The young major

Five o'clock came around quickly, and the production team sent cars to take them to the Civilian Space Station. Heart-Pounding Expedition had money to burn: a whole line of luxury stretch cars, though they probably couldn't compare to Bai Shen's car last night, Shi Zhou mused.

In the interstellar era, traveling by spaceship had become a common choice.

The production team behind Heart-Pounding Expedition truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier show. Director Zhang had signed two new advertisers just last night, and with a grand wave of his hand, he announced that all the guests and staff would travel on the most advanced spaceship available.

Even when passing through asteroid belts and meteor fields, the new spaceship barely experienced any turbulence. It could also travel at over three times supermagnetic sound speed. Its facilities were supposedly luxurious, too, comparable to a small town and capable of meeting every passenger's needs.

Once they got into the cars, left the Manor, and joined the aerial highway, they picked up speed. In less than twenty minutes, they had cleared inspection and entered the Space Station.

The new NV-Spaceship No. 09 was an enormous silver cylinder, several hundred meters tall. Humans looked like tiny ants before it.

The passengers heading for the spaceship walked with easy strides and smiles on their faces. Quite a few looked over when they spotted the show's logo, and Shi Zhou even heard two girls squeal.

"Oh my god, I just came out for a vacation and ran into Heart-Pounding Expedition! I have to post this on the Interstellar Network!"

Seeing them look that way, a crew member grinned. "This is nothing. The edited episodes haven't even been uploaded yet."

For now, they only had the livestream.

These guests would become even more famous later.

The crew members were proud to be part of the production, too.

As the surrounding crowd began to gather, the production team hurriedly arranged for security and staff to maintain order. After a brief commotion, the guests didn't dare linger any longer and obediently went into the Space Station to take their dedicated shuttle.

Everyone quickly climbed aboard.

Someone couldn't help letting out a laugh.

Sitting in the shuttle, Lin Yuxi smiled and remarked, "I never saw that coming."

She was still a little shaken. There were so many people at the space station, and plenty had been taking pictures with their phones and trying to squeeze closer.

If they hadn't left quickly, things probably would have gotten out of hand.

"Yeah, the show hasn't even aired yet, and we're already this famous. Haha." Zheng Yu was quite pleased with himself.

He was the sort who loved getting a big head.

Lin Yuxi didn't look at him, but she still pursed her lips in exasperation.

Most of the pictures had been of the three handsome guys, and there had also been fans who recognized Yu Manman. Zheng Yu didn't count. He was moderately handsome at best, a long way from the truly gorgeous ones.

Yu Manman, on the other hand, remained calm. She shook her head. "It's Heart-Pounding Expedition that's famous."

She had become a hugely popular influencer and stayed popular through plenty of ups and downs. In truth, she was very grounded and saw things clearly.

Asta turned to look at them, flashing a handsome smile full of white teeth. "Who cares whether we're famous? Let's enjoy our lovely day off on the spaceship first."

"Once we get off, the production team will probably start stirring things up again."

He had watched the first three seasons of Heart-Pounding Expedition. The production team was far too good at keeping its guests on a string and sending the viewers' hearts on a roller coaster.

Wasn't he living proof?

He had originally joined the show just for fun, but he hadn't expected...

Everyone laughed. Right, why worry about all that?

Zheng Yu nodded vigorously in agreement with Asta.

The shuttle ride took less than two minutes. Once they reached their spaceship, they scanned their faces and codes, then wheeled their suitcases into a vertical elevator to board.

Spaceship No. 09 had a full fifty vertical elevators, and this one carried only the guests.

Since the exterior elevator had a long way to climb, it didn't move very quickly.

Or perhaps that was deliberate.

Something had already caught Zheng Yu's eye. "Look, look! There's a dance party on basement level one. Too bad we only have a day, or this girl- ahem, we could go down and have some fun."

I almost called myself 'this girl.' That was close.

He couldn't help it. He loved that sort of thing, loved clubbing, and couldn't tear himself away when he saw it. Ideally, he would go down and find a couple of cute guys to dance up close with. He wasn't bad-looking himself, but the male guests on this show were just too hard to win over.

It was driving him crazy.

The spaceship's vertical elevator rose from the very bottom. The lower levels had deliberately been fitted with transparent glass, allowing people outside to see all the facilities within.

Everyone hurried to that side to look. "Oh, you're right! There are shops selling clothes and bags, and nail salons, too."

After spending the last couple of days chatting with Yu Manman, Lin Yuxi was also planning to try getting her nails done. She had never cared for that sort of thing before.

As everyone looked around, Asta invited them to go for a drink once they boarded. Traveling by spaceship was routine for him because of his competitions. He had taken this particular ship several times and already knew his way around.

"Just a quiet bar, the kind with music. We can play board games, too. It's pretty fun."

Everyone was tempted. "Then let's ask Director Zhang later."

Shi Zhou glanced to the side. Behind him, only Su Yue stood apart, his tall silhouette reflected in the cabin glass. He had one hand in his pocket and one earbud in, and wasn't taking part in their conversation.

He was very sensitive to people's gazes. Noticing someone looking, he lifted his head.

Shi Zhou smiled at him and looked away.

Male lead number two really keeps to himself, Shi Zhou mused.

Soon, the elevator reached the top, and everyone lined up for the boarding check.

This boarding level was equally vast, with white marble floor tiles and overhead signs stretching farther than the eye could see. Light strips flowed like the Milky Way, and a raised platform stood at every entrance, each with two armed soldiers keeping constant watch.

They wore black military uniforms, palm-wide belts at their waists, epaulets on both shoulders with red tassels hanging from them, and tall military boots. Standing perfectly straight with expressionless faces, they looked incredibly handsome, and passengers inevitably stole an extra glance as they passed.

Just as their group went through, the two soldiers suddenly stepped down from the platform in unison, their boots striking the floor.

With crisp, synchronized movements, they shifted to holding their laser guns in one hand. The weapons clicked sharply as they moved, and before anyone could react, the soldiers gave them a perfectly coordinated military salute.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Everyone froze, a little at a loss.

These uniformed soldiers weren't employed by the spaceship company. Since spaceships generally crossed interstellar border regions, the Federation stationed members of the Advanced Legion aboard to guard against danger.

Their group's looks and bearing had already attracted attention. Now, quite a few passengers stopped to see what was happening.

While everyone was still confused, Su Yue let go of his suitcase, marched forward two steps, and returned the salute face-to-face with the soldiers.

At some point, the entire area had fallen utterly silent.

Even the camera operator couldn't help tightening his grip on his camera before releasing it, holding his breath.

Good heavens. People in his line of work boarded spaceships all the time, but this was the first time he had ever seen the soldiers up there come down to salute someone!!

The live comments faced no such restraints and erupted with excitement:

-Wow, all three of them look so handsome! I'm making a GIF of this!

-I don't know why I'm so excited, but I want to tell all our soldiers, thank you for your hard work!

-Yes, exactly! Whenever I board a spaceship, just seeing them makes me feel safe. It's thanks to them guarding our borders that we Federation citizens can live peaceful, happy lives!

Naturally, the production team wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by. Photos, videos, trending topics-they had the whole package covered.

Although the boarding gates had already evolved to use facial recognition, they couldn't block them for too long. Without exchanging a word, the soldiers returned to their posts after the salute, and Su Yue took hold of his suitcase with one hand.

"Let's go."

Everyone felt a warmth in their chest. On the way inside, people kept looking at them, mostly at Su Yue, and there was no suppressing the murmured discussions.

Some pretty young women and handsome young men worked up the courage to ask for his contact details, but Su Yue politely turned them all down.

The more they looked at him, the more impressive his bearing seemed, easily a match for the two soldiers above.

The production team had booked a large suite for the guests, with separate accommodations for the men and women. Everyone first gathered in the living room, eager to "interrogate" Su Yue and clear up the viewers' questions at the same time.

"Yue, why did those two guards salute you?"

Lin Yuxi leaned forward curiously, her beautiful eyes shining as she hurried to ask.

"Yeah, I've never even seen them move before."

Surely those soldiers only took action when there was an enemy invasion?

Back then, Lin Yuxi had actually wanted to enlist. She had applied to the Laser Gun and Artillery Corps and done quite well on the written examination, but unfortunately, she hadn't met the height requirement.

Although she had later done well in other interests and eventually turned one into a career, the regret of failing to fulfill her original dream had remained buried in her heart for years.

Seeing that scene today had awakened those old memories and her still-burning passion to serve her country, leaving her deeply excited.

Su Yue explained simply, "They recognized my clothes. We're in the same corps. They were saluting a superior officer."

Such scenes were rare because officers generally had spaceships belonging to their own legions and wouldn't choose privately operated vessels.

Everyone examined his clothes. For a military outfit, it was actually very well designed: a crisp white shirt in luxurious fabric, with only a discreet gold-embroidered emblem on the chest, paired with light-colored suit trousers that gave him an air of distinction.

Asta laughed. "If you hadn't said anything, we never would've recognized it as military clothing."

Su Yue said, "It's a uniform."

By the interstellar era, soldiers participated in a far wider range of activities, and the Federation provided them with somewhere between a dozen and twenty different outfits.

Shi Zhou knew a little about this from reading the original novel, but Su Yue seemed to have worn nothing but uniforms since joining the show. Had he never worn civilian clothes, even as a child?

Shi Zhou pictured a tiny Su Yue in a little military uniform, wearing a stern expression, and couldn't help laughing.

When he laughed, everyone looked at him.

Shi Zhou had no choice but to say, "Look at his chest. His rank is major."

Su Yue gave him a searching look, slipped one hand into his pocket, and murmured, "Mm."

Lin Yuxi's mouth fell open in surprise. "A major this young?"

"Is that really impressive?" Yu Manman asked curiously.

Lin Yuxi nodded furiously, her eyes shining as she looked at Su Yue. She bit her lip and said softly:

"In the Federation, you can only be awarded the rank of major if you've made outstanding national contributions of third level or higher."

First-level contributions could earn someone the rank of general, which was Su Yue's father's rank. People like that generally commanded a Federation legion and were known as commanders.

Second-level contributions could earn the rank of lieutenant general. Among the Federation's billions of people, fewer than a thousand held that rank.

Third-level contributions covered a much broader range, and relatively more people had earned them-but only relatively. Never mind comparing them to the Federation's entire population; even in the military, very few people had earned third-level contributions.

After Lin Yuxi's explanation, everyone looked at Su Yue differently.

Shi Zhou said nothing. He also knew that Su Yue's military honors hadn't come from contributions to technology, the economy, or inventions, but from genuine achievements on the battlefield.

In the winter of his second year stationed at the border, the Insectoids had grown restless. At the same time, blizzards and magnetic disturbances cut off communications, leaving the situation extremely dire.

Su Yue, still a first lieutenant then, had acted decisively, commanding the three units under him to delay the Insectoid invasion.

Perhaps affected by the natural disasters, however, the Insectoids went berserk. With supplies failing to arrive for a prolonged period, their defensive line could only retreat again and again, until the commanding officer issued an absolute order: no further retreat.

Retreating any farther would endanger the civilians living along the border.

Su Yue had been bold. As the legion commander's only son, he pledged to accept all subsequent punishment and, overriding the objections, led one of his units deep into enemy territory alone.

While the main force held the front, they circled behind to ambush the Broodmothers in the rear and prevent the invasion from continuing.

His plan succeeded.

But by the time the main force arrived to rescue them, more than half of his thousand-strong unit had died.

Having led from the front, Su Yue himself had had his chest pierced clean through by a Guard Insectoid beside a Broodmother. They had nearly been unable to save him.

In the original novel, this had been one of the male lead's defining career moments. Yet Someplace Little Burger hadn't only written about his courage, decisiveness, composure, and intelligence. The author had also devoted a passage to his reaction upon seeing his subordinates' bodies.

The original had described it like this:

"Su Yue could face even the greatest difficulty without his expression changing."

"But when he saw his comrades' bodies, he shed tears for the first time. His tears mingled with the rain sliding off the brim of his cap, making them difficult to distinguish. He laid a bouquet for his comrades who had fallen asleep, then stood alone in the Cemetery through the downpour for a very, very long time."

"It was the first time he had cried since becoming an adult, and it would also be the last."

Shi Zhou let out a long breath and looked away.

The Su Yue before him sat properly, dressed simply, yet his understated elegance was impossible to hide. His skin was fair, his features handsome and resolute, with no trace of the bloodshed he had seen on the battlefield.

He answered everyone's questions patiently and calmly. Though he didn't say much, he never made anyone feel slighted.

Yet as Shi Zhou looked at him, tenderness and admiration intertwined in his heart.

If he were willing to tell everyone what he had been through, even in the most monotonous voice, it would be enough to make everyone present, and all the viewers watching the livestream, gasp in admiration.

But that was simply who he was. He did what needed doing and never sought the credit.

A man like that was actually very captivating, too.

Asta was also impressed. "Yue, how old are you?"

Su Yue said, "Twenty-five."

Su Yue had joined the military early. Before going to the First Academy for advanced Mecha studies, he had always attended military schools, where students could choose to serve in the military each year.

Naturally, he had gone every year, earning a pile of medals from field exercises and military competitions.

Asta exhaled, then smiled. "That's impressive."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Although Su Yue didn't talk about it, his name was out there on StarNet, and they all knew something about him.

His military achievements were genuine, and he was an exceptionally skilled Mecha pilot, good enough to lead a demonstration at the Federation's annual opening ceremony.

Who didn't love a hero?

Especially a hero who defended his country and its people.

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Su Yue's mouth. "You're impressive, too. You win medals and bring honor to our country."

Asta was of mixed heritage, but he had chosen to return to the Federation with his mother.

Before he arrived, the Federation had never won a gold medal in Startrack Downhill. It hadn't even made the finals. In Asta's very first year competing, he had swept up three medals-two golds and a silver-giving the Federation a tremendous reason to hold its head high.

He had restored all the prestige the Federation had lost across the interstellar community over its poor medal count in previous years, and given those loudmouths a stinging slap in the face to boot.

Shi Zhou said earnestly, "As far as we're concerned, you're both amazing!"

The others nodded along. Even Zheng Yu, who was usually full of little fidgety gestures, quieted down and watched the two with an admiring smile.

Su Yue glanced at Shi Zhou and the others, his Adam's apple shifting.

His long, thick eyelashes lowered, and his slender hand, its veins visible, rubbed against his knee.

"What good is being impressive? This is a dating show."