Out of Reach

For the entire day afterward, Yu Lian discussed various specific combat plans and details with everyone. After confirming them several times and receiving everyone's agreement, he finally felt at ease. He forced himself to sleep for a few hours. When he woke up, Frederica and Miss Penny had brought him sandwiches and coffee.

Ugh, while he had to admit that the two young ladies' sandwich-making skills had improved greatly—at least the fillings had changed from canned goods to personally fried eggs and bacon—Yu Lian was getting sick of eating them these past few days. Fortunately, besides these, the girls also brought a plate of roasted meat. Although it was made in the oven in the vehicle, it was better than nothing.

... It felt a bit like a suicide squad getting a meat meal before going out to clear landmines.

Yu Lian gratefully accepted the roasted meat. While cutting it, he said, "I'll have Sergeant Youyou lead a squad to guard the valley entrance. Additionally, Old Man Wang and Mr. Kelvin's men will stay behind. For defense alone, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

Frederica nodded. Watching Yu Lian devour the roasted meat, she smiled, her large purple eyes narrowing. "Is it delicious?"

"Too much spice, the meat isn't very fatty, the oven temperature wasn't adjusted correctly, and the timing was off. Some parts are overcooked, and some are still raw. All in all, it's like a 30-yuan-per-person roadside buffet barbecue. It's really not high-class," Yu Lian stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, really?" Frederica's eyes had curved into crescents, her smile incredibly healing. Penny next to her shivered, her smile stiffening, and her gaze towards Yu Lian was almost like end-of-life care.

"Big Brother, you must not have had good popularity at school, right? Especially with the girls."

"No, quite the opposite. There weren't many girls at our school, but we got along well. It was the boys who didn't have a good reputation."

Penny's gaze now held obvious sympathy, as if she were looking at otaku who couldn't find girlfriends and only called anime characters "wives." Of course, she was a genuinely good girl, so she didn't show disgust like "four fat guys steamed goose heart," at least not on the surface.

Even with Yu Lian's thick skin, he felt pressured by this young girl, who looked like she had just started middle school, looking at him with maternal and accepting sympathy. He changed the subject. "I trust you two to handle things, but you still need to be careful, especially with the children. Especially..."

"Hmm, why, are you talking about George? He's a well-behaved child," Penny frowned, saying indignantly.

If only you knew he always says behind your back that you'll definitely end up an old maid who scares children, then you wouldn't say that.

"Mr. Yu Lian, you don't seriously think that just because that child is a military enthusiast, admires you greatly, and gets even more excited seeing Captain Winter and the others, he'd secretly follow you onto the battlefield and mess things up, causing you heavy casualties and putting you in danger while trying to save him? And then you'd use your last breath to save his life, and he'd finally understand the true nature of war, inheriting your will and embarking on the path of a hero. You don't seriously think a plot like that would happen, do you?" Frederica asked, tilting her head, the corners of her mouth turned up, her words laced with sarcasm that seemed to condense into slaps on Yu Lian's face.

Of course, if an adult spoke like this, it would only seem sharp and mean. But when she said it, people just thought, "What a wonderfully sharp-tongued, cute loli!"

"Big Brother, I think children over five years old should have basic common sense, and George is already seven. As a soldier of the Commonwealth, you should have your own taste. You should watch fewer brainless domestic dramas. I think the dramas from the Alliance are much better. Both the production and the scripts are far superior to ours, and at least they don't have brainless plots. I recommend you watch King of Pirates: The Plank Family, The Blue House, and Snake Blood..."

Why am I being recommended shows by a loli? Also, why are the shows a loli recommends such dark, deep, and tragic yakuza struggle films and political intrigue dramas, along with bizarre, despairing horror films that spill ketchup everywhere? Compared to you, Ina, who always has a crush on that tomb-raiding uncle from the Treasure Raiders Alliance, is much healthier!

Yu Lian's smile was stiff. Feeling he couldn't show weakness in front of the young girls, he said seriously, "No, George and his friends are naturally well-behaved children with common sense. What I'm actually referring to are Councillor Jiang and his people's representatives. Adults aren't necessarily more reasonable than children. When they gather, they're more prone to becoming agitated. If someone speaks for them, their destructive power can be much greater than the illogical brats in brainless dramas."

The two young girls exchanged a glance and simultaneously let out a "Pfft," laughing. Their laughter was cute and warm, and at this moment, they seemed more in line with their actual ages.

"Don't worry, Mr. Yu Lian. I can keep an eye on Councillor Jiang once, and I can certainly keep an eye on him a second time. Also, while I agree with what you're saying, it feels a bit like twisting logic here."

"Big Brother, when a lady speaks, she should learn to listen and praise. Even if she has a different opinion, she should try to guide it, not argue. It won't solve the problem and will only make girls dislike you. This is a major taboo, so please pay attention... Ugh, Big Brother, if you keep acting like this, you won't find a girlfriend even in ten years."

No, what I want to say is...

"Of course, regardless, a young and promising officer willing to talk with two young ladies like us is something most stay-at-home men can't do. It's a good start. Keep up the good work, Second Lieutenant. As a friend, since you're going on a campaign, please accept this." As Frederica spoke, she took a pendant with a yellow crystal attached to a metal chain from her sleeve.

Seeing Yu Lian still looking bewildered, she sighed with frustration, stood up, and tied the pendant around Yu Lian's neck.

"This is a protective charm I obtained from a master in the Grand Cathedral. It's said to bring good luck. Take it as a gift of blessing from a friend."

The yellow crystal pendant wasn't a particularly valuable item, but it sounded auspicious. It would be even better if it were paired with black accessories. Yu Lian calmly let the little girl tie it around his neck.

Of course, he didn't know that not far away, Miss Belinda, with her plain appearance and average build, was hiding in a corner, witnessing the entire scene. She knew that although the purple-haired girl was nearly ten years younger than her, her charm was still miles ahead of hers. She could only silently bite her handkerchief and put a stone amulet she had just made back into her bag.

The nurse sadly wanted to retreat, but then she saw Ina Shirika walking over. This military officer, known as the "Flower of the New Jade Gate Security Force" before Officer Eleanor Bonaparte took office, stood before Yu Lian and the two young girls. "Sorry to interrupt, but Officer, we need to depart."

Yu Lian nodded, bid farewell to the young ladies, and left with Ina, heading towards the assembling troops.

The night sky was above, the earth was beneath their feet, and the lights were hazy around them. They walked side by side, as if they were supporting the entire sky together.

The nurse almost cried out "Waaah!" She barely managed to suppress the urge to find a place to mourn her shattered glass heart, only to be grabbed by Doctor Banks, who appeared out of nowhere.

"What are you slacking off here for? Come help me move the medicinal herbs!"

By the time Yu Lian donned his new mecha, all the soldiers from the 101st Company and the security force had assembled.

Yu Lian familiarized himself with the AS56 model's performance, estimating that it could allow the pilot to exert about five times their physical capabilities, and he was quite satisfied. He felt like he had finally gotten a captain's unit, transitioning from a white-named grunt to a blue-named grunt squad leader. He was still a novice psion with only one ring, so this powerful equipment developed for "ordinary people" could still greatly enhance his combat power.

He then looked at Ina, who was already wearing a gray-white Psionic Cat special bone suit. She was fiddling with a thick and long anti-materiel sniper rifle... Its caliber was actually 20mm, so it should be called a cannon.

"New armor and a new gun, are you okay?" Yu Lian asked. After all, every excellent and mature sniper has their most familiar firearm. Only by thoroughly understanding the ballistic trajectory, firing range, effective range, power, and even any minor mechanical structure of their partner weapon can they transform into the elusive scythe of death that strikes with a single blow on the battlefield. However, Ina initially used a standard C10, then later a C14 individual rifle that had been gathering dust in the supply depot, and now she was handling a single-soldier railgun. Switching between three different firearms in one day would surely affect her feel and marksmanship.

"It's alright. If it were me before, I would need some time to get used to it. However, my intuition tells me I can control its ballistics, so it's not a big problem," Ina said confidently.

Alright, this was the "Sentinel's" professional domain. It would be strange if the renowned "Burning Eyed Witch" didn't have this kind of confidence and spirit.

Meanwhile, Councillor Jiang was still holding onto Captain Winter, tears streaming down his face. "Captain, the future of New Jade Gate, the safety of Tulon, and the fate of all of us are entrusted to you."

Captain Winter must have felt awkward, but he still managed to force a smile, holding it until the photographer found the best angle and took the picture.

The photographer certainly captured a good photo. It perfectly depicted the Captain's courage (secondary) and the Councillor's firm resolve while suppressing grief and reluctance (primary). One truly wondered where such people were found.

After dealing with the Captain, the Councillor, like a long-armed monkey that had eaten its fill of bananas, jumped in front of Yu Lian, grabbed his hand, and shook it again, his face filled with reluctance, sorrow, and encouragement. It was as if the minor unpleasantness that had just occurred had never happened.

"Second Lieutenant, alas, a child like you shouldn't be on such a brutal battlefield. However, seeing you, I see the courage and responsibility of the youth of our Commonwealth, and I see the bright future of our nation! I will pray to the Spirit of the Universe. Please, you must return safely!"

The photographer also rushed over, camera clicking away furiously.

Yu Lian had to admit that the Councillor, at least in his primary profession as a politician, a very promising career, displayed a level of professionalism and dedication that Yu Lian truly admired from afar.

This is the fourth update for today. Tomorrow I will definitely have a stomachache, so I won't update. As a minor failure, I originally just hoped to supplement my household expenses with this book to pay for my son's kindergarten tuition. This is the only thing I can do.

Thank you, everyone! Also, I guess I should leave my last words now, hoho~~~~