Chapter 9: Closing the Distance

Seeing that Xiao Ningxue did not respond, Hu Lingfei realized his previous words had been a bit abrupt and had made her guarded. Suppressing his inner impatience, he continued to introduce the various features of the warship to her.

Although Xiao Ningxue was still feeling annoyed, she listened quite attentively.

"Your warship is truly incredible!" Xiao Ningxue exclaimed.

Even though she could not understand a large portion of the professional jargon, it did not stop her from wanting to blurt out an expletive. Look at that—a clear mark of someone lacking formal education.

Having not even completed middle school, Xiao Ningxue only grasped a fraction of what was said. She suddenly realized a serious problem: "What exactly will I be studying once I get to the First Military Academy?"

Xiao Ningxue pondered this. It seemed... no matter the subject, she would be unable to keep up, right?

Hu Lingfei replied with a relaxed tone, "Aside from some handbooks on cultivation for botanists and a few elective courses, botanists don't need to go to the battlefield. As long as you can grow food, you’ve made a great contribution. The curriculum is quite simple."

Xiao Ningxue naively believed him. "That’s wonderful! I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with your material."

Little did she know, this sentence was just like a high school teacher saying, "It will be easy once you get to college." By the time she actually entered the First Military Academy, she would realize just how much water was in that statement. But by then, it would be too late for regrets, and dropping out would no longer be an option.

Although the Red Blood Warship was merely a small detachment of the Federal Government, its technology was highly advanced, often receiving equipment directly replaced by the main fleet. If the research institute made any technical breakthroughs, Qin Yixuan was always among the first to secure them. Of course, Xiao Ningxue was unaware of this. She assumed the Red Blood Warship was a massive force, simply because there were tens of thousands of people on board.

Unaware of the terrifying reproductive capabilities of the Zerg, Xiao Ningxue still viewed everything with great naivety. After all, her perspective was still limited to the battles between humans and zombies using supernatural abilities; she had no concept of the horrors of the Zerg.

As they toured the warship, Xiao Ningxue keenly felt that the soldiers they passed, though busy with their own tasks, were casting glances at her, either intentionally or inadvertently. This made the sensitive Xiao Ningxue uncomfortable, so she decided to change the subject to distract herself.

"What is the current situation with Planet 9863?"

Hu Lingfei shrugged helplessly. "The Zerg on Planet 9863 were discovered too late. They had already taken root on Planet 9866. We had no choice but to destroy Planet 9863 and replace it with a man-made sphere of similar size to keep there."

"A man-made sphere?" Lacking any concept of environmental protection, Xiao Ningxue stared at Hu Lingfei in confusion.

Seeing her blank expression, she looked very much like a cute Persian cat. Hu Lingfei’s fingers twitched; he fought the urge to reach out and pet her, looked away, and felt his throat go dry. "The disappearance of a planet would cause chaos in its star system. The magnetic fields in the universe are complementary—using the ancient phrase, it’s best described as the 'butterfly effect.' If this star system were to fall into chaos, it would trigger a chain reaction. Therefore, when we destroy a planet, we must fill the void with a man-made sphere of similar size and mass."

Ancient times? The butterfly effect? Xiao Ningxue began to suspect that she was indeed thousands of years into the future from Earth. The familiar language, the familiar "as the ancients said"... However, with this explanation, she could roughly understand. After all, she had been unable to study back then, but that did not mean she wasn't clever. For years, the base had been organized by the state, and they never forgot the next generation, doing everything possible to pass on knowledge. Unfortunately, the environment was harsh, so they had to prioritize survival skills first, pushing the humanities and sciences to the back burner.

"I understand now," Xiao Ningxue said, lowering her eyes and moving on from the topic. "I'm a bit tired and would like to go back and take a nap. Thank you for your company."

Hu Lingfei was stunned. "Oh... alright. If you feel uncomfortable at all, just let me know." He ignored the slight sense of reluctance in his heart. The scent in the air told him that the "beastman" in front of him was male, not female. Botanists generally had weaker physiques and lacked the combat power of other abilities, so Hu Lingfei didn't suspect anything.

"Could I borrow a light-computer first? I feel it's necessary for me to understand the school I'll be attending."

Hu Lingfei agreed readily. "No problem. I’ll apply for a temporary light-computer for you. Once you've rested, I'll have Bai Haiping deliver it to you." He had already squeezed out as much time as he could; now he had to return to his overwhelming official duties, so he had to let Bai Haiping handle the delivery.

Xiao Ningxue wasn't actually tired; she just wanted some quiet time to process the information she had just received. Confirming these matters required internet access.

"How long does it take to apply for a light-computer? I can wait a little while." Xiao Ningxue was determined to get the device as soon as possible, desperate to verify her suspicions. Upon catching Hu Lingfei's surprised gaze, she suddenly realized she might have been too eager.

"I'm sorry... I just..." Xiao Ningxue didn't know how to explain.

Hu Lingfei, being understanding, didn't press her. Instead, he said, "I'll apply for it using my clearance right now. It should only take about ten minutes. Can you wait?"

Xiao Ningxue was delighted. "I can! Thank you, Brother Lingfei!" This expression of gratitude carried a hint of coquettishness she hadn't even realized herself.

Hu Lingfei used a polite reply to mask his agitation. "It’s the least I can do."

Xiao Ningxue followed Hu Lingfei happily to collect the light-computer. As for why there were temporary light-computers on the Red Blood Warship... it was, of course, because in certain situations, they could not use their personal devices to transmit messages over the network. Temporary units could mask their identities and hide their locations.

Xiao Ningxue received the light-computer from Hu Lingfei’s hands with almost religious reverence. Hu Lingfei watched her cautious movements with amusement. "Is it really that big of a deal?"

Xiao Ningxue sighed and spoke with an air of seasoned maturity, "You wouldn't understand." Back in middle school, she had been somewhat addicted to her phone, but when the apocalypse arrived, all electronic equipment had been rendered useless. By her count, she hadn't had any form of entertainment for five or six years. This was her first time touching the network in so long. People like them, who could access the internet at any moment, would never understand.

After getting what she needed, Xiao Ningxue was quick to depart. "Thanks, Brother Lingfei! You go ahead and get busy; I won't disturb you anymore!"

Watching her retreating figure, Hu Lingfei wore a smile he hadn't even realized he was making. It was surprisingly easy to close the distance with this little male; just by using that form of address, she already seemed much closer.

"How is your plan going?" Qin Yixuan’s voice came through the light-computer on Hu Lingfei's wrist.

Hu Lingfei replied, "Everything is going smoothly. Don't let his guarded appearance fool you; this little male is actually quite easy to get close to."

Qin Yixuan said, "That’s good. If that's the case, perhaps we can obtain more edible plants from her in the future."