Chapter 146 Attack

Chapter 146: Attack

"This one, and this one, and please also bring a fruit tea with less sugar, thank you."

"Alright."

The server left, leaving only Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen at the table by the window.

Ji Anzhi gazed out the window at the lively, playful crowd, full of vitality and cheerful laughter, showing no trace of the tension from the Bug Swarm front.

He had heard from Ji Anjue that in just over a month on the Bug Swarm front, the death toll had reached 120,000, with 9,000 disabled and 30,000 injured and withdrawn.

There were at least five more months to go; the road ahead would be tough.

The peaceful, joyful atmosphere existed only because someone was silently bearing the burden in the shadows.

Ji Anzhi stared off into the distance, lost in thought. Qi Yanshen didn't know what Ji Anzhi was thinking, but he knew this wasn't the time to disturb him.

Ji Anzhi only snapped out of his reverie when the server brought over the desserts and drinks, smiling as he thanked them.

After the server left, Ji Anzhi took a bite. It was quite tasty, not bad.

"Try this little cake; it's not too sweet and quite good."

Qi Yanshen took a bite. With an alpha's keen sense of taste, the cake's flavor was just right—sweet but not cloying, with a perfect balance of sweet and tart.

"Mmm, it's delicious."

The two chatted idly afterward, mostly about which places had good food and where there were fun things to do.

Qi Yanshen didn't spend much time on the Star Network world. He could only chat with Ji Anzhi thanks to his past experience of often accompanying his younger brother shopping.

His brother was young then, lively and active, curious about everything. Their mother hoped Xiao Jin wouldn't become delicate and beauty-obsessed like typical omegas, so she didn't allow him to go. That meant Qi Yanshen, as the older brother, had to step in.

Over a decade of accumulated experience had finally provided him with a topic to connect with Ji Anzhi.

Learning there was a cinema nearby, Ji Anzhi suggested, "Want to go see a movie?"

"Sure."

Qi Yanshen had no objections. He remembered from the couple's guide he'd read earlier that watching movies was a great choice for deepening relationships and feelings.

A horror film would be best, but based on his understanding of Ji Anzhi, a romance film would probably work better than a horror one.

After eating until partly full at the dessert shop, Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen got up and headed to a nearby movie theater.

Qi Yanshen originally planned to buy tickets for the currently best-reviewed romance film, but then remembered he had no money. In the end, Ji Anzhi made the decision: they would watch a horror film.

Qi Yanshen: "…………"

They didn't buy snacks like popcorn; Qi Yanshen still had a bunch of unfinished food in his hands.

The horror film was a relatively popular new release, so the theater was quite crowded. However, the venue was large, so it wasn't packed.

Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen's seats were toward the back. Many hand-holding couples walked by in front of them.

Qi Yanshen glanced subtly at the bags in his own hands, thinking to himself that he'd miscalculated. He had wanted Ji Anzhi to feel sorry for him, but instead...

Ji Anzhi had bought couple's tickets. Each pair had a small sofa, with a little table beside it for placing things.

Qi Yanshen set the items on the table, sat down, and waited for the movie to start.

Ji Anzhi also sat on the sofa. He actually didn't like watching movies, but he felt Qi Yanshen probably wanted to watch one with him, so he followed the couple's guide and picked a horror film.

Ji Anzhi seriously considered whether his acting skills would be up to par when pretending to be scared and burrowing into Qi Yanshen's arms later.

He also had to take care of his boyfriend's mental well-being.

Ji Anzhi was still staring ahead, as if acting unintentionally.

Following Qi Yanshen's gaze, he saw a hand-holding couple walk over and sit down in front of them.

Ji Anzhi finally understood: Qi Yanshen was jealous.

He reached for and grasped Qi Yanshen's hand, holding it together. Ji Anzhi teased, "Jealous?"

Qi Yanshen was startled by Ji Anzhi's action. Upon hearing the question, he immediately nodded.

"Want to hold hands on the way out?"

"Okay."

Qi Yanshen agreed in a flash, as if afraid Ji Anzhi would change his mind. He added a bit of strength to his grip, holding on firmly.

Not feeling any pain, Ji Anzhi let him have his way.

A few minutes later, the movie started.

Both were military academy students, so they genuinely weren't afraid of this sort of thing.

Even with the eerie sets and music building the atmosphere, no matter how scary it got, neither of them felt fear.

But, while they weren't scared in their own minds, that didn't stop people with other intentions from being "afraid."

The movie was about ghosts and the supernatural. When a terrifying dead face suddenly appeared on screen, many of the young couples in front were frightened, screams rising one after another, making the atmosphere even more sinister and eerie.

Ji Anzhi felt the opportunity had arrived. He could appropriately appeal to Qi Yanshen's alpha pride by shrinking into his arms, hugging him, and pretending to be very scared.

However, someone was faster than Ji Anzhi.

Before Ji Anzhi could react, Qi Yanshen suddenly hugged him, burying his head in the crook of Ji Anzhi's neck, wrapping his arms around his neck, and saying in a very calm tone, "I'm scared."

Ji Anzhi: "…………"

For a moment, it was unclear who was the alpha...

Ji Anzhi struggled to hold back his laughter, patting Qi Yanshen's back lightly to 'comfort' him. "Don't be scared, don't be scared."

Although Ji Anzhi tried to suppress it, the laughter in his voice was still audible, making Qi Yanshen unconsciously shrink further into the embrace.

This scene made a young couple behind them look as if they'd seen a ghost.

If they weren't mistaken, the one who had thrown himself into the other's arms was... an alpha?

And the one gently patting the alpha's back seemed to be a beta?

What kind of magical combination was this? ？？？

The young couple exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with self-doubt.

Are they out of touch with society?

Clueless about the shock he'd caused the young couple behind him, Qi Yanshen remained buried in Ji Anzhi's neck, unwilling to let go.

His younger brother had said, as long as the other person doesn't give the signal to let go, just keep holding on.

Ji Anzhi had originally intended for Qi Yanshen to let go of him on his own, but after waiting for over half a minute with no movement, Ji Anzhi couldn't help but remind him: "It's passed."

After a few seconds came the muffled reply: "Still scared."

This time, Ji Anzhi couldn't hold back and laughed out loud: "Alright then. So our Brigadier General Qi is actually afraid of these things?"

Qi Yanshen nodded.

Might as well keep holding on. In over two years of dating, his physical contact with Ji Anzhi could be counted on one hand. Later, Ji Anzhi would be off to wander and explore, leaving even less time for contact.

Just thinking about being a 'vegetarian' for ten years made Qi Yanshen miserable.

Thinking this, Qi Yanshen held on even tighter.

Ji Anzhi felt helpless, sensing that his life after leaving Suoar seemed to be constantly about raising children.

Xiaoxue, Ji Anjue, and now Qi Yanshen.

What was he supposed to do with the boyfriend he'd chosen? If he could spoil him, then he'd spoil him.

So, for the rest of the movie, Qi Yanshen didn't watch a single scene, just nestled in Ji Anzhi's neck and, before he knew it, he fell asleep.

Noticing Qi Yanshen was asleep, Ji Anzhi found it amusing and gently stroked his head.

His hair was somewhat stiff, but not prickly, much like the man himself—outwardly cold and tough, yet never neglectful towards him, always compliant in everything.

Until the movie ended, Ji Anzhi didn't disturb Qi Yanshen. He booked out the next showing for a private screening, letting him continue to rest.

Sleeping in the holographic world meant his real body slept too, allowing it to rest.

Half an hour into the second movie, Qi Yanshen finally stirred awake.

Before Qi Yanshen woke up, Ji Anzhi hadn't been able to stay awake and fell asleep himself, so he missed Qi Yanshen's moment of embarrassment.

Waking up to find himself still holding Ji Anzhi, Qi Yanshen naturally blushed. Then, noticing Ji Anzhi's steady, deep breathing, he realized Ji Anzhi was asleep.

He slowly sat up; Ji Anzhi didn't stir at all throughout.

Qi Yanshen silently sighed in relief.

Remembering the time, Qi Yanshen looked around. Only the two of them remained, and the movie had changed to a coming-of-age romance film.

It seemed he had been asleep for quite a while.

After a moment's thought, Qi Yanshen took Ji Anzhi's hand, gazing at his sleeping face. His eyes drifted to Ji Anzhi's collarbone, flushed red from being pressed against...

Qi Yanshen suddenly smiled gently.

Now, he could confirm one thing.

He really was dating Ji Anzhi. It wasn't a dream; it was real.

Taking the chance, Qi Yanshen sent a message to his brother.

"Qi Yanshen: Thanks"

"Brother Qi Jinsi: ?"

"Brother Qi Jinsi: What's up?"

"Brother Qi Jinsi: Bro! My dear brother! Say something! Leaving a sentence half-finished will kill someone!!!"

Qi Yanshen ignored his brother's frantic messages and closed the chat interface.

This infuriated Qi Jinsi on the other end, who felt like dragging his brother out and drugging him for a beating.

Just as Ji Anzhi was sleeping peacefully, a sudden loud boom came from outside.

"Boom..."

It was a deep, heavy sound, followed immediately by waves of heart-wrenching, fear-filled screams.

Such a loud commotion naturally woke Ji Anzhi. "What happened?" he asked.

Qi Yanshen took Ji Anzhi's hand, leading him out as they got up, and reassured him: "It's fine. I remember this place is connected to the real world of Sco Star. We're okay. It must be something happening on Sco Star..."

Before he could finish, both of them abruptly lost consciousness. A few seconds later, they awoke from their Holographic Pods.

Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen knew something was off.

They had been kicked out. Logically, these kinds of StarNet worlds that overlap with reality were equipped with multiple connection points. The real-world location they visited was on Sco Star, which had at least thirty connection points.

For the link to be severed meant at least half of those points had likely been destroyed.

This wasn't normal.

Qi Yanshen and Ji Anzhi got up, left their Holographic Pods, and simultaneously opened their devices to check the StarNet.

Sco Star, as the capital planet and flagship world of the Sco Federation, was a place where any terrorist attack-like incident would be extremely difficult to suppress.

Just like when Ji Anzhi was attacked before, even though the Federation tried to conceal it, news still spread to a certain extent.

Right now, the StarNet was in an uproar, with the top trending topic glaringly obvious.

"Massive Number of Zerg Appear Within Federation Territory"

The moment they saw the headline, both knew something major had happened.

Clicking on the trend, the first thing that appeared was a video of Sco Star's landmark shopping center—Moonlight Mall. The initial footage was blurry, unfocused, only showing some moving black dots.

Two seconds later, the focus sharpened, clearly revealing those moving black dots to be individual Zerg.

Qi Yanshen roughly estimated there were no fewer than ten, all at least mid-level Zerg.

The person filming probably intended to record a bit longer, but a Zerg in the distance noticed them. The next second, the camera plunged into dark, shaky footage, and the video abruptly ended.

It lasted only eight seconds, but its impact across the entire star system was anything but ordinary.

Sco Star—the capital planet of the Sco Federation, the current leading interstellar power.

If Zerg appeared elsewhere in the Federation, it would be one thing. The Federation military wasn't omnipotent; some oversights were normal.

But Sco Star was the heart of the Federation, arguably the center of all humanity across the star system. For Zerg to appear in such a place, and in such numbers, was bound to make people think the worst.

Ji Anzhi opened the comments section and began scrolling.

"What's going on? How did something like this happen right after I logged into the Federation network?"

"No idea..."

"That's Scott Star! How could so many Insectoids appear there? My dad used to fight on the battlefield, and he said there are even many Advanced Insectoids among them."

"Is the galaxy about to change? I'm a Federation citizen, and I hope our country stays safe."

"Could it be the work of those second-raters, like the Mocha Empire?"

"Ahem, let's not start unnecessary conflicts. Let's wait for the official announcement. I'm not too concerned about the cause; I just hope the casualties aren't too high this time."

"True. My friend's classmate happened to be at Moonlight Mall today, and we still don't know how they're doing. Their parents are going crazy with worry."

"I just escaped. I'll never question why Scott Star's secondary planets have military academies again..."

"Damn! Seriously, upstairs?"

"Can you tell us what the situation is like? My parents are on Scott Star for a visit today, and I still haven't been able to reach them..."

"Students and teachers from the First Military Academy came to the rescue. The rest is hard to say."

Ji Anzhi stopped reading at this point because Principal Lin's video call came through.

Ji Anzhi answered the call.

Despite the incident on Scott Star, Lin Dusheng seemed completely unaffected, wearing a relaxed and leisurely smile, his demeanor composed.

"Student Ji Anzhi, I'd like to ask how long it takes to wake up after taking the mental energy enhancement potion."

"Marshal Laiwen still hasn't woken up."

"What do you think?"

Ji Anzhi knew the principal was angry. Although the principal was an omega and seemed flighty and good-natured on the surface, he definitely had his methods.

Ji Anzhi said, "Ji Anjue has a way to make Marshal Laiwen wake up sooner."

Lin Dusheng smiled. "Then I'll send someone to pick him up."

Ji Anzhi nodded.

After hanging up, Ji Anzhi immediately messaged Ji Anjue to head to the Federation Mothership, while he and Qi Yanshen made their way to the docking bay.

Ji Anjue didn't ask why.

When Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen arrived at the docking bay, Ji Anjue was already there waiting.

At the mothership's docking bay, someone immediately came forward to greet them.

They hurried to the treatment room where Levin was. Upon entering, they saw a group of people gathered around the unconscious Levin in the center. Wary gazes turned toward them, with most placing their hands on their waists, ready to draw their weapons at any moment.

Upon seeing the newcomers, they relaxed.

Not out of trust.

But because they needed Ji Anjue, and besides, they were no match for him.

With a single thought, Ji Anjue could render them powerless and kill them instantly. It was better to lower their guard and leave a good impression.

Outside, Ji Anjue resumed his usual aloof and dignified demeanor, casually scanning the people present before walking to Levin's side.

Lin Dusheng, standing there, immediately stepped aside.

Ji Anjue placed his index finger on Levin's forehead. The omegas present felt a gentle ripple of mental energy.

After about half a minute, Ji Anjue withdrew his hand and said calmly, "He'll regain consciousness in a few minutes."

Lin Dusheng said sincerely, "Thank you."

Ji Anjue didn't respond. Instead, he returned to stand behind Ji Anzhi, taking his place beside Qi Yanshen.

Ji Anzhi met Principal Lin's gaze and asked, "Do you have anything else, Principal?"

Lin Dusheng glanced at Levin, who was still lying on the bed, and after a few seconds, made up his mind. "I'd like to trouble you for another favor."