"Your courage has grown." He seemed completely unconcerned about the presence of those around him, nor did he consider whether it would affect his image as a ruthless and ironclad commander. There was a faint smile in his eyes. With a dip of his head, his cold lips pressed heavily onto hers, and his passionate tongue entwined forcefully with the trace of blood in her mouth, almost suffocating her.
After transferring from the Cheetah to a medium-sized warship, Su Mi had been confined to the exclusive cabin by Meng Xi-cong until the warship landed in a frigid small town at a high latitude in the Southern Hemisphere. Only then did Mu Xiting come to open the cabin door as ordered and let out the sullen and silent Su Mi.
As soon as Su Mi reached the cabin door, she saw Meng Xi-cong standing in front. She walked past him with a blank expression. He, too, had a solemn face like still water. He forcibly clasped her waist and led her down the warship.
A group of officers followed behind. Although Su Mi wasn't about to stage another full-on brawl in front of everyone again, after the failed attempt at physical resistance a few hours ago, she had no intention of currying favor with him at all. So she simply remained silent.
However, when they stepped onto the ground and beheld the beautiful scenery beneath the clear blue sky, Su Mi was momentarily breathless.
On the cold ground, the frozen rivers were like clear and pure jade. The water was extremely clean, with a faint blue tint. The huge white logs submerged in the water, though seemingly the most decayed, presented the purest visual impression.
Not far away were small, simple wooden houses that exuded a sense of warmth. Even farther in the distance, the mountains were like crouching giants, stretching their dark forms in the clouds and mists, looking on from afar.
Su Mi suddenly had the illusion of having barged into an elfin world. It was so clean, gentle, and isolated from the rest of the world.
A team of mercenaries drove off-road vehicles to transport everyone to the base in the mountains. The journey took only about twenty minutes. Su Mi sat quietly in the vehicle, her eyes fixed on the lakes and rivers that were like multicolored gems on either side of the road.
Meng Xi-cong had a medical patch on his neck. One of his large hands rested on the back of the seat behind her, and he, too, was silent. Seeing that it was too quiet in the vehicle, Mu Xiting smiled at Su Mi and said, "Madam, isn't this place beautiful?"
Su Mi nodded. "Why are the waters here so colorful?"
Mu Xiting smiled. "It's due to the minerals in the soil and water. However, due to the nuclear radiation from the previous Zerg war, few people come here. But it's rich in mineral deposits and is one of the largest mining bases in the Alliance."
No wonder Meng Xi-cong had placed the warship manufacturing base here. But why on earth did he have to bring her here?!
At the foot of the mountain was a plain. Several factory buildings sprawled over a vast area, with several plumes of black smoke rising straight into the sky, and the faint rumble of machinery could be heard. In the center of the factory buildings was a huge apron. More than twenty Cheetahs and Snow Peaks, both new and old, were parked there, and many technicians in blue uniforms were operating around the fighter jets.
As soon as everyone stepped onto the apron, a very tall man walked towards them. He was dressed in a somewhat worn mercenary military uniform, with a heroic appearance and bright, clear eyes. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. Different from other mercenaries and also from Meng Xi-cong, just by standing there with a smile, he gave off an air of upright and magnanimous heroism.
Surprisingly, his shoulder insignia indicated the rank of major general – this was the first time Su Mi had seen a person with the rank of general among the mercenaries, so she couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
"Commander!" He and Meng Xi-cong exchanged military salutes, and then the two even hugged. Su Mi saw a faint smile appear on Meng Xi-cong's face.
"Big Brother." He stood beside the man, and the man patted his shoulder.
Su Mi was a bit surprised. There was actually someone whom Meng Xi-cong would call Big Brother?
The man's warm gaze swept over everyone. Mu Xiting and the others all gave him a standard military salute: "Major General!" His calm and composed demeanor gave people an inexplicable sense of tranquility and reliability.
Finally, his gaze landed on Su Mi. Su Mi reflexively saluted: "Major General!" He smiled and nodded, but his eyes looked at Meng Xi-cong: "Sister-in-law?"
Meng Xi-cong didn't say a word, and Su Mi didn't respond either. The major general, however, seemed oblivious to their silence. He reached out to Su Mi: "Hello, I'm Jian Mu'an."
Su Mi shook his warm and dry large hand: "Sir, I'm Lieutenant Su Mi."
Jian Mu'an actually said knowingly: "Oh? Meng Xi-cong's little wild cat?"
Su Mi nodded with a blank face. Meng Xi-con, who had been left aside, had already reached out to wrap his arms around her again and said to Jian Mu'an: "When did you become so talkative?"
Jian Mu'an laughed heartily and personally led them to the dormitory.
Without a doubt, Su Mi was to share a room with Meng Xi-cong. Jian Mu'an briefly informed Meng Xi-cong of the arrangements for the afternoon and then went to the dining hall first. As soon as Su Mi placed her luggage on the table, she was pulled into a solid embrace.
"Stay away from him." He turned her around and pinched her chin. Su Mi's dark eyes stared fixedly at him. Instead of answering, she asked: "Who is he?"
Meng Xi-cong said calmly: "He was my former boss. The person I respect the most."
Su Mi was a bit surprised. Although she had heard that Meng Xi-cong had risen from being a small mercenary, she still couldn't imagine what it was like when he was following someone else. Although Jian Mu'an was now his subordinate, he still called him Big Brother. This was a bit at odds with his usual image of being arrogant, tough, and self-centered.
But why did he want her to stay away from Jian Mu'an?
After having a simple lunch, Jian Mu'an took Meng Xi-cong and Su Mi to see the aircraft manufacturing assembly line. After walking around the factory building, the two men discussed the capital arrangements and production plans. As they were chatting, they suddenly brought up a never-before-seen race – the robots.
Jian Mu'an said: "The older generation of mercenaries said that there was a mechanical civilization hundreds of years ago, but no one has ever seen them. However, according to the ironclad rule of the mercenaries, when encountering robots, they must be killed on sight."
"Why?" Su Mi asked immediately.
Jian Mu'an smiled and said: "The stubborn demands of the older generation must have their reasons."
The next day, Su Mi was quite at ease because Meng Xi-cong spent the whole day in the factory building with Jian Mu'an, too busy to bother with her. Jian Mu'an assigned a female mercenary, Yan Qing, to accompany her to tour the whole small town, which made her feel clear-headed, with bright eyes and a relaxed mind.
The female sergeant, Yan Qing, was a very young girl, looking only eighteen or nineteen years old, with a delicate appearance and a gentle temperament. Su Mi had a pleasant time with her. By evening, after having visited all the nearby scenery, she still felt a bit reluctant to leave.
Yan Qing had an inspiration and took Su Mi to the famous hot spring resort in the city. In sharp contrast to the overall chilly small town, the lobby of the reception area of the hot spring resort was bustling with people – almost all the off-duty mercenaries gathered here at night.
Seeing the two female officers, the mercenaries couldn't help but take a few more glances. Su Mi was used to the rowdy behavior of the mercenaries and didn't care. But when the two of them wrapped themselves in towels and walked into the hot spring area, Su Mi was immediately stunned –
It was a mixed-gender hot spring.
Actually, it was the same in the big cities on Earth. But Su Mi was just a college student and had never been to such a place. Moreover, the hot spring resort full of male mercenaries had an atmosphere so lively that it was enough to make any woman feel embarrassed.
Fortunately, Yan Qing knew her limits. She led Su Mi straight to the innermost part of the resort, opened a separate room where the spring water was clear and there was no one else.
"Lieutenant, you can stay here. It's too chaotic outside." Yan Qing smiled.
"And you?"
Yan Qing gave a pure smile: "I'll be outside. Some friends called me. Lieutenant, you can have a comfortable sleep. This medicinal hot spring is very beneficial for your body. I'll come to call you in about an hour."
Su Mi put on her swimsuit and entered the hot spring. The room was open-air, and looking up, one could see the cold winter starlight. The rising steam filled the bones with a warm and passionate heat. Su Mi's constitution was rather weak after her serious injury. In such a comfortable environment, with her head leaning against the stone steps on the edge of the pool, she soon fell into a drowsy sleep.
When the sound of footsteps came, Su Mi opened her eyes halfway and vaguely saw a figure under the light. Su Mi shielded her eyes from the light with her hand and said softly: "You're here?"
The person crouched down by the pool and looked down at Su Mi. Almost immediately, Su Mi sensed the familiar male aura. She suddenly opened her eyes wide and indeed saw Meng Xi-cong's calm and handsome face and his tall and straight figure.
Meng Xi-cong's gaze slid down from her somewhat surprised face to her shoulders, which were reddened by the hot water, and then to her slender and delicate body clad only in underwear beneath the water surface. He was silent.
After finishing his work in the afternoon, he was unexpectedly informed by Jian Mu'an: "Sister-in-law hasn't come back yet." Thinking that she was just out sightseeing, he didn't pay much attention. After a while, Jian Mu'an seemed to have just realized, "Oops, I forgot to tell you. They went to the hot spring resort."
What kind of place was the hot spring resort? Although it wasn't exactly a den of iniquity, mixed-gender hot spring bathing, and even nude hot spring bathing, were common practices. Meng Xi-cong knew full well that his big brother, who looked upright and resolute on the outside, was actually as cunning as a fox, self-righteous, and that was why he had asked Su Mi to stay away from him. Now, she must have been deliberately taken there by his people.
The purpose, of course, was to make him angry.
Just thinking about Su Mi's snow-white and well-proportioned body being exposed to those unruly soldiers made Meng Xi-cong angry. Of course, he didn't think it was jealousy. Su Mi had already been claimed as his own. His people, he didn't like anyone to pry or lay a finger on.
He had no choice but to leave a curt "You'd better behave yourself" and then hurried to the hot spring resort under Jian Mu'an's knowing gaze.
Fortunately, Jian Mu'an didn't dare to go too far, and Su Mi knew how to protect herself. She was just in a separate room. But when Meng Xi-cong saw her sleeping in the hot spring, he didn't wake her up immediately. Instead, he stood by the hot spring for at least half an hour until she woke up.