Zerg: I ​​was picked up by the cold and beautiful Major General at the start of the game.

After a moment, the marshal spoke: "The final choice is—"

"Wait a moment!"

An excited voice, almost cracking, suddenly interrupted him!

All the insects' eyes instantly focused on Dr. Parks, who had suddenly stood up.

How dare he interrupt the marshal?! Has this PhD student gone mad from researching the mental ocean?

Parks was so excited his face was flushed, and even his fingers were trembling slightly. He held his personal terminal high, and his voice even trembled with extreme excitement:

"He's awake! Major General Ailand is awake! No more selections needed! He's awake!"

"What?!"

"Really?"

The entire conference room erupted in chaos! A cacophony of astonished and incredulous voices filled the room.

Even the usually composed and unwavering Field Marshal Arnold showed a rare look of astonishment, leaning forward slightly and fixing his sharp gaze on Parks:

"Are you sure? Is the information reliable?"

"Confirmed! Absolutely true! It's a message personally sent by Lord Lin Luo! Look!"

Parks practically rushed to the marshal's side and eagerly handed him the light screen.

On the screen, the communication records from Lin Luo were clearly displayed:

[Lord Linluo]: Ailand is awake!!! %@×＃

The text alone is enough to imagine the sender's ecstasy and confusion at the time.

"This...how is this possible?"

"This is so sudden! Just today?"

"Could it be a misjudgment? Or is Lord Lin Luo too eager for the Major General to wake up...?"

The officers below were buzzing with discussion, their faces filled with doubt and shock.

The timing of Major General Ailand's awakening was so coincidental that it inevitably aroused suspicion.

The reactions of the insects below were quite different.

After a brief moment of astonishment, Hawke's face lit up with immense joy. He jumped to his feet, his voice even trembling slightly:

"That's great! I knew it! The Major General would wake up!"

He looked at Akto, and both insects' eyes were filled with the ecstatic relief of a great weight lifted from their shoulders.

Ross paused for a moment, then let out a soft breath. His straight back seemed to relax slightly, and a faint, self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

"Ailand, you're really lucky..."

Terman's facial muscles seemed to stiffen for a moment, and a chillingly fierce glint flashed in the depths of his cold eyes.

Almost the instant Parks finished speaking, Marshal Arnold had already switched to his private communication channel and sent a video call request to Lin Luo.

"Buzzing—"

The notification sound was exceptionally clear in the otherwise silent conference room. All the insects involuntarily held their breath, their eyes fixed on the light screen that had been displayed in front of the marshal.

"Hello!" The call was connected almost immediately, and Lin Luo's energetic voice, filled with barely suppressed excitement, came through clearly. The background seemed to be a bedroom.

"Parker! Huh? Marshal?" Lin Luo was somewhat surprised.

"Lord Lin Luo, I meant no offense," Marshal Arnold's voice remained calm and composed.

"But please confirm, has Ayland truly awakened?"

"Yes! Absolutely! Look!"

Lin Luo's voice was filled with joy, and as he spoke, the view on the screen suddenly shifted—

The image clearly shows the figure sitting on the edge of the bed.

That's Major General Ailand.

He was wearing loose-fitting home clothes, and his silver hair seemed to have grown a little longer than before he fell into a coma, hanging softly over his forehead.

His face was still pale from blood loss, and he looked thinner, but he was indeed sitting with his back still straight.

Those icy blue eyes, usually capable of freezing insects, were now gazing gently behind the screen, presumably at Lin Luo, who was holding up the quantum computer.

His eyes were filled with obvious, almost overflowing, doting affection, a stark contrast to his usual aloof and unapproachable demeanor!

He even curled his lips into a slight smile.

"!!!"

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

No further words are needed; this scene speaks volumes.

Major General Ailand miraculously awoke at the crucial last moment!

Hawke abruptly covered his mouth, his eyes instantly reddening;

Akto breathed a long sigh of relief;

Ross leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

Telman stared blankly at the screen, only his hand, with its prominent veins on the armrest, betraying his turbulent inner turmoil.

Marshal Arnold looked at Eland on the screen.

"It's good that you're back." He said in a deep voice to the screen. These words were addressed to Ailand, and also seemed to be addressed to all the insects present.

There's no need to continue this selection process.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Eland House, Bedroom

It's a little earlier.

As usual, Lin Luo gently combed Ailand's silver hair with his fingertips while rambling on about interesting things on the StarNet.

Suddenly, he felt Eland's eyelashes tremble very slightly beneath his palm.

Lin Luo froze instantly, her breath caught in her throat, and she stared intently at that handsome face without blinking.

Then, he saw those thick, silver eyelashes tremble again, like butterfly wings struggling to break through the dawn, slowly lifting a crack to reveal the long-lost icy blue beneath.

"...E...Eland?"

Lin Luo's voice was so soft, as if afraid of shattering a dream, trembling with disbelief.

His eyes slowly focused, landing precisely on Lin Luo's face, which was filled with shock and ecstasy.

The next second, Lin Luo suddenly burst into a huge cheer, almost lunging forward, tightly hugging Ailand's neck with both hands, his voice choked with emotion:

"You're awake! You're really awake, Elland!!"

He buried his face in the crook of Ailand's neck without a care, rubbing against it and feeling the real pulse beating.

Ailand struggled to raise his weak arm and gently wrapped it around Lin Luo's back, which was trembling slightly with excitement.

His gaze remained fixed on Lin Luo, his eyes filled with the preciousness of something lost and found, a deep tenderness that could almost drown one.

"I'm back."

His voice was unusually hoarse and dry from a long period of sleep.

Lin Luo raised her head, her eyes red and swollen, laughing and crying at the same time. She carefully stroked Ailand's cheeks and eyebrows with her fingers, as if to confirm that this was not an illusion.

"That's great...that's great..." he stammered incoherently.

Ayland let him do as he pleased, a faint smile playing in his icy blue eyes. He gazed at Lin Luo and suddenly spoke in a low voice:

"Thank you... Lin Luo."

"Thank me for what?" Lin Luo sniffed.

"Thank you... for always being there for me."

Ayland's gaze was profound, as if it pierced through time, revealing those lonely days and nights of guarding.

"And thank you... for the 'kiss' you gave me."

Lin Luo was stunned at first, and then the memory of that deep and lingering "stolen kiss" suddenly came back to her, her cheeks turned red in an instant, and even her ears turned pink.

His eyes darted around, and he seemed hesitant to look at Elland:

"You...you found out? That...I...I didn't mean to...it's just..."

He spoke softer and softer, as if he wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground.