HPDBC Chapter 112 Respect for Heaven
Chapter 112 Respect for Heaven
After Song Chen took a shower and changed his clothes, when he returned to the open space, there were already more people gathered around the grill than in the previous two days.
Zhao Kunlun, Chen Yuanzhi, Lao Liu, Shen Yutong, Xiao Wu, and a few other new faces.
A burly, bald man wearing a camouflage vest, his exposed arms covered in tattoos, was named Ma Kui, the base's Marine Corps captain, a fourth-tier beginner, with a fiery temper but a loyal friend.
A young female medic with pigtails, freckles on her face, and a sweet smile. Her name is Xiao Su, a second-level martial artist with excellent medical skills.
There was also an old soldier with white hair, sitting in a wheelchair with nothing below his knees. His name was Lao Qian. He had already retired, but he couldn't bear to leave military life, so he returned to the base to become an instructor.
When Ma Kui saw Song Chen, he stood up and extended his large hand.
Song Chen shook his hand; Ma Kui's palm was like an iron plate, his grip strength was astonishing.
He released his grip, looked Song Chen up and down, and nodded: "You have a good physique, but you're too thin. You need to eat more."
Song Chen was used to everyone saying he was too thin. He stopped explaining, just nodded, sat down, and waited for dinner to be served.
Old Liu grilled a lot of things today, including the octopus tentacles that Song Chen brought back, the mutated sea fish that the soldiers caught during the day, the frozen mutton that the logistics department found in the warehouse, and a big pot of seafood soup.
The seafood soup was made by simmering scraps of various sea creatures with ginger slices, scallion segments, and cooking wine for an entire afternoon. The soup was milky white, with a rich and savory flavor that filled the entire camp.
Everyone sat together, eating barbecue, drinking beer, and chatting.
Old Qian recounted his story of fighting pirates in the South China Sea when he was young. At that time, the meteorite had not yet fallen, the psionic particles had not yet scattered across the world, there were no martial artists, and no alien beasts.
This is a very unfamiliar era.
Old Qian spoke with great enthusiasm, his spittle flying everywhere.
Xiao Su smiled and handed him a tissue to wipe his mouth.
Shen Yutong sat next to Song Chen, poured him a beer, and then poured one for herself.
She raised her glass, looking at Song Chen: "To you."
Song Chen raised his glass and clinked it against his: "Drink!"
They both took a sip, exchanged a glance, and then simultaneously looked away.
Shen Yutong's ears turned red again. She lowered her head and drank her soup, pretending that nothing had happened.
Old Liu took the octopus tentacles off the grill, cut them into small pieces, and distributed them to everyone.
The octopus meat is grilled to a crispy exterior and tender interior. One bite and the juices burst in your mouth, the umami flavor mixed with cumin and chili powder, making it irresistible.
Song Chen ate several pieces, drank two bowls of seafood soup, ate a steamed bun, and then leaned back in his chair, looking at the night sky.
The night sky was very blue and deep, and psionic particles floated slowly in the darkness, like countless tiny stars.
The sea breeze, carrying a salty, fishy smell, mingled with the aroma of barbecue and beer.
The waves crashed against the breakwater, making a rhythmic splashing sound, as if providing background music for the night.
He suddenly thought of Anning City, and of his father, Song Zhengye, and his mother, Li Xiuying.
They should be having dinner now. His mother's cooking is far inferior to Lao Liu's, but he has been craving that taste for a long time.
He wanted to call them, but he didn't know what to say.
You say I'm great? I am indeed great.
He couldn't bring himself to say that a beast tide was about to erupt.
Song Chen picked up her phone, looked at the contact list on the screen, and her gaze lingered on the "Mom" column.
Shen Yutong looked at him and asked softly, "Missing home?"
Song Chen nodded.
Shen Yutong didn't ask any more questions. She stood up, walked to the grill, took two skewers, and handed one to Song Chen.
"Eat up. Once you're full, you won't want to think about it anymore."
Song Chen took the skewer, took a bite, chewed a few times, and swallowed it.
I didn't become more homesick, nor did I become less homesick, but the barbecue skewers were delicious.
After finishing his kebabs, he stood up and dusted himself off.
"It's time to rest. I have a feeling the beast tide is about to break out tomorrow."
Zhao Kunlun looked at him and nodded.
"Indeed, intelligence transmitted back by the reconnaissance plane this afternoon indicates that the swarm of sea monsters is moving towards Yunbo Island."
"At the current rate, they will enter our defense zone tomorrow."
"Get a good rest tonight, there's a tough battle ahead tomorrow."
Ma Kui patted his bald head and grinned: "A tough battle? I love tough battles."
Song Chen looked at everyone, then raised his beer glass.
"Respect for tomorrow."
Everyone raised their glasses. "To tomorrow."
Empty cups clink together, making a crisp sound.
As night deepened, the charcoal fire on the grill went out completely, and the grayish-white ashes drifted in the sea breeze.
The tray on the table was empty, the bowls were empty, and the cups were empty.
People gradually dispersed, their footsteps fading into the night and finally disappearing into the barracks corridors.
But deep in the ocean, where the light of those psionic particles couldn't reach, something was stirring.
There were tens of thousands of strange beasts surging toward the isolated island.
Song Chen couldn't sleep that night.
It wasn't that he had some kind of sixth sense, but rather that his Illusionary Eyes had already seen the sea monsters rapidly gathering.
Song Chen walked out of the dormitory and stood on the breakwater. The sea breeze blew in from the front, carrying a strong fishy smell, stronger than during the day, so strong that it tasted bitter.
There was no moon or stars in the sky, only psionic particles floating slowly in the darkness, like countless paused eyes.
The sea was also black, so black that you couldn't see the waves, the reefs, or the horizon.
But he knew what lay beneath the surface. In the golden vision of his Illusionary Eyes, the world below the sea was as bright as a burning sea of fire, with thousands upon thousands of points of light surging about.
They come from the depths of the sea, from deep blue to light blue, from light blue to dark green, from dark green to pitch black, layer upon layer, densely packed, like a luminous, living nebula pressing towards this isolated island.
The smallest point of light, like a grain of rice, was a low-ranking sea beast.
Larger ones, like a fist, are of the first or second order.
Larger ones, like lanterns, wheels, or houses, are third-tier, fourth-tier, or even higher.
There were so many of them that even the analytical capabilities of the Illusionary Eyes couldn't keep up.
Song Chen closed her eyes, then opened them again, her gaze now calm.
It's not a forced calm, not a numb calm, but a genuine calm that comes from the very core of one's being.
Besides the confidence brought by his improved strength, he also felt a gentle spiritual force enveloping him from the moment the sea beasts began to gather.
It's so faint that you can't even notice it unless you're consciously trying to perceive it.
But the Mystic Eyes of Illusion detected it. That spiritual power was like an extremely thin and transparent membrane, covering his body from head to toe, from his chest to his back, leaving no blind spots.
Someone is watching him, sensing his condition, and waiting for him to make a mistake.
If someone is injured, in dire straits, or even about to die, the owner of that spiritual power will act in an instant.