Three days earlier, in the camp of the fourth regiment of the garrison of the Thick Soil Sector…
Gao Huan tried to control his muscles and stand up, only to fall into his vomit yet again.
As if ten thousand burning needles were poking his eyes, he saw Jiang Xue’s face that he had been dreaming about again…
The medic said that he had recovered. All his broken cerebral nerves had been connected, and his burnt brain was healed. However, only Gao Huan knew that he was sicker and sicker, because everybody, including the man who was roaring at him and who was as brawny as a gorilla, looked more and more like Jiang Xue, his wife.
But the smell from the gorilla’s mouth slightly woke Gao Huan up and made him realize that it was not his wife but his boss, Song Jingang, who was a captain of the regiment.
“Captain Song, be smart.”
Gao Huan heard the man behind the desk speaking in a creepy tone. “Don’t you know what’s going on? We’re in a reform…”
“F*ck reform! F*ck the emperor! F*ck Lei Chenghu! F*ck Li Yao!”
The captain threw profanities as skillfully as usual before he bashed the desk and shouted, “I don’t care if you have reformed or not! I simply dislike you, you shameless traitor!”
“Ah.”
The man behind the desk said, “Are you going to avenge General Yun? I never knew that you were so loyal to General Yun and your family.”
“F*ck the general! F*ck the family!”
The captain roared again, “I never care about the family or any jerk that suddenly became my boss because of the superior’s command. I simply hate the traitors like you. You’re even more disgusting than this drunkard!”
The captain pointed at Gao Huan, and Gao Huan managed a smile, but the captain simply spat again.
“What can I do?”
The man behind the desk crossed his fingers without being infuriated. He continued unhurriedly, “You know what General Yun did. When the whole expedition army was undergoing the reform, he hoped to instigate a few officers from the four families to hijack a few starships and escape back to the territory of the four families… Tsk, tsk, tsk. How idiotic. If he had succeeded, those starships would’ve been destroyed on the way, and too many innocent people would’ve died because of him, including you and me. Don’t forget that we’re both from the four families!”
“Is that why you ratted in the military department and sold out the fourth regiment?”
The captain roared, “All the people with the surnames Li, Song, Yun, and Dongfang in the fourth regiment have been arrested!”
“Calm down. They’re not arrested. They are only isolated for investigation. After it’s figured out who’s involved in General Yun’s defection plan, the rest will be set free.”
The man behind the desk smiled and said, “The new emperor is about to be coronated. In this subtle situation, isolation is good for them. It’s better than them talking to other people about their plan. General Yun and I are brothers, but to save more brothers, I had to do what I did.”
“Hehe. You had to? I hardly think so. You saved the lives of so many brothers, but more importantly, you proved your loyalty to the reformists, my ‘acting commander’!”
The captain sneered. “If you’re having such a thriving career among the reformists, why on earth did you get me out of the dark dungeon? Keep isolating me! Let the dogs of the military department bite me! Shoot me with General Yun if you want!”
“Please, Brother Jingang. I don’t know why you’re so prejudiced against me. I thought we were good bros in the same trench.”
The acting commander opened his hands and said sincerely, “Listen, I want to save you. I really do. Do you have any idea how many people you’ve pissed off? Many of them are trying to kill you for your association with the four families!
“I want to save you. In three days, the new emperor will be crowned, and he will definitely pardon many people. By then, General Yun’s defection will be unimportant. No other people will be involved.
“But there are three days to go. We have to survive these three days. You have no idea how much pressure I’m bearing and how many people want to quietly kill you.
“I need a reason to protect you, so I said to them that Song Jingang’s team was the best reconnaissance team in the fourth regiment—no, the whole garrison of the Thick Soil Sector—and that this goddamn mission could only be accomplished by him. So, instead of torturing you in the dark dungeon and killing you for no good reason, they’d better set you free because I needed you!
“This is the last chance for you and your team. Do you understand?”
“Hold on a second…”
The captain asked, “How is it related to my team? Most of the soldiers from my team are not from the four families.”
“But some of them are.”
The acting commander said, “Besides, if their captain has been conspiring with the four families, they will all need some vetting and purging, won’t they?”
The captain gnashed his teeth. “Are you threatening me?”
“Not threatening, but persuading.”
The acting commander said, “Or rather, not persuading, but begging. I’m begging you to hold back your temper and get your a*s out of here with your team to accomplish this mission. Only in such a way can you save yourself as well as your team!”
After a long silence, the captain said solely, “You only took the mission because you were eager to make contributions as a newly-appointed commander, and you’re asking us to carry out the risky mission for you so that you can be promoted, right?”
The acting commander smiled. “Brother Jingang, it’s a miracle that you’re still alive with your meanness.”
After another long silence, the captain clenched his fists but eventually lost his spirit. “I’ll need a Supersensitive Agent.”
“He’s right before you.”
The acting commander pointed at Gao Huan and said, “He’s the best Supersensitive Agent in the fourth regime. Everybody says that he has a dog nose. He can detect the weakest changes over the longest distance better than any magic equipment can.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
The captain jumped to his feet. “Everybody knows that he is completely ruined after his wife was taken by the people of the Covenant Alliance! His brain was burnt by excitants and industrial alcohols! You want me to take this Drunk Cat to investigate the Unchaotic Valley, the most dangerous place on this planet? He’ll only get everyone killed! He’s still drunk even now!
“I said that soldiers should not be married, and even if they are, a married couple should not be put in the same unit. Look at him! He used to be my best soldier! Drunk Cat, do you hear me? I’ll be happy if you can rise and punch me!
“He can’t work anymore. Just let him rest in the hospital before he drowns himself in alcohol. Where is Yun Hao? He’s a Supersensitive Agent too. Get him for me!”
“I don’t think I can. You know how he’s related to General Yun. He’s a dangerous suspect.”
Pausing for a moment, the acting commander said, “Also, he tried to escape during the isolation, and he cursed even more badly than you did. So, his interrogators… Anyway, he’s not dead yet, but he’ll probably be in the ICU for half a month.”
The captain’s eyes bulged. “You son of a bi*ch…”
“Calm down, Brother Jingang, the lives of many people, including Yun Hao’s, is in your hands. Think before you do anything!”
The acting commander said, “Also, Gao Huan is not as unworthy as you describe. He has recovered, and the medic proves that he can return to work now. Also, he’s not drunk. It’s just the side effects of the drugs. He’ll be used to it soon.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
The captain was suspicious. “Drunk Cat, do you know who you are and who I am?”
“Yes, boss!”
Gao Huan finally struggled back to his feet from his vomit. He stood at attention and saluted. “I… I’m Gao Huan, and you’re Song Jingang, my boss!”
“Ha!”
The captain grew excited. “This is the only good news that I have today. Gao Huan, you’re finally sober! Like I said, women are just like clothes, and you can always get a new one if you lost her. You’ve been drunk for half a year. That was really embarrassing…”
Bam!
When the captain said “if you lost her”, Gao Huan’s pupils constricted, feeling that the nerves in his head had broken again. He could not control himself at all when he lunged at the captain.
Then, he heard the sound of his fist smashing the captain’s face and almost breaking his bones.
The captain then roared desperately, “F*ck!”
