How To Feed An Abyss! Chapter 65.2

Published at 1st of March 2023 12:04:00 PM

Chapter 65.2 – Teacher and Student

The adjutant handed a piece of paper in front of Su Enqi.

Lu Tinghan continued: “Chairman Chai Yongning has signed and approved it. You only need to sign the application for discharge from the army, and then you can take care of your illness.”

Su Enqi shredded the application form: “You dare! What do you mean by stopping me from ordering the rescue of the outpost? What is your intention? This signature is useless, don't think I can't see that the old thing surnamed Chai is your puppet.”

He raised his hand, and the shredded papers fell down one after another.

Lu Tinghan: “Do you really think we should save the outpost?”

“Otherwise?” Su Enqi asked rhetorically, “The outpost means so much to the city, do you still need me to tell you? General Lu, as long as the main city sends troops and saves the outpost in time this time, I will not hold you accountable for your behavior this time.”

Lu Tinghan asked again: “Do you really think we should save the outpost?” He looked at Su Enqi, “Didn't you teach me how to give up?”

“…what do you mean?”

“The first time I was defeated in a simulation training, it was because I refused to abandon a team,” Lu Tinghan said lightly, “Do you remember?”

This was the second time Lu Tinghan mentioned this matter. The last time he mentioned it, it was at the time with the rock snake.

Su Enqi didn't remember it before, but this time, in his rage, the past flashed across his mind like a lightning bolt.——

At that time, Lu Tinghan was 12 years old and had just followed him to learn to command.

Lu Tinghantian was endowed with extraordinary gifts. The simulated battles conducted with the optical brain in the previous few times were all won. Compared with the old veterans, his achievements could also be counted as the upper and middle reaches, and he had his own shining points. The military was greatly impressed and called him a genius, and even Su Enqi, who had always been harsh, couldn't be stingy in his praise.

After the first few victories, Lu Tinghan ushered in his first defeat.

In “Simulation Training 27”, Lu Tinghan confronted the tide of infection in Abyss No.7, and those giant monsters that covered the sky and the sun flocked to the outpost and the city.

In the first two hours of the simulation, Lu Tinghan did an impeccable job, blocking the offense again and again.

In the third hour, in order to protect a team in the outpost, Lu Tinghan called most of the city's troops to support. The price paid was tragic: less than half of the soldiers in the outpost survived, and the supporting troops suffered heavy casualties. In the end, the battle was unable to reverse.

Taking off his optical brain, Lu Tinghan remained expressionless.

The boy was far from his calm future self, and he couldn't let go of the bitterness of defeat for the first time.

Su Enqi witnessed the whole process and stood behind him and asked, “Lu Tinghan, do you know why you lost?”

Lu Tinghan replied: “I didn't play well enough.”

“What was not good enough?”

“When supporting, land and air vertical encirclement should be done better, or is there a problem with coordination…” Lu Tinghan talked a lot, and listed the places that were not done well.

After listening patiently, Su Enqi put his hands behind his back and said, “Wrong.”

“What's wrong?” Lu Tinghan looked up at him.

“It was wrong from the beginning,” Su Enqi pointed to the frozen tactical picture on the holographic screen. “You were defeated because you refused to let that team die, always thinking of perfection and saving everyone.”

Lu Tinghan: “As long as I do better, I can save them.”

“Maybe there's a million-to-one chance you can do it,” Su Enqi said, “But can you bet? Reality is not a simulated battle, it is impossible to start over, you are responsible for every choice you make.”

Lu Tinghan pursed his lips slightly, not convinced.

Su Enqi laughed: “Don't believe it? Then do it again!”

In the following day, Lu Tinghan tried twice more. Every time he tried to save the outpost, and each time he failed, always so close.

He said: “I almost did it.”

“What's not 'almost'?” Su Enqi asked him, “The Alliance almost entered the age of space, the city was almost saved, and those people almost survived – if we can't do it, we can't do it. We are commanders, not gods.”

Lu Tinghan: “But…”

“You are soft-hearted,” Su Enqi said, “Lu Tinghan, you have softened your heart, forgetting that the reason why we have been able to get to this day depends on the courage of countless strong men who have broken their backs.” He put his hand on Lu Tinghan's shoulder. “Life is priceless and precious, but in this era, at least the soldiers must have a heart that is not afraid of death. Don't be afraid of death, don't avoid death, when necessary, we can all be sacrificed for others to survive.”

The boy looked up at him.

Su Enqi looked at his gray-blue eyes, and wrinkled the ends of his eyes with a smile: “You are too young to understand this.” He pointed to his heart, where there was the logo of the Alliance's snow flower, “Remember that sentence? 'May the glory of the Alliance last forever.' Let's do it again now, don't be soft-hearted anymore.”

The boy put on the optical brain again.

The infected creatures roared, the outpost was overwhelmed by the wild current of darkness, and the city finally ushered in light.

After a lapse of nearly 20 years, the scenes of simulated combat reappeared in reality, but the roles were reversed.

Lu Tinghan stood in front of Su Enqi, looked at him, and said, “Your heart has softened.”

Su Enqi was speechless.

Lu Tinghan: “This is not the first time. Every mistake you have made in the past few years is because you are not decisive enough – you want to save everyone, but you ended up sacrificing more.” He paused, “Just like I once was, but these, obviously, are what you taught me.”

Su Enqi: “…” He said slowly, “I just made what I thought was the right choice.”

Still, no one listened to his orders.

There was no sound in the room, and everyone waited for Lu Tinghan's reaction.

Su Enqi couldn't suppress his anger: “Lu Tinghan, I have cultivated you for so many years. When you insisted on being a watcher, I also forced the people to let you continue to command, so that you stood in this position. I treat you as the pride of my life, and this is how you repay me?”

“The teacher's kindness is unforgettable,” Lu Tinghan said, “But I also have something to insist on. You understand, and you surely understand, whether you should save people or not.”

Su Enqi opened his mouth and said nothing.

Looking around, the officers were unmoved, with cold and hard lines on every face. Their position was very clear, they abandoned the old and soft-hearted general.

He had been in the command room for 40 years and had been calling the shots for 40 years. For the first time, he was so powerless that he finally realized: no one would listen to him anymore.

Everyone was moving forward, Lu Tinghan and Su Liang left him in place, and he was left in the memories that made his heart weak.

At this moment, he was on the verge of falling, as if he had aged ten years.

The minute hand moved forward a little bit, and the outpost was almost unable to hold on.

Su Enqi finally relented and said in a low voice: “… Lu Tinghan, General Lu, send troops to support them and save them. The city needs outposts. He… he is my only child.”

Lu Tinghan: “You know my decision.” He paused, “You also know Colonel Su Liang's choice. Long before you contacted the outpost, he and the soldiers of the outpost had expressed their willingness to die to me, and I gave my approval. He is an admirable soldier, all of them are, and we should not let them be disgraced. If it were me, I would have made the same choice.”

Su Enqi could barely keep his feet and held his hands on the table.

On the day the 'Heavy Hammer' fell, he understood Lu Tinghan's determination.

But just like Lu Tinghan and Su Liang, he was willing to die… He wanted to tell Lu Tinghan that if you were at the outpost today, I would spare no effort to save you – but when he looked up at Lu Tinghan, the two looked at each other, and Su Enqi understood in an instant, no need to say more, Lu Tinghan knew this, he knew everything.

20 years of teacher and student, what could they really hide from each other?

Su Enqi said in a voice that no one could hear: “I haven't seen a rose…how come…”

Lu Tinghan gave a look: “Take General Su to rest.”

Someone stepped forward to help Su Enqi, but he was waved away with one hand.

“I can go by myself,” Su Enqi said in a hoarse voice, “…give me the discharge application. No one will listen to me anyway, no point in staying, no point in staying, might as well give me face and give me a decent farewell in the end.”

Lu Tinghan: “Okay.”

A new application form was placed in front of him, Chai Yongning had already signed it, and the remaining vacant corner was left to him.

Su Enqi picked up the pen and was about to sign, when he suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Tinghan: “Lu Tinghan, you have been a watcher, and I can't trust you 100%. I-I want you to swear, I want you to swear on everything you have, you will always be on the side of mankind!”

“No need to swear,” Lu Tinghan said, “I've always been on the side of mankind.”

Su Enqi sighed for a long time. He didn't know what he recalled, but his expression turned gentle. “When I first saw you, you were only a little tall, pestering me to teach you how to fight. Why did you grow up all of a sudden?”

Lu Tinghan said softly: “Time flies too fast, we all hope it will be slower.”

“Yeah, it would be great if we could go back to the past,” Su Enqi said, “Just like Abyss No.0, back to the beginning of time, the city is still there, and those people are still there. Su Liang hasn't gone to the front line, and Jiang Huazhi hasn't done anything yet. You follow me and call me Teacher Su again.”

He closed his eyes, his hands trembled, and then he signed his name for the last time.

He said: “May the glory of the Alliance last forever.”

Lu Tinghan said, “May the glory of mankind last forever.”

Chapter end