Chapter 377

Chapter 377: A False Route to Obliterate the State of Guo

The Moonlit Lotus Design Center occupied an entire floor, with nearly 1,200 square meters of office space.

As soon as Qi Fei entered her office, she caught a whiff of a fragrant scent. A smile appeared on her face as her gaze landed on her desk. Roses? Nine bright red roses were arranged together in a vase on her desk.

“Xiao Yang? Who sent these flowers?”

Hmm, that guy really is quite romantic, Qi Fei thought to herself as she casually asked the question.

The assistant, Yang Zhenwen, had been in a great mood for the past few days, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had come out. He put extra effort into his work tasks, showing remarkable dedication.

As soon as Qi Fei entered the office, all of his attention was focused on her, as if he were a dog perking up his ears, eager to listen to what was happening inside.

Hearing Qi Fei’s inquiry, Yang Zhenwen’s face lit up with joy. He stood up from his seat, adjusted his newly bought suit, and with a warm smile, he gently pushed open the door to the office.

“Mr. Qi, uh, hey, hey, these are for you.”

Feeling inexplicably nervous, Yang Zhenwen awaited the surprised reaction from his boss.

However, contrary to his expectations, he saw Qi Fei’s face suddenly darken, and she pointed at the roses with a serious tone, saying, “Get those flowers out of here immediately; I’m allergic to pollen.”

“Wh-What?” Yang Zhenwen slapped his thigh in shock, his face turning pale. “How can this be?”

“What do you mean how? Hurry up!” Qi Fei had no intention of being kind to her assistant.

Yang Zhenwen quickly left, his face a mask of disappointment. “Yes!”

What a waste of effort! He had gone to great lengths to create a little romance, intending to woo her gradually, only to discover that his beautiful boss was allergic to pollen. It felt like a slap in the face!

Yang Zhenwen was filled with a sense of failure. How had he not known this before? Now, it might take a long time to rebuild his good impression in front of her.

This was truly an unexpected disaster.

Watching her assistant leave with the flowers while looking miserable, Qi Fei couldn’t help but smile devilishly, but then quickly frowned and murmured, “That damned guy! I gave you an opportunity for nothing, and you just walk away without any acknowledgment. You clueless fool, you!”

Her frustration seemed to darken the office’s atmosphere. Her delicate hand clenched into a fist, producing an audible cracking sound.

At the same time, Lin Mo, having arrived at his destination, shivered as he exited the airport.

Was he cursed? How could that be? There were no wizards or shamans in this world, not even any magical professions.

He wiped the inexplicable cold sweat from his forehead and glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

“Captain Lin! I’m here to pick you up.”

A middle-aged man approached quickly; it was Old Hu, the best driver of ground vehicles at "Night." He still had a scruffy beard and wore an unremarkable cheap Zhongshan suit, perfectly fitting the image of a driver.

“Hey! Old Hu, who are you here to pick up?”

Lin Mo dragged his suitcase behind him, resembling a little train, with important gear inside. He had to use the military’s special passage to avoid inspections when boarding the plane.

“Of course, I’m here to pick you up.”

Old Hu held a rolled-up newspaper in his hand, having likely passed the time reading while waiting for Lin Mo.

Lin Mo exclaimed in surprise, “I’m just a lowly captain. Is it really necessary to make such a fuss? The leaders are thinking too highly of me.”

Except for his first visit to "Night," all his previous returns after being out were managed by himself through secret passages; he had never enjoyed the special car service this time.

Old Hu laughed heartily and dismissively responded, “Not thinking too highly at all. You deserve it! Once you arrive at the base, you’ll be a major!”

“How did you find out?” Lin Mo asked in surprise. How did he become a major? Although he had heard rumors, there was no confirmation until the Shilang aircraft carrier training ship docked. How could someone tell him he got promoted right after he returned to the base?

“The captain informed us a week ago!” the driver, Old Hu, said with a look of congratulations. “Congratulations! Once we get back to the base, you really are something; even I, Old Hu, am envious of how fast your rank is rising!”

In this loud public place, Old Hu did not shy away from discussing semi-secret topics, as both he and Lin Mo were monitored 24 hours a day by foreign forces.

Aside from the President and high-ranking military officials, which organization could afford to keep such constant surveillance on a few small players? The human and material resources required would be astronomical, and even the leaders of some terrorist organizations might not receive such treatment.

This time, Old Hu had come to pick Lin Mo up in a large Jeep Cherokee, which could fit all of Lin Mo’s luggage.

To keep a low profile, they had a long journey ahead. Entering the “Night” base, which serves as the country’s final line of defense, was never an easy task, even for their own people.

Old Hu and Lin Mo still had four hours of travel to reach the “Night” base. The Jeep had powerful performance, capable of navigating through complex terrain, easily overcoming rough road conditions.

However, Old Hu truly enjoyed the bumps and the rush of the wind. Perhaps it was this passion that made him able to handle any vehicle, even tanks, and become the best driver at “Night,” often delivering people and equipment through complex terrains during missions.

“How’s it feel to be going home? Don’t tell me your family is desperate to keep you around. Hey, it’s all the same. We soldiers aren’t orphans; we all have families. With our loved ones out there risking their lives, how could we not worry about them? But don’t worry; our families are being secretly guarded by the local security agencies, so nothing should go wrong.”

In an effort to pass the time on the road, Old Hu chatted away but knew how to respect boundaries; he never asked about personal family matters.

This was protocol; if he accidentally revealed something that reached the enemy, and family safety was compromised, how could the soldiers fully dedicate themselves to serving the nation?

“My friend was right; my main mission on this trip home is to eat and go on blind dates!” Lin Mo said, pulling a long face. Indeed, Qi Fei’s words were spot on. At his age, he was far from being unwanted, but both of his parents were anxious. They dragged him along for meals, and particularly his mother, He Yuejiao, was getting Xie Feitian involved in finding suitable girls for Lin Mo to meet.

The overzealousness of his family put Lin Mo in a position where he had to fend off their attempts. Even so, he still got caught up in Qi Fei’s schemes.

The sweet and soft kiss still lingered in his memory.

“Hahaha, that’s perfectly normal!” Old Hu said, unable to hold back his laughter while patting the steering wheel. After catching his breath, he continued, “I can relate! My son is twenty-six this year, a few years older than you. I worried he would fall in love too early and affect his studies. But now, I’m worried he won’t find a partner at all! Frankly, I was relaxed about it before, but now I’m unnerved. These years are crucial; if he doesn’t settle down soon, he could end up like a single man forever! My son spends all day playing online games, and he hasn’t learned anything useful. I wish I had pulled some strings to get him into the army for good training. If something happens to me one day, I don’t know how he will manage!”

Old Hu’s heartfelt words made Lin Mo nod in agreement.

“Old Hu, you’re absolutely right. Everything in this world depends on competition; if you don’t fight, you’ll hit a dead end. While ordinary people may not feel the urgency as much, society’s competition is becoming increasingly fierce. If you don’t want to compete and lack the ability to do so, you’ll always be stuck at the bottom, or even become a victim. Today, you might be a civilian, but tomorrow, you could be poor, and the day after that, even end up homeless. You have to keep fighting to live better, to not be trampled on, and gain enough strength to control your own fate. Living aimlessly is worse than dying.”

Lin Mo had always believed in a fighting spirit akin to swimming against the current; without progress, one would regress. His competitive mindset was stronger than the average person’s, which greatly moved Old Hu.

Hearing Lin Mo speak, Old Hu realized that this young man had suffered greatly. But in today’s society, as long as an ordinary family had parents alive, their lives would not be that miserable.

Though Lin Mo’s words contained some truth, Old Hu found them a bit extreme. He never considered that this young man’s body housed two combined souls, one of which belonged to someone who had lived a precarious life full of uncertainty in another world.

“You may be exaggerating a bit, but I still hope my son’s life, while not exceptional, is safe and sound. We in this profession understand how hard it is just to stay alive.”

Like Old Hu, others in the Special Operations Team had long realized they might spill blood or even sacrifice their lives for their country.

“I can understand that if the nation were in chaos and darkness, this kind of worry would be unbearable. There’s truth in the saying, ‘A nation must exist for a home to have meaning,’” Lin Mo said, his expression dimming. Although he gained family and affection in this world, the trauma from his childhood in another world was an indelible scar in his heart. Who had abandoned his innocent self, and for what reason? Perhaps it would forever remain an unsolvable mystery.

“Haha, we don’t need to worry about those things. Everyone has their responsibilities, and as long as we do our jobs well, everything will be fine. If the sky falls, there will be someone tall enough to hold it up. Think about the future; while you’re still young, you can keep climbing, right? Future Air Force Commander, General Lin?”

Realizing the conversation had taken a serious turn, Old Hu chuckled awkwardly, steering the discussion elsewhere.