Chapter 303 – Visiting Colleagues
[Mental Power +66666]
[Mental Power +699]
[Mental Power +8888]
…
Tu Ran tirelessly swung her large sword, charging into the beast herd, striking one alien beast after another.
She had almost become the main force of the team, with even Ye Hongci unable to match the number of alien beasts she had slain.
Finally, after spending ten days on planet 4344, Ye Hongci looked at the images transmitted back from the drones and solemnly announced that the recapture of planet 4344 was complete.
The first enemy rear base in the Haenden Star System had been established.
At the same time, the team that had stayed behind had completed the construction of the teleportation device.
All the teams returned, stepping into the blue circle of the teleportation device on planet 4344.
The familiar mechanical hum filled the air, and then the world brightened. Tu Ran’s eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the light and couldn’t open, but a deafening cheer rang out, coming from all directions.
It was the people from the main star, welcoming them.
They had returned to the main star.
Tu Ran opened her eyes and looked around. Beneath the platform, there were people everywhere, some holding banners with slogans like “So-and-so welcomes you home,” “So-and-so loves you,” and “So-and-so, the hero,” among others.
Most of these banners were collective in nature, but there were also some with individual names, such as “General Ye, you are our hero.”
Tu Ran scanned the crowd and found her own name on some of the banners, not just one or two, but a number similar to Ye Hongci’s.
This scene was still very new to Tu Ran, but to Ye Hongci, it was nothing unusual. Smiling, she waved at the crowd and, with the team behind her, walked off the mecha teleportation platform toward the mecha storage area.
After they stepped off the teleportation device, another group that had been waiting eagerly stepped onto the device, soon to be sent to planet 4344.
The majority of them were researchers, with only about a third being military personnel.
The remaining wandering alien beasts on planet 4344 would be dealt with by them, and they would also handle the subsequent safety concerns on the planet, as well as some infrastructure issues.
According to the original plan, planet 4344 was to be developed into a military base.
After leaving the crowd’s welcome, storing the mecha in the warehouse, Tu Ran walked out of the warehouse and saw Ye Hongci standing at the door with her back to her.
Tu Ran approached and greeted her, “General Ye, are you waiting for someone?”
Ye Hongci turned around to look at her. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Tu Ran pushed the messy hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears, her hands clasped in front of her. “What’s the matter?”
“I found out some things about you from your colleagues. They’re still on the main star. Do you want to go meet them?”
“Sure,” Tu Ran smiled. “I’ve been wanting to see them anyway.” But her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Noticing the expression in Tu Ran’s eyes, Ye Hongci silently mourned for her colleagues for three seconds. After fighting alongside Tu Ran for so long, she had developed a deep understanding of her way of doing things.
“Two of your colleagues who worked with you in the Pioneer Team are quite good at mecha studies. They’ll soon be sent to planet 1169. You can go visit them first. The others, who are working in the mecha manufacturing department, you can visit anytime,” Ye Hongci said.
“Oh? Two Pioneers?” Tu Ran raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued about who these two might be.
“Xiao Li, come over here,” Ye Hongci called, waving to someone nearby.
A young soldier with a clean, handsome appearance jogged over, a shy smile on his face as he greeted Ye Hongci with a standard military salute. “General Ye, please give your instructions.”
“Where is the team going to planet 1169 tonight?” Ye Hongci asked.
“They’re in Zone 9, resting,” the soldier quickly answered.
Ye Hongci nodded. “Assistant Tu needs to find two people. You take her to them.”
“Understood.” The soldier turned to Tu Ran. “This way, Assistant Tu.”
After bidding Ye Hongci farewell, Tu Ran followed the soldier toward Zone 9.
…
Zone 9 had been set up specifically as a resting area for soldiers about to embark on expeditions, so it was not far from the teleportation device.
Upon entering Zone 9, Tu Ran asked the duty staff where the two newcomers were. The staff informed her that they were still at the training ground.
Tu Ran made her way to the training ground.
From a distance, she saw two mechas engaged in combat.
The pilots were highly skilled, and their battle moves were impressive. Around them, a group of about ten soldiers had gathered to watch.
Tu Ran studied the moves of the two mechas for a while, and she felt an odd sense of familiarity from the pilot controlling the black mecha, though she couldn’t place it. The other pilot was completely unfamiliar to her.
From the appearance of the mechas, she couldn’t tell who the pilots were.
But seeing how intense the battle was during their break time, Tu Ran couldn’t help but think of Yao Bei.
Yao Bei was someone who could endure hardships. According to the original owner’s memories, during her five years at the Pioneer Training Base, Yao Bei was almost always the first person to arrive at the training grounds every day.
Who could the other person be? Tu Ran looked at the black mecha and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
Ding Naiqing? Tu Ran shook her head. Ding Naiqing probably wouldn’t be able to hold his own against Yao Bei like this, not yet.
Li Wenchuan?
The only two senior pioneers from the Pioneer Team.
It was very likely.
Li Wenchuan’s moves had some resemblance to Xie Xu’s. Tu Ran had taken quite a few hits under Xie Xu’s training, so the familiarity she felt probably came from that.
Tu Ran scanned her surroundings, finally choosing to sit on the steps of the training ground’s viewing platform to watch the match.
Twenty minutes later, the battle ended with Yao Bei’s defeat.
Li Wenchuan’s mecha skills were slightly better than Yao Bei’s.
Amid the cheers of the surrounding soldiers, the two pilots climbed out of their mecha cockpits.
Tu Ran, watching Li Wenchuan and Yao Bei, silently gave herself a thumbs up—she had guessed it right.
She stood up, ready to descend the steps, when both Li Wenchuan and Yao Bei simultaneously started walking toward her.
It seemed they had noticed her long ago, so Tu Ran sat back down, leaning back against the higher step with both arms draped over it, casually crossing her legs, and watching them approach with a relaxed expression.
Since the viewing platform was on the edge of the training ground, and Li Wenchuan and Yao Bei had been fighting in the center, they were quite far from Tu Ran. Most of the soldiers were gathered around the center to watch, so the area near Tu Ran was rather quiet and empty.
It wasn’t until the two main figures, Li Wenchuan and Yao Bei, headed toward the platform that the soldiers began to notice someone sitting there.
Having already sent Xiao Li away, Tu Ran was the only one at the viewing area.
“Who’s that? Sitting so far away, can they even see?” one of the soldiers craned their neck to look at Tu Ran.
Someone with better eyesight squinted, then scratched their head, “That person looks familiar… I think it’s Tu Ran.”
“Are you sure you’re not mistaken? Isn’t she still on planet 4344?” another person denied.
