Chapter Six: The Energy Sample

The alarm signaling the attack had yet to subside when Lin Chong, already leading his men, rushed to the fire points to organize the defense. Wang Yue and Shuang Ning, upon receiving the news that Hua Feng had suddenly collapsed but was not in immediate danger, offered a few words of comfort to Yun Meng, urging her to look after Hua Feng. They, too, set off to help reinforce the defense.

After half an hour of relentless assault—even resorting to miniature explosives—the Waraxe squad, still unable to breach the fortress gates, was left both frustrated and dismayed. Though they had already destroyed all the automated defense points along the fortress’s perimeter, such damage had barely made a dent. What they had thought would be a swift victory was proving otherwise; clearly, they had underestimated the military engineering prowess of Huaxia.

Their leader, Onizuka, cursed furiously, “Kuroki, that useless fool! All talk and no substance—after receiving so much equipment from Waraxe, he still can’t handle a bunch of beaten survivors! All our painstaking efforts to support him, wasted.”

If even his own direct involvement failed, he had no idea how he would explain himself to Black Fox, the boss, whose methods of punishment were infamous among the three Waraxe overlords. Just the thought of Black Fox’s tortures sent a chill down Onizuka’s spine.

Waraxe’s creed was to claim a share wherever there was profit. By the previous century, they were already involved in casinos, arms, drug trafficking—and even, at that time, had the means to trade nuclear weapons.

Now certain that what he wanted was inside, Onizuka was in no hurry. As long as he maintained control of the fortress, he was confident that—with his abilities and, if necessary, the authority to deploy small nuclear weapons—taking the underground stronghold was only a matter of time.

“Let the men rest for now. Once they’re recharged, we’ll take this wretched underground fortress in one fell swoop!” With these words, Onizuka ordered the attack to halt.

Amid the swirling snowstorm, the underground fortress finally found a brief moment of respite.

“It seems they’re convinced the energy sample is here with us,” Lin Chong said as he gathered all officers ranked lieutenant and above in the command room. “Apparently, they haven’t noticed our stealth helicopter’s evacuation. That’s to our advantage.” He paused, remembering Hua Feng’s inexplicable fainting. “Tell me in detail how you obtained the energy sample. Leave out nothing—every detail could be important.”

As the highest-ranking officer apart from Hua Feng, Wang Yue responded, “Yes, Major.”

Wang Yue organized his thoughts before recalling that night: “We parachuted, as ordered, to a secret coordinate in the northernmost ice fields to investigate an unknown energy source our country had accidentally discovered. It was a massive, crystal-like object, a mixture of ice and water, roughly the size of an aircraft carrier.

“Standing within it felt like being in a fairyland. Everything around was calm and ordinary, but those of us with somewhat stronger vitality could clearly sense the immense energy contained within—a feeling hard to describe, as if it were an extremely compressed yet stable energy mass. Like… like a nuclear reactor made of pure vital energy.

“But the entire environment resembled an artificial underground base. We speculated it might be the crystallization of some prehistoric civilization, an unsolved mystery.”

At this, Shuang Ning and the others couldn’t help but recall that night: the blue crystal, the sacred yet eerie azure glow, and the sudden ambush…

Lin Chong interrupted, “A high-density energy body? Interesting. Go on.”

Wang Yue nodded and continued, “Since everything was unknown, Hua Feng instructed us not to touch anything. He alone handled all the sample collection—he was the only one to make direct contact with the energy sample. Once it was sealed in a special container, we blocked the entrance and prepared to return.

“But we hadn’t gone far before we were ambushed. We suspected a leak—someone with enough access to know the details of our mission. If there really is a traitor, the energy’s coordinates will soon be compromised. The rest, you’ve probably already read in our operation report.”

“That’s not your concern. Headquarters is already investigating. Our priority is getting you all home safely. For now, we can’t be sure if Hua Feng’s collapse is related to the unknown energy. We’re not equipped to drive off a Waraxe squad, whose average level is far higher than ours and who are armed with nuclear warheads. At present, only cunning will serve us.”

“Yes, Major. We trust in Snow Leopard, in ourselves, and most of all, that Hua Feng will recover!” Wang Yue replied with unwavering conviction.

Lin Chong’s eyes shone with approval after Wang Yue’s words. “All right. Dismissed. Back to your posts.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, suddenly feeling a fatigue he had not known in years. Was he getting old? Lin Chong shook his head with a wry smile.

A sharp pain pierced through him as Hua Feng, in a haze, heard voices conversing nearby. He tried to wake but found himself unable. He felt a gentle current nourishing and repairing his body, old wounds from training and combat slowly returning to their uninjured state.

Though he couldn’t explain it, he could sense his vital energy breaking through a long-standing bottleneck—he knew he might have finally shed his shackles and joined the ranks of king-level experts. He didn’t know how much time passed, only that his energy flow gradually calmed.

At last, Hua Feng felt in control of his body again. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with the sight of Yun Meng resting at his bedside. A surge of gratitude and guilt filled his heart. Since they’d become a couple, he’d never given her the life she wanted. Because of his own dreams, she had followed him into the military, giving up literature for a soldier’s life.

“You’re awake?” Yun Meng’s clear, melodious voice broke Hua Feng’s silent musings.

Hua Feng affectionately touched Yun Meng’s forehead. “Yes, I’m fine now. Everything will be all right.”

Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. Yun Meng felt as if happiness had returned—what was meant to be was always there. Neither had changed for the other. The Hua Feng before her was still the same boy she loved, who doted on her. No matter how time changed, he would not, nor would she.