The man being questioned looked a little nervous, but having been on the battlefield, he was able to keep his composure. After a momentâs hesitation, he was able to converse quite fluently with Mo Si.
Mo Si diligently inquired about the Federationâs post-service benefits, the special treatment provided by the garrison, and whether the care from the military hospital was adequate.
He named each post-retirement benefit with precision, which took the old veteran by surprise. "Theyâve all been provided, every single one."
"I get them every year."
"Does the garrison require you to participate in this training?"
"No, no, no, not at all." The veteran quickly waved his hands. "I wanted to train on my own." He gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the hem of his clothes with his somewhat chapped hands. "After all these years, the only thing I ever learned was how to pilot a mecha..."
"I was injured, so I canât go back to the battlefield anymore, but I donât want to just sit around. This is the one thing I know how to do, and Iâm afraid that if I stop for too long, Iâll even forget this."
Then he would truly have nothing at all.
Even with the benefits, he would still feel empty inside.
After he finished, he couldnât help but add, "I strongly insisted on this myself, Admiral... The garrison isnât breaking any regulations, is it?"
The worry on his face was plain to see. Apparently, the Federation garrison was a decent place to be.
A softer expression appeared on Mo Siâs stern face. "Itâs not a violation."
"Thatâs good."
After a bit more small talk, Mo Si said his goodbyes to the veteran. Just before leaving, the Admiral paused, turned back, and added, "Your training has really paid off. Youâve already recovered about eighty percent of your form from your days in the 9th Corps."
As the words left his lips, the wind from his turn gently lifted his cape. The veteran heard him and was left standing there, completely stunned.
âThe Ninth Army?â
âHow did the Admiral know... that I was in the Ninth Army before I retired from my injury?â
After speaking with the veteran, Mo Si followed the outline drafted by the Military Department and questioned two new recruits.
All the activities went smoothly, and the accompanying media team got their firsthand material.
Qiudao and Changbei stood in the back.
"Doesnât seem like anything special is going on," Changbei found it strange. "I thought the Admiral chose to visit the garrison this year for some other reason... but heâs just going by the book."
"I think youâre overthinking it, Qiudao. This probably has nothing to do with any political powers or nobles." As Changbei spoke, he sighed. "I think the Admiral was just thinking of the veterans who retired from their injuries, so he made a special trip to see them."
"Thatâs also a possibility."
In any case, that morning, Mo Si diligently completed his assigned tasks.
Then, during a conversation with the commander-in-chief, he very naturally brought up the âstudents.â
"Thatâs right. Itâs our tradition to partner with the Federationâs universities and have students come for military training."
"Admiral, would you like to go and see the studentsâ military training?" the commander-in-chief said with a smile. "Theyâre all freshmen from Federation Universityâs Mecha Single Soldier System. The future backbone of our forces."
âHe was dying to go.â
In fact, his heart was already pounding wildly at the suggestion.
But on camera, in front of the commander-in-chief, he just gave a slight nod, giving the impression that he was merely accepting an invitation, not at all expectant. "Then letâs go take a look."
They went to the training grounds.
Mo Si stood on a high platform above the training grounds, watching the students.
The people below saw them as well. At the instructorsâ command, everyone quickly got movingâcarrying weights, crossing obstacles, runningâ
The field was crowded, but Mo Si spotted her in an instant.
As if answering the call of destiny, Jiang Qiuqiu, who had just finished a lap, turned her head and glanced in their direction.
Their eyes met.
A thousand emotions churned.
âSuddenly,â Mo Si thought, âI know the taste of longing.â