Yu Lian fell silent for a moment. Though he said nothing, he had already made up his mind. The only reason he'd hesitated was that he wasn't sure whether this was a reckless order.
Feifei only had to glance at her lover to seem to understand what he meant. She smiled, took Yu Lian's hand, and said, "I agree with you. Besides, everyone will follow you, too."
"Uh, is that a rational judgment, or emotional loyalty and follower mentality—or even religious fanaticism?"
"Ha! At least my loyalty to you is limited to our intimate relationship. As for anything else... if you do something stupid, I'll punch you right in the nose without a second thought." Feifei traced a finger across Yu Lian's palm again and smiled. "So trust me. If you ever make some crazy decision, it'll definitely represent everyone's will."
Yu Lian paused, then shook his head with a wry smile. "Wouldn't that just be passing the buck? That'd be so spineless."
"You could also make the decision yourself. Your concubine will naturally follow you, even at the cost of her life."
Yu Lian shuddered. He decided it really would be better to bring everyone in for a discussion. That was the Pioneer Party's proud tradition of military democracy.
...Although the Pioneer Party and Lionheart Society members aboard this warship of twenty thousand numbered only four or five hundred, it wasn't an insignificant number.
From the most practical and rational perspective, they should of course return to New Shenzhou as quickly as possible aboard the Wide-Area Silence. But that would mean abandoning their comrades who needed rescuing on the Empire's border.
If they hadn't known the whereabouts of the Bazan fleet, they could have explained that they were unable to help. If they'd still had only the Pilgrimage and