Awareness of the Heartbeat (2)
Luo Lan originally assumed that because something so scandalous blew up, she wouldn’t be able to get her gene-repairer license.
Unexpectedly, thanks to Chu Mo’s mediation, the Genetics Committee acquiesced to granting Luo Lan the license.
However, Luo Lan must provide social welfare services for ten years. Simply put, all the gene repair operations she would do in the future ten years were free of charge, dedicated to the people who are ill but have no money for medication.
Luo Lan agreed without hesitation. Probably, because Qian Xu was an orphan and an experimental subject of genetic research, Luo Lan loved the house and its crows[1], so she didn’t regard it as punishment at all.
Moreover, she always had inextricable guilt for deceiving the whole Odin Federation by pretending to be a princess. Being able to contribute to Odin with her skill was an atonement for her.
The Chairman of the Genetics Committee notified her to go to the Consul in the Sparda Palace to obtain her gene-repairer license. Luo Lan was confused but then the Chairman explained to her that she had a special identity and had no precedent case. The issuance of the license was reported layer by layer, and by the end, she had to report it to the Consul for his signature.
Since it was signed by the Consul. Naturally, it would also be issued by the Consul.
Luo Lan despised the Consul. But, for the sake of her license, she could only reluctantly go to meet the Consul.
“Congratulations! ”The Consul handed Luo Lan a paper certificate made by traditional craftsmanship, appearing simple and solemn.
Luo Lan said faintly, “All thanks to Chu Mo.”
Luo Lan packed her license and was ready to leave.
“Princess.”
Luo Lan stood still and glanced coldly at the Consul.
The consul continued, “Last time, you said you wanted to make the Dragon Blood Corps pay with their blood. How did you plan to achieve that?”
“Have you agreed to allow me to participate in your plan?”
The consul stared at her. With a rare warmth in his voice, he conveyed sincerely, “No matter who you want to kill in the Dragon Blood Corps, I… We can do it for you. Your intelligence should not be used to kill, but to save people.”
Luo Lan nearly wanted to smash her license on the Consul’s mask. She held back her tears and raised her voice, “The person I want to save most in this world is no more!”
The consul was reticent. His mask was suffused with the unique cold luster of metal, molding him into a metal statue without flesh and blood.
Luo Lan decisively turned around.
From behind, the Consul’s voice came, “Time heals all wounds.”
Luo Lan didn’t look back. She sneered, “Your Excellency has so many unsightly wounds on himself. I hope time can heal your damned wounds!”
————·————·————
Luo Lan returned to her office.
A beep of “didi” sounded. Her personal terminal reminded her that she received an important file and must check it as soon as possible.
“Miss Luo Xun, congratulations on advancing your physical ability to Level A……”
The file was lengthy.
Asking her to meet with a psychologist to complete the psychological assessment; Asking her to make an appointment with a lawyer and make a will; Asking her to sign a death exemption to prevent her relatives from pursuing the legal responsibility of the person who killed her after mutation……
At the end of the document, she was required to attend the annual ceremony held in the Base for newly promoted level A physical ability people. The time was three days from today, at the Hall of Heroes in the Base.
Back then, when Feng Lin helped her to apply for Luo Xun’s fake identity, in order not to attract attention, the information was filled in as “carrying heterogeneous genes.” It must be because after her physical fitness information was recently updated to Level A, the zhinao determined that she was in danger of mutation and automatically sent her this file.
Luo Lan remembered what Feng Lin told her. In other star countries, soldiers received congratulations from their relatives and friends after reaching level A, but in Odin Federation, they received a death notice.
Luo Lan was not heterogeneous. She wouldn’t mutate. There was no obligation for her to follow the procedures. She could just tell An Na about it and be done with it.
Luo Lan was about to delete the file when it occurred to her that Qian Xu had received such a file.
She could get rid of the trouble with just a single click deletion, but, all heterogeneous like Qian Xu couldn’t easily get rid of this file.
————·————·————
The Hall of Heroes in the Alikarta Military Base was an independent building with a classical and gorgeous architectural style, the exact opposite of the simple and practical style of other buildings on the base.
The entire building was made of special metal bricks. Each metal brick was engraved with a person’s name, the name of the martyrs who had sacrificed for the Federation for hundreds of years. Thus, the name “Hall of Heroes”.
By the time Luo Lan arrived, there were already many people in the spacious and vast hall. All wearing straight military uniforms, walking along the walls in groups, browsing the names of heroes on it.
Because only the bricks in front had names, and the bricks in the back were still blank, most of the crowd gathered in front of the hall, and there were not many people in the back.
The position assigned to Luo Lan by the zhinao happened to be in the back. She found a comfortable position and sat down quietly.
The ceremony was about to start. The soldiers returned to their positions one after another.
The hall was crowded with solemn green military uniforms. She was the only one wearing a white researcher uniform, a young and beautiful woman at that. The surrounding soldiers glanced at Luo Lan with curiosity.
“Hello! Aren’t you a researcher? Why is your physical ability so good? Do you plan to change jobs?”
“Your expression is bad. Do you regret advancing your physical ability to Level A?”
“I am a special ops soldier on Beichen. We have a small party after the ceremony. Are you interested in having a drink together?”
“Our special ops soldiers on Nanzhao have many handsome men, good figures, and can dance. Let’s go dancing with us at night!”
A group of soldiers was idle. When they met a beautiful girl, they couldn’t help but tease and joke with her. When Luo Lan thought that Qian Xu had also sat here, her heart was gently moved.
She couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of mutation? Of course, I’m afraid!”
“However, the Federation needs protection. Someone has to do the work, either it’s me or others!”
“Hey, hey! Don’t pretend to be so righteous! You are obviously enticed by the high salary and welfare of special ops soldiers!”
“What about you? Isn’t it because the special ops soldiers are the most popular among women! It’s convenient for you to flirt with thousands of一Hmph“
His mouth was directly blocked by his teammates. Everyone grinned at Luo Lan with a pure face. “Do you want to play together in the evening?”
Luo Lan stated, “I’m married.”
“For real?”
“Really!”
Everyone saw that Luo Lan was not joking, and swiftly no longer pretending to be lofty and noble. They became disheartened[2] and avoided her with an expression of “pity, regret, and sadness.”
“Goodness! There are still people who are willing to get married so early!”
“She gave up an entire forest for a tree[3]!”
“Sigh. Poor married woman!”
Luo Lan only smiled, “My two assistants are women and single. Coincidentally, they also have many single friends of similar ages.”
A group of soldiers was fast to change their faces again and smiled at Luo Lan warmly.
A man with a higher rank studied her and asked tentatively, “Madam, if I’m not wrong, only intermediate researchers can have two assistants in the Research Insitute, right?”
“I’m a senior researcher.”
Everyone’s warm smile instantly turned into amazement. The soldiers who could reach level A were the best soldiers. They could be regarded as the best among their peers. There were not many things or people who could amaze them.
“I’m also a gene-repairer.”
Everyone directly sat straight. They looked at Luo Lan in a completely different way, revealing faint respect.
“Madam, did your husband save the universe?”
“Everyone, stand up!” A powerful and loud voice resonated in the Hall.
Everyone stood up in unison. The action was neat and uniform. Luo Lan also stood up with everyone in a hurry, but she was a beat slower and appeared out of place.
Chen Sha and the Consul walked side by side to the middle of the hall. Chen Sha was wearing a military uniform. The consul, in a rare situation, was also wearing a military uniform. A field suit and helmet. His whole body was still covered without an inch of skin showing.
“Salute!”
Everyone raised their hands and saluted in unison, Luo Lan subconsciously saluted with everyone, and immediately remembered that she was not a soldier. She hastily withdrew her hands and stood still.
Her movements became more and more prominent. She was sticking out of place. The Consul’s eyes flashed over her. Chen Sha paused a bit, as if he wanted to say something, but held back.
The Consul and Chen Sha walked to the front podium and turned to salute all the soldiers.
“Sit down!”
With the command, everyone sat down. Luo Lan was untrained and a beat slower again. She hurried to sit down after everyone had done so.
The lights in the hall dimmed and a documentary about the mutation began to be played.
Someone suddenly mutated on the battleship, frantically attacking his comrades-in-arms.
Someone suddenly mutated while performing a mission, resulting in the death of the whole team.
Someone suddenly mutated in the middle of the night, causing his sleeping comrade-in-arms to be seriously injured.
Someone suddenly mutated in public, killing innocent ordinary people.
One video after another, either resulting in serious injury or death, was full of blood and cruelty. Because it was a three-dimensional video, everything was lifelike. Everyone felt that the person who was bitten was right next to them.
After the documentary was broadcasted, the lights in the hall lit up.
The previously relaxed atmosphere was long gone in the Hall of Heroes. The shadow of death was everywhere, looming heavily on everyone’s shoulders.
After they were successfully promoted, they had already listened to their superiors explain the sudden mutation in detail. They even met with a psychologist. They believed that they were ready, but it was not until this moment, the moment they saw these confidential documents with their own eyes, that they were truly immersed in the situation and felt the cruel despair of mutations.
Chen Sha stood upright. His eyes scanned through all the soldiers.
“I’m sorry to say, but this is the reason the celebration of the heterogeneous’ physical ability promotion is not held in the Banquet Hall, but in the Hall of Heroes. The things recorded in the video may happen to you or your comrades in arms! This is your future. You will live in the shadow of death every day! You can find a place where there is no one to cry, you can seek the help of a psychologist, and you can vent through medicines or sexual pleasure. But in the end, you have to get back to your feet and move on! Because you are soldiers, the best soldiers of the Odin Federation! Odin Federation needs you! “
Chen Sha’s sonorous and powerful voice resounded in everyone’s ears.
In the Hall of Heroes, the shadow of death was looming, but everyone’s back was unbending. As Chen Sha said, they were all excellent soldiers tempered through thousands of trials. Death may frighten them, but it couldn’t make them shrink back!
Footnotes
[1] 爱屋及乌- ài wū jí wū. Idiom for something that has a connection/involvement with someone you loved.↵
[2] 痛心疾首 – tòng xīn jí shǒu. Lit. Heartache and headache. Grieved/Bitter.↵
[3] 放弃整片森林 – fàngqì liǎo zhěng gè sēnlín. Give up everything/everyone for one person/Choosing one person when there are so many suitors. Even though the forest is big, not a single tree belongs to you. Hence, the process of finding your lover is often referred to as “giving up an entire forest for a tree.”↵
Amoeba’s Corner
Nanzhao and Beichen are referring to the names of the two biggest spaceships of Odin. Yin Nanzhao’s Nanzhao and You Beichen’s Beichen.
I think it has already been told in past chapters?
“Madam, did your husband save the universe?”
Akin to saying, what kind of virtue has your husband accumulated to be blessed with you as a wife?
Wdym someone disappeared again? *Gasp* It couldn’t be me, could it?
∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
Sneak-a-Peek
The person who had worked hard for the past eleven years was Luo Xun. But, Luo Xun did not exist. Instead, the one who got the recognition was Ying Xian Luo Lan.
Luo Xun was born because of Qian Xu.
With Qian Xu’s departure, Luo Xun vanished.
Obligatory Closing
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No advanced chapters yet because I am rushing Volume 1 lol
This chapter words count (excluding title, footnotes, and TL’s corner): 2048
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I wonder who (:
Ah, all my baes are sad in this chapter.
Defo not meh (˘▽˘
Come enjoy the Sadness Train.
Tong Hua really won’t let this Qian Xu’s knife ends ya.