Chapter 342: New Year Trifles

The storm caused by the Modu annual meeting was like a stone thrown into a lake; the ripples quickly faded into the tense yet orderly rhythm of preparations for battle at the New Era Base. The Lin Group, it seemed, had been thoroughly intimidated by Mo Yu's final few "jokes," and their subsequent cooperation became unusually compliant and deferential, not daring to make the slightest probe.

Time slipped quietly away in the midst of busyness, and Earth completed another orbit around the sun. Although the base had long since shed the concept of traditional holidays, the atmosphere of the Huaxia lunar new year still seeped quietly into this steel city deep underground through small, subtle details.

On the public light screens in the living area, festive red window decorations and electronic greetings of "Happy New Year" would occasionally flash by; the cafeteria menu had timely added dumplings, rice cakes, and other seasonal foods; and even in some non-core work areas, one could see small handwritten "fu" characters with blessings, secretly posted by staff.

It was a sense of ritual rooted deep in the cultural genes—even at the forefront of humanity's fate, it could not be entirely cast aside.

With the new year approaching, even though the Star-Chasing plan was in full swing, the base inevitably gained a few more trivial yet heartwarming daily moments.

After finishing another round of high-intensity spatial transition adaptive training, Xia Wan felt her Spirit somewhat exhausted, so she planned to return to her quarters for a brief rest. Passing through the connecting corridor of the living area, she saw Su Wenqian, with her large pregnant belly, carefully pasting spring couplets on her door with the help of several female staff members.

"A little to the left, yes, a bit higher… good, good!" Su Wenqian directed, her face bearing the soft radiance of an expectant mother, along with a hint of anticipation for the new year.

"Dr. Su, please take it slow, let us handle it." The staff members hurriedly supported her.

"It's fine, a bit of movement is good too." Su Wenqian smiled, and seeing Xia Wan walking over, she waved and said, "Xia Wan, finished with training? Come help this auntie see if this 'fu' character is pasted straight?"

Xia Wan stepped forward, looked at the handwritten "fu" character with its vigorous brushstrokes, and nodded: "Very straight, Dr. Su."

"That's good then." Su Wenqian nodded in satisfaction, then said with some emotion, "In the blink of an eye, another new year is here. I feel like last new year, I was still fretting over some data model, and now this year… there's a Little Fellow in my belly, and the world outside has been turned upside down."

She stroked her belly, her gaze somewhat complex. As a mother and a scientist, she both looked forward to the arrival of new life and felt a trace of worry about the uncertainties of this world's future.

"Everything will be alright." Xia Wan comforted softly.

"Mm, with you all here, I believe it." Su Wenqian smiled, then as if remembering something, lowered her voice and said to Xia Wan, "By the way, your Uncle Lei has been… a bit strange lately."

"Commander Lei? What's wrong with him?"

"He," Su Wenqian couldn't help but laugh, "heard somewhere that if a pregnant woman looks at photos of pretty, cute babies during pregnancy, the child she gives birth to will be prettier too. These past few days, whenever he has a moment, he clutches a tablet and sneakily watches all kinds of cute baby photo collections and videos, with that expression… tsk tsk, silly."

Xia Wan imagined the usually solemn and steady Lei Dong secretly watching cute baby videos, and couldn't help but smile.

"And also," Su Wenqian continued sharing her husband's "embarrassing stories," "a few days ago he actually went to ask the logistics department if they could custom-order a batch of baby diapers printed with the 'Hope' Mother Ship and star patterns… saying the 'vastness of stars and oceans' mindset had to be cultivated from childhood… he stumped the logistics manager!"

Xia Wan finally couldn't hold it in and laughed softly. It seemed that even the Commander, who carried the future of civilization on his shoulders, when about to become a father, would have some clumsy yet adorable moments, just like any ordinary man.

After bidding farewell to Su Wenqian, Xia Wan continued on her way. Passing by the base's small supply exchange center, she saw Mo Yu and Xiao Bao.

Mo Yu was pointing at an extremely flashy, limited-supply "Starry Sky Lollipop" on the exchange list, patiently guiding Little Fellow in his arms: "Son, look at this, all sparkly, doesn't it look like stars? Do you want to eat it?"

Xiao Bao hugged his precious Dice, his big eyes fixed on the lollipop, drool almost dripping, and nodded vigorously: "Want! Daddy! Bao wants to eat!"

"Want to eat it?" Mo Yu stroked his chin, showing a troubled expression, "But this is so expensive, costs a lot of contribution points! Daddy's contribution points were all spent buying you that singing robot last time, now I'm very poor…"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bao's little mouth puckered, about to shed golden beans.

Mo Yu immediately shifted his tone: "But! I heard it's almost new year, the exchange center is having a promotion, there might be a lucky draw! If we can win first prize, we can exchange this lollipop for free!"

Xiao Bao's eyes instantly lit up again: "Lucky draw! Bao wants lucky draw!"

"Yes yes yes! Lucky draw!" Mo Yu smiled like a fox, hugged Xiao Bao, and edged toward the lucky draw box.

Xia Wan watched clearly from the side: that so-called "lucky draw" was clearly Mo Yu publicly "cheating" to fleece the base, taking advantage of Xiao Bao's "child of probability" trait! Sure enough, the moment Xiao Bao's little hand reached into the lucky draw box (without even touching the tickets), the electronic screen above the box flickered wildly, finally settling on a huge "First Prize"!

The staff member stared dumbfounded at this bizarre scene.

Mo Yu, on the other hand, proudly took the "voucher," exchanged for that limited-edition starry sky lollipop, stuffed it into Xiao Bao's delighted hands, and winked in Xia Wan's direction, as if to say "look at our luck."

Xia Wan shook her head helplessly; this father and son pair really never stopped causing trouble wherever they went.

Back at her quarters, Xia Wan found a delicate small gift box at the door. Upon opening it, inside was a peace buckle carved from leftover Kunlun energy jade—warm and lustrous in texture, with energy naturally flowing within, clearly no ordinary item. There was also a note in the box, sent by the old professor in charge of energy mineral research at the base, which read: "Girl, peace for the new year. A little trinket, wear it for fun."

Holding the peace buckle still warm to the touch, a warm current surged in Xia Wan's heart. In this base where grand missions and cold technology were the main melody, these subtle acts of care were especially precious.

She walked to the window (though it simulated a view outside), looked at the "brightly lit" base nightscape outside, and savored this moment of peace and warmth.

New year trifles, the world of mortal life.

Perhaps it is precisely these seemingly insignificant bonds and warmth that serve as the deepest motivation, propelling those who walk the Blade of humanity's fate forward without cease.

To protect these ordinary beauties, she was willing to give everything.

Just then, her Personal Communicator vibrated gently—it was an encrypted message from Lei Dong.

"Xia Wan, just received the first batch of encrypted data sent back by the Star-Chasing advance scout ship, the situation… is somewhat complicated. If convenient, please come to the Command Center."

Warm times are always brief.

Xia Wan carefully put away the peace buckle, and her gaze became sharp and resolute once more.

She adjusted her collar, turned, and strode toward the Command Center.

The new year's bell was about to strike.

And the journey through the starry sky never ceases.