above the galaxy

Chapter 585 Dragnet!

Little Fatty had an inexplicable trust in Tang Fei; in his mind, it was perfectly reasonable for his older brother to do anything.

Lu Siyu had been in contact with Tang Fei for quite some time, but seeing him relentlessly pursue and kill all the Black Bat members who tried to escape, just like Keanu Reeves, was truly remarkable.
I was still somewhat shocked.

This guy doesn't look like a good person.

However, she also understood Tang Fei's character: if someone treats me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect.

If anyone tries to kill me, I will cut off their head.

If the three of them were captured by the Black Bat Squadron, they would gain promotions and titles through this great achievement, but whether they themselves would survive would be uncertain.

On the battlefield, it's either you die or I die; there's no such thing as mercy.

Lu Siyu comes from a wealthy family. Her mother died when she was young and her father disappeared, so she is more aware of the dangers of 'struggle'.

Tang Fei wiped the blood from his face and, seeing the mechanical ants still gnawing at the Phantom Fighters, hurriedly said, "Quickly, bring back all those mechanical ants; they're our spoils of war."

When weapons are in the hands of the enemy, they can be destroyed however they want.

Now that it's in my hands, it would be a shame to damage it.

The Mirage Fighter is a valuable asset, and Shen Wuxiang probably doesn't have many in reserve.

Bringing these fighter jets back was a great gift to the Lu family.

Leaving aside the combat capabilities of these fighter jets themselves, let's talk about the core technologies within them.
That's what Lu Xun wanted too.

After all, this is a new type of fighter jet developed by the Mohist school. Being able to study it or even crack it would also be of great benefit to the Lu family.

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to survive a hundred battles.

Lu Siyu immediately pressed the black button on her ring finger. The mechanical ants received the command and immediately began to gather in Lu Siyu's direction with a rustling sound.

Originally, Lu Siyu had a metal ant nest strapped to her calf, but she took it off and left it on the Hummingbird when she disembarked.

They knew how the enemy treated prisoners, and searching their entire bodies was an essential step.

Tang Fei felt a strong sense of relief when he saw the dense swarm of mechanical ants.

Fortunately, the Lu family was on their side; otherwise, if Shen Wuxiang had gained control of these advanced technologies...
There's no need to fight this war anymore.

The best course of action is to quickly escape to the old land and find a secluded cave to hide in.

Just then, a rumbling sound came from the sky.

A large number of fighter jets swarmed towards them, seemingly targeting them for attack.

Little Fatty was shocked and urged, "Big Brother, run!"

I just killed a bunch of bats, how come new ones are coming?
"No need to run," Lu whispered, trying to dissuade him.

She had already seen the dinosaur totem on the fighter jet; it was the "Winged Dragon" fighter jet manufactured by the Lu family.

Sure enough, after the fighter jets circled around them once, several of them slowly landed.

Before the plane had even come to a complete stop, a tall, imposing general jumped out and strode towards them, calling out, "Whispering?"

"Seventh Brother." Lu Siyu smiled, a rare sight, when he saw the person who had arrived.

The newcomer was Lu Yan, a direct descendant of the Lu family, the son of Lu Dongyang, and the captain of the Fire Dragon Squadron.

According to seniority, Lu Siyu should call him Seventh Brother.

Lu Yan looked at Lu Siyu with a relieved expression and said, "We received news a couple of days ago that you were coming back, and we've been patrolling the edge of Songhai ever since. Upon hearing the commotion here, we rushed over immediately."

He looked around and asked in amazement, "That's it?"

Judging from the scale of the fighter jets hovering at the scene, the Black Bat formation has probably deployed its entire force.

Their Fire Dragon squadron had fought against the Black Bat ace fighter jet many times and was very familiar with their combat capabilities.

The entire Black Bat squadron perished? Yet the three of them are standing here perfectly fine?

What exactly happened?
“It’s over,” Lu said calmly.

Lu Yan's gaze fell on Tang Fei's face. Looking at the handsome young man covered in blood, his expression turned serious. After saluting, he said, "General Tang, my father is waiting for you in Songhai. Shall we go back now?"

"Let's go back," Tang Fei said with a smile. "You are Si Yu's elder brother, and also my elder brother. Just call me Tang Fei."

"Propriety must not be disregarded." Lu Yan, a former soldier, was somewhat rigid in nature and did not accept Tang Fei's suggestion.

In the past, he could have been addressed that way.

But Tang Fei is now the commander of the rebel army and the leader of various forces.
As the captain of the flight formation, I naturally had to salute him.

Tang Fei waved his hand, not caring about these things, and pointed to the Mirage fighters that the Black Bat formation had 'gifted' to him for free in the sky, asking, "Can we take these fighters back?"

"Absolutely." Lu Yan's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "To be honest, we've been eyeing these Phantom fighters of the Black Bat Squadron for a long time and have wanted to learn more about them. General, this is a great gift for us."

"We're family, so there's no need to be polite."

"Team One, Team Two, find a way to tow those Mirage fighters back," Lu Yan ordered through the internal communication system.

"Yes," someone replied.

Lu Yan invited Tang Fei and his men to ride in his fighter jet, saying, "Let's go back in our plane!"

Tang Fei shook his head and said, "Let's take the Hummingbird instead. You two lead the way."

Although we are now very close to Songhai, beyond Songhai lies the desolate land, which is the territory occupied by the Lu clan.

However, he will not leave easily until the old man is safely settled.

Who knows if Shen Wuxiang has any other tricks up his sleeve?

He had just heard Zhao Jingzhi say that they had several flight formations searching for them in the surrounding area.

Little Fatty and Lu Siyu naturally had to go with Tang Fei. Lu Siyu was also the pilot of the Hummingbird, and they couldn't do without her.

"Alright." Lu Yan didn't say much more, saluted again, and boarded his Winged Dragon again.

So, surrounded by the fire dragon formation, the little Hummingbird set sail again, flying towards the vast pine forest.

Fortunately, there were no other dangers along the way, and they successfully passed through the pine forest shrouded in thick fog and entered the desolate land.

Lu Dongyang built a base and deployed a large force on the border of the desolate land. When he saw the Fire Dragon and the Hummingbird return safely, he called Lu Yan and told them not to stop and to enter the inner city directly.
-
The desolate land, just as its name suggests, is filled with vast forests and deserts, giving people a sense of vastness and desolation.

This is precisely why it was once a 'no man's land' that no one wanted to station there.

The Lu family, which had been ostracized by the Zhong royal family and various factions, seized an opportunity and said they were willing to send troops to defend the area.

After thinking it over, everyone realized that there was no money to be made in such a poor place, and it couldn't support many soldiers.

Even if the Lu family takes over, they won't be able to do anything.

It poses no threat to the empire or other factions and families.

Who would have thought that their decades of hard work would turn this place into a massive machinery factory?

Not only have they achieved self-sufficiency in energy and mineral resources, but they have also planted trees and cultivated grains and fruits in some humid areas.

This is also why Shen Wuxiang sent a large army to surround the desolate land, but has still not been able to completely break through it.

That's damn sturdy.

Back then, they spent hundreds of thousands of troops but still couldn't conquer Luban Mountain; now they have such vast strategic space.
How can we fight a war?
How many people would that fill?

The Hummingbird stopped directly in the mechanical city, also known as the City of Craftsmanship, nestled among towering mountains.

It was a magnificent steel city built entirely of steel, alloys, and various ores with extremely high density.

This is the Lu family's headquarters, and everyone here consists of Lu family members, peripheral personnel, technicians, and combat personnel.

This city was built by the Russo people in preparation for the worst, so it can also be called a 'city of battle'.

Everyone in the city is able to participate in the battle; they are all soldiers and their families.

The Hummingbird stopped in the square in front of the city lord's mansion. The medical team, which had been prepared in advance, rushed forward and carried the life-restoration device into a larger, transparent nutrient tank filled with green liquid.

Then, they pushed the nutrient tanks and rushed towards a large door.

At this point, Tang Fei, Little Fatty Lu, and others were no longer of any help.

Lu Dongsheng personally came over, carefully examined Tang Fei, and said with deep emotion, "Back then, I invited you to join the Lu family and promised you the position of the future head of the Lu family. Now it seems that my vision and perspective were still a bit narrow."

The former Minister of the Imperial Machinery Industry has now received Lu Qingshan as the new head of the Lu family.

It was precisely because of his presence that the Lu family united as one and worked together to build an indestructible rear area in such an extreme environment.

Despite being surrounded and bombed by Shen Wuxiang, they not only survived, but seem to be living quite well.

"Third Uncle, you're too kind. I had no choice; it was all for survival." Tang Fei bowed respectfully to Lu Dongsheng. "If I had a choice, I'd rather be a rich second-generation heir in the Lu family, with money and skills. Isn't that better than fighting to the death with others?"

Lu Dongsheng shook his head and said, "You're not that kind of person. You were born to be a leader."

"Third Uncle, even if we're family, aren't you praising us a bit too much? My little arms and legs can't take it." Lu Dongsheng laughed heartily and pointed at Tang Fei, saying, "Not bad, not bad, just like before, not wrong at all."

He patted Lu Siyu's shoulder affectionately and said, "Siyu's back?"

"Third Uncle." Lu Siyu felt the love and care from her elders, but she was not good at expressing herself, so she just called out emotionally.

"You're home. It's good that you're back. Come on, the old man is waiting for you inside."

"it is good."

Lu Dongsheng took Lu Siyu's hand. Lu Siyu felt a little awkward and glanced shyly at Tang Fei, but in the end, she did not break free.

Tang Fei and Little Fatty followed behind with smiles, finding Lu Siyu quite adorable at this moment.

Unlike the Suzhou-style courtyards at the foot of Luban Mountain, the architectural style here is more rugged and unrestrained, focusing on practicality and sturdiness, somewhat resembling a fusion of industrial style and minimalism that was popular on Earth before the Great Cataclysm.

In a spacious and bright room, Tang Fei met Lu Qingshan, the former head of the Lu family.

We parted in haste, and only now are we meeting again.

Compared to last time, Lu Qingshan was still pale and obese, but he looked even more frail, as if the nutrients provided by the red nutrient tank behind him could hardly sustain his dying life.

Tang Fei felt a lump in his throat, stepped forward, grasped Lu Qingshan's large hand, and called out, "Grandpa."

In order to conceal Tang Fei's identity, Lu Yu told him that Tang Fei was his own grandson.

Lu Qingshan's passion was palpable; he truly treated Tang Fei like his own grandson, showering him with care and affection.

Later, when Tang Fei's identity was exposed, he not only felt no anger or humiliation at being deceived, but also treated Tang Fei as his own grandson as always.

He even had Lu Dongsheng come over to "negotiate" with him, so that he could "marry into" the Lu family and become the future head of the Lu family.

What a great fondness and appreciation this shows!
In Tang Fei's heart, he was his own grandfather.

Whether it was because he was sleeping soundly or because his body was too weak, Lu Qingshan did not react at all.

"Grandpa, it's me, Tang Fei. I'm back." Tang Fei raised his voice and called out again.

Lu Qingshan finally reacted. He slowly and laboriously opened his eyes, saw Tang Fei standing in front of him, and grinned:

"Hululu"

"Hululu"

"You're back? *snoring*"

I thought I'd never see you again.

As before, every time I speak, it involves various bodily functions and requires the absorption of a large amount of nutrient solution.

However, this frequency is too high.

Tang Fei's heart was filled with worry.

"How could that be?" Tang Fei gripped Lu Qingshan's large hand tightly and said with a smile, "I said I would come back to see you, and I definitely will. Didn't I keep my word?"

"Good boy, Huru. You're such a good boy."

"grandfather."

Lu's voice choked with sobs, and tears streamed down her face.

Tang Fei was still able to cover it up, but Lu Siyu couldn't control herself at all, and tears streamed down her face.

It's been a while since I last saw Grandpa, and his health has deteriorated to this extent.

She felt both guilty and worried.

She felt guilty for not being able to be by her side, and worried that her grandfather might not be able to hold on and leave her.
Her father's fate was unknown, her grandfather's health had deteriorated, and one by one, her closest relatives were leaving her.

Where does she belong?

What's the point of living?
Whispering. My precious granddaughter is back too.

"Snoring, oh, that's great!"

"Don't cry, it doesn't look good."

"I won't cry," Lu said, wiping away her tears.

Fortunately, she doesn't usually wear makeup, otherwise her face would be covered in smears by now.

"I know everything you've been doing outside."

"Very good. Snoring. You are all very good."

Tang Fei said with some concern, "Grandpa, why don't you rest first? We'll come back to talk to you later."

"Rest? What's there to rest? I've been lying here for decades, snore, I've had enough rest."

Lu Dongsheng knew that his uncle was too emotional because Tang Fei and Lu had returned from their private conversation, which was why he needed a lot of nutrient solution.

So he spoke up and advised, "You should also let the Tang bandits tell them to rest. They haven't had an easy journey; they even encountered black bats chasing them at the edge of Songhai."

"You don't know about this, do you? Let me tell you."

Lu Dongsheng waved to Tang Fei and Lu Siyu, signaling them to go down and rest.

"Grandpa, you should rest for a while. We'll go out for a bite to eat and come back to visit you later."

Tang Fei understood Lu Dongsheng's purpose in doing this: to let Lu Qingshan process things slowly and wait until his emotions were completely stable before having a conversation.

"Snoring away... Go eat quickly, don't go hungry."

Tang Fei saw that Lu Qingshan had closed his eyes again, so he let go of his hand and left the room with Xiao Pang and Lu Siyu.

In the courtyard, seeing Lu Siyu's red and swollen eyes, Tang Fei comforted her, "Grandpa will be alright. So many years have passed, and it will be the same this time."

"Yes." Lu Siyu nodded firmly and said, "Grandpa will be fine, and Dad will be fine too."

Tang Fei looked at Lu Siyu in surprise.

He had never heard Lu whisper to the old man call him "Dad" before; this should be the first time in his memory.

Has the ice in her heart completely melted away?

“I’ll go see him,” Lu whispered.

"Let's go together," Tang Fei nodded.

There is also a hospital in the Machinery City, named 'Tiangong Hospital'.

When Tang Fei, Lu Siyu, and the others arrived, the doctors at Tiangong Hospital had just conducted a joint consultation on the old man's condition.

In the meeting room, everyone was discussing the information they had gathered.

"The first issue is the nutrient solution. After the patient was severely injured, he/she has been immersed in a nutrient solution called Dragon Blood No. 7. If we rashly change the nutrient solution, we are unsure whether the patient's body will have an adverse reaction."

"If they can accept it, that's fine, but once rejection occurs, given the patient's current physical condition, it will be very difficult to save them."

"Most of the body's defects need to be repaired by artificial machinery."

"Given the technical capabilities of Tiangong Hospital, this isn't a problem. However, who will perform the surgery is the issue."

"The integration of mechanical and physical bodies is a major issue that requires utmost care. If it's just about replacing an arm or a leg, that's a minor matter; any one of you here could perform the surgery."

"But the patient needs extensive repairs to fill in the chest cavity and brain defects, and even some vital organs."

"Those capable of performing this surgery are probably only a handful in the entire empire."
-
"Is Dr. Qin Luo alright?" Tang Fei asked.

“Of course. There is no one more suitable than him,” said Wang Yangxin, the director of Tiangong Hospital.

"The Phoenix's First Blade, this is no joke," Wang Xiushen chimed in.

"If Dr. Qin can perform the surgery, the success rate is at least 60%. But Dr. Qin is in Phoenix City, how can we invite him over?"
-
Sure enough, the problem still lay with the 'chief surgeon'.

Tang Fei's previous target was Qin Luo, the best doctor in the world. If he were to perform the surgery, the success rate would naturally be greatly increased.

However, Qin Luo was in Phoenix City at the time, and Phoenix City was completely overrun by Shen Wuxiang.
He could foresee that he would be escorting the old man's 'remains' to the desolate land, and he could also guess that he needed Qin Luo, the 'Number One Blade' of the Phoenix Empire.

Given Shen Wuxiang's style of doing things, Qin Luo is probably already surrounded by a tight net, ready to catch him like a turtle in a jar.

Not going?

The old man is on the verge of death.

To go or not to go?
Go? That would be walking into a trap.

The Tang bandits have just solved one problem, but now they face an even more difficult one.

If you are good at problem-solving, then countless problems await you.

Tang Fei is the spiritual idol of the 'lying down' organization, but he can't be like his followers: lying down wherever he falls.

That feeling must be really comfortable, right?
(End of this chapter)