Chapter 50: Borderland

Chapter 50: The Frontier

Lanen returned from the courtroom and recuperated at the Third Prince's residence for over half a month before fully recovering.

To avoid detection, he had been injected with an excessive dose of medication, which had not yet fully metabolized. The side effects were severe, causing intermittent fevers and drowsiness.

Lanen showed no outward signs of discomfort. The day after returning home, he resumed his duties as house manager and began preparing afternoon tea for Lin You. It wasn't until Lin You touched his skin and noticed the fever that he forced Lanen to stay in bed.

Lanen was in a daze at the time, gazing at Lin You with bleary eyes. His vision struggled to focus, and he realized he was pinned down by the Third Prince, unable to even turn over, let alone get up. He finally let his body go limp.

"Alright," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Looks like I won't be able to look after you for a while."

Lin You clenched his jaw. Over the past few days, Lanen had collected quite a few bite marks on his body. Every time he joked around recklessly without regard for his health, Lin You would get so angry that he couldn't help but bite Lanen's shoulder: "Just worry about yourself, General. I don't need you to look after me."

Lanen muttered, "If I don't have to do anything, it feels like I'm living the retired life."

He had stepped down from his position in the Third Army and was now on a long vacation, spending his days tending to the garden and soaking up the sun like a retiree.

During this vacation, Lanen completely handed over the Collet Family to Lin You.

He transferred everything—the family businesses, assets, the works—leaving himself with nothing. He even brought the younger members of the family to meet Lin You.

Apart from Lanen, the current generation of the Collet Family lacked any pillar of strength, leaving them in a transitional phase. The younger members were all little kids, around 7 or 8 years old, only coming up to Lin You's thigh.

The kids stood in a straight line, chirping "Third Prince" in their high-pitched voices. Lin You's eyebrow twitched as he complained to the system: "66, do you know what this scene reminds me of?"

66: "?"

"It reminds me of Zhuge Liang at White Emperor City. Liu Bei, knowing his time was short, left Adou under his care... The difference is, Liu Bei left one kid, Lanen left a whole lineup."

66 looked at the row of little kids.

"..."

Quite fitting.

Other than that, everything was normal, even somewhat peaceful. The only unusual thing was that Lin You noticed Lanen spending more time on the training system.

He kept practicing on static targets, nailing every shot with deadly accuracy. Lin You fired a couple of shots himself and had to admit that even as a top-ranked streamer, there was still a gap between him and a general who had fought through blood and fire.

As the days passed, the 21st drew closer. Lin You counted down the days in his heart until only a few hours remained.

Colonel Devin of the Third Army had taken his annual leave early and parked his aircraft near the Third Prince's residence. He visited Lanen under cover of darkness, and at dawn, they would set off towards the border of District 23.

Lin You repeatedly flipped through the final paragraphs of the novel, searching for clues, but the descriptions were vague, with only a few short lines: "Lanen raised his gun, aiming forward. It was a long-range sniper rifle, its bullet capable of traversing the dark void, burying both him and his enemy in the graveyard of stars. He loaded, aimed, and pulled the trigger—then welcomed death."

As for whom he aimed at, who he would be buried with, and how he died, the novel did not elaborate.

Holding back his frustration, Lin You nodded to Devin: "Colonel, may I see the aircraft you're taking?"

Devin was taken aback, unaccustomed to Lin You's politeness, and quickly nodded: "Of course, please."

They had been sitting together drinking tea. Upon hearing this, Lanen reluctantly put down the pastry in his hand and stood up: "What's so interesting about that?"

Lin You: "I just want to make sure it's safe."

He followed behind Devin, gripping the storage USB in his hand, and subtly asked: "66, are you ready?"

The small screen flashed a thumbs-up.

Lin You was uneasy about Lanen going to Zone 23 alone, yet he couldn't outright stop him either. After much thought, he devised a plan.

He decided to follow the example of the First Prince and install a tracking camera on the spacecraft.

66, a system from a higher-dimensional civilization, could not only monitor everything comprehensively but also take over the spacecraft if necessary, forcibly overriding the cockpit's controls. In a critical moment, Lin You could command the spacecraft to return.

The only issue was that he first needed to infiltrate the spacecraft's control system.

The military spacecraft had been upgraded several times, and its safety features were unquestionable. Even 66 couldn't hack into it without a physical connection. Lin You needed to first import data into the main control system, and the medium for this transfer was the small USB drive in his hand.

Lin You boarded the spacecraft.

The interior of the spacecraft was surprisingly spacious, divided into a living area, a rest area, and a cockpit. The rest area featured a large floor-to-ceiling window made of a single piece of high-density glass, capable of withstanding the pressure differences between space and the spacecraft's interior, like something out of a science fiction novel.

Lanen stood beside him, gazing out through the floor-to-ceiling window. The night was deep, and beyond the glass lay only the undulating structures of the prince's estate.

Lanen said, "When we break through the atmosphere tomorrow, we'll have a direct view of the capital star and the nearby nebula from this window. If we're lucky, we might even catch the sunrise from here. The morning sun will tint the clouds rose-colored, and the rolling clouds will resemble a field of scattered gold."

Lin You didn't linger, merely saying, "It should be quite beautiful."

He turned and entered the cockpit.

Unlike the comfort and tidiness of the living area, the cockpit's design was far more chaotic and cluttered, with various exposed wires and mysterious buttons, making it exceptionally complex.

Lanen frowned, "You shouldn't be here."

The cockpit was filled with sharp objects and wasn't a safe place for visitors. Those unfamiliar with the setup could easily get injured.

Devin followed closely, adding, "Your Highness, this environment is too hazardous. You shouldn't stay here." He feared that the delicate and capricious males might damage something, and they didn't have time to repair or find replacements.

Lin You waved his hand and sat down in the pilot's seat. He seemingly casually brushed over a row of buttons, and when he touched a certain interface under the seat, he subtly inserted the USB drive under the cover of his body.

Click.

The interface made a slight snapping sound.

66: "Data transmission begins, attempting to infiltrate the spacecraft's control system."

At the same time, Lin You pointed to the instrument panel, drawing their attention, using his voice to cover the mechanical snapping sound: "Major General Lanen, I'm very interested in the spacecraft. Tell me about its structure."

"...Alright."

Males generally had little interest in such things, so the Third Prince's request made Lanen raise an eyebrow in surprise, but he still began to explain.

He sat down in the co-pilot's seat, turning to teach Lin You how to operate those buttons, with a patient and meticulous expression: "This is the main control for the millimeter radar, used to detect and locate enemy aircraft or cosmic rock turbulence, this..."

Lin You's gaze followed him, seemingly listening attentively, but in reality, his mind was wandering, his thoughts drifting who knows where.

He knew these things.

In the military simulation system, Lanen had also taught him how to operate a spacecraft, over and over, tirelessly.

Although Lin You had never touched the real thing, in the simulation system, his score had long been among the top, slightly below Lanen but not inferior to any military females below the rank of colonel.

When the first row of buttons was finished, 66 whispered, "Su Zhu, transmission complete."

Lin You nodded slightly, subtly putting the USB drive into his pocket under the cover of his body.

Lanen's gaze imperceptibly swept over his wrist, his brow twitching slightly, but he said nothing.

The cockpit grew quiet, the silence palpable.

Devin checked his watch and murmured softly, "Major General, it's time for us to go."

Lanen murmured, "Hmm..."

Lin You averted his eyes, saying, "I'll go ahead then."

A pang of sadness hit him, prompting him to lower his gaze to conceal his emotions.

"Hold on, Your Highness."

Lanen's eyes twinkling with mischief, he abruptly seized Lin You, yanking him close.

The move was far from chivalrous or refined, defying the Collet Family's ancestral codes, and certainly not suitable for a prince. In his over twenty years of life, Lanen had never done anything so rude, but he did it anyway.

Lanen apologized, "Your Highness, I have overstepped my bounds. I beg your forgiveness."

Even as he spoke of overstepping, his actions continued unabated. He cupped the back of Lin You's head, leaned in abruptly, and engaged him in a lingering kiss.

Their lips locked, Lanen kissed with a fervent, almost savage intensity, unyielding even as Lin You nipped lightly at his lower lip.

Time seemed to stand still as they kissed, the duration lost to them. As the storm of emotions subsided, Lin You stepped back, regaining his composure, and stated firmly, "I do not forgive."

He met Lanen's gaze steadily, "Major General, I am not one to forgive lightly. Such an affront will not be easily pardoned."

Lanen's lips curved into a smile, "What must I do to win your pardon?"

"Return to me," Lin You inhaled deeply, "return to me unscathed."

Lanen's smile widened, "You have my word."

With a final glance, he turned and strode deeper into the spacecraft.

Lin You disembarked from the spacecraft. The eastern horizon was just beginning to blush with the first light of dawn. Before him, the colossal iron-gray vessel roared to life, blue-purple flames erupting in rings from its jet ports.

Lanen approached the glass window, offering Lin You a wave and a heartfelt smile.

This was no mere social smile, but a genuine, luminous expression of unbridled joy. In that instant, Lanen appeared to cast off all his burdens. He was no longer the polished heir of the Collet Family, nor the guarded Major General of the Third Army. He was simply Lanen.

Lanen silently mouthed, "Farewell."

The spacecraft gradually shrank in his vision, becoming a blurry, indistinguishable dot.

Lin You watched him disappear into the sky.

He returned to the prince's mansion, closed the study door, and 66 timely spoke, "The shared system has been activated for you."

The screen unfurled like a scroll, a golden sun appearing at the edge of his vision, filling his sight with rose hues, the sea of clouds churning along.

66: "They just happened to pass through the troposphere."

In the shared footage, the spacecraft passed through the troposphere, the stratosphere, and finally broke free from the gravitational pull of the capital planet. They sailed through the boundless universe for several days and nights, passing by Zerg planets either flourishing or desolate, and finally stopped at the border of Sector 23.

Here, the border troops of the Third Army were stationed.

Lanen and Devin stopped here, replenishing their supplies, food, water, and fuel, and then stayed on this star for a night.

This was the empire's frontier. Beyond it lay unexplored and undeveloped space, a breeding ground for black markets and space pirates. Yet, the defenses here were surprisingly weak, with only remnants of the Third Army stationed, not even enough to form a full company. The garrison leader was an old man with a limp and one eye. He wore the Third Army uniform, leaned on a cane, his empty trouser leg tied up with ragged cloth strips. He bowed to Lanen, "Major General."

Lanen steadied him; "Abel, how have you been recently?"

Abel smiled, "Not bad, the phantom limb pain occasionally flares up... it's just that in this remote place, the wine is all crude and poor-quality, with no merchant ships coming and going, not even a decent drink to be had."

Lanen then took out a case of wine from the aircraft, produced on the main planet, with a rich taste and priceless value, and handed it to Abel: "Try this."

Lin You's gaze fell on Abel's right chest, where several medals were pinned to his chest, though rusted and peeling, one could still vaguely see the glory of the past.

66 said, "This is a colonel."

It skillfully pulled up Abel's information: "Abel, Colonel of the Third Army, graduated from the Empire's First Military Academy, severely injured during the 23rd District battle due to hormonal disorder. He was supposed to retire but chose to stay in the 23rd District for patrol and protection."

Lin You: "Hormonal disorder?"

He had reviewed related materials; during the 23rd District battle, the pheromone reserves of the Third Army were largely replaced with black market substitutes, directly leading to a pyrrhic victory with heavy losses.

As for why the pheromone reserves, as strategic materials, were easily replaced, and why such a major mistake was not followed up with accountability, remains unknown.

The various events behind this tragic battle, like the innocent officers who died, were completely obliterated.

Lanen and Abel drank together on the barren planet for a night.

The barren planet rarely sees the sun, always dark and gloomy, with intense ionizing radiation painting cold-toned auroras across the sky, nighttime temperatures dropping to around -70 degrees. By morning, frost had formed on their brows, and the Major's azure eyes were chillingly cold, colder than the permafrost of the 23rd District.

Abel finished the last sip from his flask and smiled bitterly, "Such fine wine, it's a shame they can no longer enjoy it."

Lanen patted Abel's shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll deliver it to them."

He paused, then smiled, "Along with the tributes."

Early the next morning, Devin stayed at the base, while Lanen departed the frontier alone in his aircraft.

Lin You's gaze followed Lanen as he ventured into the vast expanse of space.

When passing by a huge planet, he began to slow down.

66: "That's the so-called Planetary Graveyard."

This planet is encircled by a massive golden planetary ring, with countless sharp rocks moving with the gravitational tides, forming a natural planetary barrier, warning all aircraft to approach with caution. The Zerg's formidable steel is no match for these high-speed rocks, or they could be torn apart at any moment.

Lanen started the aircraft, rotating with the planetary ring.

He activated automatic mode and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing intently at the planetary ring.

Within this magnificent color, countless unreturned bones are buried.

Lanen stayed here for three days.

During these three days, he released small aircraft, letting them sail towards the planetary ring, each loaded with wine. He occasionally returned to the base for supplies, but most of the time, he just stayed here.

Neither advancing nor retreating.

Lin You asked, "Is he waiting for something?"

Lanen was indeed waiting, frequently checking navigation, cleaning his gun, until one morning, Lin You suddenly startled.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window of the screen, a vast black expanse appeared.