Chapter 59

Chapter 59

The Four Great Legions never meddled in each other’s military affairs.

Knowing that Qing Yileng had another appointment, the other two departed.

Qing Yileng ascended to the second floor.

The central building had long since been cleared, and he encountered no one on his way.

A sliver of light emanated from the end of the dim corridor, a guiding beacon awaiting his arrival.

Qing Yileng strolled over, reaching the tea room door. He immediately spotted the man seated by the window, casually gazing outside.

He Yilan held a cup of tea, his legs casually crossed, his gaze drifting over the night view as if enjoying a leisurely break in a teahouse.

Qing Yileng walked up, pulled out a chair opposite He Yilan, and sat down.

As if only just noticing his presence, He Yilan slowly turned his head and said calmly, "If you want tea, brew it yourself."

His tone suggested he was the host receiving Qing Yileng, though it was certainly unusual for a guest to be asked to prepare their own tea.

"I don't need any, thank you."

Qing Yileng’s reply was sufficiently composed, his emotionless gaze resting calmly on He Yilan. "I hear Zhong Sheng Machinery is in utter chaos. Everyone is speculating about the whereabouts of you, their leader. Some are even planning to issue an interstellar bounty."

The sheer absurdity of the situation was delivered in his matter-of-fact tone, as if he were reciting a simple historical account.

To this, He Yilan merely offered a faint smile. "Sounds like quite the uproar indeed."

He leisurely brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. "It would be even better if this news weren't contained within the company."

Qing Yileng’s expression remained unreadable. "You don’t actually need to go to such lengths. If necessary, I can step in and deal with those troublemakers for you. After all, the prosperity of Zhong Sheng Machinery is also tied to the future of our Azure Army. The recent unrest affects us as well."

"I appreciate the offer, but your methods for managing armies aren’t suited for the business world," He Yilan politely declined. "Harsh tactics can intimidate for a while, but they don’t last forever. I prefer to take my time, follow my own pace, and eradicate the problem completely."

He clearly wasn’t concerned about Qing Yileng’s worries. "As for your Azure Army, rest assured—the supply chain won’t be disrupted."

"Suit yourself." Qing Yileng had never been one to meddle. Having his offer declined, he dropped the subject but gave He Yilan a deep look. "So, during your disappearance, you’ve been on Planet 6616 all along?"

He Yilan: "Get to the point."

Qing Yileng nodded and spoke: "When did the two of you get together?"

He Yilan’s hand, reaching for his cup, paused slightly. He looked up with a faint smile. "Aren’t you being a bit too direct?"

Qing Yileng said, "You told me to get to the point."

He Yilan nodded. "Yes, my mistake."

He picked up his cup and took another sip of tea, thinking carefully. "236 days."

After confirming, he repeated, "From the time we met until now, it’s been 236 days. If you hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have realized how much time has passed."

Qing Yileng: "…"

He remembers it clearly.

After a brief silence, Qing Yileng asked, "What’s your objective?"

He Yilan answered without hesitation: "No objective."

A flicker of surprise crossed Qing Yileng’s typically expressionless face. "No objective?"

Anyone who knew He Yilan even slightly understood that this man never did anything without a purpose.

Would he really waste so much time on something aimless?

The fact that he had Bai Luming deliver a message tonight at least indicated that He Yilan knew the other’s identity.

"You don’t need to look at me like that," He Yilan said with a soft laugh under Qing Yileng’s gaze. "I did have ulterior motives when I first went to Planet 6616, but staying there now has nothing to do with that. If I had to name an objective, it would be to continue hiding and waiting for those behind the company to lose patience and make a desperate move."

Qing Yileng: "That’s it?"

He Yilan nodded. "That’s it."

Qing Yileng stared intently at He Yilan and said nothing more.

The room fell into a long silence.

Finally, He Yilan spoke softly: "Alright, I admit there is some objective."

Qing Yileng looked up at him.

He Yilan met his gaze sincerely. "What do you think would happen if I lured him back to Zhong Sheng Machinery?"

The question was so unexpected that Qing Yileng fell into an even longer silence before asking, "What would you do with him there?"

He Yilan replied: "Take care of him, of course."

Qing Yileng: "...You? Take care of him?"

Some mental images that popped up nearly cracked Marshal Qing’s usually stern composure.

He Yilan let out a light chuckle. "Do you think I can’t afford to keep him?"

Qing Yileng didn’t answer. After a long while, he spoke again, this time as a statement: "You really are together."

He Yilan was somewhat careful: "That depends on what you mean by 'together.'"

Perhaps because the topic had taken such a sharp turn, even Qing Yileng couldn’t help but gossip: "What do you see in him?"

He Yilan thought for a moment. "He does as he pleases, acts recklessly, doesn’t care about others, and never hesitates to screw people over."

Qing Yileng commented: "None of that sounds like a strong point."

He Yilan glanced out at the starry sky and smiled faintly. "No, for someone like me, every one of those is a plus."

Qing Yileng: "…"

He pushed his chair back and stood up, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. "If you called me here just to talk about this, I’ll head out."

He Yilan maintained his elegant pose while sipping tea. "Of course it’s not just to share personal matters. I called you here to remind you of something."

Qing Yileng turned back. "What is it?"

He Yilan met his gaze with a leisurely smile. "I hope that besides you, no one else learns about what’s happening here. Otherwise, I’ll leak the news that the Azure Shadow Legion is secretly searching for the 'Eternal Day' technology on Planet 6616."

Qing Yileng wasn’t surprised that He Yilan knew about the "Eternal Day" technology. After all, his sudden appearance on Planet 6616 was likely related to it.

Given that this person was here, noticing the movements of the Azure Army was within expectations.

However, the tone and demeanor with which He Yilan spoke now made it hard for Qing Yileng not to recall the similar "threat" he had just received in the conference room.

Familiar with He Yilan's nature, Qing Yileng was not at all annoyed by such a blatant and upfront threat. Instead, he said sincerely, "Now I understand why you and he can get along so well."

He Yilan asked, "How so?"

Qing Yileng let out a soft, dismissive chuckle and left without answering.

He Yilan watched Qing Yileng depart, his gaze lingering on the now-empty doorway for a long while as he continued to sip his tea at his own pace.

The people upstairs likely still had matters to discuss, so he was in no rush to return.

After a while, when his tea was finished, he glanced at the time and then leisurely cleaned his cup, returning everything to its place before rising and heading downstairs.

Outside, the night was deep, and the designated clear zone was devoid of people.

A moment later, he saw Shen Yanfeng emerge from the central building, and soon another tall figure came into view, walking toward him.

Bai Luming, lost in thought, didn’t notice He Yilan standing under the streetlamp until he was close and was startled. "What are you doing standing here without a word? Trying to scare ghosts?"

"Yeah, scaring you," He Yilan replied flatly. "Are you a ghost?"

Bai Luming: "...You’re the ghost, you big-headed ghost."

Always bickering with him—how childish.

As they spoke, the two walked side by side toward the dormitory area.

Their tall shadows stretched long on the ground under the starlit sky. With unspoken understanding, neither asked about what the other had discussed that night.

Bai Luming remained deep in thought throughout the walk back. Only after they entered their dorm room and closed the door did he turn to He Yilan and ask, "Did you know there’s a connection between 'Eternal Day' and 'Dawn'?"

The abrupt question caught He Yilan slightly off guard. "'Eternal Day' and 'Dawn'?"

Bai Luming nodded. "Yeah, exactly."

After the others had left, he and Shen Yanfeng had a long talk in the conference room.

Although his sudden disappearance back then had been due to an accident, he had indeed left the Blazing Legion abruptly in the hands of an unprepared Shen Yanfeng. This meeting was largely motivated by guilt toward his former deputy.

Now, the Blazing Legion was stable, and under Shen Yanfeng’s management, everything was running smoothly. Aside from the fact that asking a normal human to compete against three non-humans was a bit much, everything was proceeding as usual.

That night, Bai Luming sincerely expressed his appreciation and concern to his former subordinate, and they had a heartfelt conversation.

It was clear that Shen Yanfeng had been under immense pressure over the years and had likely endured his share of hardships. Yet, throughout their talk, he didn’t complain once, nor did he ask Bai Luming to return—which touched Bai Luming deeply.

In fact, it made him feel even more indebted.

The conversation between former superior and subordinate concluded on a positive note. Bai Luming was more than willing to listen to everything Shen Yanfeng had been unable to share with others over the years, and for a moment, it felt like they were back to their side-by-side fighting days.

The ideal scenario would have been for both to move toward brighter futures, but instead, Bai Luming learned some additional news from Shen Yanfeng.

The "Wraith" from the No. 6616 Mecha Department, Gu Anzhe, had indeed been placed there by Shen Yanfeng. The initial reason was that the White Army had obtained information related to "Eternal Day," so they inserted an agent into the No. 6616 Military Region to investigate.

However, after confirming that the "Eternal Day" technology was not in the No. 6616 Military Region, Gu Anzhe’s mission parameters changed.

As He Yilan had guessed, one of the rewards for the Four Great Legions’ exercise and competition was indeed the rumored mecha "Dawn." But due to the unique nature of this reward, both the method of determining ownership and the specific rules of the exercise had changed significantly from previous years.

Shen Yanfeng kept Gu Anzhe in the trainee squad so he could enter the military as a reservist, getting closer to the new recruits at the grassroots level. The goal was to identify outstanding candidates suitable for the mecha "Dawn" and recruit them into the White Army as soon as possible.

As for the criteria for identifying such candidates, Shen Yanfeng clearly already had sufficient information. Bai Luming, as an "ordinary trainee," knew his place and didn’t ask for details.

Since Bai Luming’s departure, the biggest challenge facing the Blazing Legion had been competing against the other three armies.

In terms of both the quantity and quality of talent, the White Army was not lacking compared to the other legions. However, Shen Yanfeng, as the new marshal who succeeded Bai Luming, became the weakest link in the four-army competition.

Expecting him to develop the comprehensive ability to rival the other three marshals in just a few years was indeed asking too much. So, rather than focusing on group competition, leveraging the new rules to unearth special talent became the best path forward for the Blazing Legion.

As the "culprit" behind this situation, Bai Luming, though officially retired, still hoped to contribute in some small way. He ultimately told Shen Yanfeng that the "Eternal Day" technology had been destroyed, and in return, he received the information about the connection between "Eternal Day" and "Dawn."

Now, recalling this clue, the two projects, "Eternal Day" and "Dawn," did indeed appear in the public eye around the same time.

The developer of the "Dawn" mecha was at Zhong Sheng Machinery. Bai Luming deliberately brought this up with He Yilan, and judging by the other’s reaction, he clearly had no prior knowledge. Bai Luming couldn’t help but feel intrigued. "Even you didn’t know?"

"Professor Chu and I are only business partners; we don’t interact much," He Yilan replied. In that short time, he had already made a series of connections. "If 'Eternal Day' and 'Dawn' are indeed related, then that day in the repair shop…"

What He Yilan could deduce, Bai Luming had naturally already considered.

Before He Yilan could finish, Bai Luming smoothly picked up the thread: "Then that day in the repair shop, Old Lu’s video wasn’t just about setting off fireworks—he specifically left me some important clues."

He Yilan: "For example, about the mecha 'Dawn.'"

He glanced at Bai Luming with a faint, ambiguous smile. "It seems 'Eternal Day' technology might not have been destroyed after all."

"Whether it’s destroyed or not, it might as well be wiped out entirely," Bai Luming said, spreading his arms and collapsing onto the bed, exhausted. "I knew it—how could that old man with sky-high ambitions suddenly praise another mecha? 'Highly recommended,' 'Dawn is quite good too,' 'feel free to look into it when you have time'… He wanted me to go check out the mecha. He was setting me up, wasn’t he?"

He looked expressionlessly at He Yilan. "You know Professor Chu, right? How about doing some reconnaissance for me?"

He Yilan replied, "Can’t help you there. Professor Chu never lets anyone near the 'Dawn' mecha except himself."

After these words, the room fell into a brief silence.

A moment later, Bai Luming made a decision and simply gave up. "Today’s been exhausting enough. It’s late—better to sleep than overthink."

"I agree."

He Yilan smoothly accepted the suggestion. "Good night, Marshal Bai."

This was the first time he had addressed Bai Luming like this.

Although both had been aware of each other’s identities, even after the facade was dropped, they had never been so direct.

Perhaps because of the sudden visit from the four marshals earlier that day, in a way, since their covers were already partially blown, there was no harm in stripping completely bare in front of someone who already saw through them.

In a sense, it was also He Yilan voluntarily revealing his identity openly to Bai Luming.

Bai Luming’s gaze rested deeply on He Yilan. Though his expression remained as casually relaxed as ever, there was a rare depth in his eyes—a silent scrutiny that came naturally to those long accustomed to being in positions of power.

After a moment, a slight smile touched his lips. "Good night, Mr. He. Sweet dreams."