Chapter 7
Sharp and rare in not being overly clever, yet still inexperienced and in need of tempering, a young person who is like a blank slate, with a background that is neither too light nor too heavy, and not much involvement, perhaps could be of use. Yang Ning quickly assessed Fu Luo in her mind, "It's a pity... she is a girl; I wonder how far she can go."
The two individuals stood facing the wall, their backs pressed against it, resembling soldiers with their straightened postures. Both pairs of eyes were fixed on the television, as if it were a missile poised to explode at any moment; indeed, the screen itself seemed to tremble slightly.
Of course—actually, Yang Ning did not know that, for some reason, Fu Luo did not take her mother's surname. However, at this moment, observing the situation, he noticed that Fu Luo's expression resembled more of a playful complaint towards her elders, rather than the typical tension seen in children from single-parent families with their estranged parents.
The myriad scents of serums blend together, filling the entire bedroom with floral, herbal, and oceanic fragrances, creating an intense visual sensation reminiscent of "the vibrant colors of spring". For Fu Luo, who has a somewhat sensitive nasal mucosa, it is nothing short of a biochemical weapon
According to informed sources, statistics show that the hawkish candidate Adolf has secured nearly 80% of the votes, ensuring his victory. What inclinations did Adolf express in his campaign speech? What new situation do people expect him to bring to his planetary system, Earth
"You ... ... sigh, forget it, let's just watch TV," Yang Ning said, casually pressing a button on the wall, causing the flowers on the wallpaper to dissipate, revealing a clear screen on the wall
A segment of interstellar news is currently being broadcast on television, discussing the human elections in that star system
She paused for a moment and continued, "Although they belong to the same race, between the two regimes, if they wish to unite and 'return to Earth', then war is the only option."
Her mother does not want her to become a soldier at all, whether it is flying in the sky or running on the ground—Fu Luo is well aware of all this
Fu Luo felt somewhat unreal, not because she did not want to believe Ye Wenlin, but because reality was too stark. Is there really a possibility of war?
Fu Luo stared at the television, sorting through the tangled thoughts in his mind: "One hundred years ago, in the second year after our army achieved a comprehensive victory against the cosmic exile army, the humans from the other galaxy, who had already established an ecosystem and regime in their galaxy, sent a congratulatory message and subtly expressed their desire to return to Earth. This was met with an unprecedented unanimous rejection by the United Nations at that time. In the following century, although the official relationship between the two sides appeared to have eased, with ongoing discussions about cooperation and continuous trade exchanges, the underlying public sentiment of resistance has been fermenting. On the 'Ether Platform' of the Space Human Alliance Network, large-scale cyber wars occurred six times within a century..."
Yang Ning did not agree, nor did he deny; he simply observed Fu Luo quietly for a moment. His eye sockets were somewhat deep, and the color of his pupils was particularly dark, with a gaze that inadvertently carried a hint of inscrutability. After a while, he finally asked: "Did you come up with all this yourself?"
He revealed a pleasant smile on his face without showing any emotion, and in a very insincere and pretentious tone, he complimented, "Hmm, not bad, very thoughtful"
Yang Ning seemed somewhat surprised as she glanced at Fu Luo, her hands clasped behind her back, and could not help but ask again: "Why did the people thirty years ago not choose war?"
The general's wife is about to celebrate her 50th birthday, an integer, and there will be a grand birthday banquet in the evening. The venue has been properly arranged, and the invitations have all been sent out.
Fu Luonene took the bottle of drink with a hesitant expression and said, "Oh"
Fu Luo's gaze fell upon the snow-white walls of General Yang's home, where dynamic flowers bloomed and withered beautifully on the wallpaper. She stared at the vividly colored petals, feeling somewhat lost about the future
On the contrary, the two biological children of that lady, after a moment of curiosity, showed themselves briefly, but soon lost patience and disappeared without a trace.
The woman in the house is not his biological mother after all, and being young, her adult son must avoid any misunderstandings. Yang Ning found it inconvenient to move around while his stepmother was dressing up, so he, like Fu Luo, stayed at the door and engaged in casual conversation with her.
Teacher Robin did not take the stage himself, but calmly guided the assistants from the side, with specific individuals responsible for styling hair, others for hands, and yet others for feet. Following this line of thought, the formal makeup and hair styling procedures would likely not begin until at least the evening, and it is not yet time for him to personally take the lead.
Fu Luo came back to her senses and involuntarily wrinkled her nose
However, she still does not wish to serve as a duty officer or a ceremonial guard under such a leader
Suddenly, a bottle of beverage was handed to her right under her eyes. Fu Luo's spine tensed, and it took her a moment to react, realizing that Yang Ning had somehow walked up beside her.
Fu Luo observed coldly, believing that as a son with no blood relation whatsoever, Yang Ning had truly gone above and beyond for his stepmother, leaving no room for criticism. Not to mention that he personally contacted Teacher Robin and took the initiative to discuss the plan, he is now here accompanying her throughout the entire process
Fu Luo reflexively returned to the attention position: "Report, sir, received, excellent!"
In terms of emotions, Fu Luo wants to acknowledge Ye Tiancai, but rationally, she sincerely hopes that her future superior is not such a superficial person
Before long, footsteps were heard, and Yang Ning appeared accompanied by a nanny, who was pushing a small cart filled with beverages and various snacks, specially brought for the staff in the room
Thus, he naturally shifted the topic: "Do you have any plans? Which part do you want to go to?"
However
Suddenly, something happened in Fu Luo's mind, and a flash of inspiration struck.
Yang Ning waved his hand casually and said, "You haven't officially enlisted yet. Besides, I am on leave, so there's no need to be so formal. Don't shout in my ear every time like you're counting off—here, have some water."
Yang Ning: "What are you responsible for?"
Moreover, her mother and her father Wang Yi, who remarried after their divorce several years ago, would not agree to her going to the front lines
Fu Luo shifted the center of gravity to her right foot, becoming slightly more relaxed
At that moment, Yang Ning slowly spoke up, saying: "Not long after your registration certificate was issued, Commissioner Wang had already contacted me. I used to know your father, so you don't need to be so nervous when you meet me privately. Just treat me like an older brother in your daily life."
Yang Ning: "... ... Just relax, I am just asking casually"
Fu Luo then remembered his instruction to "chat casually," so he shifted his weight back to his left foot, adopting a very stiff posture, forcing himself to relax a little once again. Like a rookie soldier who had made a mistake, he lowered his head slightly and awkwardly twisted the tips of his shoes, completely undermining the androgynous charm that Teacher Robin had meticulously crafted with his subtly flamboyant glasses and sparkling hair gel.
Fu Luo hesitated for a moment, staring at the television that was still commenting on the galactic election, and asked: "Can I go to the front line?"
However, Major Yang from the prestigious Space Warfare Division II actually spent a considerable amount of time, as long as half a month, seriously engaged in this matter
Fu Luodun immediately became tense: "Sir!"
Eighty percent of the votes
Ah? Fu Luo felt a bit uncomfortable as she scratched her head, and as a result, she felt that her hands were sticky with hair gel, making her even more uneasy. "No, it was a senior brother of mine who reminded me, but he didn't clarify the reason. The reason part was something I just guessed while watching TV earlier, so it might be somewhat incorrect..."
Fu Luo hesitated and glanced at him, and Yang Ning immediately burst into laughter—indeed, he was just a child who had recently graduated from school, innocent and straightforward, with his thoughts almost transparent to others.
Fu Luo felt somewhat anxious, but she could not discern anything from Yang Ning's expression, as if they were merely engaging in a casual conversation.
Since childhood, she has been able to live her life in a very easygoing manner, making do with whatever comes her way. Yet, there is this one small point of persistence, as if it is a spark carefully nurtured by her soul. How could she easily give it up
Considering everyone's dietary preferences, these are all sugar-free and fat-free foods, Yang Ning stood at the door without entering, merely gesturing for the nanny to hand the school bus to an assistant of Teacher Robin, and politely said, "If anyone needs anything else, please feel free to call me, thank you all for your hard work"
The vast galaxy has always been her dream
Yang Ning looked at her helplessly
Yang Ning asked: "Aren't you going in to help?"
"Seven times," Yang Ning could not help but correct, "The last time was just before the signing of the Free Trade Agreement in the space, the officials suppressed the news, fearing it would have a negative impact. At that time, you probably weren't even around—so what are you trying to say?"
Fu Luo was momentarily taken aback; she had not considered this aspect. After a while, she hesitantly asked, "Is it because the generation that fled Earth at that time is still alive, and they find it psychologically difficult to take action against their home planet?"
First, there are hand masks, foot masks, lip masks, facial masks, eye masks, hair masks... Various masks envelop the customer like a silkworm cocoon, fortunately, the facial mask has left two holes for her to avoid suffocating to death
However, Fu Xiaoxin cried the entire night that evening
It seems as if she was born to belong there
Yang Daxiao's stepmother, who is also the general's wife, is named Ji Tao. True to her name, she is a stunning beauty with a face like a peach blossom
The orderly and unusually serious appearance of a group of people reminded Fu Luo of the process of making the world's largest bun, which was featured on television during a Guinness World Records application.
Yang Ning said slowly, "Oh? If I remember correctly, it was that crazy proposal that caused the recently unified political landscape of his star system to fall into turmoil again. What makes you think that if the hawks come to power a second time, they will make the same choice?"
Yang Ning: "You mentioned last time that you just graduated, right? How were your grades?"
Without any pretensions, considerate, gentle, and good-tempered... Fu Luo silently assessed this future superior, probably a person of good character.
Yang Ning was taken aback, suddenly squinting his eyes. After a pause, he spoke in a slower and softer tone
Half a month ago, Yang Ning took the initiative to contact Teacher Robin, and both parties began to communicate intensively about the plan, revising it repeatedly and discussing various details bit by bit, which was even more meticulous than the pre-war internal reports, until the night before, when the entire styling plan was finalized.
From the moment she first heard the name "Sharp Blade" in her childhood, she became enchanted by this space military organization. It seemed as if there was an indescribable connection, and the instant the name reached her ears, it instilled in her an inexplicable sense of belonging
He patiently reassured, saying: "I was just joking about the honor guard; even if you are genuinely interested, you would still need to have the logistics department prepare a pair of height-increasing shoes for you."
Yang Ning knows about her parents' divorce; otherwise, she would not have chosen not to take her father's surname
If it is true, then... it really does have a bit of the meaning of "While soldiers face death on the battlefield, beauties still sing and dance beneath their tents"
Fu Luofei quickly said: "Because this time the hawkish leader Adolf received nearly 80% of the votes, this indicates that the people of his galaxy are choosing war"
It is evident that this time, with the tight schedule and heavy tasks, Teacher Robin has indeed misjudged—Fu Luo, this comrade, is truly not suited for the flamboyant "transgender style"; she is more fitting for the style of a small soldier hailing from the urban-rural fringe.
Fu Luo: "I am not responsible for this"
The subject that Teacher Robin is to serve this time is Yang Daxiao's mother—strictly speaking, his stepmother
In order not to disturb others, she quietly slipped out, standing straight at the door, motionless, pretending to be a stone lion guarding the entrance
Led by Teacher Robin, more than ten assistants surrounded her, managing every exposed cell of hers as if they were stars supporting the moon
The female lead's makeup and styling must certainly be dazzling, outshining everyone else, as it also pertains to the reputation of General Yang. It would not do for him to finally enjoy a tender shoot only to find it turns out to be a dog's tail.
Fu Luo only observed for a while before feeling dazzled; she finally understood that her entire appearance was indeed a result of Uncle Luo's leniency, as it was merely a "simple grooming" after all
With her current abilities, she is indeed insufficient to enter the elite ranks—Fu Luo had to admit that no matter how hard she tried to keep up with Ye Wenlin, it seemed impossible to narrow the gap between them
Fu Luo hesitated for a moment and said frankly: "Just... move some equipment and so on"
Furthermore, Fu Luo organized his thoughts and stated, "The human regime in his galaxy has been in turmoil for fifty years, with the economy continuously regressing. Thirty years ago, there was a brief period of unification, during which the hawks gained power with a slight advantage in public support and proposed a plan to 'return to Earth'.
Yang Ning: "I heard that the interns from your graduating class have been assigned to the three departments. Did Old Cao give you your internship grades?"
At that time, Fu Luo had not yet graduated from high school, and she secretly went to participate in the early enrollment of the military academy by herself. It was only when the admission notice arrived that she informed her mother, who was kept in the dark about the matter. Fu Xiaoxin's expression changed immediately, but seeing Fu Luo's joyful demeanor, she managed to restrain herself with the composure of an adult and did not explode in front of her.
"The front line?" he asked almost word by word, "There is no war, so where is the front line?"
Fu Luoli Zheng: "Report to the Commander, all ten items are excellent!"
Unfortunately, due to the lack of familiarity in their relationship, Yang Ning felt it was inappropriate to ask further questions