Chapter 18: Campfire

With the help of the resistance organization, the Archangel managed to survive this wave of probing offensives from the ZAFT forces.

Li Boyong parked the Sky Grasper in the hangar and joined the Captain and others in participating in the negotiations with the Dawn Desert, incidentally watching Kira Yamato get slapped by his long-lost sister whom he had yet to recognize.

Hmm... is my word choice a bit strange?

Forget it, that's my elementary school Chinese teacher's fault; what does it have to do with me...

In short, after some negotiations, based on the principle that the enemy of an enemy is a friend, the Archangel and the Dawn Desert, having a common enemy, reached a temporary common front against the Desert Tiger.

The Archangel was also able to station itself at the Dawn Desert's base and received a promise from the Dawn Desert to provide a batch of supplies.

That evening, the Archangel's crew members were warmly entertained by the Dawn Desert.

An open-air campfire party allowed the Archangel's crew to experience a long-lost sense of relaxation.

After all, since Heliopolis, they had been fleeing like stray dogs all the way, and the mental pressure was imaginable.

The people of the Dawn Desert were quite good at socializing, and they soon hit it off with the Archangel's crew, making the atmosphere very lively.

Li Boyong, as a pilot of the Archangel, naturally also participated in this campfire party.

After chatting with a few familiar people, he looked around and found that the resistance organization consisted entirely of crude men, and he suddenly felt it was meaningless.

He carried his food tray, picked some local food that looked decent, and hid in a corner.

Feeling a bit confused, Li Boyong began to think about matters related to the System.

In this battle, the System did not give any missions.

Therefore, after the battle, the System had no changes either, which also proved from another aspect that the gradual unlocking of the System required completing missions issued by the System.

But this also troubled him: what exactly is the principle behind the System's mission triggering mechanism?

Li Boyong thought for a long time without coming up with any rhyme or reason. One moment it wants to reward this, the next it's failure equals erasure, or it's just about surviving, or it's about getting a hit count on an enemy ace...

It's simply devoid of any pattern; it couldn't possibly be random, could it...

Thinking about how he had been in this world for a while, the System he carried had gone from having nothing at the beginning to now, as a Second Lieutenant, being able to see his own attribute panel.

It seemed like he was gradually achieving results, but the progress was truly frustrating. This perverted System had not provided Li Boyong with much help to date.

That was why Li Boyong was worried, fearing that he might be shot down by some unknown grunt in some unknown battle before he could get any help from the System.

Having experienced these battles since the advance team, Li Boyong knew very well that his ability was actually quite limited.

Just like the previous battle, he had given his all, piloting a combat aircraft that was also his specialty within the atmosphere.

But what were the results he could achieve?

Very limited!

Even if he made himself more proficient with the Sky Grasper, plus the addition of the Strike's parts.

How much stronger could he be?

Deal with two more grunts?

And then what?

Safely reaching Alaska, no matter which side he planned to defect to, he would always have to face a series of subsequent large-scale battles.

Could he survive?

Hard to say!

Or find a safe place to hide?

But what if the System suddenly popped up an erasure mission that couldn't be completed unless he was in the military?

It was hard to say if it was the accumulated pressure from continuous battles that caused Li Boyong to panic the more he thought about it while alone, losing the calm analysis and the ease of quickly finding the optimal action plan he had when he first transmigrated.

He completely forgot that he was just bored and wanted to study the System because he saw that the resistance organization was full of old men and not a single girl with desert flair. As a result, his thinking ran wild like a runaway horse, heading straight into the abyss.

"Second Lieutenant... Second Lieutenant Li Boyong!"

In a daze, Li Boyong seemed to hear someone calling him.

He came back to his senses and found that Natarle Badgiruel was standing right next to him; she must have been the one calling him just now.

"Sorry, First Officer, I was a bit distracted just now. Is something the matter?"

"No, I just saw that your complexion wasn't very good, so I came over to check."

Natarle Badgiruel still had her serious, straight-laced look, but Li Boyong seemed to see a hint of concern in her eyes.

Concern?

For me?

Impossible, impossible, I must have seen it wrong.

By the way, why would she come to talk to me?

Could it be...

Li Boyong was feeling a bit strange when he saw a few desert men carrying wine glasses coming over.

"Haha, First Officer, why did you leave after only a few drinks? Are you dissatisfied with our hospitality?"

"Come, come, have a few more drinks. This is our desert people's unique specialty brew; you will definitely like it."

"That's right, that's right, today is our big day of alliance!"

Facing the enthusiastic urging of the desert men, Natarle Badgiruel's face was full of embarrassment. "No, I really cannot hold my liquor."

At this moment, Li Boyong saw a hint of redness on Natarle Badgiruel's face; clearly, she had already drunk quite a bit.

No wonder she would hide in this corner...

I said so, didn't I?

So she came over to hide from the drinking. I actually thought... cough cough...

Seeing Natarle Badgiruel, who usually scolded him with a straight face, showing such an embarrassed look, Li Boyong felt very pleased.

However, he couldn't just watch these desert men bully his own people. He hated those who used the atmosphere of a social occasion to force women to drink.

Some things are fine in moderation to liven up the atmosphere, but going too far is a bit bullying.

"What's this, good wine?" Li Boyong stepped forward and grabbed the glass that was about to be handed to Natarle Badgiruel. "Let me try it too!"

Li Boyong tilted his head and went DUAN-DUAN-DUAN, finishing it in one breath.

The few desert men looked at each other, probably understood Li Boyong's meaning, and tactfully left.

"Thank you, Second Lieutenant."

After the desert men left, Natarle Badgiruel thanked Li Boyong.

"Don't mention it, First Officer. You sometimes think too much. If you don't want to drink, just refuse directly. Being timid in such occasions will only lead to people pushing you around. If you just used one-tenth of the momentum you use to lecture me, they probably wouldn't dare to push their luck..."

Li Boyong followed the atmosphere and started blabbering in an educational tone. As he spoke, cold sweat started to break out; was it really appropriate to talk to Natarle Badgiruel in this tone?

However, the rebuttal and reprimand Li Boyong expected did not come.

For some reason, the First Officer's temper was quite peaceful tonight. After listening to Li Boyong's nonsense, she only explained in a straight-laced manner: "I just thought the atmosphere after the alliance was good and didn't want to affect the relationship between the two sides because of some small matters. The Dawn Desert is, after all, the local power, and we still need to rely on them for supplies."

"S-so that's it, I was reckless."

With this reaction, Li Boyong was instead at a loss, showing an awkward but polite smile.

"No, Second Lieutenant, you don't need to blame yourself." Natarle Badgiruel still had her expressionless, serious look. She looked at the campfire in the distance. "I came over just now because I had some things I wanted to say to you. Are you willing to listen, Second Lieutenant?"

"P-please instruct me."

Was it really going to be a lecture?

"I have already watched the combat footage of your recent battles. I have to admit that you indeed have good operational skills, and you seem to have your own considerations at the tactical level."

Li Boyong listened quietly, waiting for the subsequent "but."

"But, I hope you won't become arrogant and complacent because of this. Those behaviors that violate military discipline should not become a way for you to show off your personality. If you want to become a true soldier, you should understand the importance of military discipline."

Sure enough, the "but" appeared.

"Especially since we are now trapped in an isolated and helpless predicament, we need everyone to bring out their full strength, unite as one, and overcome the difficulties together............"

Li Boyong listened to Natarle Badgiruel's old tune with a humble attitude, while thinking to himself: Oh my, it turns out that when the First Officer drinks a little, her blushing, straight-laced look is also quite cute.

Especially under the flickering light of the campfire, she had a bit of a bright charm. Those old guys also had a good eye!

"Second Lieutenant? Are you listening to me seriously?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

The way she glares is also quite good-looking... ===== CHAPTER 19 =====