Chapter 142 Past Events

Soon after, Su Mo returned to Hangar 4 and boarded the Tier 3 Light Ship, Xunfeng.

As soon as he boarded, Su Mo saw Ge Lisi. This time, he hadn't run away. Although Su Mo had expected it, he was still very happy to actually see him.

He decisively issued an order.

"Return!"

...

Two days later, the Annihilator-class Starship, Grey Fin, was traveling at superluminal speed towards the Revakris Base outside Ceres.

Ge Lisi stood alone on the observation deck, watching the distorted space outside, lost in thought, his expression a little gloomy.

Su Mo happened to pass by and, after a moment of thought, walked over.

"Ge Lisi."

"Officer Su Mo."

Ge Lisi snapped back to reality and quickly responded when he saw Su Mo.

"No need to call me officer, just call me Su Mo. The ship is still quite a distance from the front lines. Since we have nothing to do anyway, how about we have a drink and play a few rounds?"

Su Mo suggested, thinking it might alleviate Ge Lisi's boredom.

Even though Ge Lisi had stood him up, he was still grateful that the other man was willing to help him in the end. After all, the mission ahead was long and fraught with danger.

Ge Lisi hesitated for a moment, but eventually agreed, since there wasn't much else to do along the way.

Soon, the two of them arrived at a small restaurant.

Su Mo had his men prepare some good wine and food, and even got a pair of dice.

He opened a bottle of strong liquor and poured a glass for Ge Lisi and himself.

The two raised their glasses, tapped them lightly, and took a sip.

Su Mo picked up the dice and said to Ge Lisi, "This time, I won't cheat you. We'll play fair and square, and I'll accept whatever the outcome is."

"I knew it! There must have been something wrong with the times I lost. Alright, alright, whoever loses has to drink a cup."

Ge Lisi immediately became interested and picked up the dice to shake them.

"Okay, I choose big."

Su Mo replied with a smile.

"Then I'll bet small."

Ge Lisi opened the dice cup, revealing a 2, a 3, and another 2—small!

"Good luck! My turn!"

Su Mo said with a smile.

The two drank and rolled dice. After three rounds, Su Mo lost every time.

"Not bad, let's go again."

Su Mo was quite surprised; the other man's gambling skills were truly excellent. Whether Su Mo was shaking the dice or Ge Lisi was, he could accurately guess whether the result would be big or small.

Just as Su Mo was starting to get into the game, Ge Lisi waved his hand and refused, "No more, a couple of rounds is enough."

As he said this, Ge Lisi raised his glass and drank.

"What's wrong?"

Su Mo looked at Ge Lisi in confusion. Normally, Ge Lisi should have been very fond of this.

"A couple of rounds is all I need. Actually, I never really liked this sort of thing."

Ge Lisi sighed, speaking to Su Mo with a touch of melancholy.

Looking at Ge Lisi's sorrowful expression, Su Mo could tell that he must have something on his mind, and that he was hiding some kind of story, so he asked, "Can we talk about it?"

Ge Lisi sighed and said, "There's nothing I can't talk about. It's all ancient history. Are you willing to listen?"

"I am."

Su Mo nodded.

"Alright, then I'll tell you. Actually, I was very daring when I was young. I joined the Star Ring City very early and rose through the ranks, working my way up. When I was a little older than you are now, I had already made it to the rank of Colonel, commanding several Tier 5 warships."

Ge Lisi said with deep emotion.

"And then what?"

"And then, I was young and impetuous, not knowing my limits! I actually dared to lead a fleet to chase after enemies, entering the dark side of the Ceres starfield. As you can imagine, the entire fleet was lost inside, and suffered all sorts of dangers, eventually being completely destroyed. I and some surviving crew members boarded a small escape ship, and fortunately managed to temporarily save our lives. After that, we desperately searched for a way back."

Although Ge Lisi described it casually, his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

From this, Su Mo could imagine the terrifying dangers he had faced.

"However, in reality, it's easy to get in, but difficult to get out, not to mention that we were traveling in a small escape ship. No equipment worked in that area, and we could only observe with our own eyes. And there were natural barriers. The escape ship that I and my surviving companions were on drifted in that starfield for four years, six months, and twelve days. The food ran out, and my companions and my lover were about to starve to death. Even so, they still left the last bit of rations for us, and then committed suicide. Their last words were for me and my lover to live well with their hopes, and to seal their bodies in cold storage, to be used as food."

Ge Lisi said, his eyes red.

Su Mo grew increasingly silent, raising his glass and drinking one cup after another.

After a long silence, Su Mo asked, "What happened then?"

"In the end, I was the only one left alive. Maybe it was their protection, but eventually I found a ship from the Third Legion. They hadn't given up on me all those years, and had been searching for me in the outer starfield."

Ge Lisi said in a low voice.

"So many years, and the Third Legion didn't give up on you. That's loyalty!"

Su Mo nodded in agreement.

"So, a large part of the reason I'm alive is for the sake of the Legion Commander. But while the Legion Commander was loyal to me, I let down those brothers. Every time I close my eyes, I have nightmares. So I can only find other things to numb myself—smoking, drinking, gambling..."

Ge Lisi said hoarsely.

"People always have to look forward. Your companions also want you to be happy."

Su Mo poured Ge Lisi a glass of wine and said.

"Do you know why I'm helping you?"

Ge Lisi raised his head and stared at Su Mo.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's because you're also going to save your companions."

"That's right. I wasn't able to bring my own companions out back then, so this time I'm willing to do everything I can to help you."

Ge Lisi drained the wine in his glass.

"Thank you."

Su Mo said sincerely.

After saying all this, Ge Lisi seemed to feel much better, so he waved his hand at Su Mo and said, "Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about something else."

"Okay."

Su Mo nodded in agreement.

Ge Lisi smiled and said to Su Mo, "Do you know why I ran away without hesitation when you came to me with the transfer order?"

"Yes! That's also a bit strange. I originally thought it was because you weren't willing to listen to the dispatch of Third Legion Commander, Esa Luo Jia. But after what you just said, that shouldn't be the reason."

Su Mo was also a little curious.

"Hehe, the problem lies in the Legion Commander's signature."

"Oh, what's wrong with the signature?"

"From the signature, I can tell that this is an ordinary transfer order, not a mandatory one. I can accept it or not."

"I see."

The corners of Su Mo's mouth twitched.