The Day I Look Forward to Your Departure

"Brother Li Ming, is it fun over there?"

Little Susanna looked eagerly at Li Ming that evening. She was already on break and did not have any winter homework yet, so naturally she paid special attention to an older brother like Li Ming.

Li Ming conscientiously pulled out the diary they had agreed on. "Here, I didn't forget my promise to Susanna!"

He waved the diary in his hand and chatted with Susanna about everything he had seen and heard since crossing over, telling it like a story. He could not bring himself to talk about such things with adults, but when chatting with a child like Susanna, he found himself letting down his guard.

As they talked, night fell.

However, Su Qizhe was absent at dinner. Li Ming and Susanna ate under Steward Zhao's company.

"Brother Li Ming, weren't you scared when you ran into that kind of thing in Changming City?"

Caught off guard by the question, Li Ming paused before smiling. "Brother Li Ming is very strong, you know. And someday, little Susanna will have things she wants to protect too."

Though he said that, Li Ming felt even more lost inside. After crossing over here, did he truly want to protect this place?

"The Final Lesson," "A Story Because of You"...

One scene after another flashed through Li Ming's mind. In the end, he reaffirmed his conviction. Perhaps he had crossed over precisely to change those things.

Susanna, still so young, silently remembered those words.

But children ran out of energy as quickly as they gained it. She had spent the whole afternoon talking with Li Ming and could no longer hold on. "Brother Li Ming, I'm sleepy. See you tomorrow!"

With that, Susanna went thump-thump-thumping back to her room.

Li Ming returned to his room as well, but unable to sleep, he habitually climbed onto the roof. Leaning against the eaves, he gazed into the distance as the night wind stirred his dark-red bangs. The moon was reflected faintly in his eyes.

Shenzhou Headquarters, Shenjing

Su Qizhe sat in the conference room. Everyone gathered here was a prominent figure in their respective fields. Aside from the representatives from Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, everyone had arrived.

After exchanging glances, everyone merely nodded to one another without speaking. No one dared make a sound while looking at the person seated at the head of the table. Once the final attendee arrived, the conference room doors sealed shut layer by layer. A group of people inspected the entire room, then scanned everyone present with metal detectors before finally leaving.

No one objected. Once everyone had organized their belongings, the person at the head of the table spoke. "Half a year ago, we established contact with the president of ME Company. Using the joint resolution of Chiyou and H&K as an opportunity, and on the condition that we safely return Anti-Entropy's liaison officers to the Americas, we received a great deal of advanced technology and blueprints."

Everyone present had heard something about this, though they were unclear on the details. After hearing his explanation, many of them finally understood. As the first person to make contact with Raiden Ryoma, Su Qizhe naturally knew the full story, but he still nodded as though he had only just learned of it.

"Those liaison officers are no longer merely Anti-Entropy liaisons. We have our own bees among them, so this is naturally a good thing. However, Schicksal has sent word that it will soon begin purging Anti-Entropy's liaison officers. Time is therefore tight. The original plan was to complete the transfer by next June, but it must now be moved up to February. All liaison officers must be withdrawn from Modu and Haidong."

The voice abruptly stopped. The person at the head of the table looked over everyone present and remained silent. The others naturally understood what he meant, but no one spoke for the moment. Their eyes flickered as each harbored their own thoughts.

In the end, the head of the Modu branch was the first to speak. "The Modu branch will spare no effort in assisting with this matter!"

"You should first figure out how to keep those Valkyries under your command, who obey orders but not authority, in the dark." As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately refuted him. The branch head said nothing. He knew his own situation best. Those Schicksal Valkyries truly were like that, and if relations between Shenzhou and Schicksal had not eased over the years, allowing them to place many people within Schicksal, the situation would likely have been even worse.

Thus, many of those involved began arguing. Su Qizhe merely watched in silence, pondering to himself. Although Li Ming had not sent back any news, after being recommended by Raiden Ryoma to enter Caltech, Su Qizhe did not believe Li Ming had no ties to Anti-Entropy.

And from the incidents and unrest occurring throughout the Americas over the past three months, Su Qizhe could more or less infer the conflict between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal over there.

He even understood some matters better than the people present.

He exchanged a glance with the person at the head of the table but said nothing, simply watching the others debate.

Although this matter was troublesome, it was not without solutions for those present. The main issue was how to remove Shenzhou from the affair entirely. Not everyone was helpless, and in the end several people took on the responsibility while the rest assisted them. The details would be settled by those few themselves.

Naturally, this was not the only matter to be discussed at the meeting.

"We must quickly master the technology acquired from Schicksal and the information obtained from Anti-Entropy, especially accelerating research into armor and mech-unit technology..."

"We cannot neglect the training of martial arts units. We have not mastered Schicksal's method of training Valkyries, so until we can independently produce mechs, we must train a martial arts force belonging to Shenzhou..."

"Some of the materials obtained from the Chiyou Organization can be taken over as a priority. Based on the handling of the Chiyou Organization, the Changming, Tianqiong, and Yangcheng branches will be responsible. We also cannot overlook those mechs that imitate Anti-Entropy's designs but can be mass-produced. When facing the so-called Honkai, we cannot put all our eggs in one basket..."

After numerous plans had been assigned, the meeting had continued until midnight. Everyone gradually left, each carrying a heavy responsibility, their expressions more or less grim.

Su Qizhe, who had not been assigned any task, left last. After everyone else had gone, he returned to the conference room. The person at the head of the table was still sitting there. After Su Qizhe entered, the two remained silent for a while before he finally spoke.

"Qizhe, you deserve great credit for establishing contact with ME Company. Ordinarily, I should not trouble you with this again, but this concerns Shenzhou. Schicksal's attitude remains unclear, and that Bishop is not of one mind with Shenzhou. That person has bought us time, and we cannot relax. So I need you to take a risk and make another sacrifice."

He looked into Su Qizhe's eyes. Su Qizhe merely stared at the decorative flowers on the conference table as though they were some strange new curiosity, then said coolly, "If there's something you need, just say it."

The person at the head of the table looked at him. "I need you to join Schicksal."

Su Qizhe suddenly raised his head, his eyes locked tightly on the man. The atmosphere in the conference room instantly froze.

At last, Su Qizhe drew a deep breath. "You know that this is impossible in Shenzhou. Schicksal has not relaxed its guard against us. Even though we have placed quite a few people inside, if I were to enter them, I'm afraid..."

Su Qizhe did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was obvious. The person at the head of the table said, "I know. That is why we already have a specific plan, but you are the only one who can carry it out."

At that, Su Qizhe fell silent. He had thought of the crucial point as well. The person at the head of the table understood how much pressure this put on Su Qizhe, so he did not urge him to decide immediately. He only let out a heavy sigh. "Schicksal uses organizations like H&K to destroy the order of many neutral countries, then uses that as an excuse to establish garrisons there. If anything happens to Schicksal, the consequences will be unthinkable. For the people, for our families, we have no path left but forward."

After saying that, he stood and prepared to leave. But upon reaching the door, he still turned back and added, "Oh, right. The New Year is almost here. Spend a good holiday with your child."

His footsteps faded into the distance, and the conference room became as silent as death.

Li Ming looked at the identical version of himself before him. He no longer reacted as wildly as he had three months ago. The two could now sit down and talk properly, though it might have been more convincing if they were not both holding Inch Punch: Chaotic Thunder.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Li Ming frowned, his expression hostile. If "he" revealed even the slightest opening, Li Ming would unleash a storm of attacks.

"Nothing. I just wanted to see how you're doing mentally." "Li Ming" smiled and even casually dispersed the Chaotic Thunder in his hand.

His words made Li Ming frown, unable to grasp what he meant. It felt as though "Li Ming" was merely watching a show. But what "Li Ming" said next made his pupils contract. "It hasn't been pleasant, feeling that energy erode you from inside his body all this time, has it? Soon. Since you've already returned here, that means it will be soon. I look forward to the day you leave. Hahaha..."

"Li Ming's" figure vanished directly before him along with his laughter. Flames and howling wind then swallowed Li Ming's entire body.

"Ah!" Li Ming suddenly woke with a start, sitting upright in bed, his face filled with terror.

After taking several deep breaths, Li Ming steadied his breathing. Only after washing up did he leave his room.

At the dining table, he was absentminded even while eating breakfast. "Li Ming's" words filled his mind.

After Susanna woke up, she glanced at Li Ming, then held a cup of hot milk out before him. "Brother Li Ming, you had a nightmare. Here, Uncle Zhao said that if you have a nightmare, drinking a warm cup of milk will make you stop being afraid."

Interrupted by Susanna, Li Ming finally gathered his thoughts and instinctively accepted the hot milk from her hands. "Thank you, Susanna."

Li Ming did not refuse Susanna's kindness. After finishing the hot milk, Susanna leaned closer and asked, "What nightmare did Brother Li Ming have? Susanna used to have nightmares all the time too, but once Susanna grew up, she stopped being scared."

"Susanna is amazing." Li Ming forced a smile, but he adjusted his expression afterward. His face had looked so awful that even Susanna could easily tell something was wrong.

Only then did Li Ming realize Su Qizhe had not returned. Su Qizhe did not come home until evening, but after greeting Li Ming and hugging Susanna, he immediately went back to his room.

His expression was even worse than Li Ming's had been that morning.

"Did something happen?"

Li Ming looked at Su Qizhe's tightly shut door. He had a feeling that something major might have happened.