Chapter 2: Little Friend, You Couldn’t Die If You Tried
Wu Yusheng tapped Jiang Chunlei on the forehead as he joked: “Yo, you better give the captain some face. It’s only for the purpose of going after him that we have new tactical boots! Could it be you have long been plotting to seize power and take his position?”
Jiang Chunlei pushed Wu Yusheng back, “I was already trying on new shoes at the armaments department when I got notified about this mission, okay? I don’t get it at all, Captain Gao usually treats you well, now you’re on your way to go kill him, aren’t you a little too calm?”
Wu Yusheng’s expression darkened and tapped Jiang Chunlei’s forehead again: “Hey, you little rookie, we’re preventing him from transgressing, not killing him! If you keep talking nonsense we’ll throw you down there.”
“How are ‘preventing him from transgressing’ and ‘killing him’ any different? Aren’t we taking up arms against him anyway?”
Jiang Chunlei’s eyes were tinged red. Although he had joined the team the latest and still hadn’t had a chance to bond deeply with the rest of his teammates and Captain Gao Zhi, he couldn’t understand how Wu Yusheng could be so calm on his way to ‘resolve’ his own captain.
Captain Gao is about to be ‘executed’ by the Inspector!
As the world is being eroded by the Kepler ecology, the human race is also struggling to survive.
The majority of humans who were affected by the mutation assimilated into the Kepler ecology, becoming a part of the support system of the alien life forms.
However, there are a small minority of humans who gained the abilities of the Kepler life forms while still maintaining their human rationality. These people are known as the “Fusionists” and they stand at the forefront of human resistance against the aliens.
As the “Fusionists” use their special abilities more and more, the mutation spreads within them until they finally cross over the boundary of humanity, fully becoming Kepler life forms.
These are the “Transgressors”, as once they ‘transgress’ the boundaries, they are no longer considered humans.
At that point, they are shot by “Inspectors”, specialized snipers assigned by the Grey Tower with the responsibility of assassinating transgressing “Fusionists”.
In the vast majority of cases, the Inspector will directly kill the Transgressor, but sometimes, when an Inspector is certain of the results, they can use bullets containing “Anti-Kepler” damping agents.
If the bullet successfully hits the target, it can weaken the mutation, save the Transgressor’s life, and even bring them back to the human world. However, if this fails, the Transgressor will unleash a deadly counterattack. If lucky, only the mission is failed, but if unlucky, the Inspector’s decision could cost the lives of the entire team, including their own.
Wu Yusheng narrowed his eyes as he looked across the aircraft and spoke with determination: “I believe we can stop Captain Gao from transgressing.”
Following Wu Yusheng’s line of sight, Jiang Chunlei’s gaze landed on Tan Mo, who was propped up half-way in his seat. From the moment Tan Mo entered the cabin, he had maintained a posture of hugging his sniper rifle while nodding off, a set of earphones blocking outside noise.
Jiang Chunlei, who came from a technical research and development background, recognized from a glance that the incredibly long range sniper rifle Tan Mo held. It was nicknamed “Vermillion Bird” because of its capability to hit targets up to five kilometers away without decreasing in bullet velocity, additionally equipped with an intelligent aiming system and dynamic prediction system.
In the entire world there exist less than ten of these “Vermillion Bird” rifles. Within the Grey Tower, they are known as ‘divine weapons’ and the Inspectors who are skilled enough to wield them are not one in ten thousand but rather one in a million.
However, the Inspector sitting in front of him looked quite young and inexperienced.
Even though Tan Mo’s eyes were closed, among the rough and tough old men on the front line, his facial features would definitely be described as ‘striking’ in comparison.
In particular, that relaxed trace of indifference and laziness between his eyebrows and eyes gave the sense that even if they were heading towards hell at that very moment, this man could still sit back and enjoy the journey to doomsday.
Jiang Chunlei kept staring, and the longer he looked, he seemed to find a hint of competence hidden within the other’s laziness. Tan Mo’s brows and eyes exuded a sharpness, which inexplicably reminded Jiang Chunlei of a metaphorical dagger hidden in a poem, seemingly beautiful but in reality, every stroke full of intensity.
If not for Wu Yusheng’s watchful gaze, Jiang Chunlei would never have looked at Tan Mo so closely.
This guy quietly conceals his presence, but once you notice him, you really can’t take your eyes off him.
Jiang Chunlei unconsciously leaned toward Tan Mo: his earphones were blasting music, maybe rock and roll?
With such loud music, don’t even mention sleeping, can you even adjust your mental state properly?
No longer wanting to be stared at by Jiang Chunlei, Tan Mo tilted his head to the other side, exposing his fair skin and the tight muscle showing from underneath. After all, getting watched by a brat like him didn’t pay money.
There was a cinnabar mole near the outer corner of Tan Mo’s right eye, and in the instant Jiang Chunlei’s gaze touched it, his heart skipped a beat. That little cinnabar mole added a subtle charm to Tan Mo’s features.
Like a red plum on a blanket of snow-
“Looked enough?” Tan Mo opened his eyes, staring directly at Jiang Chunlei.
Jiang Chunlei immediately apologized: “S-Sorry! This is my first time meeting an Inspector who uses a ‘Vermillion Bird’!”
Tan Mo smiled slightly.
In Jiang Chunlei’s imagination, Inspectors were all cold and ruthless, but this fleeting smile from Tan Mo, though not breathtakingly stunning enough to make the heavens and earth pale, inexplicably stirred an uneasy sensation in Jiang Chunlei’s heart.
Tan Mo’s right arm was decorated with badges. Besides the hexagram signifying he was an Inspector, there was another red bar which represented the Deputy Captain position. In addition to his responsibilities as an Inspector, he was also fighting on the frontlines.
Underneath the red bar was his name: Tan Mo.
“Interested in the ‘Vermillion Bird’? Wanna see?” Tan Mo extended his arm, holding his gun with a single hand in Jiang Chunlei’s direction.
Panicking, Jiang Chunlei leaned back: “No no no! Such an important gun must have been calibrated properly! What if I touch it and…”
Tan Mo smiled again, the corner of his mouth curved up. “Just kidding. How could I let you touch it?”
As an Inspector, he received specialized training and didn’t spend much time with his teammates. This Li Dongsun… no, Jiang Chunlei was new to the team but he didn’t know that in countless previous exercises, Tan Mo had already observed him many times through the scope.
The way Lil’ Chunlei raised his leg to fart or scratch an itch, or how he grinded his teeth during rest hours, Tan Mo knew it all very well through his scope.
A moderate tension could help focus everyone’s energy, but excessive anxiousness could ruin the entire mission.
Tan Mo threw a piece of candy, perfectly hitting the other on the forehead. “Chunlei, it really is a good name.”
Upon discovering it was a piece of chocolate covered in gold foil, Jiang Chunlei was speechless. This… was the type of candy used to appease small children.
Jiang Chunlei had been made fun of for his name many times. When he was younger, his poor essay skills led his classmates to nickname him “Thunder Scribbler”.
Leaning against the back of his chair, Tan Mo raised his chin with a resolute and youthful presence and said with a steady voice, “After the arrival of spring1, the warm air and cold air collide intensely, forming a strong vertical air convection. In cumulonimbus clouds, the positive and negative charges crash into each other, giving rise to thousands of catties of thunder and lightning. When the rain washes away, everything revives, propagates, and thrives. Your name carries strength and hope; a good omen.”
Jiang Chunlei paused, “Really?”
“Should be,” Tan Mo shrugged and continued in a nonchalant tone, “Well, the main character of today’s mission isn’t you anyway, you just need to manipulate the remote sniper rifle to attract Captain Gao’s attention. Hit him, don’t hit him, it doesn’t matter – all your anxiousness is for nothing.”
Jiang Chunlei’s face darkened for a moment. He really didn’t have to blatantly call him bait like that!
At that moment, a message from the cockpit played through the speakers: “Arrived at the drop zone, please prepare the twin-seat fighter.”
Tan Mo and Wu Yusheng simultaneously rose. A twin-seat fighter hovered in the center of the aircraft. Wu Yusheng stepped in the pilot seat while Tan Mo took a seat in the back. He yelled back at Jiang Chunlei, “If I fail, my captain Ga Zhi can never come back, me and my partner will die on this post – but you should be fine.”
Meaning: Little friend, you couldn’t die if you tried!
After finishing his words, Tan Mo pulled down his oxygen mask. The wind surged in and the twin-seat fighter suddenly descended, riding the powerful air currents.
[Kepler Ecological Zone K033]
Three kilometers away was Kepler Ecological Zone K033 which was overflowing with lush greenery in every direction. The vibrant vitality of the vegetation seemed untouched, like it had come out of prehistoric times before everything was destroyed by humans. The greenery not only thrived wildly, each plant competing for space and sunlight, but also seemed to conceal hidden dangers within its idyllic appearance.
Tan Mo stepped out of the twin-seat fighter and set up the ‘Vermillion Bird’ between the rocks. He crouched down and rested the gun on top of his shoulder. As he turned his head to look into the scope, he seamlessly merged with the sniper rifle itself. The wind speed, humidity, and even the resistance o f the vegetation were automatically calculated in his mind.
Wu Yusheng’s only responsibility was to watch Tan Mo’s surroundings, which he did with his back against the rocks by Tan Mo’s side.
At the moment, they were outside the area of K033, but it could expand at any time. When Kepler organisms are threatened, they will spread their invasion at any cost, even if it is temporary.
“Do you see Captain Gao yet?” Wu Yusheng asked, his throat was tight. This time, the mission wasn’t random person A, B, or C, it was their own captain. The surroundings were quiet, and under him, the sand on the mountain rocks were dry and coarse. The sun was bright and the sky was clear, but the more it was like this, the more his mood was unable to settle. He could feel his blood beating, the sense of crisis coursing through his veins, and his heart refused to calm down.
Wu Yusheng was very, very nervous.
“Not yet.” Tan Mo’s tone was cold. “There’s fruit candy in my back pocket.”
Wu Yusheng knew Tan Mo liked sweet things so he bent down, found the cand, unwrapped it, and held it up to Tan Mo’s mouth. “Here, eat.”
Tan Mo stared at the scope, adjusting the angle to find the target, and mechanically said, “It’s for you.”
This is not good, you’re too nervous.
1. The original term used here is 惊蛰 (jīngzhé) which refers to the third of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar and indicates the awakening of hibernating insects and the arrival of spring.
