Han Ruoxi crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "It’s true you’ve got the strength to carry a gun, but can your mouth keep up? You talk way too much!"
"I call it being witty and charming, something you grunts who just know how to fight wouldn’t understand!" Sun Yang said with a grin, completely unfazed by Han Ruoxi’s cold shoulder.
Shen Qiuyue shot Sun Yang a cold glance. "If you really have so much time and energy, why don’t you go practice your Swordsmanship? The last thing we need is for your gun to jam during a mission, leaving us all to rely on my sword to save the day!"
"Hey, now, don’t be like that, Sister Qiuyue.
You’re a genius Martial Artist; how could I dare compare myself to you? Besides, my gun would never jam. I’m a natural with it!" Sun Yang said, scratching his head with a fawning smile.
"Shen Qiuyue is right. You need to take your training more seriously," Li Chang’an said, slinging his Saw Chain Sword onto his back as he walked over.
"Training’s over for today. Let’s head to the cafeteria, get something to eat, and rest for a bit.
We’ll probably have a new mission tomorrow!"
"Forget the mission, Boss, food is what’s important! Look at me, I’m starving!" Sun Yang patted his stomach, his gaze already drifting toward the base cafeteria, clearly unable to wait.
"When are you ever *not* hungry? All you think about is food!" Han Ruoxi chuckled.
"It’s called stocking up on Energy reserves. I’m telling you, you burn a ton of Energy in a fight. You have to replenish it in time!" Sun Yang explained with a straight face, as if he were truly stuffing his face for the sake of combat.
Bai Lin had been silent the whole time, his head bowed as he operated his terminal, which let out the occasional BEEP. BEEP.
Li Chang’an walked over to him and glanced at the screen. "Bai Lin, what are you working on? Hacking into someone’s system again?"
Bai Lin looked up at him and said flatly, "I’m monitoring the Insect Race’s activity. There’s been some unrest near the border lately. I’ve detected a few unidentified Energy fluctuations. The Insect Race might be planning something."
"Well, look at that. So something *is* up," Li Chang’an nodded. "But don’t get too worked up. Let’s wait for solid intel.
For now, let’s eat!"
Bai Lin nodded, put away his terminal, and fell in step with the others.
In the cafeteria, the members of the Insect Hunter Squad sat gathered around a table piled high with all sorts of food.
"Come on, don’t be shy! We’re having a feast today! Boss, look at this! It’s the deluxe combo!" Sun Yang said, his face flush with excitement as he picked up a piece of grilled meat and offered it to Li Chang’an.
"Take it easy, will you?" Li Chang’an said with a smile, shaking his head as he accepted the meat and took a bite.
Shen Qiuyue, who was methodically cutting the steak on her plate, glanced at Sun Yang. "You really do treat every meal like a feast."
"Of course! A meal ought to have a sense of occasion!" Sun Yang declared.
Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but laugh. "If you ever lost your gun in a fight, I bet you’d just charge in with a steak knife, wouldn’t you?"
"No way. These hands were made for a Pulse Gun. A steak knife just doesn’t have the right heft!" Sun Yang said, waving his hand with a tone so serious you’d think he meant it.
Bai Lin ate his meal quietly, not joining the conversation. He occasionally glanced around, looking somewhat preoccupied.
Li Chang’an looked at Bai Lin and put down his grilled meat. "Bai Lin, have you found something?"
Bai Lin set down his fork and nodded. "I just received a new data analysis report. The frequency of Insect Race activity is increasing. They might make a move soon."
"Oh? Then I guess our downtime won’t last much longer," Li Chang’an said pensively.
"Isn’t that the truth? This downtime has been killing me. I’m bored to death.
To be honest, Boss, can’t we get a more exciting mission?" Sun Yang asked, setting down his food and looking at Li Chang’an expectantly.
"Can’t you just enjoy the peace and quiet for a few days? You’re not busy enough as it is?" Han Ruoxi said with a look of exasperation.
"It’s not about being busy or idle. Fighting is what I live for!" Sun Yang declared righteously.
Shen Qiuyue shook her head. "You really can’t sit still, can you? But I agree, it has been too quiet. If the Insect Race is stirring, we’ll probably have to move out soon."
"Exactly, Sister Qiuyue! If the Insect Race shows up, we’ll take them on. Nothing to be afraid of!" Sun Yang said, brandishing his fork as if already preparing for the next fight.
Li Chang’an looked up at the group. "Everyone, get ready. We might have a tough fight ahead of us.
But no matter what, our squad can handle anything thrown at us."
"Don’t worry, Boss. We’re your right-hand men. If the Insect Race comes, we’ll crush them!" Sun Yang said, pounding his chest confidently.
"All right, are you full now? Once you’re done eating, head to the equipment room and check your gear. We don’t want any surprises," Li Chang’an said, standing up and leading the way out of the cafeteria.
The squad members followed after him, laughing.
In the equipment room, Sun Yang was inspecting his Pulse Gun, muttering, "Ah, this gun... it’s my baby. It always makes me feel safe, no matter what."
Han Ruoxi, who was polishing her Superpower Bracelet nearby, commented offhandedly, "Is that gun the only thing that makes you feel safe? You’d really be lost without it."
"Of course! This gun is my life!" Sun Yang declared smugly.
Meanwhile, Shen Qiuyue was tuning her High-Energy Dueling Sword. "You should focus more on your fighting skills," she said coolly. "A gun can’t save you every time."
Bai Lin was still silently tuning his own equipment, taking no part in their conversation, only glancing at the data on his display from time to time.
"All right, equipment check’s done. Everyone head back and get some rest. We might see action tomorrow," Li Chang’an said, his words brief and to the point.
"Boss, what’s the mission tomorrow? Can’t you give us a little hint?" Sun Yang sidled up, his face full of anticipation.
Li Chang’an smiled. "What’s the rush? You’ll find out when the time comes."
"C’mon, Boss, don’t be like that! At least give us a clue!" Sun Yang pressed.
"Here’s your hint: get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow might be very busy," Li Chang’an said, patting Sun Yang on the shoulder before leaving the equipment room.
"Man, the Boss... He doesn’t say much, but every word counts," Sun Yang said with a helpless shake of his head, turning to the others.
Han Ruoxi chuckled. "You should save your energy. Stop thinking about fun and games. We’ll deal with tomorrow when it comes."
Shen Qiuyue nodded. "Let’s get some rest. No one knows what tomorrow will bring."
Sun Yang sighed. "Fine, fine. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to it." He turned and headed for his dorm, still muttering, "I just really hope we get an interesting mission tomorrow!"
「The night passed quickly.」
"Sigh, I wonder what kind of mission we’ll get today?" Sun Yang muttered to himself as he climbed out of bed first thing in the morning, staring up at the ceiling.
"Do you have to be so loud first thing in the morning? Don’t you ever get tired of it?" Han Ruoxi asked, pushing open her dorm room door to look at him with an exasperated expression.
"Heh heh, the early bird gets the worm, and the early Insect Hunter gets the mission!" Sun Yang chuckled, deftly shrugging on his combat suit and heading out the door.
Han Ruoxi shook her head, speechless. She glanced back at her own bed and sighed, "Honestly... Woken up this early!"
In the cafeteria, Li Chang’an and Shen Qiuyue were already seated at a table.
Li Chang’an was unhurriedly eating a bowl of noodles, while Shen Qiuyue, with elegant movements, was sipping her coffee.
"Boss! Sister Qiuyue! Morning!" Sun Yang burst in, pulled out a chair, and plopped down. "So, what’s the plan for today? Did we get a mission yet?"
Li Chang’an put down his chopsticks and looked up. "What’s the big rush? We haven’t received any orders yet. Eat your breakfast."
"Tch, how boring. I thought we’d be heading straight to the battlefield," Sun Yang grumbled, pouting with disappointment as he started piling food into his bowl.