I was lying in the corner of the truck. With the addition of the members of Team Zero, it was especially crowded inside. Yang Shixiu, with a bandage wrapped around his head, hung a similar product above my head. The two of us stared at each other. Ji Han was assisting him on the side. The girl was holding CC in her arms.
Whenever I saw CC, I would have mixed feelings. She was so young. Her tender face clearly didn't belong to this world. In fact, neither did I. Living in the peace and stability of China, it's often hard to imagine war-torn situations. People would try to get in touch with that world through videos, photos, and words, but those who experience it always understand the harshness better than those who record it.
Ji Ling was treating the wounds on his body. The person helping him was Luo Bing. Anyway, Luo Bing didn't care about trifles. She was even harsher than anyone else when treating the wounds, and Ji Ling's screams were louder than anyone's. There was a large bruise on Liang Dong's face. A piece of rubble hit his cheek during the hail of bullets.
Team Zero was fine. Hedwig was resting with her eyes closed. Dongfang Muxue was looking around. Katerina was doing nothing. CC was lying in Ji Han's arms.
"Captain," Luo Bing said as Ji Ling screamed, "Treat us!"
"Huh?"
"Roast mutton."
"Barbecue!" "Barbecue!" Yuni and CC cheered together.
Ye Fan, who was driving, pretended to suddenly realize: "Oh right, you did say you'd treat us."
"When did I say that! I didn't promise you guys!"
"They're treating us," Dongfang Muxue patted Hedwig. "Are you coming?"
"Don't forget who we are," Hedwig warned with a look in her blue eyes.
"This kind of thing doesn't tempt me. I tell you, I'd rather starve to death and jump out of here than take a bite of this stuff—"
"So good!"
In the barbecue restaurant, Hedwig said with starry eyes.
"Much better than what you make..." CC tore off a large piece of mutton. "Hedwig, can you please not do that every day... Wuwawawa!"
"Don't think I won't hit you just because I'm in a good mood today."
"By the way," Jiang Li suddenly appeared beside me while eating a piece of meat and drinking a Coke. "Have you thought of a team name and code names yet?"
"No." I shook my head and cut off a slice of mutton. "The team has been reported but isn't officially established yet."
Jiang Li was a bit surprised. She stuffed the mutton into her mouth: "Why?"
"After we withdraw from Kreber, we'll first go back to Yitelan. There will be a special assessment project for the team there. Only after passing 072 will it be officially established. After that comes the vacation. Wait," I noticed something was wrong. "Why are you taking my mutton?"
"What's yours is mine." Jiang Li quickly swallowed the mutton. "What's mine—is still mine. Let's go out and talk."
I thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay."
So the two of us went out one after the other. The wind at night was strong and cold, and Jiang Li's windbreaker was flapping noisily.
"Since you haven't thought of it, I'll make the decision for you," Jiang Li said. "Let's call it 'Night Gull'."
"Night Gull?" I was puzzled. I suddenly remembered that this name had briefly flashed in my memory. At that moment, there seemed to be a glimmer of tears in Jiang Li's eyes. Her lips were slightly closed—
"Then let's call the team Night Gull."
"Actually, I've already thought of code names for myself and Lu Wanqing,"
Jiang Li turned her back as if deliberately not wanting me to see something. "They are 'Nightingale' and 'Jackdaw' respectively."
"Pretty cool. Then I'll come up with a similar one too, like 'Nighthawk' or something—"
"What did you say!" Jiang Li suddenly turned around and looked at me fiercely. "Which 'hawk'? The 'hawk' in 'eagle'?"
"Yeah, right—"
Jiang Li suddenly pushed me against the wall, grabbing my shoulders so tightly that it hurt. Her eyes were fierce: "You're not allowed to use that name! Never!"
It was the first time I'd seen Jiang Li lose her composure like this. She looked like a roaring lion defending its territory, yet also like a little cat baring its teeth and claws, making a big fuss while being extremely afraid of losing something. Her body was trembling slightly. I saw hesitation and fear in her eyes.
I seemed to see myself from the past. That period of time was pitch black, and countless tentacles were trying to drag me into the mire of the past and sink me into eternity.
"You'll be called 'Dusk'," Jiang Li released her left hand after realizing her impropriety. "You can only be called 'Dusk'."
"Sorry, I have to excuse myself."
Jiang Li quickly turned around and left, disappearing into the night soon, leaving me alone to face the cold wind.
Jiang Li...
What on earth are you hiding from me?
No one is nice to others for no reason. Instead of being afraid of losing warmth, I'm more like fearing warmth itself. Thinking that I can hold onto the sunshine in my hand and thus always grasp the warmth, but always unable to escape the cruel fact of the setting sun.
Just like I once thought we could be together forever.
Isn't it? Gu Rou.
"'Dusk'..." I murmured the name. This code name was indeed in the style I would choose. Standing alone in the darkness, accompanied by the cold wind.
"Sounds like a good name," Dongfang Muxue's voice unexpectedly came from behind. "Is this your code name?"
"Maybe. What's up?"
"Of course there is. I came out specifically to find you," Dongfang Muxue's voice made people unconsciously trust her. "Do you want to hear me tell a story?"
I was still a bit scared of this woman's last behavior, but driven by curiosity, I couldn't help but ask: "What?"
"A long time ago, there was a person who left a deep impression on me. Her code name was 'Nighthawk'. The first time I saw her, she was only seven years old, all alone. Later, she had two equally lonely companions.
The three of them were inseparable. The girl was approachable, but she had a few constant habits. She had to go home every March 21st—"
"Who is she?"
I waited for the rest of the story, but Dongfang Muxue fell silent.
After a long while, I couldn't help but ask: "And then?"
I turned around. There was no one behind me. The light of the stars,
traveling tens of thousands of light-years, coldly mocked me.