"Comrade Fang Tianyi, thank you."
Tianyi's pupils contracted slightly. He threw off the thin blanket, leapt up from the cot in an instant, and firmly gripped Professor Gao's shoulders with both hands.
"Professor Gao, please, I'm a soldier. This is what I should do. You don't need to—"
Professor Gao shook his head, cutting him off. He raised his head, his gaze clouded yet clear, his aged face carrying an expression that was impossible to tell whether it was relief or heartache.
"I heard what happened from these young comrades. I never expected Bald Eagle to go this far—they even sent a nuclear missile.
"But before the nuclear missile arrived, you had a chance to leave. For an old man like me, with one and a half feet already in the grave, you chose to disobey orders. That goes far beyond simply doing what you should."
Tianyi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Professor Gao waved a hand.
Outside the window, the deepest darkness before dawn blanketed the entire small town.
From afar, the cries of animals occasionally drifted through the wind.
The door was pushed open, and the agent captain strode in, still wearing his tactical vest with a sidearm holstered at his waist.
His gaze swept across the room before settling on Professor Gao, then on Tianyi's face. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Professor Gao, Major Fang has worked hard. Everything is ready. It's time to go home."
Professor Gao's eyes reddened. His lips trembled twice, but he did not say a word. He only nodded vigorously.
"Yes, home!"
Outside in the courtyard, the night wind was slightly cool, carrying the scent of early autumn grass and trees. The agent captain walked to the center of the courtyard, took a scroll from his coat,