Flame War Anthem: Beyond the Galactic River (GL) - Chapter 14

Wu Chen returned this time with only Sen Jie by her side, bringing no other subordinates.

She knew full well the gravity of this mission—if her identity were exposed, she would be plunged into an inescapable abyss. Thus, she had been treading carefully, as if walking on thin ice.

Yet even so, she couldn’t escape the schemes of those with ulterior motives.

She was well aware of who was truly behind these attacks.

During this time, she had contacted Venos once. No doubt, he was fully informed of her every move back in the country.

Two weeks had quickly passed since her return to Haishi, China, yet Wu Chen had not once called a meeting with the NAS branch members.

Instead, she often roamed the streets at night with Sen Jie, taking in the rapid transformations of the country.

Strolling along the Bund, steeped in old Shanghai charm, she gazed at the dazzling sea of neon lights and the bustling crowds snapping photos.

To Sen Jie, this life—free of conflict and scheming—was equally beautiful.

He had never deliberately investigated Wu Chen’s past, but from her words and actions, it wasn’t hard to guess that she was originally Chinese and had lived in this land for a long time.

As for why she had ended up in Myanmar, Sen Jie chose to respect her privacy and not pry.

In his heart, sometimes knowing too much only brought unnecessary trouble.

All he wanted was to stay by her side and protect her. To him, that was the greatest happiness, and he was content with that.

The past few days had seen several bouts of rain, cooling the sweltering temperatures. But just two days after the skies cleared, gloom settled in again.

Thick clouds hung like a vast gray curtain, completely blotting out the once-scorching sun.

Outside, not a breeze stirred. The air was thick with stifling heat, as if the entire world had been sealed inside a giant steamer.

Fortunately, Wu Chen’s luxurious penthouse was temperature-controlled by an intelligent system, maintaining a consistently comfortable environment.

Standing on the spacious balcony of the living room, she could take in the sweeping view of the bustling city below.

The lush, meticulously maintained greenery outside resembled an emerald ocean, breathing life and tranquility into the area.

This was also the most heavily secured location in the entire city—the renowned Xincheng International.

Sen Jie lived in the unit below. As usual, he rose early and meticulously prepared breakfast for Wu Chen.

Just as he set the final dish on the table, the doorbell chimed crisply.

He strode to the door and peered through the peephole to see Wu Chen standing outside in athletic wear, her expression calm, a faint glimmer of pleasure in her eyes. He unlocked and opened the door.

The corners of Wu Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Jie, good morning…”

Sen Jie replied softly, “Good morning…”

Fluent in multiple languages—Japanese, French, and English—he had only begun learning Chinese later.

Though his phrasing could still be a bit awkward at times, he was steadily improving.

“Jie, arrange the meeting with those people. We’ve had our fun, tasted what we wanted—it’s time to get back to work.”

Wu Chen stepped inside, her demeanor composed and serene, her tone calm and unhurried. She then took a seat at the dining table, savoring her breakfast in slow, deliberate bites.

Sen Jie sat across from her, his gaze calm and unruffled, merely responding with a quiet, “Alright.”

“I’ll be going out alone later. First, handle the matters I’ve emailed you about. We’ll stay in touch…”

After just a few bites, she lost her appetite. Even after all these years, she still wasn’t fond of his Western-style breakfast—bland and tasteless.

“Alright…”

Knowing she had her reasons, he didn’t stubbornly insist on accompanying her.

“Oh, and arrange for Ajun to return. I need him.”

With that, she stood up and left.

Watching her retreating figure, Sen Jie couldn’t shake a lingering unease.

Wu Chen drove alone back to Dongling City, returning to a place she had long missed.

For no apparent reason, her heart was filled with melancholy and sorrow. Though she was now in the same city as her family, she couldn’t meet or acknowledge them—she had to maintain this identity…

Summer in Dongling was nothing short of an “overly enthusiastic” trial.

These past few days, the temperature had soared like a lit firecracker, climbing higher and higher.

The sun blazed mercilessly during the day, pouring down scorching rays without restraint. Walking the streets, the surrounding air felt as if it had been boiled, waves of heat rising relentlessly. The weather forecast predicted moderate rain for the evening.

A little past six in the evening, Yan Yu and her comrades wrapped up a full day of work at the group headquarters.

The blazing sun gradually disappeared beyond the horizon, replaced by thick, soft twilight that spread like silk across the sky, gently enveloping the world in a rare moment of tenderness.

After leaving the headquarters, the group enthusiastically discussed finding an authentic hotpot restaurant to satisfy their cravings.

Huang Xiaoya rubbed her waist, complaining, “These meetings are more exhausting than training. At least tomorrow’s only half a day…”

Xue Ran chimed in, “I agree… So, we definitely need a good meal to reward ourselves.”

Yan Yu didn’t object. After all, stealing a moment of leisure amid their busy training schedule was a rare treat.

As the team leader, she generously offered to treat everyone.

They quickly changed into casual clothes and pushed open the hotpot restaurant’s door. The rich aroma of spices and the rush of cool air instantly refreshed them.

Seated in a private room, they were all spice lovers, their eyes alight with excitement as they perused the menu. This was a rare outing, and they intended to indulge.

Yan Yu scanned the menu quickly, marking dishes while consulting the others.

Xue Ran pointed eagerly, “Captain, we have to order the fresh tripe and prairie tripe—two plates each. They’re super crispy!”

Qian Yang added, “And the duck intestines—the wide, long ones. They’re the most satisfying.”

Xu Yasong rested her chin on her hand. “I love the baby fish and shrimp paste. The texture’s so tender.”

Once the orders were placed, the broth arrived first. They gathered around the bubbling pot, chatting idly.

With the heat turned up high, the broth’s calm surface soon erupted with tiny bubbles. At first, they appeared sporadically, then grew denser until the pot was boiling vigorously.

The red oil churned, with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns bobbing up and down. The rich aroma rose with the steam, tantalizing their noses and making their stomachs growl even louder.

“You all look like you haven’t eaten in days…”

Huang Xiaoya joked with a smile.

Xue Ran sighed wistfully, “We only get out once in a long while—it feels like we’re almost disconnected from modern society.”

Qian Yang nodded in agreement, “I feel the same… We barely even go shopping normally. All these clothes we’re wearing are from ages ago.”

“Come on, enough with this talk,” Xu Yasong teased them. “When you choose to be a soldier, you have to endure realities that ordinary people can’t. Don’t tell me you regret joining the military now?”