Bang!
Qin Jianguo slammed his fist on the table as he heard the report from his subordinate.
Xu Hanchen and Li Buyan also wore solemn expressions.
Chen Jin Chao was dead.
This was the latest news they had received.
It also made the atmosphere in the combat command center even more oppressive, almost suffocating. This was undoubtedly the worst news the three titans had heard recently.
Xu Hanchen sighed, his eyes filled with wistful regret.
Chen Jin Chao had been someone he had placed great hopes on, and was also considered his successor by the outside world. Now, he had died on the battlefield, his body lost.
This was definitely not the outcome Xu Hanchen wanted to see.
"Alas."
"I killed him," Xu Hanchen said.
"If I hadn't insisted on bringing him out of seclusion back then, he might still be living happily in Ninghai City. I killed him!"
"As for what to do next, Qin Jianguo, you decide. I'll inform Li Qiutao."
Xu Hanchen stood up unsteadily and left the combat command center.
Both Qin Jianguo and Li Buyan could see that Xu Hanchen appeared to have aged considerably in an instant. Even his normally broad back now looked desolate and bleak.
Xu Hanchen went to the adjacent rest room.
Upon hearing the sound, Li Qiutao immediately stood up, "Elder Xu, any new news from the East Sea?"
"Elder Xu?"
Li Qiutao clearly saw that Xu Hanchen's complexion was not right.
This made his heart sink.
Xu Hanchen stood at the doorway for a long time before saying, "Before I tell you, I hope you can be mentally prepared."
"Chen Jin Chao has sacrificed his life."
Li Qiutao's eyes became vacant, and he slumped onto a chair.
He murmured, "How could this happen? He..."
As he spoke...
Li Qiutao's voice choked, and he covered his face with his hands, tears streaming down his face.
Xu Hanchen sat opposite Li Qiutao, his voice now extremely heavy. "Chen Jin Chao was a good kid. We were incompetent and failed to protect him."
"As a family member, I hope you can accept my condolences."
Li Qiutao continued to cry, covering his face. No one knew how deeply sorrowful he felt at this moment.
Meanwhile, at the Li family courtyard.
Li Tiian Ce and Li Tian Nan were standing outside Yu Meng Zhi's room. Upon hearing Yu Meng Zhi's heart-wrenching cries, the two brothers exchanged a look and understood that Chen Jin Chao had likely perished. Li Tian Nan clenched his fist and said, "Mietli is truly too overbearing. How can we soldiers tolerate such humiliation and oppression?"
"Alas, how could he have left us?" Li Tian Ce was also in a daze.
"His life was so short. Just when everyone thought he was about to rise, he vanished like a fleeting firework."
"He was a hero, the backbone of our Hua Country!"
In the hospital.
Wu Ling Yun's eyes blurred with tears as she looked at the message from her father.
She blamed herself for not being able to protect herself, leading Chen Jin Chao into danger. In her eyes, she was the prime culprit.
"I would rather die myself than see my cousin sacrificed," Wu Ling Yun choked.
Initially, Wu Ling Yun had many misunderstandings about Chen Jin Chao. It was only later that she gradually realized that Chen Jin Chao was a pure-hearted young man with noble ideals, worthy of her respect and pride!
"I don't want you to die, come back quickly..."
In another ward.
When Qin Feng Wu learned of this, his mind went into a trance, and he muttered, "Chen Jin Chao, how could you be dead? I once considered you my greatest enemy, but I never wanted you to die at the hands of those people. You are the totem of the Candle Dragon, you cannot die so easily!"
Another person in the ward stepped forward.
This was Qin Feng Wu's confidant. He asked curiously, "Young Master Qin, isn't Chen Jin Chao's death the best news for you?"
Qin Feng Wu turned his head and glared at his confidant with sharp eyes.
The latter immediately realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly said, "Young Master Qin, I only felt that objectively speaking, this is good for us."
Qin Feng Wu withdrew his gaze and said word by word, "With the great enemy at our doorstep, how can we distinguish between friend and foe within our ranks? Don't forget that we are all citizens of Hua Country, descendants of Yan Huang living on this land! These words must not be spoken again."
The confidant was greatly shaken.
He vaguely understood that this might be the reason why Qin Feng Wu could win over people's hearts.
Qin Feng Wu got out of bed, stood by the window, and gazed towards the northeast, murmuring to himself, "You once said you would protect Yu Meng Zhi for a lifetime. How can you break your promise? However, please rest assured, I will try my best to take care of her, based on respecting Yu Meng Zhi's wishes."
"Twenty years from now, when I hold the imperial seal of Hua Country, I will avenge you."
"Rest in peace."
Xu family courtyard.
Xu Yao Yao was taking some time to practice embroidery when she suddenly became flustered upon hearing her father Xu Shao An's words, causing the needle to prick her finger.
Blood stained the embroidery, ruining Xu Yao Yao's hard work.
She sat on the chair in silence for a long time.
Xu Shao An continued, "Your grandfather just told me this. The news is absolutely true and reliable."
"Don't be too sad, understand?"
Xu Yao Yao wiped the tears from her eyes and forced herself to calm down, saying, "Dad, I'm fine. I want to go see Sister Yu now. She must be even sadder than I am. I don't want to see her do anything foolish."
Before Xu Shao An could say anything, Xu Yao Yao dashed out of the door.
Xu Shao An stood in place for a long time without moving, sending a sigh to Chen Jin Chao, who had sacrificed his life in the waters of Dong Ying.
Ninghai City.
Xu Nian Qing was leading her team members in the laboratory to overcome the final challenge.
She knew that her responsibility was immense.
Especially after the start of winter, Professor Wen Fulai's health had been deteriorating. Xu Nian Qing had to shoulder the burden and continue moving forward at this time.
"Professor Xu, someone is looking for you," said a lab assistant at the door.
"Yes, coming!"
Xu Nian Qing put down her work and, wearing her white coat, walked to the laboratory door.
Standing at the door was none other than Shangguan Yu An, the person in charge of the research institute. Xu Nian Qing and Shangguan Yu An had a close relationship and had become friends with whom they could talk about anything. Xu Nian Qing playfully asked, "Why are you suddenly looking for me? Is something wrong?"
Shangguan Yu An did not reply.
Xu Nian Qing then asked, "Is he coming back?"
Shangguan Yu An still did not reply.
This made Xu Nian Qing instinctively look at Shangguan Yu An. When she did, she noticed that Shangguan Yu An's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying.
After all, Shangguan Yu An was a heroic figure in Xu Nian Qing's impression, and she would not shed tears easily.
But today...
Xu Nian Qing suddenly panicked and hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
Shangguan Yu An sniffled, her voice hoarse, and said, "News from the capital, Chen Jin Chao sacrificed his life in the waters of Dong Ying ten minutes ago. His body has not been recovered."
Upon hearing this, Xu Nian Qing's mind went completely blank, and all the strength in her body seemed to be drained away.
Fortunately, Shangguan Yu An reacted quickly, otherwise Xu Nian Qing would have collapsed to the ground.
Shangguan Yu An kept shaking her head and softly comforted Xu Nian Qing.
"He is gone. You must accept my condolences."