"Offering a borrowed flower to the Buddha, eh?" Song Yarong laughed, "Can I interpret this as you trying to win over?"
"If that's what you think, then it is." Sun Hang didn't deny it.
"Wanna boost our friendship level? Sure." Song Yarong lowered her voice, her smile turning ambiguous, "Next ti you're free, let give you a thorough check-up... you know what kind I an, right?"
"There are minors present here, isn't it inappropriate to discuss such topics?" Sun Hang said with a smile.
"Minors? Where? I don't see any." Before Song Yarong could respond, Shinkata Misaki spoke up first, "You guys seem to have a fun ga going, can I join?"
Sun Hang wanted to retort with "Silly kid, go play elsewhere," but considering the need to keep Shinkata Misaki's identity confidential, he swallowed his words.
She was no longer the seventeen-year-old Shinkata Misaki, but the twenty-six-year-old Tang Jing.
"Any dietary restrictions?" Sun Hang simply ignored her and brought the conversation back on track.
"I don't eat cilantro."
"Great minds think alike." Sun Hang nodded vigorously, "From today on, you're my good sister from a different mister!"
"Your sisterhood cos a bit too cheap." Song Yarong teased, "Isn't it 'Puppet Master' Zhong Ling cooking?"
"You know?"
"Yang Lian ntioned it to , unfortunately, if it's her, you're going to be hungry today... or, I can share a tub of instant noodles?" Song Yarong offered.
"What's up? Is she working overti too?"
"She just got a long-distance patrol duty, circling the city and visiting the outskirt checkpoints... she probably won't be back tonight."
"What flavors of instant noodles do you have?"
...
...
South suburb of Tianfu City, Economic Zone Ring Expressway, Checkpoint 307.
A convoy consisting of one light armored vehicle and four off-road vehicles slowly approached.
Before the convoy even stopped, an officer wearing a power exoskeleton jumped out of the leading light armored vehicle.
Propelled by the power exoskeleton, the officer managed to run forward several steps upon landing to counteract the jump's inertia. But before he could steady himself, multiple aiming lasers were already fixed on his head, chest, and other critical areas.
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, we're the 26th patrol team, we just sent you the docking ssage!" the officer shouted loudly.
"We know, but in special tis, a little caution won't hurt!" a soldier from behind the checkpoint cover shouted back.
"Being cautious shouldn't an pointing guns at allies, right?" the officer said sheepishly, "If an accidental shot goes off, that would be..."
"What are you scared of? I haven't even removed the safety," a short, stout veteran stepped out from behind the cover, giving the much younger officer a disdainful once-over before snorting, "even with the safety off, as long as my finger isn't broken, this gun won't fire... Kid, you're so young yet already a lieutenant, a military school graduate?"
"Yes... a fifth-nine-term graduate of Tianfu Military Academy, just graduated two years ago." the officer replied.
Normally, the other guy was just a soldier, and he was an officer; the other should salute when seeing him… but when the officer saw the old soldier's three-chevron sergeant insignia, all his arrogance vanished instantly.
A sergeant first class may be only a non-commissioned officer, but according to the Xiazhou Federation's ranks, they enjoy the treatnt of a deputy regint-level officer… And deputy regint-level officers generally have the rank of lieutenant colonel, so even reaching colonel... leagues above a lieutenant.
Facing an elder with much more seniority, the young officer could only obediently take the reprimand.
"New recruits these days, never been on a battlefield, never seen blood... Tsk, they're so scared when soone points a gun at them." The sergeant patted the officer's chest, "Isn't this equipped with a ballistic armor plate, taking a bullet wouldn't kill you."
"Uh..."
"Uh what uh, hurry and sign, then get lost!" The sergeant pulled a communication terminal from his pocket, handing it over.
"This... this probably doesn't comply with regulations." The officer said awkwardly, "We're supposed to inspect the checkpoint and ensure there's no situation before I sign... Otherwise, it would be irresponsible to both the Federation Governnt and to you..."
"Don't give that!" the sergeant seed to be in a foul mood today, "I'm standing right here alive. Could there possibly be an issue with Checkpoint 307? I'm telling you now, as long as I'm breathing, no weird things will cross that line behind us!"
"This..." The officer was in a bit of a tough spot... It was his first day as the patrol convoy leader, and to face such a situation right away left him unsure of how to handle it.
Just as the officer was stuck, another man wrapped in a black robe jumped off the second off-road vehicle and walked to the checkpoint.
"What's going on?" the man asked.
"Checkpoint 307 refuses inspection." The officer replied truthfully.
"Why?" the man asked again.
"There's no why! I said there's no problem, so there's no problem!" The sergeant glared, "It's just a tiny darn place, what do you want to inspect? Whether we're wearing our underwear inside out? I'm a soldier, not a prison inmate! Three or four trips a day, isn't it enough already!"
At this mont, a soldier from the patrol convoy jogged over and whispered to the officer: "Captain, I just inquired with the rear... Apparently, yesterday's patrol team specifically found faults and nitpicked various issues with Checkpoint 307, resulting in the stationed soldiers being penalized..."
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