The Flying Dragon’s fleet conducted a sectional sound wave scan of the entire C86 to ensure nothing was missed.

Countless fighter jets were parked beside the scorched earth, and Flying Dragon soldiers were conducting a comprehensive search.

Qiu Tianlin hurriedly led people to rummage through the monster’s tissue to bring back, then plunged into the laboratory.

Silence fell in the small conference room of the warship’s command cabin.

Jing Xi glanced at Bo Jin sitting on his left, then at Chi Yao sitting on his right, feeling for the first time how difficult it was to find something to say.

When looking at Bo Jin’s photo before, he felt this father and son looked completely different. But now comparing them closely, he felt they bore some resemblance, especially the eyes.

In the end, it was Bo Jin who spoke first.

“What did you inject into them? The drug Qiu Tianlin developed?”

Chi Yao: “Shouldn’t I be the one asking questions?”

Bo Jin: “What do you want to ask?”

Chi Yao: “What do you think I want to ask?”

A smell of gunpowder rose in the air. Caught between this father and son, Jing Xi: “…”

How long was this ineffective communication going to last?

Outside the conference room, Lu Meng and others stood at the door, carefully leaning their ears to eavesdrop.

As expected, they couldn’t hear anything.

“That person—is Major General Bo, right?”

Jin Ze suppressed his voice to the extreme, with an expression like he had seen a ghost.

Lu Meng pressed his ear against the door, made a hush gesture, and glared over.

“Don’t talk!”

“It really is him!”

Yan Kai covered his mouth, pointing at his terminal screen, signaling them vigorously with his eyes.

Jin Ze immediately leaned over.

On the screen was an internal military brief from many years ago. The content was about a beast tide clearing operation by the Xuanwu Legion, attached with a photo of the scene. In the corner was Bo Jin wearing a Major General’s uniform.

More than twenty years had passed, yet this person’s appearance hadn’t changed at all!

Jin Ze felt the whole situation was magical.

Didn’t Major General Bo sacrifice himself in the storm? Why did he suddenly appear?

Could the one in the conference room be an imposter wearing a mask?

Seeing them huddled together watching enthusiastically, Lu Meng waved Jin Ze away, squeezed in himself, and his eyes widened when he saw the photo.

“Holy shit—” He pointed at the photo with trembling fingers. “Is it haunted?!”

Why did someone who had been dead for so many years suddenly return?!

Jin Ze squeezed back, putting his arms around Lu Meng and Yan Kai’s shoulders.

“The military announcement back then said the Xuanwu Legion and the commander went missing, not died. I had just entered middle school that year and remember it clearly.”

“Nonsense! Couldn’t find the bodies, of course they could only say missing.”

Lu Meng retorted, involuntarily recalling the feeling of a thunderbolt from a clear sky when he heard the news back then.

Major General Bo’s reputation back then was even louder than their Boss’s. Almost all new recruits’ wish was to join the Xuanwu Legion.

He had just finished service in the recruit camp and was preparing for the legion recruitment exam, only to hear the news that the Xuanwu Legion was caught in a cosmic storm and the entire legion went missing the day before the exam.

Lu Meng looked at the conference room door, frowning tighter and tighter.

Since Major General Bo was still alive, why hadn’t there been any news for so many years?

Or was he swept to another galaxy back then and only returned now?

Just thinking, the command cabin door opened, and a beta wearing a maintenance uniform walked in.

“Where’s Boss? Still in a meeting?” he asked.

Lu Meng’s eyes lit up, hooked his thick arm around the person, bringing him over.

“Old Bing, are you repairing that black mecha? Is it Xuanwu?”

Even after so many years, he would recognize his idol’s mecha; he definitely wouldn’t be mistaken.

The maintenance technician called Old Bing hurriedly looked towards the conference room: “Lower your voice!”

Facing three pairs of curious baby eyes, Old Bing suppressed his voice excitedly: “It is Xuanwu, really! I finally fucking touched my male god’s mecha!”

Lu Meng and Jin Ze exchanged a look.

Jin Ze asked: “Are you sure?”

Any military equipment, from warships to bullets, had a special marking system.

Even bullets could be tracked, let alone such a big mecha.

Why was it active but never discovered?

“Of course I’m sure!”

Old Bing said confidently, “The markings on Xuanwu are gone, and the AI has also broken away from Valkyrie’s control. Even wiping the system couldn’t be this clean. It’s incredibly awesome!”

The four of them huddled together, talking more and more enthusiastically, when suddenly the door opened behind them. Bo Jin walked out expressionlessly.

“Holy shit!”

The four were scared back a meter away.

Jing Xi followed behind and said to Yan Kai: “Go prepare a set of fresh clothes for Mr. Bo.”

“Yes!”

Yan Kai responded and ran away in a hurry.

Lu Meng looked at Bo Jin right in front of him, nervous enough to sweat in his palms.

Leaving the military for so many years, the other party’s aura was still so strong.

Seeing the person about to leave, he wiped the sweat on his trousers and took a few steps over.

“H-Hello, I am Lu Meng of the Flying Dragon Vanguard Unit.”

Bo Jin looked away from the monitor in the distance and glanced at him lightly.

“I know, we’ve met.”

Lu Meng: “?”

Met where?! How come he didn’t remember?!

Bo Jin looked at Jing Xi: “Can today’s attack mode be reproduced?”

Jing Xi walked to the monitoring console, looking at the busy crowd on the scorched earth.

“Can be reproduced.”

Bo Jin thought of something: “Was the C85 monster also solved this way?”

Jing Xi nodded, thought for a moment and added.

“Although the method is found, it’s not suitable for full-scale war right now.”

Bo Jin: “Any other concerns?”

Jing Xi: “The drug inhibiting the monster’s cell activity is very limited.”

After a moment of silence, Bo Jin spoke: “Help me connect to the Commander-in-Chief, I have words to say to him.”

Jing Xi turned to glance at him and nodded.

Not far away, Chi Yao walked out of the conference room, looking at the two people standing side by side in front of the monitoring console with complicated feelings.

If the one standing there was Jing Shen, could Jing Xi still be this calm?

Jing Xi dialed the video call, noticing Chi Yao’s gaze from the corner of his eye, and waved to him.

Chi Yao: “…”

He walked out, pulling Jing Xi aside.

“Don’t get close to him, you’ll become unfortunate.”

Jing Xi: “…”

The call connected almost immediately, and Pei Zhenyue’s magnified face appeared on the popped-up window.

“How is the situat—”

Seeing Bo Jin’s face, Pei Zhenyue paused.

“You—!”

“Admiral Lin.”

Bo Jin nodded to him, “I am Bo Jin.”

Pei Zhenyue looked at him for a long time, sat back in his chair, his expression returning to calm.

“You really aren’t dead.”

Bo Jin: “Due to some circumstances, I couldn’t show my face again, sorry.”

Pei Zhenyue sighed.

“If you had followed me back then, where would all this mess come from!”

Chi Yao kept observing Bo Jin.

After being with Jing Xi for a long time, his ability to interpret micro-expressions had been forced to improve a lot.

Bo Jin’s fingertips curled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“Following Bai Yi was an order from above.”

Everyone who heard this changed their expressions.

Pei Zhenyue looked at him solemnly: “What do you mean, speak clearly.”

“I will explain everything later, but right now—”

Bo Jin’s voice betrayed no emotion, “Please arrest Admiral Bai Yi immediately for endangering national security.”

Chi Yao sneered: “You say arrest and they arrest? Where’s the evidence?”

Afraid the father and son would start fighting again, Jing Xi looked at Bo Jin and added: “The evidence we have now is insufficient; acting rashly might be inappropriate.”

“I have it.”

Bo Jin said coldly, “Enough to make him and the team behind him rot in prison.”

Chi Yao was puzzled: “Since you have evidence, what were you doing earlier?”

Bo Jin met his gaze: “I didn’t have a way to solve the monsters. If I provoked him, it likely would have ended in mutual destruction.”

Chi Yao’s eyes flashed, and he looked away with a cold face.

He understood Bo Jin’s meaning.

The monsters created so long ago showed a trend of gradually losing control, indicating Bai Yi didn’t have a definitive solution either.

Bai Yi wanted to ensure the normal operation of the black industry in his hands, so he couldn’t watch the situation spiral out of control.

Once it seriously endangered national security, the military would inevitably intervene fully, and exposure would be a matter of time.

Bo Jin felt the monsters were created by Bai Yi, so he would sooner or later find a solution. Maneuvering within for so many years, collecting evidence while leaking organization intelligence to the Shadow Unit, kept the situation in a delicate balance.

If Bai Yi were arrested, the operational system behind him would collapse, and no one would care about those monsters anymore.

The split bodies scattered everywhere were like time bombs, ready to detonate at any time.

No one knew how much destructive power they had; no one could afford to gamble.

Pei Zhenyue looked grave: “Are you sure Bai Yi is the mastermind behind the scenes?”

Bo Jin nodded: “I’m sure. Someone will systematically send you the evidence shortly.”

Hanging up the call, Pei Zhenyue’s clasped hands tightened until his knuckles turned white.

Sitting quietly for a moment, he wanted to call his adjutant in, but before pressing the button, the adjutant hurried in.

The adjutant looked anxious: “Sir, we received a file, source unknown, the information inside is very—”

Speaking up to here, he didn’t know how to continue for a moment.

Pei Zhenyue said calmly: “Related to Bai Yi?”

The adjutant nodded repeatedly.

Pei Zhenyue stood up: “Verify the authenticity of the data immediately, and also—take people to invite Bai Yi over, just say I have something to discuss with him.”

The adjutant’s eyes flashed.

Normally, if the Commander wanted to see someone, he contacted them privately. Even for formal meetings, it was just a matter of sending a system message. He never needed subordinates to convey the message, let alone sending people to invite.

This meant… an arrest?

Adjutant: “Sir, the source of the file is suspicious, arresting rashly—”

“Even without these files, we already have plenty of evidence in hand. Besides—”

Pei Zhenyue looked out the window with hands behind his back, “I’m just inviting him for a chat.”

The adjutant took a deep breath, heart pounding in his throat.

Didn’t expect to close the net so soon.

---

C86, after Bo Jin finished communicating with Pei Zhenyue, he asked for Qiu Tianlin’s office and left.

Chi Yao didn’t want to see him anyway, so out of sight, out of mind.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jing Xi staring at Bo Jin’s back, hands clenched at his sides, looking like he wanted to say something but stopped. Chi Yao called out to stop Bo Jin.

Bo Jin walked to the door, heard the voice and turned to look.

“You want to go with me?”

Chi Yao got up, patted Jing Xi, and whispered: “I’ll go take a look, save him from messing up. You go eat something first, don’t starve.”

Jing Xi raised his eyes, unconsciously clutching Chi Yao’s cuff: “Yao Yao—”

Seeing the helplessness in his eyes, Chi Yao felt heartache.

Probably from the start of guessing Bo Jin was still alive, this person had been enduring.

Ordinary people wouldn’t be too calm knowing their dead parents might still be alive, right?

Chi Yao patted his head: “Don’t worry.”

In the blink of an eye, Jing Xi returned to his usual calm and self-possessed look, as if the fragility shown just now was just an illusion.

“Mm, I’ll wait for you to come back for dinner.”

Watching Bo Jin and Chi Yao leave the command cabin one after another, Jing Xi adjusted his mindset and waved Lu Meng and the others over.

“Any discoveries in the scorched earth?”

Lu Meng: “Judging from the reports so far, no living creatures remain. Sound waves and vital signs have all been tested. Currently conducting a third carpet inspection. No similar sound wave bands found in other areas for now.”

Jin Ze: “My men found some broken armor pieces, already sent to Professor Qiu’s laboratory.”

Jing Xi nodded: “Tell them to speed up.”

Lu Meng/Jin Ze: “Yes!”

After finishing business, seeing the two standing there not leaving for a long time, Jing Xi raised his eyes: “Anything else?”

Jin Ze scratched his head: “Boss, will Major General Bo return to serve in the military? His military status was cancelled, right?”

Lu Meng added: “If he is still alive, then Colonel Jing—hiss!”

Halfway through speaking, his instep was stomped fiercely by Jin Ze.

Seeing Jing Xi with a dark face, Jin Ze dragged Lu Meng away: “Go go go, patrol time.”

---

In the metal corridor, it was quiet except for the sound of shoe soles hitting the ground.

Walking to the medical area, Bo Jin couldn’t help but ask: “You and Jing Xi are lovers?”

Hearing him speak, Chi Yao couldn’t help wanting to hit him, his tone not much better.

“What, got a problem?”

Bo Jin: “You are both alphas.”

Chi Yao sneered: “Bothering about me being gay only now, isn’t it a bit late, Major General Bo?”

A smile suddenly appeared on Bo Jin’s expressionless face.

“Both being alphas is good, won’t produce children.”

Chi Yao: “…”

---

In Qiu Tianlin’s laboratory, a group of people were busy.

Flying Dragon’s military doctors were all summoned to be his assistants, but each was beaming with smiles, not feeling aggrieved at all, even very sycophantic.

Seeing Chi Yao, the beta military doctor closest to the door greeted him with a smile.

“Mr. Chi, are you looking for Professor Qiu? He is doing an experiment, might have to wait a while. You go over there and have a cup of tea first.”

Chi Yao: “Not me, he wants to find him.”

The beta medical officer followed his gaze to look at Bo Jin.

The other party was dressed in black, shirt still stained with blood and torn in places, surrounded by invisible menacing aura.

Was this also a member of Extreme Shadow? Could it be Chi Yao’s brother?

Holy shit! Too scary!

The beta military doctor unconsciously stepped back two steps: “I, I’ll go call Professor Qiu, please wait.”

Turning around, he accidentally tripped his left foot with his right, almost falling to the ground.

Chi Yao: “…Can you not scare the little Flying Dragon brothers?”

Bo Jin: “? I didn’t scare him.”

Chi Yao walked unhurriedly towards the rest area, drawling lazily: “As a high-ranking officer, yet scarier than star pirates, you need to reflect properly.”

Bo Jin: “…”

Through the glass door, they could see the beta military doctor bending over whispering something in Qiu Tianlin’s ear, getting more anxious. Qiu Tianlin turned to look at them after a long while, expression very subtle.

Even without hearing the conversation, Chi Yao could guess what they were saying.

A few minutes later, the beta military doctor walked out dejected, looking like communication failed.

Chi Yao looked over there, asking in a low voice: “How are Jing Xi’s parents?”

Bo Jin: “You are very worried?”

Chi Yao: “Shouldn’t I be worried?”

Noticing the impatience in his tone, Bo Jin knew he was being annoying again.

Wanted to chat more with his son, but the gap lying between them couldn’t be easily crossed.

“They—”

Just as he spoke, Bo Jin’s terminal vibrated. He glanced at it, swiped it open casually, deliberately setting it to public mode. “Ah Shen.”

“Old Bo, the file has been sent cough cough cough—what is the solution you mentioned? Is it reliable?”

Seeing the alpha man appearing in the virtual window, Chi Yao’s eyes widened slightly.

He hadn’t seen Jing Xi’s father, only saw a photo of him in Jing Xi’s room. Elegant and handsome, resembling Jing Xi by fifty or sixty percent.

The person in the window looked much more weathered than back then. His face was no longer stunning but still enduring to look at, with more introversion settled by time.

This was how this age should look.

Chi Yao couldn’t help glancing at Bo Jin who looked much younger from the corner of his eye.

If his body couldn’t recover, twenty years later, this would be the gap between him and Jing Xi.

Bo Jin: “I just arrived at Qiu Tianlin’s place, preparing to chat with him.”

“Qiu Tianlin? Cough cough cough—”

Jing Shen hurriedly took the medicine bottle and swallowed a few pills dry, stopping the cough. “Since you can meet, help me thank him for taking care of Xixi all these years.”

“I will.” Seeing his complexion wasn’t good, Bo Jin said softly, “Leave the rest to me, go back to the treatment pod.”

Jing Shen looked down at the table: “Will we succeed?”

Bo Jin: “Yes.”

Jing Shen smiled: “Thank you for your hard work.”

Chi Yao sat at an angle the camera couldn’t capture, figuring out most of the matters between them in a few sentences.

Regardless of what they did in secret, it was good they were alive.

He didn’t want to see Jing Xi disappointed.

Just about to hang up, Bo Jin suddenly thought of something and added seriously: “When you wake up next time, I want to discuss the betrothal gift with you. You know my assets clearly, either you just allocate as you see fit, your son can’t come to my family for nothing—”

“Wait.”

Jing Shen raised his hand to interrupt, “What betrothal gift? Why should my son go to your family?”

Bo Jin looked at him: “We are becoming in-laws, you didn’t know?”

Jing Shen reacted for two seconds, cursing loudly: “Shameless stinky brat, I’ll transfer my assets to your name right now, your family’s bad boy has to enter my Old Jing family’s door!”

Bo Jin pretended not to hear: “I’m busy, let’s leave it at that.”

“Old Bo!”

Before Jing Shen finished speaking, Bo Jin hung up.

Listening to the whole process, Chi Yao’s eyebrow twitched: “…”

Plastic brotherhood?

Bo Jin watched Qiu Tianlin walking out of the laboratory, whispering: “Don’t worry, I have more assets under my name than Ah Shen, he can’t beat me.”

Chi Yao: “…”

Who the fuck is worried about this?