
The Sphinx's commander happened to open the video recording and slowly began to explain, "During the first seven days of adaptation, the first task is differentiation and integration, the second task is to eliminate half of the people, and the third task is a free-for-all game. The additional task is the extreme environment."
Ling Shuang: "I think I understand."
Yu Rongshui: "I don't think I understand."
Mei Yao touched her chin and said, "I seem to understand, but I also don't seem to understand."
"Puff"
No one in the helicopter could hold back their laughter. The serious atmosphere and tone coupled with the confused expressions of several people were really funny.
Bai Muxue explained, "Simply put, the first seven days were mainly spent on training with the military majors. The first mission was to reduce the number of students undergoing military training from all freshmen to just those majoring in military science. The second mission eliminated half of the freshmen majoring in military science. The third mission was temporarily changed midway through. Originally, the remaining half of the freshmen were supposed to form alliances and fight each other. The winner would be king, and the eliminated would have a chance to fight back. However, they all fell for your trick. The more they tried to capture you and Shi Hanqiao, the more they gathered together, making it easier to annihilate them all."
Her last words were directed to Luo Wusheng.
"Melee isn't difficult, but too many people are just a pile of loose sand. A commander's opponents are always other commanders, and your opponents are the people under other commanders. In teamwork, everyone should bear the responsibility for failure and also share in the glory of success."
Sphinx's command was rational and sober. He did not follow her words and become arrogant and take all the credit on himself. They were an alliance, and victory depended on the efforts and cooperation of everyone.
[So, non-military students had no sense of participation at all and were just cannon fodder.]
[That's right, since this is the home ground for military majors, then why not let non-military majors go?]
[Hey, a comment appeared on the robot's screen.]
The commentary that appeared on the robot's screen referred to the non-military students' lack of participation and perceived role as cannon fodder. Below it was a text message programmed by the robot: [Please respond to this.]
Ling Shuang said, "Non-military majors also have to undergo military training before they enroll. The first seven days are just simple wilderness survival exercises. Isn't it normal to train together?"
To put it bluntly, people who haven't experienced hardship often find these days of surviving in the wild to be tough.
I saw a freshman in one group crying non-stop after getting a cut on his arm, and I had to comfort the military freshman next to him whose thigh was pierced by a dagger. I was really impressed.
Yes, yes, yes. Honestly, many people these days who aren't military professionals have never experienced hardship, and they're lazy and uninitiated. I think it would be great if they could gain something from this military training.
[Who do you think you are? Every child is a child. If my child suffered like this, I would be heartbroken.]
"Is this what you call suffering? I'm practically laughing my ass off. For the first seven days, the non-military professionals weren't eliminated much. They just walked and ran a little too much. Even though they encountered some strange beasts and plants, the camera balls followed them and didn't put them in any danger."
[Understand, they're freshmen at the four major military academies! Regardless of whether they're majoring in military or not, shouldn't they strive to improve themselves? Whether it's physical fitness, mental quality, or other aspects.]
[This is getting off topic.]
The biggest controversy about this issue is that non-military and military majors are on opposite sides, but what if it's not like that?
[What else could it be? This is hilarious! Have you all forgotten how Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng killed their teammates right at the start of the game? Does this prove that freshmen who aren't majoring in military science can be easily abandoned?!]
As soon as these words were spoken, the screen was filled with criticism. Some people felt that things should not be said in this way, but they didn't know how to refute.
"That's hard to say." Luo Wusheng was answering Ling Shuang's question. He explained, "Non-military majors aren't cannon fodder. As you said, they also have to undergo military training. The first seven days are indeed like surviving in the wilderness for them. It's not difficult."
"In this joint military training, military training isn't the key word; unity is. Whether it's rules or identities, there are too many conflicts in military training, but the key to victory in the end is unity. Freshmen who are not majoring in military majors or military training majors should follow our team's standards." He took the initiative to talk about his team and Shi Hanqiao's team. "The other eight teammates died at the beginning. It really is not a military training experience at all."
"But aren't they also the first of the Sphinx?"
Yu Rongshui's tone was excited, mixed with a little envy. Winning without any effort was also very nice.
Luo Wusheng nodded, "Yes. But if we bring them with us, first of all, it will affect our running-in rhythm, and secondly, they won't be able to stay until the end of the first mission. And when the first mission was issued, it did say that teammates must be present and write down their names. Our team determined that the teammates who were eliminated were still there, so we also wrote their names on the back. So they are not really eliminated."
Mei Yao said truthfully: "I'm a little confused, but I also kind of understand."
Luo Wusheng said, "This is how I interpret it. Our arrival on this planet is like arriving at the border, and military training is like going to war. Freshmen who are not majoring in military are civilians, and we are soldiers. We should protect them. What is the best way to protect them?"
Ling Shuang blurted out: "Let them leave the border safely!"
Luo Wusheng didn't say anything else. The four people who had no command suddenly realized what was going on. This made sense.
【!!! I hadn't thought of this! It makes perfect sense!】
[I can't take it anymore. I'm suddenly very sad and touched. So, if Luo Wusheng and Shi Hanqiao 'died,' at least his eight teammates just left the border.]
[Yes, if they win, their non-military teammates will win without any problems. If they lose, their non-military teammates will also be evacuated safely.]
[Isn't this the first thing General Shi Qi did when he led his men to the border?!]
[Yes, yes, yes! I just burst into tears. Over 20 years ago, the first thing General Shi Qi did when he led his troops to garrison the border was to forcibly take away the civilians there.]
[At the time, countless people criticized her, but time has proven her right! Our enemy, the Zerg, is also evolving. They will use the civilians along the border to threaten the troops of the major legions and make them unable to do anything.]
After General Shi Qi cleared the Zerg from the nearest defense line, he petitioned the Imperial Family for permission to reclaim the planet. Those who left the border are now living peacefully and comfortably!
Luo Wusheng's reasoning is valid, but fans, please don't bring up General Shi Qi and flatter the real protagonist, okay?
[That's right! General Shi Qi has been stationed at the border for twenty years. Don't bring her up to create buzz.]
I'm impressed. Whatever he says is the truth. He clearly dislikes the other person for being a drag on his team. His words are so refreshing and refined.
[But since we have no fighting power, when faced with a crisis, we naturally obey the orders of the police or rescue soldiers and don't cause trouble for them!]
[Don't criticize for the sake of criticizing, and don't praise for the sake of praising. Luo Wusheng seemed to want to say something more.]
"This is my point of view. When facing thousands of people, different commanders have different considerations." Luo Wusheng looked at Bai Muxue.
Woman A continued, "Indeed, I guessed the key words a little later, and my planning wasn't as decisive or thorough as yours. We accumulated a lot of points in the first seven days, but we also suffered some losses. When I finally understood the key words, I made the same decision as you."
"So you're really lucky." Bai Muxue looked at the two teams whose teammates had been unexpectedly killed. They didn't have to worry about making choices. "On a larger scale, making choices is a decision that determines the outcome of the battle. On a smaller scale, it's the choice of every person participating in the military training."
Luo Wusheng nodded: "The battlefield is ever-changing, and so is life. The word 'choice' has different meanings for everyone."
He looked at Shi Hanqiao, who nodded and said, "Ditto."
Then Woman A stopped recording and said to the young man, "Send me a copy."
"Okay." Luo Wusheng didn't even edit the video. He directly copied a copy and sent it to her. Together, they handed in the assignment of recording a video about their military training experience, which Colonel Bu posted through a robot.
[Hmm... I'm almost in tears after hearing all this talk, and you're just trying to complete the mission?!]
[When I saw Luo Wusheng turn his head to look at Shi Hanqiao while he was talking, this CP fan almost broke down. I was careless! ]
Off topic, am I the only one who feels familiar with this? Isn't this me as a kid, copying classmates when I didn't want to do my homework?! Hahahaha!
Shi Hanqiao's behavior inspired others. Fox looked at the eight videos that were almost identical, seven of which only had the sentence "ditto". The corners of his mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly, his tone full of helplessness and envy.
"Shi Qi, your good daughter!"
【Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! What did I see?!】
[Mom, I’m exhausted! What good day is today?!]
[Is the official assisting again?! ]
The entire screen was filled with comments from fans of the product, simply because Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng were right next to each other in the live broadcast.
About fifteen seconds ago, the helicopter, flying steadily in the air, suddenly lurched. This was a common occurrence, and everyone quickly regained their composure.
However, the turbulence only stopped for two seconds, and then the fuselage began to shake violently with an amplitude beyond ordinary people's expectations. The standing objects in the cabin fell to the ground, and the small robot squatted down and tightly grasped the fixed table legs.
Luo Wusheng fell to the outside, and her forehead was about to compete with the corner of the table to see which was stronger. A hand reached out from the back to protect her forehead and pulled her in the opposite direction, and she fell towards the woman A beside her.
Because of the constant turbulence, Woman A grabbed him by the waist and lifted him up, leaning him against her chest. Unlike the other six people who frantically grabbed onto fixed objects to steady themselves, the two of them remained firmly planted in their seats.
Luo Wusheng reached out and grabbed Shi Hanqiao's sleeve, with his head slightly tilted back. The latter put his arm around his waist, his eyebrows slightly lowered.
Their eyes met in the turbulent air, like birds and fish running towards each other in a storm.
【Author’s words】
To ruin the atmosphere: the fish should jump out to breathe, and the birds should be catching them~~~
(Bushi, it’s a two-way love!)
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