"Which general? ..... " Fatty was a bit puzzled. This Russell was rather too arrogant. Only a general could see through your plan, not a lieutenant staff officer?
There was no point in exchanging pleasantries with such an enemy, so Fatty couldn’t be bothered with him. He waved his hand like shooing away a fly and said, "You should ask Admiral Bernadotte about that personally."
Russell encountered a setback, nodded and walked out, secretly amazed, "Even a special forces lieutenant of the Leray Federation is so brazen. Facing an Imperial Admiral who might likely become a Federation General, without a hint of respect, these federal soldiers truly have a ’nothing matters’ attitude."
The two days flew by quickly. On the early morning of the third day, before Tian Xingjian got up, the convoy welcoming Russell was already waiting outside the Simai Hotel.
To coordinate the publicity, the Federation Government put a lot of effort into the welcoming ceremony for Russell. Federation President Hamilton personally hosted the reception at Gallipalan, giving Russell ample respect for an opponent in war, while also delivering a stinging blow to the reputation of the Gazalin Empire in the eyes of the international community.
The television news over the past two days had continuous coverage of this event. The international uproar was immense, and inside Gazalin, chaos had ensued. Fatty never expected that this person whom he had kicked and beaten all the way would turn out to be so important. This admiral, who wasn’t even ranked highly among internationally renowned military figures, had triggered a domino effect of no small magnitude.
The frontline army of the Gazalin Empire on Miloke Planet collapsed entirely, the Imperial Fleet of the Newton Star System retreated in defeat, the Federation completely captured Miloke Main Star, and seized full victory on the second star, securing control over the entire Newton Star System’s space. Internal turmoil within the Empire and the soaring morale of the Federation, all due to the defection of this Imperial Admiral.
The Federation connected Russell’s special status with the victory in the Newton Star System and the POW incident, launching a campaign of propaganda that significantly tarnished the reputation of the Imperial Family of Gazalin, leaving them isolated.
Now, Tian Xingjian had nothing more to worry about. He awoke naturally, put on casual clothes, and walked out of the hotel. Boarding the luxury flying car arranged by the hotel, Fatty decided to take a good look around Gallipalan City. After such a long war, he had nearly forgotten what life was like.
Gallipalan is the political, economic, and cultural center of all Miloke, with the highest population density among all the cities, including over a dozen renowned universities with long histories. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
Human space colonization had deeply imprinted this planet, nearly the size of Earth, with the marks of human civilization.
The Federation people are free, brave, and hardworking. The residents of Miloke share these qualities, even excelling in them.
Walking on the streets of Gallipalan, flying cars whizzed by in their respective lanes, pedestrians gathered at street corners in a hurry, then dispersed, heading towards their destinations, everyone with a bright and energetic smile, making the whole city seem full of vitality.
Some shops were busy preparing to reopen, and roadside billboards already advertised an upcoming concert by a popular singer at Miloke. Several high school students excitedly chattered under the posters. An old man stood before a store window, watching as the saleslady dressed a mannequin in new fashion. Seeing her glare at him, the old man sheepishly smiled and walked away, hands behind his back, looking around. A group of stylishly dressed, young, pretty women happily exited a mall, carrying shopping bags, chatting and occasionally bursting into clear laughter.
Humans always manage to quickly lick their wounds, recover from pain, and dive into new lives with an indomitable spirit. The past is just that, the past; life goes on.
Massive trucks continuously passed by Tian Xingjian, loaded with various machinery and materials. Construction sites that had come to a halt now resumed their busy rebuilding efforts. Workers bustled about, and the city’s recovery was impressively strong. War had left but briefly, like a bamboo shoot after a rainstorm, the city was doing its utmost to recover and grow.
Fatty stood dumbfounded at the street corner, watching the bustling crowd. He loved this kind of life, he truly wished he could be one of these people, with a job, a wife, a house, a car, and a pair of kids. After the war, Fatty suddenly realized once more how out of place he was with all the gunfire.
To gaze longingly at a life you desire but cannot join is indeed painful, yet Fatty didn’t feel that way. He just felt it was wonderful, serene, and pleasant. Even if he could only look, he was happy.
Ann Lei had been silently watching Tian Xingjian from behind for quite some time now.
She had been passing by, but her eyes had instantly caught Tian Xingjian in the crowd, standing at the street corner with a somewhat silly and lonely demeanor. Ann Lei couldn’t help but ask the driver to stop the car. She then quietly stood behind this childhood friend, watching him, trying to connect the person in her memory with the silly guy in front of her.
The memories quickly overlapped with reality. He hadn’t changed; he had always been this way, someone inherently at odds with war.
Such a person, forced into this brutal war, what kind of situation would arise? Ann Lei never dared to imagine it before, but now she knew. This person would erupt with tremendous strength, because he wanted to break free, to struggle.
These past few days had been the longest of Ann Lei’s life. She sought information about Tian Xingjian repeatedly, tirelessly listening to those familiar with his story at the forward command. The more she listened, the more she wanted to hear, the more she wanted to hear, the greater her desire to see him again.
Now, this boy from the past stood about ten steps away from her. Ann Lei suddenly felt a bit flustered, doubting if she even knew what she wanted. What to say if she spoke to him? It seemed all she could do was talk....
Ann Lei didn’t know, buried deep in her heart, whether it was this hero-enshrined man before her, or the once lonely boy who watched her from afar, whom she pitied, or that imaginatively mischievous, lecherous Fatty who ogled beauties.
The two of them just stood there, one behind the other, quietly, in the bustling street.
Ann Lei sighed, turned around, and wanted to leave quietly. She hadn’t figured out how to face Tian Xingjian. She wanted to retreat to her room to think it over.
With one last look at the silly Fatty figure, Ann Lei’s frustration peaked. That lecherous Fatty was ogling a busty beauty approaching, drooling with his neck twisted nearly 180 degrees following his gaze.
Then, Fatty saw Ann Lei behind him and heard that delicate scolding voice, "Tian Mimimi! What are you doing...!"
My wife’s grandmother was admitted to the hospital today. Still two updates, will return to three updates tomorrow.