Chapter 047: Pressing for Answers

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Originally, General Xiao had been extremely reluctant to go to the Moon. Even if he were to be erased, he still wished to remain on Earth, to stay with his troops, to be with his family. Yet sometimes, once you reach a certain height, once you settle into a particular position, many things become inevitable, beyond your control. After all, in this apocalypse faced by all of humanity, the Huaxia military presence at the lunar base needed a figure like General Xiao, someone who could serve as a pillar of stability. For the sake of human civilization and for Huaxia itself, he could only shoulder the responsibility and board the ship bound for the Moon.

At the podium, after the discussions in the conference room had subsided, Zhu Yinglong continued, “With the alliance between the two, and their mutual sharing of the incomplete foundational guidance technique, the preliminary analysis of their squad’s overall potential has placed them very high, showing a trend toward the top ten in our country. At least for the foreseeable future, their chances of being eliminated by other teams are very low.

Originally, in our estimation, Li Gang would have faced elimination within six months, but with Lin Yan by his side, that possibility has become extremely remote. After all, under the leadership of a professionally trained special forces soldier, in this deadly hunting game, survival and actively hunting others in the early stages are both much easier.”

Zhu Yinglong did not elaborate much on the alliance between Lin Yan and Li Gang, since their partnership had only just formed half a day earlier.

Once again, a murmur of discussion swept through the conference room.

“As a special forces soldier, Lin Yan did not immediately head to the nearest military base after the apocalypse, nor did she actively seek out other surviving soldiers, much less attempt to contact our lunar base. I have my doubts regarding her personal loyalty to the nation,” an elderly man remarked.

“I have met Lin Yan’s father, Lin Hua, once or twice before. He was the captain of the Cobra Special Forces in the South China Military District—Huang Feng served in that very unit.

What I am about to say may be somewhat presumptuous or blunt, but I must still ask, and I hope you will forgive any offense. I have read Lin Hua’s résumé, but that only tells part of the story. I know that for soldiers like him, certain information is absolutely classified, secrets they are meant to take to the grave.

I will not pry into those details, but there is one thing I—and many present—need to have confirmed,” continued another elderly man.

As he uttered his final words, he glanced around the room, especially at the elder officers with military backgrounds, before finally fixing his gaze once more on Zhu Yinglong. “There’s no doubt about Lin Hua’s death, is there?”

The room fell silent at once.

This was a crucial question. Though it concerned Lin Hua, it directly affected Lin Yan. Lin Yan was one of the most promising participants in this decade-long deadly contest orchestrated by the gods; even among all the chosen, she ranked near the top. In the projections for the ultimate victor from Huaxia, she was considered the leading candidate. In the eyes of those present, Lin Yan was a real contender for final victory.

Li Gang was being discussed separately here only because of his association with Lin Yan; otherwise, his previous standing would never have warranted such attention from these people.

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Upon hearing the question, Zhu Yinglong did not immediately respond. Instead, he looked toward General Xiao. Only after receiving a nod from the general did he take a deep breath and answer, “Lin Yan’s father, Lieutenant Colonel Lin Hua, died seven years ago during a top-secret mission.

The operation took place in Africa. Prior to this meeting, I specifically consulted with generals in the South China Military District regarding Lin Hua’s death. What I can confirm here is that there is no question whatsoever about Lin Hua’s passing.”

With this firm declaration, several people in the room visibly relaxed. As for what mission Lin Hua had been carrying out, many among the elders were curious to know, but they understood that such matters were strictly military secrets, not something they could expect to be answered.

The military’s assurance was enough for them.

“According to the information I have, Lin Hua was granted a spot for the lunar transfer, and in his will, he stated that if he died in the line of duty and his daughter Lin Yan met the basic requirements, he hoped the military would give his place to her. Is this true?” The elderly man who had previously questioned nodded at Zhu Yinglong’s confirmation, then pressed further.

Hearing this, General Xiao narrowed his eyes and fixed a steady gaze on the questioner. “May I ask, Elder Xu, where your information came from? Would you care to share it with me?” he asked directly.

Elder Xu, unfazed by General Xiao’s imposing presence, returned the gaze. He, too, held great authority in Huaxia, though not from a military background; he exuded the aura of a man accustomed to power.

“My sources are not your concern, General Xiao. What I want to know now is: regarding Lin Hua, is this information true? And how much of it remains hidden from outsiders?” Xu replied calmly.

General Xiao glanced at Elder Wang, who oversaw intelligence, and seeing no reaction there, surveyed the rest of the elders. All were silent, even the one seated at the very center of the room. At once, he realized the military needed to provide a clear answer.

He turned back to Elder Xu, his tone cold: “Before I address this matter, let me remind you—and some others here—of one thing. Lieutenant Colonel Lin Hua died a martyr for our nation. I do not appreciate his name being mentioned so casually, without due respect.”

Elder Xu paused, then nodded, conceding the point. Others in the room felt a twinge of discomfort as well.

They knew full well that General Xiao was not an easy man to deal with—but what choice did they have? Both of Huaxia’s only surviving military personnel hailed from his South China Military District; the other districts had none. They had no choice but to engage with him.

Among the more than two thousand chosen from Huaxia, a handful had military backgrounds, but they were merely ordinary veterans, vastly different from the likes of Huang Feng and Lin Yan.

As for those with official or government backgrounds, there were some, but their potential was generally low; most did not even match the average person in basic attributes.

General Xiao fell silent for a moment, then spoke: “Lin Hua was a soldier I personally trained—an outstanding one. To be frank, in my heart, I always regarded him as half a son.

As for the lunar spot in Lin Hua’s possession, while he had the qualifications by rank and position, so did many others. He might not have received it in the end; it was only because I spoke up on his behalf.”

He paused, scanning those present, then continued, “I have given my entire life to the military. I never married or had children of my own, but to me, the army is my family, and the soldiers I have trained are my children—my kin.”

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“As for the matter of Lin Hua’s will mentioned by Elder Xu, it is true, and the content matches closely with what you described.”

Some in the conference room, hearing these words, finally believed that Lin Hua’s death was genuine, with no hidden agenda. With General Xiao overseeing the South China Military District, no one would dare attempt any underhanded maneuver.

General Xiao went on: “That girl Lin Yan grew up in the military. I remember she enlisted a year after her father’s death, and within six months, passed the selection for the 218th Special Forces with outstanding marks. She became the first woman to join the Viper Special Assault Team.

In terms of military talent and combat skills, she even surpasses her father. As a woman among male special forces, she never fell short—in fact, she often outperformed many of her male counterparts. Had she been a man, she might have achieved even greater things.

At that time, the military, following Lin Hua’s will, found Lin Yan and formally gave her the lunar spot her father had left for her.”

After all, at the level of special forces, women are at a clear disadvantage in physical strength and endurance—something innate and not easily overcome.

“Then why, I wonder, did Lin Yan ultimately remain on Earth? Is there something suspicious about this?” Elder Xu asked again after General Xiao finished, glancing at several others.

“Xu Tianhua, don’t push your luck,” interjected another uniformed general seated beside General Xiao, fixing Xu with a displeased stare.

This elder, like General Xiao, was a four-star general, his uniform adorned with medals no fewer than Xiao’s.

“General Liu, after all these years, your temper is as fierce as ever. I did warn at the outset that my questions might be blunt. I ask everyone’s pardon again, but I must press on where necessary,” Xu Tianhua replied calmly, undaunted by General Liu’s glare.

After all, the matter of Lin Yan could be either trivial or of the utmost gravity. They had repeatedly sought clarification from the military regarding certain details in her file, but the answers had always been evasive, which was why they were bringing all their concerns to the table now.

“Please forgive us, General Liu,” another elder interjected to ease the tension. “There are things about Lin Yan we do not understand, and we cannot be at ease—especially as her attitude toward us remains uncertain. We know there are matters you soldiers cannot speak of openly, but there are no outsiders here. We can assure you that nothing discussed today will leave this room.”

His words helped to soften the atmosphere, and General Liu’s expression eased somewhat. General Xiao also quietly reassured Liu, preventing an outburst.

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