Zhao Xi opened his eyes. The indoor lights and the daylight from outside converged in his pupils, illuminating his memories of last night with startling clarity.
His head hurt—not physically, but from sheer mental stimulation. He had gotten drunk off beer, and at the worst possible time too. It really looked like he had been using alcohol as an excuse to act crazy.
Who had been standing in front of him back then?
A few seconds later, he felt fortunate again. Apart from talking over people, being a chatterbox, and loving the spotlight, he did not seem to have done anything too problematic. He truly was a very pure technical specialist!
Zhao Xi grinned. His psychological self-reassurance was complete.
The question now was:
Damn, what time was it?
Only then did Zhao Xi understand what the daylight piercing his pupils meant. He shot up from the bed, threw on some clothes, and rushed outside.
The rest area where he had been staying was deserted—the corridor, the lobby, the courtyard. From beginning to end, he saw only one cleaner. When he rushed back, the equipment depot he had visited last night was empty too. Even his Exoskeleton was gone.
Cold sweat instantly poured down Zhao Xi's back.
He hurriedly asked the cleaner and received the expected reply:
"Didn't they leave early this morning?"
Zhao Xi's scalp went numb.
It was all because the Forward Base's hospitality had been too extravagant. Everyone had been given a room of their own last night, so when the unit set off, no one had woken him... Did that make him a deserter now?
After vigorously rubbing his scalp a few times, Zhao Xi finally remembered to contact Fris. Before he could, however, his wristband vibrated. Looking at the caller, he found that Fris had called