Chapter 451: Chapter 219: The Irritable Little Squid
The explosion, which seemed inexplicable to many, persisted for a long time, starting at that terrifying-looking monster and spreading all around. The sound of the explosion and the splattering pus painted an indescribable eerie picture.
It wasn’t until dawn broke and the sun rose that the scene, which had raged all night, slowly came to a halt. Li You intended to order the warship to land but was stopped by Gu Ningzhi, and the energy vortex formed by the Nascent Stone also hindered the warship’s actions. With such a strange scene, they had no choice but to maintain it. With nothing else to do, Li You simply purged all the problematic personnel within the Expedition Army.
Li You was able to climb to the rank of Lieutenant General not merely because of General Qin’s consistent trust and promotion; the most important reason was his own intellect and capability. Faced with the current situation, he also understood what he should and should not do.
What he needed to do now was to suppress all the news from last night, making sure not a single detail leaked out, especially the matter that exceeded the 3S Limit, which needed to be tightly sealed. As for the other issues, they would have to wait until Gu Ningzhi, the insider, returned.
At this moment, Gu Ningzhi sat on that hillside, hugging his knees, with a slight fatigue from a sleepless night showing on his face and a hint of paleness in his eyes. "I’ve been to many, many planets and seen a lot of beautiful landscapes. But I didn’t expect the sunrise on this planet to be so pretty. Sunrise... I wonder if the scenes described on Ancient Earth are like what I’m seeing now?"
"Yes, it is indeed very beautiful..." Gong Yulu responded softly. Under the sunlight, she seemed less gloomy and more alive. "But to me, sunrises generally look quite similar. It’s the mood when observing them that creates different feelings. If I were to say beautiful, it was that time many years ago... that was the most beautiful."
Gong Yulu smiled, and it was then that Gu Ningzhi noticed she was quite attractive indeed, although years of malnutrition combined with a gloomy aura had diminished her charm. It’s a pity, but the smile disappeared too quickly, and Gong Yulu soon reverted to her previous cold and distant demeanor, making Gu Ningzhi silently sigh at the missed chance.
"That time you mentioned, was it more beautiful than now?" Gu Ningzhi changed his posture, resting his chin on one hand, showing a hint of playfulness.
"Yes..." Gong Yulu replied softly, "That was many years ago when I was still a newbie in training. I was part of a squad with about twenty other rookies, undergoing challenges... it was all very new to us..."
Gu Ningzhi listened intently, remembering every small detail. He felt that these were things Gong Yulu deliberately disclosed and perhaps he wouldn’t have to wait for them to voluntarily reveal the secrets they held.
Gong Yulu didn’t look at his expression and continued, "Unfortunately, there were some minor errors along the way, and the squad was nearly wiped out. Only I, Su Jiameng, and another person survived; the three little rookies were holed up in a narrow cave, enduring fear for around ten days, worrying about the possible emergence of the Insect Race while fighting for our little lives. When we were rescued, it was just at dawn when the horizon’s sunrise was brilliantly beautiful—a sight never to be forgotten in a lifetime."
As Gong Yulu was speaking, a sudden gust of sand-filled wind blew, causing her to squint and rub her eyes. Finally comfortable, upon reopening them, she seemed to see a figure slowly approaching from the distant horizon.
Instinctively, she held her breath, clenched her fists, repressing and suppressing something. As the figure grew clearer, turning from a blurred dot into a roughly human silhouette, backlit by the light, Gong Yulu, for a moment, imagined them to be either the hard-nosed woman eternally clad in a crisp military uniform and wrapped in thick bandages, or the bright-smiling, pure-hearted girl with strong convictions and a profound love for Mecha.
Some things, once they happen, can never go back to the way they were, like a shattered porcelain that, even if glued back together, retains its cracks. After several deep breaths, Gong Yulu forced herself to calm down; otherwise, she truly wouldn’t know how to face that person.
