The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
The sky was overcast with clouds, completely blocking the previously glaring sunlight. Ling Chen, with his long legs clad in camouflage pants and high-top military boots tucked into the cuffs, sat casually on a moss-covered rock.
He had a blade of grass in his mouth and was patiently waiting for Jiang Mu to finish reading the document he had sent over—information about Ye Xiao.
After carefully reviewing it for five minutes, Jiang Mu's expression showed no significant change, and he remained silent.
A lazy smile tugged at the corner of Ling Chen's mouth. "Now you know why I lost my cool back then, huh?" He bent down to pluck a few grass stems from the ground, trimmed off the ends, removed the excess leaves, and began deftly weaving them with his fingers as he spoke in a calm tone.
"Before the age of six, he lived in an orphanage, with no known parents. At six, he passed the gene screening and was sent to a training base by the Silver Edge Organization but what happened during that time is unclear. When he was fifteen, I happened to lead the operation that took down Silver Edge. After Silver Edge was destroyed, he was brought into Holy Judgement. Again, what happened during that period is unknown. This June, he suddenly appeared in Zone Four, then entered D Zone alone. A few days later, when we were up against the Skeletal Wolf, he stepped in and saved us."
"Seems like someone from Holy Judgement deliberately sent out that targeting us, with a clear goal and well-prepared, right?" Ling Chen paused his fingers for a moment and remained silent for a few seconds, his tone unreadable. "But I still want to believe in him."
The word "trust" rarely appeared in Ling Chen's dictionary.
The reason he had been thrust into the position of Second Division's commander at the age of nineteen was because, during a mission with his predecessor Liang Ling, a traitor had emerged within their ranks, and they were betrayed.
At that time, the Second Division had deployed twenty-seven people. When they returned, only eleven were left.
During that period, every night when he closed his eyes, he would see Liang Ling, covered in blood and gripping his hand tightly, using his last ounce of strength to issue a command—"Take your comrades, your brothers, your subordinates, and charge forward. Don't look back! Don't look back!"
And he had done it, he hadn't looked back.
That harrowing lesson had taught him that the trust you give often comes back to stab you in the back.
"His time in Silver Edge and Holy Judgement is unclear, so we can't jump to conclusions too soon." Jiang Mu watched as the grass lantern gradually took shape in Ling Chen's hands. He didn't say much more, and only repeated the message he had sent to Ling Chen at the research institute. "You know how much he values you."
Ling Chen responded after a few seconds, "Yeah."
So, for now, he chose to trust himself and also to trust him.
Meanwhile, Jiang Cancan and Ye Xiao were still deep in conversation.
"...Xiao Mu and I both graduated from the First Military Academy, as top students! I was in the individual combat department, and he was in the information technology department. Just before graduation, the Second Division came to recruit, and both of us were selected. I have to admit, Chen Ge has a good eye for talent!"
He sighed wistfully. "The only thing I didn't expect was that a handsome young man with a bright future like me would be turned into a stand-up comedian after joining the Second Division!"
Ye Xiao chuckled while propping his chin on one hand and nodding slightly. His half-dried hair swayed with the motion.
Ling Chen walked over and casually ruffled Ye Xiao's hair. When the latter looked up at him, Ling Chen handed over a newly woven small lantern, "This is for you."
Ye Xiao, who had been sitting quietly on the ground with his knees hugged and listening to Jiang Cancan, instantly brightened up. He reached out to take the lantern before cradling it in his hands like a treasure. Overwhelmed with joy, his words stumbled, "Is... is this for me...?"
"Shh, yes, it's for you." Ling Chen said as he slipped his hands back into his pockets. He stood in a relaxed posture, completely non-threatening, and casually asked, "What were you guys talking about?"
Jiang Cancan eagerly replied, "We were talking about that pretty girl you met three years ago, Chen Ge! The only memory with a hint of romance in your 27 years of singlehood!"
Ling Chen instinctively glanced at Ye Xiao, who was now playing with the grass-woven lantern with his expression unreadable. A strange sense of guilt washed over Ling Chen, and a wave of irritation followed. He frowned and his tone turned sharp, "What girl? I forgot."
Ye Xiao's hand holding the lantern paused, and a pang of discomfort struck his chest.
So he had already forgotten.
After lunch, the four of them sat casually on the grass and took advantage of the remaining daylight to hold a meeting.
Ling Chen flipped a military knife in his hand, practicing his dexterity, while Jiang Cancan wiped the barrel of his K57 with a rag. Ye Xiao sat quietly and staring at the grass-woven lantern in his hands, lost in thought. Only Jiang Mu maintained a formal posture and expression.
"First, regarding the research institute. From the final data exported, it appears that this institute has mastered the basic Gene Fusion Technology. As for whether the research continued after the institute was abandoned, we cannot determine for now. All I can say is that if the research did continue, the surviving test subjects would be extremely dangerous."
Ling Chen acknowledged with a "Hmm," then instructed, "Submit a report to the command center and have them send someone to investigate."
"Understood," Jiang Mu replied without any change in tone before moving on to the second point. "I initially suspected that this research institute wasn't solely focused on biological gene research. This suspicion was confirmed by a document in the Central Processor. After decrypting the classified file, I discovered that the core research direction of this lab was to enhance individual combat capabilities. The document was submitted to the Silver Edge Organization. Therefore, I suspect that this research institute was owned by Silver Edge."
Ling Chen looked up, "Enhancing individual combat capabilities? Like the Mantis Humans?"
Jiang Mu nodded, "Yes."
Jiang Cancan couldn't help but curse, "Can Ye has truly lived long enough to see it all! If they keep this up, the world is really going to hell! Though it's already pretty much there!"
Jiang Mu ignored his outburst and continued analyzing, "Before Silver Edge was dismantled by Chen Ge and his team, it was the second-largest organization, just behind the Holy Judgement Organization. On the surface, they were involved in mercenary and assassination businesses. It makes logical sense for them to dabble in Gene Fusion experiments."
Ye Xiao had been keeping his head down and seemingly lost in thought. His hands holding the grass-woven lantern trembled slightly.
Ling Chen's gaze swept over his fingertips before he turned back to Jiang Mu, "Alright, include this information in the report when you submit it." With that, the discussion on this topic came to an end.
He then instructed, "Xiao Mu, map out the route to the fourth coordinate point. Everyone, rest well tonight and get some sleep. We'll set off early tomorrow morning. Any questions? If not, you're dismissed."
As the sky gradually darkened, Ling Chen finished inventorying the food and ammunition. He nimbly jumped down from the rear compartment of the vehicle and looked around, but didn't see anyone. Frowning, he kicked Jiang Cancan's calf with his foot, "Where is everyone?"
Jiang Cancan was currently picking up stones and playing Gomoku with Jiang Mu, utterly absorbed despite his terrible skills. Without looking up, he replied, "You mean the kid? I saw him heading towards the four o'clock direction earlier, probably not far. He seemed a bit down. As someone who's been through it, I suggest not bothering him. Teenagers always have their inexplicable melancholy."
Ling Chen, thinking about the nine-year age gap, clicked his tongue in annoyance. He went back to the vehicle to grab a portable outdoor lamp and then leisurely walked in the direction Jiang Cancan had pointed.
Ye Xiao was sitting on a thick branch of an old tree while holding a long sword in one hand and a small lantern in the other, lost in thought. Hearing movement, he looked down and was surprised to see Ling Chen standing beneath the tree. "You... why are you here?"
"To cheer you up." Ling Chen replied as he agilely climbed up the tree.
Ye Xiao's grip on the sword sheath loosened and then tightened again, but he quietly moved aside to make room for Ling Chen to sit next to him.
Ling Chen stretched out his arm and hung the outdoor lamp on a branch, illuminating the small area where they were. He leaned back against the tree trunk with one leg bent with his knee resting on the branch and the other dangling casually. He looked at Ye Xiao with a smile in his eyes.
"Did I hurt you when we set up the gun in the underground lab, and that's why you're upset? I meant what I said—hit me back, and I won't fight back."
Ye Xiao quickly shook his head before murmuring, "No, it didn't hurt, and I'm not upset. I really enjoy... fighting alongside you."
"Funny, I enjoyed it too." Ling Chen said quietly and still smiling as he noticed Ye Xiao's ears turning red again. "So what's wrong? Who made our Ye Xiao unhappy?"
"Nothing," Ye Xiao replied, not daring to look at Ling Chen as his eyes fixed on his toes. He remembered Ling Chen's words, "What little girl? Forget it.", and a pang of grievance welled up inside him. He tried to suppress the emotion but he couldn't help it as his eyes were reddening.
Please don't forget.
Ling Chen had been watching his expression closely and noticed the redness in Ye Xiao's eyes immediately. His usually steady composure wavered slightly, "Damn, what's this..."
"I'm not crying." Ye Xiao said with his head lowered, feeling a bit ashamed and not wanting Ling Chen to see his red eyes.
From Ling Chen's perspective, Ye Xiao's pale chin was almost touching his chest. He tried to recall how he felt at eighteen—seemingly endless energy, a strong sense of pride, and a tendency to show off. When the veterans from the Second Division gave him a hard time and shattered his self-esteem, he would sneak off to the shooting range to practice all night.
So, drawing from that, Ye Xiao probably didn't want him to notice the redness in his eyes—it was a matter of male pride.
So Ling Chen emphasized, "I didn't see anything." He quickly changed the subject, "Do you have any favorite animals?"
"Huh?" Ye Xiao was caught off guard by the question, but whenever Ling Chen asked something, he would always answer seriously, "I don't have a particular favorite. I like anything that's not fierce."
What kind of answer is that? Ling Chen's lips curled into a smile as he glanced around. He took out his military knife, cut a thumb-thick branch from a tree, quickly stripped off the bark, and cut it into a small section.
Ye Xiao's attention was drawn. He subconsciously swung his dangling feet and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
Ling Chen replied, "Trying to cheer you up."
Ye Xiao didn't know how to respond, so he simply watched quietly.
The warm yellow light from the lamp hanging on the tree trunk fell on Ling Chen's face, casting his features in alternating light and shadow. His deep-set eyes, the straight bridge of his nose, and the sharp line of his jaw softened by the light made Ye Xiao completely captivated.
Ling Chen knew Ye Xiao was watching him.
He thought to himself, “let him look, I don't mind.” But after less than a minute of being stared at, Ling Chen realized his mental fortitude wasn't as strong as he had estimated. He paused his actions to looked up to meet Ye Xiao's gaze, and grinned mischievously, "Is there candy on your Captain's face?"
Ye Xiao stammered, "Huh? No... there isn't."
Ling Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and his smile carried a hint of mischief, "So, have you seen enough?"
As if entranced, Ye Xiao opened his mouth and spoke his mind, "...Not yet."
"Damn," Ling Chen turned his head away and chuckled. His low, magnetic laughter filled the air. His expression relaxed as he looked at the person whose ears had turned even redder. "Alright, permission granted. Keep looking."
A few minutes later, Ling Chen handed the small object he had carved with his military knife to Ye Xiao, "Take a look. Do you like it?"
Ye Xiao stared unblinkingly at the small wooden rabbit in Ling Chen's palm. It was crude, with just two eyes and a mouth, but the long ears made it unmistakably a rabbit.
Ling Chen patiently held out his arm with the rabbit resting in his palm for Ye Xiao to see, "Little rabbits aren't fierce. They're usually well-behaved, but they can bite when they're upset. Kind of like you." Seeing Ye Xiao still silent, he added, "Your hand."
Ye Xiao obeyed word for word. He opened his palm to let Ling Chen place the rabbit in it. He stared at the little thing in his hand and was so delighted that he didn't know what to say.
Ling Chen leaned back against the tree trunk and asked, "Do you like it?"
Ye Xiao nodded, "I like it!"
Ling Chen asked again, "Are you happy now?"
Ye Xiao replied, "I'm happy."
Ling Chen smiled, "Our Ye Xiao isn't hard to cheer up after all."
Ye Xiao held the rabbit and softly responded, "Mm."
Ling Chen fell silent for a moment before cursing inwardly again—this obedient, gentle demeanor of his was as powerful as a heavy sniper rifle!
He averted his gaze slightly, "With me around, you can afford to be a little harder to cheer up."
After saying that, he felt the words he had just spoken were oddly out of place. Ling Chen quickly changed the subject again, "It's getting dark. I saw you yawning earlier. Are you tired?"
Ye Xiao nodded, "I'm tired. Today was exhausting."
Ling Chen said, "If you're tired, then sleep. How about we stay in the tree tonight instead of going back to squeeze in with Xiao Mu and the others? I'll wake you up tomorrow to watch the sunrise."
Sleepiness surged over Ye Xiao like a tidal wave, and he nodded with his eyes barely able to stay open. Ling Chen pulled him closer to pat his back gently, "Alright, sleep now. When you open your eyes tomorrow, you'll see the sunrise. I'll keep watch, so you won't fall."
Ye Xiao couldn't hold on any longer and leaned his head against Ling Chen's shoulder before falling asleep in no time.
The forest breeze was a bit chilly. Ling Chen took off his coat and wrapped it around Ye Xiao, then closed his own eyes.