I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

The special envoy, Viscount Berwick, came running up, panting heavily as he carried a scroll in his hands.

"Commander Longfei! Please wait!"

Berwick handed the scroll to Long Fei:

"This is a handwritten letter that His Majesty just sent via a magic circle. The royal family promises that the gates of the North will always be open to you. As long as this red flag appears, you are our ally."

Long Fei took the scroll and nodded: "Tell your king that the road has been repaired and the caravan will arrive soon."

A corner of the camp.

Lin Mo was packing his backpack.

Suddenly, my trouser leg felt heavy.

Ha Mei clung tightly to Lin Mo's tactical trouser leg, her four paws gripping the ground as she fell backward.

It made a whimpering sound in its throat, and its eyes were full of grievance.

"I'll loosen my grip." Lin Mo swung his leg.

Ha Mei didn't let go; instead, she bit even tighter.

A logistics officer who had taken over the defense came over, carrying a bag of specially made dried meat.

"Advisor Lin, leave it to me. The base has specially approved a staff for it, and its food standards are even higher than mine."

Lin Mo squatted down and rubbed Ha Mei's head.

"Listen to me. This is your home. It's too hot over there, you can't stand it."

Lin Mo pointed to the bag of dried meat: "There's something delicious."

HaMei looked at the jerky, then at Lin Mo. It hesitated for a moment, then opened its mouth, but still nuzzled its head against Lin Mo's knee.

Two purple shadows flashed by.

Chenchen and Yaoyao jumped onto Lin Mo's shoulders.

They rubbed their furry heads against Lin Mo's neck, making purring noises in their throats.

Lin Mo sighed, reached out and pinched the scruff of the two cats' necks, lifted them off, and placed them on Ha Mei's back.

"You can't leave either."

Lin Mo looked at the two "cubs" who had grown to the size of cheetahs.

"Professor Sun said that your blood sample analysis is not yet complete. There are no vaccines on Earth for alien microorganisms; if you go there, it will be a biohazard."

Chenchen tilted its head, seemingly unable to understand. It stretched out its paw, trying to hook the hem of Lin Mo's clothes.

Lin Mo took a step back.

"I'll be watching you." Lin Mo pointed to the surveillance camera next to him. "Don't cause trouble, and don't bully the new soldiers. I'll come pick you up after you pass the quarantine."

The three otherworldly creatures huddled together, watching Lin Mo.

sunset.

The setting sun in the north turned the snowfields golden.

Long Fei conducted his final inspection of the base.

He walked past the newly built hangar, past the still-warm runway, and finally stopped in front of the portal.

"Old Long, let's go." Gu Yuan called out to him from in front of the light membrane.

Long Fei turned around and glanced at the land where they had fought.

"Everyone!" Long Fei's voice echoed in the wind.

"Target: Home!" Five hundred veterans lined up in two columns.

They removed their heavy exoskeletons, wearing only their training uniforms. Their steps were not as synchronized as when they arrived; in fact, they were somewhat dragging.

But everyone's back was very straight.

Lin Mo walked at the back of the group.

He glanced back as he stepped across the light barrier.

Ha-mei was still squatting in the same spot, letting out a howl in their direction.

Lin Mo waved his hand, turned around, and walked into the light.

The light film is shaking.

Lin Mo lifted his foot and stepped over the barrier.

The cold winds and sulfurous smell of the northern wilderness disappeared, and the gentle breeze from the constant-temperature air conditioner warmed my face.

This is the taste of Earth.

The underground dome of the Great Wall base was brightly lit.

Lin Mo squinted, adjusting to the glaring artificial light.

Two teleportation portals stood behind him, with blue light flowing around them.

The light was steady and exuded tranquility.

"salute!"

A loud shout echoed across the tarmac.

Lin Mo instinctively stood at attention.

Directly in front of him, Zhao Zhenguo, dressed in military uniform, had gold stars on his shoulders shining under the lights.

Behind him, hundreds of researchers, logistics personnel, and officers on duty raised their right hands in unison.

There was no music, no flowers.

The only sounds were the rhythmic thud of footsteps and hundreds of bloodshot eyes.

Then applause broke out.

The sound echoed in the underground space, making Lin Mo's eardrums buzz.

Zhao Zhenguo strode forward.

The usually stern old general's wrinkles around his eyes softened, and he reached out and firmly grasped Lin Mo's tactical gloved hand.

"I'm back." Zhao Zhenguo's voice was a little hoarse, and he only said these three words.

Lin Mo opened his mouth, about to speak, when a white figure rushed out from the side of the crowd.

The guard tried to stop them, but withdrew his hand after seeing who it was.

It's Ye Qing.

She wasn't wearing a white lab coat, just a thin cashmere sweater.

She ran quickly, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor.

Lin Mo was stunned. Before he could raise his hand, a warm body bumped into him.

The impact forced Lin Mo to take a half step back.

Ye Qing clung tightly to his waist, burying her face in his cold tactical breastplate, her hands gripping the alloy mounting points on his back.

The applause around them gradually subsided.

Lin Mo lowered his eyes.

A slight tremor came from the breastplate, along with the scent of shampoo, which dispelled the lingering smell of gunpowder in my nostrils.

"cough……"

Lin Mo stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to put his hands: "Um... I'm dirty, covered in engine oil and dragon blood."

Ye Qing didn't speak, she just shook her head and buried her face even deeper.

A single hot tear slid down the seam of the breastplate and seeped into Lin Mo's inner lining.

He slowly lowered his hand and patted Ye Qing on the back.

"It's alright now," Lin Mo said softly. "It's really alright this time."

Zhao Zhenguo stood to the side with his hands behind his back, watching with a smile.

A few minutes later, Ye Qing, her eyes red, let go and retreated to the side embarrassedly, but her hand still tightly gripped Lin Mo's clothes.

"Alright, stop standing there."

Zhao Zhenguo looked around and said loudly, "Pass on my order: everyone except those on duty is given three days off! As for the special operations team..."

He looked at Lin Mo and Long Fei and the others who had just come out: "I'm giving you a long vacation. The duration... is tentatively set for one month."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Lin Mo looked at Zhao Zhenguo: "General Zhao, from now on..."

"after?"

Zhao Zhenguo pointed to the teleportation portal behind him:

"The future will be a new era of peaceful development. Professor Sun's agricultural plan, Chen Yan's mineral development, and the inspection team are all waiting in line for approval."

Lin Mo asked, "If the system doesn't assign any tasks, what can I do?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Zhao Zhenguo made a joke, then became serious:

"Whether it issues a mission or not, and whatever lies behind the door, the Dragon Kingdom is no longer a country where you can fight alone."

"We have tanks, planes, and countless soldiers. We will meet force with force and water with earth."

"Understood." Lin Mo nodded.

A large hand patted Lin Mo heavily on the shoulder.

Long Fei, carrying his helmet, wore a roguish grin.

"Alright, Consultant Lin, stop worrying about that. Let's find a place to have a good drink."

"Okay." Lin Mo smiled.

"Remove your armor!"

Long Fei roared.

Mechanics pushed their equipment forward.

The pneumatic valve was hissing as it released pressure.

The alloy breastplate was removed.

The leg support rods and ammunition supply module were also detached from the body.

Each piece of armor plate bore the marks of battle damage.

Lin Mo moved his neck.

Shedding the heavy steel outer shell weighing tens of kilograms, she changed into cotton casual clothes.

At that moment, he felt gravity for the first time in a long time.

Without the aid of an exoskeleton, his body felt somewhat heavy, but it made him feel grounded.

This is an ordinary weight.

……

Three months later.

Late autumn, downtown Kyoto.

The outdoor screen displays the evening news.

"According to the latest news from the Ministry of Health, with the arrival of the third batch of otherworldly raw materials, the production capacity of 'Life No. 1' medicine has achieved a full breakthrough."

"Effective immediately, quotas for all provinces and cities nationwide will be increased by 50%. Cancer has been officially included in the category of 'curable chronic diseases'..."

The scene shifts to show a busy production line and the tearful faces of family members in a hospital.

Lin Mo, wearing a trench coat and holding two cups of hot milk tea, waited for the green light at the pedestrian crossing.

The surrounding area was bustling with people.

Some people were looking down at their phones, some were talking about the news, and some were complaining about the traffic jam.

No one knew that the slender young man beside them was the "Tianmen" who was fighting in another world.

A hand reached out and naturally took Lin Mo's arm.

Ye Qing wore a red scarf, and her other hand was in Lin Mo's coat pocket.

"What are you looking at?" Ye Qing asked.

"Watch the news." Lin Mo handed over the milk tea: "They say the quota has increased again."

"Yes, my mom called yesterday and said that the oncology department of the hospital in our hometown is almost empty, and the doctors are switching to rehabilitation therapy."

Ye Qing took a sip of milk tea and squinted her eyes contentedly: "This is so good."

Lin Mo smiled but didn't say anything.

My phone vibrated.

Lin Mo took it out to look.

It was a WeChat message from Long Fei.

The background of the photo is the sea, and the sunlight is dazzling.

Long Fei, dressed in beach shorts and sunglasses, laughed loudly as he held up a fishing rod. A strange, brightly colored fish with three heads was hooked on the hook.

The caption was simple: "Two hundred kilometers north of the North, this fish is strong and tastes great. Come quickly."

Lin Mo swiped across the screen.

The green light came on, and the crowd surged forward.

Lin Mo put away his phone and gripped Ye Qing's hand tightly.

Although the system no longer issues countdown tasks, the door connecting the two worlds remains open.

There is an ocean there, resources there, and perhaps a new civilization there.

The exploration will not stop.

But this is no longer a battle he fought alone.

"Let's go," Lin Mo said.

"Where to?"

"Go home and cook."

The two blended into the crowd, their figures disappearing into the street.

(End of the book)