Chapter 2603 - 2595: Deck Banquet

Chapter 2603: Chapter 2595: Deck Banquet

When the Space Fleet was first drawing up the exercise plan, they actually considered using Venus as cover; the Moon was just way too close.

But the timing around Venus wasn’t ideal, so in the end they switched to Mars.

Right now Mars is about eighty million kilometers from Earth; at a speed of two hundred thousand kilometers per hour, that’s only a bit over ten days.

However, halfway through the flight, Huaxia sent word that due to the influence of other celestial phenomena, the Earth Realm could no longer see the fleet’s shadow. In other words, once they pushed on a bit farther, they could start considering tactical drills.

Even so, the fleet commander felt it was better to stick to the original plan, and at the same time test how well the Warship could handle a long stay in Outer Space, resisting cosmic rays and the like.

For this, the commander specially invited Feng Jun out and asked him to give his opinion.

Feng Jun hadn’t wanted to get involved, but being cooped up in his cabin every day was boring as hell, so he came to the command room and made a statement—mainly so the cameras could catch him. "Once a plan’s set, you just follow procedure. A Warship like this, flying this kind of distance is no big deal."

He didn’t speak toward the camera, nor did he greet the people at Huaxia HQ, so they simply ignored him.

Since he’d been let out, after the commander finished communicating with Earth, he also began releasing some of the other people who could be let out, like Beauty Lin and the senior reporter.

When you got down to it, this was the Space Battleship of Huaxia—of Earth—making its first trip this far out. Even if it wasn’t suitable to make the matter public yet, someone still had to personally witness and record the moment—relying only on the Warship’s own instruments felt a bit lacking in ceremony.

Beauty Lin watched the stars outside the ship for a while, then, acting like she owned the place, came over to Feng Jun’s side. "How come you haven’t replied to me these last two days?"

She’d been just as bored in her cabin, doing nothing but reading a few novels and watching movies and TV on the Warship’s local network, or chatting idly with the senior reporter. After seven or eight days of that, the two of them had actually built up a pretty decent rapport.

Still, she felt it was a bit meaningless, so whenever she had nothing to do, she’d mutter at Feng Jun for a while, hoping he would respond.

Feng Jun’s Divine Sense could in fact sense her, but this was the Federation’s Warship after all, and it was quite sensitive to Divine Sense. If he responded, it might very well trigger some localized alarm.

And he hadn’t planned on entangling himself with her anyway, so he simply ignored the calls. Now he answered blandly, "I’ve been stuck in my room the whole time, can’t feel anything. How was I supposed to reply?"

Beauty Lin’s eyes lit up at that. "This Warship can actually restrain your abilities?"

Feng Jun looked at her helplessly. "Even if it can restrain me a bit, you don’t have to be this happy about it, do you?"

"Of course I’m happy," Beauty Lin replied with a smile. "I thought no one could keep you in check."

While the two of them were chatting, the senior reporter finished admiring the Outer Space scenery, checked out a camera, and under a warrior’s guidance started shooting. Every now and then she’d turn her head to glance at the pair, a trace of thought flickering in her eyes.

Her identity was nowhere near as simple as she’d made it sound. Seeing there were no rank insignia on Beauty Lin’s uniform, she’d already grown suspicious. As for Feng Jun in his civilian clothes, his identity was even easier to guess.

The standard attire aboard the Warship was either military uniform or the white coats worn by researchers and medical staff. Anyone in civvies could only be that rumored someone—the folk legend, that "bull-level" expert from among the masses.

She knew people like that were notoriously hard to deal with; whenever the military talked about him, they always had this teeth-gritting, yet helpless look. Suddenly running into the man himself, the female reporter couldn’t help starting to scheme.

Just then, the occupant of another single cabin—a white-haired but spry old gentleman—spoke up. "Since we’re already halfway through the journey and Earth can’t observe us anymore, can’t you end our confinement and let us walk around a bit?"

"What confinement?" the commander laughed. "Elder Gao, if you want to look around, I’ll have Staff Officer Li take you on a tour... Anyone who wants to see things can apply, and I’ll assign warriors to guide you."

Quite a few people immediately started putting in requests, but it was obvious that everyone’s clearance level was different, and so were their visiting rights. Very quickly they were split into three groups.

Feng Jun didn’t submit a request. Beauty Lin, on the other hand, was keen to have a look, so she asked him, "You’re not going to take a tour?"

"Not interested." Feng Jun shook his head, thinking to himself that he’d seen way too many of these things already and was sick of them.

Beauty Lin assumed he just didn’t want to get involved with the military, and sighed. "You don’t have to go that far. I really want to see the Warship’s gangways—can’t believe they can be linked up with each other."

Why does it sound like you’re ’driving’? Feng Jun gave her a look. Fine, I’m overthinking it. He smiled. "The telescoping gangways have riveted locks; they won’t come loose even during a jump. But you should go see for yourself."

The senior reporter’s eyes lit up. "Jump... what’s that?"

Feng Jun gave her a cool glance and didn’t answer.

The commander, seeing this, cleared his throat lightly. "That’s classified. Best not ask too many questions."

So he was the one who said too much? The female reporter felt a little resentful, but then thought it through: if this really was that guy, wasn’t he someone who could say whatever he wanted anyway?

Beauty Lin froze for a moment, then blinked twice. "Forget it then, I won’t go either. I’ll just stay here and look at the stars."

The only ones who didn’t go on the tour were the two of them. Not that the tour took long anyway—barely an hour. After all, there really weren’t many places on the Warship that could be visited.

When everyone came back, the commander announced a group dinner for tonight, and said people could put on performances as well. They’d all been working hard these days since boarding the ship, and they were still on the way. A bit of relaxation was absolutely necessary.

The dinner venue was on the Main Battleship’s deck. Normally, when the ship was just traveling, the retractable deck wouldn’t be extended. But the Warship’s internal space was still on the small side and couldn’t hold several hundred people dining together. Only by extending the deck could they have enough room.

For a dinner in Outer Space, you obviously can’t just extend the deck; the dome has to extend too, then they release compressed air. After the banquet they have to retract everything again. All in all, it’s a pain in the ass. But this is the first space voyage, they have to try everything, and they need a bit of ceremony.

Anyway, after all kinds of parameters were adjusted into place, two hours had gone by, and the cooks started making all sorts of dishes.

The food was quite plentiful: there were dehydrated vegetables, ones treated for preservation, and even mung bean sprouts grown on the Warship itself. As for actual vegetable plots? Forget it. The Warship’s space can’t stand that kind of abuse.

The Warship’s space wasn’t that small to begin with, but this was the first manned deep-space journey, so they had to account for every possible accident. They’d packed especially thoroughly, and any remaining space had been filled in piecemeal with all kinds of experiments.

But for a military group dinner, seating isn’t arranged that strictly. Usually the female soldiers sit closer to the front, since they’ll be performing. Everyone else can just sit wherever, and of course, it’s normal for the top brass to have their own table.

Generally speaking, the research staff clustered together, and each branch of service also clustered up in their own little group.

By rights, with Feng Jun’s single-cabin treatment, he should have been seated at the head table. But he went straight to a table mixed with soldiers and researchers—since it was mixed, of course there weren’t many people there, only five or six.

When others saw him sit at that table, their expressions were a bit odd, but no one said anything. Those who were qualified to speak all knew he was not someone to mess with; those who weren’t... just kept their heads down and ate.

Feng Jun had just sat down when Beauty Lin arrived, and she actually... really put on the Army dress uniform skirt, showing off a pair of snow-white legs.

She stood on the deck for quite a while, soaking up enough attention, then finally spotted Feng Jun and quickly walked over.

Countless eyes followed her figure until they fell on this table.

Feng Jun rolled his eyes helplessly and muttered under his breath, "Seriously, do you have to make such a scene? That’s a ceremonial honor guard uniform, isn’t it?"

Beauty Lin sat down naturally beside him and answered, totally unconcerned, "It’s not like I’m the only one wearing a skirt."

"Those are for people performing, okay?" Feng Jun grumbled. "We’re on the march here, could you be a bit more formal?"

"Please, I’m not a warrior, you can’t ask that of me," Beauty Lin said with full confidence. "Anyway, what I’m wearing is still a uniform. You’re the one in civilian clothes."

Feng Jun shook his head and complained helplessly, "If I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have come."

In fact, he could live off his Cultivation without eating for three to five months with no problem at all. But he’d been stuck in a single cabin for seven or eight days and couldn’t conveniently cultivate, so all he could do was keep translating materials—he was bored out of his mind.

But the commotion Beauty Lin caused ended there. After the commander said a few words, everyone started eating, and the performances began one after another.

The quality of the acts wasn’t bad at all, and the best part was that all the performers were young people in their early twenties, each one full of energy. You could really feel that omnipresent youthful vitality.

As it went on, the boys and girls loosened up, and they actually cajoled the commander into doing something.

The commander wasn’t shy about it. He went straight up and did a blindfolded disassembly and reassembly of a gun, so fast it made people’s eyes spin.

Feng Jun had no clue about the technicalities involved, but the warriors applauded and cheered wildly, then they egged that "Elder Gao" on to do something too.

Elder Gao waved his hands again and again, saying he was getting old and really couldn’t do that kind of stuff anymore. The researchers then joined in the heckling.

Elder Gao was highly respected, and he didn’t want to dampen everyone’s fun at a moment like this, so he went onstage and sang a piece of opera.

When Feng Jun saw Elder Gao stand up, his expression changed slightly. His body swayed, and he quietly slipped far away, then turned and walked off, as if there were a tiger behind him.

He left so silently that even Beauty Lin didn’t notice he was gone. She laughed and said, "Of the three single cabins, you’re the only one who hasn’t gone up yet. You’re okay letting all these kids... wait, where’d he go?"

Then she turned to the guard standing at the deck hatch. "Hey, kid, where’s the guy who was sitting next to me?"

The guard pointed toward the interior of the ship and silently mouthed, "Just left!"

"Oh, that’s too much," Beauty Lin stood up and strode into the cabin as well.