sbdcsierra Chapter 30 Don't worry, I understand.
Chapter 30 Don't worry, I understand.
With a familiar feeling of weightlessness, the blood-red sky in my field of vision was replaced by pure white light.
The pungent smell of disinfectant and the sound of metal scraping filled my nostrils, replacing the rusty, dry air of the wasteland.
They are back.
Huaxia Frontline Secret Realm Command Center, B-3 Teleportation Platform.
The platform was surrounded by people. They had spontaneously gathered around, each one in a crisp military uniform, their epaulets gleaming under the lights.
The one leading them was Li Tianshan.
When the first team of eight people walked out of the teleportation matrix one by one, they were greeted with thunderous applause.
Li Tianshan strode forward, walked directly to the back of the line, stood in front of Lu Yan, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.
"Good lad!"
He didn't say anything more, turned around, and faced everyone.
"I hereby announce that, following a decision by the General Command, all members of the First Squad of the Zhenguo Dragon Guard are hereby granted 48 hours of mandatory leave! That's all for now, get some rest!"
The word "forced" was emphasized particularly heavily.
Good-natured laughter erupted from the crowd.
The news of the leave brought a sense of relief to everyone in the first squad. Zhao Leiguang was the first to lose his composure; he walked over to Shen Xinglin and nudged him with his elbow.
"Old Shen, I need to go home first and show my parents this new shield so they can see how impressive it is." As he spoke, he lovingly stroked the Earth Pulse suit, looking at it like it was his own son.
Shen Xinglin's attention, however, was elsewhere; he was anxiously looking towards the logistics area. "My horse is badly injured; I need to take it to the vet."
Wen Yue walked to a corner alone, leaned the World-Destroying Thunderbolt against the wall, and quietly wiped the crossbow. Xiao Qianyu went over and asked her what her plans were, but she just shook her head and said softly, "I think I'll go visit my brother."
Her expression remained calm, but the atmosphere around her inexplicably became somewhat subdued.
In no time, everyone had found their destination. Only Lu Yan stood there, watching his teammates busy themselves, and suddenly realized that he didn't seem to have anywhere to go.
He has no home in this world.
After arranging the team's equipment storage, Xiao Qianyu turned around and saw Lu Yan standing alone.
A thought crossed her mind. She walked over and said, "Don't stay alone. Come to my house tonight, I'll cook. Consider it a victory celebration for our first squad."
"I agree!" Zhao Leiguang was the first to raise his hand. "The food at the captain's house must be delicious!"
Others echoed his sentiments.
Looking at his teammates who had just fought side by side on the battlefield, Lu Yan felt a gentle tap on a hard corner of his heart.
As everyone prepared to depart, Li Tianshan called Lu Yan aside alone.
The commander's excitement had faded, replaced by a solemnity characteristic of soldiers.
"Lu Yan, there's something I must warn you about." He lowered his voice, "Your identity file is top secret, but the existence of the 'Eternal Scepter' cannot be hidden from those with ulterior motives. You deserve immense credit for this great victory in the front-line secret realm, but you've also become easy prey for some. Within China, not everyone is thinking of the country like we are."
He looked into Lu Yan's eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Countless powerful families are secretly watching you. From now on, I will arrange extra security to protect you. In any case, you cannot leave our sight for even a moment during the holiday. I hope you understand our intentions."
"Don't worry, Mr. Li, I understand what you mean."
……
Half an hour later, at the largest chain supermarket in the city center.
The first squad changed into civilian clothes, pushed shopping carts, and mingled with the evening shopping crowd. This scene was a stark contrast to their appearance on the battlefield.
Zhao Leiguang pushed the shopping cart, driving recklessly like a dump truck, while announcing, "Make way, fresh food section, here I come!" The shopping cart was soon piled high with various steaks, lamb legs, and pork belly, like a small mountain.
Wen Yue quietly walked to the corner of the shelf, took a few packs of high-energy compressed biscuits and jerky, and put them in her shopping cart. It was a habit she had developed when she was struggling to survive alone in low-level secret realms; she always kept some on hand just in case.
Their demeanor and physique were so striking among ordinary people that they quickly attracted attention.
"Look at those guys... the tallest one is as strong as a bear..."
"That girl is so cool, is she carrying a guitar bag? Her style is so weird..."
"Wait! That guy, the one pushing the cart, I think I've seen his picture in the battle report thread on the Awakeners forum... He's a member of the National Guard!"
A sharp-eyed young man recognized Zhao Leiguang. He excitedly grabbed his companion, his voice trembling.
Soon, more and more people recognized them. People didn't dare get too close, but excitedly pointed and whispered from a distance, secretly taking pictures with their phones.
"It really was them! They wiped out the White Eagles' first elite squad in no time!"
"My God, I've seen one alive!"
"Who is that young man walking at the back? He looks so ordinary..."
"What do you know! The real masters are always hiding their true abilities! Maybe he's the most powerful one!"
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Zhao Lei straightened his back, enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention, and almost performed a shield charge on the spot.
In the midst of this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, the encrypted communicator in Lu Yan's pocket suddenly vibrated.
It was an unfamiliar number.
He walked to the side and answered the call.
"Hey? Is that Xiao Yan? Oh, my dear nephew, do you still remember your aunt?"
A woman's voice, incredibly enthusiastic, came from the other end of the phone.
Lu Yan paused for a moment.
Aunt. His mother's older sister.
"Xiao Yan, your aunt misses you so much! I heard from people inside that you made great contributions on the front lines and became a national hero! Our whole family is so proud of you!" The woman's voice was choked with sobs, as if she truly missed you terribly.
Lu Yan didn't speak, but listened quietly.
Another scene surfaced in his memory.
Upon hearing the news of her parents' deaths and receiving the compensation money, this aunt stormed into the house with her cousin. While stuffing money into her own pockets, she pointed at the young boy and yelled, "Your parents were two worthless gamblers! They were always going to shady places, they deserved to die! Consider this money something they owe me!"
Then, she pushed him, along with his luggage, out of the house.
"...So, Xiao Yan, now that you've made something of yourself, you can't forget your relatives. You have to come home tonight so your cousin can give you a proper celebration!" Auntie's hypocritical sobbing finally veered off to the point.
"I'm not going."
Lu Yan's answer was calm and devoid of any emotion.
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
The woman probably never expected that her tearful performance would be met with such a decisive rejection.
The next second, her tone completely changed, becoming as sharp and sarcastic as a rusty knife.
"Lu Yan! You little ingrate! You think you're all grown up now?! Just like your deadbeat parents, you're all heartless bastards! Let me tell you, don't think you're so great now..."
Lu Yan hung up the phone immediately.
He put the communicator back in his pocket, his face expressionless, but Xiao Qianyu keenly sensed that the air around him seemed to have turned a few degrees colder.
That was the first time she had ever sensed something akin to murderous intent emanating from Lu Yan.
Just as she was about to ask, Lu Yan's communicator vibrated again.
It wasn't a phone call, it was a message.
The sender was his aunt.
The content is short, but it is full of blatant provocation.
"Don't push your luck! Let me tell you, your cousin has awakened too, he's a warrior of the Flame Blade branch, and he's also in the National Guard! So what if you're an Aura Master? He's a hundred times stronger than a support character like you hiding in the back! Someone tells me where you are, I'll have him go and teach you a lesson, let you know what the difference is!"