Chapter 78 : Chapter 78

Chapter 78 : “Is it non-human enough?”

POV Cohen:

“The universe is not fair.”

The first time he met Lei Jingan in an inter-university exchange program, she said to Cohen.

It was autumn then.

The banks of the Charles River at Harvard were full of red maple trees, and Lei Jingan was also wearing a red scarf, half of her face buried in it.

She was Chinese, here on exchange from Stanford on the West Coast.

To be honest, Cohen thought she was more like a graduate student at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, exploring issues of women and society.

She was very young, and very small.

When she looked at people, she would tilt her head up, but her eyes held a hint of disdain.

In short, except for her advisor, the way she looked at all the men around her was as if she were looking at trash.

It was a miracle.

Harvard was notoriously "hateful" of Asians, but Cohen’s advisor respected Lei Jingan very much and would affectionately call her Ann.

When he called Cohen, it was more like "you brat" or "astronomy idiot."

In modern astrophysics, Harvard was indeed inferior to Stanford.

This was an objective fact.

So the advisor liked Stanford students.

In the early 20th century, Harvard's two more famous astronomical achievements—the modern stellar spectral classification and the main components of the sun and stars—were both discovered and researched by female scientists.

This was also an objective fact.

So the advisor liked female researchers.

In summary, Cohen, who had enrolled at Harvard through a large donation from his family and had been assigned to an academic madman under the advisor system, was not valued and was excluded from the research group.

The final job he was assigned was: to show Lei Jingan around Harvard.

In that red maple grove, Lei Jingan said the words that Cohen would remember for the rest of his life.

The universe is not fair.

It was very strange.

Later, Lei Jingan explained that someone from MIT had taught her that, saying it could hold the ground.

He didn't know which bastard from MIT had started the rumor that Harvard still held on to the classical style of the last century.

To put it nicely, it was traditional.

To put it realistically, it was backward.

The only thing they could probably show off was that they had produced a president.

Unfortunately, the president of the United States changed every day.

In the context of the universe, which was measured in hundreds of millions of years, it was not worth much at all.

“Why can it hold the ground?”

Cohen had asked.

Lei Jingan’s answer was very arrogant: “Because you don’t understand the universe.”

Lei Jingan stayed at Harvard for a week.

Apart from the informal exchanges with her advisor at the Crimson Cafe, she spent the rest of her time at the Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Stanford was good at high-energy astrophysics, but Lei Jingan studied stellar and planetary science.

Cohen also studied this.

When he met Lei Jingan again, she was still wearing that red scarf.

She was small, and she was holding a little girl's hand.

That day was the gathering of the International Astronomical Observatory - Planetary Science Department.

The gathering encouraged members to bring their families.

Lei Jingan was the new person in charge of their Solar and Stellar group.

Cohen squatted down and maliciously had his son go and give her a piece of his mind.

“Say hello to Lei’s daughter. Don’t introduce yourself like a fool. The first thing you must say is: the universe is not fair.”

Cohen still remembered his son’s look at that time.

Gabrielle Cohen looked at his father as if he were looking at a fool.

He did not avenge his father’s deep-seated hatred from his student days.

Like a little gentleman, he greeted Lei Jingan’s daughter.

The two children went to play on their own.

Lei Jingan stared at Cohen for a long time and sighed.

“Why did you still come to Harvard? Is there a rowing team in the entrance examination here too?”

Cohen clinked glasses with her: “No, because my mother is very rich, my father is at NASA, and my wife is a sponsor here. And I am very good at seizing opportunities. Back then, I even got on the tail of the project by being your tour guide. I'm more like a treasurer here, really.”

Lei Jingan smiled and cursed in Chinese.

Lei Jingan was the devil in Cohen’s astronomical student life.

That scarf was covered in the blood from her pretending to help people wipe their wounds after she had crushed them academically.

It was such a devil who, when faced with the fact that the sun was suddenly turning into a red giant, became afraid.

The red giant had destroyed all the satellites, space probes, space telescopes, manned spacecraft that had not returned in time, the International Space Station and orbital laboratories in space.

But the stagnation of astrophysics was not because of the red giant, but because of the more obvious, man-made, and secular failures that followed.

The organization and management of the evacuation, the scarce funds, the meaningless factional struggles, these things, together with the red giant, tore the sky apart.

Even the arrogant Lei Jingan cowered and dared not go forward.

“This is an opportunity.”

Cohen said, “There is a saying in your China, ‘heroes are born in troubled times.’ There has never been such a turbulent moment in the history of astronomy. Everyone is on the same starting line, and the authoritative institutions will be reshuffled.”

Seemingly realizing that this was not a conversation between scientists, Cohen flexibly changed his words.

“We can’t stop the disaster, but we can reveal the truth to the world. The answer is in the universe, on the sun.”

Lei Jingan was no longer wearing a red scarf.

The lines on her neck were exposed to the dry air.

She stared at him for a long time and said tiredly:

“The Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, and its estimated lifespan is 5 billion years. The day the sun stops shining will be the end of life on Earth.”

“I know.”

“You don’t know.”

Lei Jingan said, “You have never liked the universe. It is your job, your career. You have no awe, and you don’t feel small.”

Cohen retorted with Madame Curie’s words: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”

“It doesn’t matter. The universe doesn’t care.”

Lei Jingan looked at him, her gaze faint.

“The future of humanity is not about asking ‘why,’ but about finding ‘what to do.’ Cohen, humanity won’t be able to walk for five hundred million years. There is no time for you to verify the hypothesis of ‘who ignited the sun’.”

She said, “If I had to choose, I would choose the next five days, the next five days, every five days of a precarious existence.”

Cohen watched her figure disappear into the laboratory.

He found it funny.

Who was traditional, who was old-fashioned?

The person who understood the universe better was the one who was afraid of it from the bottom of their heart.

Cohen contacted the SETI research institute and hit it off with Azul Serrano.

Cohen invested, and Serrano provided talent and technology.

The temporary new site of SETI was underground.

Serrano was not a bearded old man.

He was a generation older than Cohen, but he didn't look old.

SETI’s main research direction was electromagnetic wave detection.

The sun enhanced the electromagnetic radiation, and the exaggerated solar wind and stellar activity frequently affected the low-frequency signals.

There were a lot of messes, but Serrano was very peaceful, so peaceful that he seemed out of place with the group of madmen under him who had voluntarily joined.

“Do you want to hear the truth? I have no interest in the universe.”

Serrano mentioned Cohen.

“When I was at MIT, in order to pursue a girl, I would go to the planetary science department to audit classes every day. That’s how I got my degree in planetary magnetic fields.”

Cohen found that he really had nothing to say to geniuses.

It turned out that Lei Jingan had been very restrained before.

Serrano was a scumbag among geniuses who would make people dumbfounded.

“I married that girl, and we were very happy. When she was dying, she said to me: we were together for five years, but the lifespan of the Earth is five billion years. We are always two small waves next to each other on the coast, two pieces of dust snuggling together in the MIT library. In these five billion years, we will eventually be together.”

“I really didn’t expect that MIT would show off its humanistic feelings in front of Harvard.”

Cohen said sarcastically, “Wake up. Aren’t we fighting for the truth of human survival now?”

“Oh, Cohen, yes, you’re right. I’m going to sleep now. You should also rest early.”

There were many people like Serrano at SETI.

Serrano’s mind was full of his mother’s love affairs.

The other madmen were not much better, but at least they were very enthusiastic about their work, so Cohen didn’t feel like he had been cheated out of a large amount of research funding.

Later, Cohen learned that Serrano was the "shameless top student" that Lei Jingan had talked about.

They would not show their efforts in public.

They would say they were going to bed early, but they would secretly turn on their flashlights under the covers.

After finishing the love poems to his deceased wife, he would start reciting a series of magnetic dipole model formulas.

After working at SETI for a few years, one afternoon, there were not many people in the laboratory.

The air was filled with the smell of coffee.

Cohen was dozing off by the machine when Serrano woke him up with two slaps.

He hit him with a metal data board, which was a first-degree murder.

“The red giant is starting to enter the next stage.”

Serrano told Cohen that SETI’s research might have to be suspended.

They had to quickly develop a quantum induction detector and a neutrino scanner that could adapt to the extreme environment.

Cohen: “I thought we were called SETI, not the Global Underground Living Project Command.”

“It doesn’t matter if there’s an alien civilization or not.”

Serrano said with a smile, “If they can extract energy from the sun, it means that their technological level is far superior to that of humans. Are you going to take the initiative to contact them under this premise?”

He confessed: “I have always been under the Global Underground Living Project Command… Cohen, thank you for all the support you have given us.”

Cohen was furious.

He finally understood that SETI was just a front to gather these scientific madmen together and let them play on their own, so that they wouldn't cause trouble everywhere.

The damn thing was that he had invested a lot of money and energy into this bubble.

Cohen’s academic level was not even enough to distinguish whether this was a bubble or not.

Serrano patted him on the shoulder and expressed his apology with a look of pity: “You have to get your priorities straight, my dear. There is no time for us to verify the hypothesis of ‘who ignited the sun’.”

Serrano was here to inform, and had not asked for Cohen’s opinion.

Back at the International Astronomical Observatory, Cohen had sarcastically said that he was a treasurer, which was not wrong at all.

The members of the small group looked down on him, and so did Lei Jingan.

It was the same now at SETI.

These people lived off the funds he provided, but they had no intention of understanding the cause he wanted to create.

The universe is not fair.

It opened a door and invited humanity, but then it suddenly raised the threshold behind the door.

It let you see the stars in the sky, but it only allowed a few people to touch them.

Cohen knew he was an opportunist.

He would not delve into projects deeply.

He had the confidence to make a big splash in areas other than academics.

Serrano had taught him a lesson.

This person was even more ruthless than Lei Jingan.

He was a master of academics and also a master of human nature, knowing who could be used and who could be controlled.

Cohen was extremely embarrassed.

He watched as SETI was dismantled bit by bit, his voice reduced to the lowest.

The topic of exploring extraterrestrial life was formally terminated.

This result was like being roasted on a red giant, and then, with the collapse of the red giant, his soul was frozen.

My career is not over yet.

Cohen thought coldly as he packed his things.

At least for now, his resume looked very good.

How to find a position to intervene in the existing key projects and put his own name on the project?

It was written in the SETI notice.

“Emergency Scientific Research Mission to Comprehensively Respond to the Sun’s Evolution from a Red Giant to a White Dwarf.”

Below the notice was the hypothetical report that these scientists had pieced together to fool him and play a role-playing game with him.

“Theoretical basis for alien technology igniting the sun:

Analogous to a super-high-energy hydrogen bomb, detonating it in the core of the sun to simulate the early stellar nuclear fusion environment.

The hydrogen bomb must be powerful enough to trigger a large-scale reaction in the core of the sun.

A presumptuous idea appeared in Cohen’s mind.

This idea was of epoch-making significance and would undoubtedly make his name go down in history!

When he said goodbye to Serrano, Cohen refused his hug.

“You used me, and used my money to do your own research.”

“I’m very sorry, but it’s not my personal research, it's for all humanity.”

“At least Lei Jingan would frankly admit that she’s afraid of death.”

“You always have your eyes on us.”

Serrano said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Cohen. Science is not a channel for you to prove yourself. You could have been a very good astronomer, but you never had awe for the universe.”

“Perhaps you are right.”

Cohen looked into his eyes and said seriously, “Humans cannot conquer the universe, but humans can conquer humans.”

Three years later, the paper submitted by Cohen was approved.

This thing, pieced together from the conjectures of the original SETI scientists, brought the scientists who had been scattered throughout the Global Underground Living Project Command back together.

This time, the person in charge was no longer Azul Serrano.

Serrano became the one who looked up from below and listened.

“I am the commander-in-chief of this project, Andermon Cohen.”

Cohen said, “I have summoned you for only one purpose.”

He turned on the projector behind him.

A virtual image of the scorching sun lit up.

The projector was pointed directly at Cohen.

He looked as if he were burning, casting a deep black shadow on the sun behind him.

His vision was blurred by the red light.

Cohen seemed to have returned to Harvard, which had long been destroyed by the extreme weather.

The banks of the Charles River were full of red maple trees, and the arrogant Lei Jingan, wearing a red scarf, said: you don’t understand the universe.

At that time, Cohen’s nerves were pricked by these words.

He had just been unwilling to admit his mediocrity.

Lei Jingan could be parachuted in as the team leader over him.

Azul Serrano could play him like a fool.

But that was all in the past.

“Ignite the sun.”

Cohen said in a loud voice.

“We are going to ignite the sun!”

Fifty Billion Years of Solitude: Ignite the Sun

***

“I miscalculated.”

After reading the POV, Chu Zu said, “It’s basically all Cohen’s mental journey. Is the whole ignition process on Serrano’s side?”

The system quickly answered: “I also prepared Serrano’s!”

Chu Zu didn’t have time to continue reading Serrano’s POV.

The dean had someone come to the library and tell him that he had passed the review and would be going to the front lines with Lu Anji on another day.

The instructor said sternly: “You are a graduate of the command department, Azul. I hope you are clear about your duties. The vanguard strike fleet is never gentle.”

“The vanguard strike fleet?”

Chu Zu asked.

The instructor narrowed his eyes: “Do you have any objections?”

It was about the plot direction, so Chu Zu had a big objection.

He immediately returned to the dormitory, first submitted a transfer application for a maintenance engineer, and then contacted Lu Anji with his bracelet.

“I’m going to the medical ship.”

Lu Anji directly cut off the communication.

In less than ten minutes, he pushed open the dormitory door.

Chu Zu was thrown onto the sofa by him.

Outside the dormitory, Lu Anji had always been "normal," at most being described by the system as "looking like he was about to cry."

Now he wasn't about to cry, he was about to go crazy.

“What are you doing?”

Lu Anji shouted in a deep voice, “You mentioned ‘mother’ in front of them, searched for illegal content in the library, told the dean you wanted to be a maintenance engineer, and then told me you were going to the medical ship? What are you up to?”

“I’m helping you.”

Azul lay quietly on the sofa, his tail tucked away, looking like an innocent classmate.

“Don’t you need my help?”

Lu Anji didn't fall for this: “Don’t imitate me.”

Azul’s eyes were wide open.

His gaze was no longer strange.

He had learned from Lu Anji how to be clear.

It seemed that he still didn’t understand that a human in this situation shouldn’t be so lukewarm, which made him seem strange.

“Humans.”

Azul said slowly, “are incredible.”

“They have lived on the planet for 4.5 billion years, have never stepped out of the solar system, and are always keen on internal struggles. To destroy them, you don’t have to do anything. Even if there are no problems with the sun, they only have 500 million years to live.”

Lu Anji was angered to laughter by Azul’s sense of time.

Azul said again, “Mother is the same.”

He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes covering his scarlet color, “There is not enough energy for her to leave the sun. The star is already entering its death throes, and so is she.”

“Can you know this now?”

The system was a little worried, “From ‘Azul’s’ perspective, it still doesn’t know that the entire Zerg is about to be finished.”

“I don’t know.”

Chu Zu said calmly, “I’m just randomly saying some things as an opening to a formal topic. Just assume that I happened to be telling the truth by lying.”

System: “...”

What formal topic requires such a fierce opening!

Of course, it was a topic that would both disgust Lu Anji and make him have to listen.

Lu Anji’s grip was even tighter.

Azul’s bones were very hard, and the outer skin system had not been modified much.

The shoulder that was being held could easily be bruised, but it also healed quickly.

The cell’s self-repair was several times that of an ordinary human.

“Answer the question.”

Lu Anji said impatiently.

“Human technology cannot leave the solar system, and mother’s ship has insufficient energy.”

Azul said, “So I wanted to be a maintenance engineer. Then I changed my mind. I remembered that you are not adapted to the universe.”

What a mess.

Lu Anji looked at him and frowned: “What are you talking about?”

Azul then used his tail to roll up his friend who was pressing on him and gently placed him on the side of the sofa.

He sat up and sat side by side with the tightly bound Lu Anji, his shoulder against his.

“Humans will become extinct, we will not. I will take you away from the solar system and find the next home.”

He said softly, “The energy of the biological ship is not enough, but the human ship can. I can modify it but you are more important than the ship, Lu Anji. You have to adapt to space, like me.”

The originally angry Lu Anji was stunned for a moment, and his voice trembled slightly: “You”

Azul turned his head to look at him, and as he wished, he no longer used the things he had learned to prevaricate.

There was no extra emotion in Azul’s eyes.

He didn't answer, just looked at Lu Anji.

Lu Anji froze, and then flew into a rage: “You want to modify me?!”

If he had any weapon in his hand, or if Azul’s tail was not wrapped tightly enough, the current Lu Anji would definitely fly into a rage and fight Azul desperately.

Azul knew everything about him, including his attitude towards the experiment.

They had just destroyed the laboratory, but what was Azul saying now?

Human modification was always the thing that Lu Anji could not tolerate the most, without exception.

Azul calmly watched his soaring anger and tightened his tail: “It’s evolution.”

“Human experiments are not for survival. They have created a weaker and more difficult-to-survive creature. I won’t do that, and you are not human.”

“Unlike humans, we are a race that must continue. In order to continue, we can make any changes that are more suitable for the universe.”

He turned sideways and gave Lu Anji a tight hug, which was incredibly warm.

“I can start preparing now. It won’t take much effort. But you said you wanted to destroy all of this. You need me, so I will help you.”

Holding Lu Anji, Azul’s voice was filled with a cold plea.

“I will help you destroy humanity, destroy all the Zerg on the sun, including mother. Will you leave with me, okay?”

The dormitory was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Lu Anji couldn't keep up with Azul’s train of thought at all.

This thing that always had its mother on its lips was now saying that it wanted to destroy the Zerg on the sun, and also that it wanted to take him away from the solar system.

But strangely, Lu Anji had been with him for too long, and it didn’t take much effort to understand.

Azul’s scale of looking at a matter was too large, just like his concept of time.

He didn't deal with those complicated emotions, but only looked at what he wanted to accomplish.

As a friend, Azul wanted to fulfill Lu Anji’s "wish," and at the same time, he wanted to complete the continuation of the Zerg.

So the Zerg Queen became something that could be abandoned.

The survival of the Mother Bug was no different from his own survival.

If necessary, one of the two would be left.

The conclusion reached was so simple.

When he understood Azul’s thoughts, he suddenly didn't even have the strength to be angry.

If Azul had lived in the human world, he would definitely be a genius at playing with emotions.

“What on earth are you…”

Lu Anji’s whole body was cold.

The Azul who was hugging him became the only source of heat, almost burning him to death on the spot.

He paused for a long time, couldn't find any other words, and said, “Azul… what on earth are you?”

Azul listened to his rapid heartbeat, did not answer, but just slowly closed his eyes.

***

Chu Zu, as he wished, went to the medical ship according to the original plot.

The people on the medical ship had a so-so attitude towards him.

In the original work, it was because Azul had used connections and had no medical skills to forcibly take a position here.

Now it was because he was seen as a "deserter."

He didn't dare to go to the vanguard strike fleet and fled to the relatively rear logistics.

Chu Zu was comfortable.

He muddled through the plot points, and every day, he was responsible for wrapping bandages for the wounded who had retreated from the front lines.

If the injuries were a little more serious, he would just shout for a professional healer to deal with it.

But Lu Anji had returned to his initial attitude.

As long as Chu Zu contacted him in his consciousness, he would immediately cut his throat and withdraw from the connected sea of consciousness, and would not stay for a second longer.

The system had been playing Only Mother is Good in the World on a loop.

It was shocked by Chu Zu’s plot.

Although the host said it was all a lie, he only loved his mom…

But those words were also completely logical.

The Zerg’s perception was like that.

In order to continue, they could abandon everything that could be abandoned.

The Mother Bug was the same back then.

The sun was ignited, and she had the Zerg wrap themselves tightly.

Like ants, they relied on their numbers to wrap themselves into a large black ball.

The outer layer of life was instantly carbonized and annihilated in the universe.

She didn’t care.

The biological ship was almost completely destroyed.

There was no energy extraction device that could be used.

Fortunately, there was still the nuclear fusion reactor that humans had launched to ignite the sun.

The remaining energy allowed the Mother Bug to survive.

The Zerg’s technology could not return to its previous state.

It would take several years to barely return to half of its previous level and at this time, the sun was a collapsed star forcibly ignited by humans.

It was like filling a dry lake with water.

Its hydrogen and helium had long been consumed.

As long as humans did not continue to provide fuel, its life cycle would be fixed forever.

Azul judged that his mother was a lost cause.

Azul also judged that he could become the continuation of the Zerg.

He was small, his channels for obtaining energy were complex, he could survive just by eating human food, and he had the ability to protect himself.

He could also be called a new evolutionary creature of the Zerg after coming into contact with humans.

Whether the Mother Bug thought so or not, Azul thought so, so it was so.

Azul also felt that Lu Anji was a species of the same generation as himself, but his evolution was incomplete.

He could help to complete it.

The plan was thus formed: get rid of the disgusting humans, get rid of the cumbersome Zerg, and leave the solar system with Lu Anji.

The only thing that didn’t make sense was.

Azul did not have the reproductive function of the Mother Bug.

His physiological functions still belonged to humans.

“That’s why Lu Anji was so angry.”

Chu Zu said coolly, “He probably thought that I had that intention when I brought him along. One person can’t produce offspring, but two can.”

System: “...Two people can’t either. This is a privilege that only distinguished women have.”

“That’s why he’s so angry. He’s still avoiding me now. After all, I want to use him for evolution.”

Chu Zu said, “It’s all evolution. It’s not impossible to make him a heartless breeding tool. Is it non-human enough?”

The little yellow chicken’s mouth was agape with shock. It didn’t understand, but it was greatly shocked.

To the accompaniment of Only Mother is Good in the World, the system screamed: “NO—! NONONO—!!!”

Chu Zu rubbed its fluffy little yellow feathers: “I’m not that crazy. Didn’t I say, I was just tricking him? Otherwise, I can’t explain the plot. I am an iron-blooded mama’s boy Zerg, I’m not lying to you.”

The system silently took out a Host Commitment Form and placed it pitifully in front of Chu Zu: “You… sign it. I’ll feel more at ease.”

Chu Zu laughed for a long time: “Isn’t the original plot enough of a guarantee? …You turn down the BGM a little.”

Although he said that, he signed it readily.

The little yellow chicken put away the commitment form and then lowered the BGM volume by one percent.

The system finished its heart-pounding chat with the host.

The indicator light at the door of the medical ship's single rest room flashed red, and the broadcast sounded.

“All personnel, attention.”

“We are about to face a possible impact. Please prepare for protection immediately.”

“Medical officers confirm the safety and security of all wounded. All personnel, ensure that emergency equipment is functioning properly.”

Chu Zu frowned, immediately changed into his uniform according to the medical ship’s regulations, and put on his shoes.

Outside the rest room was a mess.

Footsteps overlapped, and several crew members were running wildly in the corridor.

Chu Zu: “Did my mom call?”

The system reported the situation as it was: “It’s not the Zerg. A cruiser encountered an unknown nebula, and after electromagnetic interference, it lost control and is about to crash into us.”

Chu Zu: “How can you find out so clearly…”

The little yellow chicken nodded in the sea of consciousness: “Lu Anji is on that cruiser.”

***

In the cruiser.

The bridge was in chaos.

The alarm suddenly went off in the command cabin, and the red lights pulsed like an angry heartbeat between the various control consoles.

All of the ship's control devices had failed.

Even after leaving the deadly nebula, they had not recovered.

The frantic mechanical roar drowned out all shouts, and the entire ship was tumbling crazily in an unpredictable manner.

“The speed is too fast! The reaction thrusters can’t correct it in time!”

The navigation officer’s face was pale.

His fingertips slid quickly on the control console, trying to reconnect to the main engine’s control system.

“Where are the mechanical engineers? What are they doing?”

The mechanical engineer didn’t hear the complaint.

He hurried from the side of the bridge to the main engine control console, trying to manually reallocate power to stabilize the ship, but the violent shaking almost made him fall.

In the middle of the bridge, the captain stood at the central command post, trying to give orders amidst the noisy environment.

His voice was drowned out by the alarms of various instruments and the shouts of the crew.

On the holographic tactical map in front of him, a series of red warnings indicated the damaged condition of various parts of the ship.

“The port reaction thruster has failed. Send someone to restart it manually immediately.”

Lu Anji said at his side.

Lu Anji observed his surroundings.

The captain was not much older than him.

Too many people had died on the front lines.

The old captain had been transferred, and the new captain of the cruiser had previously served on a supply ship.

This kind of accident rarely happened in the rear.

The new captain couldn’t control the old hands, and he was clearly flustered.

Lu Anji had originally just come to coordinate the cruiser’s route.

Seeing this, he suppressed the urge to slap him a couple of times and used his authority to connect to the ship’s internal communication.

“Damage control team, go to the port control area and manually restart the thruster.”

He said calmly, “Communications officer, contact the nearest ship and send a distress signal. Has the estimated route been calculated yet?”

The full-system tactical map was displayed, flickering, barely able to maintain operation.

The route was recalculated, and the ship numbers on the original route were also listed on the side.

“Notify the ships on the route to take emergency evasive action.”

Lu Anji’s gaze was fixed on the holographic screen, trying his best to find a glimmer of hope in the rapidly changing crisis.

Then, he found a familiar number.

NDH.

1202704531/D.

The medical ship where Azul was.

What would happen if a cruiser that had lost control and was traveling at full speed crashed into a medical ship with the worst maneuverability?

Lu Anji would answer: a disaster, but if Azul was on that ship, it would be the luckiest thing in the entire universe.

Through the magnified and detailed view screen in front, a stationary medical ship was silently in the dark universe.

The captain finally regained his senses and, trembling, shouted: “Avoid… we must avoid the medical ship. The front line is tense. They can’t have anything happen to them!”

But the answer was cruel: “We can’t avoid it—! We can’t contact them. We can’t avoid it!!!”

What would happen if Azul died?

Lu Anji thought about this question amidst the chaos on the ship.

The answer had not yet come, but a surge of relief welled up in his chest.

Relief came from fear.

Lu Anji knew very well that even if he didn't want to admit it, a person who wanted to destroy everything actually had something to fear.

The next moment, Lu Anji’s reason gave the answer.

Azul would not die.

He didn't need oxygen.

As long as he could avoid the explosion from the impact, he wouldn't die even if everyone involved died.

“It really disgusts me…”

“What did you say?”

The environment was noisy and chaotic, and the captain didn’t hear clearly.

Lu Anji showed a comforting fake smile and placed his hand on the cold metal command console.

“Prepare for docking.”

He said, “My classmate is on that ship. He will be ready.”

“Don’t be nervous.”

Lu Anji said, “Do as I say. Do you have any other options?”

Captain: “There are still usable escape pods on the ship. Lu Anji, you take the technical staff on board…”

He seemed to have finally made some kind of decision, “You can’t die here. This war needs you.”

Lu Anji shook his head, then nodded: “I am not asking for your opinion. According to my military rank, I am not under the command of the cruiser captain. This is an emergency situation. According to the regulations, I have the right to take over command.”

He said with a smile, “Let the technical staff take the ship’s data onto the escape pod. I will stay here, this is an order.”

The captain was stunned, his eyes filled with hot tears as he looked at him.

Lu Anji sneered in his heart.

He couldn't leave.

The reason was very simple.

Only if he stayed would Azul stay and gamble this life and death with him.

It would be best if Azul could die here.

Lu Anji thought.

“Prepare for docking—!”

Lu Anji gave the order.

“No… the medical ship’s performance is not enough to complete a high-speed docking. If it were an experienced navigation officer from a battleship, perhaps they could still try… Now the other side…”

The captain said in despair, “And… we can’t even contact them…”

“My classmate and I had a very good relationship at school. You could say we talked about everything and knew each other inside and out.”

“Based on his abilities, he shouldn’t have been on a medical ship in the first place. If he can survive this time, he will have proven his abilities. I will take him to the front lines with me.”

A wave of nausea churned in Lu Anji’s stomach.

He had said a lot of official words, but this was the first time he had been disgusted by himself.

But he still showed a hypocritical, faint smile and said: “Do you believe it? I think he and I have a tacit understanding and can understand my meaning.”

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