Before leaving Hexi Province, Xu Le circled the fourth block in the twilight to take a distant look at his beloved repair shop, only to discover that the entire shop had been reduced to ruins. He didn't need any explanation from society or the federation to understand what had happened. It was evident that the Eastwood garrison command had launched a heavy firepower attack directly at his boss, comparing it to the advance lineup of Colonel B4's machine armor group. Xu Le felt a wave of fear, realizing that there were many influential figures within the federation who wanted his boss dead, and his boss was being blamed for a treasonous act.
However, Xu Le hadn't expected that he would investigate this matter with the help of the camouflage chip and thereby cleanse himself of the thought of seeking revenge or proving his boss's innocence. One reason was the serious warning his boss had given him. The other reason was that Xu Le realized he was just an ordinary and insignificant person, far removed from the secrets of the uppermost layers of federal society, beyond his reach even to gaze upon.
Standing at the spacious Shuiniping of the garrison command airport, Xu Le gazed at the familiar stars and took a deep breath. His face, which had been as sharp as a knife's edge, now appeared more gentle, as if unable to bear the sorrow of leaving. This journey, traveling by spaceship as a serviceman, from Eastwood Grand District to Capital Star Circle, had been a dream for over a decade. But now, as this dream was being realized in a strange way, Xu Le couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration, as if it were all a dream.
The status check and security procedures before entering the garrison command had been completed. This time, Xu Le faced the omnipresent electronic surveillance network with calmness, unlike his fearful self a month ago. He lowered his head and entered the transfer cabin, not forgetting to smile at the soldier guarding the entrance.
These soldiers were from Westwood, responsible for the security of the commerce spaceship that operated above Eastwood Grand District. After the conclusion of a friendly visit between Westwood Grand District and Eastwood Grand District, wholesale reciprocal agreements had been reached, and assistance to Eastwood Grand District by Westwood had been confirmed. These important officials were now returning on the spaceship, embarking on the long journey back home. Xu Le, on the other hand, boarded the last outer space ground transfer cabin, which was a cargo spaceship.
...
During the ascent, the tremendous propelling force pressed Xu Le's body tightly against the chair, causing a peculiar sensation of cerebral congestion. It was a new experience for him, as he had never traveled in space before, and he felt a mix of excitement and a faint trace of fear. The cargo cabin was full, with no one else present except him. He didn't know how the camouflage chip made by Uncle Feng Yu had been activated, but as a retired soldier, no one really paid attention to him, except for the overwhelming noise that reminded him of leaving his homeland.
Far above the ground, at an altitude of nearly 30,000 meters, Xu Le finally relaxed. Following the instructions from the electronic device in the cabin, he adjusted his seat position and settled into the flight capsule, which provided necessary support in the absence of gravity.
Contrary to his youthful imagination, the spaceships representing human civilization were not glamorous. Even in a simple transfer cabin like this, everything seemed rough. The exposed metal structures on the bulkheads did not conceal the visible circuitry in the pipelines, and the cabin was filled with the smell of engine oil. Xu Le was somewhat surprised by this sight and couldn't help but think that this damn thing was more like a worn-out truck than a sophisticated high-tech product.
After 20 seconds, Xu Le's initial curiosity waned, and he began to experience the physiological effects of space travel. His breathing became somewhat rapid, but thanks to the training he had received from Uncle Feng Yu over the past four years, he was more composed compared to an average first-time traveler. Despite adapting well, he noticed out of the spaceship window that they were passing through a region filled with red-dusted space debris and some metallic reflecting fragments. It didn't seem right, as there shouldn't be so much space debris at that altitude. Xu Le found it puzzling, but he gazed peacefully for a long time, until it felt like an eternity. It seemed as though the spaceship had traversed this strange area of dust, escaping the gravitational pull of Eastwood Star.
Undoing his secured harness, Xu Le cautiously left the chair, experiencing the novelty of weightlessness. A joyful smile appeared on his face as he moved his arms like a swimming fish, gliding slowly by the porthole. With his hands on the window's edge, he looked in the direction of the star, and the light outside was exceptionally bright, casting a silver-white glow throughout the cabin.
In this bright silver-white light, the metal bracelet on Xu Le's left wrist became unusually clear, revealing some superficial marks that had gone unnoticed before. Xu Le examined it closely and discovered that the edge of the bracelet bore two lines of small characters. He hadn't noticed them for days, and it took him by surprise. In a soft voice, he read the engraved lines to himself:
"In the world, there are two things capable of profoundly stirring people's minds: one is the lofty morality in our hearts, and the other is the bright starry sky above our heads – Conde."
Xu Le instinctively raised his hand to touch his head, but the zero-gravity environment made his movements somewhat heavy, and he ended up bumping his head, causing a slight pain. He felt a bit dejected by these two cryptic lines, not knowing who Conde was and not fully comprehending the philosophical meaning behind the words. However, a sense of marvel welled up in his heart, perhaps called passion or loftiness.
Taking his gaze away from the engraved characters, Xu Le looked out at the universe through the spaceship's window, eager to absorb the magnificent view with his young eyes. But suddenly, his pupils contracted in disbelief because the scenery outside was nothing like he had expected. Countless stars, resembling sesame seeds scattered on a pie, filled the vast universe, and their silver-white starlight flickered like the blazing sun covering everything.
Xu Le was left dumbfounded, and before he could comprehend the breathtaking sight before him, his body suddenly plummeted to the ground, causing him great pain as he landed. Lost in the sea of stars outside the window, he had failed to notice the electronic device's reminder that they had successfully docked and gravity had been restored. The prompt instructed him to return to his secured seat.
After five minutes, the cabin door finally opened, and Xu Le struggled to get up from the ground, searching for his backpack. He followed the reception personnel of the commercial spaceship into the actual spaceship.
Xu Le noticed that his eyesight was inadequate, and he realized that the floor beneath him was, in fact, an endless abyss in the universe. He couldn't help but feel a strange sensation, as if the instruments and equipment he saw were advanced goods that he could only read about in books. Some faint instinct of excitement surged within him.
"The Ministry of Defense is too stingy," the soldier responsible for guiding Xu Le remarked, shrugging his shoulders. He patted Xu Le's shoulder in a comforting manner and said, "Although we do pass by the capital star, it's unbelievable that the Ministry of Defense would cut corners like this... We ran out of rooms, so you'll have to make do in Area 32."
"No problem," Xu Le replied, nodding. After all, this was a Westwood vessel, not a Ministry of Defense troop carrier. Having a room was good enough.
Nobody was left in Area 32, and Xu Le, alone with his backpack, stood by the giant window, gazing at the distant Eastwood Star. He sighed and was about to search for his room when he suddenly heard a clear and tender voice from behind.
"Protect me."
Startled, Xu Le turned around and opened his mouth in astonishment. Before him stood a young girl wearing white pajamas, bathed in the silver starlight. The girl, around 5 or 6 years old, held a doll in her arms, her naive eyes brimming with tears. She emitted an inexplicable aura of innocence.